Michael O'Neill

awec

On his way to Stoke by the looks of it. Huge loss for NI but probably an overdue move for him at this stage.

Know most of ye probably couldn't give a stuff about NI, but still think it's topical, and it's good to see a manager who managed in one of our local leagues in the not too distant past get a job at that level of football.

Corholio

Thought he'd hold out for a better positioned job. I guess Stoke have pretty good funds so I'd say that might have been a factor. He's done a great job at NI, seemed to get everything out of the players whenever they play.

ERG89

Corholio wrote: »

Thought he'd hold out for a better positioned job. I guess Stoke have pretty good funds so I'd say that might have been a factor. He's done a great job at NI, seemed to get everything out of the players whenever they play.

Hope it doesnt end up like the Sunderland gig was for Coleman. Massive loss for Northern Ireland if true.

~Rebel~

ERG89 wrote: »

Hope it doesnt end up like the Sunderland gig was for Coleman. Massive loss for Northern Ireland if true.

Similar state of affairs as when Coleman went to Sunderland alright... would have to hope that O'Neill has gotten assurances of some backing in January at least. Coleman didn't have a bob to spend, and it really cost them.

Underground

Seems a strange offer to take up if true. Stoke seem to be a club heading in only one direction and his stock is still high. Would have thought the Scotland job last year would have been more tempting than Stoke.

Agent Coulson

I hope it works out better for him than it did for Chris Coleman when he jumped too Sunderland.


Stoke are in crisis just like Sunderland were.

Mr.Nice Guy

Don't suppose there's any chance of namesake Martin getting the job? Would be handy for being able to keep the names on the office and the initials on the coats!

Imagine MON and Keane with NI. Would be fantastic. Chance to be reunited with their old pal Koeman in a week's time too.

In all seriousness can see David Healy being in the frame.

Tom Mann Centuria

Fickle fans, dire position in the league, four managers come and gone since 2018.

If they're throwing money at him I don't blame him, but he's on a hiding to nothing reputation wise, in his head he'll be thinking he'd probably get his old job back within months if he wanted it. So that's the safety net.

awec

Mr.Nice Guy wrote: »

Don't suppose there's any chance of namesake Martin getting the job? Would be handy for being able to keep the names on the office and the initials on the coats!

Imagine MON and Keane with NI. Would be fantastic. Chance to be reunited with their old pal Koeman in a week's time too.

In all seriousness can see David Healy being in the frame.

Good grief no thanks! :pac:

awec

Underground wrote: »

Seems a strange offer to take up if true. Stoke seem to be a club heading in only one direction and his stock is still high. Would have thought the Scotland job last year would have been more tempting than Stoke.

Scotland are so bad right now I'm not sure that job is much of a step up on where he's at right now.

major bill

Mr.Nice Guy wrote: »

Don't suppose there's any chance of namesake Martin getting the job? Would be handy for being able to keep the names on the office and the initials on the coats!

Imagine MON and Keane with NI. Would be fantastic. Chance to be reunited with their old pal Koeman in a week's time too.

In all seriousness can see David Healy being in the frame.

David Healy be a good shout! Done well with Linfield in Europe, NI legend worth a punt

awec

I honestly wouldn't have Healy near the job. He's not ready.

osarusan

Surprised he would head to Stoke after not leaving for Scotland.

I don't follow NI team so closely, so I wonder if he thinks he has taken them as far as he can, and it's better to leave now while his stock is rightfully high.

Tough gig to take though, with Stoke in chaos really.

Esse85

awec wrote: »

Scotland are so bad right now I'm not sure that job is much of a step up on where he's at right now.

Some very good young players in the Scottish team, Robertson is world class, McGinn is looking like he'll be a really good Premier League player, McTominey is still improving.

Deeper Blue

I reckon he'll probably keep Stoke up which is a real shame

population

Contract worth 1.5 million a year apparently. I don't know what he was on with N.Ireland but doubt it was anywhere near that kind of figure. Can understand the temptation despite the league position.

Strumms

He’s been managing Northern Ireland for over 8 years. He is 50 years of age now. The time is right for this move it’s now or never... get up towards your mid 50’s and a return to club management won’t be so easy having been away from it for so long.

He can always go back towards 60 before he retires if the chance presents itself.

joeysoap

Mr.Nice Guy wrote: »

Don't suppose there's any chance of namesake Martin getting the job? Would be handy for being able to keep the names on the office and the initials on the coats!

Imagine MON and Keane with NI. Would be fantastic. Chance to be reunited with their old pal Koeman in a week's time too.

In all seriousness can see David Healy being in the frame.

No, No and Yeah

monkey9

Great move for him, he's certainly earned his corn.

He went under the radar to be fair to him at Shams and he's done well since then back up North. Fair play.

The Golden Miller

awec wrote: »

On his way to Stoke by the looks of it. Huge loss for NI but probably an overdue move for him at this stage.

Know most of ye probably couldn't give a stuff about NI, but still think it's topical, and it's good to see a manager who managed in one of our local leagues in the not too distant past get a job at that level of football.

You're right about that. They shouldn't even be allowed to call themselves "Northern Ireland". "Unionist Ireland" would be more apt, we represent half the north as much as they do

awec

sugarman wrote: »

Something like 200k a year if I recall, I remember MONs 1m contact dwarfed it.

Yea he earns a relative pittance at the moment.

Esse85

sugarman wrote: »

Something like 200k a year if I recall, I remember MONs 1m contact dwarfed it.

Even keane as no.2 on 2.5x that salary is crazy.

kippy

Great move for him. 1.5 million a year contract for a number of years. Guaranteed a massive payout if it doesn't go well, his reputation will remain intact. If it goes well he will improve his rep etc.

dr.kenneth noisewater

population wrote: »

Contract worth 1.5 million a year apparently. I don't know what he was on with N.Ireland but doubt it was anywhere near that kind of figure. Can understand the temptation despite the league position.

sugarman wrote: »

Something like 200k a year if I recall, I remember MONs 1m contact dwarfed it.

Doubling his wages as per the athletic, signed a new contract last year

https://theathletic.co.uk/1359289/2019/11/07/exclusive-michael-oneill-to-join-stoke-almost-doubling-his-salary-and-hell-manage-northern-ireland-in-euro-qualifiers/

dfx-

kippy wrote: »

Great move for him. 1.5 million a year contract for a number of years. Guaranteed a massive payout if it doesn't go well, his reputation will remain intact. If it goes well he will improve his rep etc.

You'd be pretty sure he'd have the NI manager job back anytime he wanted it...

But they are terrible to watch, he'll definitely get Stoke up the table. I wonder will it be enough to get out of the Championship. Automatic promotion favours the attacking sides and playoffs for those who time the run like Fulham.

awec

NI are not great to watch but I wouldn't let that define O'Neill's style. He will have more access to better players at Stoke.

With NI he gets his players for a few weeks a year and many of them are playing relatively low level football for their clubs.

Was his Rovers team hard to watch?

Arghus

As an Arsenal fan, I was hoping Stoke would continue as they were and get relegated again, but I kind of like Michael O' Neill, so good luck to him - I guess.

dfx-

awec wrote: »

Was his Rovers team hard to watch?

He had the best defence and best striker in the league, so it was successful. But it was very much a solid 4-5-1 and long aimless balls to Twigg in general play.

Twigg won a lot of games by himself that we had no right to win capitalising on a chance in the box.

joeysoap

Dundalk owe him a big thanks too. Kenny couldn’t live with what he done at Rovers so they fired him.

major bill

dfx- wrote: »

He had the best defence and best striker in the league, so it was successful. But it was very much a solid 4-5-1 and long aimless balls to Twigg in general play.

Twigg won a lot of games by himself that we had no right to win capitalising on a chance in the box.

Still couldn’t bag a goal in Europe though poor mans Glen Crowe!!

LoughNeagh2017

Stoke have a horrible fan base, I think Michael will get on well with them as an Ulster unionist.

Arghus

LoughNeagh2017 wrote: »

Stoke have a horrible fan base, I think Michael will get on well with them as an Ulster unionist.

This guy...

LoughNeagh2017

LoughNeagh2017 wrote: »

Stoke have a horrible fan base, I think Michael will get on well with them as an Ulster unionist.

Chelsea supporter, with their Combat 18/ Loyalist/ Headhunters association, gives out about Stoke and Unionism!

You really have to have a good old laugh at some of the efforts here.

citytillidie

LoughNeagh2017 wrote: »

Stoke have a horrible fan base, I think Michael will get on well with them as an Ulster unionist.

Oh dear face palm moment when you find out Michael O'Neill is Catholic

CrabRevolution

citytillidie wrote: »

Oh dear face palm moment when you find out Michael O'Neill is Catholic

I'm not taking a side in the "our side /their side" debate but O'Neill definitely doesn't strike me as a nationalist. Just off the top of my head he reckons players from NI shouldn't be allowed play for the Republic, and I'm pretty sure he referred to an NI-Wales game as a "British Derby" before.

citytillidie

citytillidie wrote: »

Oh dear face palm moment when you find out Michael O'Neill is Catholic

He played minor football for Antrim.

Frankly I couldn't care what he is, but a Chelsea fan drawing conclusions from his move to Stoke is a real case of seeing the speck of dust in another's eye but missing the plank in his own.

citytillidie

CrabRevolution wrote: »

I'm not taking a side in the "our side /their side" debate but O'Neill definitely doesn't strike me as a nationalist. Just off the top of my head he reckons players from NI shouldn't be allowed play for the Republic, and I'm pretty sure he referred to an NI-Wales game as a "British Derby" before.

Catholic does not mean Nationalist, the Norths school system will determine what religion you are at his age as there were no integrated schools. He went to St Louis Grammar School, which is a Catholic school.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St_Louis_Grammar_School,_Ballymena

Could also be playing to the market and saying those things IE the NI fans and well managing NI why would he want the possibility of better players declaring for Ireland instead of playing for NI?

Berserker

CrabRevolution wrote: »

I'm not taking a side in the "our side /their side" debate but O'Neill definitely doesn't strike me as a nationalist. Just off the top of my head he reckons players from NI shouldn't be allowed play for the Republic, and I'm pretty sure he referred to an NI-Wales game as a "British Derby" before.

What right have you got to say who is a Nationalist and who isn't? What do you expect him to say regarding NI born players playing for the RoI, given that he is the manager of NI? NI v Wales is a British derby.

CrabRevolution

citytillidie wrote: »

Catholic does not mean Nationalist, the Norths school system will determine what religion you are at his age as there were no integrated schools. He went to St Louis Grammar School, which is a Catholic school.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St_Louis_Grammar_School,_Ballymena

Could also be playing to the market and saying those things IE the NI fans and well managing NI why would he want the possibility of better players declaring for Ireland instead of playing for NI?

That was my point. You implied that he couldn't be a unionist because he was Catholic, which is a preposterous idea.

citytillidie

CrabRevolution wrote: »

That was my point. You implied that he couldn't be a unionist because he was Catholic, which is a preposterous idea.

Not everyone up here goes to the extreme sides of things