Stephen Kenny

[Eirambler]

Gotta give Kenny credit for matching Germany and France's result against Hungary in that case, no?

Possibly, although we don't know how hard Hungary were going that day. Not getting injured right before a finals tournament can be more important to players in that situation at times.

The next series of games will give us a better idea of whether the Hungary game was a turning point or not. Right now the only definitive line we can use to judge Kenny's tenure through this tournament is Slovakia's performance compared to the depleted version of their team that defeated us last autumn. Their performance against Spain wouldn't inspire much hope for us.

[BOOMSHAKALAKA]

How did we "almost qualify"? We won 3 matches, 2 of which were against Gibraltar and a group full of terrible performances. We were then gifted a play-off spot because of the Nations League, in which we finished bottom of our group. 16/35 teams that didn't qualify automatically got play-off spots. We picked up 3/12 points against the top 2 seeds and dropped points to Georgia. That's not almost qualifying.

The new Euros format is a joke and by our measurement, most teams "almost qualify". McCarthy reign amounts to a handful of draws in a relatively soft group and terrible performances where we didn't get near winning the must-win games. He needed at least 6 points in the last three games and got 2.

Kenny hasn't been a success by any measurement other than capping new players, but lets not pretend McCarthy's second reign was good.

Beat Denmark at home in the last game and we would have qualified. We battered them and were unlucky not to win. That IS almost qualifying.

McCarthy's second reign wasn't amazing, as I've already said, but it looks amazing compared with Kenny's. And looking at Switzerland and Denmark at the euros makes you comment about a soft group look silly.

[BOOMSHAKALAKA]

Gotta give Kenny credit for matching Germany and France's result against Hungary in that case, no?

In a friendly? One of Kenny's 'outstanding' performances was against a depleted Slovakia. They didn't look that great at the euros.

[BOOMSHAKALAKA]

Nothing more than low percentage football. Keep it tight, win the individual battles/ second balls, lob it into the box at every opportunity, strength in set-plays. Championship football on the international stage.

His well-paid brief was qualification - which he did not achieve. He recorded 3 competitive wins against Gibraltar (twice) and Georgia at home. (Georgia at home is accepted as a good team performance, both games against Gibraltar considered sub-par). Failed to win any of the decisive games in the group.

To summarise: we stumbled to wins against Gibraltar, we "hammered" Georgia 1-0 at home, we laboured to a draw away to Georgia, we were outclassed away to Switzerland, and we won the moral victories at home to the Swiss and home + away to Denmark. Basically par for the course for an Irish team in a qualification campaign - we're there or there abouts. Same old rubbish and another episode of short-termism to add to the list.

And yet Kenny's reign has gone far backwards from that point! Barely any goals and losing to Luxembourg et al.

[pineapple stu]

In a friendly? One of Kenny's 'outstanding' performances was against a depleted Slovakia. They didn't look that great at the euros.

I agree the friendly status devalues it, but Mick's draws v Denmark were three years ago now and aren't as relevant either

[Bielsa´s irish]

I dont find the english word for this but I think Kenny situation from November is gonna be unsustainable, people will get angry because we are gonna get beaten by Portugal away and 0 points from 3, it is very hard, he hasnt made any favours himself, we played better in Slovakia because of James McCarthy, the rest of the game he missed his sense on the pitch. While im watching ucrania vs suecia i can tell you we need a player full of football like Albin Ekdal in Ireland, maybe Johansson could be that player , who could carry the ball to the players in dangerous positions, for me Ekdal has been inmensed today.

ditto this watching Rice haranguing the public made me fed up of him , what a chancer!!!

[BOOMSHAKALAKA]

I agree the friendly status devalues it, but Mick's draws v Denmark were three years ago now and aren't as relevant either

We played Denmark in November 2019??? McCarthy's last game in charge. When comparing where we were prior to Kenny to now, those results are about as relevant as can be. There's no denying we've gone backwards. The euros are showing just how much we have.

[pineapple stu]

Jaysus - didn't think it was that recent. Fair enough.

[mark12345]

We played Denmark in November 2019??? McCarthy's last game in charge. When comparing where we were prior to Kenny to now, those results are about as relevant as can be. There's no denying we've gone backwards. The euros are showing just how much we have.

Mention the Euros and one has to think of England and two of their players in particular - Greaslish and Rice. Had they stayed with us they never would have known moments like today's epic win over Germany. I suppose the victory scenes at Wembley, compared to our playing friendlies against the likes of Andorra, is a measure of the gap between where we are and where we need to be.

[Exgrad]

Mention the Euros and one has to think of England and two of their players in particular - Greaslish and Rice. Had they stayed with us they never would have known moments like today's epic win over Germany. I suppose the victory scenes at Wembley, compared to our playing friendlies against the likes of Andorra, is a measure of the gap between where we are and where we need to be.

Yes, and I'm sure there are players within our underage set up at the moment who are thinking the same thing.

[paul_oshea]

I think you are guilty of seeing what you want to see, Paul. Both teams in the game you mentioned played a heavily possession based game yesterday. Spain raided out wide and Croatia focused through the middle. Long balls to the channels or from defender to the central attacker occurring i would say less than 10% of the time. Sure, Croatia went a little more direct in the last 15 minutes but they had to and Spain were soft in the middle. There is also a lot of difference between what constitutes a "long ball" by Croatia or Spain (long passes) vs. Ireland (garryowens).

We dont have the strikers to play the "long ball" game effectively - but i am all for being a little more direct into the wide channels for our speedy forwards to run on to which, i think, we saw more of under SK against Hungary.

I have watched all games in the Euros bar a half of two games, the one thing I have noticed is that almost every player (and i Include N Macedonia in this) can take a ball in a tight space under pressure, and keep hold of it and get the pass away that's the one main and very important attribute players at these Euros have over most of our players. Perhaps its championship football for championship grade players. The other main points I have picked up is that most teams are playing a variety of styles and can change it up throughout the game, this possession for possession sake is a misnomer, few teams do the passing along the back four like Ireland do continuously without any idea of how they are going to get it through to the next bank, many teams are varying the passing because they have identified weaknesses of defenders or midfield, that Croatian full back for example, got caught out twice.

That's an interesting one about being guilty of seeing what I want to see, I would put that at the door of many on here who had seen "greenshots" with kennys first few games in charge, identifying possession and passing incoherently across the back four without any penetration and the keeper taking short kickouts* within the box to a defender as proof of progression. There's been a good few games in this championship where one team has had more possession at these euros and lost, I doubt they found solace in that on their journey home.

Agree with your last point, that's what I saw against Hungary and I felt we got a lot more out of the game with variation especially long balls/balls over the top. Also why I mentioned Obafemi, as Idah doesn't have that thundering pace when he finds himself in those positions - which he did a couple of times.

*Of course theres exceptions to this too, Marshall time and again taking long punts forward when Scotland needed to hold ball for a while against Croatia was very frustrating.

[paul_oshea]

Mention the Euros and one has to think of England and two of their players in particular - Greaslish and Rice. Had they stayed with us they never would have known moments like today's epic win over Germany. I suppose the victory scenes at Wembley, compared to our playing friendlies against the likes of Andorra, is a measure of the gap between where we are and where we need to be.

I was having some signal chats with friends from home about this, saying that we badly need a defensive midfielder, a playmaker and a proper striker. Denmark have proven, and Croatia that 3 very good players can bring you far. I dont care either way for England to be honest, or at least I didnt think I did, but when I saw grealish and rice interviewed and talking about how great the fans are and how much it meant it got to me. How can any English player say that? They'll turn on them at anytime and boo them. Is it because of that they desperately require their admiration or something? I don't get it. It would be the worst feeling to be loved by an English supporter, because you know the relationship is built on sand foundations.

[Bielsa´s irish]

I have watched all games in the Euros bar a half of two games, the one thing I have noticed is that almost every player (and i Include N Macedonia in this) can take a ball in a tight space under pressure, and keep hold of it and get the pass away that's the one main and very important attribute players at these Euros have over most of our players. Perhaps its championship football for championship grade players. The other main points I have picked up is that most teams are playing a variety of styles and can change it up throughout the game, this possession for possession sake is a misnomer, few teams do the passing along the back four like Ireland do continuously without any idea of how they are going to get it through to the next bank, many teams are varying the passing because they have identified weaknesses of defenders or midfield, that Croatian full back for example, got caught out twice.

That's an interesting one about being guilty of seeing what I want to see, I would put that at the door of many on here who had seen "greenshots" with kennys first few games in charge, identifying possession and passing incoherently across the back four without any penetration and the keeper taking short kickouts* within the box to a defender as proof of progression. There's been a good few games in this championship where one team has had more possession at these euros and lost, I doubt they found solace in that on their journey home.

Agree with your last point, that's what I saw against Hungary and I felt we got a lot more out of the game with variation especially long balls/balls over the top. Also why I mentioned Obafemi, as Idah doesn't have that thundering pace when he finds himself in those positions - which he did a couple of times.

*Of course theres exceptions to this too, Marshall time and again taking long punts forward when Scotland needed to hold ball for a while against Croatia was very frustrating.

I dont mean to bug ya, but Guud Hiddink did it 15 years ago with AUSTRALIA. they were afraid of Uruguay they got a bad return from iconic forme striker Frank Farina in the condefederation cup and hired the maestro. If Australia did it why Ireland couldnt. Guus Hiddink was someone who had Ireland carved in his forehead for hiring. He made all his teams to play pretty footie, allowed his defenders play it smoothly from the back, he made Craig Moore a better footballer after he was 26 years old. Had right back Lucas Neill he reverted him as libero, played 3 at the back had Jason Culina a playmaker of winger in Holland play as a holding midfielder, had Scott Chipperfield a left back, playing as a wingback with chance to score, Had that Wilshire who was a holding midfielder as right midfielder or right back, turned Cahill who was a holding midfielder into a scoring machine..,,,,isnt that great?

we still could get Hiddink

[Razors left peg]

we still could get Hiddink

In the past Hiddink could have been a great appointment but hes now 74 years old and the Curacao National team manager. Hes not exactly someone that would be great for a long term rebuild that we are in right now.

[tetsujin1979]

that makes him older than every manager at the Euros, and I think he's probably managed some of the managers who are actually there!

[pineapple stu]

In the past Hiddink could have been a great appointment but hes now 74 years old and the Curacao National team manager. Hes not exactly someone that would be great for a long term rebuild that we are in right now.

He's technically on leave from Curacao as he recovers from covid. Patrick Kluivert managed them for the past few games.

[Exgrad]

His gig before Curaco was the Chinese u21....who lost to Stephen Kennys U21s in the Toulon tournament...

[paul_oshea]

https://www.rte.ie/sport/soccer/2021...s-heart-scare/

I wondered why they kept it so quiet at the time.

[Colbert Report]

Listened to the interview just now. Stephen Kenny comes off as a nice guy but clearly didn't want to get into details and the host kept asking him over and over what happened to his heart. "It was an electrical issue" is all Kenny kept repeating. Painful to listen to. Stephen Kenny talks about about half the speed of a normal person.

[tetsujin1979]

Full interview is on YouTube