I want to say to all of you who are going on Sunday, I am so jealous of you. I wish I had the magic carpet here to whisk me down the road. Until I got the news that I am due in hospital again for a test next Thursday, all I have thought about was Martin and Sunday. This is an exciting period to be a supporter. Where will Martin lead us, to the golden heights or another 7 day wonder?
We seem to of had a lot of seven day wonders recently, from the demise of Peter Reid through to Bruce. Some have had initial success but did not last, others just down right useless. I do think that Martin will prove to be successful, eventually. The best we can expect this season is not to be relegated & maybe end up around 10th again. I hope this time our manager will build on the team we have, instead of buying a new team every season. Let's get one thing straight, Martin does not have a magic lantern that he can rub for a Genie to appear and make the team Champions League contenders. I know it is Christmas time but that only happens in pantos & we don't want any more at SAFC, we have had enough pantos there. He has the same pool of players that Bruce & Black had, the same lack of strikers & creativeness. That means that Sunday will not be a walk over, we need to win and I think we will but it may not be pretty.
I have watched the 2 interviews that Martin did yesterday, that are on SAFC TV and I liked what I saw. Two things struck me. The first was Martin said we are in a win business and secondly a club of our size should have expectations. It was because we were a big club with expectations that he came to us. Contrast that to Bruce, the expectations of the fans were putting too much pressure on the him and the players. Bruce could not see that he was in the 'win business' too and it was because we were not getting wins that the fans were putting pressure on him. I think that Martin knows the pressure that fans exert, after managing Celtic. There maybe only 2 clubs who will win the league in Scotland but with crowds of 60,000 every home game, that is pressure. Meeting your deadliest rival atleast 4 times a season and these games are more vicious than any game anywhere, that is pressure from fans. Every other team in the Scottish Premiership wanting to beat you and it being like a cup-tie, Martin experienced and has dealt with it. Also being a fan in the 50' & 60's he will remember the teams of Hurley & Mullhall, etc and the passion and love he as a fan had. Knowing the traditions helps a manager understand the club and its supporters. He is also too well aware that if he does not get results, him being a fan in his youth will not matter one jot. The fans will want him out, just as we wanted Bruce out but we gave Bruce 2 1/2 years.
What should we expect of the team in the following weeks. Firstly as I said no miracles. Hopefully we will see the work rate increase from player like Bendtner, he was a disgrace on Sunday. If he expects to get into a Champions League team playing like that then he is deluded. The problem is that he is the only 'experienced' striker we have and so have to play him. In his interview Martin said he would be relaying on his experienced players. Well we do have a squad full of them now and so that gives little indication of who he intends to play, except that he will not revert to a team of youngsters.
I don't think that in January we can expect a large intake, Short has not promised him a war chest. I am sure a new striker will come in and maybe someone for the left but that will be it. Maybe more of a turnaround in August, once O'Neil has had time to try to work his magic on the current squad and found out who or where is wanting.
As for Saturday, I have no idea of who will be in the team on Sunday. Will Martin play 4-4-2, 4-5-1 or what is Martin's favourite is 3-5-2. If 3-5-2 then maybe the team would be Westwood (almost a given now), O'Shea, Turner, Brown. Midfield of Larsson, Gardner, Vaughan, Sess, Richardson or Colback. I would go for Noble & Bendtner, the young lad does need more of a chance than the last 3 minutes of a game that is lost.
While the Blackburn game is a can't lose, we must attack. We can't go in with the negative attitude of the Wigan game. With the voice of O'Neil saying in Vaughan & Gardner ears, "come on lads, this is your chance to prove yourselves, forget the past", we may see what they are capable of. This goes for the rest of the team, mind that does not mean that what they are capable of is good enough. The young spirit of Noble & the old heads of O'Shea & Brown at the back I think we have a good chance of wining.
I do hope that the stadium is full or as close to full as possible. We want a great atmosphere. We need to show Martin & the new players what the stadium can be like when full and all the fans are on top form. Let's rock the roof and sing for
Here we go then
We seem to of had a lot of seven day wonders recently, from the demise of Peter Reid through to Bruce. Some have had initial success but did not last, others just down right useless. I do think that Martin will prove to be successful, eventually. The best we can expect this season is not to be relegated & maybe end up around 10th again. I hope this time our manager will build on the team we have, instead of buying a new team every season. Let's get one thing straight, Martin does not have a magic lantern that he can rub for a Genie to appear and make the team Champions League contenders. I know it is Christmas time but that only happens in pantos & we don't want any more at SAFC, we have had enough pantos there. He has the same pool of players that Bruce & Black had, the same lack of strikers & creativeness. That means that Sunday will not be a walk over, we need to win and I think we will but it may not be pretty.
I have watched the 2 interviews that Martin did yesterday, that are on SAFC TV and I liked what I saw. Two things struck me. The first was Martin said we are in a win business and secondly a club of our size should have expectations. It was because we were a big club with expectations that he came to us. Contrast that to Bruce, the expectations of the fans were putting too much pressure on the him and the players. Bruce could not see that he was in the 'win business' too and it was because we were not getting wins that the fans were putting pressure on him. I think that Martin knows the pressure that fans exert, after managing Celtic. There maybe only 2 clubs who will win the league in Scotland but with crowds of 60,000 every home game, that is pressure. Meeting your deadliest rival atleast 4 times a season and these games are more vicious than any game anywhere, that is pressure from fans. Every other team in the Scottish Premiership wanting to beat you and it being like a cup-tie, Martin experienced and has dealt with it. Also being a fan in the 50' & 60's he will remember the teams of Hurley & Mullhall, etc and the passion and love he as a fan had. Knowing the traditions helps a manager understand the club and its supporters. He is also too well aware that if he does not get results, him being a fan in his youth will not matter one jot. The fans will want him out, just as we wanted Bruce out but we gave Bruce 2 1/2 years.
What should we expect of the team in the following weeks. Firstly as I said no miracles. Hopefully we will see the work rate increase from player like Bendtner, he was a disgrace on Sunday. If he expects to get into a Champions League team playing like that then he is deluded. The problem is that he is the only 'experienced' striker we have and so have to play him. In his interview Martin said he would be relaying on his experienced players. Well we do have a squad full of them now and so that gives little indication of who he intends to play, except that he will not revert to a team of youngsters.
I don't think that in January we can expect a large intake, Short has not promised him a war chest. I am sure a new striker will come in and maybe someone for the left but that will be it. Maybe more of a turnaround in August, once O'Neil has had time to try to work his magic on the current squad and found out who or where is wanting.
As for Saturday, I have no idea of who will be in the team on Sunday. Will Martin play 4-4-2, 4-5-1 or what is Martin's favourite is 3-5-2. If 3-5-2 then maybe the team would be Westwood (almost a given now), O'Shea, Turner, Brown. Midfield of Larsson, Gardner, Vaughan, Sess, Richardson or Colback. I would go for Noble & Bendtner, the young lad does need more of a chance than the last 3 minutes of a game that is lost.
While the Blackburn game is a can't lose, we must attack. We can't go in with the negative attitude of the Wigan game. With the voice of O'Neil saying in Vaughan & Gardner ears, "come on lads, this is your chance to prove yourselves, forget the past", we may see what they are capable of. This goes for the rest of the team, mind that does not mean that what they are capable of is good enough. The young spirit of Noble & the old heads of O'Shea & Brown at the back I think we have a good chance of wining.
I do hope that the stadium is full or as close to full as possible. We want a great atmosphere. We need to show Martin & the new players what the stadium can be like when full and all the fans are on top form. Let's rock the roof and sing for
Martin O'Neil's Red & White Army.
Here we go then
Ha'waaaaaaayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy
the Lads
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