Where's O'Neill Now?

[Villa'Zawg]

He launched a libel action against the Daily Mirror a couple of weeks ago over their claim that he was after the Liverpool job.

What makes people think he was after the Liverpool job?

[Phil from the upper holte]

Even some of the players sugested he was after the job

[Louzie0]

Just think if he had decided to step down at the end of last season. He would have gone with his head held high and with a prety decent record, probably been welcomed at VP like a returning hero. The Villa would have had the time to make the right appointment. That would have been real class, as it is MON has shown that he dosent havve any.

I agree, if everybody was like you and could accept the resignation in those terms.  I would have preferred that as well, if he felt he had to go. (Still not knowing his reasons is strange, especially nearly 8 months later, but still.) 

 However, going with your scenario, if MON had announced he was off at the end of the season, lots of people would have been reminding him that he'd announced a five year plan and there would stilll have been major bitching about him angling for 'a bigger club' and leaving the Villa in turmoil.  Let's face it, was there ever a good moment for him to announce he was leaving?
 
I'm not a ' MON was the greatest thing since (fill in name)' but I don't see him as the worst manager we've ever had - far from it.
A top 6 finish would be rather welcome, this season!

[Can Gana Be Bettered!?!?]

I think we have wasted 4 years under Martin, yes a few good memories but at the end of the day we won nothing.

Football is a game of "if only" and I can't help but think if only we'd have had someone else in charge instead of Martin?

We could've been relegated with another manager.

You're talking like we achieved nothing. If we'd had a small chunk of the luck Blues had in the cup final, we'd have won it last season. "If only" Vidic had been sent off like he should have been.

"If only" people didn't chat shit on here...

[eastie]

I don't think he planned to walk out deliberately the week the season began- something probably tipped him over the edge- he didn't seem the same once Faulkner arrived and I think having to run things by him  probably didn't sit comfortably with mon- he likes to pull the strings.

He should have gone last may , I don't think he could break the top 4 if he had stayed, the big chance was blown 2 yrs ago, I liked mon but after Moscow my feelings changed  to a degree , although I don't hate him as some do, he did a reasonable job here but certainly not a great job and he had his faults.

He did not respond well to criticism and his style of play was not good to watch , along with his reluctance to change the team , but he did some good things too and there are a few great memories of his time here.

It was time to go and I'm glad he went but the timing of his departure left a very bad taste- I still do not think he planned to leave us deliberately in the shit.

[Lizz]

It was time to go and I'm glad he went but the timing of his departure left a very bad taste- I still do not think he planned to leave us deliberately in the shit.

I agree he may not have deliberately planned to leave us in the shit, but equally believe he didn't care if we were left in the shit.

[Shrek]

I think we have wasted 4 years under Martin, yes a few good memories but at the end of the day we won nothing.

Football is a game of "if only" and I can't help but think if only we'd have had someone else in charge instead of Martin?

We could've been relegated with another manager.

You're talking like we achieved nothing. If we'd had a small chunk of the luck Blues had in the cup final, we'd have won it last season. "If only" Vidic had been sent off like he should have been.

"If only" people didn't chat shit on here...

Or maybe if our manager had played a right back at right back instead of a centre back we might of been more of a threat. I remember clearly Cuellar got into so many good positions and had loads of space but had a poor final ball.

We did achieve nothing under Oneil.

In 10 years tine we will look back and say...? We won fuck all.


And @ a previous post, yes Houllier has a real pedigree and yes we do have a real bright future, that's got fuck all to do with my GP.

[hawkeye]

Just think if he had decided to step down at the end of last season. He would have gone with his head held high and with a prety decent record, probably been welcomed at VP like a returning hero. The Villa would have had the time to make the right appointment. That would have been real class, as it is MON has shown that he dosent havve any.

I agree, if everybody was like you and could accept the resignation in those terms.  I would have preferred that as well, if he felt he had to go. (Still not knowing his reasons is strange, especially nearly 8 months later, but still.) 

 However, going with your scenario, if MON had announced he was off at the end of the season, lots of people would have been reminding him that he'd announced a five year plan and there would stilll have been major bitching about him angling for 'a bigger club' and leaving the Villa in turmoil.  Let's face it, was there ever a good moment for him to announce he was leaving?
 
I'm not a ' MON was the greatest thing since (fill in name)' but I don't see him as the worst manager we've ever had - far from it.
A top 6 finish would be rather welcome, this season!

Well he picked the absoloute worst time to go, the 5 year plan is a myth

[Louzie0]

I just don't agree that it would all have been a lot better if MON had left at the end of last season. I wish I did.

 I can see your point (described in posts above) and I really wish that he could have left and been seen as a constructive influence and latter-day hero.  It was just not going to happen.

 Again - when, if at all, would the best opportunity have been for him to leave and not get grief? 
 

[dave.woodhall]

I don't give a shit what people say about O'Neill, or whether he really is a tosser or not.

I do care about the lack of understanding and perspective that causes people to think we should have done better.

How many times have teams outside the Sky 4 reached 60+ points in the last 10 years?

How much time and money have Man Utd, Chelsea, Arsenal, Liverpool, Spurs and Man City spent on building their squads compared to us?

How much do those teams spend on wages compared to us?

I hate the soap opera version of football where every manager and player is endowed with a fictional character, when in reality we know almost nothing about them. Who cares what they are like if they're getting the results?

Come on then, how many clubs spent more money than us while he was manager?

[brontebilly]

Agree with the majority of posters on here. He did a decent job not great though. Compared to Redknapp at Spurs his stint at Villa Park looks poor. MON can't have any complaints at Villa either. He was backed recklessly by Lerner to chase the champs league and failed. In some ways the myth of MON was exposed at Villa. A decent manager but nothing more. Leaving 5 days before the season started was bad form but it shouldn't cloud his legacy at Villa totally.

But MON should not be blamed for the shocking state of the clubs accounts. That is the fault of our chairman much that many on here refuse to face that fact. He also should not be blamed completely for this awful season. There is never a good time to take over as manager, managerial changes tend to be made in periods of instability. People on here must be living in cloud cuckoo land if they believe in Houllier we finally have a manager of a decent pedigree. His stint thus far has been a shambles. Despite MONs limitations he is a damn sight a better football manager than that clown.

[eastie]

Come On bronte, if GED were the clown you describe could you explain why he has won so many trophies in his very successful management career?

[freakypete]

the irish twats a wanker......he had more backing than anyother manager in villas history,he left us in the shit and he knew it,also lost us the europa cup by playing a weakend side.....he also left celtic under a cloud, now he wants money off the club...... if anyone walks out on a job surely they dont deserve compensation,

[freakypete]

i used to listen to Tony Butler running o wanker down on the radio and laugh but butler was right all along

[eastie]

Id hardly call It leaving Celtic under a cloud- his wife had cancer and was Ill and he was giving a fantastic send off in his last game , he left there a hero to most fans.