Another note to AVB: look and learn from O’Neill. As a former law student, O’Neill knows that so much is in the message, in the summing-up.
When Ashley Young was under O’Neill’s command at Aston Villa, the winger often returned from England training a chastened figure, feeling as if he didn’t belong among the stars.
O’Neill would laud Young, even comparing his free-kicks to Diego Maradona’s. Reading the lavish headlines lifted Young.
Villas-Boas doesn’t like talking about players but he could easily have enthused about David Luiz without vilifying Neville or Alan Pardew. Criticism? Rise. Above. It.
Another note to AVB: look and learn from O’Neill. As a former law student, O’Neill knows that so much is in the message, in the summing-up.
When Ashley Young was under O’Neill’s command at Aston Villa, the winger often returned from England training a chastened figure, feeling as if he didn’t belong among the stars.
O’Neill would laud Young, even comparing his free-kicks to Diego Maradona’s. Reading the lavish headlines lifted Young.
Villas-Boas doesn’t like talking about players but he could easily have enthused about David Luiz without vilifying Neville or Alan Pardew. Criticism? Rise. Above. It.
O'Neill is not generally regarded as a particularly astute tactician, but there has already been a change in the way Sunderland play – from a man who got the best out of players such as Steve Guppy, Didier Agathe and Ashley Young at Leicester City, Celtic and Aston Villa respectively, he likes his sides to play with width.
In the win over Blackburn, Sunderland attempted more crosses than any other side in a single game since Liverpool's win over Stoke in 2008-09, and 92% more than in their previous home game against Wigan, Steve Bruce's last match in charge of the club.