The fact that Aston Villa face Manchester United in the Carling Cup final tomorrow got me thinking, (dangerous I know!)
Will Martin O’Neill ever achieve greater success in his managerial career? For the Irishman it’s his third League Cup final, having already won the competition twice with Leicester City.
Trophies
However those two victories are the only trophies he’s won in England during his managerial career. He did win a glut of trophies in Scotland with Celtic, including three league titles and Scottish cups. Celtic are a massive club but within their own fishbowl environment.
Success
He has done a steady job at Aston Villa and they are now regular top six finishers. They have even threatened to bother the top four in the last few seasons. The questions are they ever going to be good enough to finish in that top four or are they always destined to finish outside the top four. They have a good chance of qualifying for the Champions League this season but I don’t think they will finish in the top four.
With Villa always finishing outside the top six will Martin O’Neill get frustrated and decide to move elsewhere. Would he ever be chosen to manage one of the big four? He has a strong personality and certainly wouldn’t be overawed by the task ahead of him at a bigger club. At 57 though his chance might have past and would any of those big four want the former Celtic boss in charge of their sides?
Style
Despite what Arsene Wenger says, Aston Villa are not just a long ball team but like every team can use that tactic very effectively. And Martin O’Neill always plays with a big man up front, to keep that tactic available to him. At Villa its John Carew or Emile Heskey and Heskey was also his key man in his successful spell at Leicester.
O’Neill has built a team capable of playing good passing football and are a good team to watch. They can mix up their style to good effect. They are also capable of beating any team on their day but they are just not consistent enough to challenge at the very top level.
Winner
He has always been a winner and in his playing days played under the late great Brian Clough at Nottingham Forest. He won everything while in Midlands including the European Cup and league titles. He obviously also learnt a lot under the great former Derby boss at the County Ground. Although he is a different character to Clough he obviously picked up some of his traits.
Stable
Villa are a good stable club who are doing well in the Premier League. However they haven’t got the spending power of the teams around them. The rise of Manchester City with their vast amount of money has made it harder for Villa to challenge for the top four even. The fact that Villa can’t compete could turn O’Neill’s head.
Good
Martin O’Neill is undoubtedly a very good manager. However he won’t be class as a great manager until he has his chance on the bigger stage. Until he wins the Premier League and manages in the Champions league he will always just be regarded as a good manager. Villa fans may disagree with that but managers who are considered modern greats have won league titles and European cups.
He may never achieve those feats with Villa and be consigned to being in that second tier of managers. If he was given a chance to win trophies at another club would he take? Only Martin knows the answer to that question. For now though Villa and O’Neill would just be happy to claim a Carling Cup final victory over Manchester United.
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