The Future for this Irish Team
Like everyone on this forum I found our recent failure to qualify for the World Cup absolutely gut-wrenching. The fact that we held our destiny in our own hands makes it all the more disappointing. However, it is at times like this that we must look to the future and the positives for Irish football.
In the past few weeks I've read a lot of pessimistic views from both journalists and fans on this forum. People point to a lack of playing resources currently at our disposal. Tom Humphries has stated on a number of occasions that Brian Kerr had to work with an inferior squad to his two predecessors. Humphries conveniently neglected to mention that when Mick McCarthy acquired the job in 1996 he was forced to rely on a group of veterans such as Townsend, Houghton, Cascarino and McLoughlin. He was thereby forced to bring in a number of young players such as Given, Harte, Breen, Cunningham, Farrelly, Connolly and O'Neill, some of whom couldn't get a game for their clubs. In this sense, McCarthy stamped his own identity on the Irish team. That is something which Brian Kerr never did, but something the new manager must do.
I disagree with the view that we do not currently have the resources to qualify for major tournaments, an assertion held by Brian Kerr in the aftermath of our 0-0 draw with Switzerland. Kerr put 11 Premiership players on the field against France in Paris. That was a trend which continued for most of the qualifiers. Kerr certainly had sufficient talent at his disposal, more so than Switzerland and Israel. However, Kerr instilled neither the requisite commitment nor the confidence in the players.
While our failure to qualify has cost us three players through retirement, we shouldn't be too upset. Steve Carr's decision may have been a surprise, but it must be accepted that Carr is not the player he was four years ago. He's at least a yard slower and lacks the temperament required at this level. His current form is in stark contrast to the form he showed against Portugal at Lansdowne in June 2001. I do not consider his retirement to be a huge loss. We have an outstanding replacement in the shape of Steve Finnan. The loss of Kenny Cunningham was to be expected. His personality and leadership will be sorely missed in the Irish squad. However, perhaps his departure willl be a blessing in disguise. Cunningham is clearly lacking the pace for international football, and this certainly played a part in our recent tendency to defend deep. The failure of our defence to push up when in possession was motivated by the need to compensate for Cunningham's lack of pace. This thereby created disunity on the field. We need to defend as a team and attack as a team. The departure of Cunningham will allow us to to develop the partnership of Richard Dunne and Andy O'Brien. Both players have proved that they are competent at this level. Hopefully they can form a reliable partnership.
The most high-profile retirement obviously concerned Roy Keane. His return from international exile may have helped lay to rest the ghost of Saipan. It must be said that Keane's most recent retirement has been easier to accept. Nonetheless, I don't think his loss will be as significant as many paople feel. It's my own opinion that Keane failed to produce his old form since his return. With the exception of his return game against Romania and the two games against France, none of Keane's performances could be described as vintage. Indeed, his performances away to Switzerland, Israel and the Faroes were mediocre. As much as the arrival of a new manager, it could be suggested that Keane's latest retirement represents the beginning of a new era for Irish football. For the best part of ten years the remaining Irish players have lived in the shadow of Keane. While his presence has had many positive impacts, it may be that the players will now feel the freedom to express themselves and forge a new identity for the team.
Indeed, there have been a number of positives to emerge for Irish football in recent weeks. Chief amongst these is the emergence of Stephen Ireland at Man City. The youngster has taken the Premiership by storm. We tend to get excited about young Irish players but Stepehn Ireland looks the real deal. He's reminiscent of a young Roy Keane. He's not afraid to put the foot in and seems unphased by the demands of the Premiership. Furthermore, Ireland looks like a genuine creative midfielder. His passing is excellent and the vision he showed in recent games against Aston Villa and Fulham gives further credence to his claims for an international call-up in the new year. Ireland is the pick of a group of promising young midfielders ready to fill the void left by Keane. While Glenn Whelan, Joey O'Brien, Owen Garvan and Manchester United's Darron Gibson are far from international class players yet, they certainly provide reason for optimism.
With regard to our attacking options, I genuinely believe that things are looking up in this department. Clinton Morrison has already struck 7 goals in 12 starts for Crystal Palace. While Clinton has been forced to drop a division for first team football, it may not be too long before he is back in the top flight. With the imminent return of Andy Johnson from injury, both he and Morrison will surely fire Palace to a play-off place at least. Morrison clearly enjoys himself at Palace and I think he would be better prepared for life in the Premierahip with the London club. The current scarcity of goals at Birmingham would suggest that it was hardly the best place for Morrison to come by goals.
The emergence of Kevin Doyle is a further positive. The Wexford man has made a big impression at Reading. Considering that Doyle has almost a full season of football behind him already (half a season with Cork), we probably won't see the best of him until next season. His pace and power with the ball at feet will certainly add a new dimension to the Irish squad.
Stephen Elliott is arguably the most impressive Irish striker this season. I was never convinced about Elliott, but admit to having changed my mind in recent weeks. For Ireland, he put had an excellent cameo appearance against Italy, was our best outfield player against Cyprus, and showed some good touches when introduced against Switzerland. For Sunderland, he's scored two cracking gaols against Man United and Newcastle. I've seen a lot of Sunderland games this season and genuinely believe he has been their most impressive player. Even when introduced from the bench against Arsenal last weekend, he looked more competent than any of Sunderland's other attacking options. He has a good touch, holds the ball up well, and has an excellent work-rate. Elliott's Sunderland team-mate, Daryl Murphy has also made good progress. The 22-year old put in a good performace against Arsenal. For a big man, he's quite mobile and has a great touch. Any time I've seen him I've been impressed with his technique. If Murphy continues to develop at Sunderland and chips in with a few goals, he may become the perfect foil for Stephen Elliott or Robbie Keane.
We've discussed Robbie enough on this forum. He needs a move in the transfer window in order to ressurect his career. If he makes the right move and shows the due application, he has more to offer than any other Irish striker.
A further striking option that should be taken into account is Lee Trundle. Regardless of his age, the Swansea striker warrants an opportunity. His footballing ability, coupled with his physical presence, could provide Ireland with a further alternative in attack, particularly coming off the bench. Trundle has clearly demonstrated his commitment to the cause. If his only motivation was playing international football he could have taken Northern Ireland up on their offer. We can take it as read that Trundle will be playing in the Championship next season, either with Swansea or a different club.
Taking our current attacking options into account, it's my opinion that the new manager should concentate on working with the following players: Robbie Keane, Clinton Morrison, Stephen Elliott, Kevin Doyle, Daryl Murphy and Lee Trundle. With the exception of Trundle who is 29, that's a young group of players. The last time I remember Ireland having as many strikers to pick from was in the early 1990s when Jack Charlton could name John Aldridge, Niall Quinn, Tony Cascarino, David Kelly and John Byrne in his squad.
There are a number of other Irish players that need to step up to the plate over the coming year. It would be nice to see Clive Clarke make a real impression at West Ham and Gareth O'Connor to continue his good form at Burnley. Clarke's defensive solidity might offer us real hope in the left-back position. Others such as John O'Shea and Steven Reid must finally live up to their early billing as talented young players. We must find a hard-tacking midfielder who can control the pace of the game. I have my doubts as to whether Graham Kavanagh can carry out this role, and past experience would suggest that Matt Holland certainly cannot.
Above all, we need the new manager to develop the Irish team as a unit over the coming year. We need the team to once again be greater than the sum of its parts. For that to happen, the new manager must instill confidence and enthusiasm into the squad. We need the old team spirit to return. Perhaps the most important tactic that the team can use is that of "put 'em under pressure"! The pressing game employed by Jack, and Mick to a lesser extent is suited to the Irish style of play. The cautious, continental approach of sitting back and letting the opposition play might have been Kerr's philosophy, but Irish teams play better with a high-tempo, agressive game-plan. If the new Ireland manager understands how to get the best out of these players, there is no doubt in my mind that we will make a swift return to the top table of international football.
