Stephen Kenny

[JR89]

Did he tell you that? If he cant back himself to get ahead of Brown, Shankland, Dyke etc maybe he is a player even we are questioning the selection of.

Think you are missing the point though, if he cant make the Scotland squad then I doubt he's making a combined Irish/Scottish team.

Not missing this point and it's what I was hinting at. Couldn't get a Scotland call up so how would he make a combined team.

[elatedscum]

Just being honest. I don't rate Scotland's wingers - last time I saw them play, they had two centre-midfielders playing on the wings (McLean and Armstrong). I think that's the reason they've played 5 at the back a lot, to fit Robertson and Tierney into the same team (on the off chance that Tierney is fit) and because they have absolutely no wingers.

So I'm left with Ben Doak, who's turned 18 a week ago and is a little like Evan Ferguson was around the same age, in that I think he's about to go from being an u21 to an obvious first choice selection seemingly overnight. I'd happily make a bet that he will feature prominently for Scotland at the Euros. You could find when Mo Salah goes to Afcon, he'll feature a lot for Liverpool as he's basically his replacement - and that game time will open the door for a March call-up, he got a badly timed injury (I think in October for Scotland u21), which meant he hasn't played as much as he might have. So you've got him, and if you don't feel he's ready, then I'm left with Mikey Johnston. I think the only person to pick a team with 3 up top had McGinn playing on the wing - and he's playing centre-midfield for me, he's not a winger at all.

As for Doherty, I think he was widely considered our best player about 18 months ago and he's gone from that to being a whipping boy for some fans. He's in a tough situation at Wolves. Nelson Semedo who is being chosen ahead of it is a very acomplished footballer. Barcelona paid a lot for him and Wolves did too. He's played over 100 games for Barcelona and over 25 for Portugal. He's a far better player than Hickey's competition (Mads Roerslev) And Doc's game-time hasn't been great, the performances are suffering a little. Saying that, I thought Doherty looked pretty good against Spurs two weeks ago. And as for Patterson, I've seen a lot of him at Everton and I don't rate him, he might become a good player one day but right now, he's closer to Festy's level (without the electrifying physical attributes) than Andy Robertson's level - and the only reason he's playing is because Everton are skint and Coleman has been injured forever. I saw good bit of Aaron Hickey at Bologna and I wasn't sold on him. Best thing I can say about his Brentford career is I haven't really noticed him much, being anonymous I suppose means there haven't been too many mistakes - but for example, Rico Henry on the other side, I'd reckon is a far better footballer. Coleman might still be the best option but it's a huge unknown after 6 months out...

[Eirambler]

Is reported to be in advanced talks with St Pat's about a return to domestic football. Presumably after six months out of work he has had to give up on the notion of anyone overseas taking him on. Thought he might hold out to see if anything comes up over the summer, but if he does go for Pats that seems to suggest that his agent has nothing overseas based lined up for him at all.

It will be interesting to see, if he takes it, whether the glaring weaknesses the likes of Poyet and others exposed at international level can be used against him by managers within Ireland. Or whether the standard of manager just isn't to be found here to do that.

[pineapple stu]

Appointed Pat's manager. Best of luck to him - I think he could do quite well there. But it is telling that he's ended up at the level he left in the first place.

[Eirambler]

His taking that job is pretty much a concession that any hopes he might have had of ever progressing to manage again at a higher level overseas are over. Could maybe see him managing the Ireland under 21s again some day, but it looks like he'll be limited to that and the domestic league from here on. Or maybe a back office job in the FAI in time. Too much damage inflicted on his own reputation now, unfortunately for him.

Will be fascinating to see how this goes though. Surely the likes of Duff will have too much nous for him, it will be telling in terms of their own abilities if they don't.

[zero]

Everything he has said since joining pats underlines why he belongs at this level and no higher. Will anyone learn from this costly exercise of giving him the top job?

Probably not. Best wishes to SK nevertheless.

[nigel-harps1954]

Everything he has said since joining pats underlines why he belongs at this level and no higher. Will anyone learn from this costly exercise of giving him the top job?

Probably not. Best wishes to SK nevertheless.

What examples?

[zero]

What examples?

https://www.independent.ie/sport/soc...660122151.html

this sort of carry on. personally i find it extremely small time and parochical but i get that people like to take sides on things like this and back their man etc. each to their own.

[nigel-harps1954]

https://www.independent.ie/sport/soc...660122151.html

this sort of carry on. personally i find it extremely small time and parochical but i get that people like to take sides on things like this and back their man etc. each to their own.

I'm not entirely sure what's wrong with that. Kerr continuously lambasted the man in public. Why does saying this suggest he "belongs at this level"?

Are there any other examples of things he's said specifically to make him belong at any level?

[John83]

Do you mean he's too thin-skinned for a high pressure job, zero? I think that's a bit harsh.

I watched the interview he gave on rte.ie (https://www.rte.ie/embed/?id=AltWuylnwJjq), and while he continues to interview like a dog riding a bicycle - he's just not built for it - I'm not sure it really says much about his managerial skills. Though you'd hope he speaks more convincingly off camera.

[JR89]

Only thing I'd nitpick about his interview is telling people that you're back in the LOI because people abroad weren't offering you jobs. I know he mentioned family circumstances but leave it at that and don't add the second part about no job opportunities.

Like I'm sure fans can do the maths and I'd say majority expected him to return to the LOI anyway but don't actually say it out loud for everyone. Though as we've seen he's like a dyslexic reading the paper when doing media work so not surprised.

[SkStu]

Do you mean he's too thin-skinned for a high pressure job, zero? I think that's a bit harsh.

I watched the interview he gave on rte.ie (https://www.rte.ie/embed/?id=AltWuylnwJjq), and while he continues to interview like a dog riding a bicycle - he's just not built for it - I'm not sure it really says much about his managerial skills. Though you'd hope he speaks more convincingly off camera.

thats class!

[zero]

not thin skinned. small time is how I'd describe it, petty squabbles. to me it shows a lack of class.

he was very dismissive of other teams as dundalk manager when they didn't play football "the right way" as he saw it. I'd have thought maybe a bit more humility could be shown after his experiences as national team manager but again, i get that he will always have his backers and good luck to him.

[seanfhear]

not thin skinned. small time is how I'd describe it, petty squabbles. to me it shows a lack of class.

he was very dismissive of other teams as dundalk manager when they didn't play football "the right way" as he saw it. I'd have thought maybe a bit more humility could be shown after his experiences as national team manager but again, i get that he will always have his backers and good luck to him.

Stephen Kenny's ideas about his ability and his actual ability may not concur in real life ! !

[Eirambler]

The main thing I took from the interview he did with Dan McDonnell post departure from the Ireland job was the complete lack of critical reflection of his time in charge. He turned up with a heap of notes and spent the interview saying the exact same stuff he was coming out with while he was manager - talking about style of play, crowds in the stadium and listing "high points" that included games that were lost.

I know he probably thought he was still selling himself in terms of job opportunities he was hoping would come up overseas, but I honestly thought he'd have enhanced his chances by being more reflective about what he got wrong and would change if he got another chance. But there was nothing like that really, it was just more of the same guff and maybe a pointer to why he was as unsuccessful as he was in the job.

[TonyD]

Do you mean he's too thin-skinned for a high pressure job, zero? I think that's a bit harsh.

I watched the interview he gave on rte.ie (https://www.rte.ie/embed/?id=AltWuylnwJjq), and while he continues to interview like a dog riding a bicycle - he's just not built for it - I'm not sure it really says much about his managerial skills. Though you'd hope he speaks more convincingly off camera.

Don’t all managers get defensive when their back is against the wall though ? Remember Martin O’Neill when the wheels started to come off for him ?

Obviously as a Pats fan I’ll be wishing SK every success. I couldn’t really give a monkeys if people think he is rubbish at interviews. His job is to get results. As long as he does that with Pats nothing else matters. If he doesn’t get results, then he will go the way of any other manager. I’m happy to have him, although I do have a concern about the amount of baggage he has after the Ireland job. We don’t need that at Pats.