Next Ireland manager?

[tetsujin1979]

Has Claudio Ranieri been hired since he was sacked by Leicester?

[jbyrne]

Has Claudio Ranieri been hired since he was sacked by Leicester?

think he was at nantes for a while but no longer

[DeLorean]

At the end of the day how much worse could the results be and at least we might try to play a bit of football

They could be a lot worse.

[DeLorean]

think he was at nantes for a while but no longer

Yeah, I remember some early season optimism when they went on a decent run and led the table after 10/11 matches I think. They were starting to dream after his Leicester heroics. Finished 9th in the end though which was a slight drop on the previous couple of years.

[zero]

Has Claudio Ranieri been hired since he was sacked by Leicester?

I'd be very reluctant... he had a disastrous spell in charge of Greece, including losing at home to the Faroes. He seemed to indicate that national team management didn't suit him.

[irishfan86]

A Ranieri- Duff management team would be fun and you know they’d favour pragmatic but half decent football.

[Charlie Darwin]

I'd be very reluctant... he had a disastrous spell in charge of Greece, including losing at home to the Faroes. He seemed to indicate that national team management didn't suit him.
There are very good reasons why his methods only work at club level.

[mark12345]

I like the idea of Damien being involved. But I think Duffer will team up with Robbie in the hot seat some time over the next few years.

[DeLorean]

Bump!

[Olé Olé]

Mick McCarthy is 4/6. The next up is Allardici at 8/1 and Stephen Kenny at 10/1.

[nigel-harps1954]

Arsene Wegner, assisted by Brian Kerr. Boom bang thank you very much Mr Delaney.

[backstothewall]

I jotted down a quick list of potential candidates who are available, or who might be. I've assumed we won't be paying compensation to get anyone who is already in work elsewhere.

Mick McCarthy
Thomas Tuchel
Peter Bosz
Ronald Koeman
Mark Hughes
Bernd Schuster
Carlo Ancelotti
Manuel Pellegrini
Carlos Queiroz
Guus Hiddink
Louis Van Gaal
Michael O'Neill
John Sheridan
Stephen Kenny
Jurgen Klinsmann
Laurent Blanc
Luis Enrique
Marcelo Bielsa
Sven Goran Eriksson
Thomas Schaaf
Jean Tigana
Paul Clement
Sinisa Mihailjovic
Alex McLeish
Martin Jol
Brian McDermott
David O'Leary
Glenn Hoddle
Roberto Di Matteo
Gary Monk

Not sure how many of these are still available but it's a start

[ArFella]

Paddy Power and Bet Victor were the 2 sites I could find odds for Next Rep. of Ireland manager:




PP
BV
BS


Mick McCarthy
5/6
1/2
EVS


Stephen Kenny
4/1
5/2
6/1


Steve Bruce
10/1
12/1
20/1


Sam Allardyce
10/1
10/1
8/1


Brian Kerr
14/1
16/1
25/1


Paul Cook
14/1
N/A
N/A


Roy Keane
16/1
N/A
25/1


Neil Lennon
25/1
12/1
20/1



Edit: Boylesports now added

[OwlsFan]

Not sure how many of these are still available but it's a start

Well Glenn Hoddle definitely isn't. Currently recovering from a heart attack. Harry Rednapp (not on the list) anyone ? Not sure about Mick as they haven't gone away, you know.

[gastric]

Mick's the obvious one. This development might impact Rice's decision for the best.

[brine3]

We need a modern manager who can get us playing modern football.

Not Mick, Redknapp or Allardyce.

[Olé Olé]

We need a modern manager who can get us playing modern football.

Not Mick, Redknapp or Allardyce.
Absolutely. Kenny is the man for that. But I just can't see it being anyone but Mick.

[backstothewall]

I'd like Mick. I'd also like him to get a number of his players from 2002 on his staff to get a coaching pathway of sorts going.

Kinsella, Duff, Carsley and Stephen Reid all jump to mind.

[ifk101]

Delaney has to go first. Oversaw the last 3 (and failed and grossly overpaid) managerial appointments, and gave misguided contract extensions. You wouldn't let him drive the train to Cork now would you?

[OwlsFan]

My thoughts on Kenny is that he is coaching at a level some distance below international level. That said, Michael O'Neill made a go of it with the North.

[Real ale Madrid]

#KennyForIreland and be done with it - always admired the man. The key is to get him out of Dundalk before pre-season starts.

[Diggs246]

Not sure how many of these are still available but it's a start

Ralph Hasenhüttl*is free. He would suit us as he specialises in getting the best out of teams who might not be as technical as their opposition. He is a master of the counter attack.

[passinginterest]

Paul Cook is an interesting one. Reasonably successful in LOI and in England, teams usually play attractive football.

[Stuttgart88]

We need a modern manager who can get us playing modern football.

Not Mick, Redknapp or Allardyce.Why can't Mick get us playing modern football?

[seanfhear]

Ok it might upset the Neighbours ...

But how About

Michael O’ Neill .

Make him an offer ( financially ) that it would be hard to refuse .

[Stuttgart88]

Mick for me. Experienced, motivated, proven ability to get the best out of mediocre players, 15 years of club management under his belt since Japan WC, trusts young Irish players at club level. McGoldrick will be back in a flash. Wild guess: I think he can persuade Rice.

I'd love Kenny to get it and be a success. What a story it'd be for Irish football, a huge boost for the perception of our own system. I just fear that he may not succeed though, and the opposite effect would happen.

The U21 appointment is critical too. Finally we may be able to join up the whole thing from U15s to Senior and groom a successor from within. A former senior Mick-era pro with Mick running the show top down and in sync with the U21s would work well in my opinion.

I know little enough about Cook. Can someone spell out his credentials?

I'd really worry about Bruce and I just don't like Allardyce. I think we really need an ex-Irish international or an Irish coach to be in charge. Bruce and Allardyce have an Irish connection but each would be a regressive English appointment. I grudgingly think Sam could do a decent job though.

McDermott would be interesting. ArdeeBhoy and I met him in 2015, sound bloke and clearly has an interest in us.

[Kingdom]

My thoughts on Kenny is that he is coaching at a level some distance below international level. That said, Michael O'Neill made a go of it with the North.

Come on, be fair. You're not even being close to fair. What Michael O'Neill has achieved with the North, with their players is superb. After a smashing World Cup qualifying group, they missed out on qualification by a stinker of a penalty decision.

And you could make the argument that Kenny's coaching record at club level surpasses ONeill by a distance. If NIMON can do it, Stephen Kenny can do it. To say otherwise is just ignorance, narrow-mindness, or both.

[passinginterest]

I know little enough about Cook. Can someone spell out his credentials?


Very steady job with Sligo, won a league cup and two FAI cups and had them competing for the title.
Went on to win league two with Chesterfield and led them to league one playoffs, then won league two again with Portsmouth and moved on the win league one with Wigan.

[Stuttgart88]

In fairness, I think OF concedes that NIMON shows it can work. Beating Ukraine at a finals is a great result and let's face it, that Swiss side is a really good side and to run them so close was a great achievement.

[Stuttgart88]

My thanks button isn't showing, so thanks passing interest. I knew about his Sligo success but only had a vague idea what he had done since. Has he any track record with Irish players in England? Was Stevens' second wind down to Cook?

[Kingdom]

Not sure how many of these are still available but it's a start


I jotted down a quick list of potential candidates who are available, or who might be. I've assumed we won't be paying compensation to get anyone who is already in work elsewhere.

Mick McCarthy - available
Thomas Tuchel - unavailable
Peter Bosz - interesting in the short term, flopped at Dortmund hugely. Not the worst name to mention.
Ronald Koeman - unavailable
Mark Hughes - **** off
Bernd Schuster - mental
Carlo Ancelotti - unavailable
Manuel Pellegrini - unavailable
Carlos Queiroz - spoofer
Guus Hiddink - definitely a short-term results contender
Louis Van Gaal - no thanks
Michael O'Neill - unavailable
John Sheridan - available, and stone mad. Sign him up.
Stephen Kenny - available
Jurgen Klinsmann - no
Laurent Blanc - no
Luis Enrique - que?
Marcelo Bielsa - unavailable
Sven Goran Eriksson - inappropriate, canoodling with half of the tg4 weather girls
Thomas Schaaf - **would take him in a heartbeat **
Jean Tigana - no thanks.
Paul Clement - spoofer
Sinisa Mihailjovic - racist
Alex McLeish - unavailable
Martin Jol - no thanks/available
Brian McDermott - interested and available
David O'Leary - wouldn't be against it
Glenn Hoddle - life support
Roberto Di Matteo - not for me.
Gary Monk - interesting....


My 3 cents, or no sense whichever you prefer.

[Kingdom]

Not sure how many of these are still available but it's a start


Very steady job with Sligo, won a league cup and two FAI cups and had them competing for the title.
Went on to win league two with Chesterfield and led them to league one playoffs, then won league two again with Portsmouth and moved on the win league one with Wigan.

Fair play PI, Cook is definitely worth considering. He has shown incremental improvement wherever he's been, and he's passionate for sure, while also having a link to us.

[Stuttgart88]

Will any Irish radio stations be focusing on this at lunchtime? RTE will give it some attention but I want a full on discussion. I'm at home and can listen online.

[tetsujin1979]

Michael O'Neill's team is playing good football at the moment, but it took him a long time to get there. It took him 18 months to record his first win at international level, an excellent 1-0 home win against Russia, and another 13 months for his second, an away win against Hungary after which performances and results started to improve. Those first three years include a loss and a draw with both Luxembourg and Azerbaijan. There's very few, if any, other international assocations that would tolerate that record without sacking the manager, including our own.

IMO what he learned in that time was how to organise the side, the strengths and weaknesses of the players he had available to him, and how to get the best from them which resulted in the run that brought them to Euro 2016. Now, every player knows his role. You can clearly see the patterns of play when a certain player is in possession, who his supporting player is, what passing options he has available, and how the same players are set up when the opposition are in possession.

Having said all that, because the qualifiers are starting in four months, there is no honeymoon period, no run of friendlies for a new manager to try out new players, tactics, formations, etc, what is needed is a manager who can get results from this squad immediately, and I don't think Michael O'Neill is that manager.

[tetsujin1979]

Will any Irish radio stations be focusing on this at lunchtime? RTE will give it some attention but I want a full on discussion. I'm at home and can listen online.

Off The Ball are hosting a live discussion on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wenK9lVIln4

[pineapple stu]

Michael O'Neill also played 30+ international games for the North and played in the English top flight. This is at least a difference with Stephen Kenny. I'd like to see Kenny get the u21 job first, but whether he'd take it is another question.

Wouldn't be particularly opposed to him, but do think it might be a bit of a step up

[DeLorean]

If NIMON can do it, Stephen Kenny can do it. To say otherwise is just ignorance, narrow-mindness, or both.

Just like players, some managers can step up to a higher level and some can't. It absolutely remains to be seen whether Kenny can or not.

And, as Tets points out very well in his post, Kenny would be sacked in a fraction of the time it took Michael O'Neill to get things moving in the right direction for NI.

[IsMiseSean]

Bert van Marwijk - would he want it though?

Lars Lagerback has been successful throughout Scandinavia - currently the Norway manager so it rules him out.

[Stuttgart88]

The key for a manager to be successful is to be the right man for the right job at the right time. For all we know MON could do a great impact job at a club or country starting next week, but he had run out of road with us.

I think Mick is all 3, I think Kenny is 2 out of 3.

[Cathalsmart]

My thoughts on Kenny is that he is coaching at a level some distance below international level. That said, Michael O'Neill made a go of it with the North.

This is the typical Irish problem, too short cited.

[ArFella]

Stephen Kenny's odds have shortened with most bookies, he's gone to joint favourite with Mick on Paddy Power, so the public money is on SK. Interestingly, or maybe worryingly, Sven Goran-Eriksson has gone from 66/1 outsider to 3rd favourite at 6/1 with PP! He would bring sexy back, but maybe not sexy football...

[pineapple stu]

Presumably the budget for a new manager will be much smaller now O'Brien's money is gone. That won't help the search.

That said, Delaney's ego might allow a splurge to get us the best chance of qualifying for the Euros we're hosting.

[brine3]

Presumably the budget for a new manager will be much smaller now O'Brien's money is gone. That won't help the search.

It's a blessing in disguise, if you ask me.

[Cathalsmart]

It's a blessing in disguise, if you ask me.

Exactly, wont be able to appoint quick fix's that will end in failure.

[pineapple stu]

Well, we'd be able to appoint lower-calibre quick fixes. :)

Obviously a lot of this is moot while the real issue remains our chronic lack of players and appalling underinvestment in the domestic game, contrary to pretty much every other country in Europe.

[Kingdom]

Bert van Marwijk - would he want it though?

Lars Lagerback has been successful throughout Scandinavia - currently the Norway manager so it rules him out.

Van Marwijk is an interesting candidate. Success at Feyenoord for a massive club that struggled with Ajax's success and the relatively new success of PSV. Struggled at Dortmund, success again at Feyenoord.

Qualified success with Holland, as in reaching the World Cup final is amazing, but hated by pretty much the majority of fans for how it was achieved.

he's available.

[DeLorean]

Exactly, wont be able to appoint quick fix's that will end in failure.

A quick fix could be exactly what Delaney seeks though. The priority, for him, will probably not be long-term strategic planning, but somebody that gives us the best chance of reaching the Euros that we will partially host. In fairness, it would be terrible not to be a part of that, really depressing actually. Is it possible that the best short-term and long-term solution is the same guy?

[tetsujin1979]

in case it wasn't clear from my post, a quick fix is what we need right now. We cannot afford to not qualify for Euro 2020.

[backstothewall]

Couple more names who are now available

Peter Stöger
Ralph Hasenhüttl (someone else also mentioned him)
Slavisla Jokanovic
Leonardo Jardim
Julen Lopetegui
Arsene Wenger

[DeLorean]

Julen Lopetegui

Maybe wait until 2019 to appoint him. Everything he touched in 2018 turned to sh!t.