Stephen Kenny

[tetsujin1979]

Also he didn't win four titles in a row with Dundalk, Cork won it in 2017, and he didn't win nearly all of his games at U21 manager, he won 7 of the 12 games he was in charge for.

[Bielsa´s irish]

I said it before I say it now, I would give this guy a game process between 12 to 20 games, some of his selections in my opinion were off field, he has the best job in the whole Island!!

I would have played an experience keeper Im not convinced by Travers and Bazunu, they will improve. Travers specially, he is a better keeper than Bazunu, for what I saw, he is a bit like Kepa of Chelsea the basque kid, will improve and for me hi needs to improve his positioning that's the only thing, his reflexes are better than Bazunu, who is a good keeper, but I like Travers more.

Happy Easter!!

[Charlie Darwin]

A full page of debate about whether he needs media training or not. Lord save us.

[Bielsa´s irish]

Couldn't think of more polar opposites to be honest. Kenny is thoughtful and methodical in expressing his views. Staunton was anything but. An odd comparison in my view.

And I don't buy he is not media savvy either. I actually think he is very deliberate about what he says. As he was when Dundalk manager.

I wondered at the time, why we didnt get Frank Stapleton or David O'Leary instead at the time of S.S.? I know Kerr was sack I believe, he was so near yet so far

[Charlie Darwin]

Stapleton was holding out for the Argentina job at the time - just unfortunate timing.

[Bielsa´s irish]

Couldn't think of more polar opposites to be honest. Kenny is thoughtful and methodical in expressing his views. Staunton was anything but. An odd comparison in my view.

And I don't buy he is not media savvy either. I actually think he is very deliberate about what he says. As he was when Dundalk manager.

Stapleton was holding out for the Argentina job at the time - just unfortunate timing.

What a 9 Stapleton was! a complete player! he managed in MLS I think. But both were more entitled than Staunton. I know McDermott from Reading and a Driscoll or O'Driscoll fellow were names at the time. Dont know what happened with them after that

[brine3]

Staunton and John Delaney were good friends. That was basically it.

[Razors left peg]

I said it before I say it now, I would give this guy a game process between 12 to 20 games, some of his selections in my opinion were off field, he has the best job in the whole Island!!

I would have played an experience keeper Im not convinced by Travers and Bazunu, they will improve. Travers specially, he is a better keeper than Bazunu, for what I saw, he is a bit like Kepa of Chelsea the basque kid, will improve and for me hi needs to improve his positioning that's the only thing, his reflexes are better than Bazunu, who is a good keeper, but I like Travers more.

Happy Easter!!

I genuinely would love to know what you have seen that makes Travers looks like a better keeper than Bazunu

[Bielsa´s irish]

Stapleton was holding out for the Argentina job at the time - just unfortunate timing.

I genuinely would love to know what you have seen that makes Travers looks like a better keeper than Bazunu

he has better reflexes in my opinion, but they are both learning their trade. Travers needs to be a more commanding guy, seems shy and his positioning, but he has great reflexes, Bazunu is better as a modern keeper, etc. Thet both made faux pas and blunders will get stronger

[Fixer82]

he has better reflexes in my opinion, but they are both learning their trade. Travers needs to be a more commanding guy, seems shy and his positioning, but he has great reflexes, Bazunu is better as a modern keeper, etc. Thet both made faux pas and blunders will get stronger

Bazunu far more confident.
I think Kelleher better than them both though

[Snapshot]

A full page of debate about whether he needs media training or not. Lord save us.

You're very wrong. Being media savvy in an industry facing massive competition is imperative. Have a read of Stuttgart88 (#343) and Abbeyman (#324) about choices available to young talent across the codes. Also, some interesting anecdotes from other posters (all on Ire v Lux thread).

Now fast forward to Stephen Kenny's media defence of his record which includes probably the worst performance in Irish football history. Who could blame talented kids and their parents for looking elsewhere? Who would want to be part of that trainwreck? Did Kenny spluttering his "I'm-a-winner" defence look a winner? It was a total disservice to those who support him and more fodder for those who don't.

No amount of media eloquence can morph such as the Luxembourg debacle into a plus - but an ability to avoid cringe factors and defensive outpourings would encourage confidence, temper damage and ease short-term expectation. Kenny really needs to help himself here because he's close to the point where even the Lord won't be impressed by his Dundalk results.

[DeLorean]

There were only a couple of posts about the need for media training in any case, the rest were opinions on whether his bullish interview was rousing or ill advised, which would seem a reasonable enough discussion in his current situation.

[geysir]

Also he didn't win four titles in a row with Dundalk, Cork won it in 2017, and he didn't win nearly all of his games at U21 manager, he won 7 of the 12 games he was in charge for.

U21 friendlies don't count for anything in Intl football, they're not official Uefa games, not even the Toulon tournament is. Kenny's u21 record is 7-1-1 (the Iceland blot).

[Razors left peg]

he has better reflexes in my opinion, but they are both learning their trade. Travers needs to be a more commanding guy, seems shy and his positioning, but he has great reflexes, Bazunu is better as a modern keeper, etc. Thet both made faux pas and blunders will get stronger

Are you basing those opinions on the 3 games in this window? Im just curious how you can say that Travers has better reflexes based on what we have seen of both.

I have my opinion that Bazunu is a better keeper but its based on a very small sample size and also how they have both been handled by their clubs. If we do a like for like comparison on the attempted lobs both faced in back to back games would you not have said Bazunus reflexes to get back on his line were much better than Travers?

[pineapple stu]

It's Bielsa. You're not going to get a reasonable debate out of Bielsa. A lot of the time he's just saying things to be controversial.

[Razors left peg]

I know, I just want to see what the answer is for the craic

[Stuttgart88]

Did we not lose both ties v Iceland?

Anyway, being pedantic, if you listen back to the SK interview I think he actually says “I nearly won all my games” rather than “I won nearly all my games”

[Olé Olé]

Paul Rowan today in the Sunday Times saying that "winning over the players is an impossible job" for Kenny and that "others within reaching distance could do a better job."

The "others" he is refers to in the piece are Michael O'Neill, Roy Keane and Lee Carsley. He even suggests a duo of Keane and Carsley.

Rowan also states that the FAI board are backing Kenny but states "there is also a lack of expertise within the FAI about making the right decisions about Kenny."

But Rowan is clear that he feels that "it's clear that it isn't working."

A very strange piece overall I think.

[CraftyToePoke]

Had a read of it too, thought it was weak and speculative at best.

[pineapple stu]

"there is also a lack of expertise within the FAI about making the right decisions about Kenny."

That strikes me as a bizarrely specific thing to accuse a body of having a lack of expertise about.

I thought it was the right decision to appoint him as U21s manager, for example, so that's a start.