Following Martin O’Neill’s departure from Aston Villa yesterday there was a brief moment when it seemed every Celtic fan on the web was dreaming of the former boss making a return to Glasgow.
For various reasons it wouldn’t work, no least O’Neill previously suggesting he would not take up a “Director of Football”-type position, but the absence of an experienced mentor for Neil Lennon meant the rumours sped around the world at the speed of light.
The exact reasons for O’Neill’s departure remain unclear, but Aston Villa non-executive director General Charles Krulak has wasted little time in expressing his disappointment in the events of the past 24 hours. After four seasons with Villa and a lot of investment by owner Randy Lerner, it has been hinted O’Neill refused to consider cutting the wage bill.
General Krulak recently posted: “He (O’Neill) knew full well about the need to bring wages in line with revenue…the same as all Clubs. He was ABSOLUTELY supported by the owner…all one needs to do is look at the money spent over time. The reality is that the wage issue was not addressed and Martin was apparently unwilling to help address it. He quit.”
Even with O’Neill being somewhat single-minded (others may opt to use other words to describe his style), it doesn’t seem likely he would think himself immune to a global economic downturn and a quiet transfer window – or at least a quiet one compared to the recent levels of idiotic excess in England.
General Krulak went on: “As an aside, no one person is bigger than Aston Villa Football Club…not Randy, not me, not Paul (Faulkner, Villa’s CEO) and not Martin! What is interesting is that, apparently, only three of those named understand that fact.”
This may get messy quickly and, given O’Neill is no stranger to the laws of defamation, the directors, staff and players of Aston Villa will have to be very careful of what they say and write. Not that O’Neill will be down for long – the man will be back with a vengeance and trying to prove a point as soon as possible.
But with a manager such as Martin O’Neill fired, what does it say about modern football? He managed three sixth-place finishes in a row at Villa, not too shabby a performance given the money flying into the Premier League. As mentioned, he wasn’t scared of signing players and although some were distinctly mediocre, his performance in the transfer market was probably above par.
Perhaps the developments of the past 24 hours are just further proof of how much football has degenerated into a depressing ditch of money and the demand for instant success. O’Neill is too intelligent a man to be living in the days when his mentor Brian Clough was picking-up trophies with unfashionable teams, but having to spend cash just to stand still can’t be enjoyable.
As Neil Lennon starts his managerial career – hopefully one which will be lengthy and fruitful – it’s sad to reflect the days of trying to win through training and tactics rather than the chequebook are dead and buried. And the resignation of Martin O’Neill, something of a ghost from a bygone age when he played under Clough, is a sad indictment of how the beautiful game has lost its shine.
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