Republic of Ireland Team 2023/24 [old thread]

Hughton is a contender, a big uninspired contender

Watching the Azerbaijan goal again it's terrible.

Three or four Irish players allowing him almost casually stroll right along the edge of our box - touch, touch, touch, looks up, picks his spot, no bother.

It's so bad watching it back.

Aren’t the English grooming Carsley as the heir/hair apparent for the England job? If I was him wouldn’t go near the Ireland job,

Brighton had limited resources and were never a Premier League side yet Hughton got them promoted. Newcastle had big morale issues and were a mess behind the scenes when he took over. If we can get a chap that has a record of two Premier League promotions with two different sides, that's pretty good for our level right now.

Yes and he only had the likes of Keane, Doyle, OShea, Walters, Long, Dunne and Whelan. Quite a step down from today's squad alright!!

Look, everyone can agree we shouldn't be struggling to get results against lower ranked teams. But if someone can coherently explain how the likes of Big Fat Sam et al are going to improve the future of Irish football then I'm all ears. If a change is made it needs to be while maintaining the effort to start blooding players and actually develop for the future.

Kenny is trying to develop for the future I get that and I think they change from hoofball will be worth it in the long run. We had premier league players out there today, we had Championship players out there too. Azerbaijan players are not to that level, if they where they would all be playing in better leagues than they are. There is no excuses about trying to change style that cuts it.

Yes to trying to build for the future

No to Kenny been the man to do it.

Wasn't even asking for a job, all they wanted to do was come in and work with the underage coaches and teams as a means to get more ex players into coaching. And as you said they didn't even have the decency to give him a call and say thanks but no thanks.

Think Carsley has said often he prefers working with youth teams than being involved with senior football. A few clubs that he often stepped in as caretaker for offered him the full time job as manager but turned them down. Maybe at the time his son could have been a big decision in that. It's why he left City to return to Birmingham and they didn't mind him working with the FA too so there was that.

There are barely a handful of players from Traps era still involved, so I don't really get that argument.

I think you can say these players aren’t great while also being cognizant that this by far the best squad of players Kenny has ever coached.

Hence, this is definitely an experiment, I don’t see much value in sacking him tonight.

Mother of god but some of the guff written here is desperate.

The only player that comes to mind we've had in the past decade that had a bit of genuine guile in midfield was Wes Hoolahan. Maybe we should stick with a more pragmatic approach until we have the players emerging that warrant a change. The previous coaching regimes were savaged for supposedly going with 'dinosaur tactics' but the reality is they were trying to hide our deficiencies, i.e. lack of creativity, goalscorers, and maximise our attributes: aggressive, strong defence, good set-piece threat. Nothing much has changed player-wise and even today the team's best hope of a goal is via a corner or free-kick.

They're paying Kenny half a million. Do you think those performances are worth that much?

If the FAI are getting itchy feet about him just draw up a list of managers who are out of contract next summer when Kenny's own contract is up. Even ask Barry if he fancies stepping in until next summer and put Kenny on leave if they don't plan on extending his contract past next summer.

I wouldn’t mind those nerds

they were the lads picked 9th in the five a side in PE

To play devils advocate. We have no prolific striker. It's not Kenny's fault he can't magic one up? Other than that there has been good football. It would be churlish to deny.

we didnt produce good mma fighters either a few years ago and and look what happened. Things change. Kenny is a good manager. would sam allardyce have had the success Kenny had with Dundalk?

Unless a new manager can shite a goalscoring forward out of his arse I don't see much changing tbh.

Also, Molumby would remind you more of a bumper car than a footballer. And it wasn't that long ago he was being hyped to the rafters.

Cullen and Coleman are the only two that look cut out for this level.

Decline since Euro 2016!!?

2002 is closer the mark imho. Been all downhill since then gradually.

Molumby hasn't played a club match since April where he came on in the 90th minute for Preston in a league game. Yet he's starting for the national team.

Thought his contract ran until next summer, or would there often be a clause that they can cut it short after qualifying campaigns finish and you fail to qualify.

As you said either just let him see out his contract while blooding more players in and then replace him, or sack him now if they want and let Barry see out the campaign before appointing a new manager for next year's nation's league.

Worst thing they can do is sack him now and try appoint a new manager straight away. You only need to look at the list of people someone posted early from the bookies. Take your time assessing options that are out there even now who'd be out of contract next summer with their clubs.

Has Kenny done any media tonight?

Ok so which players would you have for this pragmatic approach we keep hearing about. What big Irish players are being left out and can jump in and get us to a tournament with this new pragmatic coach and style ?