Steve Staunton

[Lionel Ritchie]

"I'm convinced some people never wanted me to succeed. It was mainly the television punditry. I'm not naming anyone. People will know who I'm talking about. That's disappointing because it's made up of ex-players and ex-managers. They weren't very complimentary, to say the least.

Wow ...some people just have it all. Paranoid AND Delusional. Who anywhere in Irish football would deny themselves seeing a competently managed Irish side succeed in a qualification campaign just because they want the manager to fail?

It's history now anyway. I wish him the very best ...I suspect he's going to have to start in the LOI if he's looking for a managerial gig and even there offers might be driven by misguided sentiment. But I wish him well. He wore our shirt 102 times.

[OwlsFan]

This is part of his rehabilitation process. What do people expect him to say? "Is am cr*p". "Don't give me a job" ? Of course not. He has to put his best case forward for potential future employers. They say the only place you read perfection is in someone's c.v.. Stan, in the future, will cite all the excuses and statistics in the article when he eventually completes his course and is seeking employment. Is he not entitled to do that just as anyone of us would if we got the sack and were looking for employment?

We know it was a disaster but I won't deny him his right to put whatever gloss he wants on it for his own future in the game. It's called face saving and we all do it. I wouldn't get my knickers (if I wore any but I gave them back to the wife recently) in a twist over it.

[mypost]

I was in stitches reading this laughing at some of his ridiculous comments like,"we never lost a competitive fixture at home and never looked like losing either",he must have forgotten about Steve Finnan's injury time equaliser at home to Cyprus then or at least have expected it hahahahahahahahahahaha

True, or was the game THAT forgettable?

[Stuttgart88]

You gotta love these comments:

"So great was the expectation in his homeland that the rookie was expected to overhaul Germany (fifth in the FIFA rankings) and the Czech Republic (6th) to reach next year's finals."

"I spoke to my counterparts in Germany and the Czech Republic. They couldn't believe how the Ireland team was perceived in its' own country."


This whole 'Unrealistic expectations' natter about Ireland gets on my nerves. No one had huge expectations for the national side in the last campaign. I didn't think we would qualify. What we did expect was a team to put it up to the big boys, beat the minnows (fairly easily) and be in with a shout of qualification near the end. The fact that we got thrid place, miles behind the top two is meant to be some sort of achievement to these people.

I was talking to a few Scottish and English friends of mine and expressed my displeasure at Venables being in line for the Irish job. They couldn't understand the criticsim and reckon we have a cheek to be so picky when our team is so bad. The whole 'unrealistic expectations' came up.

Couldn't agree more.

Is it unrealistic to expect to do better than losing 5-2 in Cyprus, needing an injury time equaliser at home to Cyprus and a 96th minute winner in San Marino?

He can say he blooded youth, but it was often at the expense of better players in the same positions. The young players he picked weren't necessarily our best young players and weren't the players in the positions we needed them in most. His youth policy was indiscriminate & haphazard and at times bordering on corrupt.

A dose of humility and acceptance he wasn't up to it is what he needs to be saying, not this uber defensive nonsense.

[Paddy Garcia]

This is part of his rehabilitation process. What do people expect him to say? "Is am cr*p". "Don't give me a job" ? Of course not. He has to put his best case forward for potential future employers. They say the only place you read perfection is in someone's c.v.. Stan, in the future, will cite all the excuses and statistics in the article when he eventually completes his course and is seeking employment. Is he not entitled to do that just as anyone of us would if we got the sack and were looking for employment?

We know it was a disaster but I won't deny him his right to put whatever gloss he wants on it for his own future in the game. It's called face saving and we all do it. I wouldn't get my knickers (if I wore any but I gave them back to the wife recently) in a twist over it.

I suspect that future potential employers will be looking for some signs that he has learnt some lessons. The article suggests otherwise.

He will need to find an employer as dense as he is & I'm doubt there are many.

[Jerry The Saint]

I suspect he's going to have to start in the LOI if he's looking for a managerial gig and even there offers might be driven by misguided sentiment. But I wish him well. He wore our shirt 102 times.

I honestly can't think of anywhere that would appoint him - maybe Kilkenny as a publicity stunt or something. The sad part is that I don't think any of the decent-sized clubs here would have considered him before he got the Ireland job.

[Lionel Ritchie]

I honestly can't think of anywhere that would appoint him - maybe Kilkenny as a publicity stunt or something. The sad part is that I don't think any of the decent-sized clubs here would have considered him before he got the Ireland job.

I was thinking Dundalk. Taper lit, standing clear.

[sullanefc]

This is part of his rehabilitation process. What do people expect him to say? "Is am cr*p". "Don't give me a job" ? Of course not. He has to put his best case forward for potential future employers. They say the only place you read perfection is in someone's c.v.. Stan, in the future, will cite all the excuses and statistics in the article when he eventually completes his course and is seeking employment. Is he not entitled to do that just as anyone of us would if we got the sack and were looking for employment?

We know it was a disaster but I won't deny him his right to put whatever gloss he wants on it for his own future in the game. It's called face saving and we all do it. I wouldn't get my knickers (if I wore any but I gave them back to the wife recently) in a twist over it.

Why doesn't he say something like:
- The results and performances weren't good enough and I have to take resposibility.
- Things didn't go how I expected them to.
- I gambled on some young blood in some games and it didn't pay off.
- I didn't have the experience to do the job required.

There are lots of ways of saving face without the pack of lies that he spins.

Couldn't agree more.

A dose of humility and acceptance he wasn't up to it is what he needs to be saying, not this uber defensive nonsense.

It was this uber defensive nonsense that turned the average joe football fan against him. Even my mother who knows nothing of the game, found him irritating in interviews. He was dour, defensive, bullish and frankly full of BS in most interviews, just like the one above.

I suspect that future potential employers will be looking for some signs that he has learnt some lessons. The article suggests otherwise.

He will need to find an employer as dense as he is & I'm doubt there are many.

Future employers may also look for a bit of honesty from a manager. Something Stan does not have.

I was thinking Dundalk. Taper lit, standing clear.

Very good

[osarusan]

This is part of his rehabilitation process. What do people expect him to say? "Is am cr*p". "Don't give me a job" ? Of course not. He has to put his best case forward for potential future employers. They say the only place you read perfection is in someone's c.v.. Stan, in the future, will cite all the excuses and statistics in the article when he eventually completes his course and is seeking employment. Is he not entitled to do that just as anyone of us would if we got the sack and were looking for employment?

We know it was a disaster but I won't deny him his right to put whatever gloss he wants on it for his own future in the game. It's called face saving and we all do it. I wouldn't get my knickers (if I wore any but I gave them back to the wife recently) in a twist over it.

I agree that he's trying to save face, but I think this will actually make things worse.

Any potential employer will know what went on with the Ireland job, and will know this article does not match at all.

Had he admitted responsibility for things, pleaded some mitigating circumstances, and mentioned how much he's learned, he would have done himself a much better service.

[citizenerased]

what a joke! what chairman is mental enough to make stan manager.? still making excuses, like he was hard done by to lose his job..

[Lionel Ritchie]

On further reflection there was just one near irrelevance in the entire article in which I empathised with the guy. The gob****e excuse for a "journalist" who brought a Kermit doll to a training session just so he could deliver some jingo-istic copy back to his arse-wipe of a newspaper.

That individual should be viciously beaten to within an inch of their life ...I mean medieval savagery should be used on him.

It's symptomatic of the nonsense any manager of the senior team is going to have to put up with in the future and leads me to conclude that one of the few correct moves the FAI engage in is trying to keep the media at arms length ...though I don't even think they do that much for the right reasons.

[youngirish]

The man's a clown. Very biased article. Nobody expected Ireland to finish above Germany and most didn't expect us even to overhaul the Czechs. He goes on about the injuries also but fails to mention the injuries that other teams had when playing against us (Wales and the Slovaks for starters).

Then he whines about the media wanting him out when we all know that the voices of dissent started amongst us the fans. Finally he forgets to mention our results against the Dutch, San Marino and Cyprus (twice).

Glad he's gone and I'd feel for any supporters who would have to put up with him as their new manager.

[elroy]

We witnessed a shambolic Irish team and it said alot when Don Givens can get one of the better performances of the campaign out of the team away to Wales. An away game we shouldve won except for some schoolboy defending from PMcS.

In Stans reign, we suffered home defeats to Holland and Chile and thats before the fun really started.
Games away to Cyprus, home to Cyprus, away to San Marino rank as three of the worst Irish performances in years. At best Stan got average performances from the team against Wales and Slovakia, however there is no doubt that under his reign this team went backwards.
His attiutde and persona toward the media didnt help his cause either, who can forget his comments after the cyprus, san marino and slovakia games. Im sure he's bitter that he did not receive the backing he was promised, but he only finished third in this group through luck and the fact the teams below us were very poor - look how many points the Czechs finished ahead of us and did any of us see anything particularly special from the Czechs ......even the Germans for that matter?????

[OwlsFan]

Listen, we know it was a disaster. The point is, is he not entitled to put a gloss on it for the sake of his future career (wherever that might be)? He doesn't tell any lies. In the famous phrase, he's "economical with the truth". People, when they're down and being kicked from all sides, are entitled to do that.

Forget Stan (except his 100+ games) and move on. He deliberately didn't try and ruin us. He just wasn't up to the job but how many of us ever admit to that about ourselves or own up to our personal failings?

[Lionel Ritchie]

Listen, we know it was a disaster. The point is, is he not entitled to put a gloss on it for the sake of his future career (wherever that might be)? He doesn't tell any lies. In the famous phrase, he's "economical with the truth". People, when they're down and being kicked from all sides, are entitled to do that.

Forget Stan (except his 100+ games) and move on. He deliberately didn't try and ruin us. He just wasn't up to the job but how many of us ever admit to that about ourselves or own up to our personal failings?

Owl you make a vice of magnanamity.

[OwlsFan]

I just can't stand the mob mentality of kicking a man when he's down, even if he's mumbling garbage when on the ground.

[John83]

I just can't stand the mob mentality of kicking a man when he's down, even if he's mumbling garbage when on the ground.

The ****e he spouted after games like the Cyprus defeats (even if the second one was only a moral defeat) was kicking the fans when they were down.

I'll never forget Kevin Keegan's resignation as England manager. I have no end of admiration for a man who could admit that he wasn't good enough, who was hurt and ashamed that he had failed. I'll not soon forget Staunton's dour refusals to recognise reality, nor his dogged determination to collect his golden handshake.

I also note from that article that Staunton hasn't even his A licence.

[Kingdom]

The ****e he spouted after games like the Cyprus defeats (even if the second one was only a moral defeat) was kicking the fans when they were down.

I'll never forget Kevin Keegan's resignation as England manager. I have no end of admiration for a man who could admit that he wasn't good enough, who was hurt and ashamed that he had failed. I'll not soon forget Staunton's dour refusals to recognise reality, nor his dogged determination to collect his golden handshake.

I also note from that article that Staunton hasn't even his A licence.

Kingdom doffs his cap to john 83.

[theworm2345]

He managed to fit in a dig at Dunphy.

Also has anyone heard "school for gaffers" on the new Gift Grub? Quality stuff.

Is this the one where they rip of Billy Joel? The Memories did a great job of doing this, Gift Grub did a decent job but you cant rip off another rip off (I wouldn't call The Memories version a rip off really I guess though)

[RogerMilla]

completely blinkered vision , exactly the same as when he was manager , the man has massive over confidence , even arrogance , backed up with zero ability.