Stephen Kenny

[Olé Olé]

Feel like the third option with Robinson and McGrath behind Idah is probably our best option. Against Hungary Knight started out in a midfield three like option two but pushes up to pressure the oppositions and makes it a 3-4-2-1 and has the athleticism that McGrath wouldn't have to be more box to box. Browne has done similar and Kenny seems to rate him.

I'd like to see Parrott play the role that Idah has been playing tomorrow night. We shouldn't be going as direct at home on a better pitch. Should hopefully see more ball into feet than Bazunu picking out Idah. He's playing that link up role at MK Dons week in week out whereas Idah isn't game time.

On the last point, I agree. And you'd have the safety blanket of being able to start Robinson off behind him but with the ability to push up beside him if necessary.

Interesting you fancy McGrath over Knight. I don't know where I sit on it at the moment. I think Hendrick adds a little guile beside Cullen but if Hendrick were missing I'd like to see Knight beside him. Failing that, I would like to see Knight start elsewhere but I see your logic on McGrath beside Robinson definitely. I suppose Knight over McGrath might work better against a better side with midfielders that could/would dominate us e.g. Portugal.

I wish Kenny had started McGrath over Horgan on Saturday to give a better indication of what that front three would have looked like. I said it before the match that he really should have. And at half time it was obvious that he really, really should have.

[JR89]

On the last point, I agree. And you'd have the safety blanket of being able to start Robinson off behind him but with the ability to push up beside him if necessary.

Interesting you fancy McGrath over Knight. I don't know where I sit on it at the moment. I think Hendrick adds a little guile beside Cullen but if Hendrick were missing I'd like to see Knight beside him. Failing that, I would like to see Knight start elsewhere but I see your logic on McGrath beside Robinson definitely. I suppose Knight over McGrath might work better against a better side with midfielders that could/would dominate us e.g. Portugal.

I wish Kenny had started McGrath over Horgan on Saturday to give a better indication of what that front three would have looked like. I said it before the match that he really should have. And at half time it was obvious that he really, really should have.

Yeah we need to find other options than Idah to play as a link up player. He's not getting games at club level so he's always gonna be lacking match sharpness and it showed at times the other night. Hopefully Keane gets a good run out tonight because he could plug a hole for us as a target man that can link up play.

I'm 50/50 on McGrath and Knight. Think both players offer us something different and depending on who we're playing you could choose one over the other and know you've got a good replacement to bring on later in the game. Would actually like to see Knight get some game time playing deeper next year as we badly need to find options to play in midfield with Cullen. ATM Hendrick is there but like Idah he's not playing games and feel we need someone that's playing week in week out like Cullen because both lads will have to do a lot of work in midfield.

[BOOMSHAKALAKA]

The question needs to be asked. Why don't we just give Anthony Barry the managers role? He's running things in terms of formation, set pieces, style of play etc. Is Kenny selecting the team?

[ontheotherhand]

Or should we sack Barry for the results and performances of the team since he's been appointed that you've been so vocally critical of?

[tetsujin1979]

You could make the same argument about Dean Kiely

[BOOMSHAKALAKA]

Or should we sack Barry for the results and performances of the team since he's been appointed that you've been so vocally critical of?

He's not the boss, I'm assuming he's not picking the team. Is Kenny getting in the way? Theres no doubt that some things have improved since Barry has come in. Without Barry, Kenny would probably be gone by now. I've said for a while, I think Barry should be given the job. Yes, things haven't been perfect but Barry has definitely added some organisation and direction, prior to his arrival it was a bit of an amateurish mess.

[TonyD]

Or should we sack Barry for the results and performances of the team since he's been appointed that you've been so vocally critical of?

:D Love it. Everything is crap, then as soon as we win a match, with a decent enough performance “sure Kenny isn’t even picking the team.” Priceless.

[ontheotherhand]

He's not the boss, I'm assuming he's not picking the team. Is Kenny getting in the way? Theres no doubt that some things have improved since Barry has come in. Without Barry, Kenny would probably be gone by now. I've said for a while, I think Barry should be given the job. Yes, things haven't been perfect but Barry has definitely added some organisation and direction, prior to his arrival it was a bit of an amateurish mess.


You think the man who hired Barry is getting in Barry's way?

[BOOMSHAKALAKA]

:D Love it. Everything is crap, then as soon as we win a match, with a decent enough performance “sure Kenny isn’t even picking the team.” Priceless.

I wasn't that impressed with the performance and we beat Azerbaijan, let's not get carried away here.

Barry mightn't be the man for the job but no one can deny his influence on things. I'm pretty sure Kenny is picking the team and giving the inspiring team talks but apart from that, is Barry running the show?

I know it might be uncomfortable for some but it is entirely possible that Kenny is a bit of a hindrance to development. His reign was a bit of a rabble prior to Barry's arrival. I think we should consider appointing Barry or possibly keep him as coach with a more competent manager.

[BOOMSHAKALAKA]

You think the man who hired Barry is getting in Barry's way?

Kenny has shown that he is out of his depth. Barry clearly isn't. That's all I'm saying.

[ontheotherhand]

So you're happy with Kenny's hiring of Barry and supportive of the improvements seen since and you also think that, in Barry, we might have found someone who could at some point take the big job? Sound's like exactly the kind of hire you'd expect a good manager to make.

[seanfhear]

Is Barry the Messiah ?

[John83]

Is Barry the Messiah ?
And is Kenny a very naughty boy?

[DCWA]

He's not the boss, I'm assuming he's not picking the team. Is Kenny getting in the way? Theres no doubt that some things have improved since Barry has come in. Without Barry, Kenny would probably be gone by now. I've said for a while, I think Barry should be given the job. Yes, things haven't been perfect but Barry has definitely added some organisation and direction, prior to his arrival it was a bit of an amateurish mess.

What kind of absolute garbage is this?

So the man Kenny had the foresight to appoint, his presence is a reason Kenny would be gone?

[Snapshot]

If Kenny identified Anthony Barry as the coach to make a difference and encouraged his pursuit and appointment - then that's to his credit as team manager. But if Barry was parachuted in by the FAI to rehabilitate Kenny's dismal record then BOOM's theory is not without merit.

[ontheotherhand]

If Kenny identified Anthony Barry as the coach to make a difference and encouraged his pursuit and appointment - then that's to his credit as team manager. But if Barry was parachuted in by the FAI to rehabilitate Kenny's dismal record then BOOM's theory is not without merit.

Sure...if it hadn't been mentioned at the time that the Barry connection came via Higgins (https://www.independent.ie/sport/soccer/international-soccer/stephen-kenny-appoints-chelsea-coach-anthony-barry-as-damien-duffs-ireland-replacement-40136344.html) or that Kenny had been looking to solve set pieces from an early stage. You're also assuming that the FAI has some Rolodex of unbelievably competent people ready to parachute in when needed. I think it's safe enough to say they don't.

[Snapshot]

Sure...if it hadn't been mentioned at the time that the Barry connection came via Higgins (https://www.independent.ie/sport/soccer/international-soccer/stephen-kenny-appoints-chelsea-coach-anthony-barry-as-damien-duffs-ireland-replacement-40136344.html) or that Kenny had been looking to solve set pieces from an early stage. You're also assuming that the FAI has some Rolodex of unbelievably competent people ready to parachute in when needed. I think it's safe enough to say they don't.
It was an either/or comment. If you say Kenny recruited Anthony Barry - that's good enough for me. And with my opinion of the FAI being more Rolo Cheesecake than Rolodex - be assured I assumed nothing.

[John83]

It was an either/or comment. If you say Kenny recruited Anthony Barry - that's good enough for me. And with my opinion of the FAI being more Rolo Cheesecake than Rolodex - be assured I assumed nothing.
I think you should apologise to Rolo cheesecakes for the unflattering comparison.

[lofty9]

He's not the boss, I'm assuming he's not picking the team. Is Kenny getting in the way? Theres no doubt that some things have improved since Barry has come in. Without Barry, Kenny would probably be gone by now. I've said for a while, I think Barry should be given the job. Yes, things haven't been perfect but Barry has definitely added some organisation and direction, prior to his arrival it was a bit of an amateurish mess.

Your hypothesis fully questions Duffer's coaching capabilities, and I'm not having that either.

[seanfhear]

Your hypothesis fully questions Duffer's coaching capabilities, and I'm not having that either.
Is Duffer doing any coaching now or at any high level ?

[ColourfulPeanut]

Great coaches do not always make great managers either. Not saying it's the case with Barry but it's not safe to assume that he would thrive with the additional responsibilities and pressures that come along with being a manager

[Snapshot]

Your hypothesis fully questions Duffer's coaching capabilities, and I'm not having that either.
Remind us of his coaching abilities/achievements at senior level.

[JR89]

Is Duffer doing any coaching now or at any high level ?

With Shelbournes U17s. Wonder how long before he walks from there.

[JR89]

Great coaches do not always make great managers either. Not saying it's the case with Barry but it's not safe to assume that he would thrive with the additional responsibilities and pressures that come along with being a manager

He'll definitely go into management. I know Fleetwood approached him but think other League One clubs approached him too but wanted to stay at Chelsea a bit longer to work with Tuchel.

[paul_oshea]

It's a well put together article alright. I think the hiring of Barry and the shift in style shows Kenny is pragmatic and hasn't let himself be tied down to idealism. I wouldn't rule out the 4-3-3 making a return at times, as well as playing it short more often, but the current shift is starting to get some the results and confidence that are needed to play the more idealistic way, if that makes sense. Even with the return of the more direct approach, Bazunu's ability to deliver what's actually a long direct pass, rather than a punt upfield is critical to the effectiveness. Even the more hurried clearances seem to be directed into slightly better areas a lot of the time, although I think there's still work to be done there. We still look vulnerable in the middle, Cullen has improved things, but we're crying out for another enforcer type to dominate things a bit more.

The flipside of that is, its taken kenny a year and a half to realise what his best formation and team is - and I dont put that down to covid, he stated he wasn't enamoured with 3 at the back. He has learnt on the job, and that's only fuelling the "he's not experienced enough to be national team manager" arguments. As you pointed out, the shift in play and the move to a more hybrid system has reaped rewards, its shown that when you might have more than just a hammer and you;ve definitely got more choice than just nails. Question can only be asked where would we be had he seen this before as some of us suggested way back. Could we have beaten Slovakia with a more tried and tested method? Would we still be in contention for WC playoff place? Was kenny too inexperienced to take over and needed the 17 games in to get it right and fit in? And would any other manager have been afforded the same time? I believe the first 2 are definite yes'. And i believe he was lucky in the last question because of covid and all the other things that came before and since.

Azerbaijan having 64/65% possession the last day did not bother me one iota. Overrunning us in midfield did though, it reminded me of cyprus away especially in the first half. Two goals, one very fortuitous and another one id say the same given how he was falling, and again the outcome could have been very different. But its a 3-0 win and its away from home so you cant be too negative.

[Exgrad]

But its a 3-0 win and its away from home so you cant be too negative.

You can certainly give it a good try through.

[JR89]

"Could we have beaten Slovakia with a more tried and tested method?"

You do know poor finishing is what let us down in Slovakia. Hourihanes inability to tap the ball home from what five yards out and he barely pussy foots it at goal.

[paul_oshea]

You can certainly give it a good try through.


I could but I chose not to. ᕙ(⇀‸↼‶)ᕗ

[lofty9]

Remind us of his coaching abilities/achievements at senior level.

Integral to Lennon completing the treble treble. That's senior enough for me. Badly missed in Glasgow.

[SkStu]

https://punditarena.com/irish-football/ronan-calvert/josh-cullen-azerbaijan-analysis/


Callum Robinson understood his assignment to a tee, James McClean looked a natural at left wing-back and Josh Cullen was no different in front of the back three. The bedding-in period hesitancy is morphing into certainty as chemistry improves. Perhaps Matt Doherty wasn’t lying when he said this Ireland team is ‘coached brilliantly’.

On a separate note, there is a +10 minute highlight package of the Azerbaijan game on the FAI channel. I watched it because i was having difficulty remembering - from watching the game live - all this long ball stuff that people are saying we have now switched too. The quality of passing football and freedom of expression in that ten minute highlight reel is phenomenal; even against a team like Azerbaijan. I cannot remember too many similar performances under previous regimes.

[BOOMSHAKALAKA]

What kind of absolute garbage is this?

So the man Kenny had the foresight to appoint, his presence is a reason Kenny would be gone?

Kenny appointed Damien Duff. If Duff had remained, Kenny would be fired by now. It appears that Anthony Barry has taken over in terms of style of play, formation and set pieces. Has Kenny had to admit his tactics/4-3-3 weren't going to cut it at international level?

You have to give Kenny credit for admitting his failings if that's the case. But why keep him if he's clearly not up to it at this level? Let the man capable take over. Is Kenny in charge of team selections? Does he do the team talks?

[BOOMSHAKALAKA]

Your hypothesis fully questions Duffer's coaching capabilities, and I'm not having that either.

It's not that much of a criticism to say Duff isn't in the same league as Barry as of now. He has time.

[BOOMSHAKALAKA]

"Could we have beaten Slovakia with a more tried and tested method?"

You do know poor finishing is what let us down in Slovakia. Hourihanes inability to tap the ball home from what five yards out and he barely pussy foots it at goal.

We played Slovakia who were badly affected by covid. Portugal could have beaten us 4 or 5-1 easily given the missed chances, Serbia also could have beaten us comfortably. The excuses used to defend Kenny can be used against him also.

[TonyD]

I wasn't that impressed with the performance and we beat Azerbaijan, let's not get carried away here.

Barry mightn't be the man for the job but no one can deny his influence on things. I'm pretty sure Kenny is picking the team and giving the inspiring team talks but apart from that, is Barry running the show?

I know it might be uncomfortable for some but it is entirely possible that Kenny is a bit of a hindrance to development. His reign was a bit of a rabble prior to Barry's arrival. I think we should consider appointing Barry or possibly keep him as coach with a more competent manager.

So you’re suddenly seeing improvements since Barry’s arrival ? Funny, cant recall you mentioning that prior to Saturdays win. You would have poured scorn on any notion that there were improvements, I’m pretty sure.

[BOOMSHAKALAKA]

So you’re suddenly seeing improvements since Barry’s arrival ? Funny, cant recall you mentioning that prior to Saturdays win. You would have poured scorn on any notion that there were improvements, I’m pretty sure.

Like I just said in that post you quoted. Even with Barry's arrival, I haven't been that impressed. It's less of a shambles than it was but I think giving Barry the managers job is the way to go. Kenny has even had to face up to the fact that his methods weren't working. Hes out of his depth and I think he's hurting the development of our players. If we can keep Barry on board, then Kenny will deserve credit for that. I've said all this in previous posts. For example:

"I still don't think Kenny is the man to have in place to bring these through. But he made one great decision during his reign.

That was getting Anthony Barry on board. This guy is excellent. Moving away from Kenny's 4-3-3 to a 3-5-2 is clearly Barry's influence. Our set pieces have improved drastically, players seem to be gaining confidence in the system. The question is always asked, who can we get as manager anyway if we get rid of Kenny? Well, he's already there but obviously, he may be a top class coach, that doesn't mean he'd be a top class manager. Still, a young innovative and highly respected coach (see his Chelsea reviews) is someone I think would be an ideal candidate to develop the young talent emerging."

[ontheotherhand]

So.....we were ****e against Portugal and Serbia with Barry calling all the shots and you want him in as manager? We are back to that?

Would you not just give a bit of credit to the manager for bringing in an apparently good coach (who most people hadn't heard of), possibly taking on some of his advice (even if the emerging availability and form of 3 good centre halves probably had more to do with changes in formation than anything else) and getting a decent win away from home?

You're suggesting that Barry has completely changed everything - formation, style of play, set pieces - with little evidence to back it up and your own criticisms of all of those pieces throughout the campaign Barry has been here for. Has our style of play changed? I think I read that we are playing 10% more long balls in 2021 than 2020....is that down to Barry? Or is that down to Idah and the front 3 developing enough to be trusted with a few direct passes here and there and a bit of an injection of pace and movement with the increasing availability of Connolly and Robinson along with more familiarity amongst the team with patterns etc?

Is it possible that we are just seeing the natural progression of things Kenny has been implementing from the start? That's at least as likely as your own theories around Kenny being sacked by now without Barry or Barry being the shadow-manager behind the scenes. How would you implement a more possession based game to a team used to pumping the ball up to McGoldrick? Do you tell the team to scrap the long ball for a while so they start to trust each other in tighter spaces? Or can you immediately balance both? Outside of that small tweak, what changes in our style of play are you crediting Barry with? Maybe our counter attacking approach v Portugal in the game you think we should have lost 5-1? I'd hazard a guess that we would have played the same way with or without him against Ronaldo and the rest. Our set pieces do seem more organized and threatening now although Duffy's resurgence are a part of that.

The biggest factor in our win, for me, was Robinson being fully fit, available and hungry to deliver. There are others who have come on enough now for us to be better, Cullen being one, but Robinson is by far our most accomplished attacker at the moment in terms of the level he is regularly playing at. Kenny's tenure so far has completely lacked a credible threat up front. We've created a lot without scoring and that's been the most consistent story for me. Robinson took (some of) his chances and we won a game. Hopefully we go on and win again today but we will continue to lack real quality up front until a top level striker emerges. Unless Barry can play up front?

[TonyD]

So.....we were ****e against Portugal and Serbia with Barry calling all the shots and you want him in as manager? We are back to that?

Would you not just give a bit of credit to the manager for bringing in an apparently good coach (who most people hadn't heard of), possibly taking on some of his advice (even if the emerging availability and form of 3 good centre halves probably had more to do with changes in formation than anything else) and getting a decent win away from home?

You're suggesting that Barry has completely changed everything - formation, style of play, set pieces - with little evidence to back it up and your own criticisms of all of those pieces throughout the campaign Barry has been here for. Has our style of play changed? I think I read that we are playing 10% more long balls in 2021 than 2020....is that down to Barry? Or is that down to Idah and the front 3 developing enough to be trusted with a few direct passes here and there and a bit of an injection of pace and movement with the increasing availability of Connolly and Robinson along with more familiarity amongst the team with patterns etc?

Is it possible that we are just seeing the natural progression of things Kenny has been implementing from the start? That's at least as likely as your own theories around Kenny being sacked by now without Barry or Barry being the shadow-manager behind the scenes. How would you implement a more possession based game to a team used to pumping the ball up to McGoldrick? Do you tell the team to scrap the long ball for a while so they start to trust each other in tighter spaces? Or can you immediately balance both? Outside of that small tweak, what changes in our style of play are you crediting Barry with? Maybe our counter attacking approach v Portugal in the game you think we should have lost 5-1? I'd hazard a guess that we would have played the same way with or without him against Ronaldo and the rest. Our set pieces do seem more organized and threatening now although Duffy's resurgence are a part of that.

The biggest factor in our win, for me, was Robinson being fully fit, available and hungry to deliver. There are others who have come on enough now for us to be better, Cullen being one, but Robinson is by far our most accomplished attacker at the moment in terms of the level he is regularly playing at. Kenny's tenure so far has completely lacked a credible threat up front. We've created a lot without scoring and that's been the most consistent story for me. Robinson took (some of) his chances and we won a game. Hopefully we go on and win again today but we will continue to lack real quality up front until a top level striker emerges. Unless Barry can play up front?

A far more balanced view. With bringing so many new young players into the squad and team it was always going to take time to click. I’m hopeful that what we saw on Saturday was the beginning of that. Yes, it was “ only” Azerbaijan, and yes it’s a game we should be winning, but we did the job and that’s the bottom line. You’re right I think in that we need a stronger threat up front. That and a quality centre midfield player would transform the team.

[BOOMSHAKALAKA]

So.....we were ****e against Portugal and Serbia with Barry calling all the shots and you want him in as manager? We are back to that?

Would you not just give a bit of credit to the manager for bringing in an apparently good coach (who most people hadn't heard of), possibly taking on some of his advice (even if the emerging availability and form of 3 good centre halves probably had more to do with changes in formation than anything else) and getting a decent win away from home?

You're suggesting that Barry has completely changed everything - formation, style of play, set pieces - with little evidence to back it up and your own criticisms of all of those pieces throughout the campaign Barry has been here for. Has our style of play changed? I think I read that we are playing 10% more long balls in 2021 than 2020....is that down to Barry? Or is that down to Idah and the front 3 developing enough to be trusted with a few direct passes here and there and a bit of an injection of pace and movement with the increasing availability of Connolly and Robinson along with more familiarity amongst the team with patterns etc?

Is it possible that we are just seeing the natural progression of things Kenny has been implementing from the start? That's at least as likely as your own theories around Kenny being sacked by now without Barry or Barry being the shadow-manager behind the scenes. How would you implement a more possession based game to a team used to pumping the ball up to McGoldrick? Do you tell the team to scrap the long ball for a while so they start to trust each other in tighter spaces? Or can you immediately balance both? Outside of that small tweak, what changes in our style of play are you crediting Barry with? Maybe our counter attacking approach v Portugal in the game you think we should have lost 5-1? I'd hazard a guess that we would have played the same way with or without him against Ronaldo and the rest. Our set pieces do seem more organized and threatening now although Duffy's resurgence are a part of that.

The biggest factor in our win, for me, was Robinson being fully fit, available and hungry to deliver. There are others who have come on enough now for us to be better, Cullen being one, but Robinson is by far our most accomplished attacker at the moment in terms of the level he is regularly playing at. Kenny's tenure so far has completely lacked a credible threat up front. We've created a lot without scoring and that's been the most consistent story for me. Robinson took (some of) his chances and we won a game. Hopefully we go on and win again today but we will continue to lack real quality up front until a top level striker emerges. Unless Barry can play up front?

Who said Barry was calling the shots? Kenny is the manager. I've said I don't know if Barry is the right man for the job but I do know that he's a far superior option to Kenny.

If Kenny is facing up to the fact that he was getting it wrong, then the question has to be asked, why should the man giving him the answers be number 2?

It's not a coincidence that the formation changed to the Chelsea formation when the Chelsea coach came on board or do you think it is?

Also, Robbinson was there for the Luxembourg game? Kind of destroys your argument.

Look, we've gone far backwards under Kenny. Theres no doubt about that. Barry has improved things a little bit. We all want what's best for Ireland. We all wanted Kenny's approach to work but it hasn't. It's clear that people are backing Kenny from an emotional standpoint, it's not based on any rationality. Removing Kenny is necessary, Barry may not be the answer but Kenny certainly isn't.

[ontheotherhand]

Who said Barry was calling the shots? Kenny is the manager. I've said I don't know if Barry is the right man for the job but I do know that he's a far superior option to Kenny.

If Kenny is facing up to the fact that he was getting it wrong, then the question has to be asked, why should the man giving him the answers be number 2?

It's not a coincidence that the formation changed to the Chelsea formation when the Chelsea coach came on board or do you think it is?

Also, Robbinson was there for the Luxembourg game? Kind of destroys your argument.

Look, we've gone far backwards under Kenny. Theres no doubt about that. Barry has improved things a little bit. We all want what's best for Ireland. We all wanted Kenny's approach to work but it hasn't. It's clear that people are backing Kenny from an emotional standpoint, it's not based on any rationality. Removing Kenny is necessary, Barry may not be the answer but Kenny certainly isn't.

You did, and then contradicted yourself right in this post.

[BOOMSHAKALAKA]

You did, and then contradicted yourself right in this post.

No I didn't. I've said I'm pretty sure Kenny is picking the team, giving team talks etc. Clearly the formation etc has changed with Barry coming on board. This doesn't mean Barry is calling the shots, you understand?

[ontheotherhand]

The question needs to be asked. Why don't we just give Anthony Barry the managers role? He's running things in terms of formation, set pieces, style of play etc. Is Kenny selecting the team?


Your own words are right here. Formation, set pieces and style of play etc are all Barry and you doubt Kenny is selecting the team as well.

So...who is calling the shots?

[SkStu]

To be honest, i am very surprised that posters are giving this guy any air time at all. Ignoring all the contradictions and sloppy logic in his posts for a second, the guy has basically admitted that in his eyes there is nothing that Kenny can do right, he is damned if he does and damned if he don't. Often based on wild speculation/theories that are not grounded in anything real. Totally disingenuous. You can't engage/debate fairly with that type of poster.

[BOOMSHAKALAKA]

Your own words are right here. Formation, set pieces and style of play etc are all Barry and you doubt Kenny is selecting the team as well.

So...who is calling the shots?

No, I think Kenny is picking the team, giving team talks and so on. So Kenny is calling the shots in my view. Do you think different? You think Kenny changed formation and tactics off his own bat?

[BOOMSHAKALAKA]

To be honest, i am very surprised that posters are giving this guy any air time at all. Ignoring all the contradictions and sloppy logic in his posts for a second, the guy has basically admitted that in his eyes there is nothing that Kenny can do right, he is damned if he does and damned if he don't. Often based on wild speculation/theories that are not grounded in anything real. Totally disingenuous. You can't engage/debate fairly with that type of poster.

These questions need to be asked. Blindly following something based on an emotional attachment is not the way we should go. Let's not forget here, Kenny is the worst manager we've ever had. That's if we go on factual evidence. Criticism of Kenny is valid, some will just have to accept that.

[JR89]

To be honest, i am very surprised that posters are giving this guy any air time at all. Ignoring all the contradictions and sloppy logic in his posts for a second, the guy has basically admitted that in his eyes there is nothing that Kenny can do right, he is damned if he does and damned if he don't. Often based on wild speculation/theories that are not grounded in anything real. Totally disingenuous. You can't engage/debate fairly with that type of poster.

Is there a mute button or something to block posts from certain posters.

[paul_oshea]

You can certainly give it a good try through.


You did, and then contradicted yourself right in this post.

To be fair giving answers and calling the shots are not one and the same.

I think life's too short and campaigns too quick (especially a football players sporting Life), come and go that we can have a manager in charge for 4 years before he (potentially) gets us to a championship as his remit.

2022 is awful barren for us , things could considerably change for us in that time too.

[TonyD]

Great start from Anthony Barry’s men.

[ontheotherhand]

To be fair giving answers and calling the shots are not one and the same.

I think life's too short and campaigns too quick (especially a football players sporting Life), come and go that we can have a manager in charge for 4 years before he (potentially) gets us to a championship as his remit.

2022 is awful barren for us , things could considerably change for us in that time too.

If he's giving answers then he's being asked questions and those answers are being taken on board yes? That sounds like a managerial team working well together to me. Instead of Kenny getting credit for bringing in Barry and (if this is even true) adopting his ideas (imagine that, listening to the coach you hired to help you) the idea is that Barry is somehow running things despite Kenny standing in his way. Play the post, not the more reasonable version of it you might come up with yourself.

And I'm not sure on your other point but I think it probably highlights the divide between the more reasonable takes on here in terms of where we are and where we need to go. For me, we absolutely can take a longer term approach given we are working with 19 year olds who aren't featuring for their clubs in key positions and an average ability level right now of, what, lower English Championship? Maybe lower end of the English Premiership if you only count our defenders? Maybe that's where we will disagree? You would hold that we have enough quality to beat Serbia to 2nd place maybe? Mick couldn't get us into the top 2 in a group with Switzerland and Denmark and he was paid more than twice as much as Kenny so I'm not sure I'd agree that there is an obvious candidate ready to step in and turn us into a better side than Serbia with the talent we have available versus their pool which plays across Europes top leagues. And if not, then what's the harm in Kenny continuing to blood young players and working on formations/styles of play/set pieces etc under the watchful eye of Anthony Barry?

[BOOMSHAKALAKA]

If he's giving answers then he's being asked questions and those answers are being taken on board yes? That sounds like a managerial team working well together to me. Instead of Kenny getting credit for bringing in Barry and (if this is even true) adopting his ideas (imagine that, listening to the coach you hired to help you) the idea is that Barry is somehow running things despite Kenny standing in his way. Play the post, not the more reasonable version of it you might come up with yourself.

And I'm not sure on your other point but I think it probably highlights the divide between the more reasonable takes on here in terms of where we are and where we need to go. For me, we absolutely can take a longer term approach given we are working with 19 year olds who aren't featuring for their clubs in key positions and an average ability level right now of, what, lower English Championship? Maybe lower end of the English Premiership if you only count our defenders? Maybe that's where we will disagree? You would hold that we have enough quality to beat Serbia to 2nd place maybe? Mick couldn't get us into the top 2 in a group with Switzerland and Denmark and he was paid more than twice as much as Kenny so I'm not sure I'd agree that there is an obvious candidate ready to step in and turn us into a better side than Serbia with the talent we have available versus their pool which plays across Europes top leagues. And if not, then what's the harm in Kenny continuing to blood young players and working on formations/styles of play/set pieces etc under the watchful eye of Anthony Barry?

We're not battling it out with Serbia, we're battling it out with Luxembourg. Denmark got to the euro semi finals, Switzerland the quarter finals and we nearly qualified under McCarthy.

If you're argument is that we can't get anything better than Kenny because of our lack of resources, you might want to look at the bench behind him. We should snap Barry up before he gets a big job as manager in England.

[SkStu]

These questions need to be asked. Blindly following something based on an emotional attachment is not the way we should go. Let's not forget here, Kenny is the worst manager we've ever had. That's if we go on factual evidence. Criticism of Kenny is valid, some will just have to accept that.

I think you are the one guilty of approaching the issue blindly and based on emotion.

If you go back to my previous posts on the matter, i have supported critical questioning of performances and results under Kenny. Some results (and performances) have been hard to stomach. But I have also asked that people make a fair and reasonable assessment of SK with the challenges that presented to him, the lack of stability early on that was almost completely out of his hands and the young players that he has had to bring through.

It is more nuanced than Kenny class/Kenny sh!te.

Bottom line for me is that he has deserved a longer runway than others might have received and it appears as though patience might be the right approach with the coaching and playing teams that he has assembled now seemingly turning a corner. I am not blindly following anything, i have already set out what i believe were bottom line requirements to stay in the job beyond this campaign. Prior to Serbia i wanted 7 or 8 points. He is on 4. Failure to beat Luxembourg and the FAI has some a valid question to ask / decision to make. To you, nothing matters.

Now, who is the extremist between the two of us?