Martin O’Neill

The Robson Report: PDC makes it so simple; why couldn’t O’Neill?

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Jeremy Robson
Jeremy Robson

Some of the most thought-provoking analysis of things that matter to Sunderland AFC supporters comes from the great Mackem diaspora. This comment on the Blackcats e-mail list – “the older I get the more I become convinced that it really is a simpler game than the coaches, tacticians and (especially) pundits would have us believe” – emanated from the region (Mick Goulding in Co Durham) but set Jeremy Robson, over in Canada, thinking about some of the basic failings of the Martin O’Neill regime and the equally basic remedies Paolo Di Canio is applying. In an interesting riposte, Moscow-based Andy Potts sees similarities in the early achievements of both men …

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Adieu Martin O’Neill: Celtic and Villa star, Sunderland failure

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Thanks Jake!
Thanks Jake!

First the official Sunderland AFC statement: ‘The club has parted company with manager Martin O’Neill.
Sunderland AFC has announced that it has parted company with manager Martin O’Neill this evening. The club would like to place on record its thanks to Martin and wishes him well for the future. An announcement will be made in the coming days regarding a successor.’

And now, quickly rattled off for ESPN – the link, once it appears there, will be http://espnfc.com/blog/_/name/sunderland?cc=5739 – and repeated here with its permission, these are Monsieur Salut’s first thoughts on the Martin O’Neill dismissal ….

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Martin’s Musings on SAFC v Norwich: O’Neill frustrated so how must Hughton feel?

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Jake’s imagination

Malcolm Dawson writes…..

with the club urging supporters to renew their season cards before April 4th, the team is doing little to persuade us that will be a wise move – unless of course you see the extra games that Championship football brings as added value – because make no mistake there was little on show today to convince the faithful that relegation is anything other than a distinct possibility. With no real goal threat from open play, even with a man advantage for a full hour, and a poor decision from the ref who denied The Canaries a clear penalty we were fortunate to come away with a point. At this stage of the season it is probably not a good time to consider replacing the manager, but in his post match e-mail to M Salut Mr O’Neil admits that defending set pieces and creating chances are things that the team should be doing better. So whose responsibility is that then? We had the better of the officials’ decisions this afternoon and I’d be surprised if the manager doesn’t agree once he’s seen the replays. Anyway, this is what he has to say.

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From Russia with undying, wearied love: ‘end the futilty of supporting Sunderland’

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Jake's vision of plenty
Jake’s take on Andy’s Five Year Plan

Andy Potts*, a Sunderland exile in Moscow, has been promising to write for Salut! Sunderland since not long after the October revolution. He still hasn’t, or hasn’t quite, got round to it. This is a contribution of his to the gripping saga of Sunderland-supporting folk, near and far-flung, that is the Blackcats e-mail list. Just in time this week before we slip into our traditional suspension of hostilities, not always observed, as another matchday approaches, Andy offers a cocktail of thoughts that will give SAFC management indigestion but is more constructive that the Molotov variety. An equally well argued riposte, calling for patience, appears as the first comment …

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Martin’s Musings on Fulham draw: ‘our own worst enemy’

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Jake’s imagination

Martin O’Neill has less reason that he thinks to complain about the penalty that was given to Fulham. If a defender’s leg goes where Gardner’s did, the modern professional footballer will happily fall into it. But he’s right, in his post-match e-mail, to applaud a decent fightback from such an unnecessary two-goal deficit which, with more creativity and guile, would have led to victory over a sweet-moving but beatable Fulham. The spot-on verdict came from Gary Bennett on BBC Radio Newcastle: ‘A workmanlike performance that was lacking quality.’ …

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Martin’s Musings on Reading defeat: another bumpy landing the boss cannot fathom

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Jake’s imagination

Monsieur Salut suffered the annoyance familiar to most football fans, stuck 39,000 feet high while the Lads were in action. Turning the phone back on at Heathrow, two and a half hours after the final whistle at Reading, I found my eyes drawn first of all to Martin O’Neill‘s post-match e-mail, the headline – ‘we’ve lost a game we shouldn’t have’ – adding to the gloom of returning to the British winter from Sri Lankan sun. I read somewhere else that we were outplayed for long periods but should still have won. Outplayed! By Reading! Can Martin’s Musings shed further light? …

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Martin’s Musings from Wigan: praise for fans’ cure of Bolton hangover

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Jake finds the song that fits:
Jake finds the song to fit: Oh, it’s such a perfect day/I’m glad I spend it with you/Oh, such a perfect day/You just keep me hanging on/You just keep me hanging on………….

In his post-match e-mail from Wigan Athletic, Martin O’Neill once again praises the red and white faithful who risked becoming snowbound on the journey over the Pennines to provide the players with the vocal encouragement to help them deal with an early setback. Things got a little more hairy as the final whistle approached but overall the manager was pleased with the performance.

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