Liverpool FC Forum

by **Cool Hand Luke** » Thu Dec 11, 2003 2:10 pm

Celtic got knocked out of the Champions League last night, and Houllier has had a warning this week from the Chairman.

I think maybe it is time to start putting this one in the pipeline Mr Moores, thats if it isn't already there?

Martin O'Neil coming to Liverpool, I think it may have started.

by **redandblue** » Thu Dec 11, 2003 2:32 pm

Unlikely. O'Neil has higher aspirations and Moores won't sack Houllier.

by **Cool Hand Luke** » Thu Dec 11, 2003 2:35 pm

Houllier's neck is on the line, and O'Neil must be sick of Celtic and there crustyness.

by **redandblue** » Thu Dec 11, 2003 2:48 pm

Here's a few reasons why he won't be joining us.

1 He wants the United job.
2 Celtic are better than Liverpool.
3 He is guaranteed a Champions League place with Celtic.
4 He is already managing a massive club (albeit in a poor SPL)
5 He is winning trophies.
6 Most importantly, Houllier will not be sacked by Moores.

by **JBG** » Thu Dec 11, 2003 5:33 pm

My 2 cents......

1. O' Neill would take the Liverpool job if it was offered to him.
2. O' neill would obviously take the Man UTD job ahead of the Anfield post if he had a choice, but Man UTD will want a bigger fish than O' Neill to keep the shareholders happy....someone like Capello, Erickson etc.
3. However, Moores will not sack Houllier.

by **Bring Dalglish back** » Thu Dec 11, 2003 6:13 pm

I'd love to see O'Neil as Liverpool manager. He has a great reputation in the game and would surely attract plenty of top-class players to the club, which would mean most of we could throw most of the rubbish in our team at the moment onto the scrap heap. O'Neil is passionate (not saying that Houllier isn't) and seems to have that added X-factor, which could bring OUR league title back to Anfield.
Also, O'Neil is not afraid of 'calling a spade, a spade', so if a player is having a bad day, he will tell them straight. Remeber when he was on the BBC panel during the last World Cup; he and Alan Hansen had some passionate exchanges of opinions.

by **greenred** » Thu Dec 11, 2003 6:18 pm

ferguson is keeping his seat warm for keane.Roy keane will be next manager of manure if ferguson has any say in the matter,with himself pulling the strings from above.Martin o neill will take the liverpool job if its offered at the right time,and thats the worry.liverpool will dither and we will miss out on the best man for the job.

by **redandblue** » Thu Dec 11, 2003 6:29 pm

I'll stick to what I said...........I don't think he'd take it. And I don't think that our Board would move swiftly enough to secure his services.

There was a deal being talked up in Glasgow last year.......Keane to go to Celtic as player/manager (or just manager) at the end of 2004/05. O'Neill to go to Old Trafford. The story is that the Irish backers want O'Neill there sooner than later. But Ferguson doesn't rate O'Neill. So the story goes.

It may be a load of nonsense. But it might not.

by **JBG** » Thu Dec 11, 2003 8:41 pm

redandblue wrote:O'Neill to go to Old Trafford. The story is that the Irish backers want O'Neill there sooner than later. .

Isn't it wierd that the major powers behind Manure are now two Irishmen and an American?

If JP McManus and John Magnier win control it is possible that they might have their eye on O' Neill.

However, who's to say what will happen if that American guy takes over of UTD.

I don't think UTD would gamble on Roy Keane as a manager. He has many obvious talents for management: passionate, ruthlessness and determination to win, but he has no diplomacy whatsoever, and every player that disagreed with him would be out the door.

by **THEBARON** » Thu Dec 11, 2003 9:53 pm

I think that O'Neill would be the best man to replace Houllier. Unfortunately I see 2 main obstacles
( 1 ) O'Neill himself. Will he actually take the job ? I've heard that he supported Liverpool as a kid and had a million and one confirmations that he's purchased property on the wirral but all this is pure speculation. The challenge of restoring Liverpool to their former glories would hopefully appeal to him and he would command the respect of the players but would he take it ? Is he Old Trafford bound ?
( 2 ) The Liverpool hierarchy. Messrs Moores and Parry will not get rid of Houllier now.
He will get until the end of the season to prove his worth and by then it could be too late. Most chairman judge their management on getting results and delivering what they promise - unfortunately Moores lacks the bottle and imagination to make that call now. This basic failure to act now will have serious implications for the future.

by **Bring Dalglish back** » Thu Dec 11, 2003 9:58 pm

I think you addressed a good point 'THEBARON' about O'Neil supposedly being a Liverpool fan earlier in his life. So was Kewell, who coincidently was rumoured to be going to Old Trafford but snubbed them for us. Could this be the case with the Celtic gaffe - a state of deja Vu maybe?

by **THEBARON** » Thu Dec 11, 2003 10:42 pm

I really do hope that O'Neill is our next manager but the doubts remain even if the childhood fan and property purchase stories are true. Prior to the recent announcements about Ferguson extending his reign I was convinced he was Old Trafford bound . That news gives me hope but in our current predicament perhaps Celtic are a better proposition. They will always be in contention for silverware and qualifying for the CL. Having said that they haven't done particularly well in it have they. Oh f##k i'd better stop now or I'll have doubts about O'Neill.

by **Owzat** » Fri Dec 12, 2003 11:33 am

redandblue wrote:Here's a few reasons why he won't be joining us.

1 He wants the United job.
2 Celtic are better than Liverpool.
3 He is guaranteed a Champions League place with Celtic.
4 He is already managing a massive club (albeit in a poor SPL)
5 He is winning trophies.
6 Most importantly, Houllier will not be sacked by Moores.

1. Didn't Ferguson just sign a contract extension. Considering he virtually retired a few years ago that is really quite a farce

2. There isn't much in it, Celtic were better than us last season but should really have got past Anderlecht and Lyon in the CL, arguments about penalties aside. They should have breezed past two of their opponents, I'd have fancied our chances in that group

3. He is guaranteed a chance at the Champions League, doesn't 2nd place in SPL face a play-off? (which they lost to Basle last year?) Fourth in the Premiership is equal tosecond in SPL in CL terms (if I'm not mistaken)

4. Not for the same reasons that Liverpool are a big club. It is easier to be a "big" club in Scotland than in England or several other countries

5. So are we, unfortunately ours aren't that impressive either. We won the UEFA Cup, they just reached the final. Not sure where I'd place the SPL in comparison with English trophies, probably on a par with the FA Cup

6. He may be on the way out by May (if Moores is true to his word). If we are well adrift towards the end of the season then hopefully we'll start looking around but I can't see any of the mediocrity in which we're stuck in the middle gaining too much of an advantage, although Fulham are three points ahead at the moment.

by **redandblue** » Fri Dec 12, 2003 11:55 am

erguson did sign a contract extension, but as we know, contracts are not worth the paper they are written on. Ferguson's contract was to keep the shreholders happy.

Clearly, the SPL is full of poor teams. But O'Neill has 60,000 punters turning up for every home game as well as big European nights. He is in charge of one of Europe's biggest clubs. I just don't think that the LFC job is attractive at the moment for him, and he may already have been given the nod on the United job. Roy Keane grew up supporting Celtic and still supports them. A switch to Parkhead would make a lot of sense, although I think that he would be a total liability as a manager.

We have fallen a long way. The draw for the last 16 is being made today. And we are not in it.

by **JBG** » Fri Dec 12, 2003 12:03 pm

1. Ferguson hasn't signed a new contract yet, and there's a rumour that from now on he will only get a 1 year roll over contract. He won't accept that. He has fallen out with John Magnier over the Rock of Gibralter and if Magnier and JP McManus end up taking control at UTD it could spell the end of Ferguson there......although a lot of this is merely speculation and it would be crazy to let Ferguson go.

2. If Ferguson gets the contract that he wants, he will stay at Old Trafford for another 3 years. I have a sneaking feeling that he might look for an extension in two years time (he has Bobby Robson written all over him). In that case, O' Neill will never get the Man Utd job.

3. If Ferguson goes early, O' Neill will be low down on UTD's list, as I predict they will go continental with their new manager. I think it will be a top name from Italian or Spanish football......look at how UTD have being taking on continental coaches lately.

4. Celtic are a better team than Liverpool, but they do not have better players. Balde is no Hyppia, Lennon no Gerrard, Larson no Owen. The reason why Celtic are a better side is because of O' Neill.

5. Where is the long term job satisfaction in beating Partick or Dundee 5-0 every week? O' Neill only has about 10-12 competitive games a season.....those against Rangers and those in Europe. At Liverpool he would have at least 40-45 competitive games a year.

6. He would get a massive contract at Liverpool, and probably have a guaranteed £10 to £15million a season to spend on players (more if they do well every year in the Champions League).

7. Even though we have fallen a long way behind our competitors there is still an aura of a "glory club" at Liverpool. We have an incredible, emotional history, and fantastic potential to rise again. O' Neill might like the challenge of awakening the sleeping giant.

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