It's a meh appointment if it happens. Nothing new - seen it all before. you feel we need a fresh on and off the field approach to get the overall moral back up. You feel Mick will be results driven again rather than leaning to youthful development.
Republic Of Ireland Football Thread
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In the latest episode of the United Hour Podcast, Nik (@Rood) is joined by CEO Duncan Drasdo and Financial Director Andy Green from the Manchester United Supporters Trust for a special episode on all things behind the scenes at Old Trafford including a brief history of MUST and their aims today, views on INEOS and Sir Jim Ratcliffe so far, and the Old Trafford regeneration.
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"Hey Mick, John Delaneys on the phone looking to speak to you!"
Foolishly, I hoped for something different.
We might be looking at that but I'd imagine the FAI's eyes are fixed firmly on the money that qualifying for the Euros would bring (especially with us hosting some games). McCarthy is the "safe" (i.e unimaginative) choice.
We'll be looking back on this time fondly 4 years from now when Delaney appoints Alex McLeish as manager with Keith Keane as his assistant.
Kenny and McCarthy to be interviewed according to RTE
Have it on good authority that Kenny interviewed for the job this morning.
Sky Sports reckon the FAI hoping to finalise deal with McCarthy in next 48 hours
Mick McCarthy is such a depressing choice. Chuck a million quid at Wenger to do it part-time.
It looks like it’s McCarthy again. Just such an uninspired and unambitious choice. Surely for 1.2m a year, you could find someone more progressive than Mick McCarthy! Can’t wait to see us setting up for a 0-0 at the Aviva against San Marino 
In fairness to Mick why did you think he'd be setting his stall out for 0-0s against small teamsIt looks like it’s McCarthy again. Just such an uninspired and unambitious choice. Surely for 1.2m a year, you could find someone more progressive than Mick McCarthy! Can’t wait to see us setting up for a 0-0 at the Aviva against San Marino
I’ve a feeling this will end in tears.
Like a poster said above Wenger was my choice but it was never ever going to happen.
Like a poster said above Wenger was my choice but it was never ever going to happen.
Christ if these Mick rumours are true, it's probably the must uninteresting outcome short just re-hiring O'Neill again. Not to take away from his previous tenure because we did well, and not matched since (albeit with a much better squad) but this is such backwards step. Could they not take a bit of time to see what options are out there instead of this route? What's he done recently to prove he deserves this? How is this a progressive choice? Just another old school manager.
I’m genuinely depressed by this move too. A missed opportunity and a step backwards.
Unsurprising choice with Mick to be honest, it's seen as the safe option. Probably only short term, hopefully he can bring the fun back.
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So he's officially got the job? Facebook says so
Enough outlets reporting that he has the job for it to seem pretty certain.
Yet again Mick is the cause of Roy Keane going home.
That’s hilarious, Keane is probably fuming it’s Mick again.
Absolute shambles Mick coming back in.
Must uninspiring football association about. Never ever attempt to be positive.
Must uninspiring football association about. Never ever attempt to be positive.
Sadly, one of the best chances Ireland would have had of convincing Rice was the opportunity of working with one of the best players ever in his position. Like the assistant manager they just sacked.
I really don't know what people expected. This is the Ireland manager's job. People talking about Wenger as an option? He would need to be incredibly desperate or bored to want that job, no matter what they paid him.
The sad fact of the matter is that O'Neill and Keane as a management team are at a higher level than the players.
At the end, the decision was inevitable because of the negativity and poor attendance. The football was undoubtedly dreadful but the expectation that this group of players was ever going to reach any level of success without being extremely compact and a set piece specialist team was completely unrealistic.
Allardyce would have been my choice. I don't care if it's basic route one football as long as the team is competitive. Ireland's biggest goal threat currently is Shane Duffy. Brady has quality delivery. Play to your strengths.
If/when the likes of Obafemi, Parrott, Idah and O'Connor break through, you can adapt the style of play but with Cyrus Christie and David Meyler as genuine midfield options, you're not going to dominate possession against anyone.
Maybe they are buying into it because it's true?
Football is Ireland's 4th most popular sport, am I right? I don't expect them to do well. They have no football history or big clubs.
Both Hourihane and Matt Doherty gave interviews yesterday both saying something similar. Both suggesting a manager who is not old-school in terms of tactics could bring big improvement. This could well suggest things got a bit toxic under O'Neill and Keane towards the end. The Arter saga and O'Neill's stubborness not to cap an exciting talent like Rice for 1 minute at the end of a game seem like the straw that broke the camels back.
For a young player from England to come in and feel intimidated in a way they are not used to with old-school man management and tactics could well be a factor in them deciding it's not for them.
Great thing about Mick taking over is that he has the right personality to convince English born players about the benefits of playing for us and he will make them feel like a big part of a brilliant set up as soon as they arrive and with no Irish talent coming through anymore of the required level then wooing English borns who have a strong connection to Ireland is the best way forward now. With Michael Keane, Rice and Grealish and a striker like Callum Wilson we'd be a top 15 football nation now so we've paid dearly for having managers that didn't create a healthy enough dressing room to make playing for us attractive enough. Hopefully Mick can be the man to make Ireland attractive for English borns again
Very very true. There's been absolutely zero investment in developing the game at youth level for many years due to the Aviva stadium debt and that stadium was also badly needed. But the hope is Mick can pluck a few gems from abroad as English born players relate to him and loved playing for him in the past. The likes of Obafemi and Egan at Sheffield might be regular performers in the PL in the near future so fingers crossed as the talent pool to choose from has never been worse. Everyone is suddenly going rugby mad in Ireland too with success of the national team and that doesn't help.
So you think other players in a squad desperate for international football will be upset that the senior manager doesn't give out 1 minute caps to other players to tie them down internationally? It's pragmatic but I can hardly see Hourihane being delighted sitting on the bench in a competitive game so the manager can bring on a West Ham reserve team player for a minute.
What evidence is there that Rice was intimidated? All of the evidence is that he really enjoyed the Ireland set up but has had his head turned by the world cup semi finalists and the fact that he's negotiating a new contract and "England international" will add significantly to his value.
Top 15 nation with those 4 players? In the world? Ireland were seeded in the 4th pot in Europe in the last qualifying campaign, deservedly below Serbia, Wales and Austria on ability. Add those 4 players and they would still have been 4th in terms of talent in that group.
Wales have been capping kids left right and center in competitive fixtures and it seems to be paying rich dividends. Ethan Ampadu looks like he could be a real player in the making and England quality but with Wales promising game time he obviously feels attracted to the project there and it's too late to change his mind if in a year or two suddenly he is staring in Chelsea's midfield and has Southgate turning up with a Samsung tablet showing him his heat map to explain how important he could be to a team that have the potential to win the world cup.
There's was absolutely no evidence at all Arter felt intimidated in the squad until the Stephen Ward whatsapp recording came out. It was shocking to hear Ward talk about Keane in such as way as to say 'Walters was on the verge of thumping the head off him and he would have killed him'. It suddenly painted a different light as to the respect that the media was saying Roy commanded in the dressing room. Arter came very close to quitting permanently so due to that tirade against him Rice may well have been training with the squad the day when it happened or may have seen many similar bust ups between players and management.
In International football it can all change very quickly. Northern Ireland recruited a few English borns like Will Grigg and Oliver Norwood and must have jumped 50 places in the ranking in a short space of time. Ireland were ranked 7th in the world one time in the Big Jack days. The likes of Brady, Duffy, Hendrick, Stephen Ward, Coleman, Matt Doherty, Randolph would be good enough to thrive in a top international team if you put some real quality in there beside them. And yes seeded 4th in the last campaign behind Serbia, Wales and Austria yet still finished 2nd in that tough group including a famous win away to Euro 2016 semi finalists Wales even with the mediocrity we have so there's a few solid enough players in there to build something with if you can get a few more quality players in.
I'm not disputing that capping Rice (or Grealish) for one minute would have been useful. I'm doubting your suggestion that not doing so would lessen squad morale.
There was evidence there was an issue with Arter when he pulled out of the squad and O'Neill admitted it was due to a fallout with Keane. Everything that has been reported in relation to Rice has been extremely positive, as were his performances on the pitch.
Will Grigg hardly plays for Northern Ireland. Getting better players will obviously improve the squad but top 15 in the world? Ireland were 7th under Jack because they had really good players, playing with top clubs in England.
That list of players you've listed: Randolph plays in the second tier, Ward can't get in a poor Burnley team, Hendrick is in and out of the same team, Brady and Coleman are just back from long term injury and there isn't a single forward in your list.
At an absolute push you could argue 3-4 players who could play regularly in top half EPL teams and 2 of them play the same position. That's a long way from top 15 in the world.
True but say you add Michael Keane, Grealish and Rice to that list for arguements sake and a decent striker then suddenly you have a team on the upward curve. In Jacks day they all jumped on the success bandwagon once the team was going places and other English lads were coming home and telling of the craic they all have when on international duty. The likes of Andy Townsend for the Italia 90 campaign and later Terry Phelan, John Sheridan, Phil Babb and McAteer that joined for USA 94 campaign all saw the fun the likes of Aldridge, Ray Houghton, Mick McCarthy, Chris Hughton Sheedy, Cascarino were having at Euro 88 and couldn't wait to get on board as there was already half a squad full of English born players there that would make settling in a piece of cake. Anyways you're right it's all 'what ifs' but if Mick can get that buzz going in the squad again then you never know who might be interested - Mark Noble and Conor Wickham are eligible. I'm sure there's plenty more emerging. Then you have Seanie Maguire, Callum Robinson, Obafemi and Ronan Curtis as young players coming through who could turn out to be PL quality soon.....One can only dream when you're a bit rubbish.
Love to see Roy Keanes reaction to this news 
He was released back into the wild.Love to see Roy Keanes reaction to this news
http://waterfordwhispersnews.com/2018/11/22/roy-keane-released-back-into-wild/
They even wrote a page on it? Priceless!
I think you're overselling the "English born" thing. It's not a major stretch for English born players to integrate into a squad of Irishmen. It's not like Gazza moving to China.
In relation to following the success, the likes of Townsend, McAteer and Babb I agree with but many of the others you've listed played underage for Ireland and simply progressed to the senior squad.
But you are right that more players would be keen to play if the team was successful. Noble and Wickham aren't really worth bothering with now. Patrick Bamford could be a good one if he can get fit and rediscover his form. Liam Kelly is the other one who could be a major influence.
Sigh it’s disappointing, not because I don’t think Mick can do a good job in the short term but I think it was an opportunity for a fresh approach with our football being at an all time low. People would have been ok with a few more years in the wilderness if there was a sign of fresh ideas. I expect Mick to get a bounce and maybe get us going for a while but then we’ll turn crap again and be back here in two/three years.
Wow, in the rugby they've just announced breaking news that Kenny will take over from McCarthy after the 2020 qualification campaign??
Happy with this.
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