David O'Leary

**Ol� Ol�** · 13/12/2011, 7:30 AM

I admired what O'Leary did in terms of squad development at Leeds. In fairness to him he was given a blank cheque book but he went out to spend it on the best young English talent that he felt was about at the time; Bowyer, Mills, Johnson, Bridges etc . And it did work for a period, especially when coupled with youth team products like Woodgate and Kewell and the addition of a bit of steel and experience in the likes of Batty and Wilcox (not sure did he sign all of those players). Two Irish full-backs also so he maintained a bit of loyalty to Ireland too.

He was very unlucky with injuries to some of the key players like Johnson and Bridges too.

**Fixer82** · 13/12/2011, 8:47 AM

Originally Posted by Ol� Ol�

Two Irish full-backs also so he maintained a bit of loyalty to Ireland too.

Let's not forget Stephen McPhail too!

**Lionel Ritchie** · 13/12/2011, 9:09 AM

Originally Posted by ArdeeBhoy

Well, yes. But he didn't have to ask for players he didn't need, eg. Robbie Fowler & Seth Johnson, to name but two...

Most Leeds fans hold him in contempt for his profligate spending which is good enough for me.

I happen to be a Leeds supporter AB and not for the first time or on the first thread you are certifiably, er, talking out your hole.

**ArdeeBhoy** · 13/12/2011, 10:24 AM

Originally Posted by Charlie Darwin

Seth Johnson was coveted by a lot of clubs. He was a spectacular failure but he's no different than Eric Djemba Djemba or Kleberson in that regard.

You are joking? He made Kilbane really look like Zidane. And Paul & Rob Green look like international footballers?

Originally Posted by Lionel Ritchie

I happen to be a Leeds supporter AB and not for the first time or on the first thread you are certifiably, er, talking out your hole.

Really? Do tell all the other times?

Clearly you know very little about how DO'L's regime is viewed now by most Leeds fans, though do admit there is an element

of selective amnesia.

But given the choice, even a CL Semi was not compensation for 3 years in Div.3, losing to Histon and currently being stuck with a chairman now, more despised than Fotherby & Ridsdale combined...

**nigel-harps1954** · 13/12/2011, 3:04 PM

Actually seen Seth Johnson playing a few months ago on TV for John Hartson cancer fundraiser. He's very overweight but jesus he can still play a bit of ball.

**Closed Account 2** · 13/12/2011, 3:43 PM

I wouldn't read too much into any manager's success (or lack of it) at Villa their fans are very fickle and seem to want every manager out.

**The Fly** · 13/12/2011, 5:55 PM

It was the 'Leeds on trial' book that did it for me.

**ArdeeBhoy** · 13/12/2011, 6:19 PM

That book could and should have been called "Tip Of an Iceberg", given how things unravelled thereafter for DO'L and Leeds Utd.

**theworm2345** · 13/12/2011, 9:20 PM

Two interesting quotes regarding Ridsdale in Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink's book

I would have preferred a nice farewell than the one the chairman Peter Ridsdale was willing to give me. He had a lot of power at Leeds United, but he spent money like water, money which belonged to the club. He travelled to matches on private jets, which cost the club �70,000 in one year, and spent more than �200 on tropical fish for the aquarium in his Leeds United office. That was the club's money, not his own. A few years later those stories became public but I had already left.

Peter Ridsdale loved publicity. I have never seen a chairman who was more in the news than his players. He ended up buying one centre-forward after another: Mark Viduka joined for �6 million, Robbie Keane for �12 million, then Robbie Fowler for �11 million. They also paid �18 million for defender Rio Ferdinand. They were throwing around money as if it was sand, even though the club's youth set-up was superb. Great young players like Alan Smith, Ian Harte and Jonathan Woodgate were all about to come through the ranks.

He doesn't mention anything about O'Leary and money but does say he was not hands-on at training.

**backstothewall** · 13/12/2011, 10:53 PM

Originally Posted by cfdh_edmundo

I wouldn't read too much into any manager's success (or lack of it) at Villa their fans are very fickle and seem to want every manager out.

I've followed Villa since the McGrath/Townsend/Houghton/Staunton days.

O'Leary was an unmitigated disaster. Any success he had was based on spending fortunes at Leeds. At Villa he had one 6th place finish, achieved in his first season on the back of Graham Taylor's hard work in turning round an ageing squad. It was all downhill from there.

When he left and O'Neill came in it wasn't a moment to soon. One of my best days watching the game. It was a galling experience seeing O'Neill on the Sunderland line on Sunday. How's that for fickle?

**geysir** · 14/12/2011, 10:19 AM

And MON never spent any money at Villa in order to build a squad that could finish in the top third?

Dave at Leeds should be judged on what he did with the cheques and the squad, not the fact that he was given the chequebook. However, he was always moaning that he did not have enough quality in the squad in order to compete. The story of the Leeds bubble was much bigger than our hapless Dave could author by himself.

**Charlie Darwin** · 14/12/2011, 12:13 PM

MON was the sixth-highest spender in the league and finished sixth every time. I think Leeds were top spenders while O'Leary was there.

**geysir** · 14/12/2011, 12:52 PM

I presume MON had more to spend at Villa than our Dave, to attain the dizzy heights of 6th place.
But If I was going to give a cheque book to a manager, I think I would trust MON's judgement better than DOL.

**Charlie Darwin** · 14/12/2011, 12:55 PM

Yep, O'Leary quit (or was pushed) right before Randy Lerner took over and ramped up the spending.

**Stuttgart88** · 14/12/2011, 2:17 PM

It's not just the headline spending amounts that MON inflated at Villa, he offered very generous salary packages too. Wages to turnover grew to dangerous levels. The Guardian wrote a piece about it. Lerner had enough and MON wasn't impressed so quit. That's how I remember it anyway.

**backstothewall** · 14/12/2011, 4:35 PM

Originally Posted by Stuttgart88

It's not just the headline spending amounts that MON inflated at Villa, he offered very generous salary packages too. Wages to turnover grew to dangerous levels. The Guardian wrote a piece about it. Lerner had enough and MON wasn't impressed so quit. That's how I remember it anyway.

I don't think the whole story ever came out. That version of events was widely reported, but money was made available for Houllier which would suggest there was more to it than that. Don't forget he signed Darren Bent, who as any Sunderland fan will tell you left because of the money he was offered at Villa. I'm sure he was on at least 35k at Sunderland, so there must have been money available at Villa.

O'Leary didn't help himself. He had a natural ability to pi5s people off. After he called the fans fickle he never got them back. He did make a few decent signings, but what credit he gained on the Martin Laursen swings, he more than lost on the Milan Baros roundabout. He also benefited greatly from Graham Taylor bringing through the likes of Darrius Vassell and Thomas Hitzlesperger from the Youth system. O'Leary also failed to give the FA Youth Cup winning side of 2002 the 1st teams opportunities they needed, with the exception of Steve Davis. (The Villa youth setup really was excellent back then)

**Lionel Ritchie** · 14/12/2011, 6:03 PM

Originally Posted by theworm2345

Two interesting quotes regarding Ridsdale in Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink's book

".... he spent money like water, money which belonged to the club. He travelled to matches on private jets, which cost the club �70,000 in one year..."

He doesn't mention anything about O'Leary and money but does say he was not hands-on at training.

That actually reads like Risdale was better with money than I remember. I don't think 70 grand a year would buy all that many flights on a private jet. That golfer chap from Dublin was on the late late a while back and he indicated without being specific that retaining the use of one for his professional and private needs ran to a seven figure sum annually.

**Junior** · 20/12/2011, 2:14 PM

Originally Posted by Stuttgart88

It's not just the headline spending amounts that MON inflated at Villa, he offered very generous salary packages too. Wages to turnover grew to dangerous levels. The Guardian wrote a piece about it. Lerner had enough and MON wasn't impressed so quit. That's how I remember it anyway.

Yep - MON rewarded his stalwarts well. Bobo Balde got a ridiculous 5 year contract on �28k a week up at Celtic. Whilst a firm fans favourite and a solid central defender (he wasnt a footballer) this was a ridiculous contract to award. It wasnt even like it was in the early years when there was some money floating around in the SPL and Celtic had signed the likes of Sutton, Hartson etc...This was around 2004/05. Anyway Balde largely sat out the last 3 years of his contract playing hardly at all. No one came in for him or could match his current contract and that was it.....Celtic were saddled with it until the day the contract expired in 2009.

Just one example I know but he does like to splash the cash if he can MON - He is not a 'on a shoe string' manager...not these days anyway.

**Yard of Pace** · 20/12/2011, 3:26 PM

I'd argue it's up to the chairman and directors to keep an eye on the money side of things. Managers are like your wife, they'll splurge every cent you have given half the chance.

**Junior** · 20/12/2011, 10:21 PM

I agree to a degree but managers are not 10 year old children. They are highly paid and have a resonsibility not only for the on field results but also for the welfare of the club they manage. It has to be a collective responsibility, though chairman/directors need to take the ultimate responsibility as they hire and fire the manager.