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Toon make move for O'Neill


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Feb 11 2006

 

By Alan Oliver, The Evening Chronicle

 

Newcastle United are ready to offer Martin O'Neill the manager's job at St James' Park. That's the news the Chronicle can reveal tonight.

 

And our information is that the Irishman is prepared to say yes and come to Tyneside as successor to Graeme Souness.

 

This even though O'Neill has been installed as one of the favourites to replace Sven-Goran Eriksson when the controversial Swede steps down as England coach after the World Cup in Germany in the summer.

 

While travelling back from United's disastrous Carling Cup debacle at Wigan Athletic on November 30, I was contacted from Glasgow by a source close to O'Neill saying that if there was going to be a managerial vacancy at St James' Park, then he would be interested.

 

There have been more calls about the former Celtic manager since, and even suggestions that, because his wife Geraldine is making good progress with her recovery from illness, O'Neill could be prepared to come to Tyneside sooner rather than later.

 

United chairman Freddy Shepherd has been delighted at the way caretaker boss Glenn Roeder has handled things both on and off the field in the past eight days.

 

And I can reveal that two senior players sent texts to Roeder last Saturday night thanking him for the way he had masterminded the victory over Portsmouth.

 

But I understand that Roeder has been told that he is only in charge until next Saturday's FA Cup fifth-round tie with Southampton at St James' Park.

 

This could all change, of course, if O'Neill does opt for United instead of England but wants to wait until the end of the season.

 

Roeder would then stay on before returning to his normal job as Academy director.

 

O'Neill topped a Chronicle poll as the man United supporters would want as their manager, and if Shepherd can get his man from under the noses of England then it would be a tremendous piece of business.

 

There are lot of reasons why O'Neill would want both jobs - and just as many why he would not want either.

 

As far as England are concerned, his No 2 and long-standing sidekick John Robertson is as Scottish as they come, and I hear he would not be comfortable wearing the three lions on his chest.

 

The FA's new supremo Brian Barwick worked with O'Neill at Leicester City and he has made it clear that he wants the former Nottingham Forest midfielder as Eriksson's successor.

 

Premier League chairman Dave Richards, who is part of the three-man panel with Barwick and international committee member Noel White who will pick the new England manager, said only yesterday that he would have to be British.

 

But while this was meant to include Irishman O'Neill, I hear that Richards is not so keen.

 

O'Neill is basically a private person and has not made any comment on either the England or Newcastle situation.

 

But he is attending a testimonial dinner in Glasgow tomorrow night, in what will be a rare public appearance since he left Celtic to look after his wife, and there could be more concrete news on his future early next week.

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I hope Anal is right on this one !

92743[/snapback]

 

I don't.

92745[/snapback]

 

Neither do I :D

 

He's been hyped up purely because he was linked with Man United and Liverpool.

92750[/snapback]

 

The fact hes over achieved at every club hes been at has also played a part...

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I hope Anal is right on this one !

92743[/snapback]

 

I don't.

92745[/snapback]

 

Neither do I :(

 

He's been hyped up purely because he was linked with Man United and Liverpool.

92750[/snapback]

 

The fact hes over achieved at every club hes been at has also played a part...

92751[/snapback]

 

Careful Ritchie, you should know better than to have an opinion.... :D

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I hope Anal is right on this one !

92743[/snapback]

 

I don't.

92745[/snapback]

 

Neither do I :D

 

He's been hyped up purely because he was linked with Man United and Liverpool.

92750[/snapback]

 

The fact hes over achieved at every club hes been at has also played a part...

92751[/snapback]

 

Serious question - did he do any better at Celtic than any other manager in the last few years?

 

In what way did he over achieve?

 

NJS's point is spot on in my opinion.

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I hope Anal is right on this one !

92743[/snapback]

 

I don't.

92745[/snapback]

 

Neither do I :D

 

He's been hyped up purely because he was linked with Man United and Liverpool.

92750[/snapback]

 

The fact hes over achieved at every club hes been at has also played a part...

92751[/snapback]

 

Serious question - did he do any better at Celtic than any other manager in the last few years?

 

In what way did he over achieve?

 

NJS's point is spot on in my opinion.

92754[/snapback]

 

Yes with the exception of Wim Jansens leage win he done far better than Barnes, Dalglish, Venglos and Tommy Burns, his record shows that.

 

With the exception of one good year under Jansen Celtic had been in Rangers shadow for many a year...

 

His record in Europe with a "Scottish" team (yes that micky mouse league my side of the border) surely has to be recognised as very well too.

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i hope its not o'neill

 

he seems a sound bloke and is a decent manager but.....

 

 

could he get us back into europe, specifically the champions league ?

 

possibly, though we would have to outperform at least one of liverpool, man utd, arsenal.

 

could he get us to the latter stages of said competition - ie knock out stages ?

 

unlikely imho.

 

 

if someone like hiddink or hitzfeld were appointed then i would answer probably and possibly respectively.

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I hope Anal is right on this one !

92743[/snapback]

 

I don't.

92745[/snapback]

 

Neither do I :D

 

He's been hyped up purely because he was linked with Man United and Liverpool.

92750[/snapback]

 

The fact hes over achieved at every club hes been at has also played a part...

92751[/snapback]

 

Serious question - did he do any better at Celtic than any other manager in the last few years?

 

In what way did he over achieve?

 

NJS's point is spot on in my opinion.

92754[/snapback]

 

Yes with the exception of Wim Jansens leage win he done far better than Barnes, Dalglish, Venglos and Tommy Burns, his record shows that.

 

With the exception of one good year under Jansen Celtic had been in Rangers shadow for many a year...

 

His record in Europe with a "Scottish" team (yes that micky mouse league my side of the border) surely has to be recognised as very well too.

92766[/snapback]

 

Did he achieve more with Leicester than Allardyce with Bolton too then?

 

I think out of all the realistic targets, then O'Neill would be my choice; but with all the other names being branded around (Hitzfeld, Hiddink, Scolari, Sven) I can't help but feel disappointed.

 

I'd also be concerned by how much his mind would be on the job.

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As I said in another thread, Shearergol is right when he says that O'Neill's reputation is probably largely down to the fact that he was always being linked with the Man Utd and Liverpool jobs. Possibly the best British manager available at the moment, but that doesn't mean a lot.

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Did he achieve more with Leicester than Allardyce with Bolton too then?

 

92773[/snapback]

 

Yes...

92777[/snapback]

 

I don't think I agree - Allardyce has turned Bolton into a genuine Top 6 side. Winning the League Cup with a promoted side is a decent achievement, but it doesn't really compare IMHO.

 

Souness won the League Cup with Blackburn as well...

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Did he achieve more with Leicester than Allardyce with Bolton too then?

 

92773[/snapback]

 

Yes...

92777[/snapback]

 

In what sense? As far as I remember, as soon as everyone figured out their long ball game, they started to lose. O'Neill jumped ship when they were on the down. Or do I remember wrongly?

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Did he achieve more with Leicester than Allardyce with Bolton too then?

 

92773[/snapback]

 

Yes...

92777[/snapback]

 

In what sense? As far as I remember, as soon as everyone figured out their long ball game, they started to lose. O'Neill jumped ship when they were on the down. Or do I remember wrongly?

92784[/snapback]

 

You asked if he achieved more, winning two cups is..

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Did he achieve more with Leicester than Allardyce with Bolton too then?

 

92773[/snapback]

 

Yes...

92777[/snapback]

 

In what sense? As far as I remember, as soon as everyone figured out their long ball game, they started to lose. O'Neill jumped ship when they were on the down. Or do I remember wrongly?

92784[/snapback]

 

You asked if he achieved more, winning two cups is..

92785[/snapback]

 

Finishing 9th, 8th, 5th and 12th with Leicester isn't too bad. Even if they were "on the down" at the end, always finishing midtable and above is overachieving IMHO.

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Did he achieve more with Leicester than Allardyce with Bolton too then?

 

92773[/snapback]

 

Yes...

92777[/snapback]

 

In what sense? As far as I remember, as soon as everyone figured out their long ball game, they started to lose. O'Neill jumped ship when they were on the down. Or do I remember wrongly?

92784[/snapback]

 

You asked if he achieved more, winning two cups is..

92785[/snapback]

 

Finishing 9th, 8th, 5th and 12th with Leicester isn't too bad. Even if they were "on the down" at the end, always finishing midtable and above is overachieving IMHO.

92786[/snapback]

 

Fair enough. Would he be the man to take us to the level we all want to be at; or would we be looking to get midtable every season too?

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I don't really understand what the argument is here ? OK Martin O'Neill might not be everyones choice as manager, but just because he's not your number 1 doesn't mean he's shit !

 

In my opinion 2 league cups with Leicester is over achievment, as is a UEFA Cup final with Celtic.

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Did he achieve more with Leicester than Allardyce with Bolton too then?

 

92773[/snapback]

 

Yes...

92777[/snapback]

 

In what sense? As far as I remember, as soon as everyone figured out their long ball game, they started to lose. O'Neill jumped ship when they were on the down. Or do I remember wrongly?

92784[/snapback]

 

You asked if he achieved more, winning two cups is..

92785[/snapback]

 

Finishing 9th, 8th, 5th and 12th with Leicester isn't too bad. Even if they were "on the down" at the end, always finishing midtable and above is overachieving IMHO.

92786[/snapback]

 

Fair enough. Would he be the man to take us to the level we all want to be at; or would we be looking to get midtable every season too?

92787[/snapback]

 

We know that no more than we do for any other manager linked to the job..

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I don't really understand what the argument is here ? OK Martin O'Neill might not be everyones choice as manager, but just because he's not your number 1 doesn't mean he's shit !

 

In my opinion 2 league cups with Leicester is over achievment, as is a UEFA Cup final with Celtic.

92788[/snapback]

 

 

Nobody has said he's shit. He just wouldn't be my first choice, and I can't see why he seems to be the most popular choice.

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Did he achieve more with Leicester than Allardyce with Bolton too then?

 

92773[/snapback]

 

Yes...

92777[/snapback]

 

In what sense? As far as I remember, as soon as everyone figured out their long ball game, they started to lose. O'Neill jumped ship when they were on the down. Or do I remember wrongly?

92784[/snapback]

 

You asked if he achieved more, winning two cups is..

92785[/snapback]

 

Finishing 9th, 8th, 5th and 12th with Leicester isn't too bad. Even if they were "on the down" at the end, always finishing midtable and above is overachieving IMHO.

92786[/snapback]

 

Fair enough. Would he be the man to take us to the level we all want to be at; or would we be looking to get midtable every season too?

92787[/snapback]

 

We know that no more than we do for any other manager linked to the job..

92789[/snapback]

 

Like we didn't know with Souness?

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