.

The man who took over an underdog Celtic team, won the treble in his 1st season, led Celtic to the closest bit of European silverware in decades and raised the overall confidence of the club and fans. To sum that up by calling him lucky imo is ridiculous. MON will go down as one of the great Celtic managers and just because it didn’t work out for him at Sunderland or Villa or because it’s not going as well for him at Ireland, I will never let that tarnish the achievements MON had at Celtic and that buzz it gave everyone around the club.
 
JimMc said:
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.
Click to expand...
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.
 
There were times when O'Neill did really well with the team. However, I mostly remember the type of football we played was very hard to watch at times. He also has a very stubborn streak, when criticised he sticks with his own ideas - even if a blind man can see he's wrong.

We don't have any really decent players at the minute - no strikers any way!

I don't think it would make any difference who managed us now. A change may be good for changes sake but that would not make a bit of difference to results.

Keane's a rocket, the only reason O'Neill has him in there, that I can think of, is to shoot down the press. Especially Dunphy and RTE reporters who are shit scared of
him.

I'd like to see them both sacked - just for the craic ?

(They won't starve like!)
 
?

Sometimes you can give someone a good hiding and they would at least try and change their ways a bit. Waste of time with Roy.

Keane really is the knight in the Monty Python clip; cut off his arm and he'll say it's merely a flesh wound!
 
I've never taken to Martin O'Neill. I've always found him to be an ignorant sarcastic smart arse, who can't take any constructive criticism. And before I'm attacked, I realise all he has done for Celtic. It's just my opinion. With his last few jobs, he has been found out. He doesn't seem to have any game plan, which I have read from former players confirming this.
 
I loved MON. Not so much because he was exciting but because he won some things. His football was'nt really exciting. Very efficient but some of the players we had under him was great. We has some of the best strikers in the world in the team that got to the Eufa final.

But he was efficient football not so much efficient with the cash providing the football. I think he lied about reasons for leaving. I suspect he wanted out more because he had been asked to reign in the spending spree. I ahve no idea if the wife story being ill was the real reason. But Im pretty sure he was back in football hellova quick once freed from Celtic.

Anyway I think he is avery good man manager. Just left a bitter flavour in my mouth when he left. He has a very strong record aginst teams that are much bigger than his current team. He can take good team and make it better if you give him the funding. Not sure he can be efficient whn getting the better players in but I dont think thats possible when your on a tight budget.

He cant make rotten player good. But he can make good players into a good team. But Good players always need good wages and cost lotta cash.

With Ireland I think MON has done pretty well. The golden generation of top Ireland players is slowing down. Still got some good players but Im not sure he has the same quality of playersto choose from since he first started.

His direct style suits Ireland IMO. But the less quality to put that style into effect means he aint getting the resu;lts he once did.

I dont think MON is suited to the top top teams. I think he is a great middle of the table manager in top leagues or big club in small pond.

But he needs money so I think he better suited to mid range team in premier system of the subsidised leagues.

All in all I remember him fondly but I also lost trust in he man when he left Celtic.
 
JimMc said:
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!
Click to expand...

Its interesting to see those stats and that perspective. Football and culture is getting very different. Especially from the days of Brian clough style management. Younger generation dont repond to the management of the older days quite so well.

Keane reminds of Souness. Both good players but talk one hell of a lot of guff with a loud voice. I get bad vibes from Keane, I think he isnt right in the head. Even in the studio there is just something off about his demeanour and character. Cant quite place it.

MON always had that dodgy thing about him as well. Kind blokes that would poison your coffee if they thought they wouldnt get caught. But maybe thats what makes them valuable. They are never at ease. Always on edge. Always pointing outwardly. Something of the hun about them both if Im being honest.

Not the kind of people i would enjoy a nightout with I dont think. But interestingly the blokes that i have had as managers all had that caught throat nasty look in thier eye.

But I guess that goes with he high pressure will to be the best mindset. Some people can switch it on and off for the time and place. Both MON and Keane look perpertually on edge.

I cant think of too many MON signings that couldnt cut it. So I think he has good eye for talent and talent that he can utilise in his style.

Being international manager you are limited to what you have to certain extent. So maybe he isnt really a great international manager without the players to fit his style.

There doesnt seem to be that many managers who can chop change thier style and win regualrly by picking best tactics for each game these days.

Maybe i dont watch enough football anymore? But it seems most teams play the exact same style week in week out no matter who they are playing. Well in Scotland it looks that way anyway. Maybe when the players are guff no matter what style you tell them they resort to whatever they can do on the pitch.

hahahah
 
“O’Neill would want to shut his big, fat gob. I know a man from The Liberties who can make people disappear. One phone call, five Gs, and O’Neill’s headless corpse ends up in a suitcase floating down The Grand Canal, baby.”

06/06/2016 eamon dunphy
 
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.
 
boab1916 said:
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.
Click to expand...
gary mackay, Irelands favourite footballer!!!
 
I think it's safe to say that despite being a great manager for Celtic in the day, and I think not even our enemies would consider MoN's time at the club as being 'lucky' (he wasn't a tactical manager, but he was an immense motivator and man manager in that era), his methods are not really compatible with modern football. Some managers adapt, some don't. Some would say Mourinho hasn't adapted. Having said that, O'Neill might get another job in the English Championship.
 
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