Apparently, Martin O'Neill is in New York talking to Randy Lerner about the England job
Thursday, 15 November 07, 09:28 AM · Comments (35)
I'm filing this under speculation until someone at the club tells us this is happening or second choice Steve gets the sack and the bookies refuse to take bets on Martin O'Neill as the next manager of England.
I cant see it happening, or actually a very small part of me can, but I don't want it to happen.
The Daily Mail is suggesting that Martin O'Neill has flown to New York to discuss his exit strategy for when he leaves to manage England.
Part of me, a very very small part that is, can see it happening because it's a job Martin O'Neill might find very hard to turn down and he may, none of us know, think he's struggling at Villa. I don't think he is struggling but when he sees a manager like Sven come in and do so well so quickly, he might. There could also be other factors - we'll never know.
The thing is, we can speculate all we want about how Martin O'Neill is feeling or not feeling, about jobs he may or may not be interested in or anything we want, we'll never know for sure.
The truth of the matter is, while we are led to believe everything is absolutely 100% perfect at the club between the manager and everyone else, we don't know that it's actually the case, because football is more than just a game these days.
If you think I've gone mad, you should go visit the Daily Mail and read what they are saying about why Martin O'Neill has flown to New York to meet Randy Lerner, or you could just read below.
VILLA FINE-TUNE EXIT STRATEGY FOR O'NEILL?Aston Villa owner Randy Lerner is in the UK on average every 10 days. So it must have been a pressing matter for his manager Martin O'Neill to fly to New York this week for talks he could normally have on the American's regular trips to Villa Park.
Could it be that Lerner and O'Neill were fine-tuning the exit strategy when, rather than if, the FA make their expected call to Villa for O'Neill to replace Steve McClaren as England coach?
Daily Mail, November 15th 2007
I can't see it happening and I don't want it to happen and I think Martin O'Neill will stay - but if you asked me to put my house on it, I wouldn't, would you?
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35 Comments · Add yours
I would hate to see O'Neill leave Villa, the only way this club can go is up! but if god forbid and I do not want this to happen I stress but if O'Neill does leave who would we get to replace him? any ideas? I think Mark hughes would be the best choice, or perhaps someone like quiqe sanchez flores young, would know the spanish market well!
UTV
As an avid follower of both the villa and valencia i can say;
ANYone but QSF for gods sake, he was useful at getafe but ran out of ideas after the first season at VCF.
Mark Hughes wouldn't be so bad, but lets keep our fingers crossed we qualify or they keep second choice steve!
I'll put it all down to speculation. Think of these two scenario's.
1) McClown gets the luck of the draw and we get to the 2008 finals. This will be seen as an acheivement by Barwick and Co and his job will be safe (also by far the cheapest option)
2) We don't qualify. Would O'Neil really go to the England job when the next international tournament is almost 3 years away????
in football now(well for quite a while)you have to move with the times and my judgement on o'neill is that he is not! not saying he is a bad manager infact probably one of the best motivators in the game! but his tactics and quite a few of his signings has left me thinking that he may not be the right man for the job.
swin, the luck of the draw would probably be the reason why MON would go .. think about it. england get in through pure luck, like you say .. mcclown still has to go!
MON gets the chance to manage a team at the second biggest football event in the world
i dont want england to qualify because if they did i think thats what could be the deciding factor
One thing if O'Neill is struggling in the prem why would england want him ? Cause they let Sven go who's took to this league like a duck to water surely they'd be looking for someone like Mourinho and not O'Neill. On another side of things do we want a Manager who's ambition is too manage england ? rather than stay for the long haul as soon as there's a vacancy he's willing to scrap all the work he's done for Villa. I Know it's speculation and he's probably in new york talking about January targets with Lerner (Aitadore) if that's how you spell it.
3rd kit is out lads...
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if he goes the person i want for the job is mourinho
Why would he have gone to New York when Randy lives in Cleveland and what sources have they quoted??
MON is building, it may be slow for some people but give him a chance, at least until the end of a season with his own choice of players. He wouldn't want to work for the interfering FA when he has free reigns on everything for us. There is only a couple of managers out there who could replace him and Hughes is probably one
I hope chrisodon is right in the Altidore preponderance. He's a class striker for his age and if he came to villa it would certainly be a step up from harewood.
plus it would mean MON is staying=]
you really are reading to much into this he,s just gone over to improve his already great relationship with lerner ,and discuss the transfer stratergy come january........i hope
as an irish villafan il be hoping beyond hope that israel get a result and tingerland can turn over croatia. its ridiculous england are in this position in the first place. it drives me made when ye are missing a couple of big game players and there is all this baloney of not enough players. if you are missing rooney and lamps it shouldnt matter with the wealth and resources of talent you have in england. international football until the quarter finals of major competions should be a walk in the park for any team england put out. most nations havnt got the strength and depth of england bar italy france brazil portugal germany argentina, after that international teams are naff and but may have one or two star players (not a team)and are without pace and guile. so why are england found wanting??? because of the publics demand is so great it puts even world class players under immense pressure, the media hype subdues your talent, the critism is so great its almost like you indirectly will your country to fail.its crazy england find themselves in this position. if your 3rd string were irish i bet wed have qualified. imagine trying to compete with kevin kilbane your midfield general. i can only gream of having players like sidwell, shorey, agbonlahor, young, lescott, lining up for ireland and you guys have an embarressment of riches that they arent really considered. its time england gor off the pot. come on israel win and save england and more importantly for me aston villa.
Let's hope Angel's been bending Aitadores ear about Villa. Mon's staying gut feeling.
maybe he is just on hiliday after all lerner is in clevland and a good few EPL managers are on holidays at the moment because if the internationals. dont think he will go but if he does i would love jose. maybe a dream but he mite see us as another porto look wat he done der. its all mcclown's fault for being so sh**e.
oh yeah dats a class jersy is it on sale yet
"[b]Could it be[/b] that Lerner and O'Neill were fine-tuning the exit strategy when, rather than if, the FA make their expected call to Villa for O'Neill to replace Steve McClaren as England coach?"
Duh. It's a question so therefore it's pure speculation. The DM has no idea what's happening. Forget it.
Any story thats leads with the line, "could it be..." really isn't the greatest journalistic investigation!!
o neill wont go anywhere until he makes it at villa..villa is huge job 4 ne manager so why go 4 english job when ul get notin but abuse when u get poor result and media constantly watchin ur every move.. i only hope im rite,id hate 2 c him leave
He's gone to NewYork to sort out the big cash splash in January! youre kidding haha, aslong as we can get Mark Hughes i'll be fine, thats football mate!
Might be a player negotiation for January. Freddy Adu?
The Daily Mail has just guessed. Remember, there is no game for a while. Bruce is on holiday and O'Neill could be for all we, and the Daily Mail, know.
Nothing to worry about. I reckon the FA won't sack McClaren anyway.
I Adu old enough yet? I thought the Americans had to be 18 before signing professional contracts. We should have an angle into that market considering our chairman is there so why not find some quality youth out there?
Nice thought Luke......... but what would O'Neill be doing in America to do with Adu? he would have to be in Portagul considering he plays for Benfica now! as for altidore he's 17 and he looks the dogs nadgers!
UTV
Atidore does look like a great striker. But this is the MLS even harewood could score in that league. i'd like us to agree a fee but take him on loan for a season just to see if he can butter his bread in the prem . Adu would be great but is he a flair player or a work horse ?. We need some flair in the middle of the park & a player that will get a shot on target from about 30 yards (Riquelme).
Its funny, how papers make such tedious links! I could see this another way, Its the international break, MON tells the non-internationals etc to have 2 days off, rest up its been a hard few weeks. Randy rings up MON offers him to come to NY for few days, to meet some friends, maybe see some American Football or Baseball and talk about January Targets?
With No quotes or evidence, this is nothing more than a bored reporter, hoping Mac will actually be sacked.
Lerner would prob meet MON in NY as the Cleveland Browns are playing at Baltimore Colts this weekend. What they would be meeting for is anyones guess tho'.
Lerner would prob meet MON in NY as Cleveland Browns are playing away at the Baltimore Colts this weekend. What they'll be talking about is anyones guess.
If i was on MoN's salary and I had wealthy friends/employers over in NY I would be going over there for a few days here and there as well... Picture the scene - Randy says to MoN "shall I pop over to your ranch next week in the midlands to speak soccer or do you fancy a trip to the Big Apple to chew the cud?".... The daily mail is obviously short on Royal stories this week.
What an absolute load of rubbish.
Why on earth do you recipricate the shite that the tabloids print?
Why on earth would MON want the poison chalice that is the England job, when he has it all ATM?
He has a chairman who believes in him, has the backing if it comes to money and regardless of the shite on the websites, has the massive backing of the fans.
The players adore him for his man-management.
MON will never do a decent job for England, given the fact that he loves football.
He's not a politician, he's a footy fan ;D
Adu plays for Benfica. So if you want him, you probably won't go to New York.
I hope that your speculation about Altidore is correct. He's the real deal. In 2 years, your comparison to Harewood will look absurd. Alas, the only rumor I've heard is Altidore to Valencia.
And why on Earth would MON fly to New York to plan an exit strategy? This speculation is pure silliness.
o'neil had the oppurtunity to be england boss before macclaren so i think if wanted it i think he would of took it then, he will stay at villa.
Until anything is proved, may that be MON signing on the dotted lines of his England contract, i don't want to speculate anything.
so randy is here every 10 days, which i think is good news for which way the clubs going, and MON finally gets a week off and decides to go to america to see him? that story involves something that automatically bypasses our media - common sense
if you had a week off and had the opportunity to go to new york for a meeting - or stay in aston - what would you do?
pure speculation, and i think MON is a bit too sensible to take the england job
Well im an Irishman and I wish with all my heart that England qualify for the championship because McClarens job would be safe
All tho i dont belive this speculation to be true this is what
iv allways worried about its not the best either when martin wont sign a big contract he says because he likes living on the edge.
Well i think thats untrue what i really think is happening is he wont sing a big contract because he dose want the england job
Every manager tells the odd porky here n there even the great martin o neill
M.O.N Pleaseeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee DONT go