Martin O'Neill and Roy Keane

[DeLorean]

What are the SWA awards?

[nigel-harps1954]

What are the SWA awards?

SWAI. Soccer Writers Association Ireland.

[OwlsFan]

Some very harsh comments about O'Neill on the RTE Website. https://www.rte.ie/sport/soccer/2018...e-job-reports/ Here is one for instance by Finto 23 who has got 27 likes for his comments:

"Rejected by Stoke shows precisely the calibre of manager we have. Stoke have rejected prehistoric, no-nonsense route one football in favour of a modern thinking, tactician who understands how developer a squad."

I might be wrong but didn't Stoke have Tony Pullis for a few years who kept them safe and sound in the EPL with his prehistoric, no-nonsense route one football. The Board got tired of that, despite an historic first FA CUP Final and European Football, and decided to appoint Mark Hughes to play a more expansive game which worked for a while until they now find themselves in the relegation zone !!

I'll be interested to see how this modern thinking tactician gets on at Stoke over the next 3 years. Meanwhile MON's achievements for Ireland are consigned to the dustbin and he is now just a "Stoke reject". Forget the halcyon days in France, the games against Germany and the wonderful wins in Austria and Wales. It never ceases to amaze me how quickly fans can turn on their manager.

[jbyrne]

Some very harsh comments about O'Neill on the RTE Website. https://www.rte.ie/sport/soccer/2018...e-job-reports/ Here is one for instance by Finto 23 who has got 27 likes for his comments:

"Rejected by Stoke shows precisely the calibre of manager we have. Stoke have rejected prehistoric, no-nonsense route one football in favour of a modern thinking, tactician who understands how developer a squad."

id say finto 23 was one of the first "fans" to moan on the same RTE website when the Denmark ticket public sale sold out after 2 mins thereby denying him the opportunity to get that all important "look at me at the match" selfie for his facebook page

[tetsujin1979]

The comments on RTE's articles make thejournal look like a hive of compassion

[seanfhear]

https://www.independent.ie/sport/soccer/international-soccer/martin-oneill-refuses-to-talk-to-media-at-awards-banquet-in-dublin-36483334.html

Martin not talking to the media .

[brine3]

Wales/Austria might have been favourable in the overall scheme of things, but they were ranked ahead of us very much on merit. They had both achieved things were could only dream about in the previous couple of years and were deserving of their high standing. Yet we still managed to out-perform both (or at least out-result them!).

I think you might be confused with the Austrian wunderteam of the 1930s.

[DeLorean]

I think you might be confused with the Austrian wunderteam of the 1930s.

Nope, the one that qualified for the Euros winning nine games in a row, beating Russia, Montenegro and Sweden (4-1) away from home. Does that sound like a typical (or even successful) Irish qualification campaign?

[Diggs246]

Mon back favourite for the stoke job

[Olé Olé]

Yup. Flores trained this morning. Did a press conference after and said he's going nowhere. Dan McDonnell saying on Twitter that O'Neill was in and out on the phone last night.

I considered would he be too proud to be second choice. But remembered he wasnt too proud to renege on a publicly announced verbal agreement so probably not.

[The Fly]

Yep, Flores has turned it down.....to the absolute disbelief of the brains on Sky's Soccer Saturday.

[Olé Olé]

Yep, Flores has turned it down.....to the absolute disbelief of the brains on Sky's Soccer Saturday.

Yeah. No real comprehension of the practicalities of it. The man is obviously enjoying life in beautiful Barcelona on a comfortable salary. He may even get a better paid job in Spain soon. Moving a family to a hole like Stoke.. why?

[The Fly]

Yeah. No real comprehension of the practicalities of it. The man is obviously enjoying life in beautiful Barcelona on a comfortable salary. He may even get a better paid job in Spain soon. Moving a family to a hole like Stoke.. why?

'Coz this is the Premier League...everyone in the world watches this innit?'

[ger121]

Yep, Flores has turned it down.....to the absolute disbelief of the brains on Sky's Soccer Saturday.

Guess he can’t do it on a cold wet Tuesday night in Stoke.

[seanfhear]

Yeah. No real comprehension of the practicalities of it. The man is obviously enjoying life in beautiful Barcelona on a comfortable salary. He may even get a better paid job in Spain soon. Moving a family to a hole like Stoke.. why?

Darn it . That Espanyol job sounds appetising alright .