What happened to Martin O’Neill?

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Football is a results business and Sunderland’s results have been rotten for months, so we shouldn’t be surprised that Martin O’Neill was dismissed as manager on Saturday.  But he is Martin O’Neill, who appeared to be able to walk on water when at Celtic.  What happened?

Martin’s teams played the same football at Sunderland as they did at Celtic and Leicester.  Direct and, if supported by excellent players, incredibly effective, but Martin was the antithesis of the tinkerer manager.  He had his plan and stuck to it, a fact which Alex McLeish successfully exploited.

Of all the recent dismissals in England his was least surprising.  Sunderland thought they were heading for relegation but still have a fighting chance, the right change could produce the short-term boost required.  As for our old pal Paulo, I’m in David Milliband’s camp. He and ‘Arry can go the same way.
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  1. martin o neill was golddust after seville

     

    but thats 10 years ago

     

    he was tipped for pool and utd jobs

     

    interviewed for the tan national team job

     

    but he lost his way

     

    should never have resigned from villa before the start of the season afew years back

     

    he will get no big job now

     

    but i would to see him get the republics job next october when that senille eejit trapp goes

  2. stephenofderby on

    kooorvamach. thats what my polish colleague says. Does it mean, love you handsome?

  3. Evening folks.

     

     

    Thoroughly enjoying the variety of debate on the blog tonight. That’s what makes it such a fine and unique site for me.

     

     

    Regarding MON or MO’N. On the 08th February 2000 I remember sitting in the North Stand watching as we were humbled by Caley in the Scottish cup. Also at work the next day taking a hammering from folk whom I did not know even followed football as they had never mentioned it before to me. Took it on the chin and remembered everyone of them who came out of the woodwork on that day.

     

     

    Fast forward just over 6 months later. Martin has arrived, first Glasgow derby of the season. We thumped them by 6 goals to 2. Then to May 2001, 15 months after the Caley defeat, we beat Hibs 3 nil to win the treble.

     

     

    Martin gave us superiority in Scotland and respectability in Europe. He gave Celtic supporters some fantastic times. He gave me some fantastic times lording it over the so called football fans who seemed to crawl back in to the woodwork after he arrived.

     

     

    Of course there were ups and downs and he did not always get it right, but for me he was the best manager we have had since big Jock, and well I think we will never see the likes of the big man again.

     

     

    Martin’s time came and went, and I would agree with some of the posters on here tonight, I would not like him to come back. I still think he is a good manager, but his time is past with us I believe.

     

     

    Thanks for the memories Martin. A Celtic legend always in my eyes.

     

     

    Dan

  4. Bobby Murdochs Ankle on

    Bsr, Flanders is lookin for a village way a position to fill.

     

     

    Bma

  5. That is everything that is wrong about scottish football.

     

     

    Liam Craig gets the equaliser, that will probably see UTD not make the top six, he should have seen red, shocking display yet again by the referee.

  6. 67Heaven ... I am Neil Lennon..!!.. Ibrox belongs to the creditors on

    dan

     

     

    21:51 on

     

    1 April, 2013

     

     

    Spot on ….fully agree..!!!!!!!!

  7. ‘arry ‘umped – QPR”””””s ‘umped as well.

     

     

    NicestuffCSC :)))

  8. no el diego bhoy

     

     

    stone cold sober

     

     

    so what are attempting to say????????

     

     

    i want mon as next ireland nanager

  9. TET

     

     

    Sometimes we don’t agree my friend but you’re never wrong regards the refs in Scotland. Sort them sort football but sadly that will never happen.

     

     

    Scotland is as Scotland does. Narrow minded, anti catholic and anti Irish. And so it goes on supported by officialdom who are determined to maintain the status quo.

  10. Aston Villa won the U19 NextGenSeries beating LondonHunsFC on penalties.

     

    In our two games against them earlier on in the league sections, we were beaten 2-1 down there and drew 2-2 at Firhill.

     

    In that Glasgow game, we gifted them 2 goals before coming back to earn a draw, and for some reason we seemed to take the foot off the pedal after we equalised.

     

    They were there for the taking.

     

    We also played Sporting Lisbon in the league section, losing 2-1 in both games, who went on to lose in the semi final game to the LondonHuns, but beat Arsenal for 3rd place.

     

    The young Sporting team were very impressive when I saw them at Firhill.

     

    Our youngsters, and coaches, will have gained some worthwhile experience from these games.

     

    At this level, we’re not a million miles away from the top teams.

     

    We have some good young players in our ranks.

     

     

    SPF

  11. Does that make it 4 out of the 5 confirmed teams in top 6 are those we have already been away to twice- Motherwell, ICT, Ross Co, S Johnstone.

     

     

    Will mean a 3rd visit to one of them. Bet it’s Ross Co or ICT.

  12. ElDiegoBhoy

     

     

    Aye, sadly I have to agree with you.

     

     

    Shame that we are subjected to it, we should be spending our time talking about how good or bad the football is without the influence of the cheats with the whistles.

  13. 67Heaven ... I am Neil Lennon..!!.. Ibrox belongs to the creditors on

    Why are they cutting benefits……..BECAUSE THEY ARE POLITICIANS, and will only remain in power if they don’t ‘hit’ the power-brokers….

  14. west csc

     

     

    Well, according to Pat Murphy, of Radio 5, and a good friend of Martin O’Neill, Aston Villa agreed to pay Martin full compensation before, before, it even went to court. Martin had argued constructive dismissal. Strange that he left in August that season, but details of settlement never mentioned.

  15. 67Heaven ... I am Neil Lennon..!!.. Ibrox belongs to the creditors on

    eldiegobhoy

     

     

    22:02 on 1 April, 2013

     

     

    SPOT ON, sadly…….. Resistance was, is, and always will be……..

  16. Can hardly believe that ITV choose to show library images of Di Canio playing for Celtic to support a piece on his fascist views.

     

     

    First time I’ve seen Di Canio in a Celtic shirt on TV for 15 years.

  17. On the Di Canio issue,…i’ve got to admit i loved watching him in the hoops,..hadn’t thought too much about his politics until it was plastered all over Murdoch T.V.

     

     

    I’d better tell Mrs.Z. to take the signed pic of him down from the hall,

     

    (he was her favourite hoops player for a long time)

  18. bsr

     

     

    ‘Celtic guaranteed another trip to Perth.’

     

     

    Yip. My thoughts entirely. If (and that’s a big if given our previous at this ground) we beat DU at Hampden, then a team of back up + youth players should be our starting XI at Perth, as they will kick lumps out of us all day with no protection from the MIB.

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