There should be no free hits, only a powerful statement-of-intent performance from HH and the players. Optimism, pragmatism and clear separation from the Kenny era and the headless chooks who fueled it. The pathetic anti John O’Shea mob should also grow a brain. Here’s to a future where we might actually achieve something.
Interesting to see Carsley filling up the English back pages, and incredibly some of the front pages too, by saying he won't sing the English anthem. Should be irrelevant of course, but unlikely to appeal to the neanderthals that make up a fair amount of their core support.
Watched the FAI press conferences tonight. Few things that stuck out for me from the manager, who seems very professional, was when he said Ireland is quite like Iceland - 'quite like' could mean anything and it makes sense up to a point in the context of the level our players are playing at- but Ireland is not like Iceland in terms of football history or our international level and expectations. Sure, we won the Iceland tournament FFS
He also said something to the effect that we have a lot of players that are the same. On the plus side, this means he will probably be making substitutions quicker than Kenny did, which would be an immediate improvement. He added that there are several players who could make a claim for each spot in the team, which is probably true. On the other hand, he didn't really express much excitement about the players. I like realists, but the psychological aspect of sport requires a smidgin of enthusiasm. Then again Kenny had all the enthusiasm you could ask for and we didn't do great, so what do I know?
"It'll be a good window for me regardless of results" (said in the context of learning about the players etc.) might be a red flag. How hungry is he? He seems very laid back - maybe it's a facade for the media or something he picked up in Jamaica. I just hope he's not a spoofer.
One positive from the press conferences was a comment he made made that he would ideally like to get to a fixed starting 11. He said that in the context of players getting minutes at the highest level, but I liked that direction.
Carsley may be out of contention for the England manager role already the way some of the press are going after him over there. It's a rubbish story. Plenty of people half-English and half-Irish, born in one and live in the other and vice versa and it's not right that some of them get a hard time in both places. Rice deserves a hard time for his lack of loyalty and cheek but I 'm actually hoping Carsley and Grealish don't get too much grief now.
Looking forward to the game. And a tiny bit more optimistic about the result considering some of the dropouts from the England team and the inexperience of some of their squad. Still think they'll win though.
The Carsley anthem thing ties back to the "culture wars" that the conservative media - The Mail, Express, Telegraph etc. are obsessed with in the UK. The conservative party's plan was to use that approach to win the last election, until it turned out that culture wars just didn't resonate at all with the wider population, who voted based on the state of the economy.
But the core support of the English football team is a narrower group who are more likely to turn on a manager because of his dual-nationality, and are still heavily influenced by the print media. They won't see the irony in most of the team being dual nationals as well.
From Carsley's point of view it was a naive thing to say and the English FA should have had him better prepared for that line of question given his background. The kind of people who write for these papers will have already taken a view on him as an English person who played for Ireland. Expect xenophobic headlines and cartoons if things don't go well for him in the position.
But at the end of the day he chose the England job so he chose this kind of nonsense, he has nobody else to blame other than himself. He certainly won't get much slack from here if results aren't good, nothing close to the leeway true-blooded Englishman Gareth Southgate got anyway.
Reading the Carsley quotes here:
https://www.theguardian.com/football...droidApp_Other
His not singing the anthem has nothing to do with his dual nationality from my reading. He says he never sings a national anthem because he reckons he would lose focus by doing so. Can't say I remember him beating out Amhráin na bhfhiann either.
Pitiful enough stuff from the likes of The Telegraph going after him hard. The Guardian leading with the what and not the why is less aggressive but the conclusions can and will be drawn.
Pitiful stuff but, yes, he should have been more careful.
True on the culture wars element. Worth noting that there are plenty of anti-monarchist born and bred English that wouldn't sing the anthem either. It's also just toxic elements of the UK sports press doing what they always do regardless of any culture wars - it's like they want the team to fail.
Carsley seems like a decent human being - just saw a lovely short video of him showing off the U-21 trophy to his son (who has Down Syndrome) and son's team mates. Life is just more complicated for people than simple black and white thinking and rushing to judgment allows for.
https://x.com/willocallaghan/status/1832170098523590752
The Daily Mail and Telegraph pieces can be seen here for the hit jobs on Carsley.
Also, I see it consistently referenced that he qualifies through a grandmother. Is it not the case that both maternal grandparents were Irish? It seems to go between grandparents and grandmother only depending on the narrative.
This is just the start. They will likely win these 6 games without too much fuss and he'll probably get the job. Just wait until the real games come and they start going sour. Then the media will really start getting toxic about this nonsense. I don't know why he'd invite this on himself, he seems to be a very quiet and private sort of fella.
Irish bias and everything aside, their anthem is truly awful. Religious, royalist with hints of imperialsm. Literally drolling at a deity to save a person you're acknowledging was born better than you. I don't know why anyone would want to sing it.
Ours is about soldiers, rifles and cannons so let he who without fault...Actually most anthems are fairly toxic, particularly the Balkan ones, some of whom identify other nationalities by name as being their enemies.
Forget about the performance or entertainment. It's only the result that matters.
Jayzus: "His answer to the Irish question has told us where his heart belongs - on the Emerald Isle" It's like something from the 80s.Originally Posted by Olé Olé
Will we stick with wing backs? Or back 4?
I could see a 4-5-1 and wouldn't complain with something like
Kelleher
Coleman Collins O'Shea Scales
Ogbene Browne Smallbone/Molumby Szmodics Knight
Idah/Ferguson
I would be hesitant to start Molumby. Start him and watch him get an early card...
You're right, but it doesn't matter. Once he said he wasn't going to sing the anthem he had screwed up, the reasons why would always be instantly irrelevant.
Yes the reports and analysis are like something from the 1980s, but that is where the English right wing press reside. What you need to remember is that the Mail, Express and Telegraph aren't so much stuck in the 80s as they are actually pining for it on a daily basis.
I obviously don't buy or read any of those papers but I do follow a BBC journalist on twitter called Neil Henderson who posts the front and back pages of all the following day's main English papers the night before. It's honestly hilarious looking at the headlines. I always feel it must be exhausting being an avid reader of one of these papers, being told to be OUTRAGED about something different every day. Today it's Carsley and once they make up their mind on someone it's hard to turn it around.
Hard but not impossible. I read an article on the BBC website recently explaining how middle Britain didn't really like Andy Murray at all up until he won them an Olympic gold medal in London. After that he was a hero, of course. His crime before that was that, despite representing Britain, he was proudly Scottish. Mental stuff.
I'm not clicking on a Daily Hate link, but Jeff Powell is usually beyond parody.
You can't spell failure without FAI
You have to admire him. I'd be applauding him today when he comes out
You can read the first few paragraphs of it here without clicking into the Daily Mail site, and also view the quite funny photo of Carsley not singing at an Under 21 game that goes with it.
https://x.com/paulrowantree/status/1...jiTXGgwHQ&s=19
The 1880s
Whilst former Irish underage international Tim Dittmer does sing it in the same photo.
I think 541 rather than 451. Think just because it's England in his first game he'll be overly pragmatic. Go 541 and then switch to 451 against Greece.
Think 541 it covers Coleman for not needing to be busting up and down the pitch as much because he'll have Ogbene ahead of him and England have no actual LBs on in the squad.
Same way we set up against France.
Funny, I just watched the highlights of the France game a few minutes ago. Bazunu was great that night. Ogbene really good too. We had our moments but had a lot of defending to do and got v little out of midfield. Can see why packing the defense today is likely. Would be happy with a similar level of performance as the France match.
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