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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Given the club website is running Lenny’s comments about the ref yesterday they are signalling to the SFA that they will back Lenny in any attempt to discipline him.
I have argued for some time that the way to highlight the shocking standard of refereeing is to provoke a fight let the SFA try to discipline 1 of the coaching staff and then defend him in court.
We then could open up the SFA to giving evidence under oath.
I hope this is the plan now we have an issue of bad refereeing to both sides, will the SFA fall into the trap and would PL go for the jugular.
Would Stuart Dougal defending yesterdays ref be an April fool? :-)
St.John.Doyle
12:49 on
1 April, 2013
Doesn’t end well when a club takes a FA to court mate.
Bawsman
12:53 on 1 April, 2013
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I know it can be a problem but it did work out well with Farry, if we defend Lenny it will terrify them
ianinascoli
12:52 on
1 April, 2013
The fact that neither Dougall nor the other refereeing apologist Clark are rushing to TV/Radio studios todays tells you everything you need to know.
I’m sure I heard Mc Gowan, when asked about the penalty incident, say,
We both went in high and he just caught me on the shin.
When asked if he thought it was a sending off…
That’s the ref’s decision, I don’t like to see any other player getting sent off.
As for Di Canio, silly season has begun.
If Blantyretim is posting on CQN today or later on, can whoever sees this msg and sees him posting on it let him know that Roccobhoy is looking for him? I’d be hugely grateful.
Hail Hail
Roccobhoy
Bhoys and Ghirls,
A Happy Easter to you all…
I was on the club website last night checking where my ticket for the Hibs game is situated and, in further searching Google images to remind me of the location of the Upper North Stand pillars, I came across this blog article from the French Newspaper Le Monde.
http://hoopsinparis.blog.lemonde.fr/category/celtic/page/3/
As you will see the original article is in French but if you have a translation option on your toolbar you may enjoy the caption to the photograph taken from the Jock Stein Stand. I nearly ended myself laughing at it.
If anyone would like the translation as it appeared on my PC, I’ll be happy to post it later. But it is done more justice if you get to read it for yourself.
islande gaa de craggy
Ekbhoy
MON. Might have some difficulty with some of our current squad then
Roccobhoy
Ill text him for you
leftclicktic
Go for , he cheated.
GLASSTWOTHIRDSFULL
McLeish went with the out-ball to wide men in the 2002 cup final-a year prior to Seville
We failed miserably to cope with Lovenkrands in particular that day but Martin stuck with his three at the back.
As you know we lost 3-2
rocco
I’m here bud
cheers PF
THE EXILED TIM
Sent it already :))
Paul
Disappointed that you seem to want to rewrite history
MON took us from a very dark place to the splendour of Sevilla
Certainly he had good players at his disposal and the board back him to a great extent
But and it is a huge but it should also be remembered that the Huns were spending twice as much as he had!
The good players already at the club had finished miles behind the Huns yet the next season we won a treble
The treble has eluded his successors though they faced weaker opposition – some would say.
MON like all managers and people had his faults – no-one after all is infallible
However his gifts far outweighed his weaknesses IMHO
As others have said perhaps he missed Robbo – perhaps he has lost that connection with his players that so many of his former players highlight.
Whatever the reason – his time has probably gone but let’s not join in and bury someone who gave us so much – indeed some of our greatest ever times
Personally I believe that DD convinced MON that we would be playing in the EPL a few years after he signed up and when that failed to happen MON could see that the investment needed to keep us a force in Europe was not going to be forthcoming and he wanted out.
MON was the best since Mr Stein
Trying to emulate Mr Stein put the Huns on the road to liquidation
MON drove them over the edge – remember that in response to the 6-2 the Huns went on a spree with the likes of Flo being signed for £12M
MON Celtic legend – Hunslayer extraordinaire!
HH
Craggy island gaa
C’est tres formidable.
Merci beau coup
bmcup,
Was that the game where Lubo was standing at the touch line, in the last minute, waiting to come on, when Lovenkrands scored?
PFAyr, cheers mate.
Hail Hail
Roccobhoy
THOMTHETHIM
Aye,utterly ruined my Saturday despite having a ton on Rock of Gibraltar in The 2000 Guineas.
Some things are more important than money-Celtic winning falls easily into that category.
Straight home. Gutted.
Nani is making Gongalves look like a complete amateur in the diving.
Just dropped in to say…
croppybhoy
13:09 on 1 April, 2013
_______________________
Perfect Sir !
Absolutely Perfect !
Martin O’Neill = The void that can’t be filled. imo
Hail Hail n God Bless
Off oot
Blantyretim,
Will send u a pm on Facebook. Will u be on Facebook today?
Hail Hail
Roccobhoy
BOBBY MURDOCH’S CURLED-UP WINKLEPICKERS
I was meaning the away game to Porto in our first CL campaign (3-0 defeat) – McLeish arrived at Ibrox a couple of months later.
BT
My old man was going to the club last night, hope the East End mob behaved themselves these auld yins are worth a watching
Concalves
rosco
going for lunch; then out with Mrs BT but will have my phone so contactable.. o))
Chelsea v Man u is dire, and commentators talking
all sorts of drivel to try and maintain the myth that is
the EPL.
HH
St. John.Doyle
busy yesterday and last night, I started at 11am and left at 9pm…
naka’d…
BMCUW
But fair point – it took MON too long to make the change to 4-4-2.
Burghbhoy
De rien
craggy
roy croppie 12:16 on 1 April, 2013
I think we have much to look forward to.
With each passing season our manager and players will learn more.
CROPPYBHOY
I’m the first to admit to being highly critical of Martin’s lack of a Plan B-the Anderlecht game rates highly in that regard-but like you I will always be grateful to him for giving us back our pride.
The signing of Flo who was ineligible for Europe when they were already too far behind in the league still makes me laugh!
Given NL’s comments after the game ,Victor’s red card won’t be rescinded
pfayr
I believe you are confusing disjointed play , lack of form with effort.
Anyone in particular not pulling their weight in your view?
roy croppie
12:16 on 1 April, 2013
Agreed…..this has been a strange season, and we will be more prepared next season ……lot of key injuries / suspensions, and some players concentrating on CL, with some justification, but that affects the WHOLE team …… Neil will sort this out next season.
One thing’s for sure, we need to be vigilant on this restructuring, and united as a Club ….. Our long term financial / development strategy is beginning to bare fruit ……….
GLASSTWOTHIRDSFULL. 1318
I stand corrected-I had conveniently wiped that from my memory!
Any comment from the SFA on Black’s comments that some referees have a grudge against him?
“It is a contact sport and the first booking was a silly one, but the second one the referee can be a bit embarrassed about his decision. There are maybe certain referees that have a wee grudge but I have just got to deal with that” Ian Black
EKBHOY
Well,personally you can start with Hooper.
Not much the team can do if our main striker is strangely unavailable in the areas in which he is supposed to be.