Fenn will hopefully get us playing a better brand of football but as for better results I am not so sure.
He didn't exactly set the world on fire at Longford. Admittedly he was operating on a shoestring budget. It will be the same at City,he will be given very little to spend I'd say.
UCD play a decent style of football, would that keep most happy based on UCD's season so far?
I have been very consistent, I don't care about the style over the results. If the same results can be achieved with more flowing football then cool, but I don't think there is a "right way" to play football. My favourite esthetic was always quick transition football and I find teams like peak Spain extremely boring to watch, 90s Man United were incredible to watch but they never cared about possession.
I don't think Fenn will achieve half of what Caulfield did, and I don't think the expectations will be quite so high either.
The style of play would be important to me because it was always thrown at us by Dundalk that we were a hoofball team. It's one of the reasons why I actually prefer the 2005 league winning team to the 2017 side.
The 2005 side were very entertaining to watch.
The 2005 side had a reputation for "good football" but they were built on an incredible defense and actually scored only 53 goals in 33 games.
2014 Cork City - 51 goals, 33 games.
2015 Cork City - 57 goals, 33 games.
2016 Cork City - 65 goals, 33 games.
2017 Cork City - 67 goals, 33 games.
2018 Cork City - 71 goals, 36 games.
I'm not saying any of these teams is objectively better than the 2005 teams based on goals scored, for one I think the standard in the league was higher in the mid-2000s due to the influx of players from the UK due to the crash of the ITV deal,just that they weren't exactly the offensive juggernaut people remember them as. Personally I prefer more goals and chances, though I certaily appreciate a solid defensive team and the 2005 team was incredible defensively.
You shouldn't worry about what other teams fans, or the media think. If you don't enjoy the football thats fair enough, if you care more about other peoples opinions on the style of football then I can't really help you.
Funny enough Fenn and Perth are on the exact same coaching course, so they'll get a good look at each others methods over the next few months. Is there someone lined up for the John Gill badge holding role til Fenn gets his course done some time next year?
Frank Kelleher is in that position at the moment. John Cotter is on the same course. Rumours on our forum that the FAI are going to revert to the UEFA standard allowing someone on the course to fulfill the manager/head coach role which was the situation before this season.
While there was some slaging between fans I dont think Dundalk threw too much at Cork for their style of play. It was very effective and we couldnt buy a win in Turners Cross for a spell not to mention taking cup finals to extra time and the league being nip and tuck most of the seasons bar 2017. Most of the criticism was media and pundit driven. If anything any friction between the clubs, managers, and supporters was due to a begrudging respect as a result of the close rivalry. It was acknowledged by Cork fans that if results went south then the style of football would be in for added criticism. Cork fans were probably more critical of the style of play than Dundalk fans were. I'm still quite surprised how much it has got under the skins of Cork fans. Double winners for the first time less than 2 years ago, cup wins after years of turmoil. A draw against St Pats made retaining the league tough in August and the tides turned very quickly for Caulfield, though maybe Cork fans anticipated some of what lay ahead?. I wouldnt have given a damn how we played if we were winning titles or cared what anyone else thought - then I did cut my LoI teeth watching Turlough O'Connors 1 nil specials and was one of many tortured watching 1st Division football at its worst!
On Neale Fenn's appointment, he is talking about playing good football at least, something that the pragmatic Caulfield never did. Whether he will be successful or not remains to be seen.
For me, when I go to games, I don't want to be bored to tears watching a centre half or full back launching it to the head of the centre forward and scrapping for the 50-50s.
Based on last nights game, Fenn has a huge rebuilding job to do and he basically needs to sign a whole new team. The majority of our lads have gone stale and you'd wonder about their appetite for the game.
Then again, it's amazing what a bit of coaching can do. City reject, Ronan Coughlan looked like a superstar last night and is obviously flourishing under Liam Buckley, but then again, they are 6th in the table and we could have leapfrogged them last night despite our wretched season.
You want something in between Buckley and Caulfield. Hopefully Fenn is the answer.
Before Fenn's appointment, I had heard Stephen Rice speaking in an interview where he gave a great insight into coaching and his views on the game and I was impressed. He sounded like someone who could be a good manager in the future and I half hoped he might be in the running for the City job.
What are Shamrock Rovers fans views on him? How is he getting on with the u19s?
Very well thought of and the 19s are playing some nice football. Definite future manager of rovers I would say but will probably have to go elsewhere first.
Very clear when watching the 19s around him at matches how much respect they have for him
He almost seems like the development/education and everything else that comes with coaching academy teams is the side that interests him more than the management side that you get as a first team manager. Wouldn't be surprised to see him stay in academy roles maybe with a coach development role at the FAI or something too.
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