Managing the survival of optimism

Like most of the great survivors in management, Martin O’Neill likes to help the impression form that it is he doing you the favour, writes Larry Ryan

If we expected to hear from a slightly chastened Martin O'Neill this week, a man ready to explain a few things, to charm his way back into our affections, we probably overvalued our affections.

Instead, he came out fighting. Armed, as he saw it, with two killer weapons.