Last month, Steven Gerrard was quoted in the press as saying how he was "desperate" for Garth Barry to join him at Anfield. Martin O'Neill went ballistic, and appeared on BBC saying that the comments were "diabolical" and "disrespectful" to him and his club: he went on at a later date to remark that he couldn't bring himself to admire any player from Liverpool anymore.
Craig Gardner tells David Bentley to come on board at Aston Villa - Birmingham Mail
Now, today one of Villa's players has come out and said how much he wants David Bentley to join him at Villa Park - this of course is a player under contract to Blackburn, a club which does not want him to leave.
Might we expect O'Neill to come out now on national TV or plant stories in the press about how "diabolical" these comments are, how disrespectful to Blackburn? Might we expect him to discipline Gardner, and indeed to tell the world how this way of doing business just isn't "the Aston Villa way"?
Draw your own conclusions.
There are those on this forum who have defended O'Neill over the Barry saga, or said that he is just defending his club's interests. Surely now you can see that the man is a top-notch, prize, rank hypocrite?
ps - I have no contacts at Anfield but I do have several friends in the sports pages of the London press. More than one told me a story a few years ago about Martin O'Neill ringing Rick Parry one night in late May 2004 to complain viciously about not being approached for the now vacant Liverpool job: apparently he launched a foul-mouthed tirade about the club. Allegedly Rick told him he'd only be interviewed when he had learned some manners and respect and put the phone down! I don't have much respect for our Chief Executive, but even if this story wasn't entirely accurate, surely it's worth repeating!!