I think Kenny thought his defence would be solid because they were previously when guarded by a couple of midfielders and felt he could throw in a few attacking midfielders and get after the game. I think thatās more easily fixed than the sheer lack of any attacking plan for 70mins. Were we meant to be getting deep and swinging in crosses? Or were we meant to be giving Connolly and O Dowda runners at their full backs? Iād be firmly of the opinion that he should be playing his best players. Not picking lads he likes for an intricate system which might work in the future when everyone is on the same page. Anyone playing even semi regularly at a high level needs to be in the squad. Doherty provides guile nobody else does. Surely he could work with Coleman? It hasnāt actually been tried very often. If Doherty has an attitude problem surely a manager can sort that? Long and Obafemi should be coming on if not starting. Get your best players out there and play a system that works for them.
Okay lads heās had about 4 training sessions with the team. Letās give him time
Fixed that for you
Out! Out! Out!
He probably hasnāt even broken a hurley off the door of the dressing room yet.
He rambles on like a boring priest at a wedding. It might be unfair to judge him on his media utterances but it is a huge part of the job and the optics are important. It is a huge failing of his, he simply isnāt comfortable or natural at it. Staunton-esque
I couldnāt watch that being honest. I know Iām probably being unduly harsh, but I hope these two games were a smokescreen, with a big game coming up against Slovakia knowing they would be watching, maybe he was just testing lads, to see how they would react.
But so far Iāve been underwhelmed, as you say ālike a boring priest at a wedding.ā A father trendy figure, a la Ger Loughnane.
I always think itās concerning when a team plays absolutely shit, looks shambolic as a unit in attack and defence and the coach comes along and tries to sell it as āwe just didnāt take our chancesā. As if to say the general display was fine. Itās like heās kidding himself.
Its a bit early to start calling out his team in public though. Heās not Stevie G.
He doesnāt have to do that either. A bit of nuance like. I was taken by his long pauses mid sentence as he grasped with what words to use. Itās not dissimilar to that Kimmage interview someone referenced. Itās like heās so focused on not saying the wrong thing that heās coming across as jittery and unsure of himself.
Trying to defend Kenny, he played his second choice midfield today and his key players have let him down so far. Key men just arenāt fit. What good footballers do we have?
Thatās me playing devilās advocate.
Strikes me as very nervous there. Probably realises thereāll be more scrutiny on what he says in this job than any heās had previously.
Didsy is a good footballer. Good first touch, smart. Moves it quick.
McCarthy is a good player. Reads a game. Can move it quick. Tackles. Needs games.
Doherty is a tidy player with the ball at times.
After that we havenāt much
Jack Byrne is a very clever player. He can play between the lines and can split a back 4. But I donāt know has he the minerals for it
I think its moreso that he doesnāt know his first choice midfield than that he played his second choice today
I think Browne is definitely worth a look on the right of the midfield three. He has a massive engine. Heās fairly limited but heād do a job there. He can be no worse than Hendrick anyway
What you see is what you get
Youāve made your bed, you better lie in it
You choose your leaders and place your trust
As their lies wash you down and their promises rust
Youāll see kidney machines replaced by rockets and guns
And the public wants what the public getsā¦
Ah yeah, the off the ball and Newstalk generation reckoned Trappatoni was a grumpy old fart who knew fuck all. The system was the problemā¦
Martin OāNeill was a dinosaur who just repeated stuff some aul lad called Clough thought him years ago.
Expansive footballā¦whatever that means. Look how Dundalk playedā¦the 21ās are showing how to do it.
Dundalk? U 21āsā¦
Itās Senior hurling now ladsā¦
Is that drone Kerr involved
If soā¦forget it.
Listening to his post match interview ā¦ the man sounds ill already. Job is too big for him.
Hendrick hasnāt put in a good performance in over a year,and as for Brady I wouldnāt start him on a junior premier team