New Irish manager

[shakermaker1982]

I'd be very happy with Coppell (the independent seem to think he'd love to come over but that sounds like BS to me) and Houillier. I'd also be content with Paul Jewell but I imagine he'll head to Bolton this week or next.

I'd be seriously depressed if we end up with O'Leary, Robson, Souness (lord give me strength) and Dowie. El Tel might have a fancy tan but so does Big Ron. We need to keep clear of Venables if at all possible, however I imagine he'd interview well and astound the panel with his tales of getting England to a semi final 11 years ago.

[geysir]

I see Roy Hodgson isn't on the Paddy Power list, considering he is one of those who will be out of contract, you'd think somebody would think he was worth a punt.
I can't imagine that the FAI would consider to buy anyone out of a current contract.

[eirebhoy]

I see Roy Hodgson isn't on the Paddy Power list, considering he is one of those who will be out of contract, you'd think somebody would think he was worth a punt.
I can't imagine that the FAI would consider to buy anyone out of a current contract.
E-mail them and they'll probably offer you 50/1 on him too. :)

[DmanDmythDledge]

Co Adriaanse anyone? In his sixties now so could be tempted by international management.

[NeilMcD]

never heard of him until now but he has a good CV anyway.

[brine3]

Brian Kerr: I don't remember any massive campaign by the special one against him. Football is a results game. If you don't get the results, the fans and media turn against you. Hence, exit Kerr stage right.

It was the FAI wot did Kerr in in the end. On the eve of the Switzerland match at Lansdowne Road, which, if we had won, would have ensured us a place in the World Cup playoffs, Delaney refused to back the manager.

And now the same Delaney is blaming the press for Staunton's woes.

Delaney is a ball of slime.

[mrmurphster]

Basically as far as I see it we need a manager who has been there and done it, i.e. coached an international team...

that doesn't leave many Irish managers that could do the job.

I'm counting out O'Leary as he's not the right man, this doesn't leave us with many realistic candidates.

So I've been thinking about possibilities, when I thought of a manager who has led 5 different teams to the World cup, 4 of whom he led to the second round of the competition...

Still guessing?Bora Milutinovic http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milutinovic

He's not well known, but with a record like that, then surely he should at least be considered for the post.

[Superhoops]

.... That money would get you a world class experienced proven manager......

Like who?

List only those (a) that are available (b) would be prepared to take on the job!

[Lionel Ritchie]

Anyone out there able to facilitate us with a (reasonably accurate) list of earnings of some of the current and recent international managers out there so we can establish some sort of "going rate". I'm of the opinion that, at €400,000, Stan was on a bloody decent salary that wouldn't be unattractive to many managers regardless of what they've earned in club football in the past.

I'll get the ball rolling...

Manager, Country, Reported annual salary.

Stan, Ireland, €400,000
Lawrie Sanchez, N. Ireland, €150,000
Karel Bruckner, Czech Rep, €200,000
Lars Lagerback, Sweden, €180,000

[scousedub]

The best choice i have seen mentioned over the weekend is Gerard Houllier.Lots of advantages over the other candidates eg: previous international experience with France and he would know a lot of our players from his time in England.Also,unlike some of the others he is available as far as i know.

[stojkovic]

Bora Milutinovic
He's not well known, but with a record like that, then surely he should at least be considered for the post.

Bora is very, very well known. Just maybe not by you.

[Superhoops]

The best choice i have seen mentioned over the weekend is Gerard Houllier.Lots of advantages over the other candidates eg: previous international experience with France and he would know a lot of our players from his time in England.Also,unlike some of the others he is available as far as i know.

Is he not just about to take up role of Technical Director with French Football Association?

[keenanboy]

Bora would be fantastic just look at his record of over-achieving with poor footballing nations. not sure how available he is but money talks.

[niallsparky]

Anyone out there able to facilitate us with a (reasonably accurate) list of earnings of some of the current and recent international managers out there so we can establish some sort of "going rate". I'm of the opinion that, at €400,000, Stan was on a bloody decent salary that wouldn't be unattractive to many managers regardless of what they've earned in club football in the past.

I'll get the ball rolling...

Manager, Country, Reported annual salary.

Stan, Ireland, €400,000
Lawrie Sanchez, N. Ireland, €150,000
Karel Bruckner, Czech Rep, €200,000
Lars Lagerback, Sweden, €180,000

Sanchez was on 150k? Sure Sean Connor is getting something similar off Bohs...

[kennedmc]

Don't want Houllier - think he is overrated.

I would like us to go for Roy Hodgson. He is 60 now so, he still has a number of years left in him. He has previously guided Switzerland to International competitions, is English speaking, has an excellent knowledge of the English games where nearly all of our players are based and I don't believe would cost a fortune.

Finland are still in with a chance of qualifying from a group than contains Serbia, Belgium, Poland and Portugal. In 12 games they have conceded only 6 goals. Not sure how good the Finnsh squad us but I can't imagine it being better than our.

Lets go and get our man :)

[danonion]

Where did you get the odds? I e-mailed Paddy Power and they told me he was 50/1. I can't find the market on their website today though.

According to the Indo, Coppell is very interested in the job and the FAI are willing to pay up to €1.5m a year.

I'm in New York, so I leave football betting money with a cousin. I think P.P gave me something to the tune of 50/1 indeed.

I know someone who knows Dowie, and says he wants it and can get it. I cannot substantiate this in anyway

[Woody]

...nah only joking. Hope the FAI don't see this they might get ideas. On a serious note, there's a lot being said about getting a manager with good motivational skills with lots of obvious names being tossed about. Heres my choise for a motivational manager. Mike Newell. He available and cheap, honest and takes no hop from his superiors. Downside is he'd turn away all the lovely ladies from supporting the team.

[scousedub]

Is he not just about to take up role of Technical Director with French Football Association?

You could be right. Although i dont think he has actually got the position yet,he was just nominated for it.

[Slim Pickings]

...nah only joking. Hope the FAI don't see this they might get ideas. On a serious note, there's a lot being said about getting a manager with good motivational skills with lots of obvious names being tossed about. Heres my choise for a motivational manager. Mike Newell. He available and cheap, honest and takes no hop from his superiors. Downside is he'd turn away all the lovely ladies from supporting the team.

Thats not funny at all :mad:

we've enough to be worried about at the moment!

[Lionel Ritchie]

not like we're a bit shy for threads on the managerial situation either. Merge I say.

[Irish_Praha]

This should probably be in the "New Manager" thread as it doesn't merit a new thread but anyway. I suggested Mike Newell in one of the threads that appeard on this subject back in March.
http://foot.ie/showthread.php?t=56526&highlight=mike+newell&page=2

At that time and up until the Cyprus game I was being a bit niave and thought a competent manager with good motivational skills and uninflated wage demands would be just the man for the job. However the penny has dropped in the last week and I relalise that we need a cool wise old head with lots of experience at international level or at least a very high level of club football to steady the ship after such a disasterous campaign. Someone to give an instant boost so to say.

As has been stated on here before, the FAI also need the right character to generate an interest in the upcoming friendly games, but if they still insist on going down the route of a young manager with potential I still think they could do worse than Newell. Then again I had him in mind without thinking how much money they would realy have to spend. I never thought they would have the spending power to attract a then premership manager and someone like Chris Coleman would also be a very interesting prospect. He seems a very patient guy and we didn't hear much pointless complaining from him when he got shafted by Fulham. He's just quitely moved on and gone about his business in Spain. So it's more likely he would get along with the FAI better than the likes of Newell.
It all comes down to how much they have to invest in a management team and if they are willing to go for someone already in a job. I just don't want to find out after the appointment that they are paying the manager X amount of money and be thinking that we could have gotten a much better alternative for the same or less money. It's been argued ad infinitum on here that the FAI didnt really go for the cheap option but the cr@p option when they appointed Stan.

[Scram]

Anyone out there able to facilitate us with a (reasonably accurate) list of earnings of some of the current and recent international managers out there so we can establish some sort of "going rate". I'm of the opinion that, at €400,000, Stan was on a bloody decent salary that wouldn't be unattractive to many managers regardless of what they've earned in club football in the past.

I'll get the ball rolling...

Manager, Country, Reported annual salary.

Stan, Ireland, €400,000
Lawrie Sanchez, N. Ireland, €150,000
Karel Bruckner, Czech Rep, €200,000
Lars Lagerback, Sweden, €180,000

And Geriatric Robson getting €250k. That's €650k p.a. total. Troussier was in a job in Africa at the time of Stan's appointment on €600k.

FAI should look beyond England and beyond Ireland.

What about Foppe De Haan?

http://www.eu-digest.com/labels/van%20Basten.html

[pineapple stu]

takes no hop from his superiors.
Bit of a problem there, I'd say.

[Noelys Guitar]

This is the crucial questiion. Who should the FAI ie Delaney consult about getting the right manager? For me it has to be Hiddink. With input from Wenger, Brady, Ferguson and Souness. Explain the financial package available for new manager. Ask them which managers/coaches they rate, are readily available and might be interested in managing this Irish side. I'm sure all would probably give their advice for for free or for a nominal amount of money. Ask all for a list of 3. Then go and interview the 3 names that come up the most. When the FAI ie Deleany believes he has found the right person go back and double check with the above 5 mentioned managers for their further evaluation of that person. What do others think of this proposal?

[tetsujin1979]

This is the crucial questiion. Who should the FAI ie Delaney consult about getting the right manager? For me it has to be Hiddink. With input from Wenger, Brady, Ferguson and Souness. Explain the financial package available for new manager. Ask them which managers/coaches they rate, are readily available and might be interested in managing this Irish side. I'm sure all would probably give their advice for for free or for a nominal amount of money. Ask all for a list of 3. Then go and interview the 3 names that come up the most. When the FAI ie Deleany believes he has found the right person go back and double check with the above 5 mentioned managers for their further evaluation of that person. What do others think of this proposal?
I believe that's similar to how the FA replaced Keegan, and ended up with Sven

[NeilMcD]

Its also how Scotland got Bertie Vogts, but lets hope that Staunton is our Bertie Vogts.

[citizenerased]

no way hiddink would touch the irish job...

[CollegeTillIDie]

Frank ''Wooden'' Stapleton has no track record to speak of as a coach. He walked out of/was pushed out of his MLS appointment the only one I can recall.

[CollegeTillIDie]

Bora Bora Bora ... IN IN IN :D

He speaks English cause he managed the Yanks.
He speaks Spanish so Hartey is set for a recall :D
He managed Costa Rica.. so the FAI can afford him.
He has qualified 5 different nations for World Cups.
What more do you need than that?

[macdermesser]

...nah only joking. Hope the FAI don't see this they might get ideas. On a serious note, there's a lot being said about getting a manager with good motivational skills with lots of obvious names being tossed about. Heres my choise for a motivational manager. Mike Newell. He available and cheap, honest and takes no hop from his superiors. Downside is he'd turn away all the lovely ladies from supporting the team.

Leave off Frank .. he declared himself that he has not got the experience for the job and that he is not applying this time around. .. taking cues from Apres Match for a sense of humour is pretty sad too. Frank Stapleton and his blue confirmation suit was funny about 5 years ago, like anything else to do with that shower

[macdermesser]

Frank ''Wooden'' Stapleton has no track record to speak of as a coach. He walked out of/was pushed out of his MLS appointment the only one I can recall.

Managed Bradford .. did sort of okay .. but I think I recall that they never really challenged for promotion nor did they look like going down.

Does anyone remember Mark Lawrenson at Oxford United? I think he did sort of okay .. did he resign over having to sell Dean Saunders? Not starting the Lawrenson for Ireland campaign though.

I think Steve Coppell should be approached .. Reading are wobbling a bit at the moment .. and he has probably gone as far as he can with them .. might be a good time to approach him. He hasn't managed at international level which is a minus .. but has done a solid job wherever he has been .. and the Reading connection seems to be serving Ireland well at the moment

[Scram]

And Geriatric Robson getting €250k. That's €650k p.a. total. Troussier was in a job in Africa at the time of Stan's appointment on €600k.

FAI should look beyond England and beyond Ireland.

What about Foppe De Haan?

http://www.eu-digest.com/labels/van%20Basten.html

Any comments re. Foppe de Haan?

Get realistic, we will not get any current Premiership/ major league manager or Gus Hiddink!!

[macdermesser]

Coppell is very pro-Irish. Told me once that the Irish lads called him "horse" when he was playing. Sound man.

Stiofan O Capail 4 Eireann!

[Drumcondra 69er]

It was the FAI wot did Kerr in in the end. On the eve of the Switzerland match at Lansdowne Road, which, if we had won, would have ensured us a place in the World Cup playoffs, Delaney refused to back the manager.

And now the same Delaney is blaming the press for Staunton's woes.

Delaney is a ball of slime.

Nonsense. Much as Delaney shafted Kerr it was Kerr's horrendously negative tactics in both games against Israel that did for him, had we banked 6 points as we should have instead of 2 then Delaney wouldn't have been able to shaft Kerr as we would've topped the group. There's a lot of revision being touted around about Kerr recently, getting rid of him was the right thing to do (only Given saved him from a Stan-esque defaet away to Cyprus and the home draw against the Swiss was as bad as what we witnessed last Wednesday), our problems just intensified with the replacement we got.

[macdermesser]

Nonsense. Much as Delaney shafted Kerr it was Kerr's horrendously negative tactics in both games against Israel that did for him, had we banked 6 points as we should have instead of 2 then Delaney wouldn't have been able to shaft Kerr as we would've topped the group. There's a lot of revision being touted around about Kerr recently, getting rid of him was the right thing to do (only Given saved him from a Stan-esque defaet away to Cyprus and the home draw against the Swiss was as bad as what we witnessed last Wednesday), our problems just intensified with the replacement we got.

horrendously negative tactics or horrendously bad luck .. two sides to that argument and not worth getting into really

[NeilMcD]

I dont think its revisionism as the same posters were saying it only 2 years ago. Revisionism would only be if they changed their minds having seeing the debacle that has been the Staunton era. Does he even deserve an era.

[OwlsFan]

Anyone see Dave O'Leary on Sky "Goals on SUnday". "After Ireland, I like to see ENgland do well". Fair enough I suppose, as he was born there I think if memory serves me correctly. Alas I only stayed watching it until I saw the goals from Stoke 2-4 Owls :Dso not sure if he commented on the Irish job. Anyone ?

[NeilMcD]

Yeah I saw it, He just said that the atmosphere at Ireland games is not the same as it used to be and that he would not like to comment on a colleague and the usual banal ****e. He was not asked if he wanted the job or not.

[NeilMcD]

Delaney must grasp the nettle

Euro 2008 qualifying The fallout: Tom Humphries reflects on the current crisis in Irish football and argues the FAI must be brave and bold in their search for a new manager.

"We will certainly have a team that will be hungry, determined, one that will not go down without a fight . . . I'll make sure of that."

- Steve Staunton, Jan 16th 2006.

Wednesday was one of those great soccer nights. All over Europe 20 games of football unfolded bringing an unlikely unity to the daydreams of 40 disparate tribes. From Azerbaijan to Moscow, from Paris to Tirana international sides were hustling and bustling for points and glory.

Well, fewer than 40 tribes actually. Ours is not to daydream. We Irish were involved in a nightmare sideshow. Thousands who had bought tickets decided not to show up in Croke Park.

Those of us who did regretted ever buying into the jaw jaw about war war with, uhm, Cyprus.

This was the minnow that we would be taking revenge on? Have we come to this? The reality was even more depressing than the hype. There was no revenge. An Irish team composed almost entirely of Premiership players, a team surely not lacking motivation given the scorn they had brought upon their own shoulders in Nicosia, a team managed by Steve Staunton, struggled to scrape a fortuitous draw at home to Cyprus.

Cyprus! Not to be disrespectful but the Cypriots travel like cheap wine in a cement mixer. They went to Slovakia and lost by five, they went to Prague and lost by one, they even went to Cardiff and conceded three. Even in San Marino they could only scrape a win by a single goal. (Yes! At least they kept a clean sheet there.) Cyprus! This is the dream the Football Association of Ireland has for the national team? This is the vision? Slugging it out with the Cypriots, the Welsh and the Slovakians for the minor placings while Germany and the Czech Republic bounce on into the finals without ever having to break sweat?

This abject, shameful display by a group of absurdly well-paid professionals playing in front of their own people was the most which Steve Staunton could wring from them? Steve Staunton - who when hired by FAI chief executive John Delaney came with a warranty concerning his ability to motivate people.

Will we be hearing more delusional nonsense this weekend about the "run" we have put together? About learning curves? About the character of a team which has twice in this campaign needed late goals in order to spare itself even greater humiliation. Is that the last vestige of our pride? That we'll scrap for a few minutes to avoid being the complete laughing stock of the international soccer world.

We aren't going to the European championships and under the current management we will not be going to the next World Cup. Instead we will be taking four years out of the brief careers of the young players we have produced and just flushing them away. These are the facts. This is the level we have been brought to by John Delaney and the FAI, the people who operate under the collective logo, We Care About Irish Soccer.

There is little point at this stage in sifting through the wreckage of this European Championship campaign. To engage in serious discussion about selections or choice of tactics or incidents upon which games might have hinged is to lend dignity to a farce. It is equally futile to suggest Steve Staunton's persistent bungling shows any evidence of an ability to learn or a willingness to absorb criticism. Just about every team selection brings a comical gamble wherein the manager attempts to shoot for the moon by playing some hapless mediocrity out of position in the hope of showing us all he the Gaffer is smarter than the average bear.

The jig is up. Let us have no more cringe-worthy forelock-tugging deference either to that old duffer, Sir Bobby Robson. There was always something cynical, sickly and uncomfortable about the relationship with Robson, the FAI's watery sycophancy in his presence and their cold determination to stick the man into the firing line on radio talk shows when nobody else would go.

Let's not bother either digging through the old files to see if the pup which John Delaney sold us was tagged at the time as "a world class manager" or merely a "top class manager". It's too late for that. It's time to see what we will do next.

If the list of names (Aldridge , O'Leary et al) and usual suspects which the bookies have installed as favourites to replace Staunton is anything to go by the Irish public is assured what we will do next probably won't be imaginative and it probably won't be inspiring.

The most dispiriting thing about the "campaign" just past has been the tacit acceptance that this dross is all we are capable of. Those romantic days when we organised ourselves, got passionate and went out and punched at a level considerably above our weight seem to be gone forever. The national team it seems is an instrument of the egos who play for it and who control it. It doesn't have to be this way. John Delaney, whose work at other levels in the organisation shows a mix of political expediency that Machiavelli would shudder at and a competence which serves the association well, needs to up his game.

His manoeuvrings within the FAI have been such that even if he were to appoint Steve Staunton Irish manager for life and to grant him the title emeritus Professor of Football, it is unlikely there would be any demurring from the blazers who are left.

Delaney knows he is untouchable. He knows too his legacy is at stake here. His gamble on Steve Staunton was always a long shot and placed Staunton, a decent man, in a dreadful position. It is time to put us all out of Staunton's misery. He needs a transfusion of imagination. He needs to speak to the sort of manager who won't always say the words which John Delaney most likes to hear, Yes John.

The significant instances of punching above weight in international football in recent years have one thing in common, the experience and pugnaciousness of the managers involved. Otto Rehhagel led Greece to win a European Championship three years ago. Phillipe Troussier brought South Africa to the 1998 World Cup finals and led Japan in 2002.

Guus Hiddink's work with South Korea in 2002, Australia in 2000 and this week with Russia makes him the stuff of legend. Leo Beenhakker has in the space of a few months revived Polish soccer. The only such achievement brought about by a man managing his own national team was Turkey's run to the 2002 World Cup semi-final. Their manager for that little piece of history was Senol Günes who had 13 years of top management experience under his belt when he took the reigns of his own national side.

The FAI has the windfalls from Croke Park and from German TV rights to play around with. The next few weeks is a cattle mart as managers free themselves or are set free at the end of international campaigns.

Dick Advocaat finishes up next month with FC Zenit in St Petersburg. Australia are already sniffing about. Phillippe Troussier is living under a different name (Omar) as a Muslim in Rabat in Morocco. Otto Rehhagel is retired. Senol Günes is working in Seoul. Martin Jol will soon be free.

It is worth noting that of the last three World Cups Mick McCarthy and Glenn Hoddle are the only men from these islands to have brought teams to the finals. In Germany last year there were four Dutch managers (at last count there are over 90 Dutchmen working abroad as professional football managers), three Brazilians, three Argentinians and three Frenchmen. It is time surely to set the sights a little higher.

It is hard to believe John Delaney is content to sit with his business chums and his faithful FAI retainers for the next few years as Irish teams endure the sort of derision and scorn which reflects on himself. Time to be bold. Time to be brave. Time to quit the bull**** about looking for a world class manager and just go out and act like a world class administrator. The rest will follow.
© 2007 The Irish Times

[mrmurphster]

Bora is very, very well known. Just maybe not by you.

First up, Stojkovic, whats your problem...

Jees man, I meant by not very known was with regards the FAI or the press, not people on here who do know their stuff.
Just goes to show you what they know about world football, when not one press officer has even mentioned Bora.

If anyone knows how to put forward these names into the public domain, i.e. anyone know someone working in the papers or FAI, then forward this name to them.

Bora Milutinovic
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milutinovic

[Scram]

First up, Stojkovic, whats your problem...

Jees man, I meant by not very known was with regards the FAI or the press, not people on here who do know their stuff.
Just goes to show you what they know about world football, when not one press officer has even mentioned Bora.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milutinovic

Yeth, evrybody know me, I am from Khazakstan. I like to manage Ireland futbol tema because Stanton ees manage like a big sh!t.

Eef you make me manager I will geeve you all one of my seesters for one week eeech, they are horny beech. And I will ban all of the puffers from the team like in Khazakstan.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/3/39/Borat_ver2.jpg/200px-Borat_ver2.jpg

[NeilMcD]

At least John O Shea would be dropped anyway.

[Sligo Hornet]

Anyone see Dave O'Leary on Sky "Goals on SUnday". "After Ireland, I like to see ENgland do well". Fair enough I suppose, as he was born there I think if memory serves me correctly. Alas I only stayed watching it until I saw the goals from Stoke 2-4 Owls :Dso not sure if he commented on the Irish job. Anyone ?


I only watched upto seeing the Hornet's goal against Hull....so never saw the Owls goals!:D

I got the feeling O'Leary was definitely putting himself in the shop window......but my God....he can talk for ages and say absolutely nothing....should go into politics instead.........or the FAI perhaps!;)

[Réiteoir]

Some other candidates that have slipped under the radar somewhat:

Tommy Söderberg (had a pretty good record with Lagerback and Sweden)

Sepp Piontek (took the Danes to their first World Cup Finals)

Kjetil André Rekdal

Nils Arne Eggen (the most successful coach in Scandinavian football)

Trond Sollied (one of a select group of managers to win a LEague title in 3 seperate countries)

[citizenerased]

troussier...all the way..get a P.I to track himdown in the oman!!

[Wolfie]

I got the feeling O'Leary was definitely putting himself in the shop window......but my God....he can talk for ages and say absolutely nothing....should go into politics instead.........or the FAI perhaps!;)

I saw O'Leary on Goals on Sunday as well. Christ - he can still natter on like an oul one. He'll have no trouble with the Late Late interview if required.

There's no doubting he's a likeable and affable bloke but would have major reservations about him as our next manager particularly at this vulnerable time.

[DeNiro]

Yeh, O'Leary is very self absorbed. He loves the limelight. Reckon he'd love the Ireland job. Can't see him doing the Bolton gig!

What if we are thrown a total curved ball tomorrow and Stan gets a stay of execution?:eek: How far fetched an idea would that be?

[Armando]

First up, Stojkovic, whats your problem...

Jees man, I meant by not very known was with regards the FAI or the press, not people on here who do know their stuff.
Just goes to show you what they know about world football, when not one press officer has even mentioned Bora.

If anyone knows how to put forward these names into the public domain, i.e. anyone know someone working in the papers or FAI, then forward this name to them.

Bora Milutinovic
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milutinovic

Bora has an impressive CV, but the only reservation I have with him is that he has never managed at international level in europe. Unquestionably the european region is the hardest to qualify from to get to a World Cup, so it would be a vast step up...even for him.
I'm not discounting him...he just wouldn't be my first choice for the reason I've said above.


...In the Tom Humphries piece NeilMcD posted a bit back he says Otto Rehhagel is retired. That's completely wrong. He is still managing Greece and last week led them to another Euro Championship Finals, where they will defend the trophy.

[Morbo]

At least John O Shea would be dropped anyway.
:D

I'd be happy to get Borat in, he would probably drop Keane too since he plays for a Jew club

[OwlsFan]

Some other candidates that have slipped under the radar somewhat:

Tommy Söderberg (had a pretty good record with Lagerback and Sweden)

Sepp Piontek (took the Danes to their first World Cup Finals)

Kjetil André Rekdal

Nils Arne Eggen (the most successful coach in Scandinavian football)

Trond Sollied (one of a select group of managers to win a LEague title in 3 seperate countries)


My God, imagine Laughing Bill trying to get his tongue round those names (as opposed to up Dunphy's....no, don't say it, You're obsessed). The headline writers would also have great fun with the last two names in particular if things went pear shaped.

Looks like I'd say either Souness or O'Leary. Would the large Irish Celtic following have any problems with the former?

Me, I'd like Big Ron. Did a great job at guess where and would be an ideal international manager. Larger than life, articulate, knows his football and a good communicator. Not sure what he's up to (no pun intended) at the moment.