Stephen Kenny

[ontheotherhand]

We were beaten twice and are likely to lose to Nigeria. As I said in this thread before the tournament, the FAI should have had the guts to sack the manager when the details of her bullying scandal came out.

Stephen Kenny is not a bully, he's a really nice guy. He has a terrible group of players to pick from, and I feel badly for him. If he had a Roy Keane or a Damien Duff, things may have gone differently for him. What frustrates me is that he insists on playing the game "the right way" when we don't have the players to do that right now. What frustrates me even more is how he's been afforded such a long leash due to the fact that League of Ireland supporters seem so fanatical in their support of him. He can do no wrong in their eyes, yet he's doing so much damage.

There's plenty of LoI supporters who have no time for Kenny at all. The myth of the fanatical LoI/Kenny supporter is beyond ridiculous. If you knew anything about the game here you'd know consensus is rare. Most of the posters on this forum who have shown support for Kenny over the last few years are never seen on the LoI side. I know it suits your pathetically ignorant anti LoI agenda but give it a rest unless you can come to us with some evidence to support your claim.

[Colbert Report]

I've been asked politely to stop comparing the LoI to a pub league, so I won't do that again. I have, however, been keeping close tabs on the LoI clubs in European competition this summer. Yikes.

[JR89]

Oe waiting for Kenny to fall ( maybe )

Don't think he'd continue to work with the FA if waiting on Kenny to go. Not like he would have to wait long either.

Also don't think the FA continue to employ an U21s manager who isn't fully committed. FA would likely want a manager that's gonna see out the U21s campaign and might well look to promote from within.

[CraftyToePoke]

I've been asked politely to stop comparing the LoI to a pub league, so I won't do that again. I have, however, been keeping close tabs on the LoI clubs in European competition this summer. Yikes.

There isn't a domestic league bias towards him at all. People I talk to are as divided on SK as any other demographic. All in your head.

[Razors left peg]

If the man who would be king has signed a new contract with England U21s does that give Kenny a bit more breathing room or are we still expecting him to get 6 points in September to keep his job?

[JR89]

If the man who would be king has signed a new contract with England U21s does that give Kenny a bit more breathing room or are we still expecting him to get 6 points in September to keep his job?

Don't think anyone is expecting him to get six points in September to keep his job, not even the FAI.

[Razors left peg]

Don't think anyone is expecting him to get six points in September to keep his job, not even the FAI.

Is that any less unrealistic than expecting him to qualify out of this group?

[ontheotherhand]

I've been asked politely to stop comparing the LoI to a pub league, so I won't do that again. I have, however, been keeping close tabs on the LoI clubs in European competition this summer. Yikes.

Can you back up your claim or not?

[nigel-harps1954]

Can you back up your claim or not?

He's only a wum, and not worth the time.

[ontheotherhand]

He's only a wum, and not worth the time.

True, I'll throw him back on the ignore list. You'd wonder what even motivates him. Years on here just taking weird swings at the LoI and its supporters. California is full of better things to do.

[OwlsFan]

I was never really a fan of Kenny after he criticised everything that went before him when he was given the Irish job. I did feel for him a bit when I looked at the recording of him squirming before the RTE cameras with Tony O'Donoghue as ever asking embarrassingly direct questions (which used to really get under O'Neill's skin - I see the latter in the Indo today is still bristling about that). Kenny is terrible in front of the cameras. Can he be any better in the dressing room ? Under Kenny arguably we've had one excellent result (Scotland 3-0), some good performances (e.g Portugal away, France at home (both lost though)) but mostly mediocrity (masking as "entertaining football") and one of the worst results in Irish football (losing at home to Luxembourg). I thought we did ok last night for one half (as we did in Paris) but when the going gets tough, he seems unable to respond until it's too late (barn door and all that). I was watching his interminable discussions with Keith Andrews (all initiated by the latter) which eventually resulted in McClean being replaced after the Dutch scored ! The 87th minute double substitutions baffled me (ones made this late are usually by a team leading to kill time not by a losing side requiring 2 goals). And McGrath brought on earlier (all after painfully long discussions with Andrews). He has been unlucky with injuries and other things but I've never taken to him as a manager (he won't lose any sleep over that). I fear if we keep him on he might get a result over the Greeks and we'll be once again "walking in a Kenny wonderland". It's an ideal time to introduce a new manager with very little to play for but if it costs, it won't happen. Mind you if it's Roy Keane, where are the words of that Kenny song again?

His legacy: managed a transition both in terms of players and style of play and perhaps has built foundations for a new coach to take the team forward.

[TrapAPony]

He has got 36 matches in charge and he has achieved next to nothing bar shove us further down the rankings with some woeful losses in between. He has got more time and more chances than anyone we ever had previously to be allowed continue with such an abysmal record despite it being obvious early on that he was out of his depth. He should certainly not be in charge for the games against Greece & Gibraltar. Now is the time to bring in someone new whoever that may be.

[DCWA]

Well it seems decision has been made on Kenny then, the gig is up for THE BOSS. According to tabloid reports in the UK the FA expect an official approach from the FAI for Lee Carsley as soon as today.

[backstothewall]

Multiple sources reporting the FAI have a break clause they can use until the end of October.

The papers can only have been given that info from 2 sources - either Kenny or the FAI. It seems unlikely it came from Kenny there's clearly some within the FAI who want to call it a day and have leaked it.

Carsley is an ideal candidate. Steven Reid would be similarly suitable. If the one the FAI want can't be in the dugout by October John O'Shea could step in.

He should and hopefully will be shown the door this week.

[NeverFeltBetter]

I would just be a tiny bit concerned about Carsley. He's won an underage tournament with an excellent crop of players, but his managerial career otherwise has been pretty limited. A senior international job, with all of the scrutiny that comes with it, would be a big step-up for him.

[backstothewall]

I would just be a tiny bit concerned about Carsley. He's won an underage tournament with an excellent crop of players, but his managerial career otherwise has been pretty limited. A senior international job, with all of the scrutiny that comes with it, would be a big step-up for him.

Reid is certainly that bit more charismatic.

The other side of that is that England have clearly got an excellent structure in place, and he's seen that from the inside with the St Georges Park setup etc. Bringing that knowledge with him could be excellent for the FAI at a time when there's hopefully an opportunity for genuine reform to take place under the Canham/Hill regime.

One thing I'd love to see is a return of B internationals with squads selected entirely from the domestic leagues. There are other countries with leagues equivalent to the League of Ireland who could benefit in a similar way.

[JR89]

Multiple sources reporting the FAI have a break clause they can use until the end of October.

The papers can only have been given that info from 2 sources - either Kenny or the FAI. It seems unlikely it came from Kenny there's clearly some within the FAI who want to call it a day and have leaked it.

Carsley is an ideal candidate. Steven Reid would be similarly suitable. If the one the FAI want can't be in the dugout by October John O'Shea could step in.

He should and hopefully will be shown the door this week.

Definitely came from the FAI side. Think Gavin Cummiskey was the first to mention it after June's window and specifically said it can be triggered if qualification is over before we play Greece in October.

Like you can assume things like they might have this and that but when you report that if the group is finished before Octobers window then the FAI can move him on, well someone slipped you that info to make public.

Think Kenny also said publicly himself before that their was no clauses. Might have been last summer when there was some talk that the FAI had a clause which allowed them to part ways after the NLs campaign.

[backstothewall]

Think Kenny also said publicly himself before that their was no clauses. Might have been last summer when there was some talk that the FAI had a clause which allowed them to part ways after the NLs campaign.

It's entirely possible that Kenny didn't realize the wording of the contract would allow them to move in October. He's not a lawyer and may have assumed the play-offs were considered part of the qualification process, but a lawyer on the FAI side had included a provision to allow for this situation.

I doubt whoever the source(s) within the FAI is/are would have leaked it without being sure they were on a sound footing. Or that a serious journalist would have reported it without either having multiple sources confirming the situation or seeing the document.

[Philly]

Steven Reid has managed one senior game as a manager. Likewise, Carsley has won with the best u21 team in the world. I'm not sure either of them are guaranteed to be an improvement on Kenny.

The lack of experienced candidates linked to the role speaks volumes for where Irish football is at the moment.

[Demesne Lad]

I think Ruud van Nistelrooy is available. Did very well at PSV, 5 years in England as a player, etc. But would the FAI need another billionaire to help out with the pay packet?