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

[eamonn]

Even though we made decent profits on them, Downing, Milner and Young were all seen as over-priced at the time by every other interested party. Fair play to MON in trusting his own judgement to improve them but if Randy gets pelters for all the shite he sanctioned (wages moreso than transfer fees) he deserves a bit of credit for ponying up 10m plus for each of those three players that most other owners and managers would have seen as costing far too much.

Didn't Keegan say of Milner's sale to us that the money was far too good to turn down? A pity O'Neill's last expensive young English lad, Delph, doesn't look like he'll emulate the others.

[Rigadon]

Even though we made decent profits on them, Downing, Milner and Young were all seen as over-priced at the time by every other interested party. Fair play to MON in trusting his own judgement to improve them but if Randy gets pelters for all the shite he sanctioned (wages moreso than transfer fees) he deserves a bit of credit for ponying up 10m plus for each of those three players that most other owners and managers would have seen as costing far too much.

Didn't Keegan say of Milner's sale to us that the money was far too good to turn down? A pity O'Neill's last expensive young English lad, Delph, doesn't look like he'll emulate the others.

It's telling that Delph is the only one still here.

[Rip Van We Go Again]

Even though we made decent profits on them, Downing, Milner and Young were all seen as over-priced at the time by every other interested party. Fair play to MON in trusting his own judgement to improve them but if Randy gets pelters for all the shite he sanctioned (wages moreso than transfer fees) he deserves a bit of credit for ponying up 10m plus for each of those three players that most other owners and managers would have seen as costing far too much.

Didn't Keegan say of Milner's sale to us that the money was far too good to turn down? A pity O'Neill's last expensive young English lad, Delph, doesn't look like he'll emulate the others.

It's telling that Delph is the only one still here.

Indeed.

And he's shit.

[lovejoy]

We've got to deal in facts and the league position is a clear measure of a teams standing. We haven't looked like finishing 6th since he left.

[pedro25]

True,

Since he's left our transfer dealings have been roughly as follows

Out

Milner 26m
Downing 20m
A Young 17m
Collins 2m
Beye free
Friedel free
Cuellar free
NRC free
Heskey free
(Probably a few others I've forgotten for free or a mill or 2 here and there, maybe Gardenr and Sidwell)
Total 65-70m ish

In
Bent 24m
N'Zogbia 9.5M
Ireland 8m
Benteke 7m
Makoun 6m
Vlaar 3.5m
Given 3.5m
Hutton 3m
Lowton 2.5m
Westwood 2m
Bennett 2m
KEA 2M
Bowery 0.5m
Stevens free
Holman free

Total 70-75m ish

So we have roughly broke even, maybe a small net spend, you usually need to invest to maintain or improve your league placing imo, but such a drop in league placings(6th-17th) and the quality of our squad (looks nothing like as good as 3 years ago especially the 1st 11) is surely just as much down to the signings of our last 3 managers as it is M'ONs signings of 4/5 years ago?

[peter w]

It's more to do with the unrealistic ally high wages MON put very average players on.

Perce, serious question, how much of your emotions surrounding O'Neill are mixed in with your book? I.E. it will be pretty difficult to shift copies today and it has a feel of 'of the time' about it, a lot of which was to do with O'Neill. Does your pride of your tome become inextricably linked with pride of who our manager was?

[Irish villain]

I thought the Milner deal was £16m plus Ireland?

[not3bad]

What were the conditions on the Bent fee rising to £24 million?

[damon loves JT]

Dead to rise from their graves, Jesus Christ to return, Villa fans to stop moaning

[Chico Hamilton III]

Dead to rise from their graves, Jesus Christ to return, Villa fans to stop moaning

Two out of three aint bad

[Irish villain]

Dead to rise from their graves, Jesus Christ to return, Villa fans to stop moaning

And, sorry to moan but didn't Enda cost us £240,000?

[N'ZMAV]

But the wage bill must be down, surely?

[pedro25]

I'm sure the wage bill is down, but the board have let M'ONs successors sign Given, Makoun, Ireland, N'Zogbia, Hutton, Jenas, Vlaar, Bent etc. who will have all been on big wages and some on long contracts, so I don't agree they have suddenly tried to costs so dramatically it has seen us flirt with relegation.  The stop on net spend and the reduction on wages could have still seen us comfortably in mid table over the past 3 years imo if the signings the last 3 managers had made gave us anything like value for money, or say if Pardew was in charge and had signed us the players he has signed for the Toon.  Hutton, ireland, N'Zog etc have just all been such massive failures and losing Petrov was unfortunate of course.  I think the blame for our demise lies partially with each of M'ON, GH, TSM and Lerner/Faulkner and PL, less so with the latter given it's sill way too early to judge.  I dont think any one element is massively more so to blame than any other really.

[Percy McCarthy]

Pete: there are really no emotions involved when it comes to my views of MON's time, I'm just trying to counter the impression given by some that it was the worst four years in our history. I didn't like him or dislike him - I didn't know him at all. And it's nothing to do with my book - thanks for remembering what was in it!

[QBVILLA]

I'm sure the wage bill is down, but the board have let M'ONs successors sign Given, Makoun, Ireland, N'Zogbia, Hutton, Jenas, Vlaar, Bent etc. who will have all been on big wages and some on long contracts, so I don't agree they have suddenly tried to costs so dramatically it has seen us flirt with relegation.  The stop on net spend and the reduction on wages could have still seen us comfortably in mid table over the past 3 years imo if the signings the last 3 managers had made gave us anything like value for money, or say if Pardew was in charge and had signed us the players he has signed for the Toon.  Hutton, ireland, N'Zog etc have just all been such massive failures and losing Petrov was unfortunate of course.  I think the blame for our demise lies partially with each of M'ON, GH, TSM and Lerner/Faulkner and PL, less so with the latter given it's sill way too early to judge.  I dont think any one element is massively more so to blame than any other really.

Well said