Was just testing my memory in my old age.
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Roy, Mick or Martin? Cormac Byrne details the early favourites to replace Giovanni Trapattoni
Will it be Martin O'Neill or Brian McDermott? Cormac Byrne with the early favourites.
Martin O’Neill (Odds: Evens)
The former Leicester, Celtic, Aston Villa and Sunderland manager is being described as “almost certain” to take over from Trapattoni by Eamon Dunphy.
His ability to get the most from mediocre players in unquestioned and the way he turned Aston Villa into Top Four contenders earned him lots of plaudits in the game.
Although his Sunderland reign ended abruptly last season, he showed with way he nurtured James McClean from a League of Ireland player into an international that he fits the bill for what Ireland want.
The FAI are understood to have approached him in recent weeks to see if he would be interested in the position.
O’Neill had a distinguished playing career, with captaining Northern Ireland at the 1982 World Cup the highlight.
Brian McDermott (Odds: 7/1)
The current Leeds United boss has long been a friend of the FAI and has history with some key members of the current squad.
A stumbling block to his appointment will be that the cash-strapped FAI would have to pay compensation to Leeds to free McDermott from his contract.
McDermott made his managerial reputation with his exploits with Reading helping them to promotion from the Championship to the Premier League in 2012.
The attacking style his teams adopt would appease the Irish soccer public who have been crying out for a more creative approach.
Mick McCarthy (Odds: 10/1)
They say you should “never go back” but McCarthy could be a good fit for Ireland.
During the 2012 World Cup, Ireland played the kind of football we all crave and although the Saipan saga still haunts him, McCarthy has lots of fans in Irish soccer circles.
Since leaving the Irish post, McCarthy has got Sunderland and Wolves into the Premier League with a core of Irish players at the heart of both those efforts.
In recent times, he has taken over at Portman Road and halted a slide at Ipswich Town.
As with McDermott, the FAI would have to Ipswich which could rule out any possible move.
Roy Keane (Odds: 14/1)
Arguably the greatest player to ever play for Ireland but Keane and the FAI have a coloured history.
The Saipan saga in 2002 will always mean that Keane will not enjoy universal support from Irish fans.
Gaining promotion with Sunderland showed the Corkman’s potential as a manager but his tenure at the Stadium of Light ended prematurely with a lot of player fall-outs.
Keane was appointed Ipswich Town boss in April 2009 but only lasted 20 months in the job.
Keane also has a history with a few of the existing squad and this could scupper any move for the former Manchester United captain.
Chris Hughton (Odds: 16/1)
The former Irish international would be a very popular appointment.
A no-nonsense defender in his playing days, Hughton was an assistant manager with Tottenham Hotspur for over a decade before taking over as caretaker boss with Newcastle United in 2008 when Alan Shearer was sacked.
He got the Magpies promoted but was inexplicably sacked by Newcastle in December 2011.
Hughton took over as Birmingham City in June 2011 and led them to a fourth place finish in the Championship before moving on to Norwich City in June 2012.
Hughton kept the Canaries up with an exciting brand of football and has began the current season well with four points from three games.
Wes Hoolahan has become a major attacking threat in the Premier League under Hughton.
That rug really tied the room together.Comment
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They have a feeder club in the Slovenian 1st division to which they have loaned 21 players this summerOriginally posted by rodo View Postan italian newspaper has claimed parma have 226 either playing for or affiliated to the club and that they have made 300 transactions involving players over the summer
it's ridiculous.
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Excellent read, written by - amazingly - Danny Higginbotham.
Young players are put under pressure by clubs far too early, says experienced defender Danny Higginbotham, who believes that a different approach to coaching at grass roots level could bear fruit for England’s youth set up.
Since Greg Dyke’s rallying call last week I have been asking myself just what it is that needs to change in English football to wrestle a foothold back within this great game. The answer, in my opinion, is enjoyment.
Too many youngsters now are being swallowed up by the big clubs and then spat out by the time they are 15, and with any affection for the game gone. I remember as a youngster being at Man United and training once a week, which was great. The best thing was that I was still able to play Sunday league with my mates and enjoy it. I played in competitions up and down the country and I have still fond memories of that time for me.
My lad has just been released by Crewe a few months back and he was heartbroken. As an eight-year-old he was at Crewe having signed a contract – yes, a contract – at such an early age. I tried to put him off signing a contract because I know the pitfalls and the pressure this brings at such a young age, but he was adamant to the point of tears, so I reluctantly agreed to let him sign. He is now 12 and, as I say, was recently released. He has since joined his local club, Betley, and last week out of the blue he turned around to me and said “Dad, you know something, I don’t miss Crewe one bit.” This is not a slight on Crewe at all, it’s just the simple fact that from an early age these lads feel the pressure, and the enjoyment of football soon disappears.
The coaches have to have numerous qualifications and badges which, to be honest, mean nothing and that’s not being disrespectful. The best way to coach is from experience, not badges. Whether that means you have played the game at a certain level or you have watched the best coaches around and learnt from them, like Mourinho did with the late Sir Bobby Robson. Too many times now, qualifications will go above experience, and this is where kids will suffer.
When I was a youngster Nobby Styles used to coach me, and I remember turning up to the sessions and looking at him and having a thirst to learn because he had been there and done it, and he would tell us about his experiences and how they helped him in the game.
At the moment I think too many kids are having their natural talents coached out of them at an early age, instead of being able to express themselves. I’m not one for badges and qualifications in football. All this does is create a lot of coaches that are trained to do the same things. Instead, let coaches coach from experience and use the knowledge they gained whilst playing to help the youngsters. There are plenty of computer whizz kids out there who know how to put a good session on but can’t rectify it when mistakes are being made. Combine the knowledge of the two and you will get much better results.
Football is a simple game but too many people are over-complicating it. Let kids be kids. Yes, have the academies, but don’t restrict the players at academies to playing only for the academies and school. Let them have their down time and, more importantly, enjoyment on a Saturday or Sunday with their mates. The pressures are all too great in the game (which has now become a business) when you’re older, so let’s not let kids lose interest before they have even begun.
Football at any age is about enjoyment, and as a kid if you’re not enjoying the game then what hope does the country have for the next generation of players? Just a thought.Thanks very much for being ‘This Mornings’ Farmer’Comment
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He makes some good points and his central idea rings true.
But I don't know if I trust his judgment on coaching qualifications and so on. I'm sure some of what he says is valid but just going with how ex-players learned is a recipe for stagnation..
Suppose you have a physicist and a sociologist standing at the side of a field, observing a set of events unfolding on the field. The physicist does [describes] it using the terminology of mass and velocity and frequency of radiation and the rest. And the sociologist does it by describing it as a rugby match.
May the Lord bless this post.Comment
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Yes I agree with your last point. Overall though but I completely agree with him.Thanks very much for being ‘This Mornings’ Farmer’Comment
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Martin O'Neill favourite for a managerial vacancy. I'm in shock at this unexpected turn of events. Bookies must love **** like this. They'll be ****ed when he retires and they can't make soft moneyFootball without Origi is nothingComment
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Meet the new boss, same as the old bossNeil O'Riordan @noriordan 37m
Denis O'Brien has confirmed he'll continue to part-fund salary of Ireland boss. Worth noting he invested in Celtic during O'Neill's reign.
Thanks very much for being ‘This Mornings’ Farmer’Comment
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The game needs dismantling from the age of 5-6, all year age groups from say 6 to 12 should play on gradually increasing size of pitch and ball proportionate to their size.Originally posted by Shaggy View Post
Children should not be subjected to full size pitches and balls until they are big enough.
Just look at the model in Latin America, France, Spain Belgium etc....it's not rocket surgery....Comment
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Would have loved to see Chris Hughton given the position... although to be fair he's in a good job at the moment.Originally posted by Liverpel View PostComment
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Norwich boss Chris Hughton has ruled himself out of the vacant Republic of Ireland's manager after Brian McDermott also ruled himself out of the position.Originally posted by danperkins View Post
Hughton said at a press conference today: "I'm Norwich City manager, the fans and the board have been incredibly supportive to me and I am very happy here."
Earlier today, Leeds manager Brian McDermott has ruled himself out of the vacant manager's job.
McDermott, 52, was a leading contender to succeed Giovanni Trapattoni, who ended his five-year tenure by mutual consent on Wednesday following the Republic's World Cup qualifying defeat in Austria.
Hughton would have got my vote too (not that I have a vote).
It's going to be O'Neill, isn't it.
That rug really tied the room together.Comment
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I'm assuming you mean South America rather than Latin America because in Mexico its exactly the same problems and exactly the same failures. At least in my part, don't know about yours.Originally posted by Frenchie View Post
My lad has just gone from primary to secondary school and the pitch size doubles. Even at primary age the half size pitch was far too big for them until the last year and they shouldn't even be playing eleven aside until around his age.
The coaches in our area are terrible, maybe they will be physical education teachers if you are lucky but most of the time they aren't even that. No football qualifications at all. Often they selfishly protect the good kids to try and stop other coaches stealing them. I had a meeting at the end of last season and said to them my kid is supporting you but you aren't doing anything for him. He's learning nothing because he's the best kid in the team and carries them.
Funnily enough just after that conversation I found a young and passionate coach that got his UEFA license in Ireland and has played football in several countries. The best coach I've ever met at this level. Unfortunately he's unique in our area but fortunately I've found him!Comment
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No in fairness I mean Latin America, the football experience is great in Guadalajara, there are 4 main professional clubs and 24 clubs in lower leagues and they all run programmes from 6 upwards.Originally posted by topscorer View Post
The State school system? I have no idea, all my partner's nieces and nephews are in private education and their sports departments are fantastic.Comment
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Maybe its just my area then. My kids in a private school and all the local leagues are organized by the private schools. It's very rare for any of the coaches to have any kind of footballing qualification and their is no development plan for the kids, no pathway for them to take.Originally posted by Frenchie View Post
What about your point regarding pitch sizes? Do they gradually increase the size of pitch in Guadalajara as you say, and I agree, should be done? Or is it like here, half size pitch ages 6 to 11 and then a full size pitch after that?Comment
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