Priority: Results or Style?

Ireland still look better on the counter attack than when they're trying to dominate games and possession and still score most of their goals from set pieces.

True, I just cant answer the question as framed. These days, winning football is likely to imply a decent style of football, they are the opposite of mutually exclusive! You just cant win games any more playing percentage hoof ball!

Obviously results are always most important, I just dont believe we will get enough good results without playing a bit of proper football. I'm not expecting samba style beach soccer!

No problem with that at all. I guess Im just pointing out that the key priority for a manager if asked will be results

Seems to be a stick to beat the team with whatever happens

Are you for real???  That was a spirited, gritty performance in a critical game against the reigning world cup champions.  The atmosphere was electric, and Shane Long's finish was sublime. I'd watch that match again, and again, and again.  And again.

The depressing aspect of both Trap and MON was that we qualified for back to back European Championships, but really struggled at the actual tournaments.

Ireland 1-3 Croatia

Ireland 0-4 Spain

Ireland 0-2 Italy

Ireland 1-1 Sweden

Ireland 0-2 Belgium

Ireland 1-0 Italy

Ireland 1-2 France

Euro 2016 was obviously a much better experience than 4 years earlier, but we lucky to even reach the knockouts. The weird best 3rd place ranking system saved us. We beat a heavily rotated Italy side. So we basically won just 1 game from 7 attempts. 

That seems like winning The World Cup in comparison to the past few years. It seems like we'll never go far in an international tournament. 

Obviously this is a results business first, but following a national team is so high variance compared to following a team in a league system, there's not so many games in which to right any wrongs, and of course in knockout scenarios you can't really afford any mess ups

However I agree with the poster that I wouldn't want to be watching too many games where we are just hanging on for dear life, booting the ball back to an opponent, we need to be building towards a point where we can impose ourselves on teams, that is what I'd like for us, to be able to dominate opponents of a similar level to us - I'd obviously take an undeserved result every time, but I find it embarrassing when teams of a similar or lower level to us come and pass it around us, I also spend my hard earned money going to games to be entertained, that is more than just a result, I want us to be able to win and win well, but we are starting at the bottom, it is baby steps now, I don't think we have the midfielders able to impose such a style, I believe that is the most important region of the pitch, our problems begin and end in midfield personally. 

If anyone reads -Ange’s book changing the game.  

He talks about how he knew when Brisbane Roar bought into his methods.  It was when the young centre back tried to play from the back and gave up possession twice within 5 mins and gave up two goals.  He talks about how the centre back could easily have given into there is a time to play and there is a time for row Z. But at the second error he knew he had the team on board and he said that he is far more scathing when the players don’t follow the gameplan than he is when they losing following the game plan.

Long term that is the way you need to be, to be a successful coach.   Charlton was like that with a different style of football.  You need to be ruthless in your conviction to how you want to play.  No half measures.  

If you want to play long and direct pick the players that suit that or the ones that will come on board and go with it.  

If you want a pressing game with a high line pick the players for that, I.e that have pace and don’t drop deep.  

Kenny has got it wrong because he didn’t stick to his guns.   He was weak and lost his bottle.  

The days of off the cuff merchants are gone.  To get 11 players to play now, you must have them all in line to a style of play and regardless of formation that the style doesn’t change. ESP with international football when you don’t have much time with them.