Stephen Kenny

[pineapple stu]

And with the money situation in mind, who would they get anyway?

And what players does he put out?

[Colbert Report]

And what players does he put out?

How about we start by playing our most experienced players, like McClean, Hendrick, Duffy, Brady, etc.? No wonder David McGoldrick retired and Damien Duff quit.

[John83]

I think he might walk away. Especially if he loses to Qatar and Portugal, which is more likely than not.

[pineapple stu]

How about we start by playing our most experienced players, like McClean, Hendrick, Duffy, Brady, etc.? No wonder David McGoldrick retired and Damien Duff quit.
No, I don't buy that. Duffy's form has collapsed. McClean, Hendrick and Brady haven't shown too much when they've been called on either. We need to bring new players through. Everyone here was delighted when they saw the team in Serbia precisely because those three were dropped. So I think we need some balance one way or another there really.

[Trequartista20]

Pathetic. The worst result Irish football history. I'm disgusted.

Kenny needs to go.

[passinginterest]

How about we start by playing our most experienced players, like McClean, Hendrick, Duffy, Brady, etc.? No wonder David McGoldrick retired and Damien Duff quit.

I think that’s the least valid criticism of all. Arguably he played it safe by using them from the bench. In both games he brought on those experienced players and for the most part in both games we got worse. There’s a lot to criticise Kenny for but those players proved they didn’t deserve to be starting when they came on.

[Colbert Report]

B75zBf2nTpM

This is shocking stuff. Still a long way to go? Is this guy trying to wind us up?

[brine3]

B75zBf2nTpM

This is shocking stuff. Still a long way to go? Is this guy trying to wind us up?

"after playing brilliantly in Serbia"

Can you imagine Roy saying that about a lost match...

[Trequartista20]

It's now plain for all to see that Kenny needs to go, but who should be his successor given the bankrupt FAI's limited funds?

There's no easy solution to all of this

[Trequartista20]

I hear Chris Coleman's name being mentioned as an eventual replacement.

Wouldn't be the worst appointment. At least he's played and managed at the highest level.

[pineapple stu]

Interesting that his Wales salary was about the same as Kenny's, if not slightly less

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/chris-coleman-to-earn-ten-times-his-wales-salary-after-taking-job-in-china-3zf3h8wrb#:~:text=Chris%20Coleman%20has%20been%20a ppointed,%C2%A33.5%20million%20a%20year.

[Fixer82]

Coleman referred to us as a British Team. He can f@€k off!

Give Kenny til the rest of the campaign. Let him try and forge his game. Might as well. We’ve had enough chopping and changing. No manager will be our saviour for a while I fear

[RiffRaff]

Coleman referred to us as a British Team. He can f@€k off!

Give Kenny til the rest of the campaign. Let him try and forge his game. Might as well. We’ve had enough chopping and changing. No manager will be our saviour for a while I fear

I tend to agree. Very disappointed with how its gone so far but we have a young squad thats short of confidence. I am not hopeful but I would at least give Kenny most of the WC campaign. We are out now, so it makes no difference

[lofty9]

I hear Chris Coleman's name being mentioned as an eventual replacement.

Wouldn't be the worst appointment. At least he's played and managed at the highest level.

Your head tell you that? A failed manager at every level apart from international level, with two world class players in Ramsey and Bale at the time.

[Trequartista20]

Your head tell you that? A failed manager at every level apart from international level, with two world class players in Ramsey and Bale at the time.

So you think the Kenny regime should be allowed to limp on indefinitely? We are well on course to finish bottom of our group, behind Luxembourg.

Just how could Coleman, who brought the smaller nation of Wales to the semi-finals of the European Championships, fare any worse, exactly?

He'd at least have a notion of what he was doing.

[Charlie Darwin]

So you think the Kenny regime should be allowed to limp on indefinitely? We are well on course to finish bottom of our group, behind Luxembourg.
So Azerbaijan don't exist now?

[Eirambler]

No they definitely exist alright, but there is a genuinely a reasonable chance that we finish behind them too I think. I watched them in a game against Wales in the last campaign. They weren't terrible by any means.

[John83]

https://www.rte.ie/sport/soccer/2021/0328/1206580-not-even-in-question-kenny-not-concerned-about-job/

And when asked whether he was concerned about his position as national team manager, Kenny said that it was not a concern.
"That’s not even in question," said Kenny, speaking to RTÉ Sport. "I’m not even concerned with that at the minute. I’m concerned that we had a really, really poor result tonight, that none of us are happy with that."
https://i.imgflip.com/53h4d8.jpg


No they definitely exist alright, but there is a genuinely a reasonable chance that we finish behind them too I think. I watched them in a game against Wales in the last campaign. They weren't terrible by any means.
Azerbaijan are much the same strength as Luxembourg. https://eloratings.net/ has them 103rd and 108th in the world.

[TrapAPony]

Kenny should go. I had major reservations giving him the job at the beginning as I thought the players wouldn't respect him. He is clearly not up to managing the national team but then again that is not a big surprise as his level has always been that of a LOI manager only (aside from his Dunfermline sacking).

However, it is only going to get worse from here as I don't see us achieving a victory over any team in the group. I'd rather we get rid of him now instead of wasting the rest of the world cup campaign on him.

[seanfhear]

Kenny should go. I had major reservations giving him the job at the beginning as I thought the players wouldn't respect him. He is clearly not up to managing the national team but then again that is not a big surprise as his level has always been that of a LOI manager only (aside from his Dunfermline sacking).

However, it is only going to get worse from here as I don't see us achieving a victory over any team in the group. I'd rather we get rid of him now instead of wasting the rest of the world cup campaign on him.
The FAI should have a quite word with say 5 Senior Players and ask them if they can see a squad of senior Irish internationals playing respectfully for Kenny after this. If the players won’t / don’t want to play for Kenny ~ ~ What is the Point of going on with this ?

[Bielsa´s irish]

Did he resign?

[liamoo11]

Think he should get this campaign and the next euros. Was disappointed to see him walk off without embracing each player as they came off last night. It's easy do that on the good nights but its nights Like last night you really need that show of togetherness I think

[Fixer82]

The FAI should have a quite word with say 5 Senior Players and ask them if they can see a squad of senior Irish internationals playing respectfully for Kenny after this. If the players won’t / don’t want to play for Kenny ~ ~ What is the Point of going on with this ?

No they shouldn’t. Talk about undermining your senior manager.

[da bishop]

The FAI should have a quite word with say 5 Senior Players and ask them if they can see a squad of senior Irish internationals playing respectfully for Kenny after this. If the players won’t / don’t want to play for Kenny ~ ~ What is the Point of going on with this ?
Doesnt matter who the manager is,any player who wont/dont want to play for his country should be told to F..enjoy the rest of your club career.

[Trequartista20]

Think he should get this campaign and the next euros. Was disappointed to see him walk off without embracing each player as they came off last night. It's easy do that on the good nights but its nights Like last night you really need that show of togetherness I think

Under any circumstances? Even if we finish bottom of the group? Our FIFA/UEFA ranking is being destroyed by Kenny. I pity his successor once Euro qualification comes round.

[Diggs246]

I think he got away without major criticism v Bulgaria at home. Bulgaria are a terrible team and we needed to win it for seedlings. I'm not sure why people are ignoring the facts. We haven't won a game in ten under this man. We've just been beaten iby Luxembourg in Dublin. We have scored 3 goals n total.
I thought his post match interview was harrowing if I'm honest. He has nowhere near the authority to be an international manager. Let's be honest we have better players then Luxembourg, so why bring the FAI and all their unprofessional influence into this. Maybe one day we will play nice football and win games, but it wont be under kenny.. btw how many of trap, mon, or micks senoir staff quit mid campaign ? None I I guess. Kenny has had two. I'm sorry but he is not our guy

[liamoo11]

Under any circumstances? Even if we finish bottom of the group? Our FIFA/UEFA ranking is being destroyed by Kenny. I pity his successor once Euro qualification comes round.

If he gets this campaign and then the euros he will have been in charge for I guess close to 40 games. That is a fair go at it and if that is not going well then it is very reasonable to let him go. He will also be contributing to the underage sides and general development structures over that period.

He needs to show more initiative. Ni variety or hint of invention on free kicks or corners is very disappointing even Luxembourg had a few training ground dead ball routines. He also needs to show an ability to play possesion based football in a way that suits our players skills. How many times did we pass short to Clark last night who then when short to Steven's who was tight to the touchline and double marked and then lost the ball. There seemed to be no strategy to work through the lines to get out cause sure as hell going wide to your left sided centre half and then wide again to your marked left full stuck to the line is not going to be successful

[seanfhear]

Doesnt matter who the manager is,any player who wont/dont want to play for his country should be told to F..enjoy the rest of your club career.
We don’t have enough Players to discard them all if they do not feel Stephen Kenny is up to the Job ~ ~ That is the way it is whether we like it or not.

[Trequartista20]

If he gets this campaign and then the euros he will have been in charge for I guess close to 40 games. That is a fair go at it and if that is not going well then it is very reasonable to let him go. He will also be contributing to the underage sides and general development structures over that period.

He needs to show more initiative. Ni variety or hint of invention on free kicks or corners is very disappointing even Luxembourg had a few training ground dead ball routines. He also needs to show an ability to play possesion based football in a way that suits our players skills. How many times did we pass short to Clark last night who then when short to Steven's who was tight to the touchline and double marked and then lost the ball. There seemed to be no strategy to work through the lines to get out cause sure as hell going wide to your left sided centre half and then wide again to your marked left full stuck to the line is not going to be successful

We play such contained, passive football under Kenny, hence the lack of goals. And we're so easily got at.

We're far too easy to play against. No-one fears playing us any more.

Some people like making comparisons between Kenny and Michael O'Neill. But this is a false paradigm - O'Neill is tactically astute and played pragmatic football - he knew NI's limitations. There's little to no sign of this under Kenny, who is trying to compete with technically superior sides on their own terms.

Further, Kenny will never manage a team at Championship level, like Stoke, as O'Neill is doing. He simply isn't good enough.

[seanfhear]

We play such contained, passive football under Kenny, hence the lack of goals. And we're so easily got at.

We're far too easy to play against. No-one fears playing us any more.

Some people like making comparisons between Kenny and Michael O'Neill. But this is a false paradigm - O'Neill is tactically astute and played pragmatic football - he knew NI's limitations. There's little to no sign of this under Kenny, who is trying to compete with technically superior sides on their own terms.

Further, Kenny will never manage a team at Championship level, like Stoke, as O'Neill is doing. He simply isn't good enough.
Was it last season on the season before that Michael O’Neill basically saved Stoke from relegation ? They are 11th now which is pretty good considering the situation Michael O’Neill inherited. Michael O’Neill’s Northern Ireland record ( long term after an admittedly rocky start ) and his Stoke record is well above anything Stephen Kenny has achieved.

Can Stephen Kenny do what Michael O’Neill did with Northern Ireland ?

[Charlie Darwin]

We play such contained, passive football under Kenny, hence the lack of goals. And we're so easily got at.

We're far too easy to play against. No-one fears playing us any more.
I don't disagree with your first point but who exactly has feared playing us in the past ten years?

[BOOMSHAKALAKA]

Kenny appears to have a lot of friends in the media who are coming out to defend him. The excuses being used would not have washed with previous managers. It was all about our negative managers not giving our players a chance to play attacking football and criticising our players before this, now the line is that the players aren't good enough.

Our players aren't of the highest quality but from the team that started on Saturday, the 3 central defenders are all premier league players, our wing backs are premier league players, central midfield consisted of 2 championship regulars and a regular in a decent Belgium club team. Robbinson is a sub at a premier league team and Collins and Bazunu are lower English league players for now. Compare that with what Luxembourg have! The excuses don't wash.

Luxembourg won because they are better coached and better organised. They have worse players than us. Kenny is in the job a year now. We've barely scored any goals, we haven't won a game, he failed to qualify us for the European championships despite playing a weakened Slovakia, failed to beat an awful Bulgarian team, had a miserable nations league overall, our world ranking points are dwindling which will make it harder to qualify for future tournaments and now he has overseen the worst start to a world cup qualifying campaign in 60 years for Ireland.

I really wanted Kenny to succeed but I'm sorry, his record cannot be defended and he has to go before he does more damage. We don't have great players but we have some with potential coming through. We need a competent manager to integrate them into the squad and build for the future. This world cup campaign is already over. We need to get someone new in over the summer and let them build for the next campaign. It won't be easy to find a top level manager with our finances but 500,000 will get you a better manager than Kenny.

[Stuttgart88]

Compare that with what Luxembourg have! The excuses don't wash.Or as I saw elsewhere the game was decided when a Dynamo Kiev striker beat a Rochdale goalkeeper.

[osarusan]

In reality, we are paying the price for decades of neglect at underage level, and that's not something that can be fixed quickly. Expectations of what the national team will have achieve have to be lowered, but there is still a bottom limit and losing to Luxembourg is well below what's acceptable.

I can see the argument for switching to a better style of play and that these things take time, but I don't see any evidence of progress whatsoever under Kenny.

I can see the argument for giving up on a campaign or two and just focusing on bringing through as many young players as possible...but I'm not sure why Kenny is the man for that job though.

No matter what direction we want to go in for the next few years, I'd guess there are better options than Kenny available for the same money.

[BOOMSHAKALAKA]

Or as I saw elsewhere the game was decided when a Dynamo Kiev striker beat a Rochdale goalkeeper.

It was decided when a team of mostly European lower league players outplayed a team of mostly higher level players.

[Stuttgart88]

The key creative players in the game were the Thillo brothers and Rodriguez. All of them looked like they'd happily walk into our team. I think the level some of our guys play at flatters them. I think Coleman is top notch. Clark more or less holds his own. Stevens did very well last season and can look comfortable at PL level. Doherty has looked excellent at PL level and Lord knows why he looks so laboured in green.

It's long time since Brady has looked like a PL player. Robinson is hardly a standout at PL level. Connolly frustrates whenever he's picked for BHA. You can't argue that these guys are more than decent Championship standard right now.

I think watching these games across the international week gives a good insight into how the rest of the continent is leaving us behind. England U21s are getting tonked yet more than half of their starting XI would get into our senior team!

Luxembourg got 10 points from Nations League section 3. Do you think we'd get that?

[BOOMSHAKALAKA]

The key creative players in the game were the Thillo brothers and Rodriguez. All of them looked like they'd happily walk into our team. I think the level some of our guys play at flatters them. I think Coleman is top notch. Clark more or less holds his own. Stevens did very well last season and can look comfortable at PL level. Doherty has looked excellent at PL level and Lord knows why he looks so laboured in green.

It's long time since Brady has looked like a PL player. Robinson is hardly a standout at PL level. Connolly frustrates whenever he's picked for BHA. You can't argue that these guys are more than decent Champiosnhsip standard right now.

I think watching these games across the internal week gives a good insight into how the rest of the continent is leaving us behind. England U21s are getting tonked yet more than half of their starting XI would get into our senior team!

Luxembourg got 10 points from Nations League section 3. Do you think we'd get that?

These are the excuses rolled out all across the media. Talking up Luxembourg as if they're not a low ranking team. It reminds me of when Staunton claimed that Cyprus would cause a lot of teams trouble after that embarrassing defeat. These excuses weren't rolled out for previous managers, why not? McCarthy got huge criticism and I believe rightfully so but his results were far better than Kenny's with basically the same standard of players.

And I don't think we'd get 10 points from section 3 with Kenny in charge. We can't say he's new to the job now. Hes had a year, a nation's league campaign, a European championship play off and the start of this world cup campaign. There are no signs that we are improving. I thought there were some v serbia but when you look back, we scored 2 from 3 shots we had and Serbia were resting a few players for their Portugal game! How much worse than losing to Luxembourg at home do we have to go before we stop making excuses for Kenny?

[DeLorean]

It reminds me of when Staunton claimed that Cyprus would cause a lot of teams trouble after that embarrassing defeat

It was San Marino after an embarrassing win actually. :D

[Comic Book Guy]

This loss was a long time coming, we truly have reaped what we have sown from a coaching point of view over the past 20 years. Look at the small number of a-license and pro license holders in Ireland relative to similar sized nations.
Too many people who were underperforming in coaching roles at underage international level were allowed to continue even though results were abysmal.
Of course the buck stops with the former CEO and his utter mismanagement of all levels of the game here but he was aided and abetted by a number of henchmen over the years.
Also, if you can get a look at the article by Miguel Delaney some years back on the attitude at Schoolboy level to some badly needed common sense reforms, it is jaw dropping stuff.
The scary thing is how quickly the level of player available to us is dropping down the leagues across the water. We now are relying on League 1 and Championship players in the main.
Getting rid of SK and appointing someone new is like performing cosmetic surgery on a critically ill patient!

[Stuttgart88]

These are the excuses rolled out all across the media. Talking up Luxembourg as if they're not a low ranking team. It reminds me of when Staunton claimed that Cyprus would cause a lot of teams trouble after that embarrassing defeat. These excuses weren't rolled out for previous managers, why not? McCarthy got huge criticism and I believe rightfully so but his results were far better than Kenny's with basically the same standard of players.

And I don't think we'd get 10 points from section 3 with Kenny in charge. We can't say he's new to the job now. Hes had a year, a nation's league campaign, a European championship play off and the start of this world cup campaign. There are no signs that we are improving. I thought there were some v serbia but when you look back, we scored 2 from 3 shots we had and Serbia were resting a few players for their Portugal game! How much worse than losing to Luxembourg at home do we have to go before we stop making excuses for Kenny?At no point have I said Luxembourg aren't a low ranking team. I'm saying we aren't a high ranking team and if the results / performances since Euro 2016 are anything to go by we are struggling to be considered a mid ranking team! Two NL campaigns show we have no right to be considered a league B team anymore.

Were Serbia really resting a few players? I could be wrong but I think 9 of 11 also started v Portugal (need to check that!).

[pineapple stu]

They left Jovic and Mitrovic out of the starting line-up against us anyway. They were two of their higher-profile players, so maybe they just stand out more. Mitrovic came on as a sub and scored twice of course.

[Diggs246]

Curiosity based question? is there anyone who currently wants Kenny to stay, but would change their mind is Qatar beat us tomorrow?

[BOOMSHAKALAKA]

It was San Marino after an embarrassing win actually. :D

:D Oh right. That's probably worse! In fairness, Staunton had far better players but the Kenny reign is going the same direction. I can't see how it can be turned around but stranger things have happened I suppose.

[lofty9]

It was decided when a team of mostly European lower league players outplayed a team of mostly higher level players.

Beaten by a team in the middle of their project on the up. We're at the very start of our journey as far as I'm concerned.

[brine3]

These are the excuses rolled out all across the media. Talking up Luxembourg as if they're not a low ranking team. It reminds me of when Staunton claimed that Cyprus would cause a lot of teams trouble after that embarrassing defeat. These excuses weren't rolled out for previous managers, why not? McCarthy got huge criticism and I believe rightfully so but his results were far better than Kenny's with basically the same standard of players.

And I don't think we'd get 10 points from section 3 with Kenny in charge. We can't say he's new to the job now. Hes had a year, a nation's league campaign, a European championship play off and the start of this world cup campaign. There are no signs that we are improving. I thought there were some v serbia but when you look back, we scored 2 from 3 shots we had and Serbia were resting a few players for their Portugal game! How much worse than losing to Luxembourg at home do we have to go before we stop making excuses for Kenny?

Yes, I have to agree that Serbia beat us in second gear.

Yeah we played OK, but they easily deserved their three points.

What annoys me more than losing to Luxembourg is hearing the management go on about our "brilliant performance in Serbia". We lost.

[BOOMSHAKALAKA]

At no point have I said Luxembourg aren't a low ranking team. I'm saying we aren't a high ranking team and if the results / performances since Euro 2016 are anything to go by we are struggling to be considered a mid ranking team! Two NL campaigns show we have no right to be considered a league B team anymore.

Were Serbia really resting a few players? I could be wrong but I think 9 of 11 also started v Portugal (need to check that!).

I wasnt referring to yourself sorry. The media defence of Kenny was what I was talking about. No doubt that we aren't in a healthy place but we have far better players than Luxembourg. Serbia kept some of their best players on the bench against us, they changed the match when they came on.

[BOOMSHAKALAKA]

Beaten by a team in the middle of their project on the up. We're at the very start of our journey as far as I'm concerned.

We nearly qualified for the euros. We have mostly premier league players available to us. It's been painted as if we're a minnow. Why weren't these excuses rolled out for previous managers?

[seanfhear]

Michael O’Neill managed to turn it around with Northern Ireland but he did go to Knock and say some very good prayers.

[brine3]

Well, it was an expanded Euros, and we won only three matches: Gibraltar home and away, and Georgia at home. That we nearly qualified tells you how farcical the expanded format is.

I would say the last time Ireland had a decent win was Wales away in 2017.

That said, we should be beating Luxembourg at home handily.

[DCWA]

Kenny the king or as our man Bielsa would say el rey... going nowhere. The Boss stays.