PLOTTING A PATH INTO THE FUTURE
It’s not all doom and gloom but FAI have some key areas to address with Ireland in need of a reboot
FARO airport on Tuesday night. Amid the homewardbound remnants of the green army, a slender figure in a dark green tracksuit stands alone in the departure lounge. The hair is unfashionably long but the face is familiar. Roberto Mancini can still cut it as a matinee idol.
As a coach, the Italian is the new poster boy of the Saudi Arabian national team, appointed in August on a reputed salary of $25million a year.
Safe to say, he’s out of the FAI’s league as they embark on the search for Stephen Kenny’s successor.
I thought of Mancini at the Mansion House the following evening where Liam Brady was launching his book, Born To Be A Footballer.
The careers of Brady and Mancini crossed paths at Sampdoria 40 years ago where the younger Mancini would pick fights with senior players, such as Brady, when he wasn’t getting his game.
Brady was the catalyst for the FAI’s big-time appointment in international management, Giovanni Trapattoni, in 2008 which led to a World Cup play-off and qualification for the Euro 2012 finals.
Trapattoni, who played and managed at the highest level, put pragmatism over poetry in his five years with Ireland. ‘If you want a show, you go to the opera,’ he explained.
Kenny tried a different approach. He sought to bring the opera to Irish football but too often Ireland were off-key.
With the fat lady clearing her throat and Kenny set to exit the stage – the FAI board meeting on November 28 will formally sit in judgement – the FAI must set about appointing a new manager.
More than that, they must oversee a coherent strategy which provides an environment that allows the next Brady, or Roy Keane, or Robbie Keane, to emerge and take flight.
There have been too many false dawns for those in charge to mess up again. The first challenge is to identify the right man to lead the Republic of Ireland into 2024, and beyond. There are other key areas that need looking at too.
A REALIST OR A ROMANTIC?
Ideally, a bit of both. Steve Clarke, the Scotland manager, is an example of a smart appointment.
Clarke cut the tartan to suit his measure, chiselled out a few results and, as confidence levels rose, encouraged his players to be more expansive, as they were against Spain in Seville recently.
The Scottish squad on Euro duty in this window contained seven players from the Premier League, the same as Ireland, yet they are off to Euro 2024, with two games to spare, and will play in League A in the Nations League next September.
Lee Carsley is the FAI’s top target and it’s understood he has a release clause in his contract as England U21 manager.
The former Ireland midfielder has shown he can not only handle players at elite clubs, he can improve them. His character is akin to Clarke – behind the mask, a smile isn’t far away.
Gus Poyet would bring presence and panache. His comments about how he would love to manage Ireland should encourage the FAI to look beyond these islands.
Chris Hughton would be a safe pair of hands; Roy Keane a stick of dynamite. The opening is too soon in management for either Damien Duff or Robbie Keane.
The FAI can’t afford a €1m salary but by allowing the contracts of Kenny and his No 2, Keith Andrews to run down, they saved on any payoff. With the begging bowl outside Leinster House for a €693m investment in facilities, coughing up a sixfigure sum in compo wouldn’t have looked good.
TOOLS OF THE TRADE
There will be no shortage of decent players available to the new Ireland manager in 2024 and beyond. The key for him will be to get more out of them than Kenny did.
This was the Kenny XI (3-5-2) that defeated Scotland in June 2022: Kelleher; Collins, Duffy, Egan; Browne, Cullen, Molumby, Knight, McClean; Obafemi, Parrott.
Here is an alternative XI (4-4-2) which is arguably every bit as handy: Bazunu; Doherty, O’Shea, Scales, Manning; Ogbene, Smallbone, McGrath, Johnston; Ferguson, Robinson.
Of the 22, McClean is retiring and will probably be joined by Seamus Coleman.
Also available are Andrew Omobamidele, Festy Ebosele, Adam Idah and Aaron Connolly. Jeff Hendrick and Robbie Brady, both 31, are no back numbers yet.
Andy Moran could emerge as the schemer the team has been pining for, while Sinclair Armstrong, another from the U21 ranks, has already had a taste of the big time.
New recruit Kasey McAteer, the 21-year-old Leicester City winger, may be a further plus.
That’s over 30 players for the new manager to shape for a crack at promotion from the Nations League and qualification for the 2026 World Cup.
THE CAPTAIN’S RUN
Seamus Coleman has been a superb Ireland captain since he was given the armband by Martin O’Neill during the Euro 2016 finals in France. A humble hero, Coleman has led the team by word and deed, setting a high standard on and off the pitch.
At 35, and with no competitive games until the eve of his 36th birthday, the time is approaching for him to take his leave.
Coleman led out the team on 31 occasions, level with Kenny Cunningham and one more than John Giles and Frank Stapleton.
But for injury, and demotion for a time under Kenny, he’d have got close to 50 games as captain.
Who will follow the leader? John Egan and Shane Duffy have been captain under Kenny and could be relied on to do so again. Each has the respect of the dressing room.
As the new manager builds for a tilt at the 2026 World Cup, and Euro 2028 beyond, he may consider someone who will be a central part of those challenges.
Nathan Collins, only 22, has all the attributes. At his best, which wasn’t the case against Greece, Collins is a classy defender, easy on the ball with an eye for a pass.
As the Dubliner’s best days, for club and country, are to come, his credentials for the armband would be worth considering.
NORTH AND SOUTH
When the updated world rankings are posted by FIFA next Thursday, the Republic of Ireland will be 58th, with Northern Ireland 75th.
Since the high of involvement in the Euro 2020 play-offs in the autumn of 2020, both have been on a steady downward spiral.
In the 2022 World Cup qualifiers, they each trailed in a distant third, respectively eight and seven points behind the group runners-up.
There was no joy in the Nations League last year either with the Republic third of four in League B, and the North third of four in League C, narrowly missing relegation to League D.
The Euro 2024 qualification has yielded further misery.
Ireland have managed two wins, against the world’s 199th team, Gibraltar, in Group B while the North have had a similar return, seeing off only lowly San Marino in Group H.
With the Euro 2028 finals on the way and games set for Dublin and Belfast – assuming the finance is found for Casement Park – perhaps it’s time for the blazers in Abbotstown and Windsor Park to have a wee chat about where football is going on the island.
Much water has flowed under the bridge since Ireland, representing the Belfast-based IFA, included four players from the ‘South’ against Wales in 1950.
If neither team can punch above their weight as a sole entity, might they not be better in harness? Ok, it’s a long shot but there is nothing wrong with dialogue.
PROPER PLAYER PATHWAYS
Just as location, location, location is the key metric for house buyers, so facilities, facilities, facilities is where the future of Irish football can be found.
James McClean was quite right this week to highlight the thirdworld amenities which clubs, at all levels, provide for their players. As for the spectator experience, that’s pretty shabby too.
There are grounds in the League of Ireland that should be levelled, while the underage facilities for clubs’ U19s, U17s, U15s are, in many cases, not fit for purpose.
With the route to Britain blocked until players turn 18, it’s imperative youngsters here have access to quality coaching and an environment that helps them grow. Today’s teenagers are tomorrow’s Titans in a green shirt at Aviva Stadium.
Instead, the Saints manager will be at Tallaght Stadium tonight (8.0) to see how Shamrock Rovers get on against Drogheda United in a game postponed from Friday.
Approaching the climax to the season, Pat’s are only three points behind the leaders, who have to travel to Richmond Park on Friday.
Rovers have a match in hand and could go six points clear tonight of the Saints, and Derry City too, so it’s no surprise who Daly will be rooting for. ‘We play Rovers on Friday, so I’ll get a good look at them and see where they’re at. I’ll probably wear my Drogheda jersey and hope for a Drogheda win,’ he said.
The week ahead is huge for Daly as the Saints can secure a Euro place with victory over Sligo Rovers at home tomorrow, before the visit of Rovers to a rocking ‘Richer’ — which will be at 5,200 capacity.