Replying To FullOfPorter: "The window for us to play a bit more of an attractive and sophisticated type of game was under Jack and maybe McCarthys first spell when we actually had some top class players on the European and world stage, and some of those in midfield positions. You think of Brady, Whelan, Keane. World class defenders as well in O'Leary and McGrath.... O'Leary was nominated for a Ballon dOr! A significant bunch of the other players would have been considered some of the best in their positions in the English league at times, Irwin, Stapleton, Aldridge. Also despite us recruiting some brilliant players not born in Ireland, most of the top talent were Irish born.
There isn't one player now with a bit of serious class. That can't be helped with the way things have deteriorated with regards to player production. More worringly is the complete lack of leadership and work ethic. Coleman seems to have been the last with those attributes. For our generation that grew up watching the Charlton team and the next good bunch of Duffer, Keane, Given, do we really have to take a good dose of the reality coffee and realise that we are so far off things in terms of player quality? Massive over reaction to young lads that come on the scene like Aaron Connolly, Ferguson and Obafemi like they were going to be the next Duff or Keane and lead us to World Cup and Euros tournaments. Mad pressure on lads who hadn't even been proven at top club level. I think you are right we need to get back to a basic set up, 4 4 2. Be disciplined and hard to beat. It won't be pretty but at elast we might be able to stay in games. If we score even better we might even get in the mix for qualification sometimes. The playing posession front foot football experiment has well and truely failed but at least it might have opened our eyes (and especially pundits and journos) to what level we really are operating at. I hate to say it but maybe we need a good dose of Big Sam!"
Connolly and obafemi are odd ones. Very talented lads but didn't have the temperament.
Ferguson could still be great. He's very young still.
I see what you mean though. In the past we had lads at top four clubs or the ones playing at a lower level were the best players at their clubs. That just isn't the case now.
We really do need to start asking ourselves why. I know we have more dominant sports but for a highly developed nation we can surely do better.
Then again France and England had to do an awful lot of colonising to put their squads together....
Replying To Doylerwex: "Connolly and obafemi are odd ones. Very talented lads but didn't have the temperament.
Ferguson could still be great. He's very young still.
I see what you mean though. In the past we had lads at top four clubs or the ones playing at a lower level were the best players at their clubs. That just isn't the case now.
We really do need to start asking ourselves why. I know we have more dominant sports but for a highly developed nation we can surely do better.
Then again France and England had to do an awful lot of colonising to put their squads together...."
Definitely should be competing better. A lot of the smaller European nations especially in the east, have big numbers playing basketball and ice hockey, yet they still produce better quality players than Ireland. Rugby has stolen a march on soccer. Up until relatively recently there was a few rugby stronghold areas. It was football, hurling or soccer everywhere else. Even in GAA dominant areas, the second sport would always be soccer. You'd think it still has to be the most widely played game in the country but the FAI are a complete shambles.
Replying To FullOfPorter: "Definitely should be competing better. A lot of the smaller European nations especially in the east, have big numbers playing basketball and ice hockey, yet they still produce better quality players than Ireland. Rugby has stolen a march on soccer. Up until relatively recently there was a few rugby stronghold areas. It was football, hurling or soccer everywhere else. Even in GAA dominant areas, the second sport would always be soccer. You'd think it still has to be the most widely played game in the country but the FAI are a complete shambles."
Some of those European, South American and African countries are not as prosperous as Ireland is now. Compared to us qualifying for the Euros in 1988 when emigration was quite high.I think a lot of parents worked very hard since then and maybe spoiled their children? Not all, whose children still have a great work ethic. But if you're a young footballer from a poor country you're more motivated by succeeding in football than someone from Ireland who has more education and work opportunities to fall back on if football doesn't work out for them.