Cult of Stephen Kenny

The more games I'm watching the more the dogma is clear. Instead of hoof it forward when under pressure it's now knock it backwards.

The players neeed to be comfortable in possession which I definitely think SK has tried to instill in them but there needs to be way more impotence placed on playing forward passes.

Losing the ball in the final 3rd with a 50/50 pass and defending high up the pitch if you do lose it is better than passing all the way back and playing out all over again.

I don't agree with that...if there was no gaa and an improved league because it I'm positive you would see more good soccer players....imagine if the same level of interest that's funnelled into the hurling and football championships, county finals all Ireland club finals was focused on soccer here....it would be bound to produce more players at a higher level

I'm not saying it would result in trophies mind you but to say the better players go and play soccer because that's where the money is and the rest get left behind because they aint good enough seems incorrect or reductive at best to me

I think you are underestimating the draw of GAA from a young age....its bred into you, I'm certain theres many a potentially talented soccer player that never was because they never even considered it (or their parents/community around them didnt) or they missed a window to start young and couldn't catch up to the skill level required in their late teens/20s while competing against lads that had 10yrs more experience etc

I look at some of the younger players in particular on successful teams football and hurling and the skills, fitness etc and think they are not far off professional.....while holding down a job.......as soccer fan my mouth would be watering at the thought of getting some of those young lads into a youth academy with a sole focus on soccer......I've no doubt some of them would be top class if they were committed to it the same way they commit to their county teams...with a community around them focused on the sport

It may have been a bit more common in the past as there less options in the country for a physically talented person to earn big money playing a ball game...take Niall Quinn, Kevin Moran......you can't tell me there wouldn't be more of those now given the increased skill levels, commitment and physical conditioning at some of the top counties if you got them young.

We're sports mad in this country if you ask me, its just that soccer is down the pecking order really.....we benefitted a lot from proximity to the English league, emigration and near poverty in the past..........

Norway have also won 160 medals at the Summer Olympics apparently, never mind the way they dominate the Winter Olympics. We are just f*cking shite at anything to do with football.

Nah..I just can't agree with that.....just the existence of GAA and all that goes with it reduces the player pool in a country with an already low population (in terms of most of the best European teams) ...then there's rugby, your thesis fails on numbers alone

Then if you look at really successful ireland teams of the past many had a large proportion of English born players qualifying on granny rule etc on the starting 11.....not lads that made the trip over because they were too good for GAA.

You take away gaa and replace it with the same focus on soccer (not that such a scenario is even remotely possible) but say you did then you at least get Switzerland or average Norway/Swedencountry level on a consistent basis.....or possibly even approaching Netherlands due to proximity to English league imo.

It's a bit silly to think that all the good ones are spotted and make their way to soccer leaving the mullockers and redneck neanderthals behind to play stickball in ballyarsebackwards with Ciaran and Pat theback O'Meballsack.

We deserve clueless Kenny and a team of Championship standard players for letting Delaney go on for a long as he did, sucking resources out of the game.

Would rather the team at least attempts to play football and fail for the time being that go back to the way things were. Had a season ticket from 08 to to 2016. Some good memories but it was mostly the likes of Georgia coming to the Aviva and dominating possession. Overall, it was a bleak experience and lesser ranked European teams always played nicer football than us.

Beating Germany was great and all, but scoring a 1/1000 shot goal, directly from your keeper to striker, then defending for your life , praying they have one or those nights where it just won't go in, shouldn't be a long term goal.

Qualifying for the odd tournament was nice, but we were lucky that we got to play Italy's second string team to reach the last 16 in 2016. We were grouped with finalists in 2012 but it was plain to see that we were by far the worst team in the competition.

Irish football has been about papering over cracks the last 20 years or so, and we were the last team in Europe playing that hideous style of football, and even then qualification was a rarity.

Would rather bring the kids to games where we are at least trying to play the ball forward along the ground and lose rather than sitting back and trying to nick a goal here and there. It's depression to watch. The under 21s are playing a nice style of football, I think when they come through they'll adapt better.

Personally think Irish football and Stephen Kenny is stuck between a rock and a hard place. Hoof ball has been found out pretty much everywhere and Ireland don't have the players with the technical ability to play a more advanced game.

The defensive type of football Ireland played prior to Stephen Kenny was pretty common amongst lower half teams in the Premier League in the 90s and 00s where many Irish players played their club football.

Burnley under Dyche were probably the last team to play this style of football and were relegated last season.

the attacking midfielder who scored feck all goals, created feck all chances at the top level and could run all day, all day !

Dunphy was really found out with that obsession… eulogising on him as if he was Kevin De Bruyne in green.

Stephen Kenny was always going to have rough time coming from the league of ireland and taking on a team with very little quality . He doesn't inspire any confidence that he will bring us anywhere and its doubtful he has the confidence of the players .At least Brian Kerr seems to be happy enough he is obviously still very sore about getting the heave ho seems he enjoys putting the boot in whenever he gets the chance.

In the past we had the likes of Robbie Keane that could get a goal against Armenia, Luxembourg types. I never remember us steam rolling those teams under Trap, MON or McCarthy. It was more often than not a smash and grab job.

We've been in decline for a long time. In Mick McCarthys Euro 2020 qualifying campaign we scored 7 goals in 8 games (same as Georgia) and were incredibly lucky to get out of Gibraltar with a 1-0.

International football is funny, all it takes is one or 2 players and we'd be in the mix again. Bale has carried Wales to a World Cup. Scoring all 3 of their goals in the play offs. They have one or 2 better players than us behind him but apart from Bale the gulf isn't huge.

Fair enough sack Kenny, but don't expect Chris Hughton or anyone else to get much more out of this group.

And you would renew it if Kenny stays on and we continue to play this sh1te?