Republic of Ireland Team 2023/24 [old thread]

athlone99

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120745570#Comment_120745570

If Roy Keane wanted to actually be in management why doesnt he apply for an LOI job? Duff has done it. Keane knows hes not wanted anywhere, clubs have moved on and know he cant work with modern players.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120745623#Comment_120745623

Theres your answer right there and from a Cork man no less! If he came in for 5 years, won 4 leagues, qualified for the Europa League and got some results in Europe then yes it would.

johnnyryan89

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120747503#Comment_120747503

Could see Burnley trying to use him as part of a deal to sign Gyökeres from Coventry. Similar if I was West Brom I'd be trying to get him on loan as part of the deal for O'Shea. Though they need all the cash they can get so probably not in tye position to demand player plus cash deal.

Sheffield Wednesday and Stoke have been names thrown out as showing interest in McNally. After the season he had at Coventry should be aiming higher than those two.

Did you smash it

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120747760#Comment_120747760

Roy keane isn’t going to take a massive pay cut to work in the LOI

gormdubhgorm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120747760#Comment_120747760

That is some logic in order to be considered for the Ireland senior job in your eyes. Keane has to manage at a LOWER level than he has previously managed? In other words LOI

Roy Keane has managed championship in England won a title and managed at international level. Also has played at a high level obviously. Roy Keane going to LOI the equivalent of a past principal of a school doing a janitors job. Because some are more in tune with the janitors work. Way over qualified for the janitor’s job. But the janitors Union sneer at him.

It is a really odd dynamic.Roy Keane has managed at a level Duff/Robbie. have never managed at. Yet LOI would get Keane the Ireland job? In what other industry would that make sense?

Also your first reaction was no LOI club would take Roy Keane? Now you have changed your tune slightly based on another posters post. Which again makes no sense based on your previous hyperbole. That no LOI team would touch Roy Keane! Is LOI suddenly been elevated to a top tier position in world football?

Your logic is padded wall stuff- mad, blinkered illogical.

artanevilla

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120748016#Comment_120748016

He's far too young for the managers job.

Augme

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120747824#Comment_120747824

It's not that Keane needs to manage at a lower level, he just needs to manage at any level and show he isn't going to fail miserably at it. That championship win was 20 years ago and everything he has touched since then, as a manager, as ended in failure.

Hiring a manager who's managerial career peaked twenty years ago and who has been on a consistent toward trend since then is a fundamentally really poor decision.

johnnyryan89

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120748016#Comment_120748016

With Wolves financial issues hopefully he's not stuck there for the season to pad out the squad. Really needs to get himself regular minutes next season.

Andrew Moran has been linked with a loan move to Blackburn. Hopefully it's not just clickbait cause Blackburn would be a decent move as a club they give youth a chance and play good football.

Swansea supposedly want Michael Duff to replace Russell Martin and if that happens could hopefully lead to Luca Connell getting a championship move.

athlone99

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120747800#Comment_120747800

Well some think hes going to take a massive pay cut to take over the senior job....

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120747824#Comment_120747824

Hold on it was you that first mentioned Roy managing in the league of Ireland. I said it wouldnt happened and that in my opinion not many teams would want him. You then asked me a hypothetical questions of if he did manage in the league would he then be eligible to manage the Irish squad and i said given Kennys success in the LOI that is the standard barer for an LOI manager to be considered.

Roy Keane won the championship what, 17 years ago? Football has changed, he hasnt nor has his managment style hence why he cant/doesnt want to get a job in the UK. You are the one talking nonsense about Roy Keane, Kerr, Hodgson etc.

No LOI team worth its salt would take Roy Keane as manager. He has proven time and again he cannot manage player who are of a lower standard to him and what he played with. Roy Keane if and thats a bloody big if will only get a job in League 1 in the UK. Teams have considered him for the wow factor and media attention and then quite rightly decided not to touch him. You self confessed that you know nothing about the LOI are mainly a GAA fan, you have shown yourself to talk absolute waffle about people who the FAI wouldnt touch with a barge pole. Many more than me have told you to give it a rest but you persist to show your lack of knowledge and continue to push nonsense.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120748085#Comment_120748085

This in a nut shell. I shall not be respond to further nonsensical posts from you.

Did you smash it

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120749546#Comment_120749546

What’s he on at sky?

gormdubhgorm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120749546#Comment_120749546

Keane managed championship level and EPL and served as international assistant manager. That is the best CV of any candidate - simple as .

I am beginning to the the problem though - from a young lads perspective if born in 99 was 7 or under 10 when Roy Keane was most successful. So it does not resonate with a young lad.

So therefore you find it easier to dismiss Roy Keane’s achievements in management.

You much prefer management candidates unproven from much lower levels of management as long as they can be hyped up as 'progressive' - rather than a more experienced proven candidate. Basically you prefer the optics/marketing appointment type. Which Kenny was/is.

Comments like ‘football has changed’ ties into this mindset. A very idealistic one heavily weighted with recency bias. So you ‘talk up’ the younger unproven candidate. And dismiss the older far more qualified one.

In my view there is one constant in football that never changes , it is results based. A good manager gets a team moulded. And performing as best it can.

glenjamin

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120746061#Comment_120746061

More news like this please.

I think the Kenny talk has reached an impasse at this point. He remains the ROI manager, and it looks like he will do so until the end of the campaign.

Not sure if Brentford would be the right move for Collins. Ajer and Mee have developed a good partnership there and I'm not sure Frank would go ahead and dissolve it just for Collins.

This is a big summer for a load of the Irish lads - Parrott, Furlong, Hodge, Moran, Adarmola, and Kelleher badly need some stability of first time football somewhere. I could see Moran breaking through at Brighton but the rest will remain pretty much bench/reserve players.

johnnyryan89

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120750309#Comment_120750309

Ajer only played 9 league games last season. Collins actually has more minutes in the PL than Ajer has in the last two seasons. Ajer has only racked up 2752 mins compared to Collins with 3478. Similar with Zanka he's only played half the minutes that Collins has since joining Brentford two years ago.

Was mostly Mee and Pinnock that started at CB and Brentford switch between a back four and three. If they do sign Collins it's likely gonna be a club record or similar. Current record is £22m but might have add ons.

Mightn't go straight into the starting XI but don't see Brentford spending that much and not playing him. Long term Zanka and Mee turn 34 next season and Ajer has his injury issues.

Musicrules

When are the FAI meeting? The fans want Kenny out, the media have turned on him. It's over so hopefully the FAI do the right thing and get rid of him.

ben.schlomo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120750130#Comment_120750130

Will you let it go. If Keane is or was such a good manager then why hasn't he managed, on his own, in what, a decade, more? Stop, it's up there with the person who mentioned Coppell FFS.

johnnyryan89

https://twitter.com/JacobsBen/status/1671897176904192000

Burnley got themselves a bargain.

ben.schlomo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120753352#Comment_120753352

Great move for him.

DJIMI TRARORE

He'll be worth 20/25m in 2 years time,WBA should have insisted on a %

Faugheen

Has anyone suggest Roddy Collins yet?

It would be nothing if not entertaining.

eire4

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120746732#Comment_120746732

Last paragraph there is key IMHO. We in Ireland are so far behind what is the proper infrastructure to allow our countries most talented young 12-17 year olds come through it is a flat out embarrassment. We have started moving in the right direction in recent season but we are so far behind we face a long road ahead But if anything close to what was in the FAI's strategic plan and vision does come to place then I think in time we can indeed finally maximize the huge potential we have in Ireland and have a national team that not only is competitive at the top level but one we can enjoy watching and be proud of. But it is not going to happen overnight. I have made the above points in this thread before and have said we face at least 10 years as an also ran while we catch up and my opinion on that has not changed. I praised Kenny in the past for insisting that we become a modern footballing national and demand that our teams actually attempt to play. But while we have seen some progress in that regard the reality is not enough. Keeping the ball means being brave on the ball as well not just possession for the sake of possession and for me the end for Kenny was the Greece game. You had all the time to prepare for that game and we go out and play not just poorly but with absolutely no bravery or belief on the ball at all. Look reality is the talent level we have in our squad is the worst since the early 1970's and that is not Kenny's fault. So I could accept not having a lot of success right now and in the short and medium term if you could clearly see how we were playing was in a brave modern manner aggressive off the ball positive and brave on it while wanting to keep and be comfortable on the ball. But reality is when you look at Kenny in the competitive games that matter when we have played the top tier teams we have looked decent but when we play second and mid tier countries that goes out the window it seems and we play with no bravery and or real belief and that tells me it is time for Kenny to go. I have no names to put forward as to where we go next but I think it would be best if we bring in a younger progressive manager who can indeed take us in that direction. Hiring someone to have us just sit in, play direct and for set pieces is the past we need someone who can continue to take us forward in the manner of the modern game. But I stress the quality level in our squad is still very weak and that is not changing any time soon so again for me IMHO this is a long term project to rebuild the game in Ireland at all levels so that we can have for the long term a successful national team.

Musicrules

Kilbane joins the growing list calling for Kenny to be sacked.

deisedude

Dan McDonnell made a good point on Off the Ball that it's highly unlikely the FAI will sack Kenny right now with the women's team going to the world cup next month. They dont want to take the focus away from that.

Also you don't want a new manager's first 2 games to be against France and The Netherlands

kowloonkev

If they're taking the women's team into account before making decisions then things must be worse than ever.

LuckyLloyd

https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/soccer/2023/06/24/kevin-kilbane-stephen-kennys-soliloquy-was-nothing-more-than-gimmickry/

The thing I love about this is the expectation and passion still burns. We need to replace Kenny NOW precisely because we are not out of the tournament yet. With the right setup and a bounce or two we can beat Greece and Holland at home. We need to act now.

Musicrules

Look at what's happened in Scotland. Struggling under Alex McLeish, losing 3-0 to Kazakhstan. They brought in Steve Clarke and they look certainties to qualify for their second major tournament in a few years.

Did you smash it

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120759534#Comment_120759534

He’s doing his best to keep Andrews sweet while asking for his replacement and describing carsley as the “ideal candidate” is laughable auld nonsense

Augme

Ww can beat Holland at home. 😂 haven't heard anything quite as funny in a long time.

Juwwi

Hi does anyone have an opinion on how difficult it would be to buy a ticket for the away game in France in September ?

Xander10

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120759776#Comment_120759776

🤔

Has anyone seen Mr. Nice Guy, lately?

deisedude

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120759517#Comment_120759517

Look who knows whether it's a factor or not but it wouldn't surprise me if thats part of the thought process of the FAI.

More likely is the doubleheader with The Netherlands and France is a hiding to nothing for a new manager and the cost of paying Kenny off early

gormdubhgorm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120757766#Comment_120757766

All this chat about 'strategic plans' annoys me. They have been on about that sort of waffle for decades. It is just optics and window dressing

The wonderfully named 'Ruud Dokter' was appointed 'High Performance Director a decade ago.

https://www.fai.ie/ireland/news/ruud-dokter-appointed-high-performance-director

Before that there was another Dutchman - Wim Koevermans back in 2008. He described the job as a 'beautiful opportunity'. In charge of the e FAI's new National Academy.

https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/education-key-to-fai-s-appointment-of-koevermans-1.944419

--

I mean that is 15 years now that they went this route.

trashcan

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120761315#Comment_120761315

Boomshakalaka.

eire4

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120761639#Comment_120761639

Totally agree in the past the FAI have been an absolute disgrace and should be ashamed of themselves for the mess they made of football in Ireland. But for us to truly develop the game in the country there does have to be an actual plan and an actual strategy on how to accomplish the said plan. This is a new FAI trying IMHO to go in the right direction to put the right infrastructures in place for the game to flourish in Ireland. Whether they succeed or not in being able to implement anything close to the vision they put forward for the game at all levels is a whole different matter and time will tell. The main encouragement I have is that alongside what I thought was a comprehensive and positive vision for the game in Ireland that they put forward they were also able to show tangible progress in terms of reducing the FAI debt from 64m to 44m roughly. Given that the vision they put forward will depend on significant funding from the government the fact they can show clear financial progress is a positive sign that maybe the new FAI can take the game forward and actually deliver.

Niall_76

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120761639#Comment_120761639

Yeah, shouldn’t plan at all

LuckyLloyd

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120762037#Comment_120762037

The short term results based objectives of the Senior Team are decoupled from an overall development plan for FAI in general. Any good plan should assume the Senior Team constantly changes tactics and approaches depending on the manager in charge and mix of players available at any one time.

This point is oft confused on here and by the prevailing analysts in the media. Whether the Senior Team hoofs it or plays like Barcelona should have no bearing (and can have no bearing, in practice) on how we develop talent, organise our youth game competitively, and bring young players into youth national squads, etc. And it certainly has no bearing on the quality of the Senior Domestic league.

And as far as the debt is concerned, however you fall into an International tournament should be greatly accepted. Qualifying is everything financially.

noodler

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120759992#Comment_120759992

if we can draw with Switzerland, Portugal, Serbia and Denmark at home then I don't see why aiming to beat the Dutch is that huge a leap.

vid36

Kenny is going to be there until November, more wasted time but thats the FAI.

Augme

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120764363#Comment_120764363

So because we can draw with teams that are whose than Holland means we have a great chance of beating Holland. Struggling to understand that logic I have to say.

~Rebel~

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120765382#Comment_120765382

That Portugal team at the very least is well better than this Dutch team. Arguably the others are on par at least with the present Netherlands team.

When the fixtures were announced and we were looking at the Dutch team under Van Gaal I had no hope for us. But they’ve gone backwards very quickly under Koeman, and look pretty poor right now. Since he’s taken over they’ve 3 losses (conceding 11 goals in those 3 games), and 1 win against 10 man-Gibraltar, and have looked very unconvincing in every game. So definitely reckon there’s something there for us if we have one of the decent showings we often give against better teams.

McFly85

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120765382#Comment_120765382

It’s setting unrealistic expectations or goals to stick the knife into Kenny I feel.

The Netherlands have for sure gone backwards under Koeman and we may well be able to get something out of the game - but they will still arrive to Dublin as heavy favourites and rightly so.

Augme

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120765472#Comment_120765472

Portugal are well better, what exactly is that based on? The fact they needed an 89th minute winner against Iceland maybe? Or their wins against the mighty Bosnia and Luxembourg? Those three loses have been against France, Croatia (after extra time) and Italy.

gormdubhgorm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120762176#Comment_120762176

Plan in FAI language is code for pipe dream/window dressing.

A plan especially a long term one since 2008 should be showing results at the top level of the game. Bit has not. That means one of three things-

1) The plan was not implemented properly

2)The plan failed because of over ambition

3) The plan failed because of competing interests and political infighting

eire4

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120764020#Comment_120764020

Certainly short term results have without doubt taken precedence over having an over arching development plan for building the game for the long term in Ireland. No question about that and that is a large part of the reason why we are in the mess we are at all levels of the game. We are so far behind our peers in Europe in terms of having the proper infrastructure and overall pathways to develop the most talented players we have as well as the overall game in general we are an absolute embarrassment.

I totally disagree that how we coach and develop our talented younger players would have no bearing on the senior national team. There is no need to have all the younger teams through the mens team playing the exact same shape and style. But there are principles of the game which must be focused on and developed. Technically Irish players have been very poor in comparison to their peers due to the in general very poor coaching and infrastructure within Ireland. That has to change. Players need more contact hours with quality coaching to develop talented youngers who are confident and comfortable in possession of the ball and have the technical levels to play the game with real quality and speed. But again we are so far behind in this regard we are an embarrassment. That has to change so that we can consistently put a senior team on the field that is full of players confident and comfortable with the ball and who have a high degree of technical quality. That does not mean every national team from youngest to senior has to play the same shape and exact same style. But we do have to put in place certain common principles and infrastructure to maximise the enormous potential the game has within Ireland both in general and all the way up to the senior national team.

~Rebel~

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120765671#Comment_120765671

Portugal are a team - a bit like France - who do enough. Netherlands I would absolutely have agreed prior to a few months ago that we hadn't a hope against them, because they also had been a team who did just enough - but those losses weren't just defeats, they were really really poor performances. Watching those games pointed towards a team who are in a major transition of styles, who are not doing what worked under Van Gaal and are struggling with what Koeman wants from them. They look - as we have at times - like a team in no mans land. The 11 goals they conceded in those 3 recent games is more than they conceded in the whole world cup and their whole nations league campaigns combined. It's a very clear drop off.

We're in a lucky enough spot here where we get to play them next in the next round of fixtures before they've had much of a chance to improve. Right at this moment in time, we've a decent enough auld shout (while still being firm underdogs for sure) of getting something. Unfortunately for us though, I could also see Greece having a great shout of taking something out of their own Netherlands game.

Weepsie

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120759992#Comment_120759992

We can because they're not very good and koeman isn't great either

LuckyLloyd

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120765914#Comment_120765914

I didn’t argue that how we develop our players would have no bearing on the senior team. It would change the quality of the national player pool over time, which could allow managers more tactical flexibility when trying to achieve their short term aims. Rather, I’m arguing that how the Senior Team plays and how excessively results focussed it is has no practical impact on the success or failure of a youth development program.

You need to develop young players the right way; but that is entirely decoupled from the style and approach of the senior team. How could the deployment of senior professional footballers in must win games have a backwards influence on youth development structures or coaching sessions?

The FAI should be doing both in parallel, but they shouldn’t be considered one and the same. This is a key misconception held on this thread all the time.

eire4

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120766140#Comment_120766140

Well we will just have to agree to disagree then I guess. The style the senior team does or does not play in should not be completely decoupled from how the younger national teams play and the most talented younger players in any properly run LOI academy should be developed IMHO. I would also say that how the results of the senior national team go do impact the success or not of the younger teams. Success's breed and grow interest and participation failure the opposite.

athlone99

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120765720#Comment_120765720

Again you know nothing about the grassroots game here and the politics involved. The plan is working and is starting to bring players through to the senior team. That now needs investment so that clubs can employ full time academy staff to bring the players on even further.

Here's one for the minnows of 40 years ago are still minnows and we should be beating them with their eyes closes. Our good old friends Georgia currently topping their U21 group with Holland, Portugal and Belgium, but hey lets forget about the underage, domestic league and everything else, its all about results!

noodler

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120765382#Comment_120765382

I don't think any of those teams are necessarily worse than Holland tbh.

I think you need to calm yourself a little bit.

Pointing out that a home win isn't beyond us isn't the same as saying it is expected.

TheCitizen

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120759517#Comment_120759517

I don't think that's it. More to do with they don't have the finances to be changing manager right now.

johnnyryan89

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120766215#Comment_120766215

https://www.uefa.com/insideuefa/news/0264-110a215867e9-2855d9aa0d03-1000--georgia-s-innovative-elite-youth-player-development-prog/

Another country that has benefited from working with UEFA through the Elite Youth Academy Programme and FIFA to set up a full time national academy to train players. They're currently building their sixth academy facility.

The plans the FAI have for the development of LOI clubs is great and would be nice to see each club being able to have their own proper academies. IMO though the FAI needs to do better and push ahead with national academies first rather than focusing on academies for LOI clubs.

Can still aim to improve LOI academies but with Brexit closing off the main source of where our players used to get their first taste of professional training the FAI now need to set up somewhere that resembles academies in England where the best of the best can go train full time for a few years.