Leicester approach former manager O'Neill

[enex]

Wouldn't be surprised if it were true. 

Pearson's camp expected him to be sacked and the Thais have only met with the CE in the last few days to discuss the way forward so the timing makes sense also.

Personally, I'd rather we kept NP. 

If we can get rid of 4/5 like Beckford, Danns and St Ledger on decent money then he can bring in 3/4 young hungry players or even excellent seasoned pros like Morgan for the same money or less. It'd only take that to turn us into a promoted team.

If we go to a new manager it turns into new ideas, players leaving who should stay and others coming who they've worked with before (and who presumably, therefore, are happy to drop from a rem reserve team), with, according to this headline, a manager who hasn't worked in the championship for 16 years. What does MON know about Championship players these days?

 

didnt he buy some players from lower leagues for villa? I recall him buying some nobody called Ashley Young from watford

[Happy Fox]

Wouldn't be surprised if it were true. 

Pearson's camp expected him to be sacked and the Thais have only met with the CE in the last few days to discuss the way forward so the timing makes sense also.

Personally, I'd rather we kept NP. 

If we can get rid of 4/5 like Beckford, Danns and St Ledger on decent money then he can bring in 3/4 young hungry players or even excellent seasoned pros like Morgan for the same money or less. It'd only take that to turn us into a promoted team.

If we go to a new manager it turns into new ideas, players leaving who should stay and others coming who they've worked with before (and who presumably, therefore, are happy to drop from a rem reserve team), with, according to this headline, a manager who hasn't worked in the championship for 16 years. What does MON know about Championship players these days?

 

I am sure he wouldn't be completely oblivious to this level of football and what is required.

 

Personally the owners need to make a decision by this week imo, so the manager in charge whoever that may be can establish transfer targets etc.

[Guest]

didnt he buy some players from lower leagues for villa? I recall him buying some nobody called Ashley Young from watford

Ashley Young who had starred for Watford in the Premiership and had many of the big boys talking? 

[enex]

Just saw an article about how much he spent at villa £120 mil in 4 years

 

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-1301712/Buy-buy-Martin-How-ONeill-spent-120million-years-Aston-Villa.html

[Guest]

Stiliyan Petrov (Celtic, £6.5m)
Didier Agathe (Celtic, Free)
Chris Sutton (Celtic, Free)
John Carew (Lyon, Swap)
Ashley Young (Watford, £9.65m)
Shaun Maloney (Celtic, £1.1m)
Moustapha Salifou (FC Wil, Undisc) 

Zat Knight (Fulham, £3.5m)
Harry Forrester (Watford, £250 000)
Eric Lichaj (Unattached, Free) 
Marlon Harewood (West Ham, £3.5m)
Nigel Reo-Coker (West Ham £8.5m)
Wayne Routledge (Tottenham, £1.5m)
Curtis Davies (WBA, £10m)

Steve Sidwell (Chelsea £5.5m)
Brad Friedel (Blackburn, £2.5m)
Brad Guzan (Chivas US, £1m)
Nicky Shorey (Reading, £4m)
Luke Young (Middlesbrough, £5m)
Carlos Cuellar (Rangers £7.8m)
James Milner (Newcastle, £12m)
Arsenio Halfhuid (Excelsior, nominal)
Emile Heskey (Wigan £3.5m)
Stewart Downing (Middlesbrough £10m)

Fabian Delph (Leeds United £6m)
Habib Beye (£2m)
Andy Marshall (free agent)
Stephen Warnock (£6m)
James Collins (West Ham United, £5m)
Richard Dunne (Manchester City, £6m)
30 players in, Total £120.8million

[Guest]

Struggling to find much value in any of that lot. Before signing Curtis Davis for £10m he sold GAry Cahill for £4.5m......

Ashley Young at £9.5ish wasn't bad. They had Milner fr £12 who played well for them but £12m? Even with the silly prices about in those days that stands out as a heck of a lot of money for Mr Average. Still at least he played well for them some of those other signings are frankly ridiculous

[Brooksy]

Marlon Harewood for £3.5m 

[flowwolf]

I just wish the owners would shit or get off the pot. Either sack him or release a statement backing him. Although I'm no fan of Pearson I don't think it's fair with all this speculation going on to leave him in limbo.

[Ric Flair]

He loves paying £5-10 million for a defender does our Martin.

[Jon the Hat]

In the context of the player sales that is no doubt a different picture at Villa, but still he was trying to turn a top 10 team into a top 6 one, and that costs money.  A lot of those players were highly rated at the time, and ultimately he left becuase he wanted to bring in better, so he was under no illusions they were Premier League winners either.

[teblin]

I just wish the owners would shit or get off the pot. Either sack him or release a statement backing him. Although I'm no fan of Pearson I don't think it's fair with all this speculation going on to leave him in limbo.

He could not be in limbo? Just us.

[Mark_w]

Struggling to find much value in any of that lot. Before signing Curtis Davis for £10m he sold GAry Cahill for £4.5m......

Ashley Young at £9.5ish wasn't bad. They had Milner fr £12 who played well for them but £12m? Even with the silly prices about in those days that stands out as a heck of a lot of money for Mr Average. Still at least he played well for them some of those other signings are frankly ridiculous

 

I wouldn't turn down a £16,000,000 profit for 'Mr. Average'.

[Topman]

Memories - I was at that match, goosebumps reading the bit at the end

 

 

On Friday 1 October 1998, Leeds manager George Graham had been unveiled as Tottenham’s new manager, replacing Christian Gross. O’Neill, along with Gordon Strachan and David O’Leary, the Leeds number two, were instant favourites to succeed Graham, although Strachan quickly ruled himself out. Leicester issued a stern ‘hands off’ warning to Leeds Chairman Peter Ridsdale.

　

Two days later, on Sunday 3 October, Leicester defeated Leeds, (under the temporary charge of O’Leary) at Elland Road, with Tony Cottee scoring the only goal. The next day, reports suggested that the Leeds board, perhaps influenced by this result, had unanimously decided that O’Neill was their favoured candidate.

　

On Wednesday 6 October Ridsdale asked Leicester Chairman John Elsom for permission to speak to Martin. This request was refused. Both Elsom and PLC Chairman Sir Rodney Walker pledged to keep their manager at Filbert Street.

　

Two more approaches were also rebuffed but then, a week later, on Wednesday 13 October, Martin said that he would like to have the opportunity to speak to Leeds, as he felt that he had a gentlemen’s agreement with Leicester, allowing him to do this.

　

John Elsom called a press conference to deny this. It looked as though the only way that Martin could have his wish and speak to Leeds was for him to walk out on Leicester. Martin said he wouldn’t do this, although he was still going to try to persuade Elsom to change his mind.

　

Leeds then put the matter on hold until the following week, until after their UEFA Cup tie with Roma, with O’Leary staying in temporary charge.

　

This meant that O’Neill would still be Leicester’s manager for the now famous occasion of the Monday night game against Spurs on 19 October. On the Saturday before the game he held a meeting with his players. Steve Walsh later went on the record as saying that at this meeting, O’Neill didn’t really give any clues about whether he’d be staying or leaving and that the players went into the Spurs match not knowing for certain if it would be his last game in charge.

　

If Martin was still in two minds, the reaction of the fans and the performance of the players on that memorable night 14 years ago this week definitely helped swing his decision. Pontus Kaamark, Leicester’s Swedish international defender, said that it was only at half-time, after witnessing the pre-match demonstration, that O’Neill gave the first indication that he might, after all, be staying.

　

Even so, the suspense didn’t end until two days later. On the morning of Wednesday 21 October, Martin O’Neill told a packed press conference that he was going to stay at Leicester. Martin said a heartfelt public thank-you to the supporters. He said that he was genuinely moved by the fans’ reception before the game and that this had had a significant bearing on his decision to stay at Filbert Street. He also mentioned the stream of letters and faxes that he had received from fans imploring him to stay and said that he would get round to answering them all.

[Dickov22]

Just read it. Looks like lazy journalistic crap to me. The bit that swings it is at the end where it says I if they can't get MON they will stick with Pearson. Bull. If a club decides it wants a new manager that's what they do! Just because a target turns them down they don't suddenly decide to keep the one they have got!

Wrong- approached Redknapp in October, he said no, we kept Pearson

[Bob Weasel Fox]

Memories - I was at that match, goosebumps reading the bit at the end

On Friday 1 October 1998, Leeds manager George Graham had been unveiled as Tottenham’s new manager, replacing Christian Gross. O’Neill, along with Gordon Strachan and David O’Leary, the Leeds number two, were instant favourites to succeed Graham, although Strachan quickly ruled himself out. Leicester issued a stern ‘hands off’ warning to Leeds Chairman Peter Ridsdale.

　

Two days later, on Sunday 3 October, Leicester defeated Leeds, (under the temporary charge of O’Leary) at Elland Road, with Tony Cottee scoring the only goal. The next day, reports suggested that the Leeds board, perhaps influenced by this result, had unanimously decided that O’Neill was their favoured candidate.

　

On Wednesday 6 October Ridsdale asked Leicester Chairman John Elsom for permission to speak to Martin. This request was refused. Both Elsom and PLC Chairman Sir Rodney Walker pledged to keep their manager at Filbert Street.

　

Two more approaches were also rebuffed but then, a week later, on Wednesday 13 October, Martin said that he would like to have the opportunity to speak to Leeds, as he felt that he had a gentlemen’s agreement with Leicester, allowing him to do this.

　

John Elsom called a press conference to deny this. It looked as though the only way that Martin could have his wish and speak to Leeds was for him to walk out on Leicester. Martin said he wouldn’t do this, although he was still going to try to persuade Elsom to change his mind.

　

Leeds then put the matter on hold until the following week, until after their UEFA Cup tie with Roma, with O’Leary staying in temporary charge.

　

This meant that O’Neill would still be Leicester’s manager for the now famous occasion of the Monday night game against Spurs on 19 October. On the Saturday before the game he held a meeting with his players. Steve Walsh later went on the record as saying that at this meeting, O’Neill didn’t really give any clues about whether he’d be staying or leaving and that the players went into the Spurs match not knowing for certain if it would be his last game in charge.

　

If Martin was still in two minds, the reaction of the fans and the performance of the players on that memorable night 14 years ago this week definitely helped swing his decision. Pontus Kaamark, Leicester’s Swedish international defender, said that it was only at half-time, after witnessing the pre-match demonstration, that O’Neill gave the first indication that he might, after all, be staying.

　

Even so, the suspense didn’t end until two days later. On the morning of Wednesday 21 October, Martin O’Neill told a packed press conference that he was going to stay at Leicester. Martin said a heartfelt public thank-you to the supporters. He said that he was genuinely moved by the fans’ reception before the game and that this had had a significant bearing on his decision to stay at Filbert Street. He also mentioned the stream of letters and faxes that he had received from fans imploring him to stay and said that he would get round to answering them all.

Awesome atmosphere that night

[LanguedocFox]

Martin needs his trusty assistant John Robertson with him. That's why he failed at Sunderland and he shouldn't come back here without the O'Neill, Robertson and Walford partnership together. That's if he was to return.

 

I agree that if MON came back he would have to come with Robertson and Walford, because they really were important in putting his thinking into action when he was at City before. But does anyone know why Robertson didn't go with him to Blunderland?

[Bayfox]

 

I agree that if MON came back he would have to come with Robertson and Walford, because they really were important in putting his thinking into action when he was at City before. But does anyone know why Robertson didn't go with him to Blunderland?

 

Yes his wife was ill. not sure if she still is.

[DANGEROUS TIGER]

I just wish the owners would shit or get off the pot. Either sack him or release a statement backing him. Although I'm no fan of Pearson I don't think it's fair with all this speculation going on to leave him in limbo.

I agree with this too. We, and certainly he, needs to know where the club stands. Much as I dislike Pearson, it is only fair that he is now told officially, where he stands. 

 

It is doing the club no favours by remaining silent.

[Spiritwalker]

I agree with this too. We, and certainly he, needs to know where the club stands. Much as I dislike Pearson, it is only fair that he is now told officially, where he stands. 

 

It is doing the club no favours by remaining silent.

How do you know that he hasn't been told where he stands?

[Deucalion]

Here's an observation to get the rumours a-fluttering.  (or not)

 

There are no City stories in the Mercury today.  Nothing at all.  In the past, when there have been no stories it has been because something big was in the offing and they were 'holding the back page' for it.

 

Either that, or there is genuinely no news.  This doesn't usually stop the Mercury though, there is always a player up for telling us how we are going to do better next year.

[Happy Fox]

Here's an observation to get the rumours a-fluttering.  (or not)

 

There are no City stories in the Mercury today.  Nothing at all.  In the past, when there have been no stories it has been because something big was in the offing and they were 'holding the back page' for it.

 

Either that, or there is genuinely no news.  This doesn't usually stop the Mercury though, there is always a player up for telling us how we are going to do better next year.

 

 

[HoustonFox]

Maybe they are all on holiday?

[smudger63]

Maybe they are all on holiday?

Pearson is probably holidaying in a secret location for a while, in case the owners see sense, and want to get hold of him to give him his well deserved heave-ho!

[Wherethefoxhat?]

Maybe they are all on holiday?

 

Errrr...... yes !!

[Deucalion]

Maybe they are all on holiday?

 

Well...they could've interviewed Cliff Gineta about how he thinks we are going to do next season.

 

He would answer; "better!"