I Support Stan

[homer1]

My tuppence worth is that we will achieve nothing while Stan is in charge, much as I hope he proves me wrong

This whole debacle started when Delaney stated he would search high and low to find the best & most experienced manager available in world football to replace Kerr and I seem to remember a comment along the lines of money would not be an obstacle ......... after several months he appointed Staunton who had never even managed a Sunday Leage pub team - he was on a hiding to nothing from then

Every game that has gone by however I have grown more and more frustrated by him. From his Houllier style interviews where despite the whole world seeing how bad we played he insists he is proud of each and every player's work rate and commitment to his obvious lack of tactical know how (playing players out of position, keeping favourite players in the team when they don't deserve to be & rarely making game-changing substitutions) to his lack of inspiration on the sideline where he stands hands-in-pockets leaning against the dugout no matter what stage of the game and what the scoreline is

I will still support Ireland and pray we make progress but have little confidence with the current regime.

And I don't go along with the thinking that we don't have good players - we have enough decent (not excellent granted) players coming through with the passion for playing for their country evident which will see us play better and get better results than we are currently and if he gave them a proper chance he would be given a lot more respect & time by the fans. Being less of a smart-ass to the press would stop them calling for his head too

[Farside]

Get rid asap.

[Johnny]

Get rid asap.

Don`t agree,bad team performances shouldn`t be laid at his door,he chooses the best 11 available and then they feck it up.

[bazza76]

Don`t agree,bad team performances shouldn`t be laid at his door,he chooses the best 11 available and then they feck it up.

Not true, bad performances should be laid at his door, his job is to motivate aswell as organize.

[bazza76]

I'm suprised to see a Liverpool fan say this after one of our most succesful managers had an advisor from the outset too.

Not quite the same though is it.
Dalglish was a hero for Liverpool as a player and still at the club, one of the best in out history, while the other, Paisley, was the most successfull trophy winning manager in English football history who was also very close in the background.

[Ritchi3]

Not quite the same though is it.
Dalglish was a hero for Liverpool as a player and still at the club, one of the best in out history, while the other, Paisley, was the most successfull trophy winning manager in English football history who was also very close in the background.

No, but it's very similar. Staunton is a hero for Ireland and our most capped player ever. Robson is probably the best manager the English national team have had in the past 40 years, and very clued in on the English game, which is where the vast majority of our players play.

It wouldn't have been my choice, but there is solid reasoning behind it. Staunton is very much learning as he goes, and I hope he keeps up the inprovement. He seems to have got the players behind him, now he just has to win over a few fans....

[Farside]

Don`t agree,bad team performances shouldn`t be laid at his door,he chooses the best 11 available and then they feck it up.

Look at the job Sanchez is doing with what he has got. Motivation dude!

[Eth]

Stephen Kenny should be the next Ireland Manager - he has alot more about him than Staunton - he has put a bit of fight in the Pars and last night got them to a cup final - what he did at Derry City has been amazing and without him they are all over the place

[bazza76]

No, but it's very similar. Staunton is a hero for Ireland and our most capped player ever. Robson is probably the best manager the English national team have had in the past 40 years, and very clued in on the English game, which is where the vast majority of our players play.

It wouldn't have been my choice, but there is solid reasoning behind it. Staunton is very much learning as he goes, and I hope he keeps up the inprovement. He seems to have got the players behind him, now he just has to win over a few fans....

I guess I would be one of them few fans then, I just hope while we are waiting that we dont slip further down the rankings. I'd love to be totally wrong about Stan, but I cant see him ever having the same effect on the team as Charlton or Mcarthy had.

[Ritchi3]

I guess I would be one of them few fans then, I just hope while we are waiting that we dont slip further down the rankings. I'd love to be totally wrong about Stan, but I cant see him ever having the same effect on the team as Charlton or Mcarthy had.

We just moved up 20 places to 31st, didn't we? I know that's nothing to shout about, but 31st in the world is a respectable position and one that we can improve on.

I think the main problem with the team is that we're missing an influential captain, a "Roy Keane". Until we find one, I think we'll struggle no matter who is the manager.

[ineednewfootwear]

i said it at the time he was hired that it was a horrible decision by the FAI and lambasted them for their half-arsed efforts. i still feel the same way, more so now than ever before because of their complete lack of proactive planning.

The fact is that we no longer have the players we once had and we are doing quite well to be in the current position that we are in.

this really a two-pronged problem. back in the pre-premiership days our best young lads were snapped up from clubs like home farm and stella maris and brought over to england as apprentices for the big clubs. with the influx of money and foreign stars and the expansion of clubs scouting depts this doesn't happen as often so we're losing that development path. this means fewer lads learning at the top level and consequently even less actually making it to the first teams.

the FAI should have seen this coming and acted to counter it by improving the standard of the LOI. whether that be by enticing investors, bringing in your early 30s pros to play, giving grants to improve facilities or subsidising clubs to allow players to turn pro ... there are options that could be explored. but instead they did nothing, just sat back and drew their generous checks on the fans account.

on any match day at least half the squad aren't international calibre players. i realise that it's a case of "making the best of what you have" but it's embarrassing when the likes of kilbane and stephen reid are in our starting 11. i'd rather give the places to young lads or LOI player who would have something to play for than these no marks.

are they actively scouting for new players? or do they just read the mirror's player ratings on a sunday morning and pick the best 11 for that wednesdays game? did they ever look beyond the home countries and explore the possibility of recruiting some of the excellent young talent over here in america? as far as i know they've never even mentioned it, yet i could find half a dozen players who qualify by ancestry and would, at a minimum, warrant inclusion in the training camps. with such a small pool of talent to choose from they really need to be creative in sourcing good players. given the ongoing improvements in MLS there's sure to be more and more players coming through who could opt for ireland if given the chance.

we had a great run in the late 80s and 90s out of which the FAI benefitted immensely and yet they have not put the work in to continue the development either at the local or international level. with that said, stan's in the job and deserves his chance to prove himself. one campaign is enough to know if he's got what it takes.