*Official* English Football Season 2010-11

[cpr]

oh and Uppercut, the 2 seasons after that 16th place when O'Neil came in they finished 11th and 6th, the two seasons before that 16th place they finished 10th and 6th..... Its not like he dragged the club out of the mire, he helped them recover from one bad season

 

[Uppercut]

His work in the transfer market hasn't been especially great. I don't think that matters in the slightest though, really. Mourinho's transfer dealings at Chelsea were pretty average too. The end justifies the means- Villa are a hugely better team now than they were when he left, and improved with each passing season. I don't think it's unreasonable to assume that they would have continued to improve had he remained there, he only ever took the club in one direction.

Of course, now we'll never know. Seems to me that he's shirked the challenge somewhat.

 

[Uppercut]

oh and Uppercut, the 2 seasons after that 16th place when O'Neil came in they finished 11th and 6th, the two seasons before that 16th place they finished 10th and 6th..... Its not like he dragged the club out of the mire, he helped them recover from one bad season

They were pretty rubbish though- compare their squad when he took over to their squad now- there's quite a difference.

 

[Furball]

Interestingly, I think O'Neil might be one of the few British bosses who'd work OK under the Continental system of being a first team coach, with a General Manager/Director of Football conducting transfers/scoutings.... So long as he had control over training/first XI/squad management, he'd do well with someone else giving him the players/future stars

Haha, funny you should say that. The season before O'Neill got the Celtic job, their set up was John Barnes as first team coach, with Kenny Dalgleish as the DoF. Under Fergus McCann in the late 90s they'd experimented with the same set up - Jock Brown was plucked from a commentary job on BBC Scotland to be DoF when Wim Jansen was appointed in 1997, and Jo Venglos might have had one as well in 1998/99. When O'Neill was asked by the media up here not long after getting the Celtic job if he could see himself working under a DoF, given that that had been the setup at Celtic for the previous 3 seasons, his response was that he'd "rather be dead."

O'Neill's management style just wouldn't sit well with a DoF, he needs complete control of all aspects of the football club wrt to signings and contracts. It's why Celtic went into such a massive period of downsizing under Strachan - O'Neill had left Celtic with an ageing squad full of players on silly contracts (Bobo Balde earning £30,000 a week with a £1m "loyalty bonus" being due upon completion/renegotiation of his contract being one such financial masterstroke). He's also not reknowned for being ultra dedicated when it comes to training - it was well known at Celtic that O'Neill had little to do with the everyday training at the club - I'm pretty sure Neil Lennon has passed comment on O'Neill not being around the club a great deal towards the end of his tenure.

I actually think he'd be very well suited to international management. He'd possibly be the perfect replacement for Fabio Capello actually, thinking back to what I said in the English national team thread about an ideal international manager. He fits the bill perfectly in terms of his man management abilities, he gets players to run through brick walls for him, and while he's limited tactically, he's not a complete ****** tactically and his sides are generally very well organised.

 

[Furball]

His work in the transfer market hasn't been especially great. I don't think that matters in the slightest though, really. Mourinho's transfer dealings at Chelsea were pretty average too. The end justifies the means- Villa are a hugely better team now than they were when he left, and improved with each passing season. I don't think it's unreasonable to assume that they would have continued to improve had he remained there, he only ever took the club in one direction.

Of course, now we'll never know. Seems to me that he's shirked the challenge somewhat.

IMO he's hit the same glass ceiling he hit at Celtic. The funding from board level dried up after his 2nd season up here, and while he took them to a UEFA Cup final, his team gradually declined in his 4th season, then declined spectacularly in his final season after he lost Henrik Larsson.

At Villa he's improved them enormously, but he's had a lot of investment to achieve that, and apparently wouldn't get the sort of investment he might have been looking for to take Villa to the next level. To say they've only gone in one direction is wrong, they've plateaud somewhat for 18 months. In 2008/09, they had a real shout at pipping Arsenal to 4th place, only to tail off horribly at the end of the season. They didn't hit those heights at all last season IMO.

 

[Uppercut]

I think they were again better last season. Citeh and Spurs just improved an absurd amount so there was a much tougher job on his hands. But the League Cup run was a notable achievement, and there were some excellent results against the top sides. Definitely looked to be a club going forward for mine.

 

[Furball]

Any of the resident Gooners able to shed some light on Nacer Barazite?

We've got him on trial.

Name rings a bell from Football Manager but I'd be lying if I said I knew anything more about him.

 

[Jarquis]

Seems a talent, but for some reason Wenger has never really given him an opportunity. IIRC he impresses most seasons against Barnet in the first preseason game, but then Wenger never takes him to our Austrian training camp.
Am hoping that you'll take him on a season long loan. Heard he's impressing for your boys tonight.

 

[sledger]

Looked pretty reasonable on the few occasions I've seen him. Decent athlete and has shown a nice touch and ability to pick a pass.

 

[Furball]

What position does he play?

 

[Jarquis]

Attacking midfielder. Either wing iirc.

 

[GIMH]

O'neil should have gone to Liverpool when Rafa went.Would have been a better situation for both parties.

I bet Fulham are wishing he would have quit a bit earlier. And Mark Hughes is probably thinking the same.
One of the most intelligent and knwoledgable British Manager,though may not look that way. Could easily be the next England boss.

He's not British...if Capello goes anytime soon though, I think O'Neill gets it

John Barnes

**** off you sack of ****

 

[Furball]

**** off you sack of ****

Man's a managerial legend.

 

[Furball]

Attacking midfielder. Either wing iirc.

Fantastic. Are Arsenal releasing him or looking to loan him out?

 

[Jarquis]

Am personally hoping its on loan. Wouldn't be at all surprises if its permanent though.

 

[Craig]

Sorry to hear about the death about Exeter striker Adam Stansfield who passed away at 31 () after a battle with bowel cancer. RIP and all that. I believe he was the bloke in grecian's avatar?

But onto a different topic, I see Chelsea have agreed to sell Riccardo Carvalho to Real Madrid for €8m. Not bad money for a 32 year old CB.

And lol at Charlton getting done by Shrewsbury in the first round of the Carling Cup.

 

[Jarquis]

John Terry to have a nightmare then seeing as Mourinho .d Carvalho are the only people who have managed to make him look any good over the last few seasons.

 

[Neil Pickup]

Sorry to hear about the death about Exeter striker Adam Stansfield who passed away at 31 () after a battle with bowel cancer. RIP and all that. I believe he was the bloke in grecian's avatar?

I have woken up to this news this morning and am absolutely shattered by it. Stanno was an absolute legend, a truly hardworking, committed, loyal player who never, ever sold himself short, never gave up a chase or stopped running for 90 minutes or until he physically couldn't take another step. The number of times he played one up front and ran himself into the ground... words fail me right now. If the England squad all played like Stanno then we'd never be in the state we're in now.

RIP Adam Stansfield 1978-2010

 

[Jarquis]

Rip

 

[Uppercut]

John Terry to have a nightmare then seeing as Mourinho .d Carvalho are the only people who have managed to make him look any good over the last few seasons.

Carvalho is so, so underrated. As was Gallas when he played alongside Terry.