Stephen Kenny to Dunfermline?

**Poor Student** · 09/11/2006, 10:04 AM

I think people are also forgetting that after nearly 10 years as an eL manager he could really be looking forward to a change of scene. Particularly after the league problems this season he must feel like he'd like to get out of here. There's strong rumours that the goings on at Shels have worn Nutsy down to the point of quitting soon and these things have probably similarly affected Kenny.

**dcfcsteve** · 09/11/2006, 10:24 AM

Originally Posted by cheech

I'd be fecking fuming if I was a Derry fan. That means he was in talks about another job a day or two before the massive game against Drogs on Tuesday night, a game which ultimately may cost them the title.

Not ideal, but he wasn't in control of the timings for when Dunfermline either needed a Manager or made their approach to him. So what was he to do - pretend to himself that he hadn't been approached, and ask them to go away and come back in a few weeks ? Yeah - they'd love to do that for someone who refused to even talk to them initially.....

Originally Posted by cheech

Whether Harps like to admit it or not, this is going to have a profound effect on our own destiny. New manager comes in - Higgsy comes to us, McHugh coming back, Pizza manages us other Derry players released etc etc.

Holy fcuk Cheech - where do you get your drugs from ?!? Mc Hugh going to Finn Harps - are you for real ?

As for this notion of a clear out at the club - one word : Why ? We have a very good, young, hard-working squad based-locally. Even if another Manager did want to make changes, where would he get the money to do it ?? And he would struggle to gte a lot of new players to move to the city - something I suspect the Board would insist upon now from any signing.

Originally Posted by cheech

Will be very interesting to see and although he will be very very difficult to replace, he still only won one league cup.

Two actually. About as accurate as the rest of your post.

Originally Posted by cheech

He could have been (still could) an all time hero and legend in Derry had he went on and won the treble, or even the league for that matter.

Be in no doubt about this - Stephen Kenny will remain a legend on Foyleside. Even more so as the whole 'would could've been/if only' dreaming kicks-in with time.

**BohsPartisan** · 09/11/2006, 10:26 AM

Originally Posted by OneRedArmy

You've said that a few times now without any shred of evidence.

.

The evidence is there in front of your nose. Like when Kenny was with us, he got you into a position to challenge for the league title and when the pressure was really on he was found wanting. BTID and Neill have already outlined the evidence of him being a bottler while at Bohs. His last season was so bad that things actually improved for a while when Farrelly came in - more because of Kenny's absence than Farrelly's presence.

**dcfcsteve** · 09/11/2006, 10:31 AM

Originally Posted by BohsPartisan

The evidence is there in front of your nose. Like when Kenny was with us, he got you into a position to challenge for the league title and when the pressure was really on he was found wanting. BTID and Neill have already outlined the evidence of him being a bottler while at Bohs. His last season was so bad that things actually improved for a while when Farrelly came in - more because of Kenny's absence than Farrelly's presence.

I'll let you into two secrets BP.

Firstly - only one team can win the league.

Secondly - both this season and last season, we have been the team chasing the top spot - not in it. We've constantly been trying to play catch up. So how the hell can you bottle being first place when you've never actually resided there ???

Did Cork and Drogheda bottle it as well ? Drogs spent more of this season top of the table than we did. Did all 10/11 other Premier clubs likewise 'bottle it' ?

Hell hath no bitterness like a Gypsy scorned...

**BohsPartisan** · 09/11/2006, 10:47 AM

Drawing with us, Bray and losing to the Drogs when you were in a position to over-take Shels is bottling it. The other two weren't in the position you were in. Doolin didn't even get Drogheda close enough to bottle it. If this was a once off then you'd give Kenny the benefit of the doubt but the fact this is the third time he has been in this situation speeks volumes. I don't get the "Hell hath no bitterness like a Gypsy scorned..." - We sacked him after all. I wouldn't have him back either. This campaign has proven that he's learned nothing since he was with us.

**SwanVsDalton** · 09/11/2006, 10:58 AM

Would never have considered taking a club on the brink of relegation to within touching distance of the treble as 'bottling it.' But if Connor emulates him i'm sure you'll still be dissapointed.

**Jerry The Saint** · 09/11/2006, 11:15 AM

Originally Posted by Dr.Nightdub

Says a lot about the state of the League that the managers of three of the top five clubs either have walked or look like they're about to do so.

Just what I was thinking - and it's not a new thing either. In recent years, Dermot Keely, Roddy Collins and Pat Dolan have all managed to talk themselves out of jobs or walk away from successful teams.

**bohs til i die** · 09/11/2006, 11:33 AM

Originally Posted by SwanVsDalton

Would never have considered taking a club on the brink of relegation to within touching distance of the treble as 'bottling it.' But if Connor emulates him i'm sure you'll still be dissapointed.

Kenny did the same thing at Bohs. He took over and we were in the playoff spot, 13 months later we were champions.

Its no surprise that he has done well at Derry as he is a good manager but he lsot his way at Bohs quite a bit and there was a lot of stuff going on in the backround but at Derry he has been afforded funds to sign quite a few players [Kelly, Oman, McCourt, Brennan, McHugh, O'Flynn, McCafferty, Holmes, Molloy] so he has hardly turned a relegation troubled squad into title challengers, he has signed quite a few players to add to some decent players already there and has done quite well.

As for his two league cup wins, Alan Matthews has Two FAI Cup wins and a league cup win, does that make Matthews a better manager? No. Titles decide that and so far Kenny has ONE. Fenlon has TWO and probably THREE in 8 days time [although i hope not].

**BohsPartisan** · 09/11/2006, 11:36 AM

Plus Fenlon has had to motivate players who quite often have to go without pay.

**dcfcsteve** · 09/11/2006, 11:41 AM

Originally Posted by BohsPartisan

Drawing with us, Bray and losing to the Drogs when you were in a position to over-take Shels is bottling it. The other two weren't in the position you were in. Doolin didn't even get Drogheda close enough to bottle it.

Complete and utter nonesense. If Drogs had beaten Shels last friday, they'd only be one point behind the leaders now with 3 games to go. How the hell does that constitute "not getting close enough to bottle it"....?!?

You're talking out of your arse.

Clubs fortunes ebb and flow over a season. Shels had their bad run a good few months ago. Drogs had their bad run in the middle of the campaign, and are having their good spell at the moment. Unfortunately for Derry, our bad run of form has come as the league has drawn to a close, and Europe meant that our games against Drogheda all coincided with their good spell and our bad one. That's what's really costing us any title. Sh!t happens.

If any Manager has 'bottled' it this season it's Rico. He took a team that were worthy Champions last year, and is currently in danger of seeing them finish 4th and miss out on Europe altogether this season. He should be the target of any managerial disdain or childish accusations of 'bottling'.

I'll remind you again that Drogs have spent more of this season at the top of the table than Derry have, and had they beaten Shels last Friday would've been only one point off the top with 9 points left to play for and an easier run-in than Shels. If you didn't view Irish football through anti-Stephen Kenny glasses you might have grasped that that is a clearer case of blowing it for a team that is currently in-form.

**BohsPartisan** · 09/11/2006, 1:07 PM

I'm not anti-stephen kenny. I was one of the people who was defending him on the Bohs message board for a long time when others were calling for his head but I was proved wrong and I applaud those who saw what I couldn't at the time. Now if you take off your Pro-Kenny glasses you might see what I mean.

He's the Irish Kevin Keegan.

**cavan_fan** · 09/11/2006, 1:45 PM

It's a stunning indictment of the EL that Kenny is going to Dunfermline. As stated above they are a nothing team and yet this is probably a good career move. (You can imagine if he got them into the top half of the table someone like Preston taking a chance on him, from there a Premiership job is achievable).

With this, financial problems at Shels, a chaotic end to the season it's hard to see next seasons european runs matching this seasons.

**LukeO** · 09/11/2006, 2:09 PM

Originally Posted by Rogue Trader

I really dont give two S**T about Europe as we have so many issues to deal with here in our domestic league that people shoud refocus themselves on getting a well organised and well run and strong league. I cant see why so many people have a facination with Europe i cant imagine any of clubs made too much money from it.

You can make a hell of a lot of money from Europe. I'd imagine Shels made thousands the season they played Deportivo.

The season we played Kaiserslautern we got about half a milion from German tv alone. Plus in terms of gate receipts we played in front of a sell-out croud at Tolka against Aberdeen and a sell-out croud in Dalymount when we played Rosenborg.

**pete** · 09/11/2006, 2:10 PM

I think the big issue now is who will Stephen Kenny take with him to Scotland. How many players out of contract or have clauses in their contracts?

**SwanVsDalton** · 09/11/2006, 2:23 PM

Originally Posted by pete

I think the big issue now is who will Stephen Kenny take with him to Scotland. How many players out of contract or have clauses in their contracts?

That's what i'm worried about. Not sure who has clauses or could easily leave but i'm sure most of the players would jump at the chance to join Kenny in the SPL. Deery, Kelly, Molloy and Oman are the most likely to be targeted IMO.

**NY Hoop** · 09/11/2006, 2:24 PM

Originally Posted by BohsPartisan

I'm not anti-stephen kenny. I was one of the people who was defending him on the Bohs message board for a long time when others were calling for his head but I was proved wrong and I applaud those who saw what I couldn't at the time. Now if you take off your Pro-Kenny glasses you might see what I mean.

He's the Irish Kevin Keegan.

Keegan never won the top championship even with millions at his disposal. Gypos just have a chip on their shoulders because of his subsequent success. Boez have done squat since he left.

Brought Longford from nothing to Europe. Won the league with boez. Great European success with Derry.

In addition when you dont win the league generally its because you are not good enough over the whole season not because you "bottled" it. A myth along with the new "punching above your weight" crap.

Dunfermline is a promotion for Kenny. Not the playing standard which is pretty much the same but the administration and the facilities are so far ahead over there we will never come near with plebs administering the game here. Can anyone really blame him for leaving?

Without doubt the Gretna result got him the job. Best of luck to him.

KOH

**dcfcsteve** · 09/11/2006, 3:15 PM

Originally Posted by BohsPartisan

I'm not anti-stephen kenny. I was one of the people who was defending him on the Bohs message board for a long time when others were calling for his head but I was proved wrong and I applaud those who saw what I couldn't at the time. Now if you take off your Pro-Kenny glasses you might see what I mean.

He's the Irish Kevin Keegan.

Rubbish. Keegan was 12 points clear at the top of the English Premier league at Christmas, yet still managed to blow the title.

Kenny has been nowhere near being in such a situation - in fact, he's usually been with the team challenging the club at the top - so your comparison is lazy and untrue.

I note you haven't addressed the point that if anyone has bottled it this season it's an in-form Drogheda side who could be only 1 point off the top now with an easy run-in, and also arch-bottler Damien Richardson, who's taken Cork form worthy champions to a team struggling for 3rd place in less than 12 months. But just you keep plugging away at SK though...

But as NY Hoop has pointed out, this notion of "bottling it" is just a lazy cliche. Only one team can win the league. That doesn't make every other club 'bottlers'....

**BohsPartisan** · 09/11/2006, 3:26 PM

Yes I have. I think Doolin is a bad manager. Nothing to do with Bottling. I think Kenny is a good manager until he gets to the final hurdle. Thats my definition of bottling, falling when the finish line is insight.

**Bosco** · 09/11/2006, 3:27 PM

Originally Posted by BohsPartisan

Plus Fenlon has had to motivate players who quite often have to go without pay.

When Kenny came to Longford he had to motivate players who were stuck to the very bottom of Division One and some weeks were only getting paid because of generous donations from fans,3 years later and walla we had just been in our very first cup final and were now playing for the first time in our brand new 7,000 all seater stadium.Poor aul Fenlon having to try and motivate overpaid mutts chasing the league title when they may have had to wait a whole extra week for their wages!