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

[dave.woodhall]

You missed Zat Knight.

[PeterWithesShin]

The sad thing is that, at his Leicester and (to an extent) Celtic best, he could do wonders with no-mark players on sod-all money. Like with so many players we've had down the years, maybe he was the right man at the wrong time.

Here's something guaranteed to make a grown man weep. Imagine BFR with Randy's money.

Too right, Dave.

That team Atkinson put together wasn't cheap, either, but it had 10 times the flair of MON's side.

It was also even less long term than MON's squad.

[Monty]

You missed Zat Knight.

Nobody misses Zat Knight.

[cheltenhamlion]

Different time in football, but what a team.

[pauliewalnuts]

The sad thing is that, at his Leicester and (to an extent) Celtic best, he could do wonders with no-mark players on sod-all money. Like with so many players we've had down the years, maybe he was the right man at the wrong time.

Here's something guaranteed to make a grown man weep. Imagine BFR with Randy's money.

Too right, Dave.

That team Atkinson put together wasn't cheap, either, but it had 10 times the flair of MON's side.

It was also even less long term than MON's squad.

It at least didn't leave us crippled, mind, and it involved silverware.

[pauliewalnuts]

You missed Zat Knight.

I was going to add him, he was the year before, 07-08

[PeterWithesShin]

The sad thing is that, at his Leicester and (to an extent) Celtic best, he could do wonders with no-mark players on sod-all money. Like with so many players we've had down the years, maybe he was the right man at the wrong time.

Here's something guaranteed to make a grown man weep. Imagine BFR with Randy's money.

Too right, Dave.

That team Atkinson put together wasn't cheap, either, but it had 10 times the flair of MON's side.

It was also even less long term than MON's squad.

It at least didn't leave us crippled, mind, and it involved silverware.

True. But it was also heading for relegation faster than Dunne heading for the local bun shop.

[Sexual Ealing]

The sad thing is that, at his Leicester and (to an extent) Celtic best, he could do wonders with no-mark players on sod-all money. Like with so many players we've had down the years, maybe he was the right man at the wrong time.

Here's something guaranteed to make a grown man weep. Imagine BFR with Randy's money.

Too right, Dave.

That team Atkinson put together wasn't cheap, either, but it had 10 times the flair of MON's side.

It was also even less long term than MON's squad.

It at least didn't leave us crippled, mind, and it involved silverware.

Different times. It's crazy to think that it was largely the sale of one fat-faced player for £5.5m that financed the putting together of that side.

[pauliewalnuts]

You missed Zat Knight.

Nobody misses Zat Knight.

I miss his pointing act.

Whenever at fault for a goal, he'd just stand and point at a random location in the stadium.

[Billy Walker]

On our way back from Swindon on the train last night my son related the story to a young very dedicated Villa fan of the relationship O'Neill has built up over the years with media commentators and journalists.   It even got me thinking and I have heard the story many times.

I've said all along that a large part of the O'Neill myth came when he was at Leicester and turning down bigger jobs, implying that he was waiting for  one more worthy of his talent.

He doesn't really look like he's enjoying it at Sunderland much.

I reckon he'll walk at the end of the season, and that'll be it from him.

It won't quite be "it".  I reckon he could be tempted to take the Ireland job when Trapp goes.

[KevinGage]

The worst ever MON love-in thing I read was from Henry Winter (otherwise a good jour no) who said MON was "too good a person for football".

See, I find that stuff far more annoying than the bloke himself. 

MON was a good manager, you don't achieve what he did with Wycombe, Leicester, Celtic and ourselves by accident.   He's just vastly overrated.   

The football was often disjointed and shapeless, which could be forgiven in the earlier years.  But not so after four. 

At the time we acquired him though he was hot property, linked with many of the top jobs (he'd turned down Leeds, Newcastle and Tottenham) and made us feel good about ourselves.  He chose us.  Let's not pretend it was all bad either, for all our limitations at times, we went into big games knowing we could win.  Expecting it, sometimes. 

In the final analysis, I wish he'd been better.  But then he probably does as well.  He can't help being what he is, a meat and potatoes 4-4-2 merchant. 

If any of you are watching the new series of Homeland,  there is a bit where a previously dismissed and deemed crazy ex CIA woman is shown a video clip of the American Marine that she was convinced had been 'turned' to a terrorist, whilst being held hostage for 7 years or so - the premise for the whole of series 1.

In the clip, he is preparing to become a suicide bomber - and explains his reasons to camera.

Her first words when she was shown the clip were '' I was right, I was right !''

Thats how we should feel .

Aye, maybe.   Or maybe we're like those old Japanese soldiers found in Lubang Island, still fighting WWII years after it ended.

[dave.woodhall]

The sad thing is that, at his Leicester and (to an extent) Celtic best, he could do wonders with no-mark players on sod-all money. Like with so many players we've had down the years, maybe he was the right man at the wrong time.

Here's something guaranteed to make a grown man weep. Imagine BFR with Randy's money.

Too right, Dave.

That team Atkinson put together wasn't cheap, either, but it had 10 times the flair of MON's side.

It was also even less long term than MON's squad.

It at least didn't leave us crippled, mind, and it involved silverware.

Different times. It's crazy to think that it was largely the sale of one fat-faced player for £5.5m that financed the putting together of that side.

We got a load for Cascarino as well.

[Sexual Ealing]

The sad thing is that, at his Leicester and (to an extent) Celtic best, he could do wonders with no-mark players on sod-all money. Like with so many players we've had down the years, maybe he was the right man at the wrong time.

Here's something guaranteed to make a grown man weep. Imagine BFR with Randy's money.

Too right, Dave.

That team Atkinson put together wasn't cheap, either, but it had 10 times the flair of MON's side.

It was also even less long term than MON's squad.

It at least didn't leave us crippled, mind, and it involved silverware.

Different times. It's crazy to think that it was largely the sale of one fat-faced player for £5.5m that financed the putting together of that side.

We got a load for Cascarino as well.

Even crazier!

[Lizz]

very good clip there, thanks for that paulie

Seconded. Do wonder why they've at last chosen to be objective about MON.

[dave.woodhall]

very good clip there, thanks for that paulie

Seconded. Do wonder why they've at last chosen to be objective about MON.

Maybe it's a new breed of journos coming through who he hasn't bothered to cultivate.