1 Apr 2013

'I'm shocked' - Angry Lawro warns that 'nonsense' decision will 'end in tears'

Liverpool legend Mark Lawrenson has slammed the sacking of Sunderland boss Martin O'Neill, and written off Paolo DiCanio's chances of making a positive impression at the Stadium of Light.

In his column for The Mirror today, Lawro called the decision to get rid of O'Neill 'nonsense', and warned Sunderland fans that they're in for a rough ride under the controversial DiCanio. He barked:

"I’m shocked by the sacking of Martin O’Neill.

"I’m not having any of this talk that the game has passed him by. The squad Martin inherited has just not been good enough.

"As for his replacement Paolo Di Canio – it will all end in tears in my opinion. Paolo is simply be an accident waiting to happen. A manager needs to exude positivity and responsibility. Di Canio exudes total unpredictability".


In 2007, former Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez parted company with his assistant manager Pako Ayestaran, which led to a noticable drop in performance from the team. Lawro believes that the loss of O'Neill's long-time assistant, John Robertson, may have had a similar impact:

"I wonder whether John Robertson has been the missing link for him. Robbo was the wise old head in that backroom team. He was O’Neill’s sounding board and I don’t think he was a yes man"

Reds legend Alan Hansen also slammed Sunderland, calling the decision a 'panic sacking', and he tipped the Wearsiders to go down. He told The Telegraph:

"If Sunderland thought they were in danger of going down at full-time against Manchester United, their chances of being relegated increased even further by sacking Martin O’Neill"

I'm a big fan of O'Neill, and in the past, I've regularly called for him to be given the Liverpool manager's job. In 2004, I wanted him to take over from Gerard Houllier, and in 2010, I called for O'Neill to be given the job ahead of Roy Hodgson.

Benitez went on to win the Champions League, and that is a superb achievement, but back in 2004, O'Neill was at the height of his powers, and that was the time to give him a crack at a top-four club.

O'Neill's time has passed now though, and I can't see him getting a chance at one of the big clubs. He'll undoubtedly be back, but it'll be at a smaller club like Wigan, Stoke City etc.

As for DiCanio - I don't think he'll save Sunderland, but it will be entertaining watching him try :-)



NOTE: Please stick to the Comment Policy (Click to read)


42 comments:

  1. o,niells just another over hyped british manager hes been average at every club hes been at but because hes british the media has a big love in with him and try,s to make a legend out of a myth

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  2. This league needs more crazy Italian managers.

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  3. And more Holloway esque managers.

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  4. This league needs more crazy Italian and Holloway esque managers.

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  5. Sorry, but that's nonsense. When you look at what O'Neill has achieved with various clubs vs. the resources available, it's clear he is a first class manager (Sunderland aside)

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  6. First class manager at his level,and with a pot of cash to spend.Never good enough to manage at the top.

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  7. Critical realism about LFC.

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  8. and when the going got tough he was always found wanting because hes british we try and make him better than he his or ever as been, same as all the average overhyped british players hes had limited success fair enough he won a few things in the two horse race that is scottish football but that is about it

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  9. Stop posting utterly pointless comments like the one I just deleted. If you're going to snipe, then you'll quickly end up banned. If you don't like it here, go elsewhere.

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  10. Being Irish, I wish the SFAI would sack Trapattoni immediately and give O'Neill the job. I think it's a good option for him and perfect timing for both manager and country. IMO. Am sure alot of Irish fans would love to have him.

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  11. sunderland have a very poor team very inconsistant they are rubbish players not o neils fault.........................................................................................................................................

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  12. It is at this stage of the season it's a stupid decision,but I've never alluded to the thinking of o'neil being a great manager. He made leicester into a decent cup team couldn't fail at Celtic and despite spending a lot of money at Villa they weren't great,give it to young & agbonlahor who were both overated headless chickens or lump it up to Carew or heskey.the best player under him was Martin laursen.he's just another Hodgson thank god he didn't end up at Liverpool we didn't need another Roy

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  13. and he won 2 league cups out of 3 final appearances with Leicester and had them top half of the prem (with little or no cash) !!!! and he won stuff at Wycombe too altho it was at a much lower level but to say he only won things at Celtic is untrue and he got Celtic to a Uefa cup final.. He did a great job at Celtic and with Villa (with cash) but he seems to have lost his spark lately. Di Canio should liven the prem up.

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  14. iam not saying he was not a decent manager what iam saying is to listen to the hype about him you would think he was a genius if he had not been british the hype would have been a lot less,i for one am glad he never came to anfield but who knows he may have been a success

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  15. why do people always blame the players are the managers paid to do nothing he bought a lot of the rubbish players he has to take some of the blame

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  16. WHAT WAS THE POINTLESS COMMENT?

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  17. I totally agree with you Jamie. I always backed Benitez back in 04 but after him I really wanted O'Neil. I think part of it was that O'Neil announced he was quitting Villa a week after the appointment of Roy (I'm sure if it was a week earier, Roy would have been overlooked). I've always rated him because he took an obscure Villa side and turned them into a really dangerous team on a shoestring budget. And unlike many managers who can only do that for one season before they're back in a religation dog fight be was consistently in the top half of the table. Definately a mistake Sunderland will rue

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  18. oneil splashed out big bucks on Johnson ( we dodged a bullet there ) and others at Sunderland ...if im honest i like the guy but his time has come and gone, he used to be entertaining now he comes across as slightly bitter.......thing is with the pay off they get hes laughing all the way to the bank

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  19. he spent 120m in 4 years at villa jk its hardly chicken feed

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  20. Personally I didnt think he was a genius. I just thought there was a time, if given the chance, that he had the potential to be a top class manager at a top 4 club but he never got that chance in the Prem and now that time has past him. Maybe I was wrong to think that tho.

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  21. lol does it remind you of anyone give you a clue hes been given a massive chance;-)

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  22. Maybe this will put an end to the British media's bizarre love affair with O'Neill.
    A good manager, but Christ almighty, you'd pick up a red-top and think you were reading about the second coming whenever MON took a job.
    I don't want to sound bitter though. I'm sure he will do a better job at his next club, though it is difficult to see where he would go.
    That said, I think more or less any non-top 6 club would likely love the chance to employ O'Neill. You have only to look at how well Bruce is doing now to infer that maybe there is some sort of difficulty with the players or behind the scenes that seems impeding progress.

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  23. He didn't do it on a shoestring budget, but he did a good job all the same.

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  24. I never understood why anyone thought he was good in the first place.

    Dont get me wrong the Di Canio thing will end in tears,however Jaimie I never shared your views on O Neil.

    The only stardust he has is that he was managed by one of the greatest managers in Brian Clough.

    I found his style of football very boring and hoofish from back to front.

    I
    can't say I'll miss him and frankly speaking there are younger managers
    that deserve a opportunity O Neil has had plenty of chances

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  25. At villa his team did great until Christmas and then blew up in the New year, they never went the distance. 6 years ago I would have said he's a good manager but never a great one. With him in.charge I always felt you would get a top ten finish and a good cup run.

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  26. I'd love it if Di Canio managed them to safety and Newcastle got relegated, purely for the hilarity of it all.

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  27. M Mahboob Hossain5:28 am, April 02, 2013

    When EPL started 20 years back, there were 22 British Managers, now there are only 10 & apart from SAF, only British Manager taking an EPL club to CL in this millenium once was 64 years old Redknapp. England is the only elite Football team, who hired foreigners as National Manager twice & in between when FA appointed a local (Brit), they failed to qualify for EURO. Now Woy is the Manager & England must pray that they don't fail to qualify WC '14 directly, in what arguably is the easiest of groups - because France, Portugal & Denmark might be waiting for them.

    British Managers are over hyped, over praised & over paid. De Canio might have other issues, but tactically he is a far better choice. If S'land drops out, they 'll have better chance to come back in PPL under De Canio than MON, whose team never played attractive, neither effective football.

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  28. Let me get straight that I rate o'Neill and that I think this sacking is ridiculous. Having said that, to say that it is the squad that is the problem, is rubbish. o'Neill has been at Sunderland since 2011 and the players are in the squad because he wants them there. I always felt that his leaving Villa was a bit odd. He was doing well there, had stabilized the club and then you leave because of your transfer budget only to go to Sunderland which is in a similar position? As it turns out, it would have been better for all involved if they had worked it out at that time. I've always been against having him as a Liverpool manager though. I don't like the type of football his teams play and even though I love Celtic, and he did well with them, it wasn't always easy on the eye. In that respect we're lucky to finally have a manager now who also believes the beautiful game needs to be played in a beautiful way.

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  29. Always thought MON was over rated. Saying that sacking him at this stage of the season is a bad move by Sunderland.

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  30. Unfortunately for you he's NORTHERN Irish and when he is ready to manager an international team it will be his own country.

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  31. AndWithSuchSimplicity12:26 pm, April 02, 2013

    Looking forward to Di Canio at Sunderland, especially if they could sneak a win against the Barcodes and put them in trouble.
    He was a brilliant player for Celtic and West Ham and I think he'll be a breath of fresh air.
    Wonder if he'll push Fergie one day and we can watch a slow-mo fall like he did with that ref.......????? ;)

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  32. He's not English he IRISH

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  33. He's a long ball dinosaur who's been found out tactically. Doesn't know how to rotate a squad...Sunderland's form has been poor for a year now and is worsening. Thank goodness LFC never entertained him for the manager's job - that would have been a catastrophe.

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  34. Theycallmemrburt2:30 pm, April 02, 2013

    O'neil has the worst scouting network I have witnessed. If he is not given millions to buy drab English players he makes no impact in the transfer market whatsover. Leicester was a long time ago, the game has changed and evolved and left this football dinasour and his English based scouting netword on the football scrap heap. glad we never got him.

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  35. i never said english i said british and without getting into a political debate irish is british to me

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  36. Stephen, I can't for the life of me see what him being Northern Irish has to do with him not taking the Ireland job. Where is Trapattoni from? Where is Capello from? Also, how do you know that 'when he is ready to manage an international team it will be his own country'??? Did he say this before? If so, where?

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  37. You say that Irish is British to you and that you don't want get into a political debate, in the same sentence??? Hahaha. In fairness, considering what you usually say in your comments, I really would not expect anything less from you.

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  38. look mate if you want to talk about politics and religon find someone else because imo nothing is more boring they both only bring war and depression

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  39. I realise your history books may be flawed, but my country was a 5000 year old civilisation before the English invaded 800 years ago.
    How you can even think what you do is beyond belief. An awful lot of people have died for less than what you typed.
    If you really are totally ignorant of the facts, it really is best to keep quiet. You will do very well not to be reported for inciting hatred.

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  40. how iam i inciting hatred i just think politics and religon are the main cause of mans problems weather it be in your country or else were in the world

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  41. Did I mention religion? Did I mention politics? NO, you did. I did not suggest nor do I want talk/debate about either. I merely remarked about your style of commenting and 'enjoyed' the AMAZING honesty. People make me laugh everyday but today it was you. Thank you

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  42. sorry m8 hope you enjoyed your laugh :-)

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