New Irish manager

[Stuttgart88]

Good article by Malone. Basically summarises all the hundreds of opinions offered on foot.ie already!

I like the Giles comment that Neil posted up here yesterday, that if Trap was that defensive how did he win so many games?

[lionelhutz]

As eireboy says, its the midfield that is the problem, that would be sorted if we had S Reid and S Ireland in there.

I have to disagree with this in part. Kelly, O'Shea and Kilbane played at the back against Brazil and worryingly, that was probably our strongest defense at the moment. They're simply not good enough if a team has aspirations of qualification. You could maybe get away with one sub standard defender in a back four, eg Harte in 2002, but three out of four and we're in big trouble.

I agree our midfield also looks pretty poor unless the two Reids regain full fitness

[paul_oshea]

jmc, ya you know i was thinking hte exact same thing, if we only had a 12th player that played in front of keane who was tall, because keane comes out so far that when the wing men make breaks into the box, there is either a) no one there or b) too small as its someone coming in from our midget midfield.

[Stuttgart88]

http://www.chatsoccer.eu/news/index.php/Republic-of-Ireland/Matthaus-a-late-entrant-for-Ireland.html

Lothar Matthäus is the latest in a long line to express an interest in the vacant Ireland managers job.

It may however be too late for the former German international who also managed Hungary as it is believed the selection panel have whittled it down to two candidates, Terry Venables or Giovanni Trapattoni.

Tonight he privately told a chatsoccer source “I would love the Ireland job, I am available now and believe I am the right man for the job”.

It is not known if he is ready to make contact with the FAI but he is known to be very confident of his ability to undertake the task of leading Ireland to the World Cup 2010 finals in South Africa.

[lionelhutz]

I would play 5 in midfield to balance out our weakness in midfield.

Something like this

Given
Kelly Dunne O'Shea Kilbane(for home games only)
S Reid Carsley
McGeady Ireland
Duff
Keane



Hunt and Doyle are two good impact subs to have. I believe that the above team if well managed and organised can get us to the World Cup.


No Andy Reid, the only midfielder who was creative and excelled in every game he played in the last campaign?? I'd agree with the rest of the team but I'd play Reid instead of Ireland

[Morbo]

I don't think its very likely we will have the option of playing S.Ireland anyway in the foreseeable future, not that I would play him ahead of Reid

[mackannovic]

[quote=Bottle of Tonic;872657]Thats the kind of line-up/formation i'd be looking at too KK.

I don't think we're good enough up front to play 2 players out of Keane plus one of the underachieving Doyle, Long, Stokes, Murphy.
[quote]

What about the underachieving Robbie Keane in an Ireland Shirt for the past two years.

[jmurphyc]

[quote=Bottle of Tonic;872657]What about the underachieving Robbie Keane in an Ireland Shirt for the past two years.

Our strikers need support if they are to stop underachieving. Something which in the last campaign our midfield was unable to do, and we won't be able to do if we have the central midfield that we had against Brazil. We need Andy Reid back for a Keane - Doyle partnership to fulfill it's potential.

[OwlsFan]

What about the underachieving Robbie Keane in an Ireland Shirt for the past two years.

Same old same old. A front man needs service.

[Noelys Guitar]

What happens if no manager is announced come wednesday?

[eirebhoy]

What happens if no manager is announced come wednesday?
It's still there for me.

/ ah you edited your post. ;)

[Drumcondra 69er]

What happens if no manager is announced come wednesday?

End of the world as we know it....

[gufct]

End of the world as we know it....

"Not the end of the world" as per the man from delmonte.

[Sligo Hornet]

"Not the end of the world" as per the man from delmonte.

Does HE want the job?...........at least he would say YES;)

[JimmyP]

I think even when a new manager is appointed, this won't be the last we hear of this saga. There has been nothing straightforward about the entire process and I don't think putting it down to "it's just the FAI" really covers it.

For a start, it's clear that someone within the FAI is responsible for a lot of leaks that have stirred up trouble and made this a lot more difficult than it should be.

Houllier dismissed speculation linking him with the job, then apparently accepted it, then suddenly it was off - he wouldn't even answer the phone.

Sounness (not that I'd want him) was keen on the position but seemed to smell something funny going on and withdrew his name from the process very early on.

Given how huge this Trappatoni story has been, the fact that the original claims baffled both the man himself and Given, and that he still says he has had no direct contact - is baffling.

Venables has been too quiet on the whole thing. We haven't heard anything from him since (again, incredibly) repeatedly denying any contact from the FAI whatsoever - and back then we were told by all that he was a sure thing.

Okay, we know the board are divided on Venables, but there has to be more to it than that. Some ask why he would even still keep his name in the race this long - given that most people with a shred of pride or dignity would have said "okay, enough is enough" long ago. The only answer I can think of is that the pay packet is the priority.

Davies turned down the opportunity to be interviewed for the managerial position of his own country because he wouldn't be given control over the u-21s as well - yet he is being interviewed by our own hapless, ego-maniac of an u-21 manager and when it has been very publicly narrowed down to "Trapp or Venables." I mean what the hell?

There are so many other things you could add to the list (like the various meetings and 'imminent announcements') as the farce continues. I think there's at least a book or a good documentary to be made out of it yet!

But the thing I find most incredible is that from the start, something like 95% percent of the fans were vehemently opposed to the idea of Venables being appointed...and now, well past the 100 day mark, a lot of us seem to have been gradually worn down by the whole thing to the point where we've come around ('bamboozled', if you will) to think that Venables actually wouldn't be so bad.

[eirebhoy]

Good summary.

[geysir]

But the thing I find most incredible is that from the start, something like 95% percent of the fans were vehemently opposed to the idea of Venables being appointed...and now, well past the 100 day mark, we've all been gradually worn down by the whole thing to the point where we've come around ('bamboozled', if you will) to think that Venables actually wouldn't be so bad.
I can accept Venables as a leading candidate after the search for the better or equal candidates has been exhausted.
I use to be good at those staring games

[Block G Raptor]

But the thing I find most incredible is that from the start, something like 95% percent of the fans were vehemently opposed to the idea of Venables being appointed...and now, well past the 100 day mark, we've all been gradually worn down by the whole thing to the point where we've come around ('bamboozled', if you will) to think that Venables actually wouldn't be so bad.

Who's come around to this idea that Venables would no be so bad? I certainly have not, I'd rather see someone decent coming in a month before the Georgia game than Venables now

[JimmyP]

Who's come around to this idea that Venables would no be so bad? I certainly have not, I'd rather see someone decent coming in a month before the Georgia game than Venables now

No, nor have I. But a lot have. Sorry, I didn't literally mean "all"; I've edited it.


I can accept Venables as a leading candidate after the search for the better or equal candidates has been exhausted.
I use to be good at those staring games

Yeah I know what you mean, but the point is that rather than having conducted an exhaustive search, matters have been fumbled on more than one occasion and it seems to have cost us candidates who were otherwise a possibility.

[Bondvillain]

I've thought all along that if the FAI were presented with anyone other than Terry Venables as our new manager, then it wouldn't be down to any farcical interview process, but rather down to dumb luck - i.e., that the panel stumbled across someone suitable while deliberating over the (previously interviewed) candidates who remained unemployed as the process drew to a close.

While now , despite the media hailing Trapattoni as "the saviour of Irish football" (© Eamon Dunphy) I feel that the panel, despite desperate attempts, have NOT managed to fortuitiously locate 'mystery candidate X' , and are now depressingly stuck with Venables, who is apparently the only qualified manager who wants the job. Throwing the speculation dice, I think that this is probably unacceptable to a sizeable section of the FAI board.

This is why , when Delaney wanted to unveil a marquee name at last Sunday's Lovely Girls competition in Citywest, Givens felt the need to circle the wagons and make a big announcement.

The big announcement was "We have no manager. We need more time".

More time, it seems, to locate the Man who is plan B : The Anti-Venables.

Hence more interviews. Hence people like Billy Davies being drawn into this quagmire.

The issue with this 'interview panel' is not the length of time they are taking. It's the fact that it's seemingly led by a man who has no idea what to do, accompanied by two men who are allowing him to do it.

[Scram]

This man makes a LOT of sense..............if the FAI fcuk up on Trappatoni.........GIVE THE JOB TO MICK WALLACE!

http://www.chatsoccer.eu/news/index.php/Republic-of-Ireland/Italian-aficionado-backs-Trapattoni.html

Wexford Youths FC manager and owner, Mick Wallace, has given his backing to Giovanni Trapattoni to take over as the new Republic of Ireland manager.

Italian enthusiast Wallace has been calling for the FAI to bring in a European coach since Steve Staunton's acrimonious departure last year, and he feels that if the Italian legend is available and interested in the position that the FAI would be very foolish to appoint the other leading candidate, Terry Venables, instead of the former Ac Milan and Juventus manager.

"I'd like to see Trapattoni get it - he wouldn't be my first choice but he's a lot better than any other names from across the water," Wallace said.

"If it's between Trapattoni and Venables, well there's no contest really. Trapattoni's appetite is greater than Venables's - he's still managing a team for a start - and I don't think Venables has the appetite required for the job. People question Trapattonis age but he's only three years older than Venables.
"The Irish players have come out in favour of Venables because they're familiar with him or know players he has coached, but they don't know anyone who has worked with Trapattoni, so can't really form an opinion on him. People shouldn't listen to the players however as it's not their concern; they should play were there told and take direction from the manager and not have a say in his selection.
"There's no doubt that Venables was good, but he doesn't have the appetite for the Irish job now and he was a disaster alongside McClaren for England. Trapattoni is past his best as well but if he gets the job he would be a great appointment as he's a winner.

"There's no point comparing any manager to the top Italians, as they're on a different level. The language factor shouldn't make a major difference - it would be a factor and it would be better if he could speak English, so who he has assisting him would be important, but he won the Portuguese league without speaking that language.

"People say that Trapattoni wasn't successful as an international manager, but at a stage in the 2002 World Cup they were the favourites and Italy were robbed against South Korea. The Ecuadorian referee for that match was banned for life six-months later in relation to a scandal around match fixing in his homeland. In 2004, Italy were unbeaten in their group in the European Championships and are the only team ever to record five points and not get out of their group.

"Trapattoni is also accused of being too conservative, but Italy and Germany are the two most successful European sides and regularly accused of being too cautious, so conservatism yields results and obviously works," Wallace said.

[Noelys Guitar]

Everyone thinks Delaney's vague comments in todays Star relate to Trapp's.

FAI chief executive John Delaney has indicated that the appointment of the next Republic of Ireland manager may not be finalised until the summer.

The name that popped into my head was Coppell's and not Trapp's. Perhaps Coppell has gotten back in touch with the amigo's and now wants the job.

[Majik]

Guys,

First post....go easy on me! I'm sure this is mentioned somewhere on foot...but getting back to the thread title "Next Ireland Manager"...If TV is offered the post, people who know him are going to ask him, why did you wait around for months waiting on the FAI to see if there was a better candidate than you...that's why I don't think it'll be TV. In relation to GT, the Austrian league finishes in April so there's no issue at all in the FAI getting him signing the contact and starting his job in May, it's whether he wants to do it or not, people talk about his age, we gotta play that to our advantage, if Don also tells him there's a nice holiday home in Belmullet as welll overlooking the coast waiting for him...how can he say no?!

[kingdomkerry]

Guys,

First post....go easy on me! I'm sure this is mentioned somewhere on foot...but getting back to the thread title "Next Ireland Manager"...If TV is offered the post, people who know him are going to ask him, why did you wait around for months waiting on the FAI to see if there was a better candidate than you...that's why I don't think it'll be TV. In relation to GT, the Austrian league finishes in April so there's no issue at all in the FAI getting him signing the contact and starting his job in May, it's whether he wants to do it or not, people talk about his age, we gotta play that to our advantage, if Don also tells him there's a nice holiday home in Belmullet as welll overlooking the coast waiting for him...how can he say no?!

First of all, welcome aboard,

Second
Why would they offer him a holiday home in mayo when they could offer him one in kerry:rolleyes:

[eirebhoy]

Venables:
"I'm still in the race and I still want the job and the FAI know that. Anyone who says I would not be fully committed to the job is talking absolute nonsense."

From the SIndo.

[Ireland4ever]

http://www.rte.ie/sport/soccer/2008/0210/fai.html

Irish Businessman willing to put €1m for new manager.

[Delbertt]

Venables:
"I'm still in the race and I still want the job and the FAI know that. Anyone who says I would not be fully committed to the job is talking absolute nonsense."

From the SIndo.

$$$$$$$$

[ruben_sosa]

http://www.rte.ie/sport/soccer/2008/0210/fai.html

Irish Businessman willing to put €1m for new manager.

It's got to be Mick Wallace who's behind this offer.

[tetsujin1979]

It's got to be Mick Wallace who's behind this offer.
could be anyone, JP McManus, one of the Drumaville consortium, Dolores McNamara, Ben Dunne, U2, the list is endless

[paul_oshea]

thats what i assumed too, cos he wants trapatoni

[soccerc]

It's got to be Mick Wallace who's behind this offer.

Does it? Possible, but it may not be a recent offer :D

[eelmonster]

The FAI are a laughing stock. I'm fooking sick of this nonsense. Just hire a fooking manager.

[Bondvillain]

Langers Man in Lillies Bordello : "Jaysus. Id give a million quid if the FAI would just get this disastrous farce over with!"

Drunk Star Sunday "reporter" sitting nearby : "Woo Hoo! Millionaire in 'anti-fai' rant!. Wheres me laptop? Ahem...Four more vodka and red bull there, Paulo! ....wha? No. the four of them are for me. I'm celebrating a scoop! Wahey!"


And so ends today's bullshyte lesson. "Dont be believing everything you read. Especially if it's in the star".

[Jerry The Saint]

Examiner reporting a done deal... almost.

"Trappattoni met the 3 boys, would take the job, Delaney to fly out and try to work out terms"

Anyone heard anything else, can't find any non-Examiner reports - they have been very flakey recently with some sensationalist scoops that turn out to be no more than idle gossip.

http://www.examiner.ie/irishexaminer/pages/story.aspx-qqqg=sport-qqqm=sport-qqqa=sport-qqqid=54959-qqqx=1.asp

[Bondvillain]

As with every other report on Trapattoni : "If it's true, great."

[Greenforever]

As with every other report on Trapattoni : "If it's true, great."

It's true all right, :D unlike 99% of other newspaper reports

[Bondvillain]

Enthusiasm notwithstanding (I've read newspaper reports that have 'confirmed' Venables, Houllier, Brady and possibly Barney the Dinosaur as Ireland manager recently) I'll wait till Trap stands at the Abbotstown gates with a dirty pint of plain in his hand before I celebrate.

Dont get me wrong. Trapattoni would be a great catch, but am I a doubting Thomas?

Damn right I am. This is the FAI & the Irish media we're dealing with here.

The Irish sports media cant be trusted to reprint the Alphabet without creative input (We can exclusively reveal, after hours of secret talks, that # is the new 5th letter of the English alphabet!":rolleyes:), and the FAI were the ones who said that the 3 man committee would be exclusively dealing with the managerial appointment.

From the get-go, we knew that this was another blatant lie (within minutes of the position being advertised, Delaney had contacted Paul Jewell, and they have allegedly contacted others.....), so if it's all the same to everyone, I'll wait till the new manager says "I'm the new manager" before I'll believe a damn word on the subject.

[Greenforever]

so if it's all the same to everyone, I'll wait till the new manager says "I'm the new manager" before I'll believe a damn word on the subject.


As long as he doesnt say "Im the gaffer" :D in fairness to Delaney he has to agree the commercial aspects, it was just up to the amigoes to find the right man, then JD has to seal the deal.

[Risteard]

KIV4FUwLi7g
Great stuff.
Duff et al could do with a bit of this.
WAS ERLAUBE STRUNZ?

[Jerry The Saint]

The Irish sports media cant be trusted to reprint the Alphabet without creative input (We can exclusively reveal, after hours of secret talks, that # is the new 5th letter of the English alphabet!":rolleyes:)

I can s## why you'r# sc#ptical but I think this on# might b# tru#.

[Bondvillain]

it was just up to the amigoes to find the right man, then JD has to seal the deal.

I dont believe that for a second.

IF he accepts, it's most likely because of an approach from members of the FAI board itself, which would render this 4 month old "world class" interview committee to the dustbin of pointless history.

I would go as far to suggest that Givens remained clueless throughout.

[BigmanCas]

He should have got the job the minute he showed interest!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,12010_3128524,00.html

[NeilMcD]

I dont believe that for a second.

IF he accepts, it's most likely because of an approach from members of the FAI board itself, which would render this 4 month old "world class" interview committee to the dustbin of pointless history.

I would go as far to suggest that Givens remained clueless throughout.

There just is no pleasing people. If Trap gets the job with Brady and Gentille it will be fantastic and fair play to the FAI that they have done it. Credit where credit it is due. I am slag the FAI when the **** up and praise them when they do something well.

[tetsujin1979]

Well said Neill, if this is true, then the almost 4-month long slog will have been worth it.
Credit where it's due, instead of just jumping the gun and appointing Venables (like we all assumed they would, me included) they've done what they said they would do all along and get the right man for the job.

[Bondvillain]

There just is no pleasing people. If Trap gets the job with Brady and Gentille it will be fantastic and fair play to the FAI that they have done it. Credit where credit it is due. I am slag the FAI when the **** up and praise them when they do something well.

While I realise that pleasing me is not top of the FAI's "to-do" list, I cant in any honesty say "well done for setting up an interview committee, dragging people in off the streets for time wasting interviews over 12/14 weeks, then completely by-passing this committee to set up a behind the scenes deal with a candidate who hasn't yet been interviewed, rendering the whole scenario an expensive pontless folly".


Many will say "The end justifies the means". Perhaps. If Trapattoni is appointed (which would be undoubtedly great for Irish football) they will have contracted a decent manager, but the manner in which they stumbled over the line? Well, The FAI's sleeveenery and lies in this matter will be remembered for a long time by many who matter.

Scant congratulations should be awarded to the FAI for discovering what everyone knew all along - The committee was a waste of time and money, and if they wanted their man, all they had to do was go ask him.

[OwlsFan]

Scant congratulations should be awarded to the FAI for discovering what everyone knew all along - The committee was a waste of time and money, and if they wanted their man, all they had to do was go ask him.

You're damned if you do and damned if you don't.

"Everyone knew all along": if everyone knew this, then why isn't Trappatoni's name on the list of candidates above?

[Billsthoughts]

The committee was a waste of time and money, and if they wanted their man, all they had to do was go ask him.

Have to say I agree with this but with the rider that if the end result is that they get the right man...then so what? With an experienced manager and a team with potential we should be able to give qualification a real go. Thats all most fans want.

[Bondvillain]

You're damned if you do and damned if you don't.


I know. I said as much when the interview process started.

What I meant by 'everyone knew all along' was that the way to get a manager was NOT by wasting time having 3 no-hopers conducting "So, what can YOU bring to the job, Terry?" Fás style interviews, but rather, the best way to get your man was to hunt your man down and corner him with an attractive financial deal that he couldn't refuse.

I thought the interview committe was a joke, I still do. The report in the Examiner has done little to convince me it was anything other than a background whispering deal that has led to Trapattoni being in his current position, with absolutely no input from the 3 man interview committee.

This is why, If it's true, It's good for us right now, but I cannot say "well done FAI".

They didnt do it well. They did it arseways :The committe was not required, 14 weeks of scheduling announcements then cancelling them again were not required. Don Givens was not required. Giving credibility to Terry Venables was not required.

But they were all done. Why? Because the FAI were afraid of a refusal at the disco, and had to shuffle uncomfortably from foot to foot while they allegedly plucked up the courage to ask Trap to dance when no-one was looking.

If it works out for us, great. But I think the FAI have finally p!ssed on their chips with all this mucking around, and will have made more enemies than friends with the whole process.

[jbyrne]

If it works out for us, great. But I think the FAI have finally p!ssed on their chips with all this mucking around, and will have made more enemies than friends with the whole process.

if they pull off the trappatoni deal then they will probably win back the fans. couldnt care less what enemies they made during this process (IF they made any at all). doesnt matter whether the trappatoni thing was an accident or planned just as long as we end up with someone of his calibre

[Bondvillain]

if they pull off the trappatoni deal then they will probably win back the fans. Very true. They'll win back an element of the fans who were expressing extreme dissatisfaction over the structure of the interview process. However, I am a fan of the team, who never really lost me to be honest, and not of the FAI. Im pretty sure I'm as inconsequential to the FAI as they are to me on a day-to-day basis.

couldnt care less what enemies they made during this process (IF they made any at all).I was referring to other Associations, federations, clubs, chairmen and the dozen or so serious candidates who were made sit through fake interviews, and who, ominously, may yet be in the frame again very soon...Trapattoni is not a young man, and even if all goes swimmingly, two years may well be his maximum.

If things were not to go well (and please dont get me wrong, I really hope they do if he should be appointed) we may well be hoping that someone who sat through one of those pointless mock interviews is still available, and has no hard feelings over being used as part of a 14 week smokescreen experiment.

doesnt matter whether the trappatoni thing was an accident or planned just as long as we end up with someone of his calibre That's where we differ. I kinda feel It does matter if the FAI has lied through it's teeth, wasted considerable resources and time, and allowed Don Givens a platform for his bizarre pontifications in setting up a "world class" interview board, when it's beginning to appear that it was Delaney and Brady who played the major part in researching & contacting Trapattoni. (when Delaney expressly stated that they wouldnt get involved and the only names that would be considered were the ones forwarded by this now apparently toothless tiger of an interview board. )

Did we really have to dance the dance of the stupid for 14 weeks when a series of covert phone calls to Austria was apparently all it took? Was interviewing Billy Davies and Terry Venables an integral part of the plan? Some kind of elaborate decoy so Saltzburg wouldnt suspect?

Balderdash. Clueless to a man.

Whoever gets the job, I hope the appointment goes well, for the teams sake, for all our sakes. We have some talented players who deserve a larger stage, and the fans could do with a reason to be cheerful and all.

I will not, however, go so far as to congratulate the FAI for Lying, wasting, and then accidently tripping over the correct candidate in a "Get Smart" manner, all while going some way to alienate any potential candidates or bodies we may need the assistance of in the future.

Getting the right man in the wrong manner is, granted, a sucess (if not one to be proud of) but in this case it should surely be considered as one snatched from the jaws of defeat...Gaping jaws that the FAI have looked into so often that it's about damn time they figured them out.

Finally, as I've said above : If it DOESN'T go well (i.e. if theres a departure, for either Age , health or John Delaney related reasons) , due to the sly, underhand actions of the FAI throughout the whole procedure, we may not find it easy to obtain anyone, never mind anyone of Trapattoni's calibre, to fill the position easily in the future.