Originally Posted by
PAFC
I dont think anybody will retire, just step back a little and become subs. It would be great to have the experience of these guys around a little longer. The future looks good and this campaign can only be built upon.
However i think the FAI need to look at the overall picture.
1) they need to appoint a new under 21 manager as Givens has lost the plot long ago. He is old school and cannot relate to the newer younger generation of Irish players. Time and time again arguements etc have blighted his tenure as Under 21 manager. Many players have suffered as a result and we seem to struggle from one crisis to another at this level. Surely we have talent in the Eircom League & U-20 LOI that is better than a player from Histon?
2) The FAI need to trawl the english, scotish and european leagues for players? There is one player in Holland (Surname) Maguire who has Irish parents. He refused an U-21 call up before but surely could be inticed into the senior setup. Our bench was wake last night and as a result we suffered.
3) the FAI also need to have a serious look at the LOI, its dying on its feet as we speak. Could we look at a celtic league? (Irish, Scotish, N.Ireland & Welsh clubs) Maybe the top clubs could play at this level as full time pro setups and in each country, a semi pro league could run in tamdem. All the above countries do not have a population to sustain pro football.
4) the FAI also need to demand of UEFA & FIFA that the rules for any future qualification tournament are clearly set out before the tournament starts.
Just a few thoughts and open to comment.