Gary O'Neil

AFCBade said:
Would have been easy to appoint GON weeks ago but, quite rightly, afcb wanted to look at other options.
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Which other options? As far as I'm aware Bielsa is the only other person who was considered. It's like saying we need a new CB so we've talked to Virgil Van Dyk but decided to take Jack Stephens on loan.
 
KingKieffer said:
I never saw anything about working under restraints to be fair, all I saw was that he and his back room team were demanding silly wages. Quite the opposite, reliable journalists seem to be saying we are about to splash the cash this window.

I don’t think Bielsa would have been the right appointment at all in fairness, so can understand why we were reluctant to break the bank for him and his team. What I cannot understand whatsoever, is how can you go from trying to recruit someone of that pedigree and then just end up with the (totally inexperienced) caretaker? Gary did a decent job but it is very evident that he is learning in the job, in the most brutal league in the world it seems crazy to entrust a 120m pound investment on somebody who is ‘learning as he goes.’ Nobody can convince me that there weren’t better options out there that we could have pursued. It makes me wonder whether the takeover has been denied by the PL, why else would a new billionaire investor go down this incredibly risky route?
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So what’s a better option then?

Reality is there are no better options. There are options that on paper that should be better (because of experience, track record etc) but there are no guarantees. How many times have we seen supposedly good options going to other clubs only to fail for a whole host of reasons. This is more common than not.

I think that Foley and the Board have made the right decision investing in someone who clearly has potential and who has done a good job in picking the team up and progressing post Parker.
 
Johnny Comelately said:
Which other options? As far as I'm aware Bielsa is the only other person who was considered. It's like saying we need a new CB so we've talked to Virgil Van Dyk but decided to take Jack Stephens on loan.
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Expect others were approached/applied, but never really went beyond preliminary talks. No idea who leaked it, or why Bielsa made it into the press tbh.
 
afcb_rednblack said:
So what’s a better option then?

Reality is there are no better options. There are options that on paper that should be better (because of experience, track record etc) but there are no guarantees. How many times have we seen supposedly good options going to other clubs only to fail for a whole host of reasons. This is more common than not.

I think that Foley and the Board have made the right decision investing in someone who clearly has potential and who has done a good job in picking the team up and progressing post Parker.
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He’s lost four of his last five games. To say, for a premier league club that there is no better option than a man who has managed 12 games is the odd bit for me.
 
MB1980 said:
Expect others were approached/applied, but never really went beyond preliminary talks.
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Have you heard rumours to that effect? There appears to be absolutely no proof that anyone else was considered just that everyone presumes or expects that was the case because it's hard to believe it wasn't. But given Tindall and Woodgate it's just as likely that no one else was considered at all.
 
I'm not against the appointment at all.

240 Prem' appearances, England age group caps, coaching badges, first coaching experience at Liverpool, asked to coach a side at 48 hours notice, that team had scored 2 conceded 16 (9 without reply in their last match). The previous incumbent had spent the past months moaning about the squad's depth and quality. The top 4 of the coaching staff had all gone and not been replaced. His record since then is won 4, drew 4, lost 4 ( only 1 by more than 1 goal), this despite losing his captain and first choice keeper. We're punching way above our weight and expectations, especially of those that aren't sure about him. He's taken points off clubs and coaches all with bigger profiles, better squads (allegedly ).

No one knows what the future holds, we were ( nearly) all deliriously happy when Eddie came back. He had none of the things listed above on his CV, only a mediocre 18 months at a mediocre northern club, above League 1.

We're a Premier League club about to be owned by very rich business people, Gary O'Neil is their first appointment. I'm choosing to trust them to make the right choices and if they don't, I think they'll soon rectify them.

Ps Gary O'Neil must have the most experience of the top flight of anyone at the club.

Gary O'Neil's Barmy Army : )
 
Very good news - GON has made plenty of mistakes but has still done well despite, I think he’s a quick learner - yes we all would like the third incarnation of Eddie - but I like the cut of his jib.

If we do go down under him, I think we’d probably bounce back up.
 
The impact made by Gary O’Neil during his time as interim head coach has been significant, earning him the chance to become permanent head coach.

Rewarded with an 18-month contract, with the option to extend the deal by a further year, O’Neil has overseen a positive upturn in form.

https://www.afcb.co.uk/news/first-team/gary-o-neils-cherries-in-numbers/

Positive comments from the players, also others, including the England captain.

https://www.afcb.co.uk/news/first-team/the-wider-view-gary-oneil/
 
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Neil Dawson said:
To be clear, and I’ve said this a few times. The appointment would neither be my first choice but nor do i view it as a disaster. You’d have to be blind not to see that O’Neil has things going for him he clearly has a decent level of ability and the players seem to react well to him in the main. I think he can keep us up. I think we could have gone for better and should have but I’m not devastated.

it’s the style of the appointment that I’m not a fan of. They didn’t want him else he would have got the job earlier. People saying it had to wait for Foley also proved wrong… it never did, just needed to be given the nod by him. They have completely undermined a manager exactly as they have before by going on a wild goose chase, making it completely obvious you are second choice then giving a length of contract to rub it in. And it’s not like we haven’t done it twice before and got rid of both within 6 months….

Its amateur and it’s not a decent way to run a club.
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Blake/Hughes. Living rent free in Neils head...

Good appointment? Lets see.
 
Johnny Comelately said:
Have you heard rumours to that effect? There appears to be absolutely no proof that anyone else was considered just that everyone presumes or expects that was the case because it's hard to believe it wasn't. But given Tindall and Woodgate it's just as likely that no one else was considered at all.
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foley: hi neil, how are you getting on with finding a new manager?
blake: I had a chat with hughsie and we've decided bielsa is an expensive fruitcake and we cant be arsed looking any further so were going to give it to gazza
foley: ok mate, no worries, fancy a cuppa?

really?
 
Neil Dawson said:
He’s lost four of his last five games. To say, for a premier league club that there is no better option than a man who has managed 12 games is the odd bit for me.
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I haven’t said that Neil. I said that while there were better options on paper there are no guarantees and failure (in going for the better/bigger option) is not uncommon. I think it’s right to invest in someone with clear potential and who has shown an ability to learn, improve and importantly get results.

I think this is a good business decision as well as a good footballing decision and it’s the one I would take were this my business.
 
Johnny Comelately said:
Have you heard rumours to that effect? There appears to be absolutely no proof that anyone else was considered just that everyone presumes or expects that was the case because it's hard to believe it wasn't. But given Tindall and Woodgate it's just as likely that no one else was considered at all.
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No, just assumed that's what most clubs would do.
 
afcdibby said:
The only thing that battered us in Blackpool, was the wind of the Irish Sea.
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New Forest Cherry said:
foley: hi neil, how are you getting on with finding a new manager?
blake: I had a chat with hughsie and we've decided bielsa is an expensive fruitcake and we cant be arsed looking any further so were going to give it to gazza
foley: ok mate, no worries, fancy a cuppa?

really?
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it took you 9 minutes to avoid your own advice
 
I love the irony here of so many posters moaning about Neil’s persistent gripes about Blake and Hughes (which do get a little weary Neil - we know your views on it already) who then persistently gripe about his gripes. How did I get through that without writing grapes?
 
I don't see what the deal is here tbh. I think they've given him the job because he's done alright and they need someone in whilst the ownership situation is sorted out. If he does well then great and if he doesn't he will be replaced.
 
New Forest Cherry said:
foley: hi neil, how are you getting on with finding a new manager?
blake: I had a chat with hughsie and we've decided bielsa is an expensive fruitcake and we cant be arsed looking any further so were going to give it to gazza
foley: ok mate, no worries, fancy a cuppa?

really?
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So, leaving aside the imaginary world where you think you're hilarious, where's the proof? The rumours in the tabloids, the gossip on Twitter, the leaks by agents? You're obviously in the know so why not let the rest of us in on it?
 
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