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

[PeterWithesShin]

I don't mention them because everyone knows about them and still acknowledges them. There seems to have been a lot of revisionism about Ellis over the last couple of years so i'm pointing that he wasn't a success story or financial wizard.

Everyone knows about Turner and McNeil as well, and relegation in '87. I'll never forget how shit we were in those days. We're not far off it now, by the way.

Do they though, or is it a case of it's easier to remember the LC wins and the 1 good season under BFR and SGT1 than all the crap we endured under him? There's been a fair bit of "Ellis would never have signed a small heath manager" and so on over the last year or so. He may not have, but he still managed to relegate us. And came very close to doing it a few more times as well.

Under Atkinson we went from finishing 17th to 7th to 2nd in two years and then won the League Cup in '94. That's hardly just one good season, despite his sacking in late '94.  To say otherwise is just unfair, in my opinion. Also I'm absolutely positive Ellis would never have employed the manager of Small Heath just a month or two after he relegated them, and nothing anyone says will ever persuade me otherwise.
Yes we endured a frustrating time under Ellis, but feck me what we're experiencing now is as bad as anything we endured under Doug's chairmanship. Lerner seems clueless and he seems to be dragging us down with what it is my opinion the worst team since the mid 80s.

I've already said he wouldn't have appointed McLeish. But he did think that the right man to take over a club that had recently won the European Cup was the manager of Shrewsbury. Or that the man to save us from the drop was the manager of another bottom 3 club. 2 cups, 2 failed title challenges and 7 16th or lower finishes is what Ellis delivered after he returned. 

And don't forget we were heading for relegation under BFR before Little just about saved us. The last 26 league games under BFR gave us 3 wins.

[cheltenhamlion]

Stitch that you bottling four eyed fuck

[PeterWithesShin]

1 shot on target at home. He really is a busted flush. I don't miss him or his one dimensional play in the slightest.

[Rip Van We Go Again]

I can see the wanker quitting in the next few weeks.

He's been sussed, good and proper.

[Brian Taylor]

We have a new manager now. A good one! Let the legend that was MON lie..It's gone and done with for me.
Randy screwed us when the money got tight and made us suffer huge embarrassment for what seemed an eternity.
It is a new era. We can do, and we will do it. All power to PL!!

[pauliewalnuts]

I can see the wanker quitting in the next few weeks.

He's been sussed, good and proper.

With the booing, I reckon he'll figure this is the best time for him to bail out and protect his reputation - the accusations would be that the Sunderland fans drove him out.

[eastie]

I can see the wanker quitting in the next few weeks.

He's been sussed, good and proper.

With the booing, I reckon he'll figure this is the best time for him to bail out and protect his reputation - the accusations would be that the Sunderland fans drove him out.

Can't see him going yet but if at Xmas things are no better he may walk.

[PeterWithesShin]

By my reckoning that's 3 league wins in 23 games for him. Just imagine if he wasn't such a motivator......

[hawkeye]

I would like to raise a glass to all those who realised he was a one trick pony about 18 months before every one else did. Cheers, UTV

[Mortimer's Bear]

I would like to raise a glass to all those who realised he was a one trick pony about 18 months before every one else did. Cheers, UTV

This

[ACVilla]

I was at an ex Villa players daughters birthday party today, a guy who played under O'Neill for us and I got chatting to him re O'Neill and he said, I quote "I don't know anyone who thinks he's a good manager" and confirmed that most Villa players were delighted to see him go. I asked him about his famous man management skills and he looked at me like I was a mad man.

[Big Dick Edwards]

Ellis for all his faults kept his hand on the tiller and a tight control on the finances.

Ellis become Chairman again when Villa were the Champions of Europe.

Four years later we were relegated. Don't get me started about Ellis' long list of condemnations on the day we won our first away match in the PL this season.

[SoccerHQ]

No doubt the Sunderland players will be given the whole week off training as punishment for the performance today.

[Chipsticks]

I would like to raise a glass to all those who realised he was a one trick pony about 18 months before every one else did. Cheers, UTV

I remember during the Houllier season having a go at people unhappy at the state of the club by posting things like "I can't believe people used to want MON out when he was here! You'd take him back now!". I'd like to apologise.

[hawkeye]

I would like to raise a glass to all those who realised he was a one trick pony about 18 months before every one else did. Cheers, UTV

I remember during the Houllier season having a go at people unhappy at the state of the club by posting things like "I can't believe people used to want MON out when he was here! You'd take him back now!". I'd like to apologise.

no need, there were people who would go into an absoloute rage if you even flickered any sugestion that he was not in fact the mesiah