Example candidates:

A - Steve Bruce, Big Sam, Neil Leonnon 

B - Lee Carsley, Brian Barry Murphy, Stephen Bradley

C - Robbie Keane, Damien Duff

D - Bielsa 

A for me seems the most likely, but the worst scenario. Bargin basement shopping again to paper over cracks. sh*t football from semi retarded hasbeens.

B makes most sense IMO, although you could argue it would result in another Kenny situation (lack of top level managerial experience being detrimental.

C would be a car crash. Just no.

D would be great with the right candidate but the money just simply isn't there to attract anyone half decent 

Not that I'd want Lennon 

Steven Gerrard would be a popular choice. 

If only it was a couple of friendlies not years of failure and mostly losses.

Right, because up to this point his reign has been a triumph 

We could do a lot worse than Gerrard, but again I doubt he'd take it.

We wouldn't have the money to pay Gerrard for a month, let alone years

It's very hard to say who we should go for, we have no idea who even wants the job. Probably very few of the names in this thread would want it. 

Was just about to to post this.

Jim Goodwin or Michael O'Neill

I think Goodwin wouldn't touch it unfortunately. He's got a budding career going for him, he'd be mad to throw it away to come manage us.

Its no longer an attractive job

These are realistic targets

Chris Hughton

Michael O'Neill 

Steve Bruce  

Goodwin if we could afford to buy him out of his Aberdeen contract. I think he'd probably want the job. Carsley if he wanted a shot at senior football.

Michael O'Neill if people are happy to sacrifice football quality completely in favour of organisation that brings improved results. His style suits international football where there's limited time with the players, but it would be tough stuff to watch (though no tougher than what we're currently being subjected to). Hughton would bring a similar style but is probably past it at this stage.

McKenna at Ipswich but he'd be a nonstarter unfortunately, he's heading towards better things and he knows it. 

There's probably 50+ managers in the English lower leagues that would be an improvement on Kenny if we wanted to go down that road. Even watching Welcome to Wrexham recently the likes of Phil Parkinson would be miles ahead of Kenny, and he's managing in non-league, albeit it's a specific situation with him where there's financial backing to have him there.

Obviously the "names" like Roy Keane, Allardyce, Lurgan Flop etc are instant non-starters. No doubt they'd be up high in the early betting but that's meaningless in terms of actually getting the job.

Nobody cares if you engage in anything.

In that case, we are looking at an older manager or damaged goods

https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/trainer/verfuegbaretrainer/statistik/189/plus/0/galerie/0?land_id=189&wettbewerb_id=GB2&seit=alle&punkteschnitt=0+-+3&filtern_nach_punkteschnitt=0%3B3&0=0&3=3&spielklasse=0&plus=0" rel="nofollow - https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/trainer/verfuegbaretrainer/statistik/189/plus/0/galerie/0?land_id=189&wettbewerb_id=GB2&seit=alle&punkteschnitt=0+-+3&filtern_nach_punkteschnitt=0%3B3&0=0&3=3&spielklasse=0&plus=0

Steve Wilder

Was most recently manager of Morocco, he qualified them for this World Cup but was sacked after disagreements with the association.

Has also previously managed

Ivory Coast (Qualified them for the 2010 WC)

Algeria (Qualified them for the 2014 WC & reached the last 16 narrowly losing 2-1 in ET to Germany who then went onto hammer Brazil 7-1)

Japan (Qualified for the 2018 WC)

Seems to have a good track record but also seems to fall out with people nearly everywhere he goes 

No f**king thanks. Callum Davidson is a more successful SPFL manager than Gerrard was.

Our best results under kenny came when Barry was actually running the show.

Probably one of the best realistic or semi-realistic options.  

What the hell is going on 

Could Joe Biden be tempted? 

Someone in the other thread said Kenny is on more money than him. 

Hill should be speaking to him and see if he's interested in it.

Mate of mine did the UEFA license with Carsley - and he said he's never take it. He's content just working away in the background etc...

Til end of season?

I knew this would he the outcome 😂

Who is the 'huge' percentage?

There should never be a LOI manager in the job again, unless in 20 years on the back of reform it has improved beyond league 2/conference level, any of them would be miles out of their depth. 

As an added bonus, I’d prefer someone to prioritize players who have 3 senior club appearances over players with 60+ international caps. Someone who won’t play players over 30 years of age.

Your first paragraph sounds like Jack Charlton's biography. I would rather win nothing in a half decent league than win a trophy in a Mickey Mouse one! 

61% of the poll is a huge % 

Without context maybe. Its 24 people.

Definitely crucial for the manager to have a clue about our domestic leagues what with all the call ups that we see from it.

Even a LOI manager won't pick those players. If the next manager has never heard of St Pat's it won't make a jot of difference in his ability to manage the senior team.

And a trophy . Get John Caulfield on the buzzer, he got himself a few trophies too. 

Ah me bollix. So far hes done a decent job at St Mirren. Thats about it. Aberdeen should be in or around 3rd every year in the SPL. Prob be fighting with Hearts for that this year. Im not suggesting he might not be a good manager but the logic of Kenny OMG no but what you might call a middle of the road SPL manager Yes please does not make sense to me. If were dumping Kenny due to what some people might say not a big enough CV i would want a bigger name than Goodwin 

Do we really want rid of Kenny who’s highest achievement in Britain is getting a team to the Scottish cup final to replace him with something similar?

Goodwin kept Alloa up in the 2nd tier despite all the players being part time. We could do with somebody that has even a bit of a track record for overachieving with limited resources.

That misunderstands O'Neill.

At heart he's a pragmatist. Meaning that for his first four years with NI, when all our best players were defenders (4 or 5 PL-standard CB's alone), his teams were defensive. Also had Chris Brunt to take set pieces, and Kyle Lafferty on a run of form to provide a target man up front.

But after the 2016 Euro's a lot of the old guard were in decline, or even retired, while the best new young players coming through were more attack-minded, midfielders etc. As a result, he switched to a more attacking, possession-based style.

This reached its peak in 2019 at home to Germany, where Lowe admitted that NI had completely outplayed Germany in the first half, such that he had to switch his tactics and personnel at H-T to try to deal with it. And even then, after Germany got a fortunate goal early in the second half, they were hanging on to their lead, until Gnabry got a second from a breakaway, 5 mins from the end.

I hadn't believed it possible to be so proud after a 2-0 home defeat as that evening, and Michael was the architect.

I suspect that right now, ROI need someone to organise them like MO'N did for NI  in 2013, but in  any case it's hypotheteical, since the NI job is there for the taking for Michael, and I can't see any way he'd turn it down for ROI.

Our players can't trap a ball or cross a ball or pass it forward most of the time, there's just no talent. And none coming through that can do anything at this level. 

Remember USA used to come to Lansdowne for friendlies every now and again and we'd usually look a class apart. Last time even I think we put 4 past them, Robbie Brady scored. They looked like they were from a different planet tonight and we're just not getting close to that level in my lifetime in my opinion.

Unless we get ridiculously lucky and get a couple of top class players just by chance. 

It's hopeless. 

Well everyone’s pretty much been tried at this stage, as has playing a more non-conservative style, and it hasn’t gone too well 

Agreed; nowhere near it. 

Exactly. It's hopeless. We are minnows now regardless of who's in charge. 

Precisely!  Michael O'Neill assessed his team's relative strengths and weaknesses, and developed a style that allowed them the greatest opportunity to be successful.  They were disciplined, difficult to break down, spirited, and had a bite to them.

 Whereas Stephen Kenny came in with a philosophy and style that he has insisted his players conform to, regardless of their talents or ability to do so.

Michael is a pragmatist.  Stephen is a dreamer. Sadly the dream has become a bit of a nightmare.

Is there anyone out there who honestly wouldn't feel more confident of our chances to ultimately reach a major tournament with Michael O'Neill at the helm rather than S.K.?

Real Madrid are flexible enough tactically. They can dominate the ball when required but they are also happy to absorb pressure and hit on the break. What similarities do you see between them and Kennys Ireland?

If you’re saying that you trying to keep the ball and build from the back is some sort of unrealistic utopian ideal then turn on League 1 and watch most of the teams play. They are not Real Madrid either. There’s a reason why modern teams do this. Fail to evolve and you become extinct. Unfortunately we are behind the curve and have a lot of catching up to do. Given the resistance there is to change, I think we are fooked. I hate the lack of ambition for football in this country 

A starting point is getting organised at he back and becoming difficult to beat and building the team from there. 

We are too easy to beat, Kenny on record said he's not concerned with the fact that we have conceded sloppy goals from outside the box, I think we conceded 5. Which ended up with Ireland losing those games.

I also don't think Kenny is able to communicate his game plan effectively to the players either. Just a hunch.

Terzino and Bundy's posts are spot on.

On the other hand I think the national team is doomed at this stage, I can't see a way out with the state of our own league (yes I go to games as a proud Friday night merchant) and lack of facilities and talent. 

You're picking Real Madrid rather than Ipswich or Sheffield Wednesday for a reason though. Its reductive. "Don't even bother trying, we're just inferior" is the message. 

Everyone is technical these days. There is not going to be a successful return to the style of Irish teams gone by. 

Our players are going to return to their clubs where, mostly, they will knock the ball about pretty well.

This isn't an argument in favour of keeping Kenny. But this was always my fear when he was appointed. He wouldnt be successful and the fans and administration would abandon any progressive notions we had. 

If Kenny isnt the right man and theres a better attainable alternative then grand, lets appoint him. But we can't go back to packing our defence with no intent to commit bodies forward except for set pieces. 

I think people massively overestimate the importance of a link between the domestic league and the national team. The top end of the League of Ireland is the equivalent of League 2 in England. Mid table would be equivalent to the National League and, in all honesty, the bottom of the league is probably equivalent to the National League North/South.

The Ireland senior team almost never calls up players from League 2 in England, never mind non-league, and I have no idea when was the last time a League 2 player actually played for us in a competitive game. So there really doesn't need to and shouldn't be any direct link between the LoI and the national senior team.

The domestic league is what it is, it provides opportunities for players to play as full time professionals in Ireland and regularly contributes to underage squads. The better players outgrow it and move on, and always will. There is/was also an under 23 team where domestic based players could stay in the national setup to some extent after Under 21s. Better facilities for spectators are absolutely needed, but the product on the pitch isn't going to change much from what is there now. What it does well in particular is it offers senior football opportunities to developing players at a reasonable standard at a young age, which is a very good thing.

Every now and then a player will emerge from the league and go on and be good enough to play for the senior team - like Fahey, Hoolihan and McGrath. But realistically they'll have to prove themselves at a higher level before they get the chance. Just as John Egan had to move up the divisions in England before he got into the Ireland team.

What we have at the moment is a senior team of mostly Championship level players, with a few Premier League players thrown in. But they're managed by a League 2/National League standard manager. It makes no sense and we probably shouldn't be surprised that it hasn't worked. I think once people accept that the domestic league and the senior team are two completely separate entities that don't need to have any direct relationship with each other it will be better for both the team and the League.

Fair enough. I didnt know that. 

For all his nice football with Dundalk in the 2016 Europa League they were not gettin results.  Kennys teams just dont seem to get the job done even after good performances.

And lads dont be voming back quoting Azerbaijan and Malta at me. They are the worst teams in Europe.

In Kenny's defence, a club like Dundalk would never be expected to get results in the Europa League. To have qualified and put in a few good performances like they did was a really good achievement.

Which adds more credence to the theory that the coaches (Barry especially) were key.
Maybe he'll have a key new coach for March and we'll be far better?

Who of that standard would come into this sinking ship though? Anyone can see they'd be out in under a year with a sacking on their CV. It's notable that the role has been vacant for months since the last lad left for Birmingham.

Meh. Some of the games were there for them and the opportunity passed them by.  No ruthless streak in his sides.

And if the likes of Dundalk the best side the LOI has produced in donkeys and donkeys years has no hope of competing in a poor standard Europa League then why in the name of God would we need a manager who has any interest in the LOI?!  If its so substandard that merely not disgracing yourself in Europe is seen as an achievement how in the name of God are we supposed to compete at international level scouting and picking players from said league!? 

The LOI is and never will be a league of any decent level that we can draw players from even if attendances quadrupled.

The stick Hughton gets is flabbergasting

Hughton

Wilder

Even Bruce. The Kennian cult will deride all of the above.

All available. Careers at a point where we are attractive option. We can't actually get worse. Plus, they like have a free hit at euro play offs thru NL.

Wilder on the other hand could be a very good fit. 

Roadie Collins or Pat Fenton would be regressive. 

They Kennys contemporaries. 

500k per year.

Built in bonus for qualifying. 

Bruce has a fine gaff in the west mids. Hence, his preference for local sides there. He won't travel far afield anymore. Intl ball would suit him. Has irish connection. A geordie. 

Wilder would be more difficult to get. 

Hughton, may be reluctant to take it given how weak we are.

Lennon. Wouldnt fancy him.

Roy. No. Tactically inept.

Robbie. No.

Duff. Has done OK with she's. Has something about him.

Duff with Woy Hodgson is a shout?

doherty wrote: Wilder or Bruce wouldnt go near it anyway. They are waiting forntheir next Championship job to come around on the wheel. And it will.come round. Personally wouldn't want either anyway.

Wilder is just off the back of a failure with Boro and is probably looking at a long term rebuilding job at a lowe championship club as his next job. We aren't an unattractive proposition for him to quickly restore his reputation.

Giuseppe Rossi 

(the Dundalk one)

Cabra Hoop wrote: What we need is a manager with a track record of overachieving with a committed but limited group of players.

Bielsa :)

a bit of up and under action occasionally to mix it up. 

Wouldn't let Duff near the job. Also that set up reminds me of Stan/Robson. Would prefer to just have Woy. 

At the moment, none of this is happening.