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As Martin O’Neill watched over his new charges from the Director’s Box at Wolves, he will have been dismayed to see Sunderland clinch defeat from the jaws of victory, and will now be even more aware of the size of the task he faces in rebuilding a team that was flirting with the upper echelons of the Premier League just a year ago.

The former Aston Villa boss must be concerned at the way the Black Cats wilted instantly after Sebastian Larsson missed a penalty which would have given his team a 2-0 lead with just a quarter of the game remaining. Instead, two quick-fire Stephen Fletcher goals sealed another defeat, and it’s far from the first time that Sunderland have frozen in the headlights this season. Indeed a disconcertingly similar turnaround at home to Wigan last week did for former manager Steve Bruce, the first of two defeats which leave Sunderland languishing in 17th place in the league with just 11 points from 14 games.

But that the Black Cats greatest fault this season has been a lack of spirit and composure when in winning positions should be encouraging for O’Neill, the man charged with turning around fortunes on Wearside. Fighting spirit is the last thing that the former Nottingham Forest player can be accused of lacking. The sight of him bouncing around, enacting every kick and every header from the touchline from first minute to last, is one for which many Aston Villa fans will now be yearning.

If he can instill the same energy and verve into his Sunderland team then they should climb the league quickly.

But the task ahead of the Northern Irishman isn’t a simple one. Although Sunderland are decent on the break, with the pace and craft of Keiran Richardson and Stephane Sessegnon a particular threat, this is not a side that looks as though it knows how it should be playing.

It’s true that, largely brought together during the summer transfer window, the current crop of players do not know each other well. But Manchester City have proven that unfamiliarity need not be a barrier to success – albeit that a bunch of unfamiliar superstars have an unfair advantage.

Their real problem is a lack of identity. It looks as though Steve Bruce signed a group of players without really knowing how he wanted them to play together. Aside from giving them a bit of belief, O’Neill’s main task will be to give his squad a sense of self; a regular system which suits his players’ attributes whilst making them more resilient. Certainly at Villa he achieved this, crafting a side that became known for counter-attacking flair and defensive solidity.

The question then will be where the goals come from. Replacing the prolific Darren Bent was never going to be easy, and although the size of Nicklas Bendtner’s ego is unquestionable, his goals to games ratio is deserving of far greater scrutiny.

But again, O’Neill brings hope. At Villa he nurtured and developed the talents of Stewart Downing and Ashley Young, both of whom have gone onto bigger and better things, and perhaps he can do the same with Sunderland’s young strikers. England Under-21 starlet Connor Wickham, signed from Ipswich for a fee that could reach £12m promises much, whilst England under-19 international Ryan Noble has been running riot for the reserves.

And there will surely be money to spend. O’Neill walked out on Aston Villa after his ambition was not matched by owner Randy Lerner. He’s unlikely to have walked willingly into another cul-de-sac at Sunderland and must have been told that he’ll be backed with cash.

No doubt Black Cats fans will be glad to see arguably the UK’s most talented out of work manager choose Wearside as the right place to come back in to the fold. Sunderland are in desperate need of belief, purpose and consistency, and in Martin O’Neill they might just have the perfect man for the job.

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Martin O’Neill has agreed to succeed Steve Bruce as Sunderland manager, BBC Sport understands.

O’Neill, whose last managerial job was with Aston Villa, has been regularly tipped for vacant posts at high-profile teams in the last 12 months and was the bookmakers’ favourite.

The Black Cats are 16th, two points above the relegation zone, which led to Bruce’s sacking on Wednesday.

The team has won only two of their 13 league games this season.

O’Neill, 59, a former Nottingham Forest player, built his managerial reputation at Wycombe Wanderers before successful spells at Leicester City and Celtic.

He joined Villa in 2006 and led them to three straight sixth-placed finishes in the Premier League and the Carling Cup final before resigning before the start of the 2010-11 season.

SOURCE: BBC Sport

59 year old Martin O’Neill has been out of the game since August 2010 and has been linked with just about every vacant post in England since but now appears ready to get back into the game by agreeing a deal to take over as Black Cats boss.

Steve Bruce was axed earlier in the week after a poor start to the campaign and though Mark Hughes was reportedly also considered to fill the post, owner Ellis Short has opted for the former Wycombe Wanderers, Leicester City, Celtic and Aston Villa man to take over from the former Man United man.

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Steve Bruce is set to be the first Premier League manager to be sacked this season.
His job seemed secure while Niall Quinn was Sunderland chairman.
But now Quinn has been replaced at the Stadium of Light by US owner Ellis Short, the writing is on the wall for Bruce.
Martin O’Neill is already believed to have been approached to take over at the struggling club.

SOURCE: Sunday Express

Now one would imagine that Blackburn Rovers boss Steve Kean may be the more likely winner of the Premier League sack race but given that the Scot got a vote of confidence from the club’s owners it seems that it may well be Steve Bruce who is to be the first Premier League manager axed this season.

Niall Quinn’s move from chairman to focus on the international development of the club will reportedly put Bruce in the firing line and unless the north-east club finds a return to form in the coming weeks the former Wigan and Birmingham City boss could be out on his ear after two and a bit years in the post.

His record at the Stadium of Light includes 28 wins and 38 defeats in his 92 matches as Black Cats boss.

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MARTIN O’NEILL is the No.1 choice to replace Steve Kean at Blackburn should he be axed from Ewood Park.

Kean is facing showdown talks with the club’s owners in India this week.

Rovers have travelled to India to boost the club’s image but the trip will see Kean battling to save his job after a poor start.

Kean insists he has the full backing of Venky’s but the millionaire chicken farmers are concerned by poor results and fans in revolt.

Venky’s could appoint a director of football to help Kean or decide to make a change, with O’Neill their top target should they sack the Scot.

SOURCE: Daily Star

59 year old Martin O’Neill has been out of the game for over a year now and one wonders if the gruff Northern Irishman would come back to football to take such a difficult job as the one that will no doubt become vacant at Blackburn Rovers.

Steve Kean stands on the brink of being axed after failing to impress this term and given the fairly average squad the Ewood Park club has it seems a job that many would avoid. However it seems likely that a new arrival would get decent financial backing from owners Venky’s but come January the Lancashire club could be firmly in the drop zone.

Blackburn Rovers have managed just one win so far this season and there is growing speculation that Kean will be axed if he can not pick up points in the very near future.

O’Neill left Aston Villa last August after four years at Villa Park, during which time the Midlands club achieved three top six finishes.

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West Ham United are today searching for a new manager as Avram Grant was sacked just one hour after his side were relegated to the Championship.

Grant, who was in charge for just one season, had to be convinced to board the team bus by senior players such as Scott Parker following the news of his dismissal.

Now owners David Gold and David Sullivan plus vice-chairwoman Karren Brady are on the hunt for a new boss to lead the team back into the Premier League.

Former England and Middlesbrough manager Steve McClaren was the early front-runner but has today denied holding talks with the Hammers board.

Martin O’Neill was expected to replace Grant in December but the deal collapsed and it is now unsure whether a Championship job appeals to him.

Queens Park Rangers boss Neil Warnock is another early favourite with growing speculation over his job despite leading his side into the Premier League in his first season.

Former West Ham defender Chris Hughton is another to be linked with the vacancy after successfully returning Newcastle United back into England’s top flight last year.

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West Ham United will act quickly to replace manager Avram Grant with Steve McClaren favourite to land the role at the relegated club.

Talksport reports the former England, Middlesbrough and FC Twente boss will take responsibility for returning the Hammers back to the Premier League

The 50-year-old has been out of work since being sacked by Bundesliga side Wolfsburg in December 2010.

Grant was sacked by owners David Gold and David Sullivan just hours after a 3-2 defeat to Wigan confirmed their relegation to the Championship.

Martin O’Neill was expected to take over from Grant in January but the deal fell through and the Northern Irishman will not want to manage a club outside of the Premier League.

McClaren is now the board’s number one choice and it is believed he wants Everton’s assistant manager Steve Round as his number two.

Whoever takes over at Upton park will need to make quick decisions on a number of stars who will want to leave, notably Scott Parker, James Tomkins and Robert Green.

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As the exit door revolves at Anfield, the entrance at Villa Park seemingly beckons.

Having replaced Martin O’Neill with former Liverpool boss Gerard Houllier, they now wish to repeat the trick with Rafa Benitez.

Houllier is ill in hospital, and according to the Daily Express will consider retiring from management altogether at the season’s end.

Benitez has relocated on Merseyside after an ill fated stint as Inter Milan manager, and has regularly confirmed he is ready to take a role in the Premier League again.

Aston Villa had a fairly dreadful start to the season, but have recovered well since the January signing of Darren Bent.

Should Benitez take the Villa job, his first task might be to persuade Ashley Young not to join his old club Liverpool.

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What’s the motivation for Darren Bent’s reported transfer to Aston Villa, from all three parties?

The January transfer window finally roared into action today with the news that Sunderland’s Darren Bent has handed in a transfer request and looks set to join Aston Villa for an initial fee of £18 million. The move is something of a strange one for Bent, who is yet to hit top form for Steve Bruce’s side this season, as Sunderland currently lie 6^th in the table and are vying for a European spot, while Villa are struggling in 17^th, effectively fighting a relegation battle.

The news of Bent’s proposed transfer must have come as a shock to Villa fans as much as it did everyone else, partly because of the player in question but mainly because of the fee. Before the start of this season, Martin O’Neill left the club because of a disagreement over transfer funds with Villa owner Randy Lerner. Now though, with Gerard Houllier at the helm, it seems that Lerner wants to make it clear to Villa fans that he’s not afraid to spend some money. While Bent isn’t worth £18 million, this move is a clear statement of intent from the owner as many fans were starting to doubt his commitment to the cause. Bent will, as his goalscoring history would suggest, provide the much-needed firepower to an Aston Villa side that has been so lacking in goals this season; his goals could easily keep the side in the Premier League which is, of course, priceless.

While many will question the transfer fee in question, no one can doubt Bent’s goalscoring prowess; in the past few years Bent has scored 81 goals, just one behind Wayne Rooney and Didier Drogba. If you take into account the fact that Rooney and Drogba have played for better sides in that time, the signing of the 26-year-old is a brilliant move from Houllier. One of Villa’s biggest problems this season is scoring goals and, with Gabriel Agbonlahor and John Carew still yet to score in the league this season, Bent would be required to not only score the goals himself but also link up well with Agbonlahor and Carew, although it is thought that the latter could soon leave the club himself. What is baffling, though, is the rumoured departures of two key players: Stewart Downing and Ashley Young. For Bent to succeed he is going to need service and, while Marc Albrighton looks to be an intuitive creative player, selling two of the more experienced inventive players seems slightly odd.

The transfer alone is a good move for Aston Villa, but is it a clever move from Sunderland and Bruce? The transfer fee was clearly too good to turn down and the money will give the club the funds to buy a few players as they continue to push for European football, but selling your best attacking asset is a huge risk halfway through the season. The departure of Bent will mean that Sunderland can finally deploy record signing Asamoah Gyan into their starting line-up on a regular basis, while loanee Danny Welbeck is sure to see first-team action week-in, week-out when he returns from a hamstring injury in a couple of weeks.

Gyan and Welbeck have both been big hits for the Stadium of Light club since joining in the summer, scoring fourteen goals between them, but Bent, even though he isn’t exactly on top form like he was last season (25 goals in 40 games), has scored eleven goals in this campaign so far. While the money is brilliant, losing a key player in the middle of a season which could easily result in European football next term is a huge risk taken by Bruce and chairman Niall Quinn.

Perhaps the strangest decision, however, has come from the striker himself, who seems desperate to leave a club sitting in sixth position in the Premier League for a side who are realistic relegation candidates. Whether there are personal reasons for the move remains unclear but, at the moment, it simply looks as if Bent wants to move for footballing reasons. If the striker helps to steer Villa away from the drop this season then he will, of course, be seen as a hero, which could be viewed as added motivation for the transfer, but Bent would surely gain the same status if he were to stay in the North East and help Sunderland claim a Europa League spot?

The transfer has come as a complete shock to most football fans and pundits as the swap of a top-eight club for a team struggling at the bottom (although Houllier will turn it around with the likes of Bent and new signing Jean Makoun at his disposal) of the league seems nothing short of peculiar. But from a Sunderland perspective the money is clearly too good to turn down and from a Villa point of view it is clearly a brilliant signing. On the other hand, just as Bent seemed to be in a comfortable place having got his career back on track, the move is definitely an unusual one.

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Martin O’Neill has ruled himself out of the running to become West Ham’s new manager, BBC Sport understands.
The former Aston Villa and Celtic boss looked set to replace Avram Grant at Upton Park this week.
But BBC Radio 5 live’s Pat Murphy said: “The way I read it is that it has all been too hurried for him.
“Martin O’Neill has never been the sort of manager to rush into decisions. He’s always had a measured attitude towards his next move. He’s very rational.”
It has also been suggested that the Northern Irishman, 58, was angered by the way in which news of his likely arrival at the club was leaked to the media on Saturday ahead of West Ham’s match against Arsenal.
Reports stated that the home game against the Gunners would be Grant’s last fixture in charge, and he seemed to be saying his goodbyes on the pitch after the 3-0 defeat.
The 55-year-old Israeli applauded fans and threw his claret and blue scarf into the crowd before heading down the tunnel.
But Murphy said: “Martin O’Neill has always micro managed the various stages of his long managerial career and it seems West Ham’s key executives were premature in assuming they had landed him.
“O’Neill may be available and very keen to return to management, and as a traditionalist he respects West Ham and their supporters, but any new manager would struggle to revive a West Ham team that has won just four league matches with the January transfer window due to close in just a fortnight.
“The West Ham board have appeared too desperate to appoint a marquee name like O’Neill with a decision imminent on whether they can move to the Olympic Stadium. (BBC Sport)

From start to finish those in the position to dictate what happens to current boss Avram Grant and are therefore looking for a new manager have conducted their business in a most amateurish manner. They have left the Upton Park side dangling in the wind, forever swinging in the media speculation breeze. At all points along the road Messrs David Sullivan, David Gold and Karen Brady could have attempted to exercise some control over the mess that is occurring but have steadfastly refused to do so.

Now that Martin O’Neill, the man everyone in the worlds knows they wanted to replace Israeli Grant, has ruled himself out of the running the East London club now has to rethink it’s strategy once again. The likes of Chris Hughton and Sam Allardyce will now be heading their short-list, only the Hammers board hasn’t fired the current incumbent yet, and they have also failed to back him, which shows an incredible amount of stupidity that leaves the club susceptible to a drop in morale and leaves players wondering what the hell is going on.

In other words, those who have the power to make decisions about West Ham Football Club don’t have a foggiest.

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Sunderland have accepted a £18m bid from Aston Villa for their England international forward Darren Bent.

The striker may be in a bit of a goal drought at present, but still has eight Premier League goals – and scored 24 league goals in 2009-10.

Only Didier Drogba and Carlos Tevez have scored more goals than Darren Bent since August 2009, and Villa know they would get goals.

At the age of 26, he is yet to reach his peak, and one has to question the wisdom of Sunderland accepting a bid for their top scorer in recent times, even if £18m is a lot of money.

Darren Bent has reportedly handed in a transfer request at the Stadium Of Light and a statement from the club is expected later today.

For Aston Villa fans there will be mixed feelings.

With Martin O’Neill also departing the club in the summer due to a lack of support in the transfer market, could this mark a change of policy for owner Randy Lerner?

If so, Villa fans will be ruing the loss of their charismatic manager in the summer and subsequent stagnation under Gerard Houllier.

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