David O'Leary

[RonManager]

That's top filtering

 

You notice the bloody filter didn't pick up 'bloody' !!!!!

[CB Fry]

George Graham and Howard Wilkinson both won the title during their managerial careers but I dont see a clamour for them. O' Leary spent an absolute fortune at Leeds and if memory serves, was responsible for many a big money signing at Villa; Bosko Balaban and Juan Angel being examples of his acumen when coming to picking up pricy players and getting the square root of sod-all out of them on the pitch.

 

Kevin Keegan left before getting Newcastle into the Champions League but he got them promoted and had them finish 6th, 3rd and 2nd before resigning. I'd wager he spent less than O'Leary at Leeds and had Newcastle playing infinitely better football. Yes, he didnt get them to the Champions League semi but following a favourable route and a couple of lucky results here and there, almost any side that competes in the competition is capable of a run to the latter stages.

 

His work at Leeds was decent but lets look at the young players at his disposal... Woodgate, Rio Ferdinand, James Milner, Alan Smith (when he looked like a young Alan Shearer), Harry Kewell, Paul Robinson etc... Not a bad batch of kids and as much as I'd like to think so, our crop of youngsters really arent of that ilk.

 

With regard to one of the worst managerial options out there, for a manager who has a consistent record of managing clubs with plenty of money to spend and having nothing to show for it, I would say he is one of the worst options. Would you trust him with a £15m transfer kitty? I know I wouldnt trust him with a £15 beer kitty.

 

As for transfer negotiations, its usually a managers job to give the chairman an idea of what would be required wage-wise to get them to move. Strachan used to when he was with us, I'd imagine O'Leary would do the same.

 

 

Bosko Balaban was famously a John Gregory signing, and Angel (who DOL didn't sign either) was a good player, so not sure what your point is there.

 

David OL was the man that promoted all the players you list into the first team. George Graham wasn't playing them. That's the point. DOL believed in them, and he made those kids, he made that team.

 

You can say "they were good anyway" but using that argument Man U could appoint me as manager tomorrow because "they're good anyway".

 

DOL I don't think even spent that much money at Villa as memory serves. And Risdale was to blame for the spending at Leeds.

 

To be honest, I don't even want DOL, not least because he has been out for a long time and is unproven at our level.

 

But he has a record that stands up against anyone, including Keegan who never did anything much in Europe.

 

But if he did take over at Saints, we'd stroll to the playoffs.