From: Mike Hall on
Really, I think he only did it because he could not make himself
unavailable for England selection like everyone else is doing!
Since the Big Four (or Six including Liverpool and Spurs) aren't
looking for new managers, I'm guessing that he is going to take some
time out from the game. He's probably looking to take over Manchester
United, Manchester City, Arsenal or England next year and is just
going to enjoy the last bit of private life that he will have for a
fair while.


Mike Hall
From: nigel on
Mike Hall wrote:

> Really, I think he only did it because he could not make himself
> unavailable for England selection like everyone else is doing!
> Since the Big Four (or Six including Liverpool and Spurs) aren't
> looking for new managers, I'm guessing that he is going to take some
> time out from the game. He's probably looking to take over Manchester
> United, Manchester City, Arsenal or England next year and is just
> going to enjoy the last bit of private life that he will have for a
> fair while.
>
>
> Mike Hall

By ducking out of Villa when he's still highly regarded and his lack of
tactical acumen hasn't been too badly exposed, he'll automatically be in
the running when a big job comes up.

I've seen suggestions that he might head back to Celtic in the short
term to pick up some easy kudos. If Neil Lennon can't navigate past
Utrecht in the Europa League after their abysmal showing against Braga
he might not survive.


From: Mike Hall on
On 9 Aug, 18:05, nigel <use...(a)nospam.com> wrote:
> Mike Hall wrote:
> > Really, I think he only did it because he could not make himself
> > unavailable for England selection like everyone else is doing!
> > Since the Big Four (or Six including Liverpool and Spurs) aren't
> > looking for new managers, I'm guessing that he is going to take some
> > time out from the game.  He's probably looking to take over Manchester
> > United, Manchester City, Arsenal or England next year and is just
> > going to enjoy the last bit of private life that he will have for a
> > fair while.

> By ducking out of Villa when he's still highly regarded and his lack of
> tactical acumen hasn't been too badly exposed, he'll automatically be in
> the running when a big job comes up.
>
> I've seen suggestions that he might head back to Celtic in the short
> term to pick up some easy kudos. If Neil Lennon can't navigate past
> Utrecht in the Europa League after their abysmal showing against Braga
> he might not survive.

He's 58 now. I think that he only has one more club in him, and
Celtic aren't going to have the money to compete at anything near
Aston Villa level for years! I suppose if he is really feeling his
age, he could walk into the Northern Ireland job and sit on the Match
of the Day couch the rest of the time.


Mike Hall
From: nigel on
Mike Hall wrote:

>
> He's 58 now. I think that he only has one more club in him, and
> Celtic aren't going to have the money to compete at anything near
> Aston Villa level for years!

They don't have to, they just have to do better than Rangers. And last
year they didn't.

> I suppose if he is really feeling his
> age, he could walk into the Northern Ireland job

Would he walk into it? My impression was that Nigel Worthington's doing
an okay job.

> and sit on the Match
> of the Day couch the rest of the time.
>
>
> Mike Hall

I've been reading some of today's press coverage. They reckon O'Neill's
departure will hasten Ashely Young's exit to Spurs. Personally, if I
were Villa manager, I'd bite Spurs' hands off if they offered me �10
million plus Peter Crouch for Ashley Young. Young was awful last season.

I wonder how his resignation will affect his place in the pecking order
for the Man Utd job. he used to be considered a shoo-in, but now
Mourinho seems the strong favourite.

From: Mike Hall on
On 10 Aug, 12:40, nigel <use...(a)nospam.com> wrote:

> I've been reading some of today's press coverage. They reckon O'Neill's
> departure will hasten Ashely Young's exit to Spurs. Personally, if I
> were Villa manager, I'd bite Spurs' hands off if they offered me £10
> million plus Peter Crouch for Ashley Young. Young was awful last season.

Peter Crouch is just about the most effective striker in football
today. It's odd that he is traded so cheaply, just because he looks
like a new-born deer!


Mike Hall