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Van wink

O'Neil

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Looked like he would be a bit time player early in the season, his famous loss of rational thinking followed by the wrath of the many that wanted to see tha back of him and blame for our loss of form.

Well things have certainly changed now for the old boy and going into this final run he''s just the sort of player we need in the side. I was really worried about the loss of Tettey but to be fair we don''t really seem to have missed him.

The bandaged head has become a bit of a trade mark, he had the knock with Brady on the 1st March and is still wearing the bandage, begining to wonder if he still needs it or perhaps he just likes the image.😄

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Although I agree 100% with that, if we do stay up one of the first positions we''d need to spend some money on is a centre mid imo (along with a goalscorer).

Since he''s come back though he has been a warrior with Howson in the middle.

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The bandage looks like it could be here until the end of the season, he seems to be revelling in here his name being sung with his song now, i for one am so glad "😨 We''ve got O''Neil......"

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I didn''t think he had a premier league season in him, but he''s proved me wrong.

He probably wouldn''t feature in most other PL sides but he fits the bill for the way we are playing right now. In fact he epitomises the spirit that AN has engendered.

Always hard to know when a player like him has gone past it but at the moment he''s still doing the business.

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Even if he doesn''t make the team next season, I think there should be a place for him in the coaching staff for him, he''s clearly keen to make a career beyond his role on the pitch. Seems to like it here, has the passion that sometimes is lacking, why not? More PL experience than most of Neil''s backroom team after all.And I believe he''s said he will take the bandage off once it doesn''t hurt to head the ball, but others have told him to keep it on as a lucky charm. Not sure that still holds true after yesterday though.

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That should be "I think there should be a place in the coaching staff for him" - that''s the gin talking. [:$]

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Guest
I honestly didn''t think he would make any sort of impact in the squad, but just shows how little I know!

I think it''s key that he and Howson complement each other well, and have a good understanding in the centre of the park. The defence seems to be a lot less exposed since those two have been paired together.

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[quote user="Vanwink"]Looked like he would be a bit time player early in the season, his famous loss of rational thinking followed by the wrath of the many that wanted to see tha back of him and blame for our loss of form.

Well things have certainly changed now for the old boy and going into this final run he''s just the sort of player we need in the side. I was really worried about the loss of Tettey but to be fair we don''t really seem to have missed him.

The bandaged head has become a bit of a trade mark, he had the knock with Brady on the 1st March and is still wearing the bandage, begining to wonder if he still needs it or perhaps he just likes the image.😄[/quote]
In a bizarre plot twist, I agree with you.  
I think his distribution from the centre to the wide areas is significantly better and has given us more momentum in our attacking play, and he reads the game which gives him that yard that he lacks in terms of pace.  It is no coincidence that we are seeing Howson playing some of his best football for us, clearly confident in his partner to deal with any quick counters and therefore pushing forwards more like the box to box player he can be at his best.
I wonder if the bandage is a superstition thing, I guess now we''ve lost we might see if it comes off for the next match.

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Just the sort of player a freshly relegated side would want to get their hands on, hope he stays around Carrow Road a bit longer in some capacity or other. Contract finishes end of season I believe.

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[quote user="Thecanaryfan"]Is Vanwink still a binner Bor?

And if so why?[/quote]Good to see you''re still maintaining that you''re only here for serious football debate[Y]

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You''re forgetting the constant abuse that Bor has thrown this chaps way Morty.

How many times has he labelled him a binner when he clearly isn''t?

Anyway, glad to see that he responds to Ipswich fans so generously!

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[quote user="Thecanaryfan"]You''re forgetting the constant abuse that Bor has thrown this chaps way Morty.

How many times has he labelled him a binner when he clearly isn''t?

Anyway, glad to see that he responds to Ipswich fans so generously![/quote]Who are you, the fu(kin lone ranger?

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Morty - Fact remains that the chap loves to label fellow supporters Ipswich fans. Then has the nerve to agree with them. Duh. THAT IS CONTRADICTORY!!

If you cant see that then you are lost.

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Gary O''Neill would likely be a fringe player at best in all other Premier League squads.

Circumstances have meant that he has become the lynch-pin of our fight for survival. He is having a creditable swan-song ... long may it continue.

We will need better for next season if we stay up. He would probably revert to the ''back-up'' role should we not. Various youngsters are hopefully waiting in the wings and even Vadis should come to the fore (and Mulumbu belatedly?)

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I actually prefer O''Neil in there to Tettey, I think he just reads the game a little better. But it in many sums up what we still are and that is a collection of what, as Broadstarirs puts it, fringe players for most other clubs. A bit like the Lambert team only a bit better in places. These days in the PL we need strong pacy midfielders who can cover for breaks but also get forward quickly to support the attackers. If we stay up there will be three key positions to strengthen along the spine- CB, DM and CF.

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[quote user="BroadstairsR"]

We will need better for next season if we stay up.

[/quote]

This 100% for me - and not just for O''Neill and across the squad.

Klose and our league position has highlighted that we simply need better starting XI players for all positions than we currently have.

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He''s been excellent but it''s time to move on at the end of the season.

One of the reasons why we got relegated last time is because we stuck with players who we knew weren''t good enough.

He''s been a great servant but there''s no prizes for sentiment.

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[quote user="Nicko"]He''s been excellent but it''s time to move on at the end of the season.

One of the reasons why we got relegated last time is because we stuck with players who we knew weren''t good enough.

He''s been a great servant but there''s no prizes for sentiment.[/quote]Its not always about individual players though, sometimes a team can be greater than the sum of its parts ( See Lambert''s first season in the Prem) and if you get the right blend it can work.What would have happened if we hadn''t pensioned off Roberts and Mackay?

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Morty

"Sometimes a team can be greater than its parts"

Yes absolutely and that''s something we will need to rely on for the foreseeable future. That''s why it''s so important for us to have a manager with the appropriate leadership qualities. We don''t need the sort of big shot big name manager that''s familiar and skilled at managing big egos, we need a guy who can foster a team spirit and an ethic of working hard for each other. That''s fortunately what we have, it allows space for players like ONeil.

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Contract talks on hold till the end of the season. Not surprising. Some nice words about him from AN in home page article today.

Are we going to see the head band today after the loss last weekend?

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