Return of O'Neill - divided opinion

[Concrete John]

Gregnash always feels vindicated. Thats just his personality not reality. I daresay if you sat him down and asked him about his time on Heroes & Villains he genuinely wouldn't be able to name something he said that was wrong. His ego wouldn't allow that sort of self-criticism

There - fixed it for you!

[ROBBO]

How anyone can applaud a manager that walks out on a club a few days before the start of the season knowing it's going to have a devastating effect not just to the club but to the supporters as well beggars belief. You can argue the merits of the man as a manager but surely there is no argument that what he did by walking out was wrong.

[Greg N'Ash]

Gregnash always feels vindicated. Thats just his personality not reality. I daresay if you sat him down and asked him about his time on Heroes & Villains he genuinely wouldn't be able to name something he said that was wrong. His ego wouldn't allow that sort of self-criticism

There - fixed it for you!

hmmm....H & V's MON..... I can see the similarities. Like Villa under MON, most people think of GregNash when they think of H & V. Although i would hope there wouldn't be a similar drop in members if I ever left here. I'd say i'm more a guiding presence that a dictator in the MON mode though

[ozzjim]

I think he will get cheers to make a point to the board about the current waste of space in charge of the chaotic ship.

The reality he is he should get pelters for wasting more money than any manager in our history, with no return in success and left a trolley load of average players on the down slope that only he could motivate, or he had already left out for so long they were pointless buying in the first place. He twice ruined our chances of top 4 with no squad rotation and an inability to spend wisely in what we needed to take us forward, and with no foresight in terms of signing players with a long term goal to grow as a team. With the resources he had at his disposal, he was was a C-, with a report card that should state stubborn refusal to learn from mistakes, and complete tactical inflexibility makes Martin one of the most limited managers of a generation, but he is great at motivating a committed performance that will take a side so far. The reality, is that could have been done with a tenth of the money spent for where we finished, as he is great at motivating. The quality of the players is really of little consequence in his management style.

[MadJohnnyC]

I'm fed up of talking about him but as we are heres my vantage point.

He DEFINITELY knew what he was doing leaving when he did. It can be no coincidence he decided to go the whole entire summer signing nobody. Whether it was the board or the fans he was getting pissed off with i don't know but he clearly wanted to leave us in the shit. This view was pretty much seconded by the legend Ian Taylor at a sports forum at a local working mens club i attend. Tayls is of the opinion he left when he did to hurt us.

He then sued us !!! He left us??

A few great times were had under him (Everton away, shitting on small heath, couple of journeys to wembley) but at the end of the day he's a prick. Boo from me.

Rant over....

[Rip Van We Go Again]

Would not mind betting that the Holte break into a chorus of "Martin o,Neil" etc or even "martin, martin give us a wave"

Personally i would imagine he will get dogs abuse from some sections and adulation from others

Yep, I think this is what will happen too.

[Concrete John]

It can be no coincidence he decided to go the whole entire summer signing nobody.

And when you say no coincidence, you of course mean that every other summer while at Villa he did so much transfer business so early in the window.

[Rip Van We Go Again]

Pity i will have the job of looking after the dug out with him in it 

You're going to have a busy afternoon, wrestling away all the Villa fans queueing up to suck his cock.

[Brend'Watkins]

Personally i would imagine he will get dogs abuse from some sections and adulation from others

Dogs abuse you say.

Does this mean  we can we look forward to you, as you have form in this field, rubbing his nose in his own shit  and then giving him a two fingered slap on his nose? 

We could have our first full house of the season if so.

[MadJohnnyC]

John M'Zog (apologies my work computer don't let me use the quote button for some reason)

I see and agree with your point, but if he was going to leave he could have done it a lot bloody sooner to give someone else a chance to buy in the window. Opinions are divided i'm just offering my own, not here to argue with anybody elses.

As it goes, i can see this creating a bit of a bloody riot up the Holte on the 21st people are so divided on it.

[jonboy]

massive judas bastard grade A ******

[DeKuip]

Either clap him or jeer him to the dugout, then forget him. I'm sure it will be a mixed reception but personally I couldn't give a shit.

What's more important in this game and all the remaining games is that the young players trying to prove themselves in our team have our own fans right behind them. If these are the lads we're pinning our hopes on so much for the next few years then they're the ones we should be backing and sending into the summer full of confidence and relishing next season.

Whatever your feelings on past or current managers these kids have earned their chance and they're the most important people at Villa right now. Them and the fans who turn up to support them.

[Concrete John]

John M'Zog (apologies my work computer don't let me use the quote button for some reason)

I see and agree with your point, but if he was going to leave he could have done it a lot bloody sooner to give someone else a chance to buy in the window. Opinions are divided i'm just offering my own, not here to argue with anybody elses.

As it goes, i can see this creating a bit of a bloody riot up the Holte on the 21st people are so divided on it.

I said much the same myself in my first post on this thread.

However, I think the blame for that lies in a combination of MON. Randy and Lerner.  Or at least I will until we hear the truth of what went on that summer, which I'm guessing will be never!

[PaulWinch again]

He did some good things in his time with us, but he also helped saddle us with a terrible wage bill and a lot of ageing players. Also any good he did was kind of squashed by the manner and timing of his departure.

[TaxDodger]

He did some good things in his time with us, but he also helped saddle us with a terrible wage bill and a lot of ageing players. Also any good he did was kind of squashed by the manner and timing of his departure.

That sums it up nicely in two sentences.