Stephen Kenny

[JR89]

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.

Isn't Kenny's agent a solicitor?

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?

He'll get himself a good club job this season. Won silverware and finished runner up his first as manager. Ireland would be a step down for his career.

[ltfc_2004]

I hate watching Stephen Kenny struggle, I have nothing but fond memories of him at Longford Town and how he changed the fortunes of a fairly crap pedestrian team into one that got promoted to the Premier Division from the bottom of the first division and made its first ever Cup final and European debut. My heart sinks when I see him on TV talking post match.

Who would want the job that's available and more importantly we can afford. If its Lee Carsley, I would love to see someone like Roy Hodgson approached to be the part time No 2. I know it feels like going back to Stan and Bobby but Carsley can actually manage a team but someone like Roy would be a great No 2 if he would take it.

[Strongbow10]

Stephen Kenny is unfortunately not at the level required to manage at international level. He is not at the level to manage at the top level. Pains me to say it, but its absolutely true.


I'll preface this (as it seems for some reason to be important what side of the fence we sit) by saying I am a LOI fan, love going to live games, regular at the Aviva for international games, yada yada....


The FAI have a body of work that needs to be completed in order to set Irish football on the right track for the next 20 years. They need to fight for every penny of funding they can to raise the standard of football in this country, they need to fight tooth and ****ing nail on this. THAT is their number 1 job. All this talk of implementing a passing style of football etc.. is absolute lip service, this requires a journey, implementing it with the senior team should be the destination, albeit the culmination of years of changing the culture at underage level.


Millions of euro need to be spent on infrastructure, stadia, training facilities, academies, the league in general, coaching etc... and only then will the work start in terms of us being on a level pegging with countries of similar size.


In terms of management of the men's senior international team, this is where some peoples interest in Irish football begins and ends. Sack Kenny and we are anti LOI, keep him on and he will drag us into the doldrums.


In my opinion, the deeper issues with our game need to be sorted, I'd have been happy to retain Kenny provided our seeding wasn't starting to slide, I do not expect him to qualify for major championships given our playing personnel (the worst in my lifetime), nor do I expect him to change the entire playing style/footballing philosophy of Irish football. Its unrealistic. But as soon as we start giving away 2-3 campaigns on the back of supposedly "developing the next generation" (baring in mind we reverted to Shane Duffy at CB and Jimmy McClean at LWB the other night) then we are in thin ground. Before we know it we will be 4th or 5th seeds for qualifying for these major tournaments.


The next managers remit should be to properly start to build a squad, whilst even if we don't qualify, we don't finish any lower than comfortably 3rd in our group. More importantly, is the development of a plan for Irish football for the next 20 years, that includes both public and private funding to drag our football philosophy and economy into the 21st century.

[tetsujin1979]

For all the progress that has been made under Kenny, introducing new players, trying a new style of play, etc, it's worth remembering that he ended his first game with a late headed equaliser from Shane Duffy, and he ended the qualifier against the Dutch with Duffy around the opposition penalty are, trying to nick something.

After three years in charge, you'd hope that he'd have come up with a plan for a late goal that wasn't "push the big man up front"

[mark12345]

For all the progress that has been made under Kenny, introducing new players, trying a new style of play, etc, it's worth remembering that he ended his first game with a late headed equaliser from Shane Duffy, and he ended the qualifier against the Dutch with Duffy around the opposition penalty are, trying to nick something.

After three years in charge, you'd hope that he'd have come up with a plan for a late goal that wasn't "push the big man up front"

Very good point. And that in essence shows that he really didn't improve the team at all.

[Stuttgart88]

Jeez, even the best teams lump it up to the big man late in the game if they're chasing a goal.

[Diggs246]

for all the Progress! when Stephen started we were 33rd in the world we are now 53rd
before Stephen we were competitive and proud, now unfortunately we are cannon fodder.
I know your not defending him over all, but progress is not the right word
He’s been a complete disaster.
I get it he’s a decent guy who has dedicated his life to Irish football and I get it that Martin O Neill is a Pr**k
But the pr**k got us to the 16 in the European Championships.
I would rather have a pr**k then a sweetheart. We are here to win

[ifk101]

He said Duffy went rogue at the end - i.e. he didn't push him up.

After three years in charge, you'd hope that he'd have come up with a plan for a late goal that wasn't "push the big man up front"

If it's deep into injury time and needing a goal, I think I'd put the big man up front.

[tetsujin1979]

I didn't mean that pushing Duffy up front was a bad idea, I meant that not having an alternative to it after three years in charge is bad.

[pineapple stu]

I think the bigger worry is how often it's happened. (Or how often we've been in a position where we've needed it to happen)

I've no particular problem with it in principal. But every other game gets a bit much.

[seanfhear]

For all the progress that has been made under Kenny, introducing new players, trying a new style of play, etc, it's worth remembering that he ended his first game with a late headed equaliser from Shane Duffy, and he ended the qualifier against the Dutch with Duffy around the opposition penalty are, trying to nick something.

After three years in charge, you'd hope that he'd have come up with a plan for a late goal that wasn't "push the big man up front"

In fairness ~ That was Johan Cruyff's policy in that situation according to Gary Lineker, when Lineker played for Cruyff at Barcelona ~ And if it's good enough for Johan Cruyff ! ! !

[ifk101]

I didn't mean that pushing Duffy up front was a bad idea, I meant that not having an alternative to it after three years in charge is bad.

What's the alternative?

For all Kenny's faults, our only way to score prior to his arrival was to push the big man up front.

[NeverFeltBetter]

I think the point isn't that it was a bad idea strictly in the context of those games, the point is that, taking a larger view, it's embarrassing that we have had to rely on an aging entre-back as a primary goal threat for such a lengthy period of time.
Edit: what Tets said

[elatedscum]

I think the point isn't that it was a bad idea strictly in the context of those games, the point is that, taking a larger view, it's embarrassing that we have had to rely on an aging entre-back as a primary goal threat for such a lengthy period of time.
Edit: what Tets said

he's pretty good at it in fairness.

also injuries to ferguson, obafemi, parrott, keane, robinson, johnston, o'dowda have to be factored into the equation.

they talked in previous camps about working extensively to get the most out of ferguson. parrott had, despite his club failings, build up good partnerships with both obafemi and idah. robinson scored key goals for ireland when fit. johnston looked really lively whenever he played. and o'dowda, for all his defensive failings provided pace and creativity from a LWB slot that we didn't get from Manning

when you lose than volume of viable options and attackers, you're tactical options take a huge hit

[third policeman]

One alternative would be not conceding as many goals, then pushing the big man up front might have been a recipe for getting a win or two.

[pineapple stu]

Benitez seems...ambitious I think

[joey B]

I thought Benitez was out of work,he’s managing in La Liga ffs,not a chance he’d come here…..

[backstothewall]

Isn't Kenny's agent a solicitor?

Quite possibly, but Kenny isn't.

Put it like this. If a journalist walked up to you now and started asking questions about the specifics of individual clauses in your terms and conditions of employment, how confident would you be about the precise accuracy of your answers?

[Jolly Red Giant]

Carsley is on a year-to-year rolling contract - so the FA couldn't really stop him leaving if he wanted to.

One person who shouldn't be ruled out is Chris Hughton - his contract with Ghana runs to the AFCON and that takes place in January. I suspect that he would put his name forward for the job.

[mark12345]

What's the alternative?

For all Kenny's faults, our only way to score prior to his arrival was to push the big man up front.

That's largely true. But Kenny was there to progress the thinking and playing style. Admirable on his part for sure but his noble effort at change has not worked.