FAI...New Manager Hunt continues

[Captain Obvious]

Lucky it's just 1-0 down at half time against a Netherlands side that will likely struggle in the knock out stages of the European championship next summer if they reach it.

[From the Bunker]

Jez, the Irish lads look to be just caught in the headlights.

[Hound]

Ireland U21s suffer from same problem as seniors, no midfield players worth talking about. Passing the ball aimlessly around at the back and then hoofing it up the channels.

No doubt some truth and learnings in that but I thought the 21s were a bit unlucky. Brilliant second goal to go 2-1 up, missed a few chances to go 3-1 up that would have killed the game, then an individual error to concede a ridiculous penalty and a sucker punch a minute or so later to go 3-2 down. A draw was the least they deserved, but don't always get what you deserve.

[mrdeeds]

Ireland U21s suffer from same problem as seniors, no midfield players worth talking about. Passing the ball aimlessly around at the back and then hoofing it up the channels.

No doubt some truth and learnings in that but I thought the 21s were a bit unlucky. Brilliant second goal to go 2-1 up, missed a few chances to go 3-1 up that would have killed the game, then an individual error to concede a ridiculous penalty and a sucker punch a minute or so later to go 3-2 down. A draw was the least they deserved, but don't always get what you deserve.

If only they could have played Andrew Moran.

[Blowitupref]

Gibraltar biggest defeat before tonight was 9-0 against Belgium 6 years ago. With 10 minutes to go France are beating them 12-0 tonight.

14-0 it finished.

[Itchy]

Ireland U21s suffer from same problem as seniors, no midfield players worth talking about. Passing the ball aimlessly around at the back and then hoofing it up the channels.

No doubt some truth and learnings in that but I thought the 21s were a bit unlucky. Brilliant second goal to go 2-1 up, missed a few chances to go 3-1 up that would have killed the game, then an individual error to concede a ridiculous penalty and a sucker punch a minute or so later to go 3-2 down. A draw was the least they deserved, but don't always get what you deserve.

If only they could have played Andrew Moran.

That was quite a ridiculous decision considering Dutch game a dead rubber and he wasn't likely to even feature

[quit yo jibbajabba]

Badly need two separate competitions. Who really has an interest in France Gibraltar and how many time do England have to bate Malta before they get bored (I know it was only 2 0)

[Look-Up!]

Wonder who'll be in for the job. That was so awful it was untrue. Then the interview afterwards. I actually don't feel any sympathy for him anymore, can't stand the sight of him and will be very glad to see the back of him.

[LC]

Wonder who'll be in for the job. That was so awful it was untrue. Then the interview afterwards. I actually don't feel any sympathy for him anymore, can't stand the sight of him and will be very glad to see the back of him.

He is as dull as dishwasher, imagine that guy giving a team talk in a dressing room.  He would put you to sleep quicker.

[An Watcher]

I was all for Kenny getting his chance but its time to move on now.  At the same time he has conducted himself well in difficult circumstances.  He gave it his best and it wasn't good enough.  Good luck to him in the future

[Look-Up!]

I was all for Kenny getting his chance but its time to move on now.  At the same time he has conducted himself well in difficult circumstances.  He gave it his best and it wasn't good enough.  Good luck to him in the future

Might have agreed with you at one point Watcher but the stroke he pulled with Moran and screwing up the u21's! And from a supposed grassroots man and someone who done very well for himself through the underage competitions. F**k him. His interviews are an embarrassment at this stage, constant meandering incomprehensible gibberish where the interviewer has to constantly try interrupt and steer to reduce the absolute car crash on show.
 He's a Walter Mitty of the highest order. My only nagging worry is that he fits into the FAI MO perfectly and wouldn't surprise me if he keeps his job, especially if we beat NZ.

[Ed Ricketts]

Kenny is a genuinely good guy in a sport full of shitheads. That's why the players continue to speak highly of him even though they must know he is toast. There's no point kicking him when he's down and when he has a foot out the door anyway.

But it has to said that he was probably never the man to lead efforts in such a transformative change to the way Ireland try to play football. He needed more charisma, and to be able to spin a more convincing narrative about what he was trying to do. The diehards bought into it, and there was always good support in the stands, but he never really seemed to bring the masses onboard.

To be fair to him, he seems to have had his share of misfortune. The pandemic restricted access to players in his early days, making it difficult to bed in his philosophies. Results had been poor from before he took over, and then continued to get worse. He never got those 3 or 4 good results on the bounce that may have kickstarted some momentum. The difficulty of the draw for the latest qualifying campaign was a final kick in the balls.

But I feel like Kenny's biggest problem was always that the promising group of players that he tried to bring through over the last few years have almost to a man failed to live up to their potential.

Kelleher, Omobamidele, Knight, Molumby, Parrott, Idah, Connolly, Smallbone, Obefemi, and probably others. All of these lads looked like they had the world at their feet at one point or another, yet they've all been disappointments. Either happy to waste careers on sub benches, or not mentally equipped to get into the head space of being a top tier footballer. These are the men who were due to lead Kenny's revolution.

And these are also the men that the next guy in the hotseat will need to turn to. I wouldn't hold hope for much improvement.

[AustinPowers]

I was all for Kenny getting his chance but its time to move on now.  At the same time he has conducted himself well in difficult circumstances.  He gave it his best and it wasn't good enough.  Good luck to him in the future

Might have agreed with you at one point Watcher but the stroke he pulled with Moran and screwing up the u21's! And from a supposed grassroots man and someone who done very well for himself through the underage competitions. F**k him. His interviews are an embarrassment at this stage, constant meandering incomprehensible gibberish where the interviewer has to constantly try interrupt and steer to reduce the absolute car crash on show.
 He's a Walter Mitty of the highest order. My only nagging worry is that he fits into the FAI MO perfectly and wouldn't surprise me if he keeps his job, especially if we beat NZ.

I honestly stopped  listening to him long ago.  It was excruciating  to listen to him , even for a few  seconds .

[Look-Up!]

Kenny is a genuinely good guy in a sport full of shitheads. That's why the players continue to speak highly of him even though they must know he is toast. There's no point kicking him when he's down and when he has a foot out the door anyway.

But it has to said that he was probably never the man to lead efforts in such a transformative change to the way Ireland try to play football. He needed more charisma, and to be able to spin a more convincing narrative about what he was trying to do. The diehards bought into it, and there was always good support in the stands, but he never really seemed to bring the masses onboard.

To be fair to him, he seems to have had his share of misfortune. The pandemic restricted access to players in his early days, making it difficult to bed in his philosophies. Results had been poor from before he took over, and then continued to get worse. He never got those 3 or 4 good results on the bounce that may have kickstarted some momentum. The difficulty of the draw for the latest qualifying campaign was a final kick in the balls.

But I feel like Kenny's biggest problem was always that the promising group of players that he tried to bring through over the last few years have almost to a man failed to live up to their potential.

Kelleher, Omobamidele, Knight, Molumby, Parrott, Idah, Connolly, Smallbone, Obefemi, and probably others. All of these lads looked like they had the world at their feet at one point or another, yet they've all been disappointments. Either happy to waste careers on sub benches, or not mentally equipped to get into the head space of being a top tier footballer. These are the men who were due to lead Kenny's revolution.

And these are also the men that the next guy in the hotseat will need to turn to. I wouldn't hold hope for much improvement.

Stan is a good guy too but got absolutely slaughtered. Get your point though, at least Stan had some credibility so was seen as fair game.

And I understand we have a very average squad and we're not going to be challenging the top teams anytime soon but with an average squad the scale of achievement for a manager is anywhere between well below average to well above average. Where is Kenny in this scale? Lowest of the low end for me. We need shot of him immediately.

[Armagh18]

Where do we go next? Would any relatively big name want it?