BILLY BUNTER

Weblog: The football punter

Messiah Martin should satisfy Stadium of Light

HERE he comes then.

The Messiah.

The man who is going to restore Sunderland to their former glories of an FA Cup win in 1973 and a Milk Cup final in 1980 something or other.

What I love about Martin O'Neill is that I read he has always wanted to manage his boyhood idols.

He's always supported the Black Cats.

It's the most bizarre 'boyhood heroes' claim since Robbie Keane claimed the hat-trick at LA Galaxy after declaring his undying love for Liverpool and Celtic.

But what can the Black Cats expect from their manager, who hardly set the world alight and appears to be living on achievements at Leicester more than a decade ago and managing to beat Rangers to the SPL title when he was at Celtic.

He's just in a fortunate position that he faces hopeless Blackburn in his first match.

They're woeful and I can't see the Venky Boys getting anything from a Stadium of Light packed with expectation and joy at O'Neill's appointment.

It is a fallacy that all new managers win their first match, but I can't see anything else than a home win in this one.

And that would leave Bolton five points adrift of safety at the bottom of the table.

I wonder who has always dreamed of getting that particular job.