Fenlon for Ireland?

**Lionel Ritchie** · 07/12/2006, 10:57 AM

Originally Posted by OwlsFan

Stan played over 100 international games for Ireland so that counts for something and has to be balanced against his lack of managerial experience.

I think the acid test for whether that counts for anything is to consider, seriously, would any other country on earth have him as their manager -just because he played 102 times for Ireland.

I believe the answer is no.

Why didn't Antiqua or Burkino Faso try to snap up someone with that amount of international experience as soon as he came available? Possibly because relative to actual managerial experience -even the part timers of Antiqua realise caps count for jack-sh1t?

**TonyD** · 07/12/2006, 12:45 PM

Originally Posted by tetsujin1979

I don't think the way Kerr lost his position had anything to do with the managerial experience he gained in Ireland.

Don'tcha ? I would have said it had a lot to do with it. Not saying Fenlon should be manager, but he woud definitely run up against the "who the hell are you ?" school of thinking from our "stars" Never mind the fact that very few of them have earned the right to such an attitude.

**pineapple stu** · 07/12/2006, 12:46 PM

I think there's a definite Pat's/non-Pat's split in the views on Brian Kerr!

**tetsujin1979** · 07/12/2006, 3:05 PM

Originally Posted by TonyD

Don'tcha ? I would have said it had a lot to do with it. Not saying Fenlon should be manager, but he woud definitely run up against the "who the hell are you ?" school of thinking from our "stars" Never mind the fact that very few of them have earned the right to such an attitude.

It's possible that lack of knowledge/respect of Kerr from the senior players (i.e. the ones he didn't work with in the underage setup) was a factor in the beginning. I remember Holland saying in an interview that he didn't know much about Kerr when he was appointed, but he knew who he was because he was always around at training sessions, catching up with his former charges.
After 4 years, the players knew him, his methods, and his failings. It was these failings that lost him the job, at that stage whatever he had learned from working in the eircom League would have been a minimal factor, if it even was one.

<EDIT>
I would take your point the Delaney has little respect for current managers in the eL, why were none of them approached for the Ireland job, ahead of Staunton? I'm not saying one of them should be manager, even Fenlon, but it would have at least shown some degree of recognition to the league.

**DmanDmythDledge** · 07/12/2006, 5:10 PM

Personally I think Kenny would be better than Fenlon. Fenlon took over a team who were on of the best in the league, while Kenny took over a team who were extremely lucky not to be relegated and had a smaller budget.

Originally Posted by OwlsFan

Stan played over 100 international games for Ireland so that counts for something and has to be balanced against his lack of managerial experience.

Lack of managerial skill would be a better.

And the amount of international games he's played counts for nothing.