The Managers: Martin O’Neill, 1995-2000

[Gamble92]

4 hours ago, Leicesterpool said:

One thing is for sure England missed out in appointing him to replace Sven in 2006... to think they actually thought McClaren would be better candidate. Struggled with the ROI but with the squad he had in that period where ROI were producing nothing and still aren't. 

 

Martin in charge of likes of Beckham, Gerrard, Lampard, Terry, Ferdinand, Ash Cole, Rooney, Crouch, Barry, Defoe. Would have so interesting. 

I kind of feel like it was doomed for anyone. McLaren should have at least qualified but there was a severe mentality issue with them all. The squad England have now is far better.

 

That old "golden" generation read off like a Premier League fantasy team but was a flat 4-4-2 easy to run rings round and no one actually wanted to be there. 

 

I think it's an absolute disgrace to hear players of that generation tell us they couldn't get on with others because they played for other clubs. When people paid thousands to go over and watch them. 

 

Then they all have the cheek to blame the managers. Heard Gabby Agbonlahor slagging off Capello for being too strict, then laughing that they all used to sneak McDonald's into their rooms. The whole era of England players was rotten to the core.

[Leicesterpool]

4 hours ago, Gamble92 said:

I kind of feel like it was doomed for anyone. McLaren should have at least qualified but there was a severe mentality issue with them all. The squad England have now is far better.

 

That old "golden" generation read off like a Premier League fantasy team but was a flat 4-4-2 easy to run rings round and no one actually wanted to be there. 

 

I think it's an absolute disgrace to hear players of that generation tell us they couldn't get on with others because they played for other clubs. When people paid thousands to go over and watch them. 

 

Then they all have the cheek to blame the managers. Heard Gabby Agbonlahor slagging off Capello for being too strict, then laughing that they all used to sneak McDonald's into their rooms. The whole era of England players was rotten to the core.

Thats true I suppose there wasn't good balance. Went from friendly sven. to boring mcclaren then strict show capello. 

[Gamble92]

1 hour ago, Leicesterpool said:

Thats true I suppose there wasn't good balance. Went from friendly sven. to boring mcclaren then strict show capello. 

People also fail to mention how bad some of them squads actually were talent wise during the golden generation. I rewatched highlights and it's hard to believe we talk about the best ever generation with Danny Mills, Trevor Sinclair, Stuart Downing or Shawn Wright Phillips involved.

[Foxdiamond]

5 hours ago, Gamble92 said:

I kind of feel like it was doomed for anyone. McLaren should have at least qualified but there was a severe mentality issue with them all. The squad England have now is far better.

 

That old "golden" generation read off like a Premier League fantasy team but was a flat 4-4-2 easy to run rings round and no one actually wanted to be there. 

 

I think it's an absolute disgrace to hear players of that generation tell us they couldn't get on with others because they played for other clubs. When people paid thousands to go over and watch them. 

 

Then they all have the cheek to blame the managers. Heard Gabby Agbonlahor slagging off Capello for being too strict, then laughing that they all used to sneak McDonald's into their rooms. The whole era of England players was rotten to the core.

Bet Alex Ferguson was happy to see the Man U lads fall out with England team mates

[Koke]

His last serious job was Sunderland in 2013. I don't count Ireland and his short stint at Notts Forest as serious. In reality he fell off hard in the late 2000s. When football was evolving he was still stuck in his old archaic ways. Even as late as 2010 he was still playing agricultural football and had Ashley Young and Stewart Downing spamming crosses into John Carew and Emile Heskey. Love the man but wish his football way of thinking had evolved.

[Leicesterpool]

1 hour ago, Koke said:

His last serious job was Sunderland in 2013. I don't count Ireland and his short stint at Notts Forest as serious. In reality he fell off hard in the late 2000s. When football was evolving he was still stuck in his old archaic ways. Even as late as 2010 he was still playing agricultural football and had Ashley Young and Stewart Downing spamming crosses into John Carew and Emile Heskey. Love the man but wish his football way of thinking had evolved.

Is big mistake after Sunderland he went to ROI, should have gone to another club side.

[ParkerPen]

2 hours ago, Gamble92 said:

People also fail to mention how bad some of them squads actually were talent wise during the golden generation. I rewatched highlights and it's hard to believe we talk about the best ever generation with Danny Mills, 

to be fair you have made your point and some already by this stage

[Sampson]

I do agree that the current England squad has way more depth.

 

The Golden Generation probably had 11 or 12 really talented individuals and then kind of needed a bunch of mid-table journeymen to flesh out the squad. 
 

Also I don’t think they ever really peaked at the same time. Like people always mention it being a 4-4-2 with Owen and Rooney up front but Owen was already well on the decline when Rooney got in the side so they never really complemented each other.

 

The likes of Beckham, Neville, Scholes and Campbell were also a few years older than the likes of Lampard, Gerrard, Terry, Rooney, Ferdinand and Ashley Cole as well so their primes never really matched up.

[Leicesterpool]

12 hours ago, Sampson said:

I do agree that the current England squad has way more depth.

 

The Golden Generation probably had 11 or 12 really talented individuals and then kind of needed a bunch of mid-table journeymen to flesh out the squad. 
 

Also I don’t think they ever really peaked at the same time. Like people always mention it being a 4-4-2 with Owen and Rooney up front but Owen was already well on the decline when Rooney got in the side so they never really complemented each other.

 

The likes of Beckham, Neville, Scholes and Campbell were also a few years older than the likes of Lampard, Gerrard, Terry, Rooney, Ferdinand and Ashley Cole as well so their primes never really matched up.

Lets just say Rooney in qualifiers was okay, helped him get 53 goals. In tournaments he was non existent. Perhaps never had the manager to motivate in the big moments like he had for United with Fergie. England like so many never had motivator. The so called Golden Era was fantastic squad of players world class yes, but not a great team. They couldn't perform well together, perhaps that's where the Fa failed by not appointing the right man at that time.

Edited 17 February 2023 by Leicesterpool

[gw_leics772]

2 hours ago, Sampson said:

I do agree that the current England squad has way more depth.

 

The Golden Generation probably had 11 or 12 really talented individuals and then kind of needed a bunch of mid-table journeymen to flesh out the squad. 
 

Also I don’t think they ever really peaked at the same time. Like people always mention it being a 4-4-2 with Owen and Rooney up front but Owen was already well on the decline when Rooney got in the side so they never really complemented each other.

 

The likes of Beckham, Neville, Scholes and Campbell were also a few years older than the likes of Lampard, Gerrard, Terry, Rooney, Ferdinand and Ashley Cole as well so their primes never really matched up.

Current England squad is better than the so called golden generation but is in very real danger of being wasted if u tbhasnt already. 

 

. Yeah they made semis and a final, but lost to ****ing Croatia and an Italy side not fit to lave the boots of past Italian sides. It's so much like watching Brendan Leicester. I shudder to think what they could do if he took the handbrake off, and just when you think he's realised the right way to play, up comes Italy (or Liverpool for example, in Leicester case) and the manager shits the bed and plays some shit like 5 atb backwards and sidewards. In the same vein that people really got bored of Leicester this season until last 2 games, I felt that way about England a long time ago and haven't seen enough from them to get the feeling back. 

[HybridFox]

Did anyone else go today?

 

A bit disorganised compared to previous events but really enjoyed the Q&A (could have gone on for hours) and Martin himself is a great guy.

 

Made the time to not only sign and take photos but have genuine conversations and take an interest in what you had to say

 

Look forward to reading the book

Edited 28 February 2023 by TK95

[Viktor-LCFC]

On 16/02/2023 at 21:18, Sampson said:

I do agree that the current England squad has way more depth.

 

The Golden Generation probably had 11 or 12 really talented individuals and then kind of needed a bunch of mid-table journeymen to flesh out the squad. 
 

Also I don’t think they ever really peaked at the same time. Like people always mention it being a 4-4-2 with Owen and Rooney up front but Owen was already well on the decline when Rooney got in the side so they never really complemented each other.

 

The likes of Beckham, Neville, Scholes and Campbell were also a few years older than the likes of Lampard, Gerrard, Terry, Rooney, Ferdinand and Ashley Cole as well so their primes never really matched up.

Paul Scholes, prime came later on in his career, when he played deeper and dictated the tempo of the game for Man United, wasted by England, world class.

[dobbylcfc]

6 hours ago, TK95 said:

Did anyone else go today?

 

A bit disorganised compared to previous events but really enjoyed the Q&A (could have gone on for hours) and Martin himself is a great guy.

 

Made the time to not only sign and take photos but have genuine conversations and take an interest in what you had to say

 

Look forward to reading the book

Started the audio book version yesterday (monday) and it’s a brilliant book so far deffo worth a read.

[whetstonefox]

Yep really enjoyed the Q&A, was wondering why it was taking so long to queue for the book signing but was well worth the wait as he gave you a couple of minutes of his time to have a genuine conversation as well as pics and signing the book.

 

Just nice to be able to thank him in person for some great memories 

 

 

[HybridFox]

2 hours ago, dobbylcfc said:

Started the audio book version yesterday (monday) and it’s a brilliant book so far deffo worth a read.

Is it actually him reading on the audio or a narrator?

[dobbylcfc]

5 hours ago, TK95 said:

Is it actually him reading on the audio or a narrator?

No it’s father O’Neil reading it.