From the Herald in Scotland (and thanks to ProfessionalMackem on SMB for bringing it to people's attention) In a club riven with anxiety, and a community desperate to unleash its acclaim rather than its insecurities, Martin O'Neill will represent a cause behind which to unite. He is a manager whose mere presence tends to galvanise, and there is a yearning around the Stadium of Light for the qualities that he symbolises. O'Neill acts on instinct, but only after he has deliberated on the consequences, and he will see the circumstances at Sunderland as appropriate for his ambition and his nature. O'Neill is often misunderstood, not least in the depiction of his teams as being blunt and one-dimensional. His preference is for wing play and he is prepared to indulge creative figures. His ability to appeal to the emotional side of supporters, and the intensity of his work, have resonated at all of the clubs he has managed, though. His career is full of shrewd choices, and the occasional error of judgment is quickly rectified; he left Norwich City after six months because his authority was questioned too often. Sunderland are a club in need of resurrection. Compared to their neighbours in Newcastle, there might be less of a glib willingness among the fans to misjudge popularity for accomplishment in their managers. Yet if ever a messianic zeal might be suitable, it is in the relationship O'Neill will generate with Sunderland's followers. Only five English clubs have won more titles, and only six have higher average crowds, but the recent history has been of mediocrity and, now, alarm. It is a region where the old glories of the industrial age still echo and working-class values remain strong in communities that struggle with unemployment and social concerns. The tendency is also to look to the area's high-profile football club for identity and status. O'Neill can call upon a populist's touch, but would never stoop to patronising. He found Glasgow to be an exhilarating arena in which to work, because football is so often the city's sole concern. There will be less of the aggression that characterises so much of the Old Firm rivalry, but Sunderland will submit to O'Neill's blend of charisma, enthusiasm, intelligence, wit and passion. Ellis Short, the club's owner, has embarked on cost-cutting to address the losses made during the last two seasons, but there will still be a budget for the new manager to spend during the January transfer window. He will seek a striker and perhaps a creative midfielder, but the imperative is to restore the form and esteem of players such as Wes Brown, John O'Shea, Nicklas Bendtner and Lee Cattermole. When O'Neill left Celtic and Aston Villa the clubs had to reduce their wage bill and, if there is a weakness in the Northern Irishman, it lies in his unwillingness to engage in the squad rotation that has become an integral aspect of modern management. O'Neill prefers to maintain continuity, but the result is high-earning squad members who play little football and a wage bill that seems needlessly high. When O'Neill was at Aston Villa, the salary burden was the sixth highest in the Barclays Premier League â where the team consistently finished â but O'Neill was unable to move them on at a time when Tottenham and Manchester City were not spending more than Villa. O'Neill's reputation is for rousing players, but he can also be ruthless. When he took over at Celtic, he asked the squad why the team had underachieved the previous season, then told them that he would be keeping the better players, while the others could leave. At Villa, he told the media how highly he rated his new players, but once a year had passed only three of the original first team remained. Although he seldom attends training â leaving it to his long-time ally Steve Walford â this detachment tends to make players even more responsive. The Sunderland squad will crave a change in fortunes, but there will also be an initial urge to prove themselves worthy of the new manager. O'Neill, too, cannot embark on a radical overhaul, so the practical demand will be to make the most of the resources he has inherited. The team is not short of quality, but does lack conviction and assurance, the kind of attributes O'Neill can immediately stir. Sunderland are 17th in table, have not won in five games, and are in need of resuscitation. It is the vitality of O'Neill, the fervour that he generates, to which the club has turned. Read more: http://www.readytogo.net/smb/showthread.php?t=652051#ixzz1fwUsKpOH
Good find H. A nicely balanced article that seems to capture the feelings of the fans very well. Quite insightful into O'Neill's character too.
Yes I thought it was very good so looked up the page in the Herald online. The journalist is called Richard Wilson. It is a shame many journalists south of the border don't seem as willing (or able?) to do their research and produce such thoughtful articles.
Squad rotation is all well and good when you're a Man Utd or City and competing on 4 or 5 different fronts but for us as Sunderland fans, we just need to concentrate on 1 league and 2 cups. Its his reluctance to rotate that win him his 2 cups at Leicester as they always played full strength teams against all opposition, something his mentor Brian Clough ALWAYS did. Cloughie hated managers that didn't take the cups seriously and he would never play weakened teams and MoN is carved out of that very same belief. Leicester never suffered as a consequence in the league either. It is this old fashioned perhaps view that imo, gives us our best chance of a cup run for years. Martin O Neill loves winning cups. We can only hope and pray chaps.
A well written article and enjoyable read, thankyou. Interestingly enough, I fail to recall ANY of the numerous observers feeling the desire to laud and promote the qualities and suitability of Steve Bruce with anywhere near the same level of depth and sentiment as what we are witnessing with Martin O'Neill today. The reasons are quite obvious, ofcourse.
Good read, and I agree with Cest that squad rotation only becomes necessary when you've the schedule of the big five or six clubs. I like wingers, too. They stretch a defence, whereas we all saw what a single striker with no midfield support could achieve - three defenders on the striker at all times and no goals. In the end, your strikers get cheesed off and walk out (don't we just know it!). If MON wants to change that daft idea, I'm right behind him. A single striker would work with wing support, but not without it. Go on, Martin, do it.
