The Changing Game

by Martin O'Neill

What sets the management style of Brian Clough apart? How did Alex Ferguson stay in post so long? Why was Mourinho such a Special One? In a career spanning five decades, Martin O'Neill has seen it all.

In The Changing Game he provides his unique perspective on the events, managers and teams that define football. Bringing his sharp instincts and intellect to look at his own tenures as a manager for Nottingham Forest, Leicester City, Celtic and the Republic of Ireland, as well as many others, fans will enjoy the first-hand anecdotes of how to prepare for and play against the titans of the game. Martin explores every aspect of contemporary football at the highest levels, including speaking truth to the powers-that-be, how teams deal with injuries, foreign influences on the British game, the changing roles of managers, coaches and agents and the effect of social media and wage structures on players.

Charting the evolution of the top levels of professional football from the beginning of O'Neill's career in 1971 all the way to the present day, you'll enjoy O'Neill's unvarnished take on the inside story of the changing game.

Fancy yourself a football manager? This is the book for you.

239 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 25, 2025

About the author

Marty O'Neill runs Corsum Consulting, which focuses on one thing: helping companies build value. He is a member of the National Speakers Association and frequent speaker and consultant on leadership, corporate culture and building enterprise value. Marty is also the co-author of Act Like an Owner (Wiley). He holds a number of board level positions with mid sized companies including The Advantage Incubator@bwtech, sits on the Business Advisory Board for the University of Maryland Baltimore County (UMBC) Tech Center and lectures in UMBC’s Entrepreneurship Program. Marty lives on the Magothy River in Maryland with his wife, their three children, and their yellow lab Sunny.

Reviews

[Ian Barnes · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent read from one of the deep thinkers about the game. He covers his time as a player and later as a manager and contrasts this with the current game and his work as a pundit. Subjects include rules, media and to me the most interesting, managers among others. Plenty of anecdotes alongside the analysis.

One of the better football books I’ve read.

[Vince]

Another wonderful book from Martin O'Neill, following on from his warm and witty autobiography. There's nobody better than him and giving a human insight into the beautiful game.