Originally Posted by
ontheotherhand
This is probably the worst of your arguments so if you think that it has dismantled anything.....yikes. Do you need to be introduced to the concept of time and how things change as it passes? I've already pointed out that you've contradicted yourself on this very point. Your argument that the players coming through are something McCarthy didn't have that Kenny does is a better one overall if we were arguing pure squad ability levels but it doesn't answer the lack of experience piece so it's not that useful here really.
Let's go back to basics:
My point - Kenny has had less experienced players to select than McCarthy, particularly in key positions. One by choice to be fair (Didzy) and that was a huge mistake for me. McCarthy relied a lot on Randolph, Duffy, Whelan and McGoldrick. Our best performances were those when Randolph kept us in the game, Duffy got a goal, Whelan kept us disciplined and McGoldrick led the line. Those players OVER TIME, disappeared or sadly lost the plot in one case. Ultimately we were in a transition where that spine needed to be replaced in Kenny's first few years or sooner. Surely you can at least agree to that if you don't agree that the replacing has been done well? It was staring us in the face just as the wing back positions are now. We still haven't replaced McGoldrick which is really saying something although Obafemi may give us something completely different and better if he keeps going.
Your answer to this has been two fold I suppose but correct me if I missed a point:
1) "but look at this list of talent with all these breakthroughs!" - There were maybe 3 or 4 real breakthroughs on your list and even if your entire list had positive ones, that doesn't answer a lack of experience. Quite the opposite obviously. Again, we massively disagree on the levels of talent available. I'm as hopeful as samhaydenjr but we are years away from having an experienced side. So, as I said, not a great argument here.
2) "But he had the same players available"
My point - You yourself noted that a lot of those players were struggling badly or on the way out. I quoted you from 2020 saying that it was a "big concern for Kenny looking ahead" You've ignored that you contradict yourself by quoting another post you made, presumably later, which was essentially the opposite i.e. you stated that Kenny had a slightly stronger team.
My response - You thinking that and the reality of the situation are two different things. A bunch of unproven talent and a bunch of expiring talent doesn't answer the deficiencies in experience we had in key areas, notably GK, centre half, centre mid and striker.
I do think Kenny's squad has the potential to be better than Mick's squad, and by quite a margin. Mick's squad was by no means good. There were weak links all over the place and it was the last good effort the better ones had. Mick did a decent job getting the most out of them. It was an experienced unit though, again with our best performers playing in key positions. Until we have a really good option up front and more options in midfield at least, we are going to struggle to break teams down and we are going to cough up stupid goals from nothing. Unless we find a very good manager of course but I wouldn't trust the FAI with that job just yet.