O’Neill so lucky to dodge impossible job at Stoke

LOOKING at Stoke City, you have to wonder whether Martin O’Neill dodged a bullet when he eventually turned down the job.

Under Paul Lambert, Stoke have won just once and that was his first game in charge, nine matches ago.

If they cannot beat West Ham tomorrow night, you have to seriously worry about their Premier League future.

Now, I am not so sure Martin O’Neill could have made much more of a difference. Stoke have actually played quite well in their last couple of games, they just don’t look like scoring.

And I know how hard that makes life in a struggling team. When you are at the bottom of the league, the moment you concede a goal, confidence just saps from you and the negativity drains everything.

They were holding Arsenal at 0-0 a couple of weeks ago but once they conceded after 75 minutes, they fell apart completely and before they knew it, they were three-down. Since Lambert (below) took over, they have only scored five goals and he clearly did not have time in the January transfer window to change that. Even when they have gone in front, they have not been able to get a second goal to kill the game off. Yes they can play positively and Lambert will still believe he can change the course of the club’s season, as any manager does. But that negative mindset has been at Stoke for most of this campaign and is very difficult to change. These are worrying times for the teams in the bottom three and their supporters. The playing budgets and wages are frightening for the likes of Stoke, Southampton and West Brom. How can a club like West Brom afford to pay players over £100,000-a-week? The fact is, they can’t and you have to wonder how they will survive in the Championship next season.