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

[JUAN PABLO]

I can't believe you're all still banging on about him.

Oliver Holt, though? That is a seriously fucking weird man. Whenever I see him on telly I'm kind of repulsed, or... well, I'm not sure... When you look at him, it's like he's a different species or something he's that fucking confused.

not read the rest of the thread yet but I saw him wearing an alice band last week.

[Rip Van We Go Again]

Didn't back him? What a load of old cockshit.

It's the same bollocks they came out with when he left us.

[bob]

I can't believe you're all still banging on about him.

Oliver Holt, though? That is a seriously fucking weird man. Whenever I see him on telly I'm kind of repulsed, or... well, I'm not sure... When you look at him, it's like he's a different species or something he's that fucking confused.

not read the rest of the thread yet but I saw him wearing an alice band last week.

Yeah so did I. Beyond belief.

[Mister E]

Spending £25m on Fletcher and Johnson was ludicrous and just shows how shit and unimaginative his transfer dealings are.

Two players that some on here wanted us to sign in the close-season ...

[pauliewalnuts]

Spending £25m on Fletcher and Johnson was ludicrous and just shows how shit and unimaginative his transfer dealings are.

Two players that some on here wanted us to sign in the close-season ...

True, but misses the point a bit. MON is being defended for not being backed properly. Firstly, 25m is a decent amount of money by any measure. Secondly, if we'd "only" had 25m available, not many of us - had we been Sunderland fans - would have been hugely pleased by spunking the whole lot on those two.

Fletcher at 14m, or whatever it was, for example. He's a decent player, but surely, surely by scouting outside of the UK would find players of a similar level for way less $$$$

That's MON all over, though, just take the lazy option, and hang the cost. You can always flounce out if the money stops flowing, and there will be enough witless cheerleaders in the media to argue your corner. Although they seem to be an increasingly smaller group of late.

[silhillvilla]

Fletcher and Johnson cost £50m when you factor in the wages MON put them
 On

[Rip Van We Go Again]

Spending £25m on Fletcher and Johnson was ludicrous and just shows how shit and unimaginative his transfer dealings are.

Two players that some on here wanted us to sign in the close-season ...

Personally I couldn't see the big fuss about Johnson.
Fletcher is decent but vastly over priced, typical O'Hasbeen purchase, he wouldn't dream of signing a Belgian for £7m.

[PeterWithesShin]

Spending £25m on Fletcher and Johnson was ludicrous and just shows how shit and unimaginative his transfer dealings are.

Two players that some on here wanted us to sign in the close-season ...

And that the majority didn't want, and certainly not for that kind of money.

[Rip Van We Go Again]

Alan Shearer off O'Neill's Christmas card list, quite nice about us though.

From The Sun.


MARTIN O’NEILL has faced some mighty games as a player and manager in his career.
None, however, in his 12 months in charge at the Stadium of Light will be bigger than tomorrow night’s visit of Reading.

I was with Alan Hansen on Match of the Day on Saturday night and he said he thought Sunderland would be OK.

I had to take issue with him because I can see nothing to suggest Sunderland will be in anything other than a season-long battle against the drop.

Right now they are looking like a team heading down.

The rot set in long before this season started.

O’Neill arrived after the departure of Steve Bruce and gave the club an immediate boost with seven wins from his first 10 games to hoist them up the table.

Then the season fizzled out and he now has a worse record this season than Bruce had when he got the push. It is just two wins from their last 23 league games.

Just as well O’Neill is not a Geordie like Bruce or he would have been hounded out by now!

As it is, the fans have not turned — but they are on the brink. If they don’t beat Reading at home tomorrow their patience will snap. I got to know Martin well from working with him for the BBC.

I hate to suggest people are facing the sack. But his next two games after tomorrow are Manchester United away then Southampton away.

Nobody will expect him to get anything at Old Trafford but he must be looking at four points in the other two.

It is looking like three for relegation from the current bottom six. I can see ingredients in three of them to suggest they have hope.

There are goals in Southampton, Wigan have been there before and know how to get out of it and on their day are a match for anyone.

Aston Villa are full of young players but that might be a good thing because they do have an energy and resilience about them.

I think QPR are doomed, Reading concede too many and right now Sunderland look destined to join them in the big drop.

For me, there is simply no goal threat about them. There are never enough players in the box.

It looks like they are hoping for a set-piece or something spectacular like they got from Adam Johnson against Chelsea on Saturday.

[Rip Van We Go Again]

Papers are saying that Sunderland will be signing Dawson in the window for £5m.

How utterly predictable.

[Mister E]

Spending £25m on Fletcher and Johnson was ludicrous and just shows how shit and unimaginative his transfer dealings are.

Two players that some on here wanted us to sign in the close-season ...

True, but misses the point a bit. MON is being defended for not being backed properly. Firstly, 25m is a decent amount of money by any measure. Secondly, if we'd "only" had 25m available, not many of us - had we been Sunderland fans - would have been hugely pleased by spunking the whole lot on those two.

Fletcher at 14m, or whatever it was, for example. He's a decent player, but surely, surely by scouting outside of the UK would find players of a similar level for way less $$$$

That's MON all over, though, just take the lazy option, and hang the cost. You can always flounce out if the money stops flowing, and there will be enough witless cheerleaders in the media to argue your corner. Although they seem to be an increasingly smaller group of late.

I took the point about the lazy option and agree with you; but I wanted to highlight the common misconception about loads of ££££ bringing instant and assured success.


I know it's a simple message ...

[Mister E]

Papers are saying that Sunderland will be signing Damson in the window for £5m.

How utterly predictable.

Damson? Or Dawson?

[Rip Van We Go Again]

Papers are saying that Sunderland will be signing Damson in the window for £5m.

How utterly predictable.

Damson? Or Dawson?

Both.
Dawson for defence and a jar of Damson Jam which he will shove at the back of the cupboard and never use, then he'll replace it with a jar of Strawberry.
Sainsburys will want £2 for the jam, but he'll insist on paying a fiver.

[Mister E]

Papers are saying that Sunderland will be signing Damson in the window for £5m.

How utterly predictable.

Damson? Or Dawson?

Both.
Dawson for defence and a jar of Damson Jam which he will shove at the back of the cupboard and never use, then he'll replace it with a jar of Strawberry.
Sainsburys will want £2 for the jam, but he'll insist on paying a fiver.

Nicely manoeuvred, Fletch.
Got yourself out of a typing pickle, there. Preserved your reputation and ensured no one blew you a raspberry.

[Mazrim]

Just how does that cocksmoker Oliver Holt get work? He's an absolute moron.