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O'Neill beats all-comers with sheer honesty

Will Buckley
Sunday June 25, 2006

Observer

Martin O'Neill was, not for the first time, entirely right when he said that the appointment of the England manager should have been delayed until after this World Cup. And, also far from uniquely, there was an element of self-interest in his argument. If there had been a delay, then his dominance as a pundit over his rivals would surely have counted for something with the selection committee.
His pre-eminence was demonstrated again on Friday, when he was lead pundit for both of the BBC's games. The others have struggled. Alan Curbishley has been anonymous, Big Sam Allardyce has looked like an England manager but, deprived of access to a PowerPoint presentation, sadly talked like one too, and Stuart Pearce has been Stuart Pearce. O'Neill's only challenger has been Gordon Strachan, who, being a member of the small and ginger brigade, wouldn't get many votes anyway (harsh that may seem, but just think Robin Cook and the Labour leadership).

O'Neill's credentials were underlined in the build-up to TOG v FRA after a disbelieving Gary Lineker asked Alan Shearer if there was any truth in the rumours that he would be the next England coach. After Shearer had filibustered - 'I've had a phone call off Steve McClaren two or three weeks ago asking if I'd have a conversation after the World Cup' - it was left to O'Neill to provide the punchline: 'Your name cropped up at the interview I did for England. I said no.' The others in the studio laughed, but rather uncomfortably as it dawned on them that O'Neill wasn't joking. The reason McClaren - the brave son of York sitting at the right hand of the Swede - was given the job was because he said 'yes' to the Shearer question while Big Phil Scolari said 'who?'

its actually more likely that shearer is the one insisting on himself being a coach.The term "self centered egotist" maybe a tautology but seems stunningly accurate when describing His royal highness Alan Shearer.

Cast your minds back to just before Euro 2000. Michael Owen was established as England's main striker. Alan Shearer was his partner, but there was talk that maybe he shouldn't be an automatic selection. Emile Heskey was coming off a great season for Liverpool and he was big, strong and could hold the ball up well. Could he threaten Shearer's place in the starting eleven?

Then, out of nowhere, Shearer announced he was quitting international football after the tournament, guaranteeing that Keegan would pick him (knowing Keegan was far too weak a coach to be seen to deny Shearer his last hurrah). Shearer then went on to continue playing at the top level for many years - there was no reason he couldn't have been a valuable squad member even if not a guaranteed starter.