Martin O'Neill and Roy Keane

[Fixer82]

Just referring to the David Connolly thread, if Connolly was as good a finisher as Robbie he would’ve been lethal.
Connolly’s link up play was very good and he was probably more of a team player.

Robbie was the ultimate poacher

[Razors left peg]

Why? What has he to gain from milling around the backwaters of league 1 and 2 at his age, after all he's achieved with Dundalk at home and in Europe. To be told by mercenary pros who haven't an ounce of technical ability to do one when he has to drop them. to hell with that. If Kenny wanted a job at a European ambitious club in a mid-tier European league, and got an agent to spread the word, he'd have his pick. Guaranteed.
That or the 21s gig, and the way it's set up with a limited enough playing pool, for an established manager like him, I don't believe the 21s is the right step,

I dont have a good reason to be honest. I just want to see him have success anywhere outside of the LOI whether its in Britain or in Europe as you suggested.

Hes still a young manager and I just think the lack of success in Scotland when he went there goes against him. I guess I just want to see him do well in any different environment to his comfort zone.

Its the same argument against picking a player directly from the LOI and putting them straight into the national team. We always want to see them play against better opposition on a regular basis.

[sidewayspasser]

True. But even though the problems on the pitch are different, both have in a similar way fallen short of expectations as of late, but still remain in charge as it seems.

[Kingdom]

Razor just to.say that comes across worse from me than I meant it. Not having a go as such.

[DeLorean]

I've seen some crazy suggestions about Troy Parrott recently. I'm not sure if many have watched him, but he's not a striker. He's an attacker, but not a 9.

Interesting. I haven't seen him play or made any suggestions, but I totally assumed he's a number nine.

[Bungle]

It just gets worse and worse under these two. The sad thing is that 2020 may be the only chance we get to be a host nation and yet we look as poor as i've ever seen us. While we are mediocre on paper, the north had about 70% of the ball against us and we hung in for a draw last night. We are good enough to play some type of football as opposed to looking like Gibraltar in each and every game, regardless of the opposition.

If i didn't have such belief in our young players coming through, i'd be of the belief that they are doing long term damage to the game here. However, i genuinely believe by about euro 2024, we could have a very competitive team. I got talking to a Dutch scout at the euro u17s and he reckons ireland is looking like a top eight to ten european nation at the 15-18 age group and noted how good our underage teams play compared to our seniors😀

[brine3]

- Both were offered contract extensions when timing was questionable (MON before the outcome of the World Cup qualifying campaign was clear, Löw a few weeks before the World Cup proper)
- Both failed spectacularly shortly afterwards (MON getting hammered by Denmark in the Playoffs, Löw exiting the World Cup bottom of their group)

It was much worse than that I'm afraid.

1. He was offered a contract extension by the idiots at the FAI after we were hammered by Denmark.

2. He refused to sign straight away. Went away to think about it for a while.

3. Applied for vacant club jobs in England but nobody wanted him.

4. Came back to FAI and asked for his old job back. FAI said, "will two million a year do?"

John Delaney. Absolute genius.

[centre mid]

O'Neill meeting with the board to discuss future this week according to Newstalk

[Olé Olé]

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/football...drawing-close/

[Cathalsmart]

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/football...drawing-close/

This is the smartest thing John Delaney has ever done, well done!

[DeLorean]

3. Applied for vacant club jobs in England but nobody wanted him.

He turned down Stoke, didn't he? What vacant jobs did he apply for?

[Eminence Grise]

O'Neill meeting with the board to discuss future this week according to Newstalk

Wouldn't rule out a pay rise, the way Delaney operates.

I can't believe that the FAI would negotiate a contract without non-performance clauses and their consequences. Well, actually, I can, but you know what I mean.

Indo reporting this morning that Steve Walford has stepped down as coach for personal reasons. One less salary to pay off, or a new coach to boost the backroom team? Answers on a postcard, please. https://www.independent.ie/sport/soc...-37550175.html

[Cathalsmart]

He turned down Stoke, didn't he? What vacant jobs did he apply for?

Because the offer was one year plus he probably knew he would get sacked quickly enough and then have nothing.

[Olé Olé]

The Telegraph article is funny it's by Edwards who is a mate of O'Neill's. Frames the whole thing in his favour, referencing Robbie's retirement and implying that Delaney is using MON as a scapegoat.

[DeLorean]

Because the offer was one year plus he probably knew he would get sacked quickly enough and then have nothing.

So he turned down Stoke then. Okay.

[osarusan]

I think one problem is that with Stephen Kenny, when a bad spell came, the players (and fans) would reach the 'this manager hasn't a f**king clue what he is doing' stage earlier than they would with somebody who had had success at a higher level.

[Olé Olé]

I think one problem is that with Stephen Kenny, when a bad spell came, the players (and fans) would reach the 'this manager hasn't a f**king clue what he is doing' stage earlier than they would with somebody who had had success at a higher level.

Similar to Stan.

[Stuttgart88]

The Telegraph article is funny it's by Edwards who is a mate of O'Neill's. Frames the whole thing in his favour, referencing Robbie's retirement and implying that Delaney is using MON as a scapegoat.

I hate that kind of article. "O'Neill who doesn't have the players or a goalscorer....". Any watcher of this team can tell that it has become an incohesive rabble and we get outplayed by well coached teams with similar or worse players.

[passinginterest]

Wouldn't rule out a pay rise, the way Delaney operates.

I can't believe that the FAI would negotiate a contract without non-performance clauses and their consequences. Well, actually, I can, but you know what I mean.

Indo reporting this morning that Steve Walford has stepped down as coach for personal reasons. One less salary to pay off, or a new coach to boost the backroom team? Answers on a postcard, please. https://www.independent.ie/sport/soc...-37550175.html

Gives the impression Walford has been gone for a while. Possibly a link to the fact the team has looked more shapeless in the last few games?

If O'Neill and Keane are officially gone it's going to be a huge call on the new management team. Personally, as much as I admire Stephen Kenny and his playing style, I didn't think international management would suit him and I don't think it's the right time in his career.

Mick McCarthy is obviously available, but I'm not sure going back is ever a good idea.

I can't see anyone leaving a decent club manager's job and jumping at it, so we might be looking at a younger coach or assistant, somebody who's making a good impression and looking to step up to management for the first time. Maybe a Carsley or someone of that ilk.

Knowing the FAI it'll be a Noel King and Paul Doolin dream team to reward them for their years of loyal service.

[Fixer82]

Feel a bit for Keane. Maurice Setters, Chris Hughton, Ian Evans, never mentioned when people wanted the manager at the time out.
Sadlier mentioning Keane of course, they have history.

Not that I’m suggesting Keane would be more successful but, it’s not his team, he’s assistant manager.