Probably true. Makes the decision to give them a new contract on the eve of the Denmark home game that bit more confusing.Quote:
Originally Posted by Diggs246
There's some weak teams going to get promoted from League D - Georgia and Macedonia topping their groups after the first couple of games yesterday. These are the teams we look like joining in League C next year - so that's our level. Worrying stuff.
They actually gave us far too many chances to be 'good' (the fact we were unable to take advantage doesn't make them a good side). Robinson missed a couple of decent chances and our goal was bad schoolboy defending by Wales. Passes went astray far too often as well. Not saying they were a bad side, and they were much better than us, but would not describe them as a top side by any stretch.Quote:
Originally Posted by jbyrne
Very likely.Damage was done rushing them into a new contract (FAI scared by alleged interest of Prem team, Leicester I think). suspect we are stuck with them for this campaign or until fan pressure forces a change.Quote:
Originally Posted by Diggs246
I’d have no problem having Mick back as I always liked him. And he instals passion and spirit in a group. The same thing O’Neill is supposed to be famous for.
But let’s not forget that when we lost to Spain in 2002 everyone was giving out that Mick didn’t know they were down to 10 men. Everyone said his tactics against Russia and Switzerland were negative....
Give him the job, sure. But don’t turn on him the minute things looks the same as they do now.
We’ve the worst group of players we’ve had for years. And there’s little a manager can do about that
Given our current situation of total negativity and ineptitude- Mick seems the only realistic option, He is available, has done a very good job before, and knows all there is to know about Irish Football and the playing pool available. He kept a very average Ipswich side very competitive on a shoestring budget,
Most importantly of all he has a real passion for the International side and would give the job 100% .
Hope the FAI see sense in the near future and bring an end to the O Neill/Keane charade.
I'd have no problem with Mick taking over again, but would it be a continuation of the same?
Mick wasn't exactly known for his free flowing football at Ipswich.
Perhaps we need an 'outsider'. Someone with no links to the team/nation. A German, Dutch or Scandinavian coach.
Anyone see Tommy Martin ask Mick 'when can he start' right after the highlights on TV3 last night?
Mick just replied 'ah that's unfair'. :D
Yep fair play to Mick. He’s conducted himself pretty well.Quote:
Originally Posted by IsMiseSean
We got an outsider before and it didnt quite pan out.
And with O’Neill, he’s done so much that we moaned about Trap not doing: attending LOI games, attending underage games, changing starting line-up when it wasn’t working.
Would an outsider be as involved as O’Neill? His starting line-up confused me the other night and we probably do need a change but...I’m not optimistic about the team whoever takes over.
10-man Spain in 2002 - that's what I was thinking of. We need someone who sees that, someone who thinks "if I take off 2 defensive midfielders, Eriksen is going to murder us", someone who sees where all the danger came from last night. That's what I was wondering - anyone watched Ipswich in recent years and seen what Mick is like nowadays?
True that MON has been an improvement on Trap in terms of being flexible and making changes, but his changes often feel like mad curveballs. And MON has taken to the Trap habit of talking down the players in public. Not good.
I would just call up LOI players, i hate relying on English born players who are not good enough to play for England then don the irish shirt, it drives me insane.
In fairness to Trap - he did get us to a tournament, although it was worse than watching paint dry at times.Quote:
Originally Posted by Fixer82
Qualification is always our aim, anything else is a bonus.
I wouldn't write off an 'outsider' because of Trap's negative approach.
Surely the Rude Doctor would know some Dutch managers that would suit us.
We need a new Manager, one who is relatively young and inexpensive, is not afraid to take a gamble on players, then gets the most out of those players. Has a positive winning attitude which he instills in his teams and that they in turn buy into. Oh and knows how to play a passing game with those players at his disposal. If only someone like that existed.
steve staunton?Quote:
Originally Posted by ger121
Rovers will want too much compo for Bradser.Quote:
Originally Posted by ger121
I have to say, we would have lost yesterday anyway, but if we look at the last year or so without James McCarthy we haven't done the business. He is key to our midfield structure …
Please please get fit
Also I think its clear Kevin Long is a better option than Clark
Such a pity Kwame Ampadu married a Welsh woman.
He’ll treat every match as though it’s a Cup Final.Quote:
Originally Posted by Real ale Madrid
If Ethan Ampadu was Irish, MON wouldn't have him in the squad anyway as he would be deemed too young.Quote:
Originally Posted by Olé Olé
MON wouldn't dare put bristol city squad player calum o'dowda's place at risk.Quote:
Originally Posted by TrapAPony
not a single player performed well last night. not even coleman. i can't remember the cyrpus game too well, but we were a rabble last night, reminded me of the austria away game under trap.
I said in my preview that even with the withdrawals we have good players, not great, but good and good enough to at least stand up and be counted. Anyway, this morning I listened to a full hour of analysis on OTB with Cunningham, Breen and Andrews and John Hartson from the Welsh angle.
The 3 Irish guys' views were largely the same and can be summarised as:
- The selection was poor. Our 2 in midfield were just swamped by a high quality 3 in midfield for Wales.
- We failed to adapt to this, just as we failed to adapt to Denmark's dominance in Dublin (then we actually made it worse)
- The players played poorly. In the past pulling on the green shirt brought better performances from players than many were used to delivering at club level. These days the players play WORSE than at their clubs. This is a management failure.
-Hendrick and Hourihane were both picked as a vanilla 2 man midfield, expected to sit deep, yet neither plays deep at club level; each is used to arriving late in the attacking third of the pitch
- Management (despite MON, Keane, Guppy & Walford all being prominent) admit to not working on systems, shape etc.
- Last night, yet again, there was no obvious pattern, shape or system. This is a "systemic failure" of management.
- Other sides work on their shape and systems so why can't we? EVERY other side does it.
- Despite being critical of both individual performances and management's role, and tearing apart the impact of management, all 3 declined to call for a change (actually I didn't hear Breen's final remarks). Hartson said he is too close to MON to comment.
- Despite the absentees we had our strongest back 5 out.
So,
-I have to say I agree with all of this, except for the strongest back 5 bit. I think the May friendlies showed Kevin Long is deserving of a start over Clark, and actually Stevens is deserving of a start over Ward. So too was Williams based on his Paris performance. Lenihan looks a player too and a threat from set pieces
- Hartson said we played 451. I don't think so.
- Why no Meyler? No world beater but his absence left the space in front of our back 4 too open. allen had acres of space for the first goal
- No mention at all of Matt Doherty, far more influential at Wolves than Christie at Fulham
- No mention that Stevens and Horgan - our only credible out ball in the absence of Judge - looked like a great "unit" on the left versus USA, and did so again briefly last night
- They let management off too lightly. Faced with the charge sheet aimed at them, their position is totally untenable in my opinion.
- We played 352 in 3 games since Denmark. He went back to 4411 in the next competitive game. Weird to say the least.
There is just no way this set up can continue. NI and Iceland are great examples of organisation. The WC showed lots of "lesser" teams being hard to play against because of their shape and system off the ball. We didn't have one. That's just unforgivable especially when MON says he doesn't have time to create a system. 2nd place is crucial in the Nations League. That's a very tall order now.
I'd give the job to McCarthy tomorrow. Even Kerr again.