Gary O'Neil

MB1980 said:
Exactly. I decided to visit the wolves forum the other week...before man City. Should read their opinions if him... pretty much all of it was around getting rid of him now, clearly out of his depth, cheap option, clueless, not even tinpot bournemouth wanted him, going down with him in charge etc.

Pretty confident that O'Neil thread reads a bit differently 2 or 3 games on.

Like you say things/opinions change very quickly in this game/era now.

'Funny', but also a bit sad imo.
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I can't be bothered to look back through historical threads but I seem to remember an awful lot of posters stating that we'd have to be patient with Iraola, maybe until Xmas ?
The patience has diminished pretty rapidly and is gathering pace. I do feel for the guy and really want him to make this work. He and the team need a little bit of luck against Burnley without anyone having any brain facts and everything could change for the better. Confidence is a strange thing.
 
Red Sky said:
I agree with all of this. I think there is always a big risk with any managerial appointment though. Whether it's keeping on the same guy or bringing in a new one (as we see with the sheer number of PL managers hired and fired each season). I can at least see their logic with AI, in trying to build some kind of longer term legacy and identity. The shorter contract looks like a sensible move now, if things don't work out this season or next.

My main anxiety with Foley is he sounds trigger happy when it comes to personnel. I wouldn't want us to become the next Watford. But then as long as he keeps putting his money in to grow the club and facilities I guess I'll do my best to enjoy whatever rollercoaster awaits.
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I agree, it’s all a gamble. Even Alex Ferguson’s appointment looked a disaster until mark robins grabbed a late equaliser in a cup game to keep him in a job. I hope AI is given more time but he needs to get back to the early season performances and quick.

I expect AI was sold on a £100m transfer kitty and maybe is wondering where it’s all gone so maybe he isn’t happy with the club have done for him either!

No doubt Foley is ruthless but he kept faith in GON in February when many fans were demanding his head. So not yet at Watford’s peerless level yet!
 
Bitzer said:
I can't be bothered to look back through historical threads but I seem to remember an awful lot of posters stating that we'd have to be patient with Iraola, maybe until Xmas ?
The patience has diminished pretty rapidly and is gathering pace. I do feel for the guy and really want him to make this work. He and the team need a little bit of luck against Burnley without anyone having any brain facts and everything could change for the better. Confidence is a strange thing.
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Feel you have to give him more time and, if there is enough progress in the performances, get him to influence the January window
 
LewSwimmin said:
I think Senesi could do a great job playing just in front of the two central defenders like a back-to-front-sweeper and operating at the base of a triangular midfield trio. He has a lot of attributes that would be well suited to playing in that location.
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basically the way that Guardiola was playing Stones. For those bemoaning our options at CDM it’s worth remembering even Man Citeh are short in that position.
 
Neil Dawson said:
You can’t blame him for going on the TV to milk how his tactics won the game.

Regardless of your opinion of him he kept us up and his reward was to be sacked by zoom call at 7am. The same charlatan way the chuckle brothers dispensed with some of our finest playing servants. The cowards way.
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I frequently see a reference to this zoom/teams call.

Where did this come from?

I would love to see some sort of official link.
 
Neil Dawson said:
Billing and Rothwell are not viable options at this level as I’m sure you realise. We spent so much money and wages at wide forwards and left the heartbeat of the team as last years third choice CDM and a guy with a torn hamstring. However anyone wants to dress it up it’s just not an acceptable situation unless you had no money.
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you can keep trotting out the same excuses - no lerma, no assistant, too many wingers, anyone who questions his ability is a racist, blah blah blah

good managers find solutions. GoN did last season, eventually

bottom line, if he's incapable of being pragmatic and getting a tune out of a more than capable squad, he'll get the flick, possibly as soon as saturday night
 
Neil Dawson said:
You can’t blame him for going on the TV to milk how his tactics won the game.

Regardless of your opinion of him he kept us up and his reward was to be sacked by zoom call at 7am. The same charlatan way the chuckle brothers dispensed with some of our finest playing servants. The cowards way.

Anyone worth their salt would behave impeccably in the lead up to and at the game and then Lord it politely afterwards and that’s what he has done. Fair play. Sticking two fingers up at the board with honour.

No issue with him doing that.

We are trying a change for the better. A very radical change with a squad maybe not bought with it in mind and certainly not balanced. Again we don’t have to look far to see why this is….

They either ride it out which may mean going down and coming back or they lurch wildly again in a different direction hoping there’s a manager out there who has developed a formation with seven left wingers in it.

Rock and hard place spring to mind. Expect the latter of those two solutions sometime before Xmas. If it’s Jesse March as is rumoured they are talking to then this forum could get even more entertaining.
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Agree. He's well within his rights be feel smug and express his smugness. Some might say it's important for his own wellbeing to be able to express this. What struck me was how simple the tactics were, which shows how deficient we are at the moment. Wasn't he sacked at 6am, though? Either way: that wasn't right and he deserved to be let go in a more respectful way.
 
Bitzer said:
I can't be bothered to look back through historical threads but I seem to remember an awful lot of posters stating that we'd have to be patient with Iraola, maybe until Xmas ?
The patience has diminished pretty rapidly and is gathering pace. I do feel for the guy and really want him to make this work. He and the team need a little bit of luck against Burnley without anyone having any brain facts and everything could change for the better. Confidence is a strange thing.
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I'll nail my colours to the mask and own up to being one of those and still am.
 
Neil Dawson said:
Not many premier league managers get a side where the defensive midfield options are a) Lewis Cook or b) Gavin Kilkenny. We let Pearson and Lerma go.
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Was it that simple though Neil? Pearson...I felt never settled down South and Lerma, we'd have to had broken the bank to keep.

Kilkenny got some minutes today. ;)
 
DJ said:
I probably don’t fit into the category of “critics of GON” you can go through this thread and find I was more of a critic of the appointment permanently than GON himself.

However, the issue with GON for me, was the focus was always on the opposition. We would alter how we play, our system depending on the opposition. It was never about us, it was never about our strengths and how we can win football matches. Most teams will tweak tactics and systems to nullify one particular threat the opposition had but still concentrate on what they can do. We didn’t do that.

Due to this we never had an identity under GON, we also never played for a full 90 minutes under him either. We always had spells in games where we were particularly underwhelming. Substitutions often made us worse rather than better.

We also had 9 months of being incapable of defending set-pieces or any kind of cross. This never improved despite almost an entire season. Which also shows GON’s coaching ability in real time.

I think he’s a great coach, always spoke well, the step up to manager in the Premier League, with no real support from backroom staff was wrong. He’s got potential but learning on the job was wrong.

A change for us, was the right move and a change to a manager who gives us an identity and philosophy suits afcb best.

I still back the change and I’d back it all season. Teams in transition take time to build.
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I think part of GON's success was his unpredictability. This wasn't his tactic I don't think. As you say, he was learning on the job and chopping and changing. Fair point about the team being in transition. As long as the board are comfortable with the high chance of relegation, that is. I'm not too bothered by the prospect of it. In some ways, I think the Championship is the best division there is from the point of view of openness and excitement.
 
Cherriess said:
I think part of GON's success was his unpredictability. This wasn't his tactic I don't think. As you say, he was learning on the job and chopping and changing. Fair point about the team being in transition. As long as the board are comfortable with the high chance of relegation, that is. I'm not too bothered by the prospect of it. In some ways, I think the Championship is the best division there is from the point of view of openness and excitement.
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Think there's a lot of truth in this. Opposition coaches didn't know what tactics he'd employ against them because I don't really believe he knew half the time.
Lots of in game changes and tactical changes although some might say that they wish Iraola could change up our tactics.
 
Kudos said:
What gives you that impression?

I know there's been hundreds of posts on here but none of which anything more than the posters imagination.
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Interviews with people who knew him before he came here. His track record with the Golden Knights....see this article for example

Kevin Iole

IOLE
keviniole.com keviniole.com
 
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