Could there be an end to the struggle for beloved Saint Long?
The appointment of Martin O’Neill as Nottingham Forest manager reminded us of two things: firstly, that football people still believe being a club legend gives you super-powers; and secondly, the value of good PR.
O’Neill, you may remember, spent the dog days of his Ireland reign telling the world how bad his team was. This seemed a slightly counter-productive approach to winning football matches, but O’Neill’s strategy was far more sophisticated than it appeared. He was playing the long game, you see, plotting the course way beyond his eventual sacking and toward his return to the English job market. The message that he had done a loaves and fishes job with Ireland played well to a Forest tribe looking for a messiah.
