Vegas & The Aftermath - Diary

[TightEnd]

Reading an article on the resurgence of Sunderland in the brief period Martin O'Neill has been with them, was a bit shocked to realise he is SIXTY next month - wow!

Obvious, really, but how time flies, I vividly recall watching him play under Clough @ Forest in the 70's, & I seem to recall that he & Clough had a bit of a fractious relationship.

He then served his appenticeship as a Manager here & there, & seemed to promise great things, being tipped for years to succeed Sir Alex @ Man U. Sadly, he never reached the expected heights, & apart from a few minor trophies, & some trophy hunting with Celtic, the great Managerial career never quite happened.

I guess Sunderland is his last big chance, & if he could make them a regular top six side, that'd be quite something.

He shows such passion, & woe betide any player who gives him less than 100%, or as this season's football buzz expression has it, (even Rooney manages to say it, with the words in roughly the right order) fails to "put a shift in".  I like him very much, & hope he succeeds.

60 years old though, cripes. I hope I look as youthful as he does when I reach 60.

Am a bit biased as he gave my moribund club its best ever spell but the man is unrivalled at getting average players to outperform consistently. Has done this everywhere

As this is his main strength (motivation and giving a club belief) the prevailing view is that make him manager of a team of superstars/primadonnas and his skills would be less effective

Not sure this is true, would love to see him get a crack at Man U post Ferguson, Chelsea, Arsenal etc. Don't think he will, but would like to see it

I disagree on one thing, it has been a great managerial career.

Wycombe into the league

League cups for Leicester

Domination at celtic

Europe and Prem top 6 for Villa, who haven't been the same snce he left

Now 22 points out of 27, I think, in his start at Sunderland with the same squad Bruce had

Very impressive

[TheChipPrince]

Read yesterday That if you'd put £10 on Sunderland each game since he arrived you'd be over £120 up.

Now your a betting man Tikay assumed you would like this.

[tikay]

Read yesterday That if you'd put £10 on Sunderland each game since he arrived you'd be over £120 up.

Now your a betting man Tikay assumed you would like this.

Damn, missed the valoooooooo

I believe he has won 8 matches out of 12 (all comps) since arriving, really something with the same squad of players, suggesting real touchy-feely people skills.

Not going to disagree with Tighty, either, though I'm not sure winning Trophies north of the border counts for much - don't they just divvi them up between 2 Clubs?

Tighty would like to see him at Man U or Chelsea? Me too, though in both cases, the Managers are wholly secure in their job. (Look away, David).

[TheChipPrince]

Thoughts on Brentford these days Tikay? 

Pleased with how Rosler is doing? 

Can they make the play-offs?

[tikay]

Thoughts on Brentford these days Tikay?  

Pleased with how Rosler is doing?  

Can they make the play-offs?

Before I reply to that, do you like & approve of the new BBC Sport Football website?

I think it is a massive improvement, with so many clickable links & options, just click the Team in question you get directed instantly to their “page”, then you can see news, goss, recent fixtures, upcoming fixtures, da de da. The League Table pages have been greatly improved too, with easy on the eye colour graphics giving a quick form guide.  

Here's a typical League Table page.....

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/tables

If you to the Table for League Two, click “Gillingham” – just a random team, obv - & you get this……

 http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/teams/gillingham

Again, from the Main Page, today for example, just click either Team, under “Fixtures”, & it gives you, say, using tonight’s ‘Boro-Sunderland game, this……

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/16828795

OK, the hardcore guys might scoff at how light it all is, but for armchair fans - & I love armchairs – I think it is excellent, & a huge improvement.

The main Football page is here……

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/

[tikay]

Thoughts on Brentford these days Tikay? 

Pleased with how Rosler is doing? 

Can they make the play-offs?

1) I just watch for their results these days, really. I followed them for 20 years, never missed a match home or away, but the fire & the passion has long gone now, & Premiership Football is so damn good to watch, as is the Sky coverage. Has there ever been a more open Premiership Season, & ever been such an array of quality players, & such amazing matches? Did you see Chelsea -Man U on Sunday, the 2nd half? So exciting! Watch Man City, it's like watching a World X1. Fantastic. Barnet were on TV last night, & I cba to even switch it on. Shame, but true.

2) Yes, very, I think he was an interesting choice, & a very good one. The lad is very keen. Did you know he has recovered from lung cancer? He wants to manage in the Premiership - that'll be a stretch - but he's ambitious, & has excellent people skills I believe. He's not one-eyed, either, when it comes to assessing the performance, & he knows the difference between a goose & a swan.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uwe_R%C3%B6sler 

3) At a push, if they get what I saw described yesterday as +ev variance, possibly, yes. But they will always swing & swong between Championship & League Two, because of the way football is structured these days. If they reached the C'Ship, of course, they'd be as likely to do well as I would be to crush the likes of Cody, Toby, & Alex & Co.  Note I excluded Flushy.  What is better, to be prominent in L1, or in the relly Zone of the C'Ship? (rh).

[hector62]

I  couldn't see the football video-printer on the new BBC site last night so I had to watch the scores on Sky sports website

[david3103]

I really must stop rising to your bait..

It was good to chat at the weekend, I was two steps behind you as we went out for a break and was about to engage you in conversation but you joined Simon T and Rob in what looked like a deep & meaningful exchange.

Later news suggests it was just that.

O'Neill at Old Trafford? Not the worst of the options, but despite his achievements to date it feels unlikely. I think a lot of fans would have accepted him had SAF retired when he originally threatened to.
When the day does finally arrive the process of finding a replacement will be even tougher than it was when Sir Matt stepped down. Those were hard years for those of us who have been United through thick and thin.


PS 'handsome' 'personable' 'perceptive' ? That sentence may find it's way into my sig

[Jon MW]

...

Before I reply to that, do you like & approve of the new BBC Sport Football website?

...

From the looks of it the BBC Sport homepage is the new BBC Football website.

There are some functional improvements like you suggest, but by and large the design is awful. Far too many oversized fonts and over use of irrelevant video clips scattered around for example.

Quite a few of the new design sports pages you click on and get a screen full of video links which are years and years out of date - you have to scroll a screen or two down to actually get to the current news on that sport.

But at least the football pages work* - that's all people care about, isn't it?



*apart from the bits that don't, like the live update scores not always updating

[neeko]

Reading an article on the resurgence of Sunderland in the brief period Martin O'Neill has been with them, was a bit shocked to realise he is SIXTY next month - wow!

Obvious, really, but how time flies, I vividly recall watching him play under Clough @ Forest in the 70's, & I seem to recall that he & Clough had a bit of a fractious relationship.

He then served his appenticeship as a Manager here & there, & seemed to promise great things, being tipped for years to succeed Sir Alex @ Man U. Sadly, he never reached the expected heights, & apart from a few minor trophies, & some trophy hunting with Celtic, the great Managerial career never quite happened.

I guess Sunderland is his last big chance, & if he could make them a regular top six side, that'd be quite something.

He shows such passion, & woe betide any player who gives him less than 100%, or as this season's football buzz expression has it, (even Rooney manages to say it, with the words in roughly the right order) fails to "put a shift in".  I like him very much, & hope he succeeds.

60 years old though, cripes. I hope I look as youthful as he does when I reach 60.

Am a bit biased as he gave my moribund club its best ever spell but the man is unrivalled at getting average players to outperform consistently. Has done this everywhere

As this is his main strength (motivation and giving a club belief) the prevailing view is that make him manager of a team of superstars/primadonnas and his skills would be less effective

Not sure this is true, would love to see him get a crack at Man U post Ferguson, Chelsea, Arsenal etc. Don't think he will, but would like to see it

I disagree on one thing, it has been a great managerial career.

Wycombe into the league

League cups for Leicester

Domination at celtic

Europe and Prem top 6 for Villa, who haven't been the same snce he left

Now 22 points out of 27, I think, in his start at Sunderland with the same squad Bruce had

Very impressive

Tighty - I cant believe that you missed MO'N's great success in mgmt at Grantham Town - OK there wasn't any success - but even he cant work miracles.

[mondatoo]

The Premiership is not short of veteran Managers, either, it seems that in Football, unlike in poker, old can still be good.

Sir Alex (72), Arsene (62), Kenny (61), Harry (65 next month), & Roy Hodgson (65), all still command, to lesser or greater degrees, much respect.

Even so, some stunningly successful Premiership football managers are very young - AVB is a mere 34. A mere kid.

AVB, stunningly successful? Hardly.

If they don't win the Champions League history suggests he won't keep his job for next season given that Chelsea seem unlikely to secure a top four finish.

David,

I did, as is the case more often than not in my Posts, have my tongue firmly in cheek when I wrote that, David, hence the subsequent Post about Mr A visiting the CFC training ground, & what that may mean. We like to stretch our readership on this Diary, it's not Bonfire & the AfterAshes.

I feel bad now, really really bad. ;(

Was good to chat at DTD last weekend, though, you are a most perceptive & personable, not to say handsome, chap, especially for your age. (Note the cooey offensive).

Typical lack of understanding of variance from a member of the older generation, it's no wonder the kidz diss you.

[tikay]

The Premiership is not short of veteran Managers, either, it seems that in Football, unlike in poker, old can still be good.

Sir Alex (72), Arsene (62), Kenny (61), Harry (65 next month), & Roy Hodgson (65), all still command, to lesser or greater degrees, much respect.

Even so, some stunningly successful Premiership football managers are very young - AVB is a mere 34. A mere kid.

AVB, stunningly successful? Hardly.

If they don't win the Champions League history suggests he won't keep his job for next season given that Chelsea seem unlikely to secure a top four finish.

David,

I did, as is the case more often than not in my Posts, have my tongue firmly in cheek when I wrote that, David, hence the subsequent Post about Mr A visiting the CFC training ground, & what that may mean. We like to stretch our readership on this Diary, it's not Bonfire & the AfterAshes.

I feel bad now, really really bad. ;(

Was good to chat at DTD last weekend, though, you are a most perceptive & personable, not to say handsome, chap, especially for your age. (Note the cooey offensive).

Typical lack of understanding of variance from a member of the older generation, it's no wonder the kidz diss you.

Please don't be rude about David.

[bobby1]

I read something last week that was incredible really, 35% of the current Premiership managers are from Glasgow.

[gatso]

I read something last week that was incredible really, 35% of the current Premiership managers are from Glasgow.

that is incredible as less than 35% of them are from scotland and not all of those are from glasgow

[TheChipPrince]

I read something last week that was incredible really, 35% of the current Premiership managers are from Glasgow.

that is incredible as less than 35% of them are from scotland and not all of those are from glasgow

Kean
Coyle
Fergie
Dalglish
McGleish
Lambert
Moyes

?