The Steve Staunton Discussion thread

[Ozymandias]

It is depressing. Paul Hyland in the Herald today was a disgrace.
When we beat Denmark 4-0 the common sense view was "dont overreact" It should be the same when we get a disappointing result.

We've got to be sensible about Stan. Sorry, but some of the suggestions for new manager are a joke.... John Sheridan? Stephen Kenny? Brian Kerr was ridiculed because he hadnt played at the top level, though his management experience had been okay. Stan is ridiculed for not managing before, though his career was second to none. (3 world cups..bit of respect due really...)

So the next manager would minimum have to have excellent management AND playing experience. Nothing short of that is an option after the last two. Even then you cant guarantee anything and he'll be mauled by the media from the first day.

In my opinion the only option is to support Stan and trust that he'll grow into things with the team growing too.

What is your obsession with growing???????

At least you seem to be learning from past mistakes.....the reasons you use to discount the other options as stans replacement are the very same that were there when Stan got the job.

maybe we give someone else a chance and (to paraphrase you) let them grow with the squad for the remainder of the campaign in preparation for the next.

Stan could stayon in an advisory role...he knows where to put the training cones and bibs ..after all he did it at Walsall

[youngirish]

If we lose tomorrow Stan should be replaced. At this stage a 1 million payout to get rid of him looks a good bargain to me.

If he manages a draw keep him on until the end of the campaign and if there is no noticable improvement in our final three games in performances and results and we fail to qualify then he should also be sent the way of the Dodo.

This is the easiest group we've had for a long time and his numerous mistakes look to have cost us qualification. When is it going to end?

The worrying question is what we as fans can do to get rid of him if FAI continue to refuse to rectify the situation and admit their mistake in appointing him. Refusing to go to games might be the best option IMO to force their hand. Hit the FAI where it hurts, in the pocket.

[osarusan]

When we beat Denmark 4-0 the common sense view was "dont overreact" It should be the same when we get a disappointing result.

After the Danish game, we talking about one good very good result, which people considered to be against the norm, so they said not to overreact to one good result against a decent side.

Stan has been in charge of the Cyprus affair, and the San Marino affair. These are competitive games where we embarrassed ourselves, not friendlies. That is how he should be judged, on competitive games, not friendlies.

I'm all for Stan learning how to be a better manager, but the national team is not the place to do it. Walsall probably is.

The national team's hopes of qualification shouldn't be sacrificed to allow somebody to develop into a good manager.

[carloz]

Stan gets e400,000.

It just makes you wonder .....

Can someone explain this to me, why pay the guy this much. He was like a reserve team coach at a League 1 team, nobody else wanted him whatsoever, why in gods name offer him that money and then make matters worse by giving him that money for 4 years. It beggers belief

[mackannovic]

After the Danish game, we talking about one good very good result, which people considered to be against the norm, so they said not to overreact to one good result against a decent side.

Stan has been in charge of the Cyprus affair, and the San Marino affair. These are competitive games where we embarrassed ourselves, not friendlies. That is how he should be judged, on competitive games, not friendlies.

I'm all for Stan learning how to be a better manager, but the national team is not the place to do it. Walsall probably is.

The national team's hopes of qualification shouldn't be sacrificed to allow somebody to develop into a good manager.

Fully in agreement. 102 caps for your country by no meens qualifys you as a coach or expert in the game. Look at the tripe coming out of Peter Schmiechals mouth on the BBC as a prime example.

[as_i_say]

Stan should be allowed to have his one campaign. I dont think anyone on this board seriously believes that he will be let go before this campaign is out. I think he has done as well as Brian Kerr so far and he was given a season and a half which was a fair crack at it.

I really thought as chippy brady said that we had turned a corner but when you make substitutions like he did on wed it shows a complete lack of understanding of what is needed to see out a 2-1 lead when you are not playing well.

When Brian Kerr did similar against Israel at home his number was up as far as I'm concerned and the fact that he learned nothing from our win against Denmark was so gauling. And grinning from ear to ear at kevin doyle-i mean how could he not see a goal was coming.

He must learn from his mistakes on wednesday by dropping kelly, putting kilbane at left back and hunt left mid and not putting johnathan douglas near the pitch.

unfortunately john o shea is still around

[osarusan]

Excellent post Qwerty. Staunton is simply not getting the tactical basics right. His actual knowledge of football seems embarrassing and his interviews with the media enforce this view. The job is way to big to him and i pray that he realizes that sooner or later. Unfortunately his 100+ caps for us will now be forgotten due to his complete ineptness at management

6 months later this post still seems accurate.

[carloz]

What can i say im a psychic. I dont think he can actually improve his tactical knowledge with say 2 more years in the job. Remember he was a professional footballer for so 20 years, if he didnt pick up any tactical knowhow then he surely wont now or in the future

[carloz]

Didnt the FAI say on the radio this morning that his job is safe no matter what the result tommorrow night(great motivation from the guys at Merrion Square again). Simply put Stan will not walk away and i dont feel the FAI will sack him due to the stupidity of awarding him a 4 year contract. We are probably stuck with him. It absolutly sickens me as i really feel we are in a golden age now regarding our squad and that it is being toally ruined. I dont think McCarthy or Kerr ever had the quality available that Stan has. When McCarthy and Kerr named the squad it was fairly obvious who would be in it, Stan has a choice of close to 35 that all have a good shout to be in the squad......however he still includes some puzzlers(Alan o'Brien anyone)

[danonion]

I was on holiday in Carlingford and driving to the house about two miles out of the village and I nearly hit Staunton who was jogging on the road (complete with Aston Villa tracksuit). Random anecdote but who would the FAI have picked if the rental didn't handle so well?

[paul_oshea]

I was on holiday in Carlingford and driving to the house about two miles out of the village and I nearly hit Staunton who was jogging on the road (complete with Aston Villa tracksuit). Random anecdote but who would the FAI have picked if the rental didn't handle so well?

ya even when ye tried, the rental still took control. Bold rental, naughty (moose ) rental.

[Morbo]

Offering Stan a 4 year was insanity, were they actually worried one of the big teams were going to steal Stan from us unless we tied him down to a 4 year deal?

[shakermaker1982]

Stan is here till the 2010 qualifiers. End of. Get behind the man and the team, with a bit of luck we could qualify for something. Stan made some blunders Saturday IMO but fingers crossed he learns from his mistakes.

[youngirish]

Stan is here till the 2010 qualifiers. End of. Get behind the man and the team, with a bit of luck we could qualify for something. Stan made some blunders Saturday IMO but fingers crossed he learns from his mistakes.

If there's anything that we've learned about Stan thus far is that he doesn't learn from his mistakes.

[shakermaker1982]

If there's anything that we've learned about Stan thus far is that he doesn't learn from his mistakes.

Only so many times a man can leave JOS on the pitch. He'll get the hang of this management lark eventually!!!!

[liaml]

We'll probably finish 3rd in this group - which is an improvement over Kerr, especially as it's a far tougher group. We're on an 8 game unbeaten run. We're scoring goals for once. There are reasons to be optimistic to be fair and I'd say Stan's will stay if we give a good showing against the Czechs or Germans.

[paul_oshea]

We're scoring goals for once.

Ya that is the thing, although i think its down to the individual players taking their ( limited number ) chances, as oppossed to before.

[Ozymandias]

We'll probably finish 3rd in this group - which is an improvement over Kerr, especially as it's a far tougher group. We're on an 8 game unbeaten run. We're scoring goals for once. There are reasons to be optimistic to be fair and I'd say Stan's will stay if we give a good showing against the Czechs or Germans.

I'm not so sure about us finishing third..Slovakia have wales tonight and then San Marino twice..they could be above us going into the last game as we have czechs away germany home and cyprus home......

this is a weird group and a very poor one at that.. we could get second if we win tonight or else we will probably get fourth......

[WembleyGreen]

You can't buy experience! Stan's contribution to the cause as a player is safe because he will always be respected for that, however as a manager he's just not up to the job. He should never have taken the job at this point in his fledgling management career, he should have stayed at Walsall and worked his way up the ladder like O'Neill did at Wycombe, Leicester etc. We were lucky in some respects with McCarthy because at least he didn't change things too much from the Charlton era plus he did have better players to work with. Kerr? What can you say about him. Negativity brought to a whole new level and then when Delaney & Co. lose faith in him he's out on his a**e and with those eternal words still ringing in our ears about a 'world class manager' the Stan & Bob show rolls into town except of course Bob subsequently had few problems which, lets face it put the footie into perspective, not hos fault just bad luck really. Stan has been left on his tod and as with all new hands he's made mistakes, big mistakes and at times there really doesn't seem to be a plan. Delaney? well he is nowhere to be seen, far too busy setting up iniatives in the far corners of the land and as the good ship Ireland heads towards the rocks rudderless and captained by cadet with squaking parrot on his shoulder it's all down to the ridiculously high expectations of the fans and the horrible media.Yes well! The players, they too must take some of the blame, they have time and time again come out with statement after statement singing his (Stan) praises and so on but when it actually comes down to backing this up with actions they have failed. All last week McGeady was in the press bigging himself up as new mr consistancy and we had Keane giving us his usual bluster. On the night? Lets just hope the penny has dropped with them tonight and they actually do get the 3 points because if we don't it's over and we all know it.

[Morbo]

Stan is here till the 2010 qualifiers. End of. Get behind the man and the team, with a bit of luck we could qualify for something. Stan made some blunders Saturday IMO but fingers crossed he learns from his mistakes.

I'm behind the team and I like Stan but he is a bit thick to be honest, I don't think we can afford to wait for Stan to learn from his mistakes, it took McCarthy several years to become a decent manager then they fired him, I reckon Stan is a bit thicker than McCarthy and it would take him even longer and by then our current crop of good players will be too old