He took over the club with the team and the fans down in the dumps. Won 3 titles, 3 Scottish cups, 1 league cup and a MAGICAL run to a European final in his 5 seasons at Celtic. If you want to look at statistics look at the table when the Huns won the league in 02/03 and 04/05. A financially doped rangers team just snatched what could have been a Celtic 5IAR for MON. He lifted the spirits of everyone and achieved great success.I wrote and meant lucky because of HENRIK! who was not a MON signing and imo he would not have signed such a player as a main striker. Wim did that for us.
I know and have read many Celtic fans who do not care about Ireland and so naturally will only reflect on the one story. As some do who do follow Ireland, but there is a little more to the context than beyond question supposed magic of MON.
He took over from John Barnes and Dalglish who were abject failures despite their past success,
MON was also provided with and spent a lot of money at Celtic compared to most any other previous
or since. Have not got the figures so don't know but would not be surprised if he was given more to spend than BR in terms of £ to value today.
Again there is context the rangers were alive and cheating, but do you think he would have signed Henrik?
Based on his signings
For me the only unquestionable and genuine legend at Celtic in recent times of that era is Henrik.
Unfortunately for Ireland fans, the time TBF to MON regarding Ireland passed months ago.
Some stats from Aidan Fitzmaurice in The Herald
Here is how O'Neill compares to some of the men who came before him:
Brian Kerr, 33 games (18 wins, 11 draws, 4 losses) - 55%
Jack Charlton, 94 games (47 wins, 29 draws, 16 losses) - 50%
Mick McCarthy, 68 games (28 wins, 19 draws, 21 losses) - 43%
Giovanni Trapattoni, 64 games (26 wins, 22 draws, 16 losses) - 41%
Martin O'Neill, 53 games (19 wins, 18 draws and 16 losses) - 36%
Steve Staunton, 17 games (6 wins, 6 draws, 5 losses) - 35%
Leave aside the joke appointment of a great player (does not automatically equate to management) Staunton!
Ireland are definitely the worst under these two, so many agree with that, but this is not the worst squad ever, many run of the mills were just made look better players by proper tactics, and a gameplan, what good managers do.
The squad is limited, but much of this is directly to do with O'Neill and Keane on best part of 3 millions a year between them
https://www.independent.ie/sport/so...ssistant-roy-keane-makes-top-10-37434966.html
Some of the squad limitations is because of players not wanting to be part of it! Why would anyone with an ounce of fibre put up with the raging arrogant bully Keane.
Arrogant bullying extremes of harassment and libel, that MON from the last century defends or claims to have not heard or underplays! even lately jokes positives for putting up with Keane.
Young players will improve, be the better for it.
Like saying racism and beating kids up verbally or physically for making mistakes, or not being up to scratch, improves them, a dated Victorian mindset hangover.
It is almost certain from the millions of Irish ancestry as has always been the case, that there are
players decent enough in England who will put their hands up for a call if we get a modern inspirational coach in.
Prior to the match the other night!
MON was even talking of the pitch our home pitch being too big! what sort of manager puts players down so often except one looking to not blame himself!, he is more excuse-ready-laden than trap ever was, perhaps only because Trap was limited in English, but the 20th century managers are a good excuses tag team.
Regardless, from watching previous defensive no risk managers working with similar limited sqauds ie trap, he could usually organize effective crap tactics with no better players than these two have at their disposal, can't even organize crap tactics.
Or as a headline in Ireland stated - Playing terrible football is one thing - but Ireland are terrible at playing terrible football
Ireland have no Henrik the sort of one-off that would make any decent team and manager look much better than they generally are! but we can look much better than what some managers are generally capable of making us look.
As BR generally shows with many players of and still mostly Ronnies squad!
gary mackay, Irelands favourite footballer!!!Ireland was better when they just went for it in the old traditional style of play football. !988 brilliant football and brilliant dedicated players up against the best in Euros and world cups . You can only play non tactical uniformed football if you have real footballers who just work tirelessly for each other, love dribblers and tacklers and never give up players, watch Tienrey up and down the line the boys knackered at times, but the love of the game and desire to win is the key. Have not been exicted with any of irelands games recently. Is it a wage and losing the job thats the reluctance to have a a go right now.
Loved Houghton,gary mackay, Irelands favourite footballer!!!