Mick McCarthy

[nigel-harps1954]

Cardiff, unbeaten in 10 matches, have awarded Mick a two-year deal at Cardiff.

How near would Kenny get to the job? Would he be within the top-50 candidates? Top 100? Top 200?

All academic.We are we're we are, I guess...

Is there a purpose to this post, or is it just a random dig at Kenny?

[Trequartista20]

Is there a purpose to this post, or is it just a random dig at Kenny?

Our previous manager, Mick McCarthy, has earned a long-term contract at promotion-chasing Cardiff. This is a news story for those of us who take an interest in Irish football:

https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11704/12235968/mick-mccarthy-cardiff-manager-signs-new-two-year-contract-until-2023

Have you got a problem with that?

[Razors left peg]

Mick might still be in Ireland job if he didn't sh1t his pants away to Georgia and play for a 0-0 from the start when we needed a win. I'll never forget the image of Randolph wasting time early in the 1st half of that game.

[nigel-harps1954]

Our previous manager, Mick McCarthy, has earned a long-term contract at promotion-chasing Cardiff. This is a news story for those of us who take an interest in Irish football:

https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11704/12235968/mick-mccarthy-cardiff-manager-signs-new-two-year-contract-until-2023

Have you got a problem with that?

The only problem I have with it, is the unnecessary jibe at the current Ireland manager. It's quite frankly pathetic.

Mick was a horrendous Ireland manager. I have a big problem with that too.

[ontheotherhand]

How much would you say Cardiff had to pay for his services? Ireland paid him double what they are paying Kenny, not including the 1.13 million euro pay off when his time ended as planned. That pay off alone would cover 2 years of Kenny.

Do you have a list of managers you'd pay half of what McCarthy asks for?

[Snapshot]

How much would you say Cardiff had to pay for his services? Ireland paid him double what they are paying Kenny, not including the 1.13 million euro pay off when his time ended as planned. That pay off alone would cover 2 years of Kenny.

Do you have a list of managers you'd pay half of what McCarthy asks for?
Do you have a list of managers whose team hasn't scored in seven matches? McCarthy definitely way overpaid. To date, Kenny robbing a job.

[ontheotherhand]

Do you have a list of managers whose team hasn't scored in seven matches? McCarthy definitely way overpaid. To date, Kenny robbing a job.

Not a fan of Kenny but that's absolute nonsense. We barely scored under McCarthy and he had all our best players available. Sure we went 397 minutes without scoring under O'Neill. Played dire football under both of them to boot. Not scoring isn't a Kenny issue; we have no strikers, it's an Ireland issue. Who should be scoring the goals? 19 year old Adam Idah who hadn't even been available?

[Snapshot]

Not a fan of Kenny but that's absolute nonsense. We barely scored under McCarthy and he had all our best players available. Sure we went 397 minutes without scoring under O'Neill. Played dire football under both of them to boot. Not scoring isn't a Kenny issue; we have no strikers, it's an Ireland issue. Who should be scoring the goals? 19 year old Adam Idah who hadn't even been available?
And I'm certainly no big fan of McCarthy - but he made us competitive with what was available. Kenny's strategy has confused even the players, McGoldrick has retired, two backroom staff have walked and, of course, the ridiculous Videogate circus. Selection problems have not been exclusive to us - we've played teams similarly damaged by injuries and covid. Apart from one game - it's been a shambles.

[irishfan86]

I doubt any manager would have done much better with the players we have had available in recent years. The criticism O’Neill and McCarthy faced at times was unfair.

McCarthy is proving that he’s still “got it” as a manager if he has something to work with, and I’m happy to see him do well.

I hope Kenny can bring the belief and fighting spirit back — but I suspect given how poorly we’ve done to date he will not get to keep his job for Euro qualifying unless there’s a marked improvement on what we’ve seen so far.

[Snapshot]

The only problem I have with it, is the unnecessary jibe at the current Ireland manager. It's quite frankly pathetic.

Mick was a horrendous Ireland manager. I have a big problem with that too.
You have a problem with a jibe aimed at Kenny, who has overseen the worst period in Irish football in at least 50 years - yet you call McCarthy, who has a proven record for club and country, a "horrendous" manager. Take a bow, that's a cracker.

[nigel-harps1954]

You have a problem with a jibe aimed at Kenny, who has overseen the worst period in Irish football in at least 50 years - yet you call McCarthy, who has a proven record for club and country, a "horrendous" manager. Take a bow, that's a cracker.

Yes, because at least mine was somewhat relevant to the thread.

[Snapshot]

Yes, because at least mine was somewhat relevant to the thread.
Mick McCarthy being called a "horrendous" manager is not relevant to a Mick McCarthy management thread?

[John83]

Mick McCarthy being called a "horrendous" manager is not relevant to a Mick McCarthy management thread?
That's not what he wrote. He wrote that your opinion of Kenny was irrelevant here.

[Snapshot]

That's not what he wrote. He wrote that your opinion of Kenny was irrelevant here.
He said a jibe at Kenny was pathetic but takes the opportunity to aim a savage jibe at McCarthy. Why is my opinion on Kenny irrelevant within that scenario?

[John83]

He said a jibe at Kenny was pathetic but takes the opportunity to aim a savage jibe at McCarthy. Why is my opinion on Kenny irrelevant within that scenario?
What's this thread called?

[ontheotherhand]

And I'm certainly no big fan of McCarthy - but he made us competitive with what was available. Kenny's strategy has confused even the players, McGoldrick has retired, two backroom staff have walked and, of course, the ridiculous Videogate circus. Selection problems have not been exclusive to us - we've played teams similarly damaged by injuries and covid. Apart from one game - it's been a shambles.

For someone who isn't a fan you're giving him an awful lot of credit while simultaneously going after his replacement.

Were we competitive under Mick? 7 goals in 8 games with our best players available and our only top level striker still playing. Scraping wins against minnows and digging out a few draws against he giants of Denmark and Switzerland to appease the plastic hammer brigade. It was grim enough stuff and only looked an improvement when set against he backdrop of O'Neills later games which were truly dire.

Then you go on to highlight the issues Kenny has faced in comparison but seem to be attributing him the blame for them? He's had our third string when compared to the players Mick had whilst also dealing with a rat in the camp/FAI and having no fans in the ground to boot. On top of that he is paid less than half of what McCarthy ended up getting. Dose of reality needed amongst Ireland fans these days. Plenty of people had their minds made up before a ball was kicked. I'll be waiting until he's had a fair shake and a few games with a consistent squad but even then he won't have a proper striker to call on. And I'm sure that will be his fault.

Mick is doing well at Cardiff but was just sacked by Apoel. He's had some ups and downs.

[Razors left peg]

For someone who isn't a fan you're giving him an awful lot of credit while simultaneously going after his replacement.

Were we competitive under Mick? 7 goals in 8 games with our best players available and our only top level striker still playing. Scraping wins against minnows and digging out a few draws against he giants of Denmark and Switzerland to appease the plastic hammer brigade. It was grim enough stuff and only looked an improvement when set against he backdrop of O'Neills later games which were truly dire.

Then you go on to highlight the issues Kenny has faced in comparison but seem to be attributing him the blame for them? He's had our third string when compared to the players Mick had whilst also dealing with a rat in the camp/FAI and having no fans in the ground to boot. On top of that he is paid less than half of what McCarthy ended up getting. Dose of reality needed amongst Ireland fans these days. Plenty of people had their minds made up before a ball was kicked. I'll be waiting until he's had a fair shake and a few games with a consistent squad but even then he won't have a proper striker to call on. And I'm sure that will be his fault.

Mick is doing well at Cardiff but was just sacked by Apoel. He's had some ups and downs.

Super post, sums it up perfectly

[Trequartista20]

The only problem I have with it, is the unnecessary jibe at the current Ireland manager. It's quite frankly pathetic.

Mick was a horrendous Ireland manager. I have a big problem with that too.

Is calling Mick a 'horrendous manager' not an 'unnecessary jibe'? And if not, why not?

The way he set up his team against Georgia during the last campaign was not something I agreed with, but at least we were competitive and hard to play against and beat. And now...?

When Mick left first time round, we were 12th in the world, and our unlucky home defeat to Switzerland was our first in 18 matches.

[CraftyToePoke]

Mick McCarthy managed tonight for the 1000th time, joins Hodgson, Allardyce, Ancelotti and a few more to reach that number. Probably at his level in the division he's in now, but still a fine achievement for the player who captained us V Italy in Rome in a WC Q/F. Well done to him.

[tetsujin1979]

And if Connolly had put his late chance against Georgia away, he'd be hailed as a genius.
That's football.

[Razors left peg]

And if Connolly had put his late chance against Georgia away, he'd be hailed as a genius.
That's football.

If he had brought on Connolly a bit earlier when the game was crying out for him he'd have given himself a better chance of earning the genius tag. That game to me was up there with Kerr against Switzerland for the most frustrated Ive been with a manager.

[Diggs246]

If we had beaten Georgia. Denmark wouldn't have played for the draw they needed in that last game. They could easily have beaten us

[pineapple stu]

If he had brought on Connolly a bit earlier when the game was crying out for him he'd have given himself a better chance of earning the genius tag. That game to me was up there with Kerr against Switzerland for the most frustrated Ive been with a manager.

In fairness, Connolly has done nothing since (and he's young of course), but it's a bit much to say we were crying out for a PL2 player

[jbyrne]

If we had beaten Georgia. Denmark wouldn't have played for the draw they needed in that last game. They could easily have beaten us

we were the better team that night and should have won. best performance since wales away 2017 for me. to say they could easily beaten us that night is stretching credability based on how the game went.

[Razors left peg]

In fairness, Connolly has done nothing since (and he's young of course), but it's a bit much to say we were crying out for a PL2 player
It was the pace up front we were crying out for

[Razors left peg]

If we had beaten Georgia. Denmark wouldn't have played for the draw they needed in that last game. They could easily have beaten us
So by that logic we were right not to try win the Georgia game so?

[Snapshot]

Had Stephen Kenny been in charge then (and using what he's overseen so far as a reference) I believe we would have lost heavily in the four games against Denmark and Switzerland, taken four points from Gibraltar and one, maybe two from Georgia. He would have been sacked. But had he achieved McCarthy's modest results the campaign would have been hailed a triumph for the new, liberated, free-flowing, in-transition, golden-generation driven Ireland. Such is life.

[pineapple stu]

It was the pace up front we were crying out for
Maybe, but there's more to football than just pace, as Usain Bolt will confirm

[ontheotherhand]

Had Stephen Kenny been in charge then (and using what he's overseen so far as a reference) I believe we would have lost heavily in the four games against Denmark and Switzerland, taken four points from Gibraltar and one, maybe two from Georgia. He would have been sacked. But had he achieved McCarthy's modest results the campaign would have been hailed a triumph for the new, liberated, free-flowing, in-transition, golden-generation driven Ireland. Such is life.

So you're basing your opinions off of wild, irrelevant hypotheticals? Solid stuff. I'd wager that if Kenny had the squad Mick did his results would have been far better. I judge mccarthy on his "modest" results with our best players and Kenny on his modest to poor results with our worst players. You have a bias that shows pretty clearly when you claim Kenny would have had some degree of preferential treatment if he did exactly the same as McCarthy when in actual fact the daggers have been out for him from the get go. And again...for the third time
...we pay Kenny HALF what we paid McCarthy. There's no comparison worth making. If you have another manager who would accept half McCarthy's wages who you'd like to compare to Kenny then go ahead.

[Diggs246]

No I'm just saying because we didnt beat Georgia Denmark had the luxury of playing for a draw. If we beat Georgia they have a different game plan

[Diggs246]

we were the better team that night and should have won. best performance since wales away 2017 for me. to say they could easily beaten us that night is stretching credability based on how the game went.
Yes agreed we were good. But Denmark got what they came for, we absolutely didn't

[Yard of Pace]

If he had brought on Connolly a bit earlier when the game was crying out for him he'd have given himself a better chance of earning the genius tag. That game to me was up there with Kerr against Switzerland for the most frustrated Ive been with a manager.

Probably depends on your favoured brand of masochism, but the one that looms largest in my mind was the experience of sitting in the stand in the home game against Austria under Trap, and watching Ireland drop deeper and deeper and deeper and deeper, slowly, surely, always, unrelentingly dropping ever deeper.......for about an hour.....and then the almost release of Alaba's goal.

Horrific.

But memorable. And very very frustrating. God, that was so so frustrating.

[Snapshot]

So you're basing your opinions off of wild, irrelevant hypotheticals? Solid stuff. I'd wager that if Kenny had the squad Mick did his results would have been far better. I judge mccarthy on his "modest" results with our best players and Kenny on his modest to poor results with our worst players. You have a bias that shows pretty clearly when you claim Kenny would have had some degree of preferential treatment if he did exactly the same as McCarthy when in actual fact the daggers have been out for him from the get go. And again...for the third time
...we pay Kenny HALF what we paid McCarthy. There's no comparison worth making. If you have another manager who would accept half McCarthy's wages who you'd like to compare to Kenny then go ahead.
My opinions on Kenny are based on facts - eight games, one goal, poor performances, backroom turmoil. McCarthy was paid ridiculously too much - blame the FAI, not McCarthy or me. Kenny is paid €500k per annum - relative pittance for a successful international manager, too much for a failure (as Kenny is to date). I offered a hypothetical on how I thought results would have gone. Big deal!

[Diggs246]

Probably depends on your favoured brand of masochism, but the one that looms largest in my mind was the experience of sitting in the stand in the home game against Austria under Trap, and watching Ireland drop deeper and deeper and deeper and deeper, slowly, surely, always, unrelentingly dropping ever deeper.......for about an hour.....and then the almost release of Alaba's goal.

Horrific.

But memorable. And very very frustrating. God, that was so so frustrating.

Macedonia. I still have nightmares. In recent times Georgia away under mon

[Razors left peg]

Macedonia. I still have nightmares. In recent times Georgia away under mon
I said Switerland under Kerr but Israel could have been chosen instead. Duff tearing them apart in midfield, one of the strikers gets injured in 1st half so he moves Duff upfront where he becomes completely ineffective. Meanwhile the Israel keeper almost causes a pitch invasion with his time wasting antics.

[tetsujin1979]

Definitely Switzerland under Kerr - considering the players he had, and the stage of their careers, to barely trouble their goal in a game we had to win was unforgettable

[ontheotherhand]

My opinions on Kenny are based on facts - eight games, one goal, poor performances, backroom turmoil. McCarthy was paid ridiculously too much - blame the FAI, not McCarthy or me. Kenny is paid €500k per annum - relative pittance for a successful international manager, too much for a failure (as Kenny is to date). I offered a hypothetical on how I thought results would have gone. Big deal!

So Snapshot isn't a clever name? Context is important. Mccarthy and Kenny have had completely different players to pick from. Mccarthy scraped a few draws with our best 11. What would he have "achieved" with our third best? Given that McGoldrick and Duffy were his best players and both sort of haven't been there for Kenny...Im not so sure Mccarthy would be doing so much better. 😅

[Snapshot]

So Snapshot isn't a clever name? Context is important. Mccarthy and Kenny have had completely different players to pick from. Mccarthy scraped a few draws with our best 11. What would he have "achieved" with our third best? Given that McGoldrick and Duffy were his best players and both sort of haven't been there for Kenny...Im not so sure Mccarthy would be doing so much better. 

Not completely different players! And you conveniently forget other countries were stricken by injuries and covid. You ask me what would McCarthy have achieved - happy to answer but you'd then accuse me, as above, of "wild, irrelevant hypotheticals"!

Completely different players?
McCarthy's selection in his final game: Randolph, Doherty, Duffy, Egan, Stevens, Whelan, Hourihane, Hendrick, Browne, McGoldrick, McClean. Subs Clark, Robinson Maguire

Players available to Kenny v Bulgaria in Sofia: Randolph, Doherty, Duffy, Egan, Stevens, Coleman, McCarthy, Hourihane, Hendrick, Shane Long, McClean, Brady, Brown, O'Dowda.

Players available to Kenny v Finland in Helsinki: Randolph, Doherty, Duffy, Stevens, Long, McCarthy, Hourihane, Hendrick, O'Shea, Long (S), Connolly.

Players available to Kenny v Wales in Cardiff: Randolph, Doherty, Duffy, O'Shea, Stevens, Hourihane, Hendrick, O'Dowda, Connolly, Clark.

Players available to Kenny v Slovakia: Almost same as McCarthy's last game (v Denmark).

[ontheotherhand]

Not completely different players! And you conveniently forget other countries were stricken by injuries and covid. You ask me what would McCarthy have achieved - happy to answer but you'd then accuse me, as above, of "wild, irrelevant hypotheticals"!

Completely different players?
McCarthy's selection in his final game: Randolph, Doherty, Duffy, Egan, Stevens, Whelan, Hourihane, Hendrick, Browne, McGoldrick, McClean. Subs Clark, Robinson Maguire

Players available to Kenny v Bulgaria in Sofia: Randolph, Doherty, Duffy, Egan, Stevens, Coleman, McCarthy, Hourihane, Hendrick, Shane Long, McClean, Brady, Brown, O'Dowda.

Players available to Kenny v Finland in Helsinki: Randolph, Doherty, Duffy, Stevens, Long, McCarthy, Hourihane, Hendrick, O'Shea, Long (S), Connolly.

Players available to Kenny v Wales in Cardiff: Randolph, Doherty, Duffy, O'Shea, Stevens, Hourihane, Hendrick, O'Dowda, Connolly, Clark.

Players available to Kenny v Slovakia: Almost same as McCarthy's last game (v Denmark).

You've been very selective there. How about our last game against Bulgaria where Long, Manning, Knight, Horgan, Collins and Curtis had to start? Or Wales away with Idah, Horgan, Molumby, O'Shea and Long? You're also not acknowledging the lack of a proper striker or the complete decline of Duffy who was our main goal threat and saved results for both managers when he was still a presence. kenny had both Duffy and McGoldrick for Slovakia which, not surprisingly was probably our best performance under him and a game we should have won.

We aren't blessed with 11 top players so losing any is tough, losing the amount Kenny has is a disaster particularly when attempting to actually play a different style of football. How was he supposed to get any sort of consistency with players dropping in and out not to mention the knives being out somewhere in the FAI. Give it some time. You may end up bang on the money and I won't be shocked if so as I don't rate Kenny that highly based on his performance with Rovers primarily but the data set is weak as it stands and ...again....we can't afford McCarthy or his ilk anyway. So, ultimately, what's the point in comparing them? If Kenny is replaced..it will be a former player or similar who is given the job unless the FAI finds the money to pay of it's debts in the couch cushions.

[tetsujin1979]

Caps awarded by the previous two managers


Player McCarthy Kenny
Conor Hourihane 8 7
Darren Randolph 7 8
Shane Duffy 7 8
Jeff Hendrick 8 6
James McClean 8 5
Enda Stevens 7 5
Robbie Brady 4 8
Matt Doherty 3 7
Callum Robinson 6 3
Alan Browne 6 2
John Egan 4 4
Callum O'Dowda 3 5
David McGoldrick 5 2
Glenn Whelan 6 0
Seamus Coleman 6 0
James Collins 4 2
Sean Maguire 3 3
Kevin Long 2 4
Scott Hogan 5 0
Aaron Connolly 2 3
Daryl Horgan 0 5
Adam Idah 0 5
Jay Molumby 0 5
Richard Keogh 4 0
Alan Judge 4 0
Jack Byrne 2 2
Josh Cullen 2 2
Cyrus Christie 1 3
Ronan Curtis 1 3
Dara O'Shea 0 4
Shane Long 0 3
Jason Knight 0 3
Ciaran Clarke 2 0
Kieran O'Hara 2 0
Derrick Williams 2 0
Mark Travers 2 0
Troy Parrott 1 1
James McCarthy 0 2
Aiden O'Brien 1 0
Lee O'Connor 1 0
Harry Arter 0 1
Ryan Manning 0 1

Capped by McCarthy but not Kenny(yet): Glenn Whelan, Ciaran Clarke, Seamus Coleman, Richard Keogh, Alan Judge, Aiden O'Brien, Scott Hogan, Kieran O'Hara, Derrick Williams, Lee O'Connor, Mark Travers

Capped by Kenny, but not McCarthy: Daryl Horgan, Adam Idah, Jay Molumby, Dara O'Shea, Shane Long, Jason Knight, James McCarthy, Harry Arter, Ryan Manning

[ontheotherhand]

Nice table. Are you highlighting the relative quality in players that had to be capped by Kenny? 19 year olds starting up front who can't get a game for Norwich, League of Ireland players drafted in overnight to fill gaps. It was a shambles. You can't instill a game-plan when players are dropping like flies and barely able to train together.

But look, I genuinely can't see the words "Mick McCarthy - next Ireland manager?" again or it will bring on a hoofball induced panic attack so I'll leave ye to it. If people were happy relying on Duffy getting his head on a corner to dig us out of games or David McGoldrick having to drop into midfield to create something that's grand. I found it fairly grim myself so I'm happy enough to wait and see if Kenny can do better with a settled team.

To be honest though, I think we are in for a long and probably frustrating road on the international front. The younger lads aren't ready and the older lads aren't up to it. No striker of note, not even a decent foil like McGoldrick and our best players on paper are struggling at club level. Possibly overly pessimistic but unless the likes of Molumby, Knight, O'Shea, Idah and Connolly all develop very quickly.....we will be seeing more of the same I think, though at least we won't be blowing ridiculous sums on managers.

[tetsujin1979]

Nice table. Are you highlighting the relative quality in players that had to be capped by Kenny? 19 year olds starting up front who can't get a game for Norwich, League of Ireland players drafted in overnight to fill gaps. It was a shambles. You can't instill a game-plan when players are dropping like flies and barely able to train together.

But look, I genuinely can't see the words "Mick McCarthy - next Ireland manager?" again or it will bring on a hoofball induced panic attack so I'll leave ye to it. If people were happy relying on Duffy getting his head on a corner to dig us out of games or David McGoldrick having to drop into midfield to create something that's grand. I found it fairly grim myself so I'm happy enough to wait and see if Kenny can do better with a settled team.

To be honest though, I think we are in for a long and probably frustrating road on the international front. The younger lads aren't ready and the older lads aren't up to it. No striker of note, not even a decent foil like McGoldrick and our best players on paper are struggling at club level. Possibly overly pessimistic but unless the likes of Molumby, Knight, O'Shea, Idah and Connolly all develop very quickly.....we will be seeing more of the same I think, though at least we won't be blowing ridiculous sums on managers.
No, the table listing caps awarded by the last two managers doesn't highlight anything other than caps awarded by the last two managers

[Snapshot]

So Snapshot isn't a clever name? Context is important. Mccarthy and Kenny have had completely different players to pick from. Mccarthy scraped a few draws with our best 11. What would he have "achieved" with our third best? Given that McGoldrick and Duffy were his best players and both sort of haven't been there for Kenny...Im not so sure Mccarthy would be doing so much better. 

(My final post on this, tets1979, I know I'm on your gallows).

That Kenny used "completely different players" is clearly total nonsense. You call players available to McCarthy "our best" - but "our worst" when selected by Kenny! That he used Molumby, Idah, Knight, O'Shea, Manning, Curtis etc was his stated plan.

You say Kenny has no goalscorer, presumably unlike McCarthy. McGoldrick - 14 caps, 1 goal? And why did he pick off-form, out-of-condition and tactically unsuitable Duffy?

You remain fixated by McCarthy's money. He was offered a ridiculously generous contract and he signed it - annoying but irrelevant to performances.

And I'm not biased against Stephen Kenny - he comes across as a decent, modest bloke. But I don't think he's a good international manager based on what I've seen (and read and heard) over eight games. That's crime of the century around here, apparently.

[seanfhear]

Cardiff, unbeaten in 10 matches, have awarded Mick a two-year deal at Cardiff.

How near would Kenny get to the job? Would he be within the top-50 candidates? Top 100? Top 200?

All academic.We are we're we are, I guess...
10 Swallows don’t make a season where I come from.

[ifk101]

Thought McCarthy was finished after his stint in Cyprus but good for him - he evidently knows what's needed for the Championship.

[seanfhear]

Thought McCarthy was finished after his stint in Cyprus but good for him - he evidently knows what's needed for the Championship.
In fairness its a freaky set of results ( his Cardiff results at the moment ) from a manager that would probably be considered by many to be perhaps above Average to Good but not a top level manager.

[tetsujin1979]

(My final post on this, tets1979, I know I'm on your gallows).

That Kenny used "completely different players" is clearly total nonsense. You call players available to McCarthy "our best" - but "our worst" when selected by Kenny! That he used Molumby, Idah, Knight, O'Shea, Manning, Curtis etc was his stated plan.

You say Kenny has no goalscorer, presumably unlike McCarthy. McGoldrick - 14 caps, 1 goal? And why did he pick off-form, out-of-condition and tactically unsuitable Duffy?

You remain fixated by McCarthy's money. He was offered a ridiculously generous contract and he signed it - annoying but irrelevant to performances.

And I'm not biased against Stephen Kenny - he comes across as a decent, modest bloke. But I don't think he's a good international manager based on what I've seen (and read and heard) over eight games. That's crime of the century around here, apparently.

Nobody is on anybody's anything right now.

[ontheotherhand]

(My final post on this, tets1979, I know I'm on your gallows).

That Kenny used "completely different players" is clearly total nonsense. You call players available to McCarthy "our best" - but "our worst" when selected by Kenny! That he used Molumby, Idah, Knight, O'Shea, Manning, Curtis etc was his stated plan.

You say Kenny has no goalscorer, presumably unlike McCarthy. McGoldrick - 14 caps, 1 goal? And why did he pick off-form, out-of-condition and tactically unsuitable Duffy?

You remain fixated by McCarthy's money. He was offered a ridiculously generous contract and he signed it - annoying but irrelevant to performances.

And I'm not biased against Stephen Kenny - he comes across as a decent, modest bloke. But I don't think he's a good international manager based on what I've seen (and read and heard) over eight games. That's crime of the century around here, apparently.

Completely different was a bit hyperbolic I'll give you that. And I'm not accusing you of any crime. Just disagreeing with you on the relative quality of McCarthy as a manager and the usefulness of judgement on Kenny at this point. I have my own concerns around Kenny, namely some of his selection choices, but I'm willing to wait a bit.

I'll leave it now and come back in another 8 games. We might be on the same page at that point!

[pineapple stu]

Appointed Blackpool manager today, in the relegation zone in the English second tier.

Had thought he was retiring after Cardiff, but good to see him back

[Demesne Lad]

A short-term contract, until the end of the season.