Richie
Well-Known Member
I wholeheartedly support what Kenny is trying to do, though there are only vague glimmers so far (bits of the Slovakia and Serbia games, really) to suggest that he might be able to actually pull it off. Ideally you would bring a manager with that sort of ambition in at the end of a 10-15 year project of reforming all the youth structures and producing a new generation of exciting players drilled in a particular style of play. I thought we were maybe on the cusp of something like that when the Under 21 side were looking exciting 18 months ago, but it now looks like those players aren't quite ready yet for senior level and instead he is trying to convert probably the most mediocre squad we've had since the '60s into a crack passing unit, bit of a cart before the horse vibe.
Kenny's media demeanour doesn't help him, there's a nervousness and defensiveness there even under gentle questioning, he could really do with a bit of training on that. At least there seems to be something of a weary acceptance from the general public that the country's football setup on many levels is thoroughly fucked thanks to Delaney & those who enabled him and you might as well at least give somebody with a positive vision a proper go of it. Really there is no long term benefit in bringing in another Championship level manager looking for a last paycheck to keep it tight & eke out a few draws, Mick was scraping the barrel with that in the last cycle and it wasn't enough. He'd really want to avoid any more Luxemboug style humiliations though, nobody's reputation can withstand too many of those.
Kenny's media demeanour doesn't help him, there's a nervousness and defensiveness there even under gentle questioning, he could really do with a bit of training on that. At least there seems to be something of a weary acceptance from the general public that the country's football setup on many levels is thoroughly fucked thanks to Delaney & those who enabled him and you might as well at least give somebody with a positive vision a proper go of it. Really there is no long term benefit in bringing in another Championship level manager looking for a last paycheck to keep it tight & eke out a few draws, Mick was scraping the barrel with that in the last cycle and it wasn't enough. He'd really want to avoid any more Luxemboug style humiliations though, nobody's reputation can withstand too many of those.