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

[kippaxvilla2]

There was no doubt in Randy Lerner's mind that they were going for it after the cash splurge in 2008 I think it was - I remember MO'N saying something of the sort - by that I took it to mean Champions League, on that basis, the owner must have thought he had invested sufficiently - which I think in hindsight he had.  It was just that Marlon Harewood, nor Zat Knight and the like were ever going to get us in the Champions League.

[Villadroid]

58 posts about an ex manager who is now being found out.

Oh, sorry, is there a limit?

[Drummond]

Said in an Irish accent......

[pauliewalnuts]

58 posts about an ex manager who is now being found out.

Oh, sorry, is there a limit?

Said in an Irish accent......

Well, is there a limit? Well, you might ask me that, and, listen .... I don't know, you tell me, is there a limit? You could pose me that question, and If you were to do so, I would totally accept that, you would be well within your rights, and were that the case, I would say that .... listen ....  having been asked whether there were a limit, that would be a very good question.

*pushes glasses up nose*

[kippaxvilla2]

Whilst not looking directly at the person asking the question at any stage.

[Chris Smith]

He had enough money. No doubt it in my mind.

He had enough money to make a challenge, which we did. He had nowhere near enough to mean that it should be judged a failure for just coming up short, for that you need Man City type investment.

Spurs did it without Man City type investment.

I think we've done that one to death.

[bertlambshank]

58 posts about an ex manager who is now being found out.

Oh, sorry, is there a limit?

You seem to think so,you have limited yourself to just one thread.
A good troll would post in other threads to cover.

[Villadroid]

58 posts about an ex manager who is now being found out.

Oh, sorry, is there a limit?

You seem to think so,you have limited yourself to just one thread.
A good troll would post in other threads to cover.

Wrong!

[peter w]

He had enough money. No doubt it in my mind.

He had enough money to make a challenge, which we did. He had nowhere near enough to mean that it should be judged a failure for just coming up short, for that you need Man City type investment.

Everton were 4th without it, Tottenham also. Sandwiched between them were our 6th place finishes.

[Chris Smith]

He had enough money. No doubt it in my mind.

He had enough money to make a challenge, which we did. He had nowhere near enough to mean that it should be judged a failure for just coming up short, for that you need Man City type investment.

Everton were 4th without it, Tottenham also. Sandwiched between them were our 6th place finishes.

As I said enough to have a go, not enough to make it the abject failure some revisionists are trying to pretend. We didn't quite make it and then it all imploded.

[peter w]

He had enough money. No doubt it in my mind.

He had enough money to make a challenge, which we did. He had nowhere near enough to mean that it should be judged a failure for just coming up short, for that you need Man City type investment.

Everton were 4th without it, Tottenham also. Sandwiched between them were our 6th place finishes.

As I said enough to have a go, not enough to make it the abject failure some revisionists are trying to pretend. We didn't quite make it and then it all imploded.

You said that we didn't make it because we didn't have man City type investment. I gave two examples where it didn't matter. And I reckon if Moyes and Redknapp had our players they would have done better then three 6ths.

[Chris Smith]

He had enough money. No doubt it in my mind.

He had enough money to make a challenge, which we did. He had nowhere near enough to mean that it should be judged a failure for just coming up short, for that you need Man City type investment.

Everton were 4th without it, Tottenham also. Sandwiched between them were our 6th place finishes.

As I said enough to have a go, not enough to make it the abject failure some revisionists are trying to pretend. We didn't quite make it and then it all imploded.

You said that we didn't make it because we didn't have man City type investment. I gave two examples where it didn't matter. And I reckon if Moyes and Redknapp had our players they would have done better then three 6ths.

No I didn't, look at it again. I said we spent enough to have a go but it would take Man City type investment to guarantee it.

[Matt Collins]

AAAAAAAAARRRRRGGGGHHHHHH!!!!!!!

[ktvillan]

I don't see that many are saying he was an abject failure.  Three 6th places and a couple of Wembley appearances isn't abject failure. But  given the money spent, and the achievements of clubs spending less or similar (Spurs and Everton as mentioned) you could certainly make a case for saying he was a relative failure, if not an abject one,  by comparison.

Just look at the two sets of defences he bought after we lost Mellberg, Bouma and Laursen, and he flogged Cahill.  Were Davies, Cuellar, Shorey, Knight, Collins, Young, Beye and Dunne the sort of players that you envisage getting you to the Champions League, and looking like you belong there?  Were they value for money?  Was a profit made on a single one of them? Was it ever likely to be? Were any of them even as good as, let alone an improvement on, their predecessors? I think a quick "where are they now?" is quite informative on that matter.     

[Dave]

Were Davies, Cuellar, Shorey, Knight, Collins, Young, Beye and Dunne the sort of players that you envisage getting you to the Champions League, and looking like you belong there?  Were they value for money?  Was a profit made on a single one of them?

Yup, Zat Knight. Bought for £3.5m and sold for £4.5m.

With a big thanks to Gary Megson.