Martin O´Neill

[Starfish]

I know it´s too early to categorically praise or condemn him but after their early-season high jinks, Aston Villa have now gone 10 games without a League win (5, draws, 5 defeats). There doesn´t seem to be much talk about in the papers so ... what do you think?

[Stranded]

Can't judge him until he's managed to bring in a few of his own players - bar Petrov and Sutton it's the same team as last season so I think it's a case of they are at their level. Time to judge his impact will be when it is his team and not the remains of O'Leary's reign.

[weybridgewanderer]

from a previous thread on here I thought everyone that O'Neill was a god, a genius of a man who knew how to get the best out of players as was so obvious as he was getting results from the Villa team that O'Leary struggled with

just a few weeks later ...

[Hoop Blah]

Villa have a poor set of players and can't score goals.

O'Neil has had a very good impact there, but the honeymoon period where his arrival got the best out of their squad is over now and a bit of reality, and injuries, is kicking in. Before the season kicked off their current position would probably still be better than anyone would've predicted under O'Leary so it's still an improvement.

The time to really assess it is probably this time next season once O'Neil has had a chance to build a squad that doesn't consist of just Gareth Barry, Steven Davis, some brittle old centre backs and a few green kids learning their trade.

[RG30]

O'Neill is fortunate he inherited a fantastic academy, and the likes of Abaganhalor have stepped up to it. Losing Luke Moore for the rest of the season didn't help but as others have said, judge him later in the season. If you asked him would he happy with X amount of points after X amount of games as is the situation now, he's delighted.

[Farnborough Royal]

The fact they they were tipped by many to go down shows how well he's done, and with nearly the same team that finished 16th last season. However I don't know why he signed Kiraly he's shocking!

[RG30]

Needed a goalkeeper with Sorensen and Taylor injured, Kiraly isn't first choice at Palace anymore so it suited both parties, and Kiraly actually isn't that bad, he's Hungary's Number 1 and was linked with Arsenal at one stage.

[papereyes]

from a previous thread on here I thought everyone that O'Neill was a god, a genius of a man who knew how to get the best out of players as was so obvious as he was getting results from the Villa team that O'Leary struggled with

just a few weeks later ...

Injuries more than anything else, I would have thought.

Losing both senior goalkeeper, a centreback or two, relying on two reserve team players in midfield and losing your only goalscoring striker ...

They're still solid, more than anything else.

The time to really assess it is probably this time next season once O'Neil has had a chance to build a squad that doesn't consist of just Gareth Barry, Steven Davis, some brittle old centre backs and a few green kids learning their trade.

Those centre backs being Gary Cahill (21) and Liam Ridgewell (22) ...

[Dirk Gently]

Started well - but in comparison with DOL how could he not?

Since then it's not improved much - far too many draws.

[Stranded]

from a previous thread on here I thought everyone that O'Neill was a god, a genius of a man who knew how to get the best out of players as was so obvious as he was getting results from the Villa team that O'Leary struggled with

just a few weeks later ...

Injuries more than anything else, I would have thought.

Losing both senior goalkeeper, a centreback or two, relying on two reserve team players in midfield and losing your only goalscoring striker ...

They're still solid, more than anything else.

The time to really assess it is probably this time next season once O'Neil has had a chance to build a squad that doesn't consist of just Gareth Barry, Steven Davis, some brittle old centre backs and a few green kids learning their trade.

Those centre backs being Gary Cahill (21) and Liam Ridgewell (22) ...

I assume he meant Mellburg who has moved to cover the left back position and likely to return to the centre once injuries clear up.

[Hoop Blah]

Those centre backs being Gary Cahill (21) and Liam Ridgewell (22) ...

No, those are the green kids, along with the likes of Agbonlahor, Gardner, Moore and Osbourne.

The brittle centre backs are Laursen and Mellberg (who to be fair isn't that brittle but has had to play a lot of games at right back I think).

[papereyes]

Isn't Laursen out and Mellberg at right back?

As we saw ourselves from Burns to Pardew, it's always going to take a season or so to really recover from a poor manager. Its not always just the quality of players in the squad but off the field things. Reliance on a youth system leaves you with a side with little experience.

Davis, must be 21, 22, is only in his third season as a pro, iirc. Yet he's must be one of the first names on the team sheet.

[Hoop Blah]

Isn't Laursen out and Mellberg at right back?

Exactly, thats the point. O'Neil was left with a squad that wasn't up to it with no decent depth to it.

Mellberg is having to play right back because Delaney is out and there is nobody else who O'Neil feels can play there. With Laursen out as well (for about 18 months on and off now isn't it?) it means Ridgewell and Cahill are having to step into the fold.

As we saw ourselves from Burns to Pardew, it's always going to take a season or so to really recover from a poor manager. Its not always just the quality of players in the squad but off the field things. Reliance on a youth system leaves you with a side with little experience.

Davis, must be 21, 22, is only in his third season as a pro, iirc. Yet he's must be one of the first names on the team sheet.

And the same goes for Ridgewell, who I don't rate at all by the way (although it appears he's done quite well this year).

[papereyes]

Ridgewell has his moments, but Cahill should be the real deal.

You simply don't score a scissor kick against your local rivals on your full debut, you simply don't.

[Royal Rother]

Villa STH colleague is more than happy - he was adamant early on this season that they could no better than mid-table with what O'Neill has inherited and as long as that is achieved then the transition to a properly managed team will have been successfully begun.

[Arch]

Isn't Laursen out and Mellberg at right back?

Exactly, thats the point. O'Neil was left with a squad that wasn't up to it with no decent depth to it.

Mellberg is having to play right back because Delaney is out and there is nobody else who O'Neil feels can play there. With Laursen out as well (for about 18 months on and off now isn't it?) it means Ridgewell and Cahill are having to step into the fold.

As we saw ourselves from Burns to Pardew, it's always going to take a season or so to really recover from a poor manager. Its not always just the quality of players in the squad but off the field things. Reliance on a youth system leaves you with a side with little experience.

Davis, must be 21, 22, is only in his third season as a pro, iirc. Yet he's must be one of the first names on the team sheet.

And the same goes for Ridgewell, who I don't rate at all by the way (although it appears he's done quite well this year).

Ridgewell had a fantastic game last night (imho).

[soggy biscuit]

I would like to point out that before O'Neil took over at Villa I described him on here as 'massively overated' and all of you laughed at me.

He hasn't had much time at Villa so it is unfair to judge him yet and I do actually think he will improve them but still, I don't seem to hold O'Neil in the same God like status that most other football fans do

[Huntley & Palmer]

He's ex-Celtic, of course he is shit

[weybridgewanderer]

is it any wonder celtic are moaning they never get any penalties now yet villa are top of the premier league table on penalties awarded. Stilian petrov an the osqueal factor

add to that the blatent feigning of injury to prevent Chelsea attacks during the game last night!

O'Neil really does have some questionable principles that have served him well!

[papereyes]

IIRC, Villa conceded the most penalties last season.