Who would’ve been your ideal choice? I’d have loved to see a Ralph Hassenhuttl or Rafa Benitez but realistically both were beyond our means. A box office Roy Keane appointment would have been intriguing too. Although it’s 13 years now since he was sacked by (Ipswich) so his time has probably come and gone.
I have a vague notion that talk permeated out of Manchester City that they were impressed with Carsley as a coach a few years back. Similar to noise around Brian Barry Murphy in recent years. I was cautiously optimistic about Carsley’s appointment given his success with the England U21’s but the forums concerns around his credentials are worth noting. We’re usually a good 2 years ahead of Dan McDonnell and his cronies in OTB. He doesn’t exactly have that oomph factor. There was genuine excitement following the unveiling of Trap 2007-08 or MON 2013-14.
And even Kenny there was a bit of hope of a new dawn. Maybe we just needed a league of Ireland type fella all along. Now we know that’s a waste of time. I suppose if a fella with carsleys credentials got the Welsh job or something we’d be saying it was a shrewd appointment so let’s get behind lee. I remember I lived with a Donegal lad in college in the late 90s who loved him. ‘get stuck in cyarsley sir!’
To be fair a European U21 winning coach isn’t an awful appointment. He also has a calm authority in interviews which is a huge upgrade on the mumblings of Stephen Kenny.
A far cry from 16 years ago when we were choosing between the most illustrious manager in Italian football history, a former FA Cup and La Liga winning manager who’d taken England to a Euro semi’s 12 years previous (Euro 2012 in a 2024 timeframe) and er yer man who took Bradford and Wigan up to the Prem.
I’m sure Lee Carsley was a major figure in one of our most memorable ever 1-1 victories, against the Czech Republic in October 2006. What a night that was.
You’d hope Carsley’s time watching Championship and underage football, as well as his own background, would be beneficial in unearthing some Plastic Paddies to join the cause. Certainly more useful in this regard than Roy Keane
Re Pep and Carsley, there is no grass grows on busy street. World Cup semi in 26’ powered by Ferguson and young Sinclair. Ireland will be the new Belgium.
Gerrard and Robson were for sure. Souness and Keane were but both became steadily less dependent on raaaar and more dependent on smarts.
Lampard was an innately smart player but stupid people were fooled into thinking he was intellectually smart because he went to a private school and votes Tory,