Stephen Kenny

[JR89]

Gonna be our luck now if QPR end up appointing Eustace as manager.

1519738213811716096

[weldoninhio]

How much more time does Kenny need??

[SkStu]

I always said this was a minimum two year grace period for him and he’d need two years to put his stamp on a new squad and new approach. The public seem to appreciate this too and love what he is trying to do but I want to see more results and more consistent performances from here on out. My expectations are shifting.

[TrapAPony]

He has had more than enough time in charge and has clearly shown he is not up to it. He doesn't deserve any more chances. Nice fella but his time is beyond up.

[Eirambler]

He gets the next three games. Three good performances and at least one win or its goodbye.

[Bielsa´s irish]

We played good football today, we were better in first half. What worries me is that this game was an Azerbaijan kind of match. We have got no answer when we are down, not a craft football answer we need creative players in the final parcel. First half was 2-0 Armenia is awful. But scored a long range goal again

[tetsujin1979]

Two really bad stats, second one is worse
1533223299542556672

[John83]

He has had more than enough time in charge and has clearly shown he is not up to it. He doesn't deserve any more chances. Nice fella but his time is beyond up.
One match ago, you could get mobbed here if you suggested he didn't deserve a contract extension. I didn't buy it then, and if it's only one result later, this is almost as bad as the Luxembourg game.

[BOOMSHAKALAKA]

One match ago, you could get mobbed here if you suggested he didn't deserve a contract extension. I didn't buy it then, and if it's only one result later, this is almost as bad as the Luxembourg game.

For some reason, drawing with Belgium B in a friendly was treated as some glorious triumph. I've asked what exactly has Kenny achieved to deserve a contract extension. Lost a play off for the euro's, had an awful first Nations league, got knocked out after 2 games effectively for world cup qualification and now loses to Armenia to set up another miserable Nations league.

This spoofer is the worst manager we've ever had. Worse than Stan. Let's cut to the chase, if he wasn't a former League of Ireland manager, he would have been hounded out of the job a long time ago. Previous managers were lambasted despite achieving some decent results. It's time for everyone to cop on and face facts, Kenny has to go.

[Diggs246]

Two really bad stats, second one is worse
1533223299542556672

Why does Stephen get some sort of diplomatic immunity from the media? It tends to be ex international players who call him out

[pineapple stu]

That's an interesting mix of games in that goalless stat.

Montenegro were only so low because they were a new country. We didn't score in the return either, but they were well above 90th by then.

I also don't recall the draw in Albania being a particularly bad result. Maybe it was easier to dismiss it as a one-off, though I think the atmosphere that night was fairly intimidating too, which helped Albania.

We were also seconds away from a 0-0 against Lithuania too, who were 127th in Elo. There's probably other games that'd get added in if you ignored injury time - although can't think of too many off hand.

[Eirambler]

I found Dan McDonnell's piece in the independent this morning interesting in terms of what it didn't say. It basically said nothing, it was an article written by a man who didn't want to write an article about what he was writing about.

If it had been one of our previous managers he'd have been tearing into him.

But this is what you are dealing with here, a Dundalk fan who covers the LoI week in week out and has a soft spot for Kenny. All objectivity goes out the window.

[Bielsa´s irish]

Hire Bielsa asap

[Supreme feet]

I'm willing to concede that Kenny may be out of his depth.

However, I don't see a high ceiling for this squad, with or without him. We had four players from League One yesterday (one of whom was actually our biggest goal threat). It's been three years since the Gibraltar games, and we're still seeing Hendrick and Hourihane stinking up the midfield. We're still relying on McClean as an agent of chaos. Duffy is still our main goal threat. Of the lads playing in the Championship and League One, only Knight and maybe Obafemi have any chance of playing regularly at a higher level in the remainder of their careers. Stevens looked like a competition winner yesterday. Coleman is finished. We have talent in the 21s - but looking at the progress of Idah, Parrott, Connolly and Molumby, there's never any guarantee that the likes of Smallbone, Adaramola, Ebosele etc are going to get to the pitch of senior international football as quickly as we'd like.

It's going to take a miracle worker, a manager of genuine pedigree and experience, someone who is in touch with the requirements of modern football, a promoter of youth and progressive football, to carry on the positives from the last twelve months, ensure we don't regress to hoofball, and actually make us competitive in the short-to-medium term. Will €550,000 a year get someone like that, when the going market rate is a million for someone like Mick McCarthy?

[Diggs246]

I'm willing to concede that Kenny may be out of his depth.

However, I don't see a high ceiling for this squad, with or without him. We had four players from League One yesterday (one of whom was actually our biggest goal threat). It's been three years since the Gibraltar games, and we're still seeing Hendrick and Hourihane stinking up the midfield. We're still relying on McClean as an agent of chaos. Duffy is still our main goal threat. Of the lads playing in the Championship and League One, only Knight and maybe Obafemi have any chance of playing regularly at a higher level in the remainder of their careers. Stevens looked like a competition winner yesterday. Coleman is finished. We have talent in the 21s - but looking at the progress of Idah, Parrott, Connolly and Molumby, there's never any guarantee that the likes of Smallbone, Adaramola, Ebosele etc are going to get to the pitch of senior international football as quickly as we'd like.

It's going to take a miracle worker, a manager of genuine pedigree and experience, someone who is in touch with the requirements of modern football, a promoter of youth and progressive football, to carry on the positives from the last twelve months, ensure we don't regress to hoofball, and actually make us competitive in the short-to-medium term. Will €550,000 a year get someone like that, when the going market rate is a million for someone like Mick McCarthy?

Our league one lads are playing at a higher level then the Armenia league. In fact I'm not sure all their players are full time professionals.

Here is the salary chart for reference

https://www.sportingfree.com/football/fifa-world-cup-coaches-salaries

[seanfhear]

It might be time for Brian Kerr to limber up.

[tetsujin1979]

He had his chance and he blew it, with a better talented selection available to him than the current squad

[Trequartista20]

Technically, Jason Knight was the only League One player named in the 27-man panel.

[third policeman]

He had his chance and he blew it, with a better talented selection available to him than the current squad

There’s always the option of a part-time manager. Barry was coaching us and Chelsea at the same time. There’s no obvious candidate, but if it’s a way of getting quality on a budget. Maybe Michael O’Neill? I was prepared to give Kenny the benefit of the doubt on improved form over the last 12 months, but that result was proper humiliation. He looks like he doesn’t know what he’s doing, sounds like he doesn’t know what he’s doing, snd the results alas confirm it.

[tetsujin1979]

Technically, Jason Knight was the only League One player named in the 27-man panel.
https://morbotron.com/meme/S02E15/1264254.jpg?b64lines=WU9VIEFSRSBURUNITklDQUxMWQogQ 09SUkVDVApUSEUgQkVTVCBLSU5EIE9GIENPUlJFQ1Q=

[tetsujin1979]

There’s always the option of a part-time manager. Barry was coaching us and Chelsea at the same time. There’s no obvious candidate, but if it’s a way of getting quality on a budget. Maybe Michael O’Neill? I was prepared to give Kenny the benefit of the doubt on improved form over the last 12 months, but that result was proper humiliation. He looks like he doesn’t know what he’s doing, sounds like he doesn’t know what he’s doing, snd the results alas confirm it.
I can't see how that would work. Scouting players, opposition, preparing set pieces and tactics, etc, that's a full time job

[BOOMSHAKALAKA]

The excuses keep being rolled out for Kenny but even his most ardent supporters are running low on them. We don't have any money to afford anyone else is the latest, desperate attempt to defend the view that Kenny should be left in charge.

[Bielsa´s irish]

Technically, Jason Knight was the only League One player named in the 27-man panel.
He needs a move asap then. Leeds Forest etc

[paul_oshea]

I think Kenny will be in trouble tonight if we lose. Outside of the (dwindling) die-hard Kenologists its clear that people are seeing serious limitations with his ability to win games we should be winning; easy. He needs to realise that its all well good having a footballing philosophy and an innate belief of how the game should be played, which is great but the reality in international football is results and that's not happening. He needs to start delivering on the win at any costs, get the job done mantra. Then he can sing sweet melodies to all adoring followers of how football should be played.

[Diggs246]

I think Kenny will be in trouble tonight if we lose. Outside of the (dwindling) die-hard Kenologists its clear that people are seeing serious limitations with his ability to win games we should be winning easy. He needs to realise that its all well good having a footballing philosophy and an innate belief of how the game should be played, which is great but the reality in international football is results and that's not happening. He needs to start delivering on the win at any costs, get the job done mantra. Then he can sing sweet melodies to all adoring followers of how football should be played.

I have to say I don't find his football attractive... its frustrating if anything.
Its all headers and poor crosses when we get into their half... Duffy was pushed upfront again by close of business Saturday!!

[zero]

I think Kenny will be in trouble tonight if we lose. Outside of the (dwindling) die-hard Kenologists its clear that people are seeing serious limitations with his ability to win games we should be winning easy. He needs to realise that its all well good having a footballing philosophy and an innate belief of how the game should be played, which is great but the reality in international football is results and that's not happening. He needs to start delivering on the win at any costs, get the job done mantra. Then he can sing sweet melodies to all adoring followers of how football should be played.

I think there's a sizeable minority who would rather play football "the right way" even at the expense of results. A lot of these same people don't seem to really mind about international football in general and are much more interested in club football.

On the other end of the scale there's a perhaps even smaller minority who feel that results are the be all and end all.

Most people I expect are somewhere in the middle. We all understand there is a rebuild in progress but you really need to find a way to beat the lower ranked teams and if that means playing percentage football then so be it. It feels like we need a far different approach in those games versus against higher ranked teams, which is something we don't have yet and difficult to sort out in a short international window.

A loss tonight (to be honest, maybe even a draw) and the campaign is basically over before it's begun - just like the last one... but I reckon SK is safe regardless.

[Eirambler]

Kenny for me would make a great director of football, or technical director or one of those other upstairs roles that most teams seem to have these days. Everything looks pretty good with him up to match day, but on match day it all falls to pieces far too often.

Too many wrong selections, wrong setups and no obvious ability to fix things mid game when the problems and solutions are obvious to others. Hopefully he does better tonight and we get a badly needed win, but longer term it just feels like there's another Kenny tactical shambles waiting around the corner that will lead to another disasterous result.

[jbyrne]

Outside of the (dwindling) die-hard Kenologists its clear that people are seeing serious limitations with his ability to win games we should be winning easy

anyone who thinks we should be winning games "easy" hasn't been following Irish football for the last 100 years.
hasn't happened under any Irish manager I can remember save the odd result against the likes of san marino

[passinginterest]

I think there's a sizeable minority who would rather play football "the right way" even at the expense of results. A lot of these same people don't seem to really mind about international football in general and are much more interested in club football.

On the other end of the scale there's a perhaps even smaller minority who feel that results are the be all and end all.

Most people I expect are somewhere in the middle. We all understand there is a rebuild in progress but you really need to find a way to beat the lower ranked teams and if that means playing percentage football then so be it. It feels like we need a far different approach in those games versus against higher ranked teams, which is something we don't have yet and difficult to sort out in a short international window.

A loss tonight (to be honest, maybe even a draw) and the campaign is basically over before it's begun - just like the last one... but I reckon SK is safe regardless.

I think this sums it up quite well. Where Kenny has had success has been in transforming our ability to retain possession and play in a modern style (something that a succession of managers seemed to think was impossible). Where he's fallen down is probably having a bit too much belief in retaining the ball for longer and simply getting more balls into the opposition penalty box to deliver goals. Once the playoff for the Euro's was lost he has the opportunity to rush up some players from the under 21s, some sunk, some swum, some of the senior players forced their way back in with good performances. I think his willingness to adjust the squad and the team is a credit. What I'd like to see more of now, is earlier adjustment in game when things are not working, and a willingness to adjust the shape, whether that's to 4 at the back or 2 up top for certain games. In the early days it was all 4-3-3, now it's all 5-2-3. I'd like to see a bit more flexibility. I said from day one he had weaknesses in terms of set pieces as a manager and in terms of getting caught on the counter attack and both appear to still be issues. Barry seemed to improve the set pieces, but they were awful again in Armenia.

He has to find a way of breaking down poorer teams, now that he's proved we can dominate possession against them. If that means starting with the two biggest lumps we have up front, then that should be tried, if it means telling the midfielders to shoot every time they get a ball in the centre within 25 yards that should be tried. I still think there's hope that the team is improving and that the ability to beat those poorer teams, as well as those around our level and better will come. What he can't do anything about is not having a Robbie Keane, Damien Duff, Wes Holohan or even an Andy Reid at his disposal and that just makes scoring goals a lot more difficult than for any other Irish side in the past 30 years really. I'm not sure Kenny will stay in the job long enough to see the fruits of what he's started to implement, and maybe he just isn't good enough to actually do it anyway, but I do think there's the potential there, if we stick with a manager with a belief that we can play football in a modern style, for the team to have a big breakthrough in the next decade.

[Diggs246]

Inside Stephen Kenny's new Ireland deal - Salary, Euros bonus and potential severance package - Buzz.ie (https://www.buzz.ie/sport/stephen-kenny-ireland-contract-salary-26433133)

If and its a big if tbf, that there is only a "3 month plus pay out clause" post NL. Stephen is literally playing for his job over the next three games


if we get 1 point from the next three games. I would say the FAI will sack him and pay him the funds ( basically he needs a win )

[Eirambler]

Anyone who think Kenny is safe until 2024 regardless of results - the length of time that was spent negotiating the terms of his contract certainly suggest that this isn't the case at all. The length of severance pay is speculative in that article but it's highly unlikely that he was given a free pass to 2024 given his previous poor results. It will have almost certainly have been set up in a way that allows him to be affordably removed if things don't improve.

[Supreme feet]

I'm not sure Kenny will stay in the job long enough to see the fruits of what he's started to implement, and maybe he just isn't good enough to actually do it anyway, but I do think there's the potential there, if we stick with a manager with a belief that we can play football in a modern style, for the team to have a big breakthrough in the next decade.

This. Great post.

[paul_oshea]

anyone who thinks we should be winning games "easy" hasn't been following Irish football for the last 100 years.
hasn't happened under any Irish manager I can remember save the odd result against the likes of san marino

Fixed that : P

[paul_oshea]

I'm not sure Kenny will stay in the job long enough to see the fruits of what he's started to implement, and maybe he just isn't good enough to actually do it anyway, but I do think there's the potential there, if we stick with a manager with a belief that we can play football in a modern style, for the team to have a big breakthrough in the next decade.

....if a player comes through capable of filling the final piece in the jigsaw. I think the crux of this argument is is that one piece of the jigsaw, from being a masterpiece.

If you're suggesting that this style of play will continue without him regardless I wouldn't be so sure otherwise, a manager will come in and do their own thing to achieve results.

Generally I agree with your point though, and it would be nice to have a team capable of playing football, playing football for the next 10 years. But we dont get any closer or nearer(breakthrough) to tournaments by playing nice football - we might just be more endearing and entertaining to the general football public.

[TrapAPony]

Needs to be got rid of immediately. We are going nowhere fast. 25 games in charge and has achieved nothing but take us backwards at an alarming rate.

[youngirish]

Please Steve Staunton come back. All is forgiven. Kenny has been the poorest Irish managerial appointment since Mick Meagan.

[seanfhear]

Any suggestions if the Stephen Kenny experiment does come to an end ? ?

[Bielsa´s irish]

Needs to be got rid of immediately. We are going nowhere fast. 25 games in charge and has achieved nothing but take us backwards at an alarming rate.

That Darragh Maloney seemed very furious on TV. Get Bielsa Ireland needs a big name after Kenny. Kenny will be replaced soon

[Bielsa´s irish]

Any suggestions if the Stephen Kenny experiment does come to an end ? ?
Should end after this window, the national team is not improving after the first match vs Bulgaria with a late header. Its the end of the road.

[Paddy Garcia]

He seems to be very much like Boris Johnson.

A lot of people in England think Boris gives bumbling interviews and then transforms into an effecive leader when he walks through the doors of the cabinet.

Maybe Stephen does transform - no idea.

[third policeman]

Any suggestions if the Stephen Kenny experiment does come to an end ? ?

I was actually serious about Rooney. Has played at the highest level, has had an impossible task at Derby. but done well and has an Irish connection. Would be a left field choice, but who else is there?

[Eirambler]

He seems to be very much like Boris Johnson.

A lot of people in England think Boris gives bumbling interviews and then transforms into an effecive leader when he walks through the doors of the cabinet.

Maybe Stephen does transform - no idea.

Funny enough, I actually see him as more of a Corbyn type. Buried in principles and has a hardcore legion of fans who think the sun shines from his hole despite him having shown no obvious ability to have any success in the position he holds.

[brine3]

His interviews put me to sleep. I wonder does he do the same for the players.

[MancIrishWolf]

Any suggestions if the Stephen Kenny experiment does come to an end ? ?

Steven Reid. Learned his trade at Palace and now successfully at Forest and was with Clarke to get Scotland to the Euros. Heard recently he was up at 6am driving from the Manchester to London daily when at Palace. He’s a born grafter, evidently dedicated to learn and would run through a brick wall for the team when he was playing, which has to install more fight and confidence than the current alternative. If Gerard, Rooney & Giggs get cited as relative successes after early opportunities, why not him?

[Calcio Jack]

Please Steve Staunton come back. All is forgiven. Kenny has been the poorest Irish managerial appointment since Mick Meagan.

Mick Megan was way better than Kenny and laid a huge amount of the groundwork that was taken to the next level by Giles… as for Kenny he’s had more that a decent time to make it work but it hasn’t and he’s also delivered some of the worst results in our whole history , and having come out and said we’d win the group now makes him look like a delusional fantasist

[backstothewall]

I wouldn't mind using these games to experiment. It woUld be fine to change 5 players and lose 1-0. But we didn't do that. We lost a team which looks to me like a first 11, despite me having no idea what his first 11 is.

I don't think he does either.

[tetsujin1979]

After two and half years, and 25 games, in charge, Kenny really should not be "experimenting". He should know his players, their strengths and weaknesses, and how to get the best out of them.
At the very least he should have a plan for attempting a comeback that's better than "push Shane Duffy up front"

[seanfhear]

You’d like to think that we could have a manager that would at least come in to the consideration of a mid table English championship club if they were looking for a manager. There is no way Stephen Kenny would be even coming under consideration for such a club. I am afraid it looks like the Kenny experiment is over.

If Michael O’Neill was interested he would be a good shout but would he be interested ?

[Bielsa´s irish]

After two and half years, and 25 games, in charge, Kenny really should not be "experimenting". He should know his players, their strengths and weaknesses, and how to get the best out of them.
At the very least he should have a plan for attempting a comeback that's better than "push Shane Duffy up front"

Exactly that's why you win this match, with balls and strong personality, and Kenny can't transfer this attribute yet to the players. He transferred some passing from the back, some tidy movements from the back but that's just all his good improvement. No mixture of tempos no urgency, and a crystal jaw.

[Razors left peg]

Lee Carsley would be my choice to replace him I think.