Cult of Stephen Kenny

Maybe his Dundalk teams were just hungrier than the Irish team? they weren't on big money like the Irish team. I think a lot of the Irish team have let him down to be honest, they didnt try their hardest and made some awful mistakes that Kenny cant be blamed for.

More teams qualify, true, but we still got France and the Netherlands in our group.

Greece seem to be on the up but I'm not sure about their level. FIFA rankings suggest they're about our level. A quick look at their squad shows a lot of players playing European football. I don't think you can say we 'should' be beating Greece, though a defeat at home is poor.

The only team we can safely say that we should be beating home and away is Gibraltar which we did.

Its pointless to look at other teams that are in different groups. Though, it is worth pointing out that there are more groups now and less minnows per group. Just because more teams than ever qualify doesn't mean we should automatically be there; it actually makes groups more competitive.

The Nations League is all teams of, arguably, the same level so the fine margins in each game can go one way or the other. The WC qualifiers will be tough. Bigger groups and less spots.

And, funnily enough, we might still end up in a playoff for the Euros, because of Kenny.

Truth, he’ll hang on in for as long as he can 💶💶💶💶💶💶 he’s not going to kiss goodbye a six figure cash payoff…

Just seeing we have a friendly against New Zealand next month….. just shows you the fûcking mentality of our leadership both Kenny and the FAI… that they set up a friendly against NZ. WHY ?

that team are ranked 104 in the world…..we are 55. So there can be no plus points or positives to be taken… we beat them… that’s expected, no kudos or back patting…we should put 3 or 4 past them…..they get a result here or we just scrape a win 🙈… a rod has been made for our collective back…

Czech Republic or Sweden or Austria… would be way more suitable opponents….

His contract is till 2024. What you are referring to is the break clause… which does take effect in a month I think.

I’m not defending Kenny at all. I think his time is up. Can you point to one of my posts where I have said differently?

You are the second poster who’s engaged with me who is certain Kenny is out of his depth and playing the wrong style but can’t offer an alternative style of tactics that suits our current squad.

How can you be sure changing tactics will lead to better results?

We're highly unlikely to even get into the playoffs because of Kenny! That's how bad he's been. And even with reasonable results, we would have been second seeds for the France/Holland draw so his awful results had a big part to play in that draw. Greece have a far worse squad than ours and their manager humiliated Kenny and his assistant twice! He made an absolute show of them.

All of this is ignoring that Kenny had to get coaches in to sort out the team formation, set up and tactics because when he tried on his own he couldn't get a victory and we only scored 1 goal. His reign has been a nightmare from start to finish.

Did you prefer coming near the bottom of every Nation's League and qualification group? Losing to Luxembourg and Armenia? Being humiliated by Greece twice? I don't want a return to long ball tactics either but it's far preferable to the absolute muck we've had to watch for the past 3 years.

Their manager made an absolute laughing stock of our management team. Humiliated them. First by telling everyone how easy it was to tactically outsmart them. Then laughed off Andrews stupid comments, pulled their pants down and spanked them again on our home pitch. It's embarrassing.

Poyet isn't even a very good manager but he gave the group a really good go with a worse squad than ours. He's on similar money to Kenny. It really kills the Kenny apologists in their tracks. All their excuses are destroyed by one example.

Clearly, the FAI could be doing better, but the "best supporters in the world" can't be exempt from their failure to support Irish football and put more pressure on the Government to fund the sport.

Most international teams are 'not that good' though. Most are average to poor which is what Ireland are. I don't expect Ireland to be qualifying for every tournament. But Ireland should at least be in the mix and look competent beside other average or poor sides.

And this chat of hoofball annoys me. hoofball is direct football done INCORRECTLY and a team playing with fear. There is nothing wrong with a more direct style when done with a plan or purpose. A counter attacking more direct style, with high energy would suit this Irish side with the players they have. Don't try and play through midfield if the midfield is not good technically focus on the fast players down the wings. Ogbene does it well for Luton playing in a weak side against sides which are much better technically in the so called 'best league in the world'.

It makes way more sense then trying possession football INCORRECTLY, passing it for the sake of it sideways being easy to play against with no real penetration from Cullen as you mention.

All the players you list other average to poor international sides would make use of. A good manager would mask their weaknesses and play to their strengths. And get some sort of tune out of them. Also I feel Ireland needs to bring back some of the more experienced players just to have them around the squad as an influence, leaders. This Irish team has none. And as Kenny took the physicality out of them making it even worse.

But all these young lads you mention seem to be very passive, the type of 'nice lads' a mother would love her daughter to marry. Ireland needs to throw in a few dogs into the mix in the squad.

It's a bit like the Kenny Cunningham spin after losing to Luxembourg about them being more technically gifted than us and all of the shite. No kenny they're not. We just have a shite manager.

I didn't say automatically, I said Ireland should at least be in the mix. Ireland are in group with the Netherlands and France, precisely because Kenny flopped against the teams Ireland should be getting results against in Nations league etc. Each international game is now important for seedings etc.

Ireland have been a distant fourth in the group not even putting it up to Greece/Netherlands. I am convinced that this Ireland side managed by Mick McCarthy would have at least made it awkward for those two sides. That Netherlands side was there to be 'got at'. Greece were let do what they liked, the Irish side again were passive when it mattered.

If Mick was in charge there is no way Ireland would have being such a soft touch defensively for a start. Look at the manner of Ireland's defeats. Kenny is to blame for this, a team is a reflection of the manager.

The fact Ireland still might end up in a play off spot despite only beating Gibraltar twice proves my point. It is becoming more difficult not to get a play off spot, than it is to get one. Because the football organisers have made it way easier to get into tournaments. Imagine how well Ireland would have done during the last three years if they had a competent manager?