The Martin O'Neill thread (with added sacking #2188)

[McGraths Dry Cleaning]

Just saw a scathing piece on Sky news about DiCanio from Kevin Maguire - this looks like it might turn into a bit of a meeja circus with Miliband's resignation

[eamonn]

After his antics at the end of the game at Swindon in October I hope we pwn that fascist's ass when he comes to Villa Park.

[cdbearsfan]

I don't remember his antics after the Villa game, what did he do?

[not3bad]

If I remember rightly he ran onto the pitch, pointed at Swindon's fans and pointed upwards, then gestured towards the Villa end and pointed downwards.  Then just to make sure everyone saw what he was doing he repeated the routine.  Afterwards he claimed he was bigging up the Swindon fans rather than putting down the Villa.

[LeeB]

Good or bad for Sunderland its still funneh

"Sorry Martin, but we're going to have to let you go. On reflection we think a fascist nutjob who fights with his players during games probably has a better chance of keeping us up."

LOL

[eastie]

Seems mon gave Ellis short his word that he would work hard to improve things after the defeat at qpr had left his chairman furious - but then rather than working away on the training ground mon wasnt seen for several days until turning up on Thursday for a training session - according to reports that was the final straw for short.

Cloughie was good enough to turn up now and again for a training session and get away with it but mon is no Brian clough!

[Mister E]

Shock news:

Ellis Short has announced a change in Sunderland branding.

With immediate effect, the team will play in all-black kit and the club nickname - Black Cats - will become the Black Shirts.

Read more here

[eastie]

Shock news:

Ellis Short has announced a change in Sunderland branding.

With immediate effect, the team will play in all-black kit and the club nickname - Black Cats - will become the Black Shirts.

Read more here

No point playing April fools joke after midday mr E !

[pauliewalnuts]

Good or bad for Sunderland its still funneh

"Sorry Martin, but we're going to have to let you go. On reflection we think a fascist nutjob who fights with his players during games probably has a better chance of keeping us up."

LOL

I am stricken with manflu today, rather miserable, but that has just made me laugh aloud.

[atomicjam]

Some of the stuff on the RTG forum is really bad. Anyone with concerns about their new managers politics is called 'a mag' and considered some sort of mad leftie. Meanwhile Sunderland say:-


Published: 01 April, 2013
by Sunderland AFC

Official statement from Sunderland AFC.

Sunderland AFC and Head Coach Paolo Di Canio have issued the following statement in response to comments made by certain sections of the media and other individuals since his appointment was announced yesterday.
 
Paolo spoke passionately and honestly regarding the inaccurate portrayal of his beliefs and values from some quarters. He said: “Something can happen many years ago but what counts is the facts. My life speaks for me. Of course it hurts me because people try to take your dignity and that is not fair.
 
“I believe in my pillars and I have values. What offends me more than anything is not because they touch me; they touch what my parents gave to me; the values they gave to me. This is not acceptable.
 
“What I can say is that if someone is hurt, I am sorry. But this didn’t come from me, it came from a big story that people put out in a different way to what it was.
 
“I never have a problem in my past. I expressed an opinion in an interview many years ago. Some pieces were taken for media convenience. They took my expression in a very, very negative way – but it was a long conversation and a long interview. It was not fair. I know it is a part of my job to do interviews because I am well-known, but sometimes it suits their purpose to put big headlines and a big story.
 
“I don’t have a problem with anyone. I haven’t had a problem in the past and I don’t know why I have to keep repeating my story, to be defending  myself on something that doesn’t belong to me every time I change clubs. Talk about racism? That is absolutely stupid, stupid and ridiculous. The people who know me can change that idea quickly. When I was in England my best friends were Trevor Sinclair and Chris Powell, the Charlton manager – they can tell you everything about my character.
 
“I don’t want to talk about politics because it’s not my area. We are not in the Houses of Parliament, we are in a football club. I want to talk about sport. I want to talk about football, my players, the Board and the fans. My first priority is my family and my daughters, that’s obvious, and secondly to have the responsibility for thousands of people. This is my priority and I want to be focused on this aspect. I don’t want to talk any more about politics – I am not a politics person.”
 
CEO Margaret Byrne said: “Sunderland AFC is a traditional football club, with a rich and proud history. It has a strong ethos and ethics and that has not changed in any shape or form.
 
“Naturally it’s been very disappointing to read some of the reaction to Paolo’s appointment in the last 24 hours. Anyone who has met Paolo and spoken with him personally, as we did in depth before making this appointment, will know that he is an honest man, a man of principle and a driven, determined and passionate individual. To accuse him now, as some have done, of being a racist or having fascist sympathies, is insulting not only to him but to the integrity of this football club.
 
“Paolo has spoken emotively and at length in order to clarify some of the misconceptions that surround him and historical comments and actions attributed to him in the past.
 
“My role and that of the Board is to act in the best interests of this club at all times and in appointing Paolo Di Canio we feel we have done just that. It is disappointing that some people are trying to turn the appointment of a head coach into a political circus.
 
“We are a football club and now want to allow Paolo and the team to focus on the rest of the season.”
 
Neither Sunderland AFC, nor Paolo Di Canio, will make any further comment on this matter.

[dave.woodhall]

I'm not a racist but it doesn't matter anyway. God forbid he ever comes near us.

[UK Redsox]

[Andy_Lochhead_in_the_air]

At least he will make the training run on time.

[Whiney MacWhineface]

I'm pretty sure that at least one meths drinking, self-trepanned, goat botherer* wanted him here.

Apologies to all you goat botherers who didn't want him here.

*this at least lets Risso off the hook, who only wanted Roy Keane.

[eastie]

I'm pretty sure that at least one meths drinking, self-trepanned, goat botherer* wanted him here.

Apologies to all you goat botherers who didn't want him here.

*this at least lets Risso off the hook, who only wanted Roy Keane.

Think you are being a bit harsh on risso there RR