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

[Ad@m]

Much as I hate O'Neill for his walkout, I can't blame him for what went on more than a couple of years after he left. By then we should have been on the road to recovery and even if the finances were knackered what money there was available should have been used better.

For sure, that's spot on. However, I think O'Neill deserves a lot of blame for wasting our best chance at breaking into the top tier for a generation.

Depends what you define as a generation but I'd argue HDE takes that honour for repeatedly missing much better chances throughout the 90s.

[old man villa fan]

Much as I hate O'Neill for his walkout, I can't blame him for what went on more than a couple of years after he left. By then we should have been on the road to recovery and even if the finances were knackered what money there was available should have been used better.

For sure, that's spot on. However, I think O'Neill deserves a lot of blame for wasting our best chance at breaking into the top tier for a generation.

Depends what you define as a generation but I'd argue HDE takes that honour for repeatedly missing much better chances throughout the 90s.

I would say both had the opportunity.  MON had the chance with the money he was given and HDE had the chance if he had allowed mangers to spend a bit more money. 

[brontebilly]

Much as I hate O'Neill for his walkout, I can't blame him for what went on more than a couple of years after he left. By then we should have been on the road to recovery and even if the finances were knackered what money there was available should have been used better.

For sure, that's spot on. However, I think O'Neill deserves a lot of blame for wasting our best chance at breaking into the top tier for a generation.

Depends what you define as a generation but I'd argue HDE takes that honour for repeatedly missing much better chances throughout the 90s.

I would say both had the opportunity.  MON had the chance with the money he was given and HDE had the chance if he had allowed mangers to spend a bit more money.

Would the likes of Ron Atkinson and as much as it pains me to say it Brian Little also have to shoulder some of the blame?

Atkinson's team fell away badly in a short space of time, his lack of commitment to his job maybe the biggest factor as it was at United

Little had a young exciting team with some great experienced pros too. Destroyed the team by bringing in that charlatan SVC and it very quickly unraveled for Little afterwards.

HDE ran the club like a corner shop but the likes of Martin Edwards and other owners werent exactly throwing cash at their managers either back then.

[SoccerHQ]

He should've just left the day after the Blackburn home game and it would've been a far more favourable reaction than what we have on the forums and also when he returned with Sunderland. Mutual consent or whatever. Would've also given us more time to get a decent manager in over pre season rather than the scraps we had in September 2010 although this is Lerner so he'd probably just have approached McLeish a year earlier!

I wonder if that was ever discussed but O'Neill decided to be a stubborn idiot and dig his heels in over the summer, not moving out any of the players the club understandbly wanted to wash their hands of given they weren't even featuring (Luke Young, Shorey, Beye, Harewood, Sidwell, NRC).

What sickens me though is even through the relatively good times of 2008-10 a fair few of us were making reasonable points to the general on his thread that a) our wage bill was a little bit too high considering our revenue wasn't the biggest in the league and b) did the club have a decent play forward for the day when MON was no longer our manager.

We were told all was well, stop worrying unnecessarily and ring Nicky Keye for some more tickets please.

[KevinGage]

I wonder if that was ever discussed but O'Neill decided to be a stubborn idiot and dig his heels in over the summer, not moving out any of the players the club understandbly wanted to wash their hands of given they weren't even featuring (Luke Young, Shorey, Beye, Harewood, Sidwell, NRC).

No, that's not true.

There was a list of five players widely circulated in the press and elsewhere who were surplus to requirements.

There was little interest in some of them (Harewood, Davies) and Luke Young and NRC both refused moves. Shorey was out by the end of the window, but it was too late by then.

[OzVilla]

There's no doubt that MON made mistakes and missed a massive opportunity but there's no way any of the current situation should be laid at his door.

Since then we've had at least 3 CEO's, 5 fully appointed managers, 3 caretaker managers, still multi millions spent, new contracts signed, 6 full seasons but 1 owner.

   

[LeeB]

I nearly puked at the end of the Forest film 'Promised You a Miracle' where they tried to link MON as the new Clough.

I'd have puked if I'd have had to listen to a Simple Minds soundtrack too.

[Rudy Can't Fail]

I nearly puked at the end of the Forest film 'Promised You a Miracle' where they tried to link MON as the new Clough.

I'd have puked if I'd have had to listen to a Simple Minds soundtrack too.

Ha! The shame! If anybody should have remembered the title of the film it's me as it's named after possibly my favourite song ever.
It should have read I Believe in Miracles.

[Risso]

10 years to the day since Martin O'Neill was appointed.  That really doesn't seem like 10 years ago.  How hopeful we all were then.

[Dave Wall]

Seems like a lifetime ago.

[Pete3206]

And so it begins again...

[The_ads]

Close the thread. Forever.

[Gregorys Boy]

And so it begins again...

Not from me it doesn't.  I've made my thoughts clear many times.  I will just let history do my talking for me...

[mr underhill]

I'm trying to remember to forget.

[Damo70]

I can't believe that after the embarrassing shambolic season we have just had we are slagging off people like MON and BFR. Who as far as I can recall tended to have Villa challenging in the top six and in Europe and cup finals as opposed to being relegated.

How about having a pop at Ron Saunders for losing to Arsenal on the last day of the season or Tony Barton for not beating Bayern by more than just the one goal?