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Rochesterlad · Posted: Mon Aug 14, 2006 2:34 pm Post subject: Things Looking Good For Villa!!

IMHO they have the best British Manager going and the club are now on the verge of being taken over by billionaire Randy Lerner.

Could the big four Premiership clubs now become five?

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ngreggors · Posted: Mon Aug 14, 2006 3:16 pm Post subject:

O'Neill should certainly turn things round at the Villa.
I thought they may struggle before his appointment but now I've put a sizeable bet (for me!!) at 15/1 for +45 points on the Handicap betting market.

Top 5 could be a long way off - especially with Spurs getting ever closer to the "Big 4"

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Dom · Posted: Mon Aug 14, 2006 3:24 pm Post subject:

I don't know where people get Martin O'Neill is the best manager about winning the SPL is not a great achievment.
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Dom · Posted: Mon Aug 14, 2006 3:29 pm Post subject:

kickingkyle · Posted: Mon Aug 14, 2006 4:33 pm Post subject:

O'neil gets the best out of shit teams. He was great at Leicester.
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Dr_tyler · Listed Winner Joined: 13 Mar 2006 Posts: 548

Seems similar to the Dom and myself v Yaiyam debate from a few weeks back but just to throw my opinions into the ring (and no i don't have anything against Villa or O'Neil!)...

I really am not sure about the effect of this takeover on Villa.

I personally think O'Neil is a decent manager with poor teams as his route one style suits teams battling for survival better than teams looking to win things. I also think that you can't read a great deal into the one "big" team he won a top league with because, as well stated, to be polite- its not the strongest league to win.

Villa have spent a lot of money previously (was it £6.5m for Steve Stone? £8.5m for Angel?) and have not done well. This has to be due to the players they can attract due to location and reputation and although O'Neil will dramatically enhance the draw of Villa (not too hard to improve it though!) I still can't see them attracting the type of players they will need (basically everyone out and bring in a new XI) to challenge us (Spurs) for 5th let alone "the big four" for a champ league spot. Man Utd and Newcastle both seem to be "struggling" (of sorts) to attract the top players because, as someone said on here. lots of foreign players now want to move to the London-scene.

Good luck to anyone who does the handicap bet (and +40-something is a tempting offer) but I think that is along way away from being a "great bet" and is more of a speculative one in my eyes. I'll be prepared to hold my hands up but I definately wouldnt have placed the bet post O'Neil appointment and I still won't post buy-out unless Aston Villa bring in more players than Jol and Santini in their respective first transfer windows...

Liverpool (think YY said he had +14 or +16 points) in the handicap is a great bet as Mourinho has said he isn't going for a "record-breaking season", Villa isn't. I reckon anywhere above 12th would be a successful first season for MO'N.

Good luck anyway though!
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Jimbob · Posted: Mon Aug 14, 2006 5:22 pm Post subject:

Hi Rochester. I personally think you are talking with your heart and not your head. Here are my reasons...

As has already been said, O'Neil is a very over rated manager. Let's have a look at his record;

Wycombe- Done excellent here and I can't take that away from him. For me, he has done better with Wycombe than any other team he has been at.

Norwich- Wasn't there long enough to make a judgement on his reign

Leicester- Done well at Leicester but not that well considering. He had a great squad there and IMHO should have done better.

Celtic- Won a 2 horse race
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BobbyW · Posted: Tue Aug 15, 2006 1:56 pm Post subject:

everybody in the media used to say what a genius Venables was, result awful at Middlesboro and Leeds, and one poxy FA Cup final appearance for Spurs.

So I would tread with caution re O'Neil, and it will take him at least a year to sort out what is probably the worst squad in the Premiership, bar the promoted teams.
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johnnio · Posted: Tue Aug 15, 2006 2:20 pm Post subject:

I agree that O'Neill has still to prove himself, he did do well at Celtic, he proved he could deal with the pressure surrounding a big club, BUT they only had one team to beat really, plus he had Henrik Larrsson playing for him who was outstanding for them. He has a huge job on his hands, that Villa team is atrocious, but he seems to have the reputation of being a good man-manager and he hasn't really been proven with having a big transfer budget - who will he buy.
As for Venables, he is regarded - and rightly so, as being a great tactician, but he didn't win enough for me - he won a championship with Barcelona, but with the squad he had, you have to say who wouldn't. He got to the Semi's with England in Euro 96, but he had a long time to tinker with the team, the team was as good as you could get, AND England were at home, they beat an inferior Scotland, had one good match against a bickering, in-fighting Dutch team, were lucky against the Spanish and beaten by the Germans. He won 1 cup with Spurs, done nothing with Australia (they only really needed to win one 2 legged game to qualify for a world cup ,!!), failed with Middlesbro and when he managed Leeds, the team constantly complained that they couldn't understand his tactics.

Think O'Neill has a lot to prove, but think he'll become a legend at Villa and provided the new owners are happy to keep him (I heard they wanted someone else as manager) he could be there for a long time.

diamond · Posted: Tue Aug 15, 2006 6:18 pm Post subject:

I like Martin O`Neil he reminds me a lot of my teams manager David Moyes who is a superb motivator and has the knack of getting the best out of players.

I think unless he buys a few players before the deadline it will just be a mid table finish for them. Next season will be a different story but I wouldn`t expect much for this season.

Rochesterlad · Posted: Mon Aug 21, 2006 8:27 am Post subject:

Arsenal 1 Villa 1

Its amazing what a change of manager can do for a team..

Villa were beaten 5-0 in this fixture last season.(same set of players)

The Villa boys just played well above themselves.

Barry, Davis and McCann were superb.

BobbyW · Posted: Mon Aug 21, 2006 10:06 am Post subject:

Rochester

I dont want to pee on your bonfire, but from all the evidence I have seen Villa simply defended for 90 mins, scrounged a goal from a set piece (they would not have scored in open play if they played till the next millenium) and then watched Arsenal squander 80% possession!

Arsenal without Terry Henry are like Liverpool without Gerrard, average!

O'Neil is a good manager, but it will take him a year to turn Villa round, and if they finish 12th that should be viewed as a success, top 10 is not going to happen this season trust me.

Bobby

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