In all honesty I don't think he will come as Ellis would want a manager who would be at the training ground Mon-Friday and MON isn't the type. He is a better motivator but looking at his transfer record it isn't great looking at some of buys at Villa 3.5m for Harewood and 7.5m for Curtis Davies, also he is doesn't like anyone criticising his management. He would be a popular appointment with the fans though. Would you rather have him than Bruce?
is it no aboot time we went down the foreign manager/coach route somebody dutch or something goodness knows anythings worth a try
If Bruce were to go (which I dont believe he will and would like to see him given until xmas) O'Neill would not be my choice. I think he is a bit over-hyped. He did a great job at Leicester (similar to what Reid did at SAFC) and won a bad league in Scotland! At Villa he did ok but he hardly set the world on fire. I just think he would be a bit of a sideways step. If we wanted a new manager I would like to see us really push the boat out. David Moyes must be bored senseless of getting Everton top 8 each year ona shoestring and not being able to push them on. Offer him a good contract and a decent wedge of cash in the next 2 or 3 windows and I honestly believe there is a chance he would come. He is superb at bringing kids into the side at Everton which again I think will be a massive thing with our academy. Failing that I don't see any point in getting rid of Bruce as all other managers in the country are pretty similar! Would Hughes be such a better bet, I am not so sure. I suppose there is the foreign coach route but again that is very risky. Poyet at Brighton would maybe be a good shout, and I also really think Lambert at Norwich is a manager with potential, but SAFC is a HUGE job!
Please have a look at ONeils record its a winning one at every club. Then have a look at Bruces record. Anyone who thinks we would be better off with Bruce need their heads checked. Since Steve Kean was appointed blackburn manager he has a higher win percentage than Bruce. That tells you everything you need to know about where we are heading unless it can be turned around.
It may be a winning record but look at the clubs. Leicester - great job, got them to top 7 or so. Exactly the same as Reid did. Nailed the league cup, but Reid also nearly made the final (losing to Leicester I believe). I dont think any of us would take Reid back so why O'Neill. Celtic - Surely we aren't judging him on a "winning" record in Scotland. I would be genuinely disappointed if I couldn't manage a winning record at Rangers or Celtic. Villa - did pretty well but again never really seriously threatened to break into that top 4 like Moyes did with a lot less cash. Also spat the dummy majorly over money for players despite wasting a lot (as the other poster mentions, Davies, Harewood etc). Bruce has improved us season by season with a relatively low outlay (although the media and mags would have you believe otherwise). I am not going to go on fighting Bruce's cause, obviously he has limitations, I just don't believe O'Neill is all that.
Fact is he's he's been a success at every club. Celtic were miles behind Rangers when he went there so his success there was very legitimate. He took Villa from where we are now to 3 consecutive finishes, look at villa before he was there and then after, infact do the same with Celtic and leicester. I know its opunions but i don't see how anyone wouldnt want oneil here.
His teams are not the greatest to watch I have to say, but he has an excellent record as a manager. Regardless what anyone says about the Scottish league he did one hell of a job with Celtic. He was fortunate to have good financial backing and Rangers entering a difficult financial period, but it should not detract from what he achieved. Leicester was an excellent spell too. Did good jobs at Wycombe and was he not at Norwich too? Villa was hit and miss. Spent a lot of money (some 80 odd million in 4 years after sales I read a while back) Bought good and bad players (Young/Downing/Milner some of the good). They had good finishes but probably only in keeping with the investment and quality of the youth system there. Depends on your owner really because you have to go in with O'Neill with your eyes open. He expects money and is prone to a tantrum if he doesn't get his own way. He won't be told by anyone (he did play under Cloughie!) Short is a billionnaire who has watched Bruce fail to deliver on early promise, its costing him money now. Is he really now going to relinquish all control over the football side?
I had a nightmare in the summer that we would sign Heskey - still grateful we didn`t - had a worse dream last weekend - we get Nigel Clough!!! Sorry
you need to stop eating cheese before bed. Next thing you'll be telling us you had a nightmare Bruce is still our manager in 2012 :-/
His teams play more negatively than Fat Sam's. If MON came to SAFC I would be a member of the MOB from Day1 Bart
