Is Martin O'neill Sunderland's Bobby Robson?

The day Sir Bob passed away I cried buckets. Why? To this day I don't know why.
I remember my missus looking at me and saying. "Why are you upset? He was Newcastle wasn't he?...
"Yes he was" I replied with venom. "It's bigger than bloody football (you stupid cow)"
He just had some magic within. Clough had it too, and so IMO has O'neill.

The futures bright...

 

Lets hope his first game is similar

 

Absolutely no comparison at all!!

 

I guess it'll be different for everyone. For me, no. Bobby Robson was a first-rate player, who came within two points of winning the double with West Brom in 1954 and went on to manage an England team that went to the World Cup semis and were probably the best team in it. Clough was so clinical in front of goal even the old greats like Shackleton were saying he'll become the greatest ever- but then he broke his leg and the dream was over. But then he managed Forest to two European Cup wins. Martin O'Neil wasn't a player of that class, and hasn't managed anyone to that level of success. So no, he falls short, I guess.

That doesn't mean he isn't very good though. I think he's all of that. And I'm very pleased he's come here.

 

This, can't compare Sir Bobby, one of the top 5 managers and men of all time, to a man with a good track record but a history spitting his dummy out. Huge difference between a good manager and a great manager.

 

Such a predictable response, but have to agree.

 

sorry, but nee comparison. sir bobby was one of the greatest that ever lived. and i mean humans in general, not football managers.


still chuffed about o'neill like

 

What do you expect? Should I say he's exactly the same? Sorry but I'm not comparing Sir Bobby to a bloke who spits his dummy out because his transfer budget wasn't £30m.

 

sorry, but nee comparison. sir bobby was one of the greatest that ever lived. and i mean humans in general, not football managers.


still chuffed about o'neill like

 

apparently i'm repeating myself. knew i shouldn't have drunk that bottle of turps.

 

Relax I'm not here for an argument, it's silly to compare the two at this stage just thought I'd see many comments like yours before I'd even finished reading the original post.

 

cloughie did break his leg.. he did his cruciate........

 

For me you can't compare the two, Sir Bobby was a true Gent, and a great manager. Mon has a lot to do if he wants to be on the same level, but having said that, he probably has the potential to do it.

 

I dont know how old you are cheiki but during thec 1986 world cup robson was villified by the media and the vast majority of the the english fans because they thought he was"clueless,Tactically innept and unable to change the game with substitutions".......( sounds familiar dont it cypro)..it took injuries to force his hand and a certain pedro and wingnut to provied the english team with some pride....Robson was a great bloke despite being from co durham and supporting the skunks...he was a good manager..but lets not rewrite history and mythologise the man....he would be the first to ask you to stop and get a life......what you could see in Robson was a man who lived breathed football like many of us who got the bug(or saw the light as i prefer the term)as a child.... he was lucky enough to make a living from what is essentially 22 blokes chasing a leather balloon around a field while onlookers shouted abuse....... but despite the dog eat dog an cinicism ridden professional game his enthusiasm shone through like a beacon and you know that he had a long and happy life doing something he would have paid someone else to allow him to do.........he's not the messiah but he was a credit to his Durham pit village beginnings and the game of football as a whole.

 

Your right mate, but I feel a lot of that second half of your post can't be said of O'Neill, he's just no SBR.

 

Not for me for one reason. For the last few years of SBR life I stood at just about every home game and applauded SBR into the SoL, for the last few months in his wheelchair.

I knew he was a Newcastle fan but neither I or anyone else saw that, we saw a gentleman who loved Newcastle but still liked us because we were a northeast football team, he was far bigger than just a Newcastle fan.

Now I stand every game and see Lady Elsie come in, always driven to the gates in a silver merc, with I guess her daughters, in she walks, smiling and keepeing SBR alive.

SBR belonged to us all, we all cried when he died and I just cant see there ever being a man who compares to him in any way.

 

Sir Bobby, the greatest that ever lived and Newcastle sacked him, he was better thought of on Wearside than he was on Tyneside, he was a Durham lad after all.

 

Maybe we can't compare SBR to MoN..I think its wrong to compare anyway. However, I do smile at all the Mags waxing lyrical about a man who was sacked after a section of their fans were booing him after a few games into the season. No doubt all our mag friends on these boards will say it wasn't them tho.

 

I know what your saying in the first part of this post but many great managers have tried and failed with England and will continue to do so. He still got us further than anyone since the 66 world cup and it hasn't been matched yet. It is his club record though that can't be argued with. If Brian Clough had of managed England and had similar success/failure, the media and fans would find reason to of pick his methods apart. That's England for you.

 

No surprise you would sink that low. I bet you never sang that disgusting song about him...