Should Martin O’Neill stay or should he go?
The future may look a little clearer after Reading have been to the Stadium of Light on Tuesday night. But no matter what the result, the answer to the latter should be a resounding no.
Even Alan Shearer has a theory on O’Neill’s immediate future. And the former Newcastle United manager, who knows a thing or two about the pain and humiliation of relegation and sackings, says Tuesday night’s clash could be make or break for Sunderland and their manager.
Feeling the heat: Sunderland have won just two of their last 23 league gamesIt’s a must-win but then O’Neill has been saying for weeks that it is a will-win. Sunderland’s season will take on a very different look when they have played this game in hand. They could in fact be just a point behind Newcastle after it, which pretty much sums up how the region’s season has gone so far.
Two wins in 23 games is a dreadful record for any team and for O’Neill and Sunderland, on Saturday, it took them into the bottom three.
His record since the start of the season is worse than Steve Bruce’s a year ago, which led to his sacking, and has seriously started to undermine O’Neill’s relationship with the club’s supporters. According to Shearer, if he was a Geordie, O’Neill would have been sacked by now.
Thankfully, there are saner voices in the Sunderland boardroom and owner Ellis Short, who made O’Neill his first solo appointment, remains supportive of a manager who has historically taken a little time to warm to his tasks.
At Leicester and Aston Villa in particular, working in periods of relative calm by comparison, O’Neill did not make spectacular starts and the clubs’ fans took time to warm to him.
Well beaten: Chelsea won 3-1 at the Stadium of Light last weekendAt Sunderland, where he was the popular choice which many had waited aeons to see, O’Neill made an incredible start. This season, especially after the considerable investment in Steven Fletcher and Adam Johnson, that popularity has waned.
They have not played particularly well, but they are playing better. His perseverance with Johnson is paying off and others in a similar position, most notably James McClean and Stephane Sessegnon need to repay the loyalty and patience O’Neill has shown them.
Sunderland are not scoring goals, but there are teams who have scored fewer, and conceded more. And they have not had many shots, although that is also improving slowly. They are not winning matches, and if they can’t beat one of the two sides below them for the second time in a fortnight, then, yes, they are in trouble.
But it would still be absolutely nonsensical to sack Martin O’Neill.
First of all, what’s the alternative? Who can they turn to? Who can they hire to change the mentality and ability of a group of players mainly hired by Bruce? Let’s just remember who was No 2 in the race a year ago. Mark Hughes.
Out of sorts: McClean has had a poor season More from Colin Young... Northern Exposure: Sunderland are still a club in transition with Paolo Di Canio ready to instill radical changes 15/05/13 Pardew denies Newcastle rift as Di Canio calls for 'nice' Sunderland to develop an edge... but both are at risk of relegation 03/05/13 Northern Exposure: How long can Di Canio's Sunderland honeymoon last? 23/04/13 NORTHERN EXPOSURE: Paolo and Pardew ride the North-East rollercoaster... but is one of them heading for oblivion? 17/04/13 Northern Exposure: It's nearly time for the Tyne-Wear derby but who are the 22 players that Pardew and Di Canio should select? 10/04/13 Northern Exposure: Sunderland can't sweep this furore under the carpet, it would never have happened under Quinn's watch 03/04/13 Northern Exposure: Newcastle are flying in Europe but the main talking point is Pardew's beard! 14/03/13 Northern Exposure: The Toon Army are set for another long Europa League trip this week... but so are their opposition 05/03/13 Northern Exposure: Boro's form went down with the Christmas decorations leaving promotion hopes hanging by a thread 27/02/13 VIEW FULL ARCHIVEWhat Sunderland needs is a period of serious stability. If Ellis Short is serious about building a football club and making Sunderland contenders for Europe (and that is his ambition) then he needs someone like O’Neill at the helm and he needs to continue to show his support, even when the ship is rocking in storms such as this one.
Far be it from me to suggest that Newcastle United is the business plan Sunderland should follow, as eight years for any manager seems to be an extreme, but the contract that Alan Pardew signed this season does offer him the security to build a football club, not just a team, and to look beyond this season, and the next, and the one after that.
It is six years ago today since Pardew parted company with West Ham. And look what happened to that club and Pardew since. On reflection, owners who thought they knew better made the wrong call that day, smashing any foundations they were trying to build. Newcastle have not made that mistake. And Sunderland shouldn’t now.
They have not won a thing since Bob Stokoe (a Geordie) in 1973, but have a manager who can win trophies and has done it, eventually, at his clubs in the past.
Yes he’s quirky, his methods may floor his players as much as his old mentor Brian Clough once did. He’s not just old school but university and masters degree too.
But he has an idea of what is needed at a club which clearly means a great deal to him and runs through his blood already.
O’Neill is just about the closest thing Sunderland have to a Messiah. And even they have their bad days, weeks, months (or periods of 23 games).
Should he stay or should he go? Don’t be daft.
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