Republic of Ireland Team 2023/24 [old thread]

bren2001

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122233962#Comment_122233962

piss poor manager in a piss poor league

he won the league, how is that piss poor?

omerin

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122234133#Comment_122234133

See the second half of quoted text!

If in the million to 1 chance he gets the job or is the waterboy, or is in cone management on the training field, I will no longer watch the national team. That is until he is sacked. I'd rather Declan Rice for manager

johnnyryan89

According to the Irish times the FAI are working off a five man shortlist which contains Willy Sagnol, Slaven Bilic, Chris Hughton, Anthony Hudson, and John O'Shea.

bren2001

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122234360#Comment_122234360

Neither your response nor the 2nd half of your original post explains how he was piss poor in Israel. He won the league by 11 points, I’d say that’s pretty good.

Not wanting him as manager doesn’t mean he did a bad job in Israel. I don’t know why you’d invent a reason to not want him.

noodler

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122233770#Comment_122233770

He won with me before he decided to sit there for two years and claim a salary from his own country's cash strapped football association despite being a multi multi millionaire many times over.

Can hide behind entitlement of he wants.

Probably doesn't make him any less the probable candidate.

omerin

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122234571#Comment_122234571

Take a look at the team's league finishes for the last 10 seasons, they won it 4 times, and finished second or third the other times. Hardly a feat of managerial excellence to win a league when the worse they did was 3rd for the last 10 yrs. Pat Dolan or Stephen Kenny could go over there and win and I would also consider them poor managers, would you? But for all they are lacking, they have a bit of common sense not to work in an apartheid state

Pauliedragon

I thought Kenny decided Keane wasn't needed? If so he's entitled to be paid.

budgemook

Keane probably has the best mix of credentials yet:

• Recent success as a manager.
• Excellent record as a player, in Ireland's top 3 players ever and amongst the very best international strikers ever.
• Still relevant, most likely a role model to our players when they were growing up.
• Has worked with FAI and some of the players before.
• Available and achievable.

Sign him up.

noodler

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122234853#Comment_122234853

But again where does "piss poor" come from? That entire post argues he performed on par at worst

glenjamin

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122234853#Comment_122234853

It's quite clear you resent Keane for continuing to work in Israel which is fair enough, but the remainder of your argument in footballing terms makes very little sense.

Keane done a cracking job in Israel whatever way it's looked at. He made a selfish decision to remain as manager there, one that I'm sure most managers would make as well.

glenjamin

Fabio Cannavaro has left his role as head coach of Udinese after keeping them in Serie A last season. Hopefully new appointment will take a shine to Ebosele as Cannavaro predominantly played him off the bench.

bren2001

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122234853#Comment_122234853

You’re argument is bad and you should feel bad.

Patrick2010

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122235472#Comment_122235472

Robbie left with a year left on his contract, do contracts only work one way?

bren2001

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122236893#Comment_122236893

How does him leaving after one year of his contract make his time in Israel piss poor?

Its an irrelevant point.

Patrick2010

my point was as I’m sure you know is that you felt Robbie was quite entitled to sit at home collecting 500,000 from the FAI seeing out a contract but can just walk from Macabbi. Maybe they should keep him to his contract?

Patrick2010

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122230768#Comment_122230768

Not Macabbi at fault for expecting him to see out his contract

bren2001

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122236989#Comment_122236989

You responded in a thread of someone saying his time in Israel was piss poor. By any objective standard, that’s quite clearly incorrect.

Have you seen Robbie’s contract? Are you aware what the termination clauses are? If the club wish to hold him to his contract, they’d be perfectly entitled to do so and Robbie would have no comeback. However, the statement as reported on the club website is that Robbie declined to extend his contract. Seems like he served his contract to the end.

So no, I don’t know what your point is. I do know it’s irrelevant.

Stewball

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122235420#Comment_122235420

"cracking job" is a bit of exaggeration.

He won a relatively poor league with arguably the best/second-best team in the division. In fairness to him, it's still a decent achievement in his first year in mangagment.

My worry with Keane taking the role is his lack of experience. The way his team were ripped apart in the 2nd leg of their Conference League tie against Olympiacos is really worrying - they should have had that tie won, but absolutely bottled it. For a manager to set up a team like he did for that game, really showed his lack of tactical nous.

We have a young team, we need an experienced manager.

TheCitizen

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122230263#Comment_122230263

I never understood this “not liking” thing, you pick a manager or a player on criteria such as ability to work with players and football abilities and knowledge etc. I never understood why people get fixated on public figures and come to some conclusions about them and whether they’re “likeable” or not. It’s not a popularity contest, don’t put me in that category.

I thought Neil Lennon was the best option of the realistic gettable options because he had the strongest CV. He’s not exactly “likeable” either, a lot of Celtic fans for example really dislike him but for me I don’t care because I won’t have to be living with him or even working with him. It appears that because of lurid tabloid headlines about Lennon’s private life from 10 years ago that there were some on the committee in the FAI that couldn’t stomach some of that lurid stuff from his private life from years ago being regurgitated. That’s not a reason to not appoint Robbie Keane by the way that because Lennon was ruled out for personal or PR reasons that Robbie should be ruled out also.

I digress. So you could argue that Robbie Keane is the best realistic candidate available now, and if they appointed him I’d support the team and him because he’d be the manager of the team and if the team wins he wins.

However on a personal level I would question Robbie Keane’s personal judgement. He took a job in Israel, did he have to take a job there? Was there no other offers or alternatives to him? He has quit now after one season despite it being a successful and he has quit for a reason, but he hasn’t elaborated on that reason. If he was offered the Ireland job he would have to address that which may make it not worth the hassle for the FAI to appoint him. That’s poor judgement from Robbie for himself in my opinion.

Also when he kept taking the money even though he was frozen out by Stephen Kenny and no longer doing anything for the money, the argument put forward by you and others is; it wasn’t his fault and he was entitled to the money because that was the contract. That’s true on the face of it. However again I would question his judgment there. Did he not think; I could take the money here but it might not sit well with the people at the FAI and if in the future I’m going into management and become good enough with experience to become a manager that perhaps it would be better to not take this money or not just sit there and take all of it because it might not sit well with these people who make these appointments in the near future. The smart thing for him to do was pick up the phone and say ok let’s come to an agreement here, pay me off with a bit of it and we’ll shake hands on it. There was no obligation on him to do that but for the sake of his personal relationship with them it might have been the prudent thing to do. Again; that’s poor judgment from Robbie for himself and his own outlook.

I think I’ve talked myself into thinking that I don’t think he should be appointed after all or at least that I can understand why some on the committee in the FAI wouldn’t appoint him.

Did you smash it

Brighton taking their manager from the bundesliga II, Norwich taking a manager from the Danish superligæn. God help us if we end up with Hughton or Oshea.

TheCitizen

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122237039#Comment_122237039

Agreed, this is a better reason to not appoint Robbie Keane. Right now we really could do with an experienced manager to put a shape on the team and bring back some belief and confidence.

johnnyryan89

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122237087#Comment_122237087

If the FAI were actually able to appoint someone like Fabian Hürzeler fans would have a **** fit that they appointed someone whose only 31 and most his experience coming in the 4th/5th tier of Germany.

Did you smash it

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122237301#Comment_122237301

we couldn’t appoint a Hurzeler but we may be able to at least talk to a Alexander Zorniger

as it is I don’t see it as impossible that Oshea will be the intermin past September

TheCitizen

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122237339#Comment_122237339

Surely they’ll have to offer him a contract this time, mind I think I said the same thing last time but from what O’Shea said the other day I think he wants a decision made and he’s not going to continue to be the caretaker indefinitely.

ratracer

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122237489#Comment_122237489

If he had any self-respect he’d have told them to go jump when they came back for him for these games as an interim again! It was only supposed to be for the first couple of games.

He’s that desperate to get the role he’s willing to let them string him along.

Did you smash it

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122237848#Comment_122237848

he’s getting paid for it, it’s an honour for him to manage his country, it gets an ex pro out of the house and it increases his profile and thereby his chances of catching the eye of a Plymouth or Colchester or Barnsley or Charlton Chairman which is where he’ll likely end up.

there are reasons, smart reasons, that he is staying as intermin beyond being desperate to keep the job. To say it means he doesn’t have “self respect” is the kind of nonsense exaggeration that I see everywhere with football these days and personally I find sickening.

ratracer

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122237880#Comment_122237880

Good for you !

Did you smash it

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122238049#Comment_122238049

good for you saying one of our most capped internationals has no self respect

noodler

Yeah the idea a proud ex pro couldn't step up when required without being labeled as having so self respect is a bit much.

That said, I hope if he's selected it isn't based on the fear he'd walk

Randomfriend

I love John O' Shea, but I also don't think he should get the job yet, I desperately don't want it to become another Staunton situation. Maybe John really does know what he's doing, but honestly that Hungary performance was crap, and we only won because they really did not care. We need way more evidence than good vibes and 4 friendlies.

It was lovely to win, great to see Idah and Troy score, all that good stuff, is… good, but I'm also not sure we learned much, or that we will learn much from playing Portugal either, especially given they played 2 games in a week already, and this is their 3rd and final one right before the tournament starts. We'll know more after the game obviously, and I'd love to feel positive about the whole thing, but there's a big air of desperation about the place and we must not just jump at John because we don't know what we're doing :D

I also feel incredibly strongly that we can't appoint Keane. He actually has a better CV than John now after what he did, but between where he choose to manage, what he had to say about it, and even sitting on a massive contract while the FAI was insolvent, has massively damaged how I think about him as a person. I hate that I feel that way, but I do. Maybe I'd feel differently if he made a statement, or after some time passes…

Legality is not equal to morality and all that.

johnnyryan89

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122240600#Comment_122240600

It was a joke that Duffy was even allowed pull on the Irish jersey this month given his scumbag behaviour recently.

dr.kenneth noisewater

The fact O'Shea has used the same system and players as Kenny rules him out for me. Playing 3/5 at the back seems the best use of our resources a couple of years ago but it hasnt worked

johnnyryan89

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122240868#Comment_122240868

Even with the U21s our options at WB are lads not truly suited to the role. Roughan and Murphy play LB but their favoured positions are CB.

Curtis has those Lee O'Connor vibes that you wonder has he the physicality to make it at FB in senior level. Abankwah can play FB but he's also a CB.

Adaramola seems the only FB at U21 level which is suited to the WB role. Hard to say about the lads coming through with U19s but Sean Moore whose a winger has been used at WB by West Ham. Would still like to see Ogbene get minutes there for the seniors.

bren2001

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122240829#Comment_122240829

One could make the argument he continued the system because he is interim manager. As an interim manager, it doesnt really make sense to rip things up. If he was appointed to the role he may very well switch it up.

dr.kenneth noisewater

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122241120#Comment_122241120

That made sense for the last window, doing the same things as the last few years when he got a 2nd chance to audition makes no sense to me.

bren2001

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122241992#Comment_122241992

I dont really see how it makes a difference. You're only going to make changes if you're in the job long term. Otherwise your role is to just keep it ticking over.

Augme

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122237880#Comment_122237880

To me it shows a lack of ambition and if I was a Chairman of Plymouth I wouldn't be looking at what he's done in a positive. Compare him to Duff, who took a club job and is getting experience of managing week in, week out.

johnnyryan89

Good to see Grady McDonnell get his first start for Vancouver FC. Made history back in January by becoming the youngest player at 15 to sign a professional contract in the Canadian Premier League.

Left the MLS side Vancouver Whitecaps academy to sign a three year contract with the CPL side in January.

Canadian born with an Irish dad and has 11 U15 caps and 8 U16 caps most recently joining up with the U16s in Portugal for a UEFA development tournament. Made his U17s debut last October.

Travelling transatlantic that often at 14/15/16 is a strong indication where he views his international future. Playing for Canada they could easily move him up the age groups and given the CONCACAF schedule there's plenty of opportunities for them to even give him opportunities with the seniors at 16.

Did you smash it

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122242349#Comment_122242349

it shows a lack of ambition to be an intermin manager rather than just telling an FA No when they ask you to be intermin?

Augme

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122242441#Comment_122242441

Yep. But, maybe he just isn't that interested in being a manager or a coach unless it's the Irish one. Which is fair enough as well, but again, doesn't say much for him either in terms of being a sensible choice to actual be Irish manager.

johnnyryan89

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122242441#Comment_122242441

Would actually be less ambitious if O'Shea sat at home doing nothing. Instead he's taken a chance at using these games as interim to further improve himself.

Don't think anyone would say Paddy McCarthy had no ambition by being Palaces interim manager. Instead he should have told them give me the job full-time or **** off.

Like I'm sure he'd love a managers job where he's working week in week out gaining experience. Until someone offers him that opportunity it's mad to say he's got no ambition for taking an interim role when the other option was to sit at home.

Did you smash it

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122242459#Comment_122242459

I don’t see why taking the best offer at the time shows a lack of ambition or why you are reading into it that it shows he may not be interested in other jobs. I don’t know why you would take that meaning at all. It would be a very strange managerial ambition to want to be Irish manager and only Irish manager.

I just think it’s funny the strange conclusions people come to about John Oshea taking the best offer open to him right now.

As for Damien duff showing ambition by managing Shels…again I really think that is a strange take.

Did you smash it

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122242472#Comment_122242472

yeah agree, the idea that Oshea would be more ambitious if he sat at home is a really odd one.

Augme

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122242472#Comment_122242472

I don't think coaching players everyday and managing a team week in week out shows a lack of ambition, that's my point, so I can understand why Paddy McCarthy said yes to that offer.

You'd hope JoS could find a coaching job somewhere in Ireland, the UK or beyond, but if he can't and the only offer he's ever going to have is the Irish managers job then I can understand why he's willing to hold out for it. As you say, better than sitting at home.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122242474#Comment_122242474

I agree it would be very strange. As above, maybe no one else is interested in having him as coach so that's why he is wher he is now. Damien duff accepted an offer to work coaching players on a daily basis and to manage a team playing every week. Maybe ot ambition, but at least it shows interest in being a manager.

Maybe I'm being harsh on JOS though, as I said, if no one elsenis willing to give him and coaching job except Ireland then obviously I understand why he's said yes to it.

~Rebel~

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122242063#Comment_122242063

In his pressers he has actively talked about his belief in the system he's using, what he wants from it, and why. He made it very clear in the first stint in charge — particularly talking about the switch to the double-6s — that it was his system. He was volunteering this information as well, rather than just having to say something.

So I think for better or worse, this Ireland is the John O'Shea Ireland.

Did you smash it

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122242579#Comment_122242579

duff is managing shels. If you think that shows ambition regardless of the day to day aspect then I think that’s mad. Duff is talking about looking forward to the next 100 matches being head coach at shels; if you think that shows ambition then that’s even madder.

Fair play to duff for buying into the LOI but to think he’s showing ambition is literally the opposite of the truth. He’s happy out in the LOI and wants to be there long term.

O Shea has bounced around in jobs in reading and Birmingham learning his trade and now he’s coaching at intermin international level. There’s no suggestion he is being shunned for jobs, the idea he can’t get jobs in the league in England is based on …what exactly?

~Rebel~

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122242631#Comment_122242631

As a young manager starting out, doing whatever you have to do to get on the sideline and get experience managing day in day out, week in week out, shows ambition. He doesn't need this. He's more than wealthy enough. But he's gone out and gotten a job that requires total commitment, which he's clearly given. Can't say fairer than that. The questions around his ambition to be the best manager he possibly can be will come down the line if he does well enough to get bigger clubs from the UK/Europe coming in for him. But for now he's doing what he should be doing.

JO'S is where Duff was a few years ago - he's had a few stints as 3rd or 4th guy on the sideline at struggling clubs, so probably would do well now to try to get a job as top guy at whatever level he can get it and learn his trade.

Augme

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122242631#Comment_122242631

Lol. It's based on you telling me that he'd sitting at home doing nothing if he wasn't the interim manager of Ireland.

Did you smash it

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122242648#Comment_122242648

there’s no evidence he has an eye on bigger jobs

~Rebel~

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122242663#Comment_122242663

He doesn't need to right now - and he definitely doesn't need to be talking about that right now. If he does well enough, the offers will come down the line, and then we'll see whether he prefers to stay in Ireland, or wants to push himself at a more difficult level - and either way, that's grand.