Cult of Stephen Kenny

Sorry Roy Keane not Robbie Keane. Robbie Keane has only started in his managerial career over in Israel at the moment believe it or not.

I don't think either would be asking for 'big bucks' both have plenty of money they would love the job - one (Roy) would love to get by into management (has not got the right club that interests him so far)

The other (Robbie) used to always turn up for Ireland at every game no matter what - I remember he said he did not learn much at school but made sure to learn Amhrán na bhFiann so he knew it for matches when he was older.

Coaching role or assistant role for Robbie maybe?

By that logic you can blame last night's defeat on Shane Duffy for not stepping up with the defensive line 🙄 how many individual errors have cost Kenny in games? The answer is lots. You're talking out of both sides of your mouth. No shame in losing to top teams, but here we are sacking Kenny for failure to compete against the top teams. Greece was disappointing, but I don't think we should be beating them anyway, that's how bad we are. There is no coherence in your posts.

It was the manner of the defeats in Euro 2012, we were drilled to be impossible to break down and then a flood of soft goals were created. It was a failure. Trapp was a failure.

How is Kenny not removing Duffy in one game akin to Trapp ignoring Holohan for years? Another stupid comparison.

But look, I think ultimately we will revert to conservative football, not qualify, then the merry go round will start again. Irish football is broken, has been been for decades.

Unless a golden generation comes through, and a coach who doesn't stifle them with negative Irish football culture, then we are doomed for many years.

I've done the coaching myself so apologies if it came across as a whinge against people volunteering their time. It's a tough gig.

And it's not necessarily a bad thing kids playing GAA and soccer. Not by a long shot if that's what the kids want to do. But it does bring problems because to play those games well requires very different skills and mindsets.

There's a strong argument the kids could be fitter and it'd help. No doubt. But they couldn't keep the ball, the didn't move cohesively as a team to create options for the lad in possession. They are the most important skills to improve at that age in my opinion. You can always get fitter at any age. You won't develop a first touch and movement if you don't have it by your teens.

It was Premier in one of the younger DDSL age groups.

Just on the squad we have the players available to us to ensure we shouldn't be out of every groups after the first few games. The below are decent players most of who have or are operating at the top level in England against some of the best players in the world.

Bazunu

Collins

O'Shea

Omabadele

Doherty

Egan

Cullen

Ogbene

Obafemi

Idah

The above have all been available to Kenny. We simply should not be out of the groups after 3 games. That was the case in this group when we had the shocker in Athens. Against Luxembourg a few years ago it was also the case. The group was lost.

Now with Ferguson about to burst onto the scene too we do have players capable of getting to the business end of the groups and still having a hope of qualifying.

His system of play has utterly failed and he seems clueless about how to change it. I saw Keith Andrews last night having to nearly convince him to make changes in the last few minutes. SK was starting into space. Lost.

Who would you go for? Would you keep SK?

We are poor in midfield. But with the defense we have a attacking options we have Luxembourg, Aremina, Azerbaijan and even Serbia and Greece should be beatable.

With the group of players we have we should be competitive in Nations Leagues and Euro Qualifiers. But we are not. Because we aren't using them to their strengths.

Yeah it drives me mad when fellas say 'hoofball' that is when direct football is done incorrectly. Jack Charlton was one for the 'pressure' but key to his idea was getting the ball in the corners, unsettling defenders, making the defenders turn.

Jayus, even John Aldridge brought into into it acting as 'the runner' chasing down defenders. Even though Aldridge was a top class striker playing for Liverpool in completely different role

But it was a key part of Jack's game plan. Nowadays you would call Aldridge's role as a defensive pressing forward. It was thought out planned and systematic. Contrary to popular believe Charlton did not like play rushed, it had to be thought out.

He also blamed himself during a game against one of those Baltic state where he went against his own main principles of gameplan when Ireland were 2-0 up he said don't get any yellow cards. But it meant under that instruction Ireland lost the fierce pressing they used to do. When before he was positive in his instruction.

To me Kenny did not seem to have a gameplan of his own that worked - he had 3 years to develop and hone it - but it ended up all over the shop. Nothing consistent about it at all.

What was/is Kenny's plan? This is the fella that was going on about playing football the 'right way' but throws Duffy a 31 year old 6'5 centre back up front!

That may well be true.

Ranting and raving at kids for anything is 100% wrong. They're kids. Let them enjoy the game.

You are being more than a bit generous there.

Idah played a handful of games for Norwich. Ogbene has he played half an hour yet of prem football? And Omobamidele likewise.

Really actually - only Collins has been playing regular premier league over the past even 18 months. Bazunu was dropped. Cullen has only just come up.

Our team is made up of Championship players and one or two prem players, and then a handful of prem squad players that are not first 11 for their club.

Nonsense. Most from that list aren’t even starting for their clubs and some of those clubs are Championship

So when Kenny does not have PL standard players - the argument is the players are not there.

The defenders you mention Collins. Doherty. O'Shea are all PL standard. It is up to the manager i(n this case Kenny) to mould them in a unit. Plus you left out Egan because he is starting.

There are plenty of players in international football who do not play regularly for their clubs but do well intentionally - NI, Wales, Scotland all comparable type of players. Some of those are much lesser quality than the ROI lads. Others get moves to other clubs based on their international performances.

I mean he was part of the utter toxic mess that was the MONROY era, I wouldn't let him anywhere near it after that. I don't think people are remembering how truly awful we were under them.

Roddy Collins. With an Amazon backed fly on the wall documentary aswell. For the craic.

Patrick O'Connell, Frank O'Farrell...

It is slim pickings to be fair.