Martin O'Neill: Ten years on

[Chico Hamilton III]

Too little too late from the quitter!
Faux regret after all these years doesn't wash.

He’s got a new book to promote

[Andy_Lochhead_in_the_air]

Not saying much, but I dislike DOL more.

[Simon Page]

The thing that really, really irritates me about that article, to the point of blood-boiling anger, way beyond anything else I or anyone else has ever encountered in life is:

Speaking exclusively to BirminghamLive at a Second City hotel

[London Villan]

Oh in managers I dislike he isn't even in the top 5...

TSM2
DOL
Gerrard
Billy McNeil
Turner

[avfc_1874]

Shows you how stubborn he was, when he didn't even listen to Alex Ferguson about not tiring out his players.

[Risso]

Oh in managers I dislike he isn't even in the top 5...

TSM2
DOL
Gerrard
Billy McNeil
Turner

Still number 2 for me after O'Leary. O'Leary was a much more unpleasant human being, but didn't do half the damage O'Neill did.

O'Leary
O'Neill
Bruce
Lambert

[PeterWithesShin]

Billy McNeill
Billy McNeill (such a massive wanker that he takes the top 2 spots)
Mr Fickle
MON
Billy McNeill (he takes 4th as well the massive wanker)
Bruce

Is my top 6. Anyone who was around back then and doesn't have Billy 'I don't want to be here and don't care what happens here, but may as well pick up a paycheck until I go back to Celtic at the end of the season' McNeill in top spot needs to have a serious word with themself.

[Axl Rose]

Gerrard
Sherwood
Lambert
Bruce
O'Leary

[Rory]

I couldn't name five because I try to remain positive about any Villa player or manager (not to disparage anybody else, of course) but the only ones I truly came to dislike were O'Leary & Lambert.

Even Gerrard, who I hated until he came to us, I warmed to slightly and didn't dislike him when he left - just thought he wasn't up to it and we needed a change.

[Axl Rose]

You're a good man, Rory!

I find it hard to list five players I actually like 🤣 In my lifetime supporting Villa since 1990, there are probably only 5 managers I didn't hate, and only two I loved.

Big Ron and Sir Brian are the only two. Others did well for us at times, but love, no.

[Rory]

You're a good man, Rory!

I find it hard to list five players I actually like 🤣 In my lifetime supporting Villa since 1990, there are probably only 5 managers I didn't hate, and only two I loved.

Big Ron and Sir Brian are the only two. Others did well for us at times, but love, no.

I'm really not, I just find that I mainly watch football out of a sense of schadenfreude and hatred of other clubs, so if I started hating our own it would just be masochistic.

Thinking about it, there are MANY more players I dislike than managers. Irrespective of how they may have played for us, of our former players the ones I really don't like include: McCormack, Lescott, Richards, Agbonlahor, N'Zogbia, Southgate, Yorke, Downing, Delph, Drinkwater, Gardner, Bosnich, Grealish, Sutton, Berger, Ayew, Guzan... So plenty, really.

Love is a strong word, even in a sporting context (which obviously is distinct from how we feel about our family & friends). Villa mean a lot to me, and pretty much dictate my mood for at least 40% of the time, but I couldn't say I have ever 'loved' anybody involved with the club. Brian, God & Ian Taylor, maybe - and funnily enough all three were largely before my time.

[RamboandBruno]

Billy McNeill
Billy McNeill (such a massive wanker that he takes the top 2 spots)
Mr Fickle
MON
Billy McNeill (he takes 4th as well the massive wanker)
Bruce

Is my top 6. Anyone who was around back then and doesn't have Billy 'I don't want to be here and don't care what happens here, but may as well pick up a paycheck until I go back to Celtic at the end of the season' McNeill in top spot needs to have a serious word with themself.

McNeil literally didn’t give a shit. Theres stuff in that ticket to the moon book that references how little of a shit he gave.

I kind of really liked O’Neil before he came and this clouds what he ending up doing to us, so mixed feelings really.
I actually don’t dislike Sherwood now, i was just hugely embarrassed that we were associated with him as he’s such an absolute gobshite really.

I think mine would be

McNeil-reasons above
O’Leary -just didnt like us at all
Sherwood-reasons above
Lambert/just associated with those terrible years
Bruce-depressing. 

[dave.woodhall]

Talk to any of the players from the time and they'll tell you McNeill had no affinity with the club at all. It was no secret in football that he was off to Celtic at the end of that season, he was on the verge of being sacked by Manchester City and the Master Businessman paid them compensation.

O'Leary thought he was doing us a favour by being here. 

I could never warm to Gregory for some reason; it might have been his laddishness that grated.

I could never hate Sherwood because he gave me two of my best-ever days watching the Villa.

I don't like O'Neill for the obvious reasons.

The rest of the above mentioned couldn't help being shite so I have no real feelings one way or the other.

[dcdavecollett]

For me, Gregory came across as a gobshite -possibly as a result of his fantastic record over the first eleven months as our manager.

I think he alienated a few players in a way that Brian Little couldn't have done.

[SoccerHQ]

Bizarrely O'Leary had an interview recently before the Newcastle game (as he remains the last Villa manager to win up there) and said right at the end he thoroughly enjoyed managing us and he respected the tremendous backing he got from the fans. Funny how time can play tricks on the mind as I certainly agree with Dave in that he always seemed to regard managing us as a hassle and he spent his first season here mentioning Leeds in most interviews but it was let go as we had the nice run to 6th place.

With some managers personalities can play a part. It was a dismal 12 months under McLeish but I always thought he was a decent bloke who'd just underestimated the decision he made.

Would certainly rather have a pint with him and talk about his career in football than Gerrard if that was the choice.