It goes with the job description that the manager be a hard áss, single minded, stubborn git.
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That depends if it's football, Gah or Pitch and Putt. So not a lot on either.
I think that the new man is picked already, which disappoints me.
I'd like to think that the new manager would have a look at the FAI database of eligible players (or Tets) and decide to either pick the best 11 players and mould a formation to suit them, or pick the best formation and then the most suitable players for each position. Such as a left-back at left-back. A winger on the wing, or a right corner-forward at right-corner forward. Then when you find yourself 60m into the wind, a sharp punch into the back of the green sets up the birdie chance.
I feel sorry that it has ended the way it has, but in another way I don't feel sorry for Trap one bit. Pilkington was poor last night, and to put him in with the last night and starting yesterday is a slap in the face to Brady. It looked like Pilkington wasn't comfortable with the (limited) movement of his teammates, something that comes with time and familiarity.
Wilson was atrocious again, and he's a good player generally but he's been dodgy at best. Left-back is a problem position for us, as was right back before Coleman was trusted.
Something that is really sticking in my craw now though, is the punditry. It's clichéd, ridiculous, camp-ish, and horribly narrow-minded.
People say we don't have the players, or we're limited. I call bull-sh1t.
Just because club managers in England (the same ones ridiculed on a daily basis, by the same pundits/analysts) decide that our players are at a level, doesn't mean that is the case.
Fahey, McGeady, Brady, Hoolihan, Coleman are technically sound players. Gibson has proved doubters wrong (I was dubious to say the least) since moving to Everton. McCarthy is a young player, but far from a child, and is taking time to adjust to responsibility, but often he is trying to do the job of two, or worse, of three.
Maybe some of our fans don't know what players we have coming through the ranks. We have talented players in the underage teams. They are yet to break through to the senior sides in their clubs in nearly every case, but at this stage, what does it matter?
Personally speaking Euro 2012 means nothing to me, as my Dad died a few days beforehand, so I don't have any drunken nostalgia over hearing the anthem at the finals before a good sing-song and a walloping. Was I proud we qualified? Hell yes. But there is a fine line between brilliance and pure luck, and the luck that we missed out on in WC2010 qualifying was repaid in Bucketloads during EC2012. We were extremely poor against Russia home and away, we were shockingly bad at home to Slovakia and Armenia. We got the only team we could definitely beat in the play-offs before being comfortably the weakest side in the competition. It's not that we were beaten out the gate by teams definitively better than us, it's that the brain's trust didnt' attempt to put in a formation that would have us counteract what we were going to face. Russia showed what a three man centre mid would do to us, yet no different formation were forthcoming.
I said it here, but I would not have renewed after the Euro playoff. To then give an extended contract was head-wrecking. He should have been removed after the German game, which would have allowed us 18 months to at worst prepare for the Euro 2016 campaign, if qualifying could have been salvaged. Sweden were ****-poor, Austria worse, yet both times this last week we looked miles behind tactically. It wasn't Ibrahimovic who wrecked us against Sweden, it was Ekdal. He controlled play moving the ball left/right, diagonal etc.
Tl; dr: No to O'Neill. Give a Communist a few quid and airmiles to Britain.
Jesuss Kingdom, when the hand cuffs are loosened, you can fairly let loose on the keyboard :)
'Pilks' did alright, I was well pleased with his attitude, he's one of us now, if he's fit he's ahead of McClean, Walters.
He wasn't fully fit and that was virtually his first international cap. He's man enough for that beard, not everybody is, it's not just a matter of growing a beard. The problem wasn't that 'Pilks' was picked but (with hindsight) that Walters was picked ahead of Brady. We should only need one workhorse at wide midfield.
I don't think he did alright at all. I'm not saying he's a bad player - he's quite obviously good - but the wisdom in playing him last night was flawed in my mind.
Attitude doesn't come into it for me. Attitude is a pre-requisite, expected.
The funny thing is I think we'd have been better if Walters was the totum with Long and Keane off him and with perhaps Hoolahan ahead of Green and McCarthy.
No matter who comes in, before long they will be ridiculed, lambasted, hammered and undermined - our meeja have taken their cues well from the motherland.
Last night Bill dragged it to a new low when sneering about Paul Green.
Love to see someone like Alan Curbishley have a chance, what he did at Charlton is too often forgotten and he was unfairly treated at West Ham. Other than that it's the usual carousel of has beens, losers and media favourites. Phil Brown could be in the mix now that Southend are in trouble.
Yeah Curbishley is a good shout. Not looking for a hipster appointment, but we always, always seem to be linked to a recycled, unsuccessful, staunchly British manager.
Would it be that hard for Delaney to go through the records of the big - to- medium European leagues over the past 5 years and look at managers that achieved success either in the form of trophies, or in the form of changing the fortunes of unheralded clubs with small budgets., and why or how did they do it.
Like say what Ralk Ragnik achieved at Hoffenheim, or Gross at Basel, rather than say what was achieved at Anzhi through a shedload of cash.
I'd like to think that's the level of detail that would go into a decision that could yield 8m being spunked away over 5 years or so.
Some player and former player reaction to Trap's departure (as reported on BBC).
McCarthy really letting rip on their perceived rocky relationship...
Edit: Updated to include Harte. There's a definite pattern emerging...
Glen Hoddle anyone?
Good tactical awareness
Teams play good football
Gives youth a chance
My wishlist
Marcelo Bielsa
former Argentina, Chile and Athletico Bilbao manager.
Morten Wieghorst
assistant manager at Swansea
Arie Haan
China, Cameroon, Albania and a host of clubs - currently managing in China PL (a bit of a nutcase - but he has a good football brain and it would be a lot of fun).
Forget about René Meulensteen he's being paid a fortune to manage Anzhi
As for those listed - O'Neill, McDermott, Hughton (won't leave the PL), McCarthy and Keane - it would be more of the same (with the possible exception of McDermott)
At least Paul Jewell hasn't been mentioned yet...
terry venables is bound to be in with a shot at it..
What's Alex Ferguson up to these days?
dunphy and bill were pure shocking last night. continually ignoring facts like...
dunphy: "coleman should have been taken to the euros as he was outstanding for everton that season"
no he wasnt. his form was dreadful for everton and he regularly failed to make the team.
bill: "we could coax stephen ireland back under a new manager"
no we cant. he doesnt want to play for us full stop. in anycase his form is dreadful.
and so on and on and on...
Steve Coppell maybe. I'd have my doubts but worth debating.
Walked out on Man City after 6 games because of the pressure. And that's when City were nothing! Wouldn't exactly like to see him leading the team out in a vital qualifier, though I like him as a man he did well at Reading.
Just checked Wiki actually....
"but, on 11 August 2010 after only four months in charge, Coppell resigned as Bristol City manager, saying that he would retire from football management altogether citing a lack of passion for the job"
Not the kind of character we need.
He likes guinness, doesn't he?
Denis O'Brien is to continue providing financial backing for Trap's replacement, at least in the short term: http://www.rte.ie/sport/soccer/inter...irish-manager/