Stephen Kenny

**SkStu** · 09/10/2022, 6:30 PM

Originally Posted by Eirambler

A bit presumptuous saying he's looking forward to France, Netherlands and Greece home and away, no? Little to suggest at this point that he'll be sticking around for all of those games.

His contract would be enough to suggest it.

**Real ale Madrid** · 09/10/2022, 6:39 PM

Originally Posted by zero

i wouldn't be too surprised if we don't take 6 points off Gibraltar, if Kenny remains in charge. surely even the most ardent kennyite would give up the ghost at that point.

no?

No, if we lose to Gibraltar - expect unanimous support.

**paul_oshea** · 09/10/2022, 6:39 PM

Originally Posted by SkStu

How can anyone not want the best for this man?

I actually thought whilst watching that he wasn't as enthusiastic or as confident as he has been in the past regardless of who we faced. I feel like he's lost a bit of his belief in himself and the team and just being able to get results. Could well be reading too much into it but its not like his previous interviews. I'm not sure which thread it was on but someone mentioned, and kenny himself, doing well against the bigger sides that's another misnomer we picked up 2 points of a possible 12 from the last two higher seeded teams for WC qualification. Its not on a par with previous regimes(even McCarthy managed 3 in his second coming) than previous regimes and in no way is that good enough or anywhere near enough to get 2nd(possible even 3rd in this group).

I have always really liked and still do like Kenny and thought initially he did a great job at Dundalk( Cyprus away and another couple of performances had me wondering about him), I just find the media hypocrisy is a bit silly at this stage. It's almost like the Bank Job.

**Real ale Madrid** · 09/10/2022, 7:17 PM

Draw v FRA & NED at home
Lose to both away.
4 wins v Greece and Gibraltar
14 points.
Miss out on 2nd and miss out on playoff.

It would be good if the FAI had some foresight at that stage and give SK the job for 2026 also. Lead an experienced squad to the USA.

**TonyD** · 09/10/2022, 7:52 PM

Originally Posted by BOOMSHAKALAKA

I think you're right. The excuses are ready made for this group. It started out with covid being used as an excuse, then after losing to Luxembourg it was all about building for 2024, when we came nowhere in the recent nations league it was because the players aren't any good. It just goes on.

Ha. Meanwhile you?re busy talking down France and Netherlands, no doubt preparing the ground for a fresh chorus of Kenny out when we don?t finish in the top two ahead of two of the best teams in Europe.

**BOOMSHAKALAKA** · 09/10/2022, 10:09 PM

Originally Posted by TonyD

Ha. Meanwhile you?re busy talking down France and Netherlands, no doubt preparing the ground for a fresh chorus of Kenny out when we don?t finish in the top two ahead of two of the best teams in Europe.

Do you know we've lost to Luxembourg, Armenia and have had a whole host of embarrassing results under Kenny? Come near the bottom of every group? It's not some conspiracy against him, he's actually been a woeful manager.

**ontheotherhand** · 10/10/2022, 12:11 AM

Originally Posted by TonyD

Ha. Meanwhile you?re busy talking down France and Netherlands, no doubt preparing the ground for a fresh chorus of Kenny out when we don?t finish in the top two ahead of two of the best teams in Europe.

Ignore and move on Tony. I speak from experience. 😅

**tetsujin1979** · 10/10/2022, 12:18 AM

Originally Posted by BOOMSHAKALAKA

Yes, as explained above. That happens. Every manager has to deal with it. The majority of Kenny's squad were between 27 and 29 though and really not much different to what McCarthy had a year earlier.

Average age of the starting XI under Mick McCarthy: All games: 28.65, Competitive: 29.48
Average age of the starting XI under Stephen Kenny: All games: 26.78, Competitive: 26.75

**Jd2793** · 10/10/2022, 7:18 AM

Originally Posted by Eirambler

Well, for starters, he made the same mistake he made last week against Armenia in that he somehow thought it was a good idea to have Conor Hourihane on the park. But ultimately these things come down to wider issues, we weren't set up correctly that night against a poor Slovakia team missing players, the formation, style of play, everything was wrong. And we missed a great chance to qualify for the Euros as a result.

Back to the present day and I could see a few bad results bringing an early end for him in this campaign. He could well be gone by the summer, as we're unlikely to have any real say in this group by then. And on that basis what is the point in him still being there at that stage?

The negative side of it is that, with this draw, no result will be bad enough to justify his sacking for some of the pro Kenny crowd. But, for any objective viewer, I think enough will be enough before too long.

hourihane started every game in that campaign. he was some bit useful 2.5 year ago , not useful at all today though. bizarre to be blaming kenny for playing him then

"no result will be bad enough to justify his sacking" but it will though. if we get tonked 3/4-0 by france or holland it'll be enough to see him gone. then you might be happy

**Eirambler** · 11/10/2022, 12:24 PM

Originally Posted by Jd2793

hourihane started every game in that campaign. he was some bit useful 2.5 year ago , not useful at all today though. bizarre to be blaming kenny for playing him then

"no result will be bad enough to justify his sacking" but it will though. if we get tonked 3/4-0 by france or holland it'll be enough to see him gone. then you might be happy

Hourihane was useless then and he's useless now. While I lost any remaining hope for Kenny ever doing anything as manager following the second Armenia debacle, I will never wish for the team to lose games. But at the same time I know we won't qualify for a tournament - short of auto qualifying as hosts - until he's gone.

**TonyD** · 11/10/2022, 2:17 PM

Originally Posted by BOOMSHAKALAKA

Do you know we've lost to Luxembourg, Armenia and have had a whole host of embarrassing results under Kenny? Come near the bottom of every group? It's not some conspiracy against him, he's actually been a woeful manager.

Nice dodge.

**TonyD** · 11/10/2022, 2:18 PM

Originally Posted by ontheotherhand

Ignore and move on Tony. I speak from experience. 😅

Yeah, I should know better.

**BOOMSHAKALAKA** · 11/10/2022, 6:34 PM

Originally Posted by tetsujin1979

Average age of the starting XI under Mick McCarthy: All games: 28.65, Competitive: 29.48
Average age of the starting XI under Stephen Kenny: All games: 26.78, Competitive: 26.75

I wasn't talking about Kenny's whole term. Things changed after Luxembourg when it was all about building for 2024 because we were eliminated. McCarthy's last game in charge had a team with an average age of 28.7. That was with Glenn Whelan. Kenny's team for the playoff game v Slovakia had an average age of 29.10, with no Whelan.

**BOOMSHAKALAKA** · 11/10/2022, 6:38 PM

Originally Posted by TonyD

Nice dodge.

No dodge. He's been criticised because he's been an awful manager for Ireland, it's that simple. Why shouldn't we compete with any team to qualify for major tournaments? In the recent past we've nearly always been competitive in qualification groups and when we haven't been, the manager has got fired. Kenny is extremely lucky to survive this far.

**tetsujin1979** · 11/10/2022, 6:48 PM

Originally Posted by BOOMSHAKALAKA

I wasn't talking about Kenny's whole term. Things changed after Luxembourg when it was all about building for 2024 because we were eliminated. McCarthy's last game in charge had a team with an average age of 28.7. That was with Glenn Whelan. Kenny's team for the playoff game v Slovakia had an average age of 29.10, with no Whelan.

The average age against Denmark was 29.47. The average age against Slovakia was 29.76, and you're ignoring that we played two games (both competitive) between Denmark and Slovakia, with an average of 27.46(v Bulgaria) and 26.78(v Finland)

**BOOMSHAKALAKA** · 11/10/2022, 7:32 PM

Originally Posted by tetsujin1979

The average age against Denmark was 29.47. The average age against Slovakia was 29.76, and you're ignoring that we played two games (both competitive) between Denmark and Slovakia, with an average of 27.46(v Bulgaria) and 26.78(v Finland)

I'm just doing quick calculations, basically taking there ages now and taking away 2 but you get the point. There wasn't much difference between McCarthys team and Kenny's for the first 10 games at least. Take Glenn Whelan out and swap him with a 20 year old and it turns it into a low 28 year old team? Look at the line ups, that was the main difference.

**liamoo11** · 11/10/2022, 8:47 PM

https://www.the42.ie/will-smallbone-3-5889743-Oct2022/ really idiotic comments on hodge here from kenny. Always strikes me as wanting to show everyone he is the most knowledgeable in the room so has to bring Ronan into the conversation in a way that comes across as belittling hodge

**Diggs246** · 11/10/2022, 8:55 PM

He's a fool. Asked about Joe Hodge and basically says he prefers Conor Ronan

**irishfan86** · 11/10/2022, 9:33 PM

I have no issue with him hyping up Ronan but in that context it's really disappointing. Why not say something along the lines of -- "it's great to see a young Irish player make his premier league debut. I will be monitoring his progress closely and if he continues to feature, I'm open minded about fast tracking him into my senior setup."

Give Hodge a boost, let him know he is being tracked -- and that there's a path to a senior breakthrough.

I really don't understand why Kenny would be so casual given the players at his disposal have really struggled at stages during the Nations League campaign.