Not really sure what to make of Ken's discussion yesterday on the Stephen Reid situation with the referee in the Forest vs. Liverpool game. He seemed to trivialise the verbal abuse when Second Captains themselves regularly promote the difficulties that referees face at all levels of the sport. If I recall correctly one of their episodes a couple of years ago had an amateur referee on as a guest talking about why he was forced to give up refereeing as a result of the ongoing abuse.
I'm fully aware of the fact that referees will always be a lightning rod for abuse and this won't change unless there is an entire paradigm shift. However, from the point of view of what Second Captains are discussing, I think they should be consistent in their view of condemning abuse of referees whenever it happens, no matter the context.
I’d get those suspicions checked by a medical professional if I were you
The idea of James Ryan having a direct debit to Gerry Thornley to say nice things about him on a niche podcast or in a newspaper with ever diminishing readership is a great idea for a skit, though
Total fanboy. I have suspicions he is on the payroll of World Rugby / IRFU / player’s agents.
He's like the polar opposite of Paul Kimmage, he's incredibly knowledgeable to be fair but it probably gets a bit buried under his enthusiasm, I do enjoy listening to him though but I imagine he could be kinda exhausting to work with, he's quite intense with his enthusiasm
Unpopular opinion but I enjoy Gerry Thornley’s passion for the sport he covers. More listenable than he’s given credit for because he sounds like he’s stepped off the pages of a Ross O’Carroll Kelly book.
A big criticism that was always there against Kenny was that he hadn't got the required managerial experience at the level - Duff has even less, considerably less.
All of things you've said about Duff being able to set a team up, making players better, definitely caring - rewind the clock back and these were exactly the same things that were said about Kenny. And there was more evidence to back it up then than what currently exists for Duff.
Kenny had a more impressive managerial CV coming with him when he was given the job - so you think the right idea is to replace him with a guy who has even less experience? How does that make sense?
BTW, I wasn't opposed to Kenny getting the job. I think he deserved a shot and I'm not saying Duff will never make it as a manager, but he hasn't done enough, for me, to be realistically in the conversation to the be the next manager at this moment in time. Things can change.
I guess the question of passion or tactics is a bit of a false dichotomy. Kenny had passion, loads of it, but he wasn't up to it tactically. It'd be great to get someone who'd get your blood pumping, but, at this stage we need more than that. I'd rather take a competent tactician tbh at this point.
We've not learned a thing from the shambles of Staunton's reign if people think giving O'Shea the job is a good idea. No management experience at all and parachuted in as national team manager based on 'passion' and having a good playing career. No thanks. At least Stan won his first match too!
Someone dull with a good bit of managerial experience at decent club or senior international level and the ability to make tactical adjustments on the fly is required to mop up the mess Kenny has left us in. O'Shea may be a lovely lad or whatever, but he doesn't have that ability yet anyway. If its a toss up between Poyet & O'Shea, then Poyet all the way. He'll do it for a box of tracksuits too, I hear!
Surely if you have the players for such a short period of time, a good tactician is vital? Man management isn't as big a deal, you'll have the players for what? 10 days at most?
Would I prefer Rafa Benitez than Duff? Yes very much so.
How can you dismiss Duff. Being a former player with a premier league medal isn't nothing.
Yes the team needs tactical nuance, maybe duff has it maybe he doesn't but he definitely would have the respect of the players. He's better than any current player in the squad.
If duff is missing something like the tactical acumen then that's something he can bring in but he definitely knows how to set out a team, he definitely makes players better than the sum of their parts and he definitely cares.
Would you prefer a manager who has the tactical ability but is missing the passion for ireland and the man management?
Duff has managed in the LoI only, let's get real if we still think that's an acceptable level to jump to the international job from. Kenny at least had success in the same league and he was utterly shambolic as manager of the national team. Duff definitely is one for the future if he can translate what he's doing this season to a team in the English pyramid.
All the ex-pros coming out to say how much they like Big Nice John and going to bat for him makes me want us to go in another direction more. Poyet is absolutely a better option if it's an either or.
We ain't shopping in Mark & Spencers here, let's just accept that fact and get a guy with experience at club and international level to do the job.
Yeah, couldn't believe my ears when I heard Duff's name being thrown about.
Well the lack of an opinion on Hayes was certainly due his legal career
Wonder if it's down to him becoming a solicitor,he might have gotten some training on public speaking
You wouldn't be saying that if you had to endure Martin "listeners" Carney on a regular basis.
Definitely noticed that.
Good sprinkle of "ehhs" which tells me he's checking himself.
Not too sure about the quality of his analysis to be honest.
He's adequate, nothing special.
I find it hilarious, and frustrating, the condescension that was directed towards Kenny and his lack of credentials for the Ireland job, yet O'Shea and Duff are genuine candidates.
Yeah, didn't they say the guy they're giving the job to was in contract till March so couldn't announce him sooner, which indicates it's not O'Shea. Unless something has changed
I think the FAI simply told the truth that Oshea is an intermin and the actual guy is waiting is finishing up elsewhere.
But I think the media bigging him up increases the likelihood of him being appointed. The FAI is obsessed with trying to get good coverage from the media and it knows that unless it appoints Jurgen Klopp it’s going to get a negative, or at least nonplussed, reaction. I think it makes it more likely that they’ll give it to O’Shea on the basis that it would not lead to a backlash
I would say the chances of Oshea being given the job are about 10%. The media are totally fanning this story to distract from the embarrassment of being at a lost as to who the actual man is.
In fairness the likelihood of him becoming the next coach is high-ish, due to the lack of other options. If the team had performed well, there'd be a real push for it to happen from the media
But I was surprised at how quickly the lads, especially Ken, seemed to take to the idea. It felt like emotion was ruling the head once more, like when Kenny was first appointed; deja vu all over again. As much as I know it was largely a pot-shot from a grumpy old man, but there is a sliver of truth in that Giles comment about Ken not really knowing much about football. I still love the guy of course, but, I wouldn't necessarily agree with anything he has to say about football.
Have no idea how OTB are framing it, but, I believe you.
You probably aren’t listening to OTB but the spoofing they’ve being indulging in about the job is already oshea’s is just a tour de force of the craft of spoofery
Yeah they were all but predicting he’d win the two matches before a ball had been kicked
They all got a little bit over excited about John O'Shea. They all wanted to give him the job based off I dunno what
One of Ken's character traits is to get a little bit over excited at times. I enjoy it, but, you always have to take it with a grain of salt.
Ken in his Irish Times column today has a gentle dig at himself for the rather silly comparison between Ireland and Bayer Leverkeusen after the Belgium game
Great to hear the hilarious Mid West Radio audiobed again.
NOOOO TOM!!!!
No Simpsons reference either I think 🤔
I like Jamie, but I do prefer when it's both Jamie & Malacky
Our man Gus available. Funniest possible outcome now is the football hipsters on Second Captains (thankfully Eoin and Murph had some realism) living under the Poyetball Era after rubbishing him early in the process.
