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

[Lastfootstamper]

I'm not too sure that there's all that much of a reputation to protect any more. Anybody can easily look at the facts and figures of his tenure at the SOL, and to have avoided news of his aftermath at our place would've involved living down a very deep hole for quite a while now. Unless the owner of a club somewhere believes that the football played by leicester in the nineties is the way forward, I don't envisage him taking charge of a top-flight side in this country after this season. Where could he go? Scotland, maybe, a couple of years at one of the clubs currently filling in for Rangers? Lower divisions? Doubt that, unless the venkys fancy blowing their entire fortune. Off to a TV sofa, where he can keep 'appy 'arry company, feels most likely.

Personally, I'd like to see Sunderland stay up; good crowds, long, proud and occasionally troubled history, probably the one of ninety-one I 'ate the least.

[john2710]

One of the things that I remember most from MON's tenure at VP was that there were many, many times where we won or drew games when we didn't deserve it.  We all know that he's limited tactically & self opinionated but above all he's lucky.  I just hope his luck runs out sometime soon.

[eastie]

He will quit this summer and spend the rest of his life as a pundit with everybody fawning over him.

Hi reputation far exceeds his actual achievements as a coach.

Yes I agree, this will be his last managerial job and he is attractive to the media as a pundit - better than lee Dixon and southgate .

[Damo70]

It is OK spending that sort of money on the likes of Fletcher and Johnson if you think they are the final pieces of the jigsaw, but it seemed pretty obvious that Sunderland needed to spread that cash a bit thinner to strengthen more positions.

[PaulTheVillan]

Sunderland fans are not impressed, again!

[PaulTheVillan]

More moaning

[dave.woodhall]

He won't walk out now because if he does there's absolutely no excuse for the timing and even Oliver Holt couldn't defend it. Whatever happens he'll leave at the end of the season amidst a plethora of "Unfulfilled promise" headlines.

[Dave Clark Five]

If the dwarf does leave Sunderland, for whatever alleged reason, there will be those who would have him back at Villa Park.

[pauliewalnuts]

I don't understand Martin.

He's moaning that he's not bought many players in, and that the players are largely still the ones he inherited from Steve Bruce.

If that is the case, then why, during the summer, did he spent £25 million on just *two* players if he needed more bodies? And, what's more, not only did he just buy two players, surprise, surprise, they were predictable, unimaginative, UK based signings, Johnson and Fletcher.

Then in January, he goes out and buys Danny Graham, which is a typical MON striker signing - already in the UK, unspectacular to say the least, and everyone knows he wants a move, so no need to do any hard work to idenfity the right player, just go for the obvious one right under your nose.

He's moaning and whining about his lack of transfer activity, but I see his is still totally unable, or unwilling, to take a look at his own buying policy, and to consider that that might be part of - or possibly the entirety of - the problem.

[olaftab]

We were told ad nauseum that O'Neill was a 'motivator' yet recently he said that his Sunderand squad 'has little real true ability.'
I bet his players were revved up after hearing that.

How can he do anything with his useless squad how can their current  state  be his fault? Sunderland are lucky that he has, using his genius, managed to get them to 30 points from only 30 games!

[Legion]

Brand O'Neill must stay intact no matter what.

[rjp]

If he does leave in the summer I wonder how much compensation he's going to take them for or if he'll get litigous again.

[pauliewalnuts]

I wonder if he now looks back on shitting on us, and wishes he hadn't done it.

If he gets the bullet or walks from Sunderland, surely that's it for his career. He'd struggle to get a sideways move, even.

[PaulTheVillan]

Someone somewhere would still take a punt on him, look at Sven & McLeish.

[MarkM]

From the Sunderland forum made me laugh...

"I wouldn't trust him with a tenner at the minute. I'd tell him to go and get a curry and he'd come back with some out of date beetroot."