O’neill set to take reins at the City Ground
KEANE ALSO EXPECTED TO MAKE REDS RETURN
MARTIN O’neill is today expected to be officially unveiled as the new manager of Nottingham Forest.
The former Reds European Cup winner has agreed to replace Aitor Karanka, who left the club on Friday following a year in charge at the City Ground, and the final details of his deal were thrashed out yesterday.
O’neill is expected to be joined at Forest by another familiar face, Roy Keane, who has held talks with the club over the last 24 hours.
The Reds hope the return of popular O’neill, who has a huge amount of experience in the game, will help maintain the positive feeling that has been generated since the summer, with season ticket sales going through the roof following a record flurry of spending in the transfer market, which included the 15m euro capture of Joao Carvalho.
There is a certain romance to the appointment of the 66-yearold, given his background as part of Brian Clough’s legendary European Cup winning side.
But he also has an impressive CV in management, with O’neill having managed Wycombe Wanderers, Norwich City, Leicester City, Celtic, Aston Villa, Sunderland and the Republic of Ireland national team.
O’neill guided both Wycombe and Leicester to promotions via the play-offs. He also won the League Cup with the Foxes twice.
He also enjoyed impressive success in Scotland, winning the Premier League three times and the Scottish Cup three times and the Scottish League Cup, as well as inspiring an impressive run in the UEFA Cup.
Forest had drawn up a shortlist that included Slavisa Jokanovic, Carlos Carvalhal and O’neill.
Jokanovic, who had guided Fulham and Watford to promotion from the Championship, was initially Forest’s primary choice and held talks about joining the Reds but no deal could be agreed.
But the latest talks with O’neill over the last few days are understood to have been hugely positive, with the Forest hierarchy impressed by O’neill’s passion and desire to restore the club’s position in the top flight after two decades away.
O’neill and Keane are expected to be in charge at the City Ground this weekend, when Bristol City visit. A win for the new managerial duo could move Forest back to within a point of the top six.
NOTTINGHAM Forest legend Peter Shilton believes his former team-mate Martin O’neill is the perfect successor to Aitor Karanka at the City Ground.
Shilton and O’neill played together at Forest between 1977 and 1981, and were part of the teams that won consecutive European Cups in 1979 and 1980.
And the former Forest goalkeeper believes O’neill’s knowledge of the club and his place in the Reds’ history will be key in him succeeding at Forest.
O’neill is due to become the new Reds manager after the club settled on the former Leicester City and Celtic boss ahead of other candidates Slavisa Jokanovic and Carlos Carvalhal.
“Martin O’neill for Nottingham Forest is a very good choice,” Shilton wrote on Twitter.
“He knows the club well and was part of our great team who won so many trophies.
“I am sure the fans will be excited by his appointment!”
Former Forest striker Stan Collymore said on Twitter: “I love Martin, best manager I played under, but I realise that was 18 years ago. Martin won’t be going to Forest to coast though, he has too much history at the club.”