Stephen Kenny

[Kingdom]

Looked up the ref for the craic. Artur Soares from Portugal. In 92 international matches he has awarded 18 penos to home sides and 7 to away sides.

He is more likely to give fouls against the home team though and home team players are TWICE as likely to get a red card as the away team. https://worldreferee.com/referee/artur_soares_dias/

Cheers Texidub, good bit of investigating there.

[Kingdom]

Not worried... just thinking about different angles in the pre-match build-up. :) They don't mean much... but they mean something inasmuch as they indicate that he's a bit harder on home teams. Only indication I would take from it really is for Molumby (and others) to keep their heads on straight with this ref in charge.

He's been very measured in his recent games for us. But would be an outright deception not to acknowledge that he has a tendency to not play it a bit more cute (I'll put it down to the Waterford in him). Even agin Latvia, he made one foul where his arm came across the Latvian's upper chest/throat (not severely either but was a foul) and he kept moaning to the ref when the lad went down clutching his face. He needs to be smarter than that. It's not hard. You can combative, an utter scumbag and cute at the same time.

I still don't think he's in the McClean category of recklessness in the tackle though, and I was very very reckless in the tackle at times (not that I'm proud of it now), but he really needs to play smarter in that regard.

[paul_oshea]

The comments on Kerr have really opened by eyes here. THe kennyites are clearly still kennyites and some snakes in the grass too I'm sure waiting with their smug smiles ready to pounce. Could tonight be the night? I hope so!

On a slightly different note, I know we have sold out, and I know season ticket holders and price add massively to that but I've had no buzz about this from friends at all. Normally in previous qualifying campaigns (pre kenny) there'd be loads of chat and talk about the game. Not now. And no its not because people feel we are already out of the running. There just doesnt seem to be the same excitement anymore among the general football public I'd be communicating with. Even the news yesterday had the soccer last after all the league GAA stuff and womens stuff. The Irish times i had to find my way all the way down to Soccer to find anything about the game - that's never happened before. There seems to be a general apathy towards this.

[paul_oshea]

I don't know if those stats really mean anything tbh. Were the decisions correct? If so, then no point worrying about them. There's a higher chance than usual of a red card for us this evening just because we're playing a much better team who can move us around a lot more than, say, Latvia.

Its impossible to know until you compare the teams and other refs. But its interesting all the same. Could be a new application/website in the offing to help influence ; )

And mores the point its 2 quick easy lines. Its not paragraphs of waffle and uninteresting banality like we get on here too often. I'll refrain from 2 easy quick lines jokes.

[jbyrne]

The comments on Kerr have really opened by eyes here. THe kennyites are clearly still kennyites and some snakes in the grass too I'm sure waiting with their smug smiles ready to pounce. Could tonight be the night? I hope so!

On a slightly different note, I know we have sold out, and I know season ticket holders and price add massively to that but I've had no buzz about this from friends at all. Normally in previous qualifying campaigns (pre kenny) there'd be loads of chat and talk about the game. Not now. And no its not because people feel we are already out of the running. There just doesnt seem to be the same excitement anymore among the general football public I'd be communicating with. Even the news yesterday had the soccer last after all the league GAA stuff and womens stuff. The Irish times i had to find my way all the way down to Soccer to find anything about the game - that's never happened before. There seems to be a general apathy towards this.

its a monday night game and the sporting bandwagon is just getting over the rugby grand slam. come late afternoon I guarantee there will be a buzz.
have been asked by lots of people about tickets over the last week or so. there is no lack of interest in this game

[Kingdom]

There's people around Baggot St already in green.

I've had 4 people come to me in work asking about tickets. Tonight is massive and people are damn well excited about it.

Only worry is that a lot are coming to watch Mbappé and the Boys.

[CraftyToePoke]

Woken up to a phone full of it, texts from everyone and everywhere. RTÉ Sports ( not just the soccer section ) have been leading with it for days now, multi article top of the page. I haven't noticed any drop off in interest at all media / talking to people wise.

In fact I'd say the coverage is a bit on the hopeful side, for the people just tuning in in recent days & not following the way most on here would daily. France can effectively kill this group tonight inside 180 minutes and I'd expect them to want to do that.

Even had England fans talk to me about it, they'd rarely know we were playing or who. They were also casting envious glances at Ferguson & they can get fuct.

[paul_oshea]

its a monday night game and the sporting bandwagon is just getting over the rugby grand slam. come late afternoon I guarantee there will be a buzz.
have been asked by lots of people about tickets over the last week or so. there is no lack of interest in this game

I dont think its to do with the Rugby. I also dont think Monday night really matters obviously weekend games will always get more interest as people can go out drinking or have more free time generally. This is just a general observation, even back in my hometown they had a big game against Shamrock Rovers underage at the weekend yet not as much interest about France as they had against say Germany a few years ago - which was also during a weekday. And I'm on about the general football public that would be in my circle. I cant remember a time when foot.ie was as active and that is 100% down to Stephen Kenny.

I've still got a few Dublin based friends who would normally reach out for the big games asking for tickets. Haven't had one inquiry at all and I dont believe any of them are going!

I'm sure the atmosphere will be great tonight but that's always the case for big games.

[Razors left peg]

The comments on Kerr have really opened by eyes here. THe kennyites are clearly still kennyites and some snakes in the grass too I'm sure waiting with their smug smiles ready to pounce. Could tonight be the night? I hope so!

On a slightly different note, I know we have sold out, and I know season ticket holders and price add massively to that but I've had no buzz about this from friends at all. Normally in previous qualifying campaigns (pre kenny) there'd be loads of chat and talk about the game. Not now. And no its not because people feel we are already out of the running. There just doesnt seem to be the same excitement anymore among the general football public I'd be communicating with. Even the news yesterday had the soccer last after all the league GAA stuff and womens stuff. The Irish times i had to find my way all the way down to Soccer to find anything about the game - that's never happened before. There seems to be a general apathy towards this.

Sounds like u need different friends Paul. I'm in California and everyone I know from here and Ireland are buzzing for this today. Getting texts from home all yesterday going on about it. Ferguson starting to get hype from the bandwagon lads I know. Gang of us meeting in the pub today for an 11.45 am kick off and lads are bunking off work who would never consider it before.

In my circles this game couldn't be bigger. I just hope we live up to it

[paul_oshea]

Sounds like u need different friends Paul. I'm in California and everyone I know from here and Ireland are buzzing for this today. Getting texts from home all yesterday going on about it. Ferguson starting to get hype from the bandwagon lads I know. Gang of us meeting in the pub today for an 11.45 am kick off and lads are bunking off work who would never consider it before.

In my circles this game couldn't be bigger. I just hope we live up to it

You could be right Razor! Enjoy it. The idea for a 11.45 meetup at the pub isn't as appealing to me anymore like it used to. I must be getting old : D

I hope your collective enthusiasm is matched by our performance.

[paul_oshea]

And 2fm leading their sports section about Johnny sexton's injury :rolleyes:

[seanfhear]

And 2fm leading their sports section about Johnny sexton's injury :rolleyes:
Irish Media is very Elite-ist = = No time for ordinary Irish People.

[Kingdom]

Looked up the ref for the craic. Artur Soares from Portugal. In 92 international matches he has awarded 18 penos to home sides and 7 to away sides.

He is more likely to give fouls against the home team though and home team players are TWICE as likely to get a red card as the away team. https://worldreferee.com/referee/artur_soares_dias/

I was more relaxed (ok i wasnt) watxhing the ref last night having read this post. Ref certainly lived up to stereotype.

[paul_oshea]

I'm usually always in the singing section but this time I was down pitchside in the middle of the stand. Everyone around me was very much pro kenny. They were frustrated by his late subs though. That said one fella said is lloris playing tonight after about 10 mins and I turned around and said "does he look like lloris?!" and then another guy says "oh no sure hes injured at totenham", i then replied hes retired. So many people around me with so little knowledge of football, is it always like that around there? Just daytrippers with interest in big day sporting events?

[texidub]

I was more relaxed (ok i wasnt) watxhing the ref last night having read this post. Ref certainly lived up to stereotype.

haha I was keeping an eye on him too. One of the RTE commentators said "He's certainly not a hometown referee" at one point... he was pretty anonymous, I thought, but did us no favours at all in the closing minutes when the French were running down the clock.

[SkStu]

He got crucified on twitter last night too, the ref. But I actually thought he was grand. As Pineapple Stu said during the game, a few weird decisions but overall he was pretty fair and let our players away with a bit more physicality / dark arts than I thought someone of his background would tolerate.

[paul_oshea]

Irish Media is very Elite-ist = = No time for ordinary Irish People.

Today FM the next hour also led with Johnny Sexon!

[zero]

He got crucified on twitter last night too, the ref. But I actually thought he was grand. As Pineapple Stu said during the game, a few weird decisions but overall he was pretty fair and let our players away with a bit more physicality / dark arts than I thought someone of his background would tolerate.

no complaints from me. he could maybe have booked griezman for one late lunge but overall he seemed fair.

[NeverFeltBetter]

Quite happy with him myself, a few more 50:50s went the way of the French maybe, but it was fine. No time wasted on needless VAR checks was a big plus.

[lofty9]

Quite happy with him myself, a few more 50:50s went the way of the French maybe, but it was fine. No time wasted on needless VAR checks was a big plus.

Did Hernandez get booked for his persistent fouling of Ogbene? He gave quite a lot of very soft frees against us, and had Mbappe and Griezmann in his ear all night. Strangely added only 3 mins extra in total over 90mins of football. These were my only gripes with him, minor ones.

[BOOMSHAKALAKA]

A few things could have gone out way but overall can have no complaints with the ref. I didn't see it at the match but looking back, Molumby could have given a penalty away for pulling Mbappe's shirt!

[John83]

I'm usually always in the singing section but this time I was down pitchside in the middle of the stand. Everyone around me was very much pro kenny. They were frustrated by his late subs though. That said one fella said is lloris playing tonight after about 10 mins and I turned around and said "does he look like lloris?!" and then another guy says "oh no sure hes injured at totenham", i then replied hes retired. So many people around me with so little knowledge of football, is it always like that around there? Just daytrippers with interest in big day sporting events?
Relax. Some folks have busy jobs, young families, all that. I find it much harder to keep up with the football news now compared with even a decade ago. I hadn't heard Lloris had retired until a random comment a couple of days before the game. And sure, some folks are just out for the evening.

[nigel-harps1954]

I'm usually always in the singing section but this time I was down pitchside in the middle of the stand. Everyone around me was very much pro kenny. They were frustrated by his late subs though. That said one fella said is lloris playing tonight after about 10 mins and I turned around and said "does he look like lloris?!" and then another guy says "oh no sure hes injured at totenham", i then replied hes retired. So many people around me with so little knowledge of football, is it always like that around there? Just daytrippers with interest in big day sporting events?

There were a group of lads sitting around me at the Latvia game who had no idea who Will Smallbone was, one of them had to look him up.

It happens.

[tetsujin1979]

Back in the day I could probably recognise the starting XI for most Premier League sides. Now I doubt I can name all 20 managers without looking it up.

[texidub]

Every time my eye catches the signature on here with 'Long Cox' I think of Smallbone and how much has changed over the years.

[Stuttgart88]

Keith Treacy arguing for a 433 in June.

https://www.rte.ie/sport/soccer/2023/0328/1366878-treacy-ireland-should-switch-formation-for-june-games/

I agree. We need pace and trickery either side of Ferguson and we need to attack to be successful in Greece.

I really hope Ferguson, Smallbone and Johnston can stay fit. If they do I can see us being fairly comfortable angainst a deeply defensive Gibraltar, who lets's admit, we really struggled against the last time they were in our group. Although he's ridiculed I think Horgan made a difference in Andorra, as did Parrott. I think Horgan brought a bit of skill and trickery that we lacked at the start of that game.

[Eirambler]

For anyone advocating a 4-3-3 I'd be curious to know who they would play at left back, who they would play at right back in the not unlikely even that Coleman is injured/unavailable for the game and who they would play as a number 10.

Because I don't think we have the players to play that formation to any sort of suitable standard.

[Stuttgart88]

Well for a start I'd play Coleman right back and if he's not available then probably Omobamidele, while Doc would remain my left back in any formation. But if we don't have Coleman and/or Doc available that changes the calculus a bit.

In Greece I don't think a 10 is needed, I'd start with the Cullen/Molumby/Knight trio and I'd have Ferguson/Ogbene and maybe Obafemi as the front 3. I think they're our best players but I wonder should Obafemi be held back as a bench option to freshen things up.

[texidub]

For anyone advocating a 4-3-3 I'd be curious to know who they would play at left back, who they would play at right back in the not unlikely even that Coleman is injured/unavailable for the game and who they would play as a number 10.

Because I don't think we have the players to play that formation to any sort of suitable standard.

Formations are above my current pay grade, but nice job on the signature update :D

[ifk101]

Well for a start I'd play Coleman right back and if he's not available then probably Omobamidele, while Doc would remain my left back in any formation. But if we don't have Coleman and/or Doc available that changes the calculus a bit.

In Greece I don't think a 10 is needed, I'd start with the Cullen/Molumby/Knight trio and I'd have Ferguson/Ogbene and maybe Obafemi as the front 3. I think they're our best players but I wonder should Obafemi be held back as a bench option to freshen things up.

Ogbene is most effective in a wide starting position, Obafemi central. If Ferguson is the focal point of a front three, Obafemi then as his substitute replacement. If it's more a 4-5-1 than a 4-3-3, I think Kenny's choice as a sub for Ferguson is Idah as he showed against French he is a good target and willing runner into channels. Part of a front three should be ideal for the type of player Johnston is.

My opinion of Knight is cooling. Thinking maybe better as an impact sub - re: Luxembourg away.

O'Shea has played RB for West Brom so should be competent there if eventualities forced that choice. Feels like he could play LB as well.

And for Greece, I'd give emphasis on getting the set plays right. We've lost invention there, for example Ogbene is good in the air but I don't recall us targeting him recently (maybe since that miss away to Armenia :-))

[Jd2793]

id love ogbene to be used at rwb. id particularly look at gibraltor games to use him there and greece at home too. we'll get no space v gibraltor in behind so he'll be ineffective with his back to goal as a 9. let him go rwb and use his 1v1 ability and pace out wide. it lets us get another attacker on the pitch aswell which will matter against gibraltor as we've struggled to break them down in the past.

[SkStu]

For anyone advocating a 4-3-3 I'd be curious to know who they would play at left back, who they would play at right back in the not unlikely even that Coleman is injured/unavailable for the game and who they would play as a number 10.

Because I don't think we have the players to play that formation to any sort of suitable standard.

I would be loathe to switch to a 4-3-3 too. Kenny deployed that for the first 10 (?) or so games of his tenure and we couldnt pull it off at all - down to the personnel mostly. We were constantly exposed out wide on the break and were ridiculously soft in the centre. I think 3 at the back and wing backs suits our playing pool far more and, to your point, not sure who fits where in a 4-3-3. Our formation at the moment gets criticized a bit as too conservative but it really doesn't have to be. Its really about who your third midfielder is and their role, your second striker and their role and the license you give your wing backs. I'd love to find a way to get Johnston on there from the start against the weakest teams and maybe thats when you try the 4-3-3 but I cant see a compelling case for it away to Greece. Or maybe you switch it to a 3-4-3 or something during the game.

[paul_oshea]

Last warning Paul. Next time you'll be on holiday for a while.

Can you please provide me with the original message in notifications like I have asked for? You've deleted my comments but left your own.

Whilst I patiently wait for the above:
I think playing any sort of 4 at the back does not suit us or get the best out of the players we have available. Doherty is not effective and shoehorning Coleman into that position doesnt really work anymore.

Re: Kenny read some other pieces than VPs yesterday and I feel its a little unfair to lay the blame at Cullens door. It's pretty clear in the second half Kenny had instructed the team to play more of the ball and be more confident. He's telling players just not capable of playing that game of doing so, CUllen then does it and causes the goal. We've conceded 10 goals or so from this same type or similar position that has led to these goals.

[Stuttgart88]

I would be loathe to switch to a 4-3-3 too. Kenny deployed that for the first 10 (?) or so games of his tenure and we couldnt pull it off at all - down to the personnel mostly. We were constantly exposed out wide on the break and were ridiculously soft in the centre. I think 3 at the back and wing backs suits our playing pool far more and, to your point, not sure who fits where in a 4-3-3. Our formation at the moment gets criticized a bit as too conservative but it really doesn't have to be. It’s really about who your third midfielder is and their role, your second striker and their role and the license you give your wing backs. I'd love to find a way to get Johnston on there from the start against the weakest teams and maybe thats when you try the 4-3-3 but I cant see a compelling case for it away to Greece. Or maybe you switch it to a 3-4-3 or something during the game.
Changing would be a risk and our CBs are generally among our better players. And I literally know nothing about how Greece line up or play, which is something that has to be considered.

But I think when winning is the objective we have enough pace in the team to take the game to moderate enough opponents and expect to get goals. More Klopp than Kenny.

But although it’s game 2 and we’re on null points, overall a draw might be good, but only as long as we beat them at home and ideally the Dutch don’t win there.

[dr_peepee]

Back in the day I could probably recognise the starting XI for most Premier League sides. Now I doubt I can name all 20 managers without looking it up.

I hear that, Mon Frere!!

[ontheotherhand]

Remember we had Stevens and Doherty both playing well in the EPL? Why didn't we try wing backs then?

It probably still suits us better now but who are the two first choice options in 3 years or so?

O'Dowda?
Ogbene?
Lyons?
Ebosele?

[BOOMSHAKALAKA]

Brendan Rodgers is available. Would he be interested in managing his country? I think he needs to be sounded out. Would be an excellent appointment.

[CraftyToePoke]

Brendan Rodgers is available. Would he be interested in managing his country? I think he needs to be sounded out. Would be an excellent appointment.

It has fallen apart on him more than once in jobs, soon as he puts his own stamp on a squad, worryingly for him it seems. He's a total b*lls*itter. Leicester wouldn't free up funds for several windows because his prior signings all made things worse. Read today he has the seventh highest wage budget in the EPL but his side four years into his time with them are in the bottom three.

Numbers wise he loses regularly from winning positions and things get worse after his substitutions, both of these things happen way more than they do to actually good managers.

It's very interesting what your interpretation of an excellent appointment is.

[Supreme feet]

Was on £10,000,000 a year at Leicester too. That might be an issue!

[Eirambler]

Also I'm pretty sure if you asked him what "his country" is he'd tell you it's Northern Ireland.

[CraftyToePoke]

Was on £10,000,000 a year at Leicester too. That might be an issue!

Yeah, Leicester crapped themselves when Spurs were snigging around one time and Brendan saw his angle and fair play he absolutely rinsed them :)
I'd say Spurs can have him now. I live around the area and would be following a bit, I wouldn't want him near our team, he gave an interview recently with a straight face, that keeping the club up would be his biggest achievement while the aforementioned budget was unmentioned.

[CraftyToePoke]

Also I'm pretty sure if you asked him what "his country" is he'd tell you it's Northern Ireland.

It absolutely is

“My upbringing is important to me. I'm very much from Northern Ireland — a Northern Ireland man who loved his life when I was young and was brought up in a real secure community.”

- https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/sport/football/premier-league/brendan-rodgers-northern-ireland-is-where-my-heart-lies/28737541.html

I believe he also said once the Northern Irish boys should play for Northern Ireland

So, again interesting from Boomers, and again factually incorrect. Bit of Celtic / PL goggles on perhaps with little actual discernment or evaluation there.

[Razors left peg]

It absolutely is

“My upbringing is important to me. I'm very much from Northern Ireland — a Northern Ireland man who loved his life when I was young and was brought up in a real secure community.”

- https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/sport/football/premier-league/brendan-rodgers-northern-ireland-is-where-my-heart-lies/28737541.html

I believe he also said once the Northern Irish boys should play for Northern Ireland

So, again interesting from Boomers, and again factually incorrect. Bit of Celtic / PL goggles on perhaps with little actual discernment or evaluation there.
The expectation that we could snag a manager that was on 10 million a year is the type of unrealistic nonsense that ya see all over Facebook pages from fans who haven't a clue about football except for what Sky tell them about the Premiership.

Maybe we should go after Graham Potter, he's about to get sacked at Chelsea. Liverpool not having great season, why not see if they'll take a payoff for Klopp?

By the way, I've haven't seen a single suggestion of what a different manager would or could have done better against France

[tetsujin1979]

It absolutely is

“My upbringing is important to me. I'm very much from Northern Ireland — a Northern Ireland man who loved his life when I was young and was brought up in a real secure community.”

- https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/sport/football/premier-league/brendan-rodgers-northern-ireland-is-where-my-heart-lies/28737541.html

I believe he also said once the Northern Irish boys should play for Northern Ireland

So, again interesting from Boomers, and again factually incorrect. Bit of Celtic / PL goggles on perhaps with little actual discernment or evaluation there.


Surprised he said that, given that his son has underage caps for the Republic

[Kingdom]

It absolutely is

“My upbringing is important to me. I'm very much from Northern Ireland — a Northern Ireland man who loved his life when I was young and was brought up in a real secure community.”

- https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/sport/football/premier-league/brendan-rodgers-northern-ireland-is-where-my-heart-lies/28737541.html

I believe he also said once the Northern Irish boys should play for Northern Ireland

So, again interesting from Boomers, and again factually incorrect. Bit of Celtic / PL goggles on perhaps with little actual discernment or evaluation there.

CTP, could you tease this one out a little bit for us?
Would he be a possibility even allowing for current wages vs what would be on offering?
Likes his teams to play ball.
Tactically whats the deal at Leicester?

[BOOMSHAKALAKA]

Rodgers is Irish, he was on 2.3 million pounds a year at Celtic, so maybe not as big a reach as first thought. And if anyone is suggesting that Rodgers is not a huge step up from what we currently have, they're living in Cuckoo land.

[CraftyToePoke]

CTP, could you tease this one out a little bit for us?
Would he be a possibility even allowing for current wages vs what would be on offering?
Likes his teams to play ball.
Tactically whats the deal at Leicester?

I can't see how he would be, Leicester are Thai owned, serious money people and his pay off - 10 million has been mentioned in the media - was sufficient to make them put up with any amount of decline short of relegation & they may have left it a bit late on that too, they are in serious trouble after yesterday.

Tactically, they lose from leading, they go to bits after he makes changes, he makes changes too late, he makes the wrong changes ( to a point that you sometimes wonder if he's watching the same game at all ) He has available to him Tielemans and Maddison, two very sought after players but he cant knock a tune out of the midfield. He has fallen out with the Turkish CB Soyunchu who was in several teams of the season. He has proven goal scorers who he cannot set up to get service to despite the aforementioned midfielders. There isn't one signing of his who has added to what he inherited four years ago, everyone has a few flops but his are all flops. The club relented in January to let him make some signings, and he brought in Tete - the missing piece he had been lacking according to him & everything would now be ok - who has absolutely stunk the place out since, he's desperate. This spoofer inherited a very good Leicester side, best in their history, remember and was given budget.

Call him up Trap.

[Razors left peg]

Rodgers is Irish, he was on 2.3 million pounds a year at Celtic, so maybe not as big a reach as first thought. And if anyone is suggesting that Rodgers is not a huge step up from what we currently have, they're living in Cuckoo land.
Pep would be a huge step up too, but he's not getable either. 2.3 million pounds might as well be 200 million pounds for the FAI right now, completely impossible.

And again, what could a different manager have done differently against France?

[tetsujin1979]

I don't think anyone has doubted that Rodgers is a better manager than Kenny, the issue is that his wages are outside the FAI's budget. Don't forget Celtic are backed by serious money too

[pineapple stu]

And again, what could a different manager have done differently against France?
I'm not sure why that's being used as an argument when a more valid question would be "What could a different manager have done against Malta/Luxembourg/Lithuania/Azerbaijan?" And the answer to that has to be "Quite a lot"

Agree Rodgers is almost certainly way outside the FAI's budget though.