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

[Villadroid]

He wasn't forgiven for a long time. It took a good few years before he became the elder statesman figure he now enjoys.   

That's very true. Remember the song 'there's a circus in the town, ronnie saunders is the clown' I was quite suprised when I started reading H&V online ten years ago or so to see that he was so well remembered by Villa fans.

I was at the game on 10th February 1982 (Villa1-1Southampton) in the week Saunders resigned and the chants were all for Saunders and against the Bendalls.

[dave.woodhall]

I was at the game on 17th February 1982 (Villa 1 Spurs 1) and in the words of one of the lads who ran on the pitch with a pro-Saunders banner the previous week, "I'd fucking strangle him with it now."

[Villadroid]

I was at the game on 17th February 1982 (Villa 1 Spurs 1) and in the words of one of the lads who ran on the pitch with a pro-Saunders banner the previous week, "I'd fucking strangle him with it now."

So it seems that the fans were okay with his resignation but not with his destination.

[dave.woodhall]

Seems that way.

[N'ZMAV]

Would we have blamed MON so much if Deadly was in charge when he walked out?

[Chico Hamilton III]

Would we have blamed MON so much if Deadly was in charge when he walked out?

Brings us right back to the question of whether Ellis would have been naive enough in the first place to have sat back and  bankrolled some of O'Neill's more extravagant transfers

[Villadroid]

Would we have blamed MON so much if Deadly was in charge when he walked out?

According to Doug the club were in financial trouble when he took over, which was due to the spending of the Saunders years.

So in one case Saunders is exonerated and the board is blamed for the financial problems, but MON is blamed for Villa's present financial problems and the owner is exonerated.

Isn't that a double-standard?

[QBVILLA]

Would we have blamed MON so much if Deadly was in charge when he walked out?

Brings us right back to the question of whether Ellis would have been naive enough in the first place to have sat back and  bankrolled some of O'Neill's more extravagant transfers

He did give Gregory the green light to sign Dublin and Merson (As good as they were) for big money at an age where there wouldn't have been any resale value. So i'm not so sure.

[MarkM]

Would we have blamed MON so much if Deadly was in charge when he walked out?

According to Doug the club were in financial trouble when he took over, which was due to the spending of the Saunders years.

So in one case Saunders is exonerated and the board is blamed for the financial problems, but MON is blamed for Villa's present financial problems and the owner is exonerated.

Isn't that a double-standard?

There are many on here who also give the current owners a huge share of the blame for allowing MON to spend, spend, spend with no apparent checks or balances.

I for one give RL et al. a massive chunk of the blame for our current financial position, and also for making one of the most bizzare management appointments in the history of history

[QBVILLA]

Would we have blamed MON so much if Deadly was in charge when he walked out?

According to Doug the club were in financial trouble when he took over, which was due to the spending of the Saunders years.

So in one case Saunders is exonerated and the board is blamed for the financial problems, but MON is blamed for Villa's present financial problems and the owner is exonerated.

Isn't that a double-standard?

There are many on here who also give the current owners a huge share of the blame for allowing MON to spend, spend, spend with no apparent checks or balances.

I for one give RL et al. a massive chunk of the blame for our current financial position, and also for making one of the most bizzare management appointments in the history of history

The appointments of Houllier and Mcleish were two absolute stinking decisions. The bankrolling of MoN signings though I dunno if I can say that was Lerner's 'fault'. At the time he was backing the manager financially and we as fans were happy. In the cases of Milner,Downing and Young there were plenty who reckoned we'd paid over the odds yet we had good performances and made handsome profits on all three. On the flipside there are the signings who turned out shite, but it's all with the benefit of hindsight. I think Lerner has in general been a lot more good than bad for our club.

[not3bad]

So in one case Saunders is exonerated and the board is blamed for the financial problems, but MON is blamed for Villa's present financial problems and the owner is exonerated.

I think you'll find the owner hasn't been exonerated, but as has been stated, this thread is about MON, not Randy Lerner.  Also, when MON initially left, the world at large certainly did put all the blame at the door of the owner, as well as many of the Villa fans on here. 

Just out of interest, would you have MON back here now?

[dave.woodhall]

Would we have blamed MON so much if Deadly was in charge when he walked out?

According to Doug the club were in financial trouble when he took over, which was due to the spending of the Saunders years.

So in one case Saunders is exonerated and the board is blamed for the financial problems, but MON is blamed for Villa's present financial problems and the owner is exonerated.

Isn't that a double-standard?

Doug can say whatever he likes, but the fact is that Saunders built the best team in Europe and in doing so making a profit on transfers. I'd also say it's a very strange Villa supporter who wouldn't have a good word to say for Ron Saunders yet seems to regard Martin O'Neill as beyond criticism. 

[Stu]

Would we have blamed MON so much if Deadly was in charge when he walked out?

Brings us right back to the question of whether Ellis would have been naive enough in the first place to have sat back and  bankrolled some of O'Neill's more extravagant transfers

Isn't it odd how perceptions change over the years? Deadly is seen as some sort of elder statesman to the club now, yet ten years ago his name was mud on this site. Remember Arsenal a couple of years ago outside Finsbury Park tube? As you said at the time, that wouldn't have happened 5 years before.

[Rip Van We Go Again]

I would never look at Ellis's time through rose coloured spectacles, but i'm 99% certain he wouldn't have appointed McCatpiss.
He wasn't THAT out of touch with supporters.

[Villadroid]

Would we have blamed MON so much if Deadly was in charge when he walked out?

According to Doug the club were in financial trouble when he took over, which was due to the spending of the Saunders years.

So in one case Saunders is exonerated and the board is blamed for the financial problems, but MON is blamed for Villa's present financial problems and the owner is exonerated.

Isn't that a double-standard?

Doug can say whatever he likes, but the fact is that Saunders built the best team in Europe and in doing so making a profit on transfers. I'd also say it's a very strange Villa supporter who wouldn't have a good word to say for Ron Saunders yet seems to regard Martin O'Neill as beyond criticism.

That would be a very strange supporter indeed but I can't say I have ever met one.

Sounds like a straw man to me.