Staunton Ireland Manager?

[Schlooooomp]

Also surely you mean something subjective. If I am to express my opinion that would be a subjective statement. All comment and opinion is subjective. Only statement of facts are objective and I think commenting on the Ireland manager and how they will do in the future is hardly a statement of fact so as a result it is by nature subjective.

I recognise my mistake

[NeilMcD]

Lads Cathal Dervan was on the Hub last night, and he is clearly in the loop he has been speaking to Staunton and the FAI and is an Insider on this. He is a gob****e in my view however in this regard he is has been given the info. Staunton is going to be unveiled next week with Robson as his mentor. According to Dervan, Robson was Stauntons appointment and he felt that he needed a wise old head. It is pretty clear that Dervan was given this info to go running to the media with. He is within the circle just like he was during Mc Carthy's reign and the wasy Humphries was during Kerrs.

[Stuttgart88]

The fact that the FAI is allowing all of this speculation over the exact roles etc. is the biggest shambles of all. Having been positive because I assumed Robson's role would be significant I'm reserving further judgment until the FAI spells out the facts. It's a ****ing shambles and disrespectful to all concerned.

[Schlooooomp]

Do any of you think that there could be one final twist and see Venables and Staunton put in place?

Why are you so enamoured with Venables? I don't know either Robson or Venables personally but in a choice between the two of them Robson wins everytime. Robson has managed at a pretty high level until recently, I don't count Venables time at Boro or Leeds (the man signed Raul Bravo for God sake, only outdone by Roque Junior in ineptness)

[colster]

I accept the analogy is a stretch but it amounts to the same point that Greenbod is making. A long playing career does not mean that you have all the required skills and experience to become a manager/coach, in fact it doesn't guarantee that you will have any of the skills or experience to be a good manager/coach. Apart from the obvious ability to say inane things to reporters of course.

I don't think you can spend 20 years as a professional and not learn a lot about the game and how it should be played. He has had a 20 year education in the game.
I think you can say that he will know how he wants the team to play. Whether that's the correct way or whether he can sufficiently get the players to buy into that is another thing.
Sideline management may be his downfall. When to make a substitution? Recognising problem areas or when a tactic needs to be tweaked. But even the most experience managers have problems in this area.
Man Management is the other area we don't know about but that's less of a problem in international football.
Dealing with the Press.

[pete]

This whole setup is a shambles already with Delaney shuffling out his PR journalists like Cathal Dervan.

I also hear some story running that Raneiri was originally in the running - smells like the FAI releasing that story to convince people they actually looked hard for a top manager.

Theres so many agendas from yes & No men in irish football now its just a complete joke.

[Den Perry]

I wonder are the FAI even embarressed about this whole shambles and all the leaks that are apparent?

[Schlooooomp]

This whole setup is a shambles already with Delaney shuffling out his PR journalists like Cathal Dervan.

I also hear some story running that Raneiri was originally in the running - smells like the FAI releasing that story to convince people they actually looked hard for a top manager.

Theres so many agendas from yes & No men in irish football now its just a complete joke.

I think that is the one thing we can all agree on, whatever subsequent moves the FAI makes, like feeding Dervan crap, it is an effort to try and spin the shambolic way they have approached appointing a new manager.

And whatever our feelings are towards Staunton in the managers role, his new bosses have done him absolutely no favours.

[Stuttgart88]

I also hear some story running that Raneiri was originally in the running - smells like the FAI releasing that story to convince people they actually looked hard for a top manager

There was a very big rumour in November that the FAI had met Ranieri in England, in the Midlands somewhere. Very good source who I trust. Walsall maybe?

[klein4]

I wonder are the FAI even embarressed about this whole shambles and all the leaks that are apparent?

doubt it. they have never been embarressed by anything before.joke of an organisation in need of total reform. what has actually changed since genesis?

[NeilMcD]

I am sure they did meet Ranieri and Venables and a good few others. Nothing wrong with that as I am sure everybody agree and I do think that its pretty difficult to put a cap on this story as so many people want to get the news etc. But Staunton should have been unveiled this week rather than this drip feed of news. Compared to this time last year I am so depressed about the state of International Football in Ireland. Lets hope our fortunes change that I am saying the opposite next January.

[Jerry The Saint]

He even took on Roy Keane in an argument about whether Liverpool were a better club than Manchester United.

I didn't realise that Staunton and Keane knew each other when they were SIX YEARS OLD!

[NeilMcD]

Did anybody see the HUb last night. Dunphy was sloppy in his fact. Dervan was making a point that there are numerous examples of players going from playint to managing their country and quoted Rijkaard on this. Dunphy came straight in and said this was the same man that played 4 strikers at LR and lost to Ireland. I nearly cringed. It makes me sick when so called experts get basic facts like that wrong. I always feel, let me on the TV.

[Den Perry]

I have absolutely NO respect for Dervan, but what are his thoughts on the situation? I havent had a chance to read him.....too busy here at work HA!

[Stuttgart88]

Did anybody see the HUb last night. Dunphy was sloppy in his fact. Dervan was making a point that there are numerous examples of players going from playint to managing their country and quoted Rijkaard on this. Dunphy came straight in and said this was the same man that played 4 strikers at LR and lost to Ireland. I nearly cringed. It makes me sick when so called experts get basic facts like that wrong. I always feel, let me on the TV.

If Kluivert hadn't missed TWO penalties against Italy Rijkard would probably have won the European Chamionships at his first attempt playing beatiful football (a lucky win over the Czech Rep excepted) in games such as the thrashing of Yugoslavia. Despite every effort to keep him Rijkard insisted his performance was a failure and resigned out of honour (or maybe because his agent reckoned he'd get the Barca job!).

[NeilMcD]

Good point. I was making the point that Dunphy ****ed up as it was Louis Van Gaal who was in charge at LR.


Dervan is in favour of the appointment but why wouldn't he be, He is been used by Delaney and Staunton as there mouthpieice. He is part of the FAI PR Machine.

[NeilMcD]

The buck stops with Staunton
By Liam Mackey pic
AS Irish football continues to come to terms with the imminent unveiling of Steve Staunton, another piece of the jigsaw has fallen into place with the appointment of Kevin MacDonald as the new Irish coach.

Staunton has chosen the former Liverpool midfielder and current Aston Villa reserve coach, who is well known to the new Irish manager from his time at both clubs.

The news of MacDonald’s appointment contradicted earlier reports circulating yesterday that Bobby Robson planned to invite his former right-hand man John Carver to join him in the new Irish set-up.

Sources close to Robson and in Merrion Square dismissed the reports, as the FAI reacted to initial criticism of the Staunton/Robson appointment by stressing there will be only one man in charge.

“Let there be no mistake about this - the buck will stop with Steve Staunton,” said a source at the association.



“Steve Staunton is the manager and he will be responsible for all team affairs. Bobby Robson has made it quite clear that he is there to help and that he is quite happy to do whatever Steve asksT of him, whether that’s scouting, advice or whatever.”

The FAI have emphasised the former England boss was Staunton’s choice as advisor, an acknowledgment by the rookie that he could only benefit from someone of Robson’s rich managerial experience.

With Alan Kelly already confirmed as Ireland’s new goalkeeping coach in place of Packie Bonner, Kevin MacDonald now comes in as a replacement for Chris Hughton.

Inverness-born MacDonald was a member of the Liverpool side which won the double in 1985/86 but the following year broke his leg in a game against Southampton at the Dell, an injury which required two operations and effectively ended his Anfield career.

Meanwhile, Steve Staunton’s father Tom said yesterday that he had spoken to his son on Monday night and the latter was “delighted” with his appointment.

“He has a real spring in his step,” Tom Staunton told RTÉ.

“From when he was a nipper he wanted to play for his country and captain his country and now he is going to be the manager of his country. He is delighted.”

However, former club and international colleagues of the player expressed mixed feelings about the FAI’s decision.

Said Ronnie Whelan: “If I’m honest, I have to admit I am a little bit surprised Steve Staunton is likely to be given the Republic of Ireland manager’s job.

“I’m not saying Stan can’t do the job, but I have to have slight reservations because he’s never been a manager before. To be given an international manager’s job early in your career as a coach is one hell of a big step. I really hope it goes well for him, if he gets the job, because he’s a great lad, but you have to say that the FAI would be taking a slight chance.”

He added: “Personally I can’t help but think that it might be better for Sir Bobby to take charge at first and for Stan to work as his assistant.

“That way Stan could observe how an experienced manager handles players, situations, and the media. Rather than being dropped in it at the deep end it may be a better learning curve for Stan. It is a lot to ask of Stan to get everything right straight away, especially when there are European Championship qualifying games around the corner.”

It’s understood Staunton will get a four-year contract while Robson’s will cover two years - with options to renew. It is hoped both men will sign by the end of this week before they are officially unveiled at a press conference in Dublin next Monday.

[tetsujin1979]

I think the people who say that the likes of Van Basten, Rijkard, Voller, Hughes etc all got appointed are forgetting that they played under some of the top coaches in Europe, and won any number of trophies between them. Was Staunton at Liverpool the last time they won the league? I think he has a League cup winner's medal from Villa and that's it. He may become a great manager in time, but now is not the time to be taking a chance on him.
Robson's role in this is still very ill-defined - is he picking the team/picking the tactics/scouting for new players/performing all the media duties - depending on what you read at the moment it's any one of all these and others. This can only end in disaster as noone (especially the players) knows who is accountable in the end. If we have a bad loss, say to Macedonia, exactly who is at fault - Robson for giving the wrong advice, or Staunton for listening to it and picking the wrong team/tactics?? More importantly at the end of an unsuccessful campaign (it'll happen, admit it) who is sacked? One? Both? Neither?
This whole affair has started badly, and given the amount of secrecy by the FAI up until this point I am very disappointed in their lack of communication since the news about Staunton broke.
The media frenzy that has exploded since then reminds me of the "revelations" of a fall out between Kerr and Stephen Ireland that happened more than 3 years ago but only became a matter of public interest before the Swiss game last October. The players and manager weren't talking to the press, neither were the FAI, so the media went and found a story to fill column inches with during a quiet period between matches. Again here the FAI are refusing to comment, I've heard nothing from either Staunton or Robson so the press are putting 2 and 2 together and coming up with 5.

[OwlsFan]

Whatever about the rights and wrongs of the appointment, for those attacking the FAI in the way they are handling the matter, the FAI is perfectly correct not to make any statement until a contract has been signed. If the negotiations were to break down (which is always a possibility) they would get terrible stick for a premature announcement that Staunton is to be the new manager.

The rest of the stuff is media driven with quotes from "sources close to Robson" (his pet dog ??) and "a source at the association" (the janitor ?) as the mainstay of the speculation. However, there is no doubt that the FAI continues to leak like a sieve no matter who is in charge there. This is what happens whenever any decision has to be ratified by a committee.

[pineapple stu]

Was Staunton at Liverpool the last time they won the league?

He was, yeah. Joined in 1987 or 1988.