What was MON's biggest mistake?

[Mozman]

Giving up in the UEFA Cup - At the time, CL was the priority, I would have done the same.

Selling Gary Cahill - Yawn. IMO we have 3 centre-backs who are superior to him, he's an average centre-back, its that simple. We got a good price, end of story.

Not focusing enough on the cups in Years 1-3 - We had some shit draws in the FA Cup and a few freak results in the League Cup.

Heskey/4-4-2/Last season's capitulation - Our luck ran out, we were never good enough to finish top four.

Letting Mellberg go too easy - Was a fading force and released at the right time.

Carson/Harewood/Salifou/Routledge - Meh, every manager makes shit signings. Although Carson was an aberation.

[Santa_Rosa]

The Uefa thing for me. I understood it at the time and didn't entirely disagree with it, but in hindsight it was an error I reckon

[mrbojangles]

I wouldnt usually vote on this especially after we are doing really well, however it is about past descisions, and I belive Europe was a big mistake but only in hindsight. At the time we were flying in the league and I thought we should concentrate on the league, as it is it was a bad decision but it was in the past and people learn from mistakes.

[tinker]

Letting Milner go the first time around and not signing Milners complete extended family.

[Danwichmann]

When I see a thread like this I think O'Neills biggest mistake was joining a club where so many fans so obviously just don't deserve him.

[El-Reacho]

^ Don't think Milner's leaving the first time would have been his fault -was just part of the loan deal. I think Newcastle wouldn't sell him to us IIRC.

The UEFA Cup thing last year was a big mistake - it seemed to allow an attitude that only some games are really important which must have had an effect on the squad.

[mikeyp102]

To start off I DO NOT dislike MON and want him to stay in the job a long time.

I would say however, that the UEFA cup last year was a bad move. I thought so at the time at I still think so now. Yes he decided he wanted to concentrate on the league but who honestly believes that we were ready for the champions league? Look at how Everton coped a few years back...our squad would not be firing now if we had to go through the champiuons league.

I honestly believe that we could've won the UEFA last year. A trophy win is far more important at the moment than playing in the champions league...look at Arsenal they play in the champions league but are crying out for a trophy win...thats how the history books will remember things..

[Lion-heart]

To start off I DO NOT dislike MON and want him to stay in the job a long time.

I would say however, that the UEFA cup last year was a bad move. I thought so at the time at I still think so now. Yes he decided he wanted to concentrate on the league but who honestly believes that we were ready for the champions league? Look at how Everton coped a few years back...our squad would not be firing now if we had to go through the champiuons league.

I honestly believe that we could've won the UEFA last year. A trophy win is far more important at the moment than playing in the champions league...look at Arsenal they play in the champions league but are crying out for a trophy win...thats how the history books will remember things..

Don't agree. He put out a full team at VP and if we had got a result I'm certain he would have put out his strongest side in Moscow. We didn't so he decided to prioritise on the League, hoping to get that 4th spot. We didn't get 4th, but not all gambles pay off. At the time right decision. With hindsight wrong decision. Shame we don't all have hindsight isn't it.

[mikeyp102]

To start off I DO NOT dislike MON and want him to stay in the job a long time.

I would say however, that the UEFA cup last year was a bad move. I thought so at the time at I still think so now. Yes he decided he wanted to concentrate on the league but who honestly believes that we were ready for the champions league? Look at how Everton coped a few years back...our squad would not be firing now if we had to go through the champiuons league.

I honestly believe that we could've won the UEFA last year. A trophy win is far more important at the moment than playing in the champions league...look at Arsenal they play in the champions league but are crying out for a trophy win...thats how the history books will remember things..

Don't agree. He put out a full team at VP and if we had got a result I'm certain he would have put out his strongest side in Moscow. We didn't so he decided to prioritise on the League, hoping to get that 4th spot. We didn't get 4th, but not all gambles pay off. At the time right decision. With hindsight wrong decision. Shame we don't all have hindsight isn't it.

Your entitled to your opinion, but I am not using hindsight I always thought that we should've gone for that cup..besides a 1-1 at home was hardly a bad result..our away form at that time was good and we were set up to beat teams away..A full strength side could have beaten Moscow away..

[peterms]

... he decided to prioritise on the League, hoping to get that 4th spot. We didn't get 4th, but not all gambles pay off. At the time right decision...

I agree. Right decision at the time, and events turning out as they did doesn't make it otherwise. You can only decide on what you know at the time, not what later turns out to happen.

[bickster]

Not read past the opening post but I don't consider anything in that list to be a mistake

A) Anyone who considers the UEFA Cup / Europa League (Especially the new competition) a worthwhile competition is deluding themselves

Cahill would still be fourth choice CB at Villa even now

C) YES Not focusing on losing to Man Utd in the third round of the cup is a real complaint, not

D) 4-4-2 / Heskey, seriously get over it people, its a football formation (the most common tried and tested formation there is, its the default formation) and a current member of the England squad

E) How do you "let someone go" who is out of contract - barking mad, football is no longer slavery

F) Carson was still better than Sorrenson though not good/ Best impact player in the league in his first season genuinely won us games / A very cheap, no risk signing / had potential, he didnt reach it, gave him his chance, he didnt take it

[Overdubber]

Alright, first mistake was getting those glasses. Makes him look like a wannabe author or playwrite.

Second is his accent. people from NI have a dire accent, except rock singers like Rory Gallagher.

Third is his jump when we score. Not high enough, not timed well, and gets very low marks from the jury.

Fourth is his humour. Bad comic, and constantly downplaying wins is not going to veil the fact that we have a great team.

I mean after finally comming away from OT with a win almost as long as the history books can recall, when the league tables were written in latin, etc. All he finds to say is that we need to score more goals away from home!

Does not have the same flair and kick as Saunders.

Loads of mistakes in there....

[Lion-heart]

Alright, first mistake was getting those glasses. Makes him look like a wannabe author or playwrite.

Second is his accent. people from NI have a dire accent, except rock singers like Rory Gallagher.

Third is his jump when we score. Not high enough, not timed well, and gets very low marks from the jury.

Fourth is his humour. Bad comic, and constantly downplaying wins is not going to veil the fact that we have a great team.

I mean after finally comming away from OT with a win almost as long as the history books can recall, when the league tables were written in latin, etc. All he finds to say is that we need to score more goals away from home!

Does not have the same flair and kick as Saunders.

At last. Someone who actually understands football. All the above are avoidable. The ones on the list aren't

Loads of mistakes in there....

[bannedfromHandV]

I'd say his biggest mistake was agreeing to manage a club who's fans question what his biggest mistake was at a time when the club is riding high and are in the semi-finals of a cup.....that for me would be his biggest mistake.

[totteralong]

I'd say his biggest mistake was agreeing to manage a club who's fans question what his biggest mistake was at a time when the club is riding high and are in the semi-finals of a cup.....that for me would be his biggest mistake.

Hmm. In his 3 and a half years at the club he's yet to achieve anything of note yet. So where the hell do you get the dont deserve him nonsense from?.

[Jez]

Not read past the opening post but I don't consider anything in that list to be a mistake

A) Anyone who considers the UEFA Cup / Europa League (Especially the new competition) a worthwhile competition is deluding themselves

Cahill would still be fourth choice CB at Villa even now

C) YES Not focusing on losing to Man Utd in the third round of the cup is a real complaint, not

D) 4-4-2 / Heskey, seriously get over it people, its a football formation (the most common tried and tested formation there is, its the default formation) and a current member of the England squad

E) How do you "let someone go" who is out of contract - barking mad, football is no longer slavery

F) Carson was still better than Sorrenson though not good/ Best impact player in the league in his first season genuinely won us games / A very cheap, no risk signing / had potential, he didnt reach it, gave him his chance, he didnt take it

Has MON never made any mistakes then in our opinion, as thats the point of the thread surely?

If you had to choose, what mistakes has he made, or all fine?

[Risso]

... he decided to prioritise on the League, hoping to get that 4th spot. We didn't get 4th, but not all gambles pay off. At the time right decision...

I agree. Right decision at the time, and events turning out as they did doesn't make it otherwise. You can only decide on what you know at the time, not what later turns out to happen.

I thought it was the wrong decision then, and still do. Success breeds success, and you could see the players were pissed off by throwing away a tournament they'd worked so hard at. It was the turning point in the season, for all the wrong reasons, and you don't need hindsight to realise what a shit decision it was.

[Pelle]

... he decided to prioritise on the League, hoping to get that 4th spot. We didn't get 4th, but not all gambles pay off. At the time right decision...

I agree. Right decision at the time, and events turning out as they did doesn't make it otherwise. You can only decide on what you know at the time, not what later turns out to happen.

I thought it was the wrong decision then, and still do. Success breeds success, and you could see the players were pissed off by throwing away a tournament they'd worked so hard at. It was the turning point in the season, for all the wrong reasons, and you don't need hindsight to realise what a shit decision it was.

If it had paid off in giving us a place in the CL, would it still have been a mistake?

I voted for other and that's my biggest concern with him. His substitutions or rather the lack of it. Especially against Stoke at VP last season. They were only one goal down and was forcing on for an equalizer. A substitution there to interrupt there flow, bringing on a fresh player like NRC could've saved us the points and we'd still be in the race for a 4th and I think we would've been without that freefall we had. I think that game broke the spirit in the team. Partly because the way we lost the 2 points and partly because it f**ked up the very decision to rest all the key players in Moscow. Which might make those who think Moscow was a mistake right. Maybe if we'd played most of our best players there, no matter winning or losing, would've kept the spirit in the team and they'd not stopped playing just because they were 2-0 up. So hard to tell what would've happen if you'd done this or that.

[blandy]

As far as I am concerned he has been bang on with every decision he has made.

Hindsight is a wonderful thing; however I think every decision he has made, at the time, has been the right one.

I can't think, even with the benefit of hindsight, of any major "mistakes" he's made. All managers and all people make mis-judgements, it's part of being human. The team that started against Wigan first game of the season looked even at the time, something of a mistake. He played Petrov when he was not properly fit and was carrying an injury in his first season, rather than giving Steven Davis some games, which bemused me, and maybe didn't help Petrov settle in as quickly as he might have done. He kept playing Gabby last season when he was absolutely drained and low on confidence. I was sorry when Gary Cahill left. And it drove me mad when we went for so long without a proper right back in that first season in particular.

For some of those decisions there are flip sides that over time have turned out well. Gabby found out the level of fitness and strength needed, and improved on them, for example, this summer.

There isn't a manager in the world who gets everything right all the time, but MO'N gets more right than most, IMO and is doing and has done an absolutely cracking job.

[billy_loes]

Second guessing the situations and permatations of circumstance in decision making in anyone's career/life is a futile exercise.

The reasons behind the white flag episode in Moscow are intriguing.