2021 Season , Arrivals and departures

**Charlie Darwin** · 07/03/2021, 2:15 AM

Originally Posted by Nesta99

Thats actually quite a valid point (though Im not sure on whether its tongue in cheek). He'd have to have some formal arrangement in place to be allowed work within the 'bubble'. I dont particularly care whether he is coaching at Rovers or Thomas Davis particularly when there is only LoI in training. But if we werent in the midst of restrictions he would be better deployed as an NGB employee to guest coach at clubs, raising the profile of the game via eg open training sessions, taking underage sessions and visiting schoolboy clubs. It certainly has us talking about his involvement with Rovers regardless whether its considered fair or whatever so no harm imo.

He's not employed to do anything other than coach the national team, and the national coach has decided he can't do that, so the FAI can't force him to do anything else. The FAI may well decide to ask him to do what you describe but he'd be well entitled to say no and continue doing whatever he wants.

**Dalymountrower** · 07/03/2021, 7:00 AM

Originally Posted by Charlie Darwin

He's not employed to do anything other than coach the national team, and the national coach has decided he can't do that, so the FAI can't force him to do anything else. The FAI may well decide to ask him to do what you describe but he'd be well entitled to say no and continue doing whatever he wants.

So he is on some form of"garden leave" on full pay? So if he was to take up another coaching job,, or any other paid job, he may be in breach of his existing FAI contract .So taking credit for doing something unpaid in those circumstances is making a virtue of necessity
. Still, fair play to him for getting involved in local football when he probably could be holed up in the Carribean.

**Nah Nah Nah Nah** · 07/03/2021, 7:11 AM

It’s always been his dream etc

**sbgawa** · 07/03/2021, 8:12 AM

Originally Posted by Dalymountrower

So he is on some form of"garden leave" on full pay? So if he was to take up another coaching job,, or any other paid job, he may be in breach of his existing FAI contract .So taking credit for doing something unpaid in those circumstances is making a virtue of necessity
. Still, fair play to him for getting involved in local football when he probably could be holed up in the Carribean.

No , he could take a job if he wanted, he was assistant at midlesboro.
Current job is winding up non rovers fans ��
The Fai

**Nesta99** · 07/03/2021, 11:19 AM

Originally Posted by Charlie Darwin

He's not employed to do anything other than coach the national team, and the national coach has decided he can't do that, so the FAI can't force him to do anything else. The FAI may well decide to ask him to do what you describe but he'd be well entitled to say no and continue doing whatever he wants.

Oh I know he can only be asked to do what is in his job spec but Id expect someone with the best interest of the Irish game at heart to be willing to adapt his job spec if not willing to be paid off. If he is unwilling, which is his right, I do think it shows a side to a record breaking former international icon that wouldnt have been expected. It would be disappointing to see a completely mé féin attitude from a national hero where there is a good bit of take and maybe not so much give - past contributions to the game get diluted over time in such a case.

**MattB11** · 07/03/2021, 2:21 PM

Harps sign striker Tunde Owolabi last with Hamilton in Scotland

**Neish** · 07/03/2021, 7:12 PM

Originally Posted by MattB11

Harps sign striker Tunde Owolabi last with Hamilton in Scotland

Looking forward to seeing him play, has potential to be a big player for us in 2021
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tunde_Owolabi

**Charlie Darwin** · 08/03/2021, 1:34 AM

Originally Posted by Dalymountrower

So he is on some form of"garden leave" on full pay? So if he was to take up another coaching job,, or any other paid job, he may be in breach of his existing FAI contract .So taking credit for doing something unpaid in those circumstances is making a virtue of necessity
. Still, fair play to him for getting involved in local football when he probably could be holed up in the Carribean.

I don't know the ins and outs of his contract but if you're given a four-year contract to do a job and your employer decides not to ask you to do your job, you're free to do what you like in your own team once it doesn't break the contract.

**Charlie Darwin** · 08/03/2021, 1:35 AM

Originally Posted by Nesta99

Oh I know he can only be asked to do what is in his job spec but Id expect someone with the best interest of the Irish game at heart to be willing to adapt his job spec if not willing to be paid off. If he is unwilling, which is his right, I do think it shows a side to a record breaking former international icon that wouldnt have been expected. It would be disappointing to see a completely mé féin attitude from a national hero where there is a good bit of take and maybe not so much give - past contributions to the game get diluted over time in such a case.

Maybe but a) that would require vision and a conciliatory attitude from the FAI, which would be a first, and b) would require them to apologise for what is essentially a very public snub.

**joey B** · 08/03/2021, 7:47 AM

Sean Boyd signing back with Harps as well, picked up a very bad injury in December of 2019 so best of luck to him on his return from that....

**sbgawa** · 08/03/2021, 8:51 AM

Delighted to hear Sean Boyd has signed for you, he has had shocking luck with injuries, if he gets a run of games and shows anything like the form he showed earlier in his carear he will do well for you.

**Eminence Grise** · 08/03/2021, 9:13 AM

Originally Posted by Charlie Darwin

Maybe but a) that would require vision and a conciliatory attitude from the FAI, which would be a first, and b) would require them to apologise for what is essentially a very public snub.

Flip that round Charlie... If the FAI have an employee they can't pay off because the cash isn't there, and running down his contract with him on gardening leave is preferable to finding any other way to use his talents (coaching, ambassador, whatever) I'd be asking has the employee done anything to contribute to that state of affairs.

**sbgawa** · 08/03/2021, 9:57 AM

When you consider how Mick just manned up and got on with it having been told he was on a fixed term contract regardless of success i blame Kenny for refusing to include Keane in his backroom staff knowing that he had a year left on his contract.
How can it be such a terrible idea to have Robbie Keane working with our Strikers??

**Eminence Grise** · 08/03/2021, 10:02 AM

Mick's had two jobs since he left us. I might have missed some rumours but I don't recall any saying he wanted to bring Robbie to either of them.

**Kiki Balboa** · 08/03/2021, 10:34 AM

Originally Posted by sbgawa

When you consider how Mick just manned up and got on with it having been told he was on a fixed term contract regardless of success i blame Kenny for refusing to include Keane in his backroom staff knowing that he had a year left on his contract.
How can it be such a terrible idea to have Robbie Keane working with our Strikers??

Great player does not equal good coach.

**Nesta99** · 08/03/2021, 11:05 AM

Originally Posted by Charlie Darwin

Maybe but a) that would require vision and a conciliatory attitude from the FAI, which would be a first, and b) would require them to apologise for what is essentially a very public snub.

Splitting hairs but the snub wasnt really the FAI but the senior coach. There are back channels where info is shared that we wouldnt be privy to but reading between the lines, 2 very different coaches of different eras, one who RK played for in a very good spell 2009-02 as the key man, and neither wanted him in as a coach. I have never seen him coach so wont say that he is no good (which is possible and he isnt a great communicator) but he is a remnant of the way things were manipulated by Delaney, yes the 2 senior coaches were also appointed in a strange arrangement but it has been suggested that RK was to be Delaney's inside man nd anointed one - its possible McCarthy copped that info was being passed on. Not associated with RK but we did have the whole motivational video leak debacle which cause another former playing legend step down on principle so there is trust issues still. There seems to still be some shady undertones in the setup and its unsurprising that SK handpicked his own coaches and didnt allow any forced upon him. Crawford had a very similar response also. Lets take that he is a muck coach well it wont make much difference to Arron Greene anyway but letting a poor attacking coach lose on the like of Burke or Farrugia? Key coaching points today - a signature goal celebration....

If RK is much affected by 'the snub' then he needs to stay away from football management!!

**Yossarian** · 08/03/2021, 11:11 AM

Originally Posted by sbgawa

When you consider how Mick just manned up and got on with it having been told he was on a fixed term contract regardless of success i blame Kenny for refusing to include Keane in his backroom staff knowing that he had a year left on his contract.
How can it be such a terrible idea to have Robbie Keane working with our Strikers??

How prolific were Ireland’s strikers when Keane was coaching them? How about Middlesboro’s when he was coaching there? You won’t need to research too much to find the answer.

**redobit** · 08/03/2021, 2:25 PM

Originally Posted by Nesta99

Oh I know he can only be asked to do what is in his job spec but Id expect someone with the best interest of the Irish game at heart to be willing to adapt his job spec if not willing to be paid off. If he is unwilling, which is his right, I do think it shows a side to a record breaking former international icon that wouldnt have been expected. It would be disappointing to see a completely mé féin attitude from a national hero where there is a good bit of take and maybe not so much give - past contributions to the game get diluted over time in such a case.

This all day.

Added to the fact that McCarthy wasn't even that interested in having him a s a coach. JD got involved and licked his arse. Lost respect for him over this. FAI should be trying to get him to train u12s or whatever they can to get out of him.

**sbgawa** · 08/03/2021, 2:27 PM

I actualy dont disagree with you on that point and dont have a clue if he is a useless coach or a good one.
I just think its crazy that the fai are paying a salery of 5k a week with the guy not working.
It should have been managed better.
I do think RK our record goalscorer must have some value and should ahve been used somehow.
But its the FAI , what can we expect

**Sonny** · 08/03/2021, 4:26 PM

This is really, really straightforward to me. Kenny didn't want Keane involved in his set up, so that should be end of discussion. SK was completely justified to make that decision and shouldn't have to answer to anybody about it.

Keane has a contract, albeit a ridiculous one that was seemingly unilaterally awarded by a conman who is now under criminal investigation for his conduct while CEO, which has to be fulfilled or paid off. In normal circumstances it would be a very straight forward resolution, but I would assume the FAI doesn't have the cash to pay it up so they intend to keep paying him on gardening leave until such as a time as they do. Gardening leave can be a fairly grey area. Generally the employee can't take up alternative employment or engage with a competitor, but it can become a problem if it's viewed that the the business is preventing them from maintaining or developing professional skills necessary for future employment. I think the FAI would be on very shaky grounds if they tried to intervene to prevent him doing a bit of coaching in a voluntary capacity that doesn't involve working with a competitor.