Premier League - Managers: O'Neill 'devastated'

Eurosport - Mon, 02 Mar 10:33:00 2009

Managerial reaction from Sunday's Premier League matches, with Aston Villa's Martin O'Neill "devastated" at his side's capitulation in the 2-2 draw with Stoke City.

FOOTBALL Aston Villa O'Neill - 0

Aston Villa 2-2 Stoke City

Martin O'Neill: "We were more than disappointed in the dressing room afterwards. In fact, everyone was devastated. We were in total control at 2-0 and with five minutes to go you should be able to see a game out. It didn't materialise and we have dropped two points. For the first time today I thought there was a degree of over-confidence about us.

"I just felt, having got the second goal, we should have been able to read the situation better and what might develop in the last couple of minutes. Once or twice we were still looking to play the sort of intricate football that got us 2-0 up instead of seeing the game out. It is a real disappointment."

Tony Pulis: "For long periods we were hanging on against a very good Villa side. In the first half we were very poor but that was down to me. We tried to eliminate their wide players but it just didn't work. We went back to a normal 4-4-2 and it was better in the second half.

"When John Carew scored, you think the game is over but we had five great chances in the second half and this is an important point for us. Everyone outside Stoke thinks we are the team that will get relegated. But we think we are going to stay up so the pressure is on everyone else."

Bolton Wanderers 1-0 Newcastle United

Gary Megson: "I do not want to harp on about it but we were in a mess 16 months ago. I think 22 players have left and maybe 10 or 11 have come in to replace them. We are actually in the black. We have to get it right on the football pitch and financially. I feel we are doing that but we can't afford to make too many mistakes financially. We can't go bananas in one go.

"We are doing a little bit better than last season and have the opportunity to finish strongly and I certainly hope we do that."

Chris Hughton: "I thought (J'Lloyd Samuel's) hands were out and it was one a lot of referees would have given. We gave a spirited performance and had better opportunities than Bolton.

"We just lacked a bit of guile and composure to break them down. The goal galvanised them a little bit but I felt we should have had something from the game."

Hull City 1-2 Blackburn Rovers

Phil Brown: "Geovanni (who reacted badly at being substituted) is not bigger than this football club, it is as simple as that. I don't think he was having a positive impact on the game, hence the first touch when he had an opportunity but didn't even get a shot off.

"I thought the match-winner on Thursday night was Nicky Barmby and I thought it was an opportunity for him to come on in the same position. As I see it, it was a positive impact he had. He will never do that to me again. It's quite simple, I am the manager."

Sam Allardyce: "We were getting to the stage of must-win football matches, to get three points on the board, none more so than after Middlesbrough's result yesterday, which put a little bit more pressure on us all.

"Today my players, the way they started, in possession weren't really using the ball correctly but once we got Stephen taking a very good chance, it gave us the confidence to go on."

West Ham 1-0 Manchester City

Gianfranco Zola: "That is the beauty of football. Sometimes if you have passion and if you have belief you can be successful and I think Jack Collison is an example of all of that.

"Jack is unbelievable, he's getting better and better. He's 19 and he's playing nearly every week. He's got a very good attitude and he is going to get better and better."

Mark Hughes: "It was frustrating because we created good chances in the game and there were long periods when we were in the ascendancy. The away form has been a concern all year. We have done better in recent games and we were excellent against Liverpool. In that game we scored first, we were quite comfortable in the game and we got a positive result.

"Today we haven't been able to get that positive result. Perhaps we've played a little too much like the home team on the road this year and we've been caught on the break. I think that happened again here."

Eurosport

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  1. MON was devastated, imangined how villa fans felt then?­ The last 15 mins before the end was just plain awful.­ The players were walking instead of running, lost­ possession of the ball when a simple ground pass was­ passed to them, and couldn't even clear the crosses­ coming in? What devastation is there to feel, when as­ the manager, MON should have changed tactics and placed­ more emphasis on holding onto the lead (3 points)­ instead?

    Knight was useless, slow and gutless, which­ allowed stoke to equalised when he did not block the­ shot, Gabby was a mere spectator, couldn't trap the­ ball, lossing possession, how else should MON expect­ the villa fans to feel? instead of going 8 points clear­ or the Arse, we blew it all away.

    WHAT A­ JOKE????

    P.S. I'm a villa fan, but the way they­ played put me to shamed. Getting paid so much to­ concede and draw clear cut winning games hardly­ justifies their salaries.

    From Sick of it all, on Tue 3 Mar 4:50AM

  2. We needed strong defensive stability in the last 10­ mins, instead we got another inexperienced weak­ performance from Knight and Davies. They sat way to­ deep against a long ball team and got penalised twice­ in 2 minutes. We needed a big man to push them out of­ our own box. January inactivity in that area of the­ field could cost us big time.

    From Vinnie, on Mon 2 Mar 2:24PM

  3. I share Martin's feelings. Thats how to be a good­ manager. Show some passion - not like that so and so­ Arsene Wenger who is just there for the money.The guy­ thinks that going unbeaten in the premier league 03/04­ is the ultimate. The players have all moved on and this­ old dude Arsene is just sitting there reminescing­ 03/04. Nobody can stand him anymore.
    Ifez.

    From Chukwuemeka, on Mon 2 Mar 11:01AM

  4. This is when villa start to slowly tumble and a dog­ fight for fourth will start, Man UTD will have some­ tired legs after that endrawling final, i'm a bit­ worried utd might have a bad spell on the way, Chelsea­ are keeping up the pressure.

    From Tom M, on Mon 2 Mar 10:41AM

  5. So much for resting key players mid-week. O'Neill­ may rue giving up on the UEFA Cup, for which the team­ had worked hard to gain access, with Arsenal and­ Everton both capable (on present performance and with­ key players to return from injury) of overhauling our­ present 4th place - could we end up in 6th place and­ have to do InterToto all over again next season­ (probably without Barry) ?

    O'Neill uses phrases­ such as "over-tired" and (now)­ "over-confident" - perhaps another phrase­ will haunt us at the end of the season­ "over-hauled"

    I think O'Neill needs to­ use the infamous 'hair dryer' treatment on the­ players and give them a much needed kick up the­ backside and remind them that you get nowhere in the­ Premiership without full commitment.

    From r.sollis, on Sun 1 Mar 9:48PM

  6. Villa will bounce back I assure everyone
    plus it was­ never a penalty thats why it wasnt given, stoke were­ lucky and were going to unleash our rage soon

    From sam.andrews91, on Sun 1 Mar 9:32PM

  7. villa were lucky not to have a player sent off and a­ penalty awarded to stoke...there was clearly a push in­ the back...

    From william, on Sun 1 Mar 8:35PM

  8. what is wrong with megson? why is he moaning about­ fiscal stability, players in/players out etc when­ they've just won a game of football and picked 3­ points up. no wonder bolton fans don't like this­ bloke, he seems to be looking for excuses even when­ they've won a game. i'm thinking of booking him­ as a motivational speaker NOT:-)

    From rhealey4422, on Sun 1 Mar 8:02PM

  9. Oh dear, looks like the Villa have vertigo.

    From Mark C, on Sun 1 Mar 7:55PM
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