Stephen Kenny

[Razors left peg]

This is mainly in reply to Razor’s last post in the Bulgaria match thread. Someone said earlier that the goal rot set in before Kenny and it’s true really. We were pretty poor in every game against the “lesser” sides under Mick and we were beyond brutal in O’Neill’s last year, which was wasted imho.

We were better against Denmark twice under Mick though and we played with good intensity in both games, and also at home to the Swiss.

We may be going backwards but at the same time I think the top end of European football is getting even better. Italy seem to be back. So too Holland. Spain ruthlessly dismantled an in experienced German team. France are good and have lots of know-how. Portugal have a production line of talent that defies belief. England have forward and midfield options we can only drool over. Belgium keep marching on.

We are so far away from that level now. We are clinging on to tier 2 status and that’s fair. That’s not Kenny’s fault.

Id agree that the top tier nations seem like they are miles clear now but I firmly believe that there is very little between the rest. Wales for example can get good results on the back of being organized and having one top player in Bale. Poland similarly with Levandowski.

There is a lot of average players in a lot of the top tier nations too. You mentioned Portugal, I watch way too much of them because my wife is Portuguese. They have some brilliant players but some very very average ones too. Pepe at the age of 107 still plays regularly for them.

My point is that well organized teams with a sprinkling of very good players can do very well. I do think Kenny can get the 1st part right and have us well organized and then we are on a wing and a prayer that Parrott, Connolly and a few others can become high level if not world class players.

[geysir]

Id agree that the top tier nations seem like they are miles clear now but I firmly believe that there is very little between the rest. Wales for example can get good results on the back of being organized and having one top player in Bale. Poland similarly with Levandowski.

There is a lot of average players in a lot of the top tier nations too. You mentioned Portugal, I watch way too much of them because my wife is Portuguese. They have some brilliant players but some very very average ones too. Pepe at the age of 107 still plays regularly for them.

My point is that well organized teams with a sprinkling of very good players can do very well. I do think Kenny can get the 1st part right and have us well organized and then we are on a wing and a prayer that Parrott, Connolly and a few others can become high level if not world class players.

You could see though with Poland at WC 2018, Lewandowski rendered ineffective when having to drop deep to get his foot on the ball and not up front in position to receive the ball.

[weldoninhio]

Its interesting how few of our managers have gone on to do anything managerial wise after their stint with Ireland, apart form McCarthy first time round. Charlton never managed again, either did Stan or Trappatoni. Martin O'Neill got a gig briefly at Forest before getting the boot, will struggle to get anything decent again, as will Keane. Kerr with the Faroes and no one else i think? McCarthy struggling this time around and boring everyone with his co commentary. Not great really. And probably a sign we have not really hit upon the good managers on their way up.

Struggling? He’s just gone to APOEL

[Stuttgart88]

Looking like the real story here is not the video, but the leak about the video. Hopefully Kenny has some backers on the board?

Isn’t he actually on the board now? Or holding some senior position over and above his manager role? Head of International Teams or something like that.

[Exgrad]

People saying this is nothing are definitely the same people castigating English born lads opting for England after playing in our system. This nonsense needs to stop. We have a proud history of welcoming dual nationals and have a large Irish dispora in England. We're bigger than this. You can be a proud Englishman and Irishman.

Good point, would it have been too much to ask for Kenny to include some D Day footage, a clip or two of Churchill, maybe even a few seconds of Bobby Moore lifting the World Cup, to keep our dual nationals onside?

[joey B]

Struggling? He’s just gone to APOEL

They've had 14 managers in the last 5 years, doesn't scream secure employment to me!

[weldoninhio]

I've been thinking about this. Would we have qualified for the U21 Championships if Kenny had stayed on with them, and let Mick complete the play offs and Nations League games?
The two standout results of Kenny's time in charge were the come from behind wins against Sweden. In the other games against the better sides in the group, he drew with Italy and lost to Iceland. I'm not sure he would have done better than Crawford in the return games - maybe he wouldn't have lost to Iceland. If you look at his results against similar ranked opposition across his time in charge of the U21s, there's the results I've mentioned, two draws with Mexico (when we failed to score) and a 2-0 loss to Brazil in the Toulon Tournament, and we only scored in two of the five games we played there (4-1 V China and 1-0 V Bahrain).

I think if Kenny hadn’t been promised the job and been coronated as the Messiah of the young players l think Mick would have blooded some of the U21s. I can remember there being an agreement that Mick wouldn’t pick U21s unless there was an emergency, but I can’t find anything on it so maybe I’m misremembering.

[lofty9]

Looking like the real story here is not the video, but the leak about the video. Hopefully Kenny has some backers on the board?

This is a nonsense story. It'll be nothing more than a montage of the history between England and Ireland. Nothing wrong with introducing this to those who don't know their history. if this was rugby it would be celebrated. This could be good for Kenny, he'll know who his friends are. imagine the Scots having an investigation about them watching Braveheart!

[Exgrad]

Isn’t he actually on the board now? Or holding some senior position over and above his manager role? Head of International Teams or something like that.

Hes definitely not on the board. Was talk of a senior position on an executive management committee but not clear if that happened.

[BonnieShels]

People saying this is nothing are definitely the same people castigating English born lads opting for England after playing in our system. This nonsense needs to stop. We have a proud history of welcoming dual nationals and have a large Irish dispora in England. We're bigger than this. You can be a proud Englishman and Irishman.

Or people are waiting on full details before coming to a conclusion.

What's wrong with castigating players who changed allegiance? Are we not allowed to be miffed at it?

The Indo article reads like a classic Indo hit job, dressed up just enough to appear to be a straight-telling of the facts.

We're clearly not bigger than this.

[BonnieShels]

I think if Kenny hadn’t been promised the job and been coronated as the Messiah of the young players l think Mick would have blooded some of the U21s. I can remember there being an agreement that Mick wouldn’t pick U21s unless there was an emergency, but I can’t find anything on it so maybe I’m misremembering.

So, you don't know then?

Based on how Mick approached the campaign it is utterly ludicrous to state that he would've blooded U21s if only that pesky Kenny wasn't in charge.

[BonnieShels]

This is exactly my take on it.

My first thought when I read the article.

Big Sam's time is now!

[Fixer82]

If it's remotely as bad as it sounds then he'll be sacked. What a bizarre turn up of events.

I get trying to motivate but when a proportion of the squad are dual nationals then it's distasteful at best and completely idiotic.

I don’t see where it is distasteful! Please explain that to me

[weldoninhio]

So, you don't know then?

Based on how Mick approached the campaign it is utterly ludicrous to state that he would've blooded U21s if only that pesky Kenny wasn't in charge.

That’s what I said. Thanks for clarifying.

Mick was told his job was to qualify for the Euros and then Super Kenny was gonna swoop in blood his mega-U21s and take us forward. Mick blooded a new team after Charlton, and did it well. People have short memories. Hopefully Kennys goose is cooked anyway.

[Olé Olé]

The strange thing is there were only 3 English born players in the whole squad.

[seanfhear]

If I were a cynical person I would be starting to suspect that certain figures within the FAI, concerned with what they've seen so far, have instigated a whispering campaign in a bid to get rid of Kenny without having to pay up the remainder of his contract.

Some kind of Traitor / Informer type thing !

[BonnieShels]

That’s what I said. Thanks for clarifying.

Mick was told his job was to qualify for the Euros and then Super Kenny was gonna swoop in blood his mega-U21s and take us forward. Mick blooded a new team after Charlton, and did it well. People have short memories. Hopefully Kennys goose is cooked anyway.

Do you want to try that again?

[seanfhear]

Good point, would it have been too much to ask for Kenny to include some D Day footage, a clip or two of Churchill, maybe even a few seconds of Bobby Moore lifting the World Cup, to keep our dual nationals onside?

Cromwell would have to get his section ! !

[DCWA]

The individual in the camp who has leaked this non story is a dirty low life and if anyone at the FAI has anything resembling a back bone then they will back Kenny and the individual will be persona non grata in Irish footballing circles.

[Calcio Jack]

Based on the crap we’ve seen from Kenny’s teams , he might of been bettered served showing them a coaching video rather than some anti English video ( assuming that’s true) . Anyway if he did show an anti English video , he should be sacked if for nothing else for the fact he was stupid enough to do that

Ps according to Prime Time this evening the FAI official who reported this to the board had suggested to Kenny that he shouldn’t show the ‘video’ despite that Kenny pressed on and showed it-