Nations Notions

[Satchmo Distel]

"What did the British ever do for us?"

[jeanmid]

The latest "controversy" is that Kenny reportedly showed a 3-minute anti-English/Irish history video to the Irish squad before the England game - which, even if true, is nothing worse than happened during the Charlton era.

Judging by how Ireland played that night I don't think the video had the desired effect.

[Flynnie]

Dare I say that if the video backfired that badly, it might go a long way to explaining why the team is shit? It doesn’t sound like Kenny played the Corporals killings on video for the team, just some highlights of Euro 88 interspersed with Come Out Ye Black and Tans or something like that.

[Satchmo Distel]

They need to stick with Kenny but the WCQ are coming up rapidly and they are obviously not ready, so is Euro 2024 the goal realistically?

[Bizarre Löw Triangle]

It's hard to blame Kenny for Ireland being awful at the moment. They've scored something like nine goals in 19 competitive games since 2018 (including two games against Gibraltar) so the lack of any sort of goal threat is a clearly a chronic problem.

[The Awesome Berbaslug!!!]

Kenny's had the hardest and unluckiest start of any Ireland manager I can recall. He's inherited a group of players whose confidence has been eroded by the culture instilled by the past three managers that essentially programmed them to believe that they can't play football and shouldn't even try. That belief's not borne out by reality - several of them are pretty decent technical players - but changing the attitudes and received wisdom of the last 35 years or so of Irish men's football isn't going to be easy. It would be an awful lot easier for Kenny if the previous manager wasn't providing co-commentary on Ireland matches, pettily undermining Kenny's approach at every opportunity. When Jack Charlton stepped down and McCarthy got the job, Charlton said he wouldn't make any media or punditry appearances as he (rightly) figured that would just add to the pressure on McCarthy after bad results. The least McCarthy could do is offer Kenny the same. It's not like McCarthy needs the money.

And this is all before we get to the impact of Covid on his squad. Something like 13 players have been affected. That would seriously disrupt Germany or Spain's plans, never mind that of a small nation like ours.

Also don't forget that if he had the opportunity to pick his best attacking players, most of them would still be only 20 and starting their careers.

[Duncan Gardner]

I'm in tears reading the last few posts

Of course Kenny Stevens should stay. He's a good lad (met at a London supporters fundraiser), they're trying to play sexy football and you only need 2nd place of 5 for a play off. Throw in a couple of unknown Edinburghers like NI have and you're back in contention.

Not usually keen on defending Trap, the Sprig and Barnsley Bluffer but blaming them for the current bluntness is silly

[Lang Spoon]

You can be organised and Hard To Beat without being dire clogball, Steve Clarke had just about managed that with Scotland. Half the problem is Trap and fuckin O'Neill were hired when they were obvious yesterday's men with caveman ideas about football, and n ridiculous contracts.

[Duncan Gardner]

Reginald Christ what pensioner managers and pundits think isn't self reinforcing forever (they'll be replaced by younger people who in a year or threes time may be crediting SK for a couple of qualifying masterclasses?)

In the short term your strikers are pants and Big Duffy needs replacing. It's hardly an existential crisis...

[Duncan Gardner]

Reginald Christ I have some sympathy for Kenny but come on. You've qualified for 2 of the last 9 tournaments, once after finishing third. Nobody half wise thinks 1988-94 is the baseline or norm. You're infantilising your fans, media etc

Kenny (like Baraclough) was given effectively 3 tournaments or parts thereof to make their mark. They've fluffed the first 2 but there's all to play for in March