http://www.safc.com/news/20120528/oneills-plan-for-black-cats_2256213_2790260 Martin O'Neill has highlighted the intensity of his early weeks on Wearside as a key ingredient in engineering the club's remarkable turnaround. Sunderland had 11 points when O'Neill took charge in early December but added an incredible 22 within the Northern Irishman's first two months in charge. After watching the Black Cats slip to defeat at Wolves before officially taking over, O'Neill cloistered himself and his backroom staff at the club's Academy of Light training base to hatch a plan to drive the club up the Barclays Premier League table. O'Neill and assistant Steve Walford, plus goalkeeping coach Seamus McDonagh and fitness coach Jim Henry, spent many a winter night plotting a path forward, with O'Neill admitting football was their only focus. "There was renewed optimism from everyone - whether it was a little misplaced just because I had arrived or not, I don't know," he said. "But I had plenty of energy and determination. "I brought Steve Walford, Seamus McDonagh and Jim Henry with me, and the four of us were staying in the hotel. "So it was a matter of getting up in the morning and being here in the training ground for about 8.15. "In December, it was pretty dark even at that time in the morning. We didn't leave in the evening until about 10.30, so it was dark again. "From my viewpoint, there was that intensity and the games coming up pre-Christmas were all we could think about. "We were locked away and making nothing else matter apart from winning some football matches. I think that helped us; it certainly helped me greatly." The result of that work and dedication was eight wins, two draws and just two defeats in O'Neill first 12 games in all competitions. And that outstanding return certainly surpassed the expectations of the Black Cats boss, who admitted the late win over Blackburn in his first game in charge gave his plans a real shot in the arm. "If I'm brutally honest the defeat against Wolves at Molineux certainly made everyone pretty downcast," he said. "The most important thing for us was just to win a game. I'm not sure anyone cared how we did so. "It was just winning a football game to get ourselves back on track. "Most managers will try not to look at the league table and think about a certain number of points. My thoughts and ambitions were to get one point per game on the board as soon as we could. "If it took 27 or 28 games to do so - I was really thinking along those terms - then just getting to 30 would allow us to look at the last eight games in a different light."
Now that he has had a good long look at it, I recon the driftwood should start flowing out the door, and hopefully better tallent arriving. But I dont see shedfuls of players arriving.
Saying to a few people I know, MON is very similar to cloughie with his transfer buys Never buys people with big ego's, he buys players who want to be part of a team and who he can mold to what he wants Look at when villa were 6th...there best player was petrov and richard dunne....
