Speaking exclusively with BOYLE Sports , former Ireland star Jeff Hendrick has defended his former boss Martin O'Neill and run the rule over the promotion races in the EFL .
Hendrick believes O'Neill 's Celtic legacy is secure despite a tough spell, ranking him just behind Jock Stein among the club's managers, and admits Celtic missed out on a good player in Dan Neil .
The former midfielder has also assessed Swansea 's fast start in the Championship , the futures of Leam Richardson and Kyreece Lisbie at Reading , and whether Sheffield Wednesday are favourites in League One .
Martin O'Neill
Is O'Neill's Legacy Secure Even if Rangers Take Over?
Obviously they were talking last year about building a statue for the man; Martin O'Neill 's legacy is secure. I know he's had a tough six weeks, but for what he's done for the club in his first time there, and then even coming back and helping the club and winning the league and all, I don't think a bad six weeks will wipe that away.
Where Does O'Neill Rank Among Celtic's Managers?
Obviously, there's Jock Stein , who is quite untouchable. But I'd say among the modern managers, he's right up there. I know Brendan Rodgers did really well; there was that sticky phase where Rangers weren't in the league for a while. Ange did well. But I think for what Martin has done over two different spells, I'd say he's just behind Jock Stein .
Is Dan Neil a Huge Miss For Celtic?
Obviously, it's been a good addition for Rangers now, and it's made Celtic probably a bit weaker. If you had flipped it, Celtic would have been stronger having him in the door, and Rangers would have been weaker. So I think it just shows he's a good player. He receives the ball well, he's tidy, and he knows where his next pass is going to be. So I think yeah, he's a good, solid player and Celtic probably missed out. I don't know why he chose Rangers over them, but I would have liked to have seen him in the green and white.
The Championship
Are West Ham, Boro and Wolves Still Favourites Over Swansea?
I can see why West Ham and Wolves will be the favourites because of the money you get when you get relegated, and the squads they have. They've got strong squads, and there's a lot of games you see in the Championship , playing Saturday, Tuesday, Saturday, Wednesday. So it takes its toll with injuries and all that sort of stuff. But Swansea definitely deserve the praise and the credit for the way they've started. For me, they just have to sustain it and keep going.
There's always tricky periods. We saw it with Coventry last year; around Christmas time, they took a dip. It just naturally happens. I think there's a big difference in being top in autumn to April. So they just have to keep going. But like you said, maybe the pressure is on the bigger teams with the bigger, probably better squads or more well-known players. The pressure's on them. For Swansea , it will be hard to go under the radar when you're top of the league, though. That's the only thing. So if they do get overtaken, it might be perfect for them to sit maybe second, third, or fourth and just keep bubbling along.
Should Reading Fans Be Concerned Leam Richardson Could Leave?
Leam Richardson is an up-and-coming manager. I think if you're doing well, you're always going to get linked to other jobs. We see it across all the leagues. If you're doing well, you have your club playing good football, exciting football, and you're bringing through youngsters, other clubs are always potentially going to be knocking about and trying to tap up the manager, I suppose. He's doing a good job. Reading just need to keep going in that direction.
Is It a Matter of When For the Lisbie Brothers?
Kyreece Lisbie has started really well. His goal contributions have been good, but he needs to do it for the full season. Then whether he goes up with them, happy days; he stays where he's happy and knows the style. If not, yeah, the natural progression is someone comes in, buys him, and takes him to that next step, and then he challenges himself at that level, and you'll sort of see where he can go from there. His brother is doing well at Millwall as well, so good for them.
League One
Should Sheffield Wednesday Be League One Favourites?
I think it's going to be a close title race in League One . There are some big clubs, some good teams there. Sheffield Wednesday , I know the club, I know the players who are there, the manager, and I know the way they want to play. I've trained with the guys, and I can see there's quality in there that is higher than League One , let's be honest. A lot of the players have had good spells in the Championship and all, so there's no reason why they shouldn't be aiming for automatic promotion, I'd say. I think they have the quality in the dressing room to go and do it.
Could Losing Graham Alexander Derail Bradford?
When a manager's doing well with a club and has them playing good football, they're going to be poached by bigger clubs or clubs in a higher league. I think it's a good bit of business for Preston to get Graham Alexander in. It's going to be tough to take for Bradford . They need to replace him and just keep that momentum going. They're in a really good spot, and you don't want to look back at the end of the season and say, " We let him go, didn't replace him right. You don't want to have that regret, so it's a big call.
Bet on Football Odds at BOYLE Sports
Prices are subject to fluctuation.
Remember, Always Gamble Responsibly.
Behind every great sporting moment is a story worth telling. The BOYLE Sports Editorial team sits down with the most relevant names in sport for candid conversations, genuine insight, and the kind of access that brings you closer to the real stories behind the headlines.
