New Irish manager

**shakermaker1982** · 19/01/2008, 12:16 PM

we shouldn't be turning our noses up at Gerard. He isn't an A grade candidate like Capello but he's certainly a B grade when you take into his record over the years (unlike Stan who I wouldn't even wanna grade). Let's face it, every potential candidate we are interested in has failings - Lippi, Capello and Mourinho (A grade major players) would never be interested in us. Thus, we are left with managers who are slightly tainted - the FAI need to pick the lesser evil and Gerard is definitely that man.....let's hope he is keen.

**colster** · 19/01/2008, 12:39 PM

Originally Posted by Bondvillain

I appreciate the differences between ourselves and England's FA. Thats why I pointed out the difference in resources, and the fact that Capello was their man for the job, not necessarily ours.

As an example though, Hodgson did express interest to the FAI, and while not wanting to slight my country, I think he's more our speed than Capello.

And what happened? He was interviewed, presumably to be told "We'll let you know. Thanks for coming" and Fulham came up and said "Want a job? Like, Right now? " and he took it.

Whether he would have been a fly-by-night and jumped ship early for a better offer had we appointed him is now an irrelevant point, as because of the sheer length of this interview process, we'll never know, but we may yet rue not grabbing him with both hands at first time of asking.

My original point was, you cannot expect someone in the field as volatile as football management to be still interested in a vacancy nearly 3 months after it has arisen (For clarification : Im using the actual 'nearly three months' there - 24th Oct to 18th Jan, as opposed to the one that removes days for Christmas, Halloween, Eid and Chanukha ).

I still believe the FAI lacked courage in not headhunting, and that the interview process is a weak alternative. Dragging an interview process out this long frustrates genuine suitable contenders, and if they ARE any good, they'll be snapped up elsewhere, leaving us with a choice between the unemployed and the unemployable.

I agree with a lot of what you're saying. The FAI have taken ages to make this appointment but the success/failure can only be properly judged after the manager has been appointed and we've played some games. I agree with the usage of a recruitment panel of football people. The major quibble I have with it is that they shouldn't have to go outside the organisation to employ the panel. They should have at least someone in the FAI who has a good knowledge of the game and the managers in it so that if and when a managerial vacancy arises they can put forward a list of candidates.
Perhaps this new high performance director can perform this role.

**livehead1** · 19/01/2008, 4:03 PM

I've said it before and I want to reiterate my utter astonishment as to who exactly ROI fans think their side is. Gerard H was good enough for the FFF, Lyon and Liverpool, if anything he is about the class of candidate we should expect to attract to the job. We are a mediocre international side with an extremely week national league, meaning our best players are absorbed into the english leagues. Its not a great job, its average, and we should expect average candidates.

**GavinZac** · 19/01/2008, 6:16 PM

Originally Posted by livehead1

with an extremely week national league

Tell us more. What was the biltz like? Was Alexander really gay? What else can you tell us that you havent actually seen?

**Deckydee** · 19/01/2008, 7:46 PM

Originally Posted by livehead1

I've said it before and I want to reiterate my utter astonishment as to who exactly ROI fans think their side is. Gerard H was good enough for the FFF, Lyon and Liverpool, if anything he is about the class of candidate we should expect to attract to the job. We are a mediocre international side with an extremely week national league, meaning our best players are absorbed into the english leagues. Its not a great job, its average, and we should expect average candidates.

I have to agree with you on that one. This is what I have been saying for the last three months. How do we think we are? We just are not good enough or big enough to attract a top coach, it is simple as that! Beggers cant be choosy!

We dont have the players either! If it was not for the granny rule, we would have had no 'Charlton Era'

**Stuttgart88** · 20/01/2008, 10:34 AM

Originally Posted by Deckydee

We dont have the players either!

For what exactly?

To win a WC?

To qualify?

To give it a half-decent shot at qualification?

To avoid getting spanked in Cyprus?

That remark winds me up as much as the "unrealistic expectations" fallacy spouted by some in the public eye.

**Kingdom** · 20/01/2008, 10:46 AM

Originally Posted by Stuttgart88

For what exactly?

To win a WC?

To qualify?

To give it a half-decent shot at qualification?

To avoid getting spanked in Cyprus?

That remark winds me up as much as the "unrealistic expectations" fallacy spouted by some in the public eye.

To me its equally as infuriating as the whole "We just are not good enough or big enough to attract a top coach, it is simple as that! Beggers cant be choosy!"
Azerbaijan appointed Calos Alberto Parreira a few years back. Every manager has their price. Whats annoying is that because of our close links with Britain the shower of w*nkers that pass for the majority of our "journalists" (honourable exception Emmet Malone), consider washed up chavs as our saviours.
Even the fans are getting tainted and riduculed now because of the fantastic writers. We have unachievable standards and unrealistic ambitions. It makes me and Baby Jebus cry.

**Dublin12** · 20/01/2008, 10:51 AM

Originally Posted by Stuttgart88

For what exactly?

To win a WC?

To qualify?

To give it a half-decent shot at qualification?

To avoid getting spanked in Cyprus?

That remark winds me up as much as the "unrealistic expectations" fallacy spouted by some in the public eye.

It's true though..we just don't have the players to stand in if we get injuries..imagine if we had to play without Given, Dunne, Keane or Doyle

**bennocelt** · 20/01/2008, 11:01 AM

Originally Posted by Philly

He's not out of a job. He works for the French FA. Obviously they don't agree with you on his incompetence.

In Houllier we have one of the best managers available in international football at the moment, people can be nit-picky but if he is good enough for Liverpool, France, and Lyon (as well as the many jobs he has turned down in international management and club management) then he's good enough for us too. I think he would do well.

The same way Brian Kerr still has a job

Football management, thats what im talking about
Dont care much about French league titles, much the same as pat fenlon and winning the league with shelbourne. Was Liverpool boss for a long time, didnt win the league or do enough in the CL
Most EPL teams or decent continental teams wouldnt touch him now.
Thats a fact

**Kingdom** · 20/01/2008, 11:06 AM

Originally Posted by bennocelt

Have you even heard of Paul Le Guen

or do you rely on MOTD for your footy info?

Is he the fantastic manager that bombed ridiculously at Rangers?
The same fantastic manager who is currently doing shyte at PSG?

**Philly** · 20/01/2008, 1:10 PM

Originally Posted by bennocelt

The same way Brian Kerr still has a job

Football management, thats what im talking about
Dont care much about French league titles, much the same as pat fenlon and winning the league with shelbourne. Was Liverpool boss for a long time, didnt win the league or do enough in the CL
Most EPL teams or decent continental teams wouldnt touch him now.
Thats a fact

No, not in the same way Kerr has a job. I don't think being involved with St Pats is on a par with being Technical Director for all of French football - a role he had in 1998 when they won the World Cup.

You don't care much about French league titles? Oh so, what, is the French league on a par with League One with you or something? He spent two years there and won two leagues, as well as getting to a cup final. Not good enough for you though, only English Premiership winning managers need apply?

Liverpool haven't won the league in a very long time, and they probably won't win in any time soon either. They don't have the funds that two or three other clubs have. What he did do there was bring back a winning mentality and bring trophies back into the Liverpool Cabinet, something that was amiss for a good while before he took the job.

The way some people on here throw their nose up to Houllier is stupid. You guys will get on just about anybody's back.

**Stuttgart88** · 20/01/2008, 2:05 PM

Originally Posted by Kingdom

honourable exception Emmet Malone

I'm an admirer of young McDonnell at the Indo. His affection for Irish football in general and the national team really shows in his writing.

**Stuttgart88** · 20/01/2008, 2:07 PM

Originally Posted by bennocelt

The same way Brian Kerr still has a job

Football management, thats what im talking about
Dont care much about French league titles, much the same as pat fenlon and winning the league with shelbourne. Was Liverpool boss for a long time, didnt win the league or do enough in the CL
Most EPL teams or decent continental teams wouldnt touch him now.
Thats a fact

An utterly ridiculous post.

**Kingdom** · 20/01/2008, 2:18 PM

Originally Posted by Stuttgart88

I'm an admirer of young McDonnell at the Indo. His affection for Irish football in general and the national team really shows in his writing.

I'd be cautiously optimistic. I once had affection for Gerry McDermott, who was by all accounts a decent reporter of facts. Then he started the witchhunt on Kerr. Then he took up a post in the FAI.
McDonnell does seem to be ruffelling feathers amongst the old guard though, particularily with old Paul "one eye looking at ya, the other eye looking for ya" Hyland.

**Torn-Ado** · 20/01/2008, 2:20 PM

Originally Posted by Stuttgart88

For what exactly?

To win a WC?

To qualify?

To give it a half-decent shot at qualification?

To avoid getting spanked in Cyprus?

That remark winds me up as much as the "unrealistic expectations" fallacy spouted by some in the public eye.

Yet again Stutts gets it spot on.

Nearly all our players are playing in the premiership. Most of them are regular starters. Yet we don't have the players? Me ar*se.

We have players who quite obviously talented and play brilliantly at club level. It getting them to play well for their country is the problem.

**livehead1** · 20/01/2008, 2:35 PM

Originally Posted by GavinZac

Tell us more. What was the biltz like? Was Alexander really gay? What else can you tell us that you havent actually seen?

Are you mad? Are you really going to try and argue that point? I've seen around 15 EL games over the last 4 years, admittedly not that many, but my comment is fact, not opinion and someone who attends regular games would surely agree. I point to some of the better players in the EL league who have since left and gone on to great things....

The main point is, we're average, with mediocrity written all over us, a manager of Houllier's standing should be welcomed with open arms.

**NeilMcD** · 20/01/2008, 3:25 PM

From the Tribune.
Soccer
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Ireland job is Houllier's to refuse

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A CLEAR picture has finally emerged this weekend in the ongoing saga surrounding the Republic of Ireland post, with former Liverpool manager Gerard Houllier in a position where, according to an impeccable source, "the job is his to refuse."

Houllier jumped to the top of the list once Bobby Robson's choice Steve Coppell didn't come across as really wanting the job during his meeting with the three-man delegation of Don Givens, Ray Houghton and Don Howe during the week.

Coppell ticked all the boxes for the delegation before they sat down to interview him, but his lukewarm approach, even to suggestions that the FAI could wait til the end of the Premier League season if he was interested, meant he was crossed off the wish list.

Mindful of how the FAI was backed into a corner last time once Martin O'Neill didn't follow up initial enthusiasm by taking the role, thus leading to the hastily cobbled together and ill-fated Staunton-Robson package, Chief Executive John Delaney has insisted that there should be more than one runner for the three-man team to recommend.

With Coppell's ambitions elsewhere, this strategy has proven worthwhile as even should Houllier decide to stay put, there is a viable alternative in Terry Venables.

"Venables did a superb interview, showing a knowledge of the Irish situation which impressed the panel.

Houllier was similarly outstanding and what tips the thing in his favour is the fact that he doesn't carry the baggage Terry does, " explained a source.

**Kingdom** · 20/01/2008, 3:36 PM

Originally Posted by NeilMcD

From the Tribune.
Soccer
spacer

Ireland job is Houllier's to refuse

"Venables did a superb interview, showing a knowledge of the Irish situation which impressed the panel.

Houllier was similarly outstanding and what tips the thing in his favour is the fact that he doesn't carry the baggage Terry does, " explained a source.

Nice. Do the right thing men. Offer him the job. do it, do it now, do it. do it.

**shakermaker1982** · 20/01/2008, 3:37 PM

they interviewed Coppell?

**Stuttgart88** · 20/01/2008, 4:04 PM

So it seems it'll be Houllier and if he rules it out then Venables. Fine by me. Appointing Venables without having given it our best shot at (in my opinion) better contenders would have been criminal, but I'm happy that if these guys are ruled out for whatever reason then Venables would be a good manager for us.

I'd love to have been a fly on the wall at the interviews.