Topic: O'Neill's Trojan Horse

[Rushian]

Now I'm as upset as any Liverpool fan and, like any Liverpool fan, I'm appalled by some of our players and staff this season. I could write a list of who should be shown the door without too much to consider, but there's no point. Not here, not now, not while we're in such a fragile state.
 
But what I won't put up with is a twat like Robbie Savage of Birmingham - yes, that's Birmingham (years as a Liverpool fan - nil; years as a manger - nil; years of being associated with any form of footballing expertise - nil) - being quoted in the Mirror as saying that O'Neill is the man to 'turn flops into winners at Anfield'.

What the fuck does Robbie Savage know about anything other than hair straighteners? I'd sooner ask my granny's opinion on managerial decisions, and she's been dead for fifteen years.
 
The point is, through all these dark days I've never heard anyone that calls themself a fan of Liverpool Football Club calling for Martin O'Neill to be appointed. Those who talk of the great years, of Shankly, Paisley, Fagan and Dalglish know only too well who Martin O'Neill is. He's one of Clough's boys, back from the days when Clough was enemy number one. And the last time we employed one of Clough's boys nothing good came of it (unless Nigel Clough has any fans in Rainhill, currently chewing through their leather straps).
 
Martin O'Neill was star pupil at the Brian Clough School of Football, and the Brian Clough School of Football proved itself time and again to be the very anthithesis of the Liverpool Way. If you're so depressed by seeing negative football being played, ask yourself who invented the game of 'destroy rather than create', block passes, never mind make your own - getting in the way is more important than playing the ball.

I'm not even going to get into a discussion of O'Neill's determinedly unimpressive record as manager of a club in a league of two. Should Larsson be playing Champion's League football? Damn straight, but he's not is he? O'Neill is a mediocre manager who plays mediocre football and sold us the country's most mediocre player (for a club record).

O'Neill is a Trojan Horse, and I don't want to see Clough's football played here.

Those of you fond of remembering your history, remember your enemies also. O'Neill's football is Clough's football and has nothing to do with the Liverpool Way. Anyone who can call themself a supporter of Liverpool knows this, and that's why we can disregard anything that the likes of Lawrenson or some two-bit player at Birmingham thinks is in the club's best interest. Bringing in O'Neill would be as insane as, say, allowing Graeme Souness to employ some Manc called Corrigan to show our goalkeepers what to do.
 
Houllier should go, and will go, but not mid-season. Accept it, move on, and cheer whenever we play. When Houllier is replaced (and replaced he must be, as must around three quarters of the current squad), it will be by someone who can bring glory back to Anfield. It won't be by a Trojan Horse who has already given us our most underacheiving player.
 
© Pope Dave 2004

[Gnurglan]

MON shot down by the artillery.

Not that I mind. Given the little I have seen and heard, I'd prefer a guy like Mourinho. His team seems to have belief. They play positive football and they win. That is what we need now. The passion will come if we get that. No doubt. But will good football come from MON and his motivation skills? That I doubt.

[graeme johnstone]

its time for mr nice guy to be put away.even when we play bad houllier has no criticism for "HIS BOYS"
bullshit! Shankly never layed down the foundations for this sort of attitude or manor.
things need to change starting from the top!!!!

[WOOLTONIAN]

It's not very often that we disagree or are so far apart, we cannot find middle ground.
But, before Clough made the momumental "cock up" of getting involved in the Hillsborough issue.
He was a widely respected man in football.
His achievements with Derby and Forest should not be forgotten.
Neither should we forget that this man was touted by the commoner as "The man who should have Managed England" but didn't.
If Brian Clough would have been part of the "Old School Tie" brigade or born south of Watford, I'm sure he would of.

BC lost all credibility in my eyes after Hillsborough, but I cannot slate him for his managerial career.

MO'N certainly hasn't achieved "Clough Status" and the likelyhood of him taking two 2nd Division sides to LEAGUE Winners is slight.
His next job in my mind, will be to take over a Premiership side.
Whether it be with us, Manu or elsewhere has yet to be decided.
But he is still young in his career as a manager and I think he will succeed, at some level.

Of all the British contenders, he is in my eyes, favourite to take the hot seat.
If he comes, he will get my support.
For 5 years at least.

On the Clough issue, which I'm sure we will "Battle out" next time we meet.
Take a long look at his career prior to 1989 and consider the balance of his years affected by Senility.

I'm sure if you have a good look you will agree it's similar to Saying Souness was a sh!t footballer, based on his "ARTICLE" and his managerial career at Liverpool.

[hide5seek]

Read the article, these are my thoughts on MO'N.

Never liked Clough myself. Thought he was an arrogant big headed twat, still do think that.
But Forest we're a fucking good football side who gave us a bloody good run for our money for a few seasons.
Obviously it never lasted and I doubt in today's climate we'll ever see the likes of Forest achieving all that they did, and if we're honest , they did fucking achieve.

The attacks on MO'N are per usual ill formed imho.

Let’s not look at his record, for you get the usual bull about Mickey Mouse league. But no mention of how fuc poor Celtic we're under gods Barnes and Dalglish.
You might get the crap that Larsen was injured so Barnes didn't have a chance, which is bollocks as one man does not make a team.
I mean we only have to see Steven Gerrard for that gives his all and looks possibly the best mid fielder in Europe, but we still lose with Steven Gerard in the form of his life.
So yes one man does not make a team, like Larsen never made Celtic.

Let’s look at MO'N's personality. We’re told by some that he jumps around like a rocket has just gone up his ass.
Well yes he does. I wonder why? Also wonder why MO'N gets stick for it but Thommo doesn’t (ok GED's calmed him down these days, to determent of the team imho)

Could it actually be that he cares? He kicks every ball with his players? He's as passionate about his team his players as any fan. He wants and needs to win and wants and needs his team to win.
Yes you could argue that for most managers, but then again most managers I've seen generally sit on there ass feeling sorry for themselves when things aren't going well. Where as MO'N makes things happen from the touch line as the match actually progresses.

We hear so often that Alan Hansen would make a very good manager (I agree, but he's not interested mores the pity). Has any of MO'N detractors ever noticed though that no one can get a word in edgeways when Hansen is analysing a game, no one that is until he's sat next to a certain MO'N.
Could this be because MO'N gives us much and has as much to say as Hansen, and is respected as much as Hansen?

We even get the old chestnut about Heskey thrown in.
Well MO'N never had any problems with Heskey's work ethic or ability, funnily enough nor did we in Heskey's first season, when he was riding on the back of MO'N's influence. Seems to me the longer away from MO'N the more shit he becomes.

As someone else posted MO'N will be in the frame once GED goes. To think otherwise is preposterous.


Hopefully if he's deemed the best candidate he'll get the job. If he's not the best candidate then of course he shouldn't get the job. But he'll definitely be in with a shout, and would imho be favourite, but fortunately for some I won't be making the choice.
But I see nothing wrong in looking at the best British based manager outside of Wenger and Ferguson at this moment in time.
Especially as so many of the other candidates have never played or managed in the Premiership before (I realise it's not a massive issue, but none the less it is an advantage).

Anyway once GED goes, may the best man win and hopefully we'll be looking at a new golden future. For as nice as GED is, I really do not believe he'll win us the Premiership.

[Terk]

good piece. well written and cohesive putting across strong arguments. my only gripe would be that your penultimate paragraph is repetetive of what you have already said and in a piece so short i'm not sure you need that reminder.

whilst i wouldn't go as far as to say that O'Neill plays the same way as Clough, his tactics certainly, as you put forward, the embodiment of the Liverpool Way, which is something that (despite assertations i made earlier that MO'N should get the job) i would put very high on the list of criteria for the next boss.

[sir roger]

i would hope that all references to that c*nt brian clough will be deleted as everytime i see his name on the boards my blood pressure goes through the roof!this is the same drunken bastard who said the 96 were all pissed at hillsborough! it took the twat 13 years to make a weak apology. i do not support censorship in adult forums so hopefully all reds fans will act accordingly.

You seem to be under the impression that this is an adult forum.  Children read the site as well

[El mooro]

good piece. well written and cohesive putting across strong arguments. my only gripe would be that your penultimate paragraph is repetetive of what you have already said and in a piece so short i'm not sure you need that reminder.

Since when was this web site an English A level essay course?

And I've read, and re-read the article and find no repetition.

Though I disagree with nearly everything written in the article.

Imagine how long such a peice would be if it had been written about Houllier before he got the job.

mooro

[wild_rover]

What's the problem with O'Neill He's a class manager and has done wonders at Celtic. He'd make a great manager at Liverpool and seems to share the same football ethics as we do.

Good luck to Celtic against the deleted on Sunday.

if you have a problem with certain Scottish teams, then take it somewhere else.  This is a Liverpool site

[The Terry Mac]

O'Neill's not a class manager. What's he done that's class? Lost in a UEFA Cup final? Well spank my arse and call me Whitey. He's got passion, yes, he leaps around like a nutter and talks over Hansen, marvellous. But how much of Celtic's limited acheivement is down to him, and how much is Larsson is the big question. If we want to be able to attract big name players, we should be able to attract big name managers, and Wycombe's finest isn't that. Besides, he looks like Jeanette Winterson.

expletive deleted Can I be sued for that? No,but your posts can be deleted.

[wild_rover]

Anyone that can go 25 games unbeaten, get 86 goals out of their club in the season so far and a 16-point lead over Rangers is good in my books.

[Em5y]

Yet to see many alternatives to MON offered by those that dislike him...

And dont we already have a manager?

[Stig's Mate]

Anyone that can go 25 games unbeaten, get 86 goals out of their club in the season so far and a 16-point lead over Rangers is good in my books.

Yeah, in a two club league. With a one-year roll-on, roll-off contract because he doesn't like long-term commitment. Great acheivement. There are few alternatives, but they're still worth a look:

Dalglish
Thompson
Toshack
Ancelloti
Trappatoni
Hiddink


There's more in the pot than MON.

[wild_rover]

Ah, for King Kenny to return I would make an exception. But it seems unlikely.

[Collymore's knob]

How about Fabio Capello?

[Chindits]

100% agree cracking read.

[madaboutlfc]

great read... never liked the longball merchant

[GBH]

O'Neill is a widely respected, highly intelligent manager who has taken a team of no-marks and made them continually over-achieve.

I would suggest the only people that are qualified to judge the football his team plays are those that watch them every week.

Clutching at the Clough straws is quite pathetic.

[mr_mad_master]

i like the sounds of the porto manager mourinnho got them into the semis of champions league and is leaving althought the club has dismissed claims that we are after him if houllier is shown the door i wouldnt mind seeying him enter

[buckshee]

There are few alternatives, but they're still worth a look:

Dalglish
Thompson
Toshack
Ancelloti
Trappatoni
Hiddink

There's more in the pot than MON.

Dalglish ain't interested as everybody knows,
 
Trappatoni was 65 years old last month and isn't a long term solution to our current problems and he has hinted that he may well retire after EURO 2004,

Don't believe Thompson has was it takes to be a No: 1,   as a motivator he's very good but not as good as MON

Toshack best years are well behind him

Hiddink,   perhaps,  but he doesn't get my pulse racing

Ancelloti,  excellent young manager and the best of the names you have mentioned. Done an excellent job at Juve without actually winning anything before doing the business with Milan.   And do you honestly believe we      could lure him from Milan  ?   ?   ?  If I thought we had a realistic chance of getting him then I'd say brilliant but we don't so forget it.

[cornelius]

I fucking hate o'neill. How come if he's so good Chelsea aren't getting linked with him? I'd rather stick with Houllier than get this muppet in! The only managers I would be happy to see come in if Gerard goes are as follows in order: Dalglish, Hitzfeld, Mourinho, Capello, Lippi, Eriksson. If any of the following are our next manager I will be deeply upset and hurt: O'Leary, Curbishley, Allardyce, O' Neill
WE ARE LIVERPOOL.

[buckshee]

Eriksson  ?   ?   ?   ?

Will you get a fuckin life  !

[cornelius]

Well he was last on the list and he is a reds fan. So he shagged ulrika big deal. I think he'd do ok.