5% Villa- Oliver Holt Interview

[dave.woodhall]

Guilty of what though? Walking out, or being effectively forced out?

I think it's weird that you can't see a distinction.

I think it's weird that you will unhesitatingly take the part of a man whjo caused so much damage to the club you support. Now, how was he forced out? Constructive dismissal in the real world usually takes the form of making a job impossible to do. There are no circumstances in which O'Neill's job was being made impossible. 

How do you know?

There was no mass exodus of players. None of his backroom staff lost their jobs. Working conditions at Bodymoor were as good as he'd always enjoyed. I'm sure we'd have heard if large-scale economies had been made which would have had an adverse effect on his ability to do the job.

Again, you're being mildly sarcastic when hard evidence is what's required.

Still though, as long as you still feel important.

It's not sarcasm, it's evidence. Fact, if you prefer.

That second sentence; not big and not clever.   

[Villa'Zawg]

Guilty of what though? Walking out, or being effectively forced out?

I think it's weird that you can't see a distinction.

I think it's weird that you will unhesitatingly take the part of a man whjo caused so much damage to the club you support. Now, how was he forced out? Constructive dismissal in the real world usually takes the form of making a job impossible to do. There are no circumstances in which O'Neill's job was being made impossible. 

How do you know?

There was no mass exodus of players. None of his backroom staff lost their jobs. Working conditions at Bodymoor were as good as he'd always enjoyed. I'm sure we'd have heard if large-scale economies had been made which would have had an adverse effect on his ability to do the job.

I heard we were going to focus on reducing wages and I've seen that happen since. What's that if it isn't large-scale economies?

[Ger Regan]

Well, it all depends on the type of people you're happy to work for.

Robert Chase was one of the worst type of small-fry c*** that was enamoured with football betwee the Old & Sky eras.

Go on, tell me what MON did wrong there and I'll be delighted to be educated, and to pass on your wisdom to the NCFC faithful.

I'm sure they'd be enourmously grateful to hear your well-informed thoughts from that West of Ireland Canaries' hotbed.

Hurry up though, I'm tired.

Chase may well have been a prick, but don't try and tell me that quitting the morning of a game was done for any other reason than to cause the greatest amount of damage possible to the club (and Chase by extension).
And wonderful quips there, you should be proud.

[Greg N'Ash]

Guilty of what though? Walking out, or being effectively forced out?

I think it's weird that you can't see a distinction.

I think it's weird that you will unhesitatingly take the part of a man whjo caused so much damage to the club you support. Now, how was he forced out? Constructive dismissal in the real world usually takes the form of making a job impossible to do. There are no circumstances in which O'Neill's job was being made impossible. 

How do you know?

There was no mass exodus of players. None of his backroom staff lost their jobs. Working conditions at Bodymoor were as good as he'd always enjoyed. I'm sure we'd have heard if large-scale economies had been made which would have had an adverse effect on his ability to do the job.

I heard we were going to focus on reducing wages and I've seen that happen since. What's that if it isn't large-scale economies?

So? 500k a week on players that never play.... is that being unreasonable not to want to pay for pointless players who he bought presumably to play but never bothered with. Would you class the club wanting to get rid of them constructive dismissal or just common sense?

[dave.woodhall]

I heard we were going to focus on reducing wages and I've seen that happen since. What's that if it isn't large-scale economies?

Remind me how many players we sold after O'Neill walked out.

[KevinGage]

Depressing when you get yourself tied in knots and can't back your theories up with anything even vaguely substantial?

 I'm quite prepared to park it too (though I am curious as to what exactly is going to happen in a few months. Will the loveable imp reveal all about his love/ hate relationship with RL in a kiss and tell expose?). I have a sudden urge to creosote next doors fence. Either that or spoon my own eyeballs out and eat them, rather than read anything about Martin O'Neill ever again.

[Sexual Ealing]

Well, it all depends on the type of people you're happy to work for.

Robert Chase was one of the worst type of small-fry c*** that was enamoured with football betwee the Old & Sky eras.

Go on, tell me what MON did wrong there and I'll be delighted to be educated, and to pass on your wisdom to the NCFC faithful.

I'm sure they'd be enourmously grateful to hear your well-informed thoughts from that West of Ireland Canaries' hotbed.

Hurry up though, I'm tired.

Chase may well have been a prick, but don't try and tell me that quitting the morning of a game was done for any other reason than to cause the greatest amount of damage possible to the club (and Chase by extension).
And wonderful quips there, you should be proud.

Like I said, find me the Norwich fans who harbour a grudge.

There's nothing to be proud of here.

[Sexual Ealing]

Depressing when you get yourself tied in knots and can't back your theories up with anything even vaguely substantial?

 I'm quite prepared to park it too (though I am curious as to what exactly is going to happen in a few months. Will the loveable imp reveal all about his love/ hate relationship with RL in a kiss and tell expose?). I have a sudden urge to creosote next doors fence. Either that or spoon my own eyeballs out and eat them, rather than read anything about Martin O'Neill ever again.

I haven't got any theories. I don't know.

You have - and you can't back them up, but good for you.

[Ger Regan]

That hasn't got much to do with the point I was making though. The majority of norwich fans may not hold a grudge against MON, but that doesn't mean that his actions weren't intended to cause as much disruption as possible, does it?

[Villa'Zawg]

I heard we were going to focus on reducing wages and I've seen that happen since. What's that if it isn't large-scale economies?

Remind me how many players we sold after O'Neill walked out.

Milner, Young, Carew, Davies, Reo-Coker, Sidwell, Osbourne, Friedel.

[Ger Regan]

The Milner deal was pretty much done before he left (and didn't he approve of Ireland coming in?), Young left to join the champions and champions league finalists, Carew was released after an ineffectual (I'm feeling generous tonight) season, Davies joined the blues in January after having a nightmare couple of years (and he's hardly pulled up any trees since leaving), Reo-Coker rejected a contract offer (but it sounds possible that he'll return), Sidwell falls into the same bracket as Davies, Friedel left because Spurs offered him 2 years, and Osbourne was, well, Osbourne. I really fail to see how any of those players leaving the club acts as proof that his job was being made impossible by the board.

[eamonn]

Villadawg and VillainousVillain should wed with MON as witness.

[Dave Cooper please]

I heard we were going to focus on reducing wages and I've seen that happen since. What's that if it isn't large-scale economies?

"I heard" isn't fact, it's gossip.
I haven't seen a significant reduction in the wage bill beyond getting rid of players who hardly played, those on free transfers and Ashley Young who we had no chance of keeping once Man Utd came calling. As we do not yet know their replacements you cannot say we are making "large-scale economies, that is just your own spin on limited evidence.
Besides, we needed to make some savings as, by figures you yourself have provided, we were spending an untenable percentage of our income on wages.

Fact - O'Neill walked out five days before the season started.

That's it, no other facts, the rest is conjecture.

[LeeB]

Ok. Greg was insisting that O'Neill was using the LMA mediation/tribunal route as a swindle to avoid a proper employment court. I just wanted to point out that it wasn't anything to do with O'Neill or Villa for that matter. It is a PL rule that they have to go down that route before they can revert to civil law. 

The fact they came to an agreement before a tribunal ruling suggests they should have settled at mediation. The only comment I've read on the proceedings was Charles Sale in the Daily Mail who said "Lerner is known to have been shocked by the fierce cross-examination he received during the tribunal hearing of former manager Martin O’Neill."

hang on, why accept it then? He could have got twice the money and told us all about how he was shafted in a proper tribunal - HE LIKES GOING TO COURT, so why? Unless all it was about was free money and not his reputation.

You're confusing yourself, you poor love.

If his contract was breached, and all he wanted was for its terms to be honoured, why would he subject himself or Villa to a public trial if there was an alternative? No, it's the guilty party who has the most to lose from full disclosure.

Of course, if MO'N was the guilty party I'm pretty sure General K, Pelty & Dave W. would have let us have some clear evidence by now.

He walked out. How in God's name does that make him anything other than guilty?

Guilty of what though? Walking out, or being effectively forced out?

I think it's weird that you can't see a distinction.

If he was forced to resign because he was not going to be allowed to bankrupt the club, and was to be denied the outstanding services of Keane and McGeady, then I'm glad he's a man of principle.

The ******.

[LeeB]

I heard we were going to focus on reducing wages and I've seen that happen since. What's that if it isn't large-scale economies?

Remind me how many players we sold after O'Neill walked out.

Milner, Young, Carew, Davies, Reo-Coker, Sidwell, Osbourne, Friedel.

Four of those contracts ended.