The Next Ireland Manager

[Bielsa´s irish]

Paul McGrath said this guy needs to be replaced , he campaigned for Neill Lennon. I like that idea.

Paul Lambert is someone I would like toó he tries to play good grassroots footie in Norwich was tremendous. I like Mark Hughes too! And the Southampton coach if they fire him. What about Bilic? Good coach maybe the balkan-irish streetwise mèlange could be a great cooking. Then theres a new irish coach at St Mirren.
Those are the fellows I like. My biggest candidate will always be El Loco Bielsa or Brendan Rodgers.

[Bielsa´s irish]

I like Cesare Prandelli too. Dont know where he's at

[pineapple stu]

Paul McGrath said this guy needs to be replaced , he campaigned for Neill Lennon. I like that idea.
How hard is it to add a link when you make random statements like that?

Link (https://punditarena.com/football/darraghmurphy/paul-mcgrath-stephen-kenny-neil-lennon/).

[sadloserkid]

The issue isn't that Stephen Kenny won't lead us to the World Cup. It's not even necessarily that we lost to Luxembourg. It's that we deservedly lost to Luxembourg - a team that, player for player are not in even our meagre weight class (even including the suddenly exalted striker with a princely two league goals to his name for Dynamo Kiev this season).

I don't think that the high water mark for this Irish side is likely to drown many people but I just can't see anything to suggest that Kenny is getting the best out of them. And that's an issue worth addressing. If people believe that he's the man to extract the most from these youngsters and turn them all into future legends that's an opinion certainly but I can't see why we wouldn't at least examine the possibility that there's someone else out there who could simultaneously pick Jason Knight, make us appear a little less turgid/harmless AND not get turned over by Luxembourg at home.

I will say though that if Neil Lennon is the solution we should just leave Kenny in situ. There are no words adequate for how far off the pulse you'd have to be to champion a man who spent this season proving conclusively that he possesses zero patience for youth or ability to get a little more out of mediocre players.

[John83]

I will say though that if Neil Lennon is the solution we should just leave Kenny in situ. There are no words adequate for how far off the pulse you'd have to be to champion a man who spent this season proving conclusively that he possesses zero patience for youth or ability to get a little more out of mediocre players.
I, too, would feel ill if he were appointed. He's all wrong for the job.

[Razors left peg]

OK, let’s replace Kenny.

But with whom? Robbie Keane? Don’t make me laugh – that’s like treating the gig as work experience, and we can’t afford to have someone learning on the job. If being on payroll already is a qualification, give it to Vera Pauw - she’s more experienced than Robbie anyway. Chris Hughton? Not a chance – his stock would have to plummet monstrously. Some Premiership has-been whose stock has fallen so low they can’t get anything else? Or someone who can’t get work in the SPL, Championship? Tell me how that’s an improvement.

And what’s the goal anyway? Anybody who genuinely believed we had a snowball’s chance in a Qatari heatwave of getting to Qatar has spent too long in the sun. (Blind optimism and a dollop of faith, I can accept – it’s the affliction of the diehard fan.)

Somebody on another thread said that replacing Kenny now would be like cosmetic surgery on a terminal patient. {Edit: credit where it's due, Comic Book Guy (https://foot.ie/threads/240390-Stephen-Kenny?p=2071437&viewfull=1#post2071437)} I’d say it’s more like cutting off a gangrenous limb, slapping on a Band-aid and hoping it’ll grow back better than ever. The problems in the game go far deeper than who the manager is – player development from youth up, domestic senior league versus slave traders and local fiefdoms, potential legal charges against former FAI employees (presumption of innocence noted and all that) a bankrupt association… We’re reaping the consequence of decades of neglect and, if not actual criminal corruption or corporate malfeasance, then certainly unethical or incompetent leadership. We are a decade away from stability. That’s the goal. Every manager we’ve had since Charlton has been tasked with diverting our attention from the administrative 5hitshow of a dysfunctional FAI. We’ve been bought off using our own credit with inflatable hammers and ole ole. Kenny is the first where the 5hit has been laid bare, and the debt’s been called in.

Back to the pitch, it will take a replacement for Kenny six or seven games to get a handle on the players available and formations, and all we’ll be doing in the meantime is kicking the can of potential improvements down the road. So, leave Kenny in situ.

The best case in that scenario is that something clicks tomorrow, and in a year’s time with Parrott, Idah, Connolly, Knight, Molumby, Bazunu, Cullen and O’Shea ripping it up as a golden generation, all into double figures for caps, we’ll feel slightly embarrassed to read back over these threads. Who wouldn’t wish for that?

Worst case, we’re stuck with a manager out of his depth while the FAI gets its house in order, and we go back to the wilderness years of the seventies for a decade.

An in-between scenario is that Kenny’s era limps with a few victories to the end of this campaign at which point he goes, having excised the deadwood senior pros who are currently lingering like a fart in a lift (McClean, Brady, Hendrick, I’m looking at you in particular) and brought through a younger team, with most players in at least a Championship level team (in England or anywhere else) because they’ve been exposed to international football. Not 'mission accomplished', but the core of a rebuilt, reasonably experienced team with ten years’ growth potential for the next manager. A qualified success – but I’d accept that.

Ive been hunting around in my brain for the last few days to figure how I feel about things and this is it!

[Razors left peg]

Jesus Christ. After seeing how Lennon just handled Celtic he should never get another job in football let alone be linked to us.

[shakermaker1982]

I’d rather stick with Kenny and us falling into pot 5 than giving Lennon a shot.

[seanfhear]

I’d rather stick with Kenny and us falling into pot 5 than giving Lennon a shot.
Loyalists once threatened to give Lennon a Shot ! !

[Razors left peg]

I was wondering if someone would go there.....

[Bungle]

Pains me to say it but Stephen is very far out of his depth. Would still rather him than someone like Lennon. A stoneage manager who would have us playing horrendous football, even if in the short term he might nab us a good result or two.

[Eminence Grise]

Neil Lennon, who has done sooooooooo much for Shane Duffy, Luca Connell, Jonathan Afolabi, Armstrong Okoflex, Lee O'Connor, Barry Coffey... Not even an argument to be had. Troll's gotta try harder.

[backstothewall]

Neil Lennon, who has done sooooooooo much for Shane Duffy, Luca Connell, Jonathan Afolabi, Armstrong Okoflex, Lee O'Connor, Barry Coffey... Not even an argument to be had. Troll's gotta try harder.

Look, I think the forum unanimously agree that it's a bad idea.

But the man you're calling a troll has earned the right to say any mad dog ****e he wants without being called names. He had enough of that growing up in this country.

[Razors left peg]

I might change this opinion later today after the game but I was thinking about this on my way to work today (I probably need to get my life together).

At this point we we've tried almost every managerial type. The Old Legend in Trap, The ex player Staunton, successful club manager O'Neill, past glory manager McCarthy. There have been some partial success at times along the way but we are never happy, and its usually because we were shyte to watch and most fans always thought we could play better.

I dont know how often over the years I've heard that we should go back to Kerr. Its probably because he makes good points on tv at times. But I think if we get rid of Kenny now in years to come we will look back on it and say how unlucky he was. From players missing games and not even a home crowd to raise the team in any games, to the open goal misses in play offs, the penalty he should have got against Serbia. Yes its far from all down to bad luck but I wonder in years to come would we look back and say that he was trying to integrate new players who probably were 2 years from being ready and also had to deal with some older players who just werent good enough.

Probably a bit of a wandering thought but when there is no obvious alternative out there I think in the long run we are probably better off sticking with Kenny

[zero]

This campaign is a write off so I think it's reasonable to let Kenny continue til the end. If there have been no signs of improvement then I'd imagine there's a clause for his removal.

At the moment it really feels like we could go through the whole group without a win, but let's see what happens.

[passinginterest]

I might change this opinion later today after the game but I was thinking about this on my way to work today (I probably need to get my life together).

At this point we we've tried almost every managerial type. The Old Legend in Trap, The ex player Staunton, successful club manager O'Neill, past glory manager McCarthy. There have been some partial success at times along the way but we are never happy, and its usually because we were shyte to watch and most fans always thought we could play better.

I dont know how often over the years I've heard that we should go back to Kerr. Its probably because he makes good points on tv at times. But I think if we get rid of Kenny now in years to come we will look back on it and say how unlucky he was. From players missing games and not even a home crowd to raise the team in any games, to the open goal misses in play offs, the penalty he should have got against Serbia. Yes its far from all down to bad luck but I wonder in years to come would we look back and say that he was trying to integrate new players who probably were 2 years from being ready and also had to deal with some older players who just werent good enough.

Probably a bit of a wandering thought but when there is no obvious alternative out there I think in the long run we are probably better off sticking with Kenny

I think the last line sums it up. There's a lot of people saying surely there's someone who could do what Kenny is trying to do only better, but there's no obvious candidate that would take the job, so for now we stick it out.

[weldoninhio]

I think the last line sums it up. There's a lot of people saying surely there's someone who could do what Kenny is trying to do only better, but there's no obvious candidate that would take the job, so for now we stick it out.

And when we are in pot 4 for the next qualifiers we'll have an even harder job.

[tetsujin1979]

And when we are in pot 4 for the next qualifiers we'll have an even harder job.
We were in the fourth pot for the World Cup in 2018, and got to the play offs: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2018_FIFA_World_Cup_qualification_(UEFA)#Seeding

[Trequartista20]

I'd stick with for now, on the proviso that he throw the kids in. He needs to be told.

I know he's in dire need of a result, but selecting the likes of Long, Horgan and McClean in a meaningless friendly is simply counterproductive and pointless.

People would be far more forgiving of this appalling run of results if young lads were gaining experience and there were some sort of prospect of a future payoff.

[pineapple stu]

And yet Horgan set up McClean for our only goal, while Long got an assist against Serbia.

Those guys have a place in the squad. I'd rather they didn't, but our squad isn't strong enough to cast them aside.

[Trequartista20]

I'd maintain an experienced core of players; Randolph, Coleman, Duffy, Doherty and one or two others, but in a situation where we have no realistic chance of even competing for qualification, playing lads who have next to nothing to offer us going forward, in a pointless match, that shouldn't really even have taken place during a pandemic, makes little to no sense to me.

We need to be thinking about the next qualifying campaign I think now.

[pineapple stu]

I'm happier that Horgan and McClean combined to earn us a draw, than that Manning and Parrott didn't combine and we lost to be honest.

Not everything's about the future. The present is important too.

And the new guys can learn a lot from the more experienced players.

[Trequartista20]

I know what you mean, and I did make the point that it was important to maintain an experienced core, because, as you say, the younger players can learn from these guys.

But come on, what good is scrapping a draw against Qatar in a meaningless closed-door training game? What does it really achieve?

[pineapple stu]

I don't think it was a closed-doors training game. It was a covid friendly.

What does it achieve to draw against the Asian champions? More than to lose against them while once again not scoring, for starters.

[John83]

But come on, what good is scrapping a draw against Qatar in a meaningless closed-door training game? What does it really achieve?
Would you accept losing ten games in a row if we fielded no one over 22? I wouldn't. That's not development. There's a balance to be struck. Kenny had a squad with lots of young players who he trusted (to no effect) in competitive matches, and then rested for the meaningless friendly that would have been their third match in 6 days. Burning out kids and getting them injured and demoralised is not the way to develop anyone.

[backstothewall]

Would you accept losing ten games in a row if we fielded no one over 22? I wouldn't. That's not development. There's a balance to be struck. Kenny had a squad with lots of young players who he trusted (to no effect) in competitive matches, and then rested for the meaningless friendly that would have been their third match in 6 days. Burning out kids and getting them injured and demoralised is not the way to develop anyone.

Agreed. Young players don't learn from playing games. They learn from playing games alongside experienced players, and by being around squads and in hotels and all that. There's a lot to be gained by sitting round listening to the old war stories of guys talking about things like fighting their way back to get to Euro 2016 after getting beat in Celtic Park.

[mark12345]

Exacrly what successes had Stan in his career as a manager?

None as a manager, as we all know, but Stan had plenty of success with Liverpool and Villa as a player (talking about playing career as well). Boils down to the fact that all those mentioned had a boat load of know how as players or managers or both, but as soon as they walk in the door to manage the Irish team, they have all become clueless. I don't buy it - the blame lies elsewhere.

[John83]

There is very little correlation between being a good player and a good manager. Staunton was a gamble and a flop, and it was everything to do with himself. His non-playing career after the Ireland job (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_Staunton#Leeds_United) is absolutely laughable next to your position on this, Mark.

[elatedscum]

I'd stick with for now, on the proviso that he throw the kids in. He needs to be told.

I know he's in dire need of a result, but selecting the likes of Long, Horgan and McClean in a meaningless friendly is simply counterproductive and pointless.

People would be far more forgiving of this appalling run of results if young lads were gaining experience and there were some sort of prospect of a future payoff.

The reality is we’ve had 8 members of his 21s side in the current squad. We were missing the likes of Kelleher, Collins, Taylor, Smallbone, Hodge, Finn, Idah and Obafemi through injury. There weren’t any players that you could reasonably call up and would do themselves justice.

You’ve got 3 games in 6 days. You’ve got to use your full squad across the window, otherwise players will burnout and injure. As far as I remember, those 3 lads didn’t start a game before Qatar. Meanwhile Molumby, Knight, O’Shea and Bazunu have been integrated into the senior panel.

If you’re arguing they shouldn’t be in the squad, the alternatives to Shane Long are Scott Hogan and a recently injured Sean Maguire. Kenny’s 21s had Idah (injured), Obafemi (injured), Connolly (injured) and Parrott (in squad). The previous age group (96-97), Reece Greco Cox was the main man. He’s playing league 2 or non-league now.

You need to balance opportunities for young players to shine with experience and quality, and in general, thrusting a player into a game before they’re ready for it does little for their development. In the long term, Travers, Parrott and Coventry may be great ireland players but right now, they’re not quite ready. So if you were to call up Anselmo Garcia McNulty or Kevin Zefi or Evan Ferguson or Will Ferry or Shane Flynn, and use them, we’d probably get tonked and destroy their self belief in the process...

[shakermaker1982]

I’m not sure what happens next. I’d normally have a position on what I’d like to happen next but I’m genuinely stumped…

1 win in 15 is embarrassing but can we even afford a decent upgrade?

Doherty and Coleman should have stayed in the positions they played in vs Portugal.

The Parrott experiment didn’t work.

His substitution selection needs major improvement.

I’ve seen a few comments on social media begging for Chris Hughton but he’s had a woeful run so far with Forest. Fans have turned against him and the football is atrocious.

[BOOMSHAKALAKA]

What about giving Anthony Barry a go? Maybe he doesn't want it and he has been involved in this shambles but at least he's an effective communicator, he has a very good reputation in the club game and we may be able to afford to top up his wages to take the managers job.

[Bielsa´s irish]

I agree I would link with Mark Hughes in my opinion he is not english, he is a proud celtic guy, and is a motivator, we need a motivational speaker after this. I wouldnt sack him I would make him to understand and do the right thing, dont alienate the football people in ireland , the national team is bigger than any coach

[Bielsa´s irish]

if it was mi decision after this 17 games, i would see out the remaining games of the group and I would get Mark Hughes inmediately he plays better football, he can motivate people, and he is less than 60, which makes him still young yet experienced. plus he is a proud celt guy

[Bielsa´s irish]

Chris Hughton and Neill Lennon are more less the same both have passion but they play boring stuff. Hughes has the vision , the passion and is someone the celtic people could identify with. Plus he is a well known figure of the game. For me it has to be Mark Leslie Hughes

[Demesne Lad]

Chris Hughton and Neill Lennon are more less the same both have passion but they play boring stuff. Hughes has the vision , the passion and is someone the celtic people could identify with. Plus he is a well known figure of the game. For me it has to be Mark Leslie Hughes

Chris Coleman? Half-Irish, 19 wins and 13 draws in his 50 games managing Wales -- and he's Ronan Curtis' godfather!

[pineapple stu]

I suppose the question you have to ask is - if Coleman were to look at the Ireland job and consider it, what would they see? A team on a long decline trying to squeeze something out of PL2 players or third tier loanees. Coleman's career trajectory has been weird - a great spell with Wales but he's flopped since then - but he presumably has ambitions to get back on the merry-go-round. Is the Ireland job a route back to the top? Or has it become a bit of a poisoned chalice?

(This goes for any of the suggestions btw; not just Coleman, who's an interesting call in fairness)

[Bielsa´s irish]

Before Chris Coleman I would get Mark Leslie Hughes better mánager more streetwise and plays it more jogo bonito than Coleman yet is an old fox. Either of those celts could be fine but Hugues will get more tickets

[backstothewall]

Chris Hughton looks the obvious candidate for me.

He's got good experience, he's a good coach, and he has a good reputation. And he's not a radical swing to the opposite of what has just failed which we're so often guilty of.

Forest are bottom of the table so he'll be available shortly, but that club was a sh*tshow long before he got there.

Failing that I think we have to look outside these islands, though Steven Reid or Lee Carsley maybe come into the conversation.

[Bielsa´s irish]

No poisoned chalice Kenny has done the hard work. Any mánager has to be appointed after the last match vs Luxemburg I think. Qatar match is also the sixth team. Lets not forget. How would be there in that table?

From all the names mentioned Hughes fits all the squares. One thing Kenny is correct was we should have won vs az but we didnt.. I said it before blame cullen and Coleman but for me it was bazunu and thats Kenny choice. I would have stayed with Randolph.

[tetsujin1979]

Before Chris Coleman I would get Mark Leslie Hughes better mánager more streetwise and plays it more jogo bonito than Coleman yet is an old fox. Either of those celts could be fine but Hugues will get more tickets

No club is interested in hiring Hughes, no international side is interested in hiring Hughes, no fans of the game want him to take over either their club or international side, and he's way down the list of candidates with the bookies, stop mentioning him.

[Bielsa´s irish]

No club is interested in hiring Hughes, no international side is interested in hiring Hughes, no fans of the game want him to take over either their club or international side, and he's way down the list of candidates with the bookies, stop mentioning him.

what the names are?

Sam Aliardyce, Roy Hodgson and Harry Rednapp? then CH or NL

[seanfhear]

I’m not sure what happens next. I’d normally have a position on what I’d like to happen next but I’m genuinely stumped…

1 win in 15 is embarrassing but can we even afford a decent upgrade?

Doherty and Coleman should have stayed in the positions they played in vs Portugal.

The Parrott experiment didn’t work.

His substitution selection needs major improvement.

I’ve seen a few comments on social media begging for Chris Hughton but he’s had a woeful run so far with Forest. Fans have turned against him and the football is atrocious.
You’d think that Chris Hughton would have enough in the bank to get the Irish Job if he wants it. Nottingham Forest seem to have been a bit of a basket case of a club for a long time ( hasn’t everyone failed their for 10 / 15 years )

Would Chris Hughton want it ? = = Maybe, after all he has done a lot of club management now.

[Bielsa´s irish]

Ireland are on the worst competitive run of their 100-year history and, should they fail to beat Serbia tomorrow, Kenny will become the first manager in 50 years to preside over an Ireland team out of qualification reckoning with three qualifiers remaining.
Eliminated from two competitions last year, last rites on the third he looked forward to should be applied by Serbia tomorrow.

[Bielsa´s irish]

No club is interested in hiring Hughes, no international side is interested in hiring Hughes, no fans of the game want him to take over either their club or international side, and he's way down the list of candidates with the bookies, stop mentioning him.

for that I would get the dutch maestro Gus Hiddink out of Curazao

[Bielsa´s irish]

from the bunch i would get Neil Lennon because he is younger and has won a few things, he is not a bad manager. i would judge him because of Hibernian than Celtic and he did very good. Plus Martin O Neill could be behind that appointment and that would be great, You need to get a guy who indentifies with your people and history, first a sense of belonging with the irish and celtic culture, someone who comprehend that issue and is part of the community.

I have always championed for Gus Hiddink for the Republic of Ireland national team.

[tetsujin1979]

You've mentioned Hiddink once before today. You've mentioned Mark Hughes more than Hiddink.

[third policeman]

Could do a lot worse than Michael O’Neil. Did ok for the North with even more limited playing resources and played better football. than we managed under Mick or his namesake. Would he leave Stoke for us? Doubtful at this stage.

[Bielsa´s irish]

from the names is NL to reject it with C.H as second choice, robbie keane? he coached the aids soccer game

[backstothewall]

from the bunch i would get Neil Lennon because he is younger and has won a few things, he is not a bad manager.

Neil Lennon is a bad manager.

In fact he's really bad. He's dreadful. He was an abject failure at Bolton and Hibs. He was an abject failure at Celtic. The only things he ever won were in Scotland when Rangers were on their uppers.

[Bielsa´s irish]

Neil Lennon is a bad manager.

In fact he's really bad. He's dreadful. He was an abject failure at Bolton and Hibs. He was an abject failure at Celtic. The only things he ever won were in Scotland when Rangers were on their uppers.

i judge him for Hibernian and he won it, his stats are good he doesnt play bad football. listen I liked that Kenny did ok, but as Kerr said you cant play too much kids at the same time and get results, mick mccarthy had the same situation in 96 i think we have to check those games I think 20 matches is a good measurement