FAI...New Manager Hunt continues

[Itchy]

https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/soccer/international/ireland-go-into-qatar-friendly-with-urgent-need-to-find-their-mojo-1.4523373

Kenny also, however, restated his determination to get through the current difficulties and deliver a side capable of exciting and inspiring the Irish people. It was clearly heartfelt stuff from a man who must be under a fair bit of pressure at the moment, and he showed clear signs of emotion at one point as he spoke.
The only fear is that what he has in mind is a team that plays the way it did against Slovakia and Serbia because, good as those displays were at times, Kenny gives every impression of viewing them in an excessively positive light – more excessive, it seems, every time they are mentioned.

"I want to build a team that really exhilarates Irish football people," he said at the team's Hungarian base. "That's it, nothing more than that. We want to be much better. We've a huge amount of talent coming through and we've a lot of very good professionals, experienced professionals. We will integrate the two and make ourselves better.
"We hit a low the other day getting beaten by Luxembourg. We've got to take that on the chin. Some of our play has been nothing short of brilliant, against Slovakia and Serbia, and we'll continue to build on that and get better again. And that's the way I feel it now."
He described the Serbia game "as one of the best displays by an Irish team away from home in recent years", an observation that would provide the basis for an interesting round table with a couple of his fairly recent predecessors if any enterprising production company out there wants to get on the case.

You do realise that most times a manager makes comments like this in the media is he is directing them at his players. His job since Saturday was to try and pick up his players and I think looking back to the good against Serbia is better than allowing focus to stay on the disaster against Luxumeborg.

[mouview]

I'd rather us try to play a bit of football for a change than the hoofball we've been playing for large spells of the past 30 years now; it's not as if we were winning World Cups prior to the Kenny era. Would / did MON or Big Mick get any more out of these players in their later years in charge?

That bit of football has produced three goals in ten games and last Saturday one of the worse ever results in Dublin. If this run continues even Stephen Kenny will finally realise why Mick McCarthy and Martin O'Neill chose to play the way they did with this team.

It wasn't even the worst football this team has produced. Look at some of the away displays post-2016 against the likes of Georgia and Gib. when they were dosed to get a result. The performances were beyond dire.

[JPGJOHNNYG]

I get the point some of the football has been dung over the years but at the end of the day it's the results that matter. In all the finals. We probably only actually played well against ussr 88 and Italy 94 in 2016 we had a good half against Sweden and played well against the Italian B team and that's been about it but nobody cares. It's the results that are remembered. I personally couldn't give a stuff if we play more possession football and increase our pass percentages if it isn't converted into anything. From what I have seen so far none of it is at the business end. We are not creating loads of chances.

[seafoid]

https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/rugby/pro14/ken-early-theatrical-displays-of-outrage-to-luxembourg-defeat-will-get-us-nowhere-1.4522478

"We still have not accepted that there is a price to pay for the chronic mismanagement of the Irish game over the last 20 years"

[Estimator]

Going back to the messages regarding the amount of Irish players in the top flight in England, there is an excellent article on BBC Sport now looking at the path to the PL. It mentions the stat that only 180 of the 1.5m playing organised youth football in England will ever play a single minute in the PL. Proves how difficult it is for any young lad to make it across the water.

[tiempo]

Genuine question, could the Dubs have got a result against Luxembourg?

Be serious.

I am being serious. The Dubs transcend Gaelic games. I think Brian Howard shits on the Luxembourgers. Think of it as 11 Kevin Morans running wild around a field. Not saying they'd beat any of the top ranked teams but they'd easily hold their own against a pub league side such as Luxembourg.

[Baile Brigín 2]

Genuine question, could the Dubs have got a result against Luxembourg?

Be serious.

I am being serious. The Dubs transcend Gaelic games. I think Brian Howard shits on the Luxembourgers. Think of it as 11 Kevin Morans running wild around a field. Not saying they'd beat any of the top ranked teams but they'd easily hold their own against a pub league side such as Luxembourg.

He repeats. Be serious.

[Itchy]

Well worked goal.

[From the Bunker]

Luxemburg 1 up v Portugal 

[general_lee]

Luxembourg 1-0 up v Portugal?!

[sid waddell]

Ken Early may have had a point about the Luxembourgeoisie

They may actually be a half decent side

Twice the population of Iceland, who beat England at Euro 2016 and drew with Argentina at World Cup 2018

They drew 0-0 with France in Paris not too long ago

A Dynamo Kiev striker scored the winner past a Rochdale goalkeeper the other night

[Itchy]

I think its been poor enough by us, unable to beat their press at the back. A lot of sloppy play too. At least we are in front I suppose.

[seafoid]

Ken Early may have had a point about the Luxembourgeoisie

They may actually be a half decent side

Twice the population of Iceland, who beat England at Euro 2016 and drew with Argentina at World Cup 2018

They drew 0-0 with France in Paris not too long ago

A Dynamo Kiev striker scored the winner past a Rochdale goalkeeper the other night

He also noted that they are a settled side. It was a 50/50 game and they took their chance. It could have gone either way but we don't have a striker who can score on demand.

[sid waddell]

Oh dear

Qatar equalise after a minute of the second half

Lots and lots of space and a Gerson Rodrigues like finish

[sid waddell]

Ken Early may have had a point about the Luxembourgeoisie

They may actually be a half decent side

Twice the population of Iceland, who beat England at Euro 2016 and drew with Argentina at World Cup 2018

They drew 0-0 with France in Paris not too long ago

A Dynamo Kiev striker scored the winner past a Rochdale goalkeeper the other night

He also noted that they are a settled side. It was a 50/50 game and they took their chance. It could have gone either way but we don't have a striker who can score on demand.

They hadn't played a competitive game on the Wednesday night which was an advantage to them

Our players' fitness looked lacking