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

[PaulWinch again]

If they lose to Reading tonight, then they are in serious, serious trouble, and MON will be under real pressure.

I feel torn by all this. I like Sunderland, my best mate when i was a student in Newcastle, was a Sunderland fan, and I went to quite a few Sunderland matches with him, amongst them third division ones and a Wembley play off final, so I still have a liking for them.

I have to consider this against the fact I am sufficiently bitter still to want MON to fall on his arse.

*TURMOIL*

What you want is for him to be sacked before January. That gives the new manager a window to sort them out and save them, and MON's bubble is well and truly burst. Jackpot.

To be honest they are direct rivals for relegation with us at the moment, so it's anyone down as long as Villa survive. It'd just be an added bonus if O'Neill got relegated.

[Irish villain]

If they lose to Reading tonight, then they are in serious, serious trouble, and MON will be under real pressure.

I feel torn by all this. I like Sunderland, my best mate when i was a student in Newcastle, was a Sunderland fan, and I went to quite a few Sunderland matches with him, amongst them third division ones and a Wembley play off final, so I still have a liking for them.

I have to consider this against the fact I am sufficiently bitter still to want MON to fall on his arse.

*TURMOIL*

What you want is for him to be sacked before January. That gives the new manager a window to sort them out and save them, and MON's bubble is well and truly burst. Jackpot.

To be honest they are direct rivals for relegation with us at the moment, so it's anyone down as long as Villa survive. It'd just be an added bonus if O'Neill got relegated.

I want all the teams in or around us to struggle. Dog eat Dog. We need the cushion of shit teams below us continuing to struggle.

[pauliewalnuts]

One thing I will say, there are plenty of shit teams around at the moment.

Look at Newcastle's form. They have gone from looking exciting and attacking last year to looking like a McLeish team this season.

[kippaxvilla2]

If they lose to Reading tonight, then they are in serious, serious trouble, and MON will be under real pressure.

I feel torn by all this. I like Sunderland, my best mate when i was a student in Newcastle, was a Sunderland fan, and I went to quite a few Sunderland matches with him, amongst them third division ones and a Wembley play off final, so I still have a liking for them.

I have to consider this against the fact I am sufficiently bitter still to want MON to fall on his arse.

*TURMOIL*

What you want is for him to be sacked before January. That gives the new manager a window to sort them out and save them, and MON's bubble is well and truly burst. Jackpot.

Missing from all this logic is we need him to stay to ensure we have one more team in the quagmire of the relegation scrap with us to stay in it.

[pauliewalnuts]

re Sunderland, their nightmare scenario is still being in trouble come the end of Feb, and MON still undergoing his traditional fade around that time of year.

[eastie]

One thing I will say, there are plenty of shit teams around at the moment.

Look at Newcastle's form. They have gone from looking exciting and attacking last year to looking like a McLeish team this season.

True and I think the Europa league and the ridiculous amount of games in it can really derail teams unless they have really big squads- Newcastle look a shadow of last season.

[maidstonevillain]

If they lose to Reading tonight, then they are in serious, serious trouble, and MON will be under real pressure.

I feel torn by all this. I like Sunderland, my best mate when i was a student in Newcastle, was a Sunderland fan, and I went to quite a few Sunderland matches with him, amongst them third division ones and a Wembley play off final, so I still have a liking for them.

I have to consider this against the fact I am sufficiently bitter still to want MON to fall on his arse.

*TURMOIL*

The other factor-is it better for Villa if Reading lose and stay detached from the rest, or if Sunderland lose, stay below us, and Reading join the mix arund us. I think on balance it is probably best if Sunderland lose, because in the long term they are probably more of a threat to our survival. Then there is the added bonus of MON posibly being out of a job.

[seanthevillan]

One thing I will say, there are plenty of shit teams around at the moment.

Look at Newcastle's form. They have gone from looking exciting and attacking last year to looking like a McLeish team this season.

True and I think the Europa league and the ridiculous amount of games in it can really derail teams unless they have really big squads- Newcastle look a shadow of last season.

I think it needs better luck with injuries and good management as well. Fulham may have dropped from 7th to 12th when they reached the final, but that was a team that had overachieved and almost been relegated before so it didn't do them too much harm.

Maybe not having a winter break costs our teams more than those from other countries mind.

[hawkeye]

If they lose to Reading tonight, then they are in serious, serious trouble, and MON will be under real pressure.

I feel torn by all this. I like Sunderland, my best mate when i was a student in Newcastle, was a Sunderland fan, and I went to quite a few Sunderland matches with him, amongst them third division ones and a Wembley play off final, so I still have a liking for them.

I have to consider this against the fact I am sufficiently bitter still to want MON to fall on his arse.

*TURMOIL*

The other factor-is it better for Villa if Reading lose and stay detached from the rest, or if Sunderland lose, stay below us, and Reading join the mix arund us. I think on balance it is probably best if Sunderland lose, because in the long term they are probably more of a threat to our survival. Then there is the added bonus of MON posibly being out of a job.

Happy with a draw, it keeps them both in it without the momentum of a win.

[PaulTheVillan]

If they lose to Reading tonight, then they are in serious, serious trouble, and MON will be under real pressure.

I feel torn by all this. I like Sunderland, my best mate when i was a student in Newcastle, was a Sunderland fan, and I went to quite a few Sunderland matches with him, amongst them third division ones and a Wembley play off final, so I still have a liking for them.

I have to consider this against the fact I am sufficiently bitter still to want MON to fall on his arse.

*TURMOIL*

The other factor-is it better for Villa if Reading lose and stay detached from the rest, or if Sunderland lose, stay below us, and Reading join the mix arund us. I think on balance it is probably best if Sunderland lose, because in the long term they are probably more of a threat to our survival. Then there is the added bonus of MON posibly being out of a job.

Happy with a draw, it keeps them both in it without the momentum of a win.

a 0-0. That would still get the Sunderland fans backs up.

[maidstonevillain]

If they lose to Reading tonight, then they are in serious, serious trouble, and MON will be under real pressure.

I feel torn by all this. I like Sunderland, my best mate when i was a student in Newcastle, was a Sunderland fan, and I went to quite a few Sunderland matches with him, amongst them third division ones and a Wembley play off final, so I still have a liking for them.

I have to consider this against the fact I am sufficiently bitter still to want MON to fall on his arse.

*TURMOIL*

The other factor-is it better for Villa if Reading lose and .stay detached from the rest, or if Sunderland lose, stay below us, and Reading join the mix arund us. I think on balance it is probably best if Sunderland lose, because in the long term they are probably more of a threat to our survival. Then there is the added bonus of MON posibly being out of a job.

Happy with a draw, it keeps them both in it without the momentum of a win.

a 0-0. That would still get the Sunderland fans backs up.

Seems the best compromise. 1 of 3 possible points has gone to waste. Would be a reasonably good result for Reading, and still leave MON's position fragile. And wouldn't it be the icing on the cake if Villa went throughto the LC semi-final at the same time.

[Mister E]

One thing I will say, there are plenty of shit teams around at the moment.

Look at Newcastle's form. They have gone from looking exciting and attacking last year to looking like a McLeish team this season.

Maybe why Bent has been linked with them.

[Monty]

One thing I will say, there are plenty of shit teams around at the moment.

Look at Newcastle's form. They have gone from looking exciting and attacking last year to looking like a McLeish team this season.

Maybe why Bent has been linked with them.

They don't look inventive enough in midfield to me. In fact, the problem is similar to us, and like us it won't be solved by signing a poacher forward who doesn't get involved much in build-up.

[DB]

Because Bent isn't PL first choice, he is linked with everyone - newpapers trying to make a story.

[Concrete John]

One thing I will say, there are plenty of shit teams around at the moment.

Look at Newcastle's form. They have gone from looking exciting and attacking last year to looking like a McLeish team this season.

And through the majority of last season there were quite a few 'we should follow the Newcastle approach' posts on here.