Football 's a simple game, complicated by people who have a vested interest in making it thus. MoN is a simple man. He has a very simple outlook on the game he loves and an un-cluttered feel to his approach. We have a decent squad, not top class by any means but capable nevertheless. I get the feeling that MoN's simple approach will suit them after the messed up tactics and decisions they have endured over the past. Confidence of mind, determination to succeed, organisation and freedom of expression are the order of the day from our man. I am really looking forward to Sunday to see MoN working at first hand. I want to see the well known passion, determination and organisation he has and I look forward to watching his teams but most of all, above everything else, I look forward to enjoying going to the game again. Not interested in what team or formation he picks, as we've all done that to death for the past 2 years. I have the utmost trust in Martin O'Neill which I didn't in Steve Bruce in the end. Time will tell if that trust is well placed but for the first time in many a year, whatever happens, I am back as the fan I always wanted to be. Happy to just to be a supporter and leave the management to the most capable manager we have had in my lifetime.
I doubt in the short term there is much he can do as it will be small steps, can he get Bendtner to play like he did for the first few games? Hopefully he will not pick Elmo and may even not pick two central defensive midfielders, how will he regard Vaughan and Gardner? It will be interesting to see his take on Ji and Ryan Noble following on from our now past forward line of Bent, Gyan and Welbeck, we are desperate for goal scorers. I am not sure for instance how close Connor and Flash are to returning, Westy is looking good so there is not rush for a keeper but we need a striker urgently (as long as it is not Heskey) If we do get a new manager bounce, that is everyone want to impress the new guy and then in Jan some strikers and we stagger through to the end of the season without beng relegated, MoN will have done well!
I think Elmo will play coz he is one of the few we have with electric pace. But Like Cest says - does not matter who he picks, we just need to trust him. Bart
Agree about Elmo - but he is very quick and can cross a ball - if O'Neill can get him to go past people and hit the by-line we'd proibably have a decent player - but if he won't run at players then he's only worth putting in when we need to hoof the ball to him as he wins most things in the air
Said something similar the other day mate. With his track record he would get a lot of leeway from me even if he hadn't previously been a SAFC supporter in his youth. If anyone can get the best out of our present squad, that man is now sitting in the hot seat at our great club.
I've just watched the press conference this morning and O'Neill said that he hadn't discussed money or transfer budgets with anyone - then another of the journo's asked if he'd discussed transfer budgets - ****ing journalists are twats!! After looking at the major doubts I had about O'Neill and listening to him talk, I'm turned around 180 degrees. He wears his heart on his sleeve and said all the right things. I was impressed with what I saw - the 2 doubts I had was that he'd "turned us down before" but, as he said in the press conference, he was never offered the job and, due to his wifes illness he was also unable to take it anyhow - family is much more important than football. The other thing is the Villa thing when he left. It still doesn't sit 100% right with me - I know Lerner reneged on promises but something seems a little off - but as he hasn't discussed transfer budgets then no problem for me... I'm totally behind the new man and looking forward to seeing the team win for the first time this season on Sunday!!! (PLEASE!!!)
Elmo - electric pace ?????????????????? Elmo - can cross a ball ????????????????? "IF O'Neill can get him to go past players and hit the by line" Surely if this was part of his game Elmo would be doing this and not expecting a new manager to "get it out of him "
No, shiny, he maybe has a point here. If we'd taken that view, eight of the cup winning team were w**kers - Tueart, Watson, Montgomery &co were heading for the Third Division in November, '72. And that tosser Porterfield could have buggered off back to Raith Rovers as well for what good he was and taken fellow-Jocks, Malone and Hughes with him. A new manager can make a difference, not only to a team but to individual players as well. I'm not a big Elmo fan frankly, but, to me, all the slates are clean, and I'm happy to see what happens for the rest of the season.
Elmo gets it too rough IMO. He's ****, but he's far from the worst, and he genuinely looks as if he COULD improve. Not saying he will like.
