PK@rte.ie (again). The All New (Patrick Kielty) Late Late Show Thread

Not sure why..mainly work ..but haven't really tuned in for a few weeks.

But it seems the initial positivity has died a bit here ?

How is he doing , I was hoping for him to do well...but watching this evening , this strange faces and forced laugh ..is a bit grating?

I'll give it another go ..the thread too.

..

How is PJ an RTE canteen face? He works for Nova

That might be why he's great, but it's also why he's not really a father figure.

Watched the Two Johnnies on there own show last week.

What a bit of fresh air.

Thoroughly enjoyed it compared to the LLS.

Can't stand Kielty's voice.

Thank god Kielty got the LLS at the end of it all, last night wasn't great but there is the whole unpredictability again now, the end bit where Kielty rings the telephone competition winner to be met with initial whisper and deep breathing was funny. Can you imagine what it would be like with Claire Byrne at the helm, she is definitely not chat show host material, RTE dodged a bullet there. Hopefully the penny has dropped that current affairs and light entertainment don't mix

I like Patrick Kielty, but a big problem stiil remains, the quality of almost all the guests is awful. Last night was very,very poor.

I made a point similar to your first point a few weeks back, though my example was people who would have been A-listers 30 years ago and whose star has now faded. You're absolutely right, you don't need to be an A-lister to be a good guest, but there's a difference between the Z-listers in your example and the Z-listers like Shane Daniel Byrne from last night, who should be avoided. He was terrible, as was Emma Doran.

He's done work for TV productions commissioned by RTE, big difference.

Yeah Irish comedians on talk shows with scripted material is embarrassing mostly

I think we're near the top of the consumption "leaderboard" in Europe. Shocking stat

Paul McGrath wasn't one of Ferguson's "boy he wanted to guide to greatness" - He was an established senior player already at Man United for four years when Ferguson arrived as manager. The club had a very deep rooted and problematic drinking culture at the time, which Ferguson could see had to be rooted out first before any actual progress could be made on the pitch. Paul McGrath was only one of many who got the boot from the club in the mid to late 80's as Ferguson went about improving the standards. With 30 plus years of hindsight, yes he could have handled it differently and tried to weed out the arseholes taking the piss to the well intentioned players who needed personal help but we have to remember he was the new manager in a new club and he had to start getting results quickly. 9/10 people in his position would go with the new broom approach and try to ship out the deadwood and bring in his own picks.

Over the next 26 years, Ferguson always petted his star players who were an asset to the club and tried to do all he could to keep them sweet. Eric Cantona being the prime example. And if they could no longer keep the standards that were set, were unwilling to or were just over the hill, he would move them on. So what. That's what he's paid to do as manager. Keep a winning team. He proved over three decades, he knew what he was doing.

Where Ferguson was an actual father figure was with youth players. I could name you dozens of young players who went thru the United academy system and didn't quite make the grade. Guys the Nevilles, Scholes, Beckham etc played with but ultimately weren't good enough. None of them were booted out the door with a kick in the arse. Ferguson and the club always did their best to sort them out with new clubs and moves that suited them and their families. Many such ex players spoke of being in contact with Ferguson for years after being at the club, getting advice and his input on their careers.

As for Jack, I think he may have been posthumously sainted without me knowing but he was just as ruthless and unforbiding as Ferguson when it came to his philosophy. He may have helped McGrath, but McGrath would play the way Jack wanted, so Jack did his best to accommodate him. Was Jack as lenient to Dave O Leary, or Liam Brady? Two hugely talented players who would walk into practically any first team in the world, but whose international career was axed under Jack because they wouldn't tow the line.

I suppose you are always going to get a few guests per season who just don't work out.