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O'Neil In, Out and Shaking it all about

PuntsWolf said:
Whether he’s been led down a garden path or not. He’s orchestrated a departure to get a pay off. He could have just walked…Or just knuckle down…

Instead he’s costing us the same as a very good signing would (no idea if manager sackings count to FFP?)

Ideas way above his station.
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I agree he was a bit dickish about it, but I think he did accept a lower pay off due to the FFP troubles (happy to be corrected if wrong) and he stuck around to keep the players fit and ready until we found someone else. Him and his coaching staff were on £10m per season - I wonder if Gary and co are on even a third of that.

As I’ve said elsewhere, he’d pretty much burnt his bridges here and people I’ve spoken to aren’t hugely complimentary after the way he fucked the club about - staying, going, staying, and then gone - and his general demeanour, particularly after losses. Similarly I’m sure Lop wouldn’t speak highly due to the lies he was told either.

Fortunately, O’Neil has done better than any of us expected so we haven’t suffered too badly for both sides making mistakes/acting out and losing us probably the best managerial appointment in our modern times. In my mind it’s Lopetegui’s loss anyway as he’d have had a good season with this lot. Maybe not his perception of a good season but certainly ours.
 
Deutsch Wolf said:
He shouldn't have any payoff. He resigned.

And those chats with Balague were a disgraceful way to conduct himself. I don't want an Iberian Harry Redknapp whining to his mates in the media, thanks.
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I entirely agree. He played a dirty card and it didn’t work. He thought his reputation meant the board would bow to what he wanted.
 
And let’s be honest, he’d have been gone the first sign of a European club/clubs with those ambitions who required less work than we do. Ballague was touting him for Spurs about a week after the season ended.

Not saying O’Neil won’t jump at the chance of a “big job” but he’s quite far from having the pedigree just yet.
 
Deutsch Wolf said:
He shouldn't have any payoff. He resigned.
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Football contracts are odd but I guess in his case he would class it as he signed a contract based on falsehoods. The 2nd change in plan came quickly after he had agreed to carry on after the initial change.

We did manage to sort out an agreement that he could leave and he got a part pay off.
 
I think it’s the circus that was created that made me more bitter to Lopetegui. Absolutely zero need to conduct an interview where he called out the board despite his frustrations. I remember a Johnny Phillips article in the summer where he said Nuno had similar problems of plans changing/funds being rescinded but he cracked on.
 
The stuff with GB was bollocks and a dick move.
No better than Lambert.

I get why he was fucked off. He wasnt here to get a mid table finish and we messed him around then doubled down on it.
We have lost 2 managers because of shite behind the scenes.
 
Kenny said:
The stuff with GB was bollocks and a dick move.
No better than Lambert.

I get why he was fucked off. He wasnt here to get a mid table finish and we messed him around then doubled down on it.
We have lost 2 managers because of shite behind the scenes.
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Yes, I get it too - but his conduct could have been better I think. I did like him a lot but he lost a lot of respect from me for the GB interview, and comments around and about the squad at that time.

Let’s just hope we don’t lose a third manager by ducking around.
 
We've kind of sorted the financial hole with transfers now (negative net spend since June 2022, just about). So that shouldn't be an issue. Fund the club properly, using money that's the club's own money anyway, and leave Hobbs to run the football side. And that'll be fine.

We'll have to take a big hit on Guedes and Fabio but then don't spend £60m+ on someone who's complete wank and an untried kid.
 
Same as with Nunes, there's a HUGE difference between treating the club (any club) as a stepping stone and treating it like a doormat. After the Balague interviews I entirely soured on Lopetegui.
 
His conduct is balanced out though.

Dick move with GB versus staying on and preparing the team in full.

After the Celtic game where he decided that's it, he could have walked and left any pay off arguments to his legal team. Instead GO walked into a well drilled team that were ready to go at Old Trafford
 
Fair

And Nunes is paying us back in his own, strange way by being mostly rubbish for City.
 
Wolvensam said:
he stuck around to keep the players fit and ready until we found someone else.
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I think this is blown way out of proportion. He was turning up to work doing the job he was paid very handsomely to do. Not exactly doing anyone a favour! He was just waiting for the payout!

With him knowing he was leaving do we really think he was going above and beyond? Which at this level is what is needed. Do we think the players would have been going above and beyond too? Balance of probabilities is no to both.
 
PuntsWolf said:
I think this is blown way out of proportion. He was turning up to work doing the job he was paid very handsomely to do. Not exactly doing anyone a favour! He was just waiting for the payout!

With him knowing he was leaving do we really think he was going above and beyond? Which at this level is what is needed. Do we think the players would have been going above and beyond too? Balance of probabilities is no to both.
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The players were fit and ready for Man Utd.

Lop could've walked after Celtic and left us in the complete shit without a manager or coaching staff. Don't kid yourself how important that is.

Edit: What Kenny said
 
He would have got a pay off if he had stopped after the Celtic game. Not as simple as quit get nothing. The circumstances gave his legal team an easy win if he wanted.

When he stayed he wasn't going through the motions either. The pre season game ahead of him officially leaving showed us all the players were being well prepared and happy (and they would have known something was going on).

He walks and we are probably back to Steve Davis taking training for 2 vital weeks and what GO walked into would have been very different.

He wanted out and got that but he wasn't a complete dick about it. Not perfect by any stretch but his actions after confirming he wanted out at least left us on a decent footing to start the season.
 
The Prem is a big step up from Ligue 1 so I think it's fair to expect some iffy performances from him as he gets used to things. He's shown more than enough flash and strength to suggest he can be a very good player in this league, IMO.
 
He at least looks like he gives a shit, which is the bare minimum you want in any player
 
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