Chances MON Walks After This Season

[Harry]

By the way, this still hasn't been denied or confirmed by the club, just "a source close to the club"

Sounds to me there is something going on and nothing has been decided yet, like there is a lot of discussion going on.

I can't work out why the club wouldn't put a statement out otherwise.

MON makes a virtue out of not commenting on press speculation as do both RL and the club. The fact that the club have said nothing does not surprise one jot.

[gabbygabbygabbygabbygabby]

I would expect around 25 million for transfers next year, and if MON can't do it on that, then it just goes to show what a poor job he has done, because that should get you 2 class, or 3 good players - and surely after 4 yrs, that should be all you need,

I think we are just 2 class players away from having a really good go at the CL. How many players do you think we need?

Depends how long it takes for the likes of Ashley Young and Gabby to get pissed off with falling short every year.

I would be surprised if we sold any big names this summer and I think we will sign 2-3 players fighting for a 1st team place. If we finish 7th and make a significant improvement on our squad with 2-3 players would you still consider this season 'falling short'

[Villarocker]

Sorry if someone else has mentioned what i am about to say, I couldn't be arsed to trawl through the 14 or 15 pages prior to typing this!

I like MON and there is no doubt we have improved on what he inherited 4 years ago. However, as mentioned already, he has spent quite a considerable amount of money to move us up the table. We got there having spent a lot and then he maintained that position having spent another lot of money. If, we fail to finish above 6th then surely you have to wonder how long Randy Lerner will continue to throw £30m into the transfer kitty, season after season, just to stay in the same place, without winning anything.

With the above in mind, it may be fair to assume that Randy would tell MON that there isn't going to be as much money to spend this summer, as there has been in the previous three summer's. Now it's time to put yourself in MON's position. Would you really want to start dismantling a side you built, to raise funds for further transfers and having to start afresh, in a bid to try and break into that elusive top 4?

I am not saying that he will walk or that the cash won't be there for MON in the summer. I am merely saying that it is possible that these things could happen given the fact we could finish in a position that may only be equal, or even lower, than we have finished in the previous two seasons.

[Harry]

If MON starts rotating his squad more and we sign a couple of good players in the summer I think we'll have a really good chance next season.

Totally agree with the theory but will he? I'd say it needs to be a couple of very good players. Couple that with getting rid of the mediocre players / no hopers (about six at my count) and I think that sounds like a plan.

MON is certainly not a bad manager but probably not as good as everyone thinks he is. His biggest fault is not learning from his mistakes.

[Mantis]

If MON starts rotating his squad more and we sign a couple of good players in the summer I think we'll have a really good chance next season.

Totally agree with the theory but will he? I'd say it needs to be a couple of very good players. Couple that with getting rid of the mediocre players / no hopers (about six at my count) and I think that sounds like a plan.

MON is certainly not a bad manager but probably not as good as everyone thinks he is. His biggest fault is not learning from his mistakes.

I think so.

I said this already but I think we might start to see a new MON. I might be wrong, I might be right, only time will tell.

[flashingqwerty]

i really dont think martin has it in him to take us beyond where he already has. Not saying he's done a bad job, just think that to take us further he needs to change himself more than the team as its his flaws that are holding us back.

Example? Sure...

Every year MON has been in charge we have stopped playing well from march til the end of the season pretty much.

In year one this was a transition year and we had a very small squad, i can forgive that.

In year two we were still very much in transition and still had a very small squad.

In year three we had a settled core and a team and a fairly decent sized squad - tiredness was caused by a lack of rotation as MON either felt the players didnt need a rest (though i think a blind man could see they did) or he no faith in the players in the squad to do the job (despite having signed these players for substanial sums)

In year four - see year three and its confounded by his refusal to use substitutions when players are clearly not able to continue due to fatigue and his seeming inability to make changes to our shape when things arent going well other than to move a few players around so that most players are playing out of position.

we also need to look at his signings:

Stiliyan Petrov Celtic £6.5m - average player, often goes missing in games and lacks stamina

Didier Agathe Celtic Free - did he ever play?

Chris Sutton Celtic Free - did a job but was only ever a stop gap

John Carew Lyon Swap - good signing, but i do wonder if it was MON's idea or houlier's

Ashley Young Watford £9.65m - very inconsistent, but a good player

Shaun Maloney Celtic £1.1m - might have been a ecent player but was allowed to leave before we found out

Wayne Routledge Tottenham £1.5m - oh deary dear...

Moustapha Salifou FC Wil Undisc. - oh dear again

Zat Knight Fulham £3.5m - wasnt good enough and was sold off again we let better defenders go to make a space for them

Scott Carson Liverpool Loan - oh dear once again

Harry Forrester Watford £250 000 initial fee rising on appearances - watch this space

Eric Lichaj Unattached Free - watch this space

Marlon Harewood West Ham Undisc (region of £3.5m?) - MON's worst signing?

Nigel Reo-Coker West Ham £8.5m - looked a good signing initially but mon lost control of this one

Curtis Davies (WBA undisclosed but around £7.5million?) - jury is still out on him too, has a ot of bad days

Steve Sidwell (Chelsea £5.5million) - honestly? awful footballer and adds nothing to the team

Brad Friedel (Blackburn, undisclosed but in the region of £2 - £2.5million) - good stop gap solution

Brad Guzan (Chivas US, undisclosed, starts at around £800k up to £2m on appearances etc?) - promising

Nicky Shorey (Reading, around £4m?) - very poor player

Luke Young (Middlesbrough, around £5m?) - good player but MON prefers to play a CB at RB - bizzare

Carlos Cuellar (Rangers £7.8million) - looked good when got a good run at CB but has been moved to rb - bizzare

James Milner (Newcastle, around £12million?) - accomplished player and turned out to be a decent price for the performances hes put in since moving infield

Arsenio Halfhuid from Excelsior (undisclosed - watch this space)

Emile Heskey from Wigan Athletic (£3.5m) - ooops MON did it again - amazingly poor

so the vast majority of MON's signings have even turned out to be bad ones or he's fallen out with them, played them out of position, or just frozen them out for some reason. Best Man Manager in football? i dont think so...

personally i think Mark Hughes would do a better job. He'd at least get us playing some decent football and isnt afraid to changes things and admit when hes made a mistake

[Chindie]

I think you've been incredibly harsh on signings there.

[gabbygabbygabbygabbygabby]

If MON starts rotating his squad more and we sign a couple of good players in the summer I think we'll have a really good chance next season.

Totally agree with the theory but will he? I'd say it needs to be a couple of very good players. Couple that with getting rid of the mediocre players / no hopers (about six at my count) and I think that sounds like a plan.

MON is certainly not a bad manager but probably not as good as everyone thinks he is. His biggest fault is not learning from his mistakes.

I think so.

I said this already but I think we might start to see a new MON. I might be wrong, I might be right, only time will tell.

I think we will. He is trying to change our style of football from being a counter attacking side to one more comfortable in possession with an interchangeable front 5, with 1 always holding the line. The rotation is something that comes with the right squad. Don't forget Spurs/Everton/Pool have been building their squads for many years, MON is starting from scratch.

I think the reason he hasn't rotated is because we don't have the squad to challenge for 4th, we have the 1st team but little else. If we were having a mediocre season in 10th place we would have seen more of our squad play but since we have always been in the running for 4th he has little choice but to pick his strongest side.

[dudley_villa]

Nothing confirmed or Denied by the generals latest post!..

[GordenGekko]

I would like to see a new manager coming in. Someone who will buy the type of player that will excite the fans. I know you need a certain balance in any successful team, but we lack guile and we are weak in central midfield. We are neither creative, or defensive in midfield with Petrov struggling to be one, or the other. Milner is becoming a very good player but is he able to be the creative pulse in our team, or does he excel as a defensive midfielder. Again, really, neither one thing or the other.

Up front do we have the out and out goal scorer that every team needs. Carew, Heskey, Agbonlahor, Delfonzo(sorry spelling) do not provide our team with that.

At centreback we have the monsters in Dunne and the Undertaker, but are they the type of quality defensive players that will bring Champions League football to our club. Again, i think not.

As you can see i have concentrated on the spine of our side, the engine room in any team that makes it tick. The players within the spine of our team are not of the type of quality that will push us forward to the next stage in our development.

Our manager has not bought the type of player that Redknapp has at Totters and i think it is time for a change of manager if we are to progress.

Do i think that Martin O'Neill will walk of his own accord at the end of the season. No i don't, but i do think he has taken us as far as he can.

[CarewsEyebrowDesigner]

Nothing confirmed or Denied by the generals latest post!..

Mhm, rather enigmatic.

[ClarrieBlue]

i really dont think martin has it in him to take us beyond where he already has. Not saying he's done a bad job, just think that to take us further he needs to change himself more than the team as its his flaws that are holding us back.

Example? Sure...

Every year MON has been in charge we have stopped playing well from march til the end of the season pretty much.

In year one this was a transition year and we had a very small squad, i can forgive that.

In year two we were still very much in transition and still had a very small squad.

In year three we had a settled core and a team and a fairly decent sized squad - tiredness was caused by a lack of rotation as MON either felt the players didnt need a rest (though i think a blind man could see they did) or he no faith in the players in the squad to do the job (despite having signed these players for substanial sums)

In year four - see year three and its confounded by his refusal to use substitutions when players are clearly not able to continue due to fatigue and his seeming inability to make changes to our shape when things arent going well other than to move a few players around so that most players are playing out of position.

we also need to look at his signings:

Stiliyan Petrov Celtic £6.5m - average player, often goes missing in games and lacks stamina

Didier Agathe Celtic Free - did he ever play?

Chris Sutton Celtic Free - did a job but was only ever a stop gap

John Carew Lyon Swap - good signing, but i do wonder if it was MON's idea or houlier's

Ashley Young Watford £9.65m - very inconsistent, but a good player

Shaun Maloney Celtic £1.1m - might have been a ecent player but was allowed to leave before we found out

Wayne Routledge Tottenham £1.5m - oh deary dear...

Moustapha Salifou FC Wil Undisc. - oh dear again

Zat Knight Fulham £3.5m - wasnt good enough and was sold off again we let better defenders go to make a space for them

Scott Carson Liverpool Loan - oh dear once again

Harry Forrester Watford £250 000 initial fee rising on appearances - watch this space

Eric Lichaj Unattached Free - watch this space

Marlon Harewood West Ham Undisc (region of £3.5m?) - MON's worst signing?

Nigel Reo-Coker West Ham £8.5m - looked a good signing initially but mon lost control of this one

Curtis Davies (WBA undisclosed but around £7.5million?) - jury is still out on him too, has a ot of bad days

Steve Sidwell (Chelsea £5.5million) - honestly? awful footballer and adds nothing to the team

Brad Friedel (Blackburn, undisclosed but in the region of £2 - £2.5million) - good stop gap solution

Brad Guzan (Chivas US, undisclosed, starts at around £800k up to £2m on appearances etc?) - promising

Nicky Shorey (Reading, around £4m?) - very poor player

Luke Young (Middlesbrough, around £5m?) - good player but MON prefers to play a CB at RB - bizzare

Carlos Cuellar (Rangers £7.8million) - looked good when got a good run at CB but has been moved to rb - bizzare

James Milner (Newcastle, around £12million?) - accomplished player and turned out to be a decent price for the performances hes put in since moving infield

Arsenio Halfhuid from Excelsior (undisclosed - watch this space)

Emile Heskey from Wigan Athletic (£3.5m) - ooops MON did it again - amazingly poor

so the vast majority of MON's signings have even turned out to be bad ones or he's fallen out with them, played them out of position, or just frozen them out for some reason. Best Man Manager in football? i dont think so...

personally i think Mark Hughes would do a better job. He'd at least get us playing some decent football and isnt afraid to changes things and admit when hes made a mistake

What a strange critique of James Milner - Considering Aquilani cost 20 million and we got 12 million for Barry, I would say that Milner's price is a lot more than decent for the performances he's put in. Performances that will get him into the World Cup squad.

[Mantis]

Nothing confirmed or Denied by the generals latest post!..

Hardly. He said there's no point adding to the story by making an official statement. He also pretty much said these things happen all the time (e.g. MON to Liverpool, MON to United) and that they'd be releasing statements every day if they replied to internet rumours.

[deeps]

Nothing confirmed or Denied by the generals latest post!..

Hardly. He said there's no point adding to the story by making an official statement. He also pretty much said these things happen all the time (e.g. MON to Liverpool, MON to United) and that they'd be releasing statements every day if they replied to internet rumours.

ELVIS IS DEAD love it!

[AVFC-Prideofbrum]

Top Class:

Ashley Young, Richard Dunne, James Milner.

Good Solid buys:

Carew, Collins, Warnock, L.Young, C.Cuellar, Reo-Coker, S.Downing, S.Petrov.

Potentially very good:

Davies, Delph, Guzan.

Average (have done an okay job but not really good enough):

Heskey, Sidwell (potentially good mind!), Beye, Harewood, Knight, Maloney.

just poor:

Shorey, Carson.

Does it really matter:!?

Routledge, Salifou, Sutton, Agathe, Marshall.

[dudley_villa]

Nothing confirmed or Denied by the generals latest post!..

Hardly. He said there's no point adding to the story by making an official statement. He also pretty much said these things happen all the time (e.g. MON to Liverpool, MON to United) and that they'd be releasing statements every day if they replied to internet rumours.

ELVIS IS DEAD love it!

So is half the team after 60mins...

[gabbygabbygabbygabbygabby]

Good assessment, in spite of popular Heskey has had some good games for us.

Maloney left because he got homesick, not MON's fault.

[dudley_villa]

Top Class:

Ashley Young, Richard Dunne, James Milner.

Good Solid buys:

Carew, Collins, Warnock, L.Young, C.Cuellar, Reo-Coker, S.Downing, S.Petrov.

Potentially very good:

Davies, Delph, Guzan.

Average (have done an okay job but not really good enough):

Heskey, Sidwell (potentially good mind!), Beye, Harewood, Knight, Maloney.

just poor:

Shorey, Carson.

Does it really matter:!?

Routledge, Salifou, Sutton, Agathe, Marshall.

So thats about the best part of £30million on poor to average players and another £20 million in wages... Nothing to worry about then!..

[Reality]

Something has definitely happened, going by the Generals post. He hasn't confirmed or denied anything. A simple "He isn't going anywhere" would suffice.

People can clutch at straws, Mantis likes to do that and think nothing has happened, but there has been confirmations and denials about other less serious things.

I think he has handed in his notice and will stay until the summer.

[CarewsEyebrowDesigner]

Don't like the Generals post at all tbh.

But it keeps some fans happy and the pr machine rolling.

Or am i being too cynical?