Cult of Stephen Kenny

Did you smash it

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121366491#Comment_121366491

The LOI had a club merger last year.

Jack Daw

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121366558#Comment_121366558

Maybe they need to cut their cloth to fit and accept they can't be full time professional.You don't deserve to be professional as a club if you don't generate enough revenue to sustain it.

Did you smash it

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121366564#Comment_121366564

And that is why most clubs in the LOI are not full time professional.

Fotish

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121366424#Comment_121366424

“ It wasn't because the IRFU ones were cheaper or better value, they weren't, they were more expensive, it's because they had a more affluent target market, and that was in the middle of a recession.”.

I’m not sure that statement is true. The FAI made a total dog’s dinner of marketing their 10 year tickets.

Also the IRFU we’re marketing a product that was regarded as superior to the FAI product.

Musicrules

It doesn't really inspire confidence in the 'new' FAI when you see they've left this embarrassment of a manager stay in charge for 3 and a half years. He should have been sacked after the World Cup qualification campaign but even after losing to Greece away, It would have been better for everybody including Kenny if he was removed. He's now being ridiculed and is a laughing stock.

It also would have been advantageous for the new manager to have time with the squad and introduce their style of play. But I suppose we have no competitive matches till next September. No play off for the Euros (thanks Kenny) and then we have to watch another major tournament without us. It's hard to have any confidence in the FAI making a good managerial appointment next but it's vital that some positivity is brought back.

Gusser09

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121370332#Comment_121370332

It's the GAA's fault though. Did you not get the memo?

I agree with everything here though. It's been an absolute mess and hasn't got any better over the course of his tenure. Failure to beat Luxembourg at home for example is a result which isn't that surprising anymore. Two nothing games coming up now and nothing to really get the juices going for 9 months.

Will a new more suitable manager be given the time and excuses that Kenny has been given?

CorkRed93

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121370332#Comment_121370332

sacking after greece away wouldnt have done much tbh. we were out once we lost that. let him see his time out , save a bit of money then look to bring in a fresh face in new year.

the real thing that doesnt inspire confidence in the new fai is the shambles on going with payments in lieu to the CEO and the continued messing around with the gender split on the board. total embarrassments. WE STILL DONT HAVE A SPONSOR. the ceo job is untenable

Did you smash it

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121370349#Comment_121370349

Why are the Irish government so concerned about a 40% gender quota when their own cabinet only manages 26%?

CorkRed93

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121370376#Comment_121370376

the fai signed up for this they obviously never thought it would be an issue. was it a big issue for IRFU or GAA?. the lads in the amateur side of things holding everything back AGAIN. along with a CEO who hasnt been able to get a new sponsor on board for 3 years. a total shambles of an organisation.

Did you smash it

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121370384#Comment_121370384

Are you sure the irfu and GAA need to meet this requirement? I was under the impression they don’t. That it is a requirement for the bailout money?

CorkRed93

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121370402#Comment_121370402

Motion nine, proposing new structures to address gender imbalance on the ruling national management committee, was seen as vital to the progression of the organisation and not exclusively because public funding has been threatened for sports governing bodies that don’t get female representation up to at least 40 per cent by the end of this year.

GAA ^^^

Musicrules

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121370349#Comment_121370349

Keeping him on has plummeted us further down the rankings, been a waste of time for our developing players, taken away an opportunity for the new manager to get his ideas across and has humiliated Kenny himself. Saving money is the only plus really. But the FAI are still a shambles as you point out. Adding to the depression of the last 3 and a half years.

Did you smash it

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121370412#Comment_121370412

Ok, I missed that at the time.

I wonder how the IRFU will take it.

I still think there’s a certain irony in the government insisting on a gender quota that they don’t have any requirements to meet themselves.

Fotish

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121370347#Comment_121370347

Ah now, talking about results, do you not get the email ? results are not important !

Strumms

Kenny and this team have amassed 6 points out of a possible 21.

Won 2 out of 7 matches.

28.57 % win rate….

however badly this reflects on the FAI… it also reflects pretty poorly on Kenny himself….

he should have the good grace now to say… “ didn’t go as I / we hoped, gave it my best, let someone else have a go “.

he’d walk into another LOI job.

this end to his tenure reflects very poorly on him as a person and football man…he should quit but I presume he’s hanging on to get pushed so he can get a payoff… that’s certainly what it looks like from here…..

FAI are calling his bluff, can’t qualify so let him at it….then that takes care of paying him off and having to hire and pay for a replacement too,

Kenny knows himself he’s not the man for the job…. He could quit, why doesn’t he ? Poor from him, he’s gone down a lot in my estimation….

Bass Reeves

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121366528#Comment_121366528

But it is not just league if Ireland clubs that pay players. It's also junior clubs that pay players for games and training. It might only be 50-100 euro a weeks but it swallows up funds that these clubs could use for youth development and facilities.

I have heard of junior clubs where the wages bill is significant and allowing for sport capital grants rate allow for 2-300k in development every years.

However league of Ireland clubs are in a league of there own. Look at Shamrock Rovers even there wealthy backers are getting fed up of the goings-on

nc6000

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121373732#Comment_121373732

His contract is up so no need to pay him off, they either give him another contract or bring in someone else.

Strumms

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121373831#Comment_121373831

I thought he’s contracted till next year ? Yes I just checked he’s contracted till just after Euro 2024.

Gusser09

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121373939#Comment_121373939

Yeah he is. But pay it up a this stage and move on. How much would he be due in a lump sum? Some decent managers might become available between now and then so no point in leaving it sit like this.

Did you smash it

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121374381#Comment_121374381

He’s finishing up in about a week. Hope you can wait that long.

Gusser09

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121374464#Comment_121374464

Should have been 2 years ago. Wouldn't have been left in charge of an under 14 team in the GAA.

Did you smash it

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121374477#Comment_121374477

Yes Gusser, he’ll soon be gone and we’ll have a new brilliant manager and everyone in Irish football is going to live happily ever after.

crusd

Thing is there is a makings of a good team starting to come together after been forced to cobble together journeymen, has beens and never would be's for the last few years.

Bazunu

Ebosele Collins Egan Manning

Cullen Hodge

Ogbene Moran Knight

Ferguson

That has the makings of a decent team in the next couple of years with players playing at a good level and suitable to play the style of football Kenny would have wanted to rather that the compromises he had to make due to the personnel he had available. The next manager looks like he might be lucky with the type of player coming through. Lets hope they dont revert to low block zombie football

randd1

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121373732#Comment_121373732

Who do you get though? Trappatoni and O'Neill got us to consecutive Euro's, and were lambasted for their negative tactics.

The 2012 tournament was the worst possible draw, the best team in the world, a strong Italian side (who would get to the final), and a Croatia side brimming with quality. We were never getting out of that group. In 2016 we were decent enough, got through the group, and gave the hosts (and finalists) a right go in the last 16.

And yet these lads were dumped. Kenny's side does at least try to play an attractive brand of soccer, but are as leaky as a sieve.

What do we go with? Someone practical but uninspiring that gets results, or someone flamboyant that doesn't?

Ideally you'd love to have someone that plays a decent style but gets the basics like defending/closing down/fats possession right, but do we have the players for that?

While I think Kenny needs to go, and the results says so more than anything, I don't think a rushed appointment would be a good idea, and I reckon as well before an appointment is made that maybe it be made clear that the next manager might need to be playing a different style of soccer to what we'd like to see to get results.

The one good thing Kenny's term might have done is temper our expectations as regards to what we need to be competitive. I'd take boring with good results and tournament qualification over semi-exciting with no danger to the opposition and constant defeats.

Did you smash it

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121374676#Comment_121374676

The narrative that has taken over is that Kenny wasn’t tactically adept enough to react in game to opponents.

this may be true but I think the reality is more that we try to play out from the back with players too limited to be able to do that. I think the media are driving a narrative that we can play progressively but Kenny wasn’t good enough in game to set us up in a way that progressive football would bear fruit.

and as for the final third, we are totally blunt in open play and depend on set pieces. We have no capacity to play through a defence other than get round the sides of them and try and whip in crosses.

this will probably go over most of your heads but the Brazilians play a form of football called futsal where there is a huge emphasis on technically flashy dribbling skills and fooling defenses. Futsal is massive in Brazil and that is why, in my opinion, they produce the best attacking players in the world.

Ireland has no futsal league or even an international team which is a total disgrace and I believe feeds into a big reason why we don’t produce flair players.

Ireland produce big solid committed good hearted players who can run long and fast, win second balls, defend and attack set pieces. But when it comes to unlocking a defence we haven’t a culture of being able to do that.

pgj2015

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121374647#Comment_121374647

Ebosele has played feck all, we dont know much about him, manning? average. cullen isnt great, against Greece away I didnt hear his name mentioned until the 40th minute, he didnt touch the ball. hodge is unproven, moran the same. Sure we thought parrott was the next harry kane a few years ago. potential means nothing.

Did you smash it

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121374837#Comment_121374837

Potential doesn’t mean nothing. That’s a throwaway line that is bollocks.

crusd

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121374676#Comment_121374676

The squad in 2016 had 11 players over 30. It left a big hole with no one coming through. Ireland also only made the last 16 as a third place team thanks to Italy fielding the 2nd string side having already topped the group. France annihilated us but only scored 2 in the last 16.

Also, zombie football tactics no longer work against even half decent sides. Qualifying for a euros should not be a measure of success. Its going to 32 teams. Only the sh*te wont qualify in the future. To be competitive in the Euros and to be in the frame for WC qualification ultra defensive football wont cut it.

pgj2015

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121374872#Comment_121374872

No it isn't. loads of Irish players had potential over the years and never did anything in an Irish shirt. its pie in the sky rubbish.

danny crowley was going to be the answer, playing in league 2 for notts county, gavin kilkenny another one, liam kelly, playing in league 2 now. lee o connor in league 2. connor clifford ended up back in league of ireland.the guy who could have played for sweden and luxembourg, the list is actually endless. some Irish soccer fans are like the english media the way they get carried away with themselves over players who may end up in the lower leagues and never even get 1 senior cap for Ireland.

Did you smash it

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121374893#Comment_121374893

There is no evidence that UEFA plan to change to 32 teams. They have said the opposite. The future is 24 teams.