MICHAEL O’Neill has a decision to make, namely, does he stick or does he twist.
The stock of the Northern Ireland manager has never been as high as it is today, having taken his country to the Euros last year, and coming within touching distance of their first World Cup in over 30 years – denied only by one of the worst refereeing decisions ever.
Now, he faces a career changing decision; does he stay where he is with Northern Ireland, or as seems the more likely option, moves on to another international job or even a club position.
Read more: Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers: Exciting Scots may tempt Michael O'Neill
When these situations happen, it’s very different for a manager or coach compared to a player.
O’Neill is an international manager, but his time has pretty much run its course. Therefore for him, the biggest decision is whether he wants to give up on that particular lifestyle, and that particular remit, for the day to day demands as a club boss.
I’m not sure if he’d want to contend with the struggles and demands of club management. You hear everyone talk about it, how your time is never your own, it’s full-on, how it becomes a 365-days-a-year job – and that includes Christmas Day – as I’ve mentioned before. Motherwell manager Stephen Robinson spoke about it this week.
O’Neill has been an international manager since 2011, and so will be accustomed to the week-to-week schedule he has been able to keep, namely that he might have some down time during the summer, book holidays and the likes, all less demanding than constantly checking your watch at a club.
If you have been in that environment, why would you ever take yourself out of it, to inherit a role, say at Sunderland or Rangers or Everton, where the spotlight is constantly on you.
Read more: Who has the Wright stuff for Northern Ireland if Michael O'Neill goes?
I get why people say they miss the daily buzz of being with the players, but if it was me, I’d be looking at the quality of my life outside the game. And, it is all a balancing act about where you want to be and what you need to sacrifice.
There are certain constants in this decision process for managers and players alike; you weigh up the logistics, is it right for your family, the money, the environment, the facilities, where your new venture might be at that time in terms of performances or results, the potential, the prospects, the lot.
Normally you are in control of the situation, and in O’Neill’s case, that is most certainly the case. He holds all the cards, and can hold them really close to his chest, to see who blinks first or goes all in with an offer he can’t refuse. Remember, that might still be Northern Ireland, although for me it is odds against.
The one time when things went beyond my control, and really went out of my hands, was the time I left Cardiff City.
Basically, I had a year left of my contract, and never wanted to move. But they weren’t renewing my contract and the only club that came in was Burnley. So, all those considerations and processes that I’ve mentioned came in to play and really I didn’t fancy it.
Read more: Relentless Brendan Rodgers urges Celtic to maintain hunger for visit to Ross County
Burnley, late August that year, were pretty much bottom of the Championship, and not really that appealing because of that. But I was going north and a bit closer to home; the facilities and the team weren’t the best, the money was comparable, but if I signed a two-year deal and they got relegated, what then?
However, Owen Coyle was the manager and had some belief in me.
So, I said yes.
As it transpired, it turned out to be a brilliant switch for me. Burnley won promotion.
That Michael O’Neill is the No.1 target for the SFA is no surprise. But what does it tell you about the Scottish game when we are looking at him for the top job, and, at the same time, a quarter of the managerial jobs in our top flight – at Celtic, St Johnstone, Motherwell and Hibs – are all filled by O’Neill’s countrymen.
It’s not so long ago that a third of the clubs in the English Premier League had Scots-born managers. Is that another indicator in the decline of the Scottish game?
For me, Michael O’Neill would be a good choice. Unlike Gordon Strachan, who seemed to want confrontation every time he spoke, O’Neill seems a calmer influence, a unifying force, a team builder.
And boy, do we need a team.
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