Where to from now....

**jbyrne** · 27/06/2012, 2:46 PM

Originally Posted by Stuttgart88

I have to say some of the talk on that show is very OTT. "Embarrassing". "Better not to be there at all". "We stank the tournament out".

exactly. who had the more disappointing tournament.... us or the Dutch? Id say the dutch by far. would they say it would be better if they hadnt been there?

**boovidge** · 27/06/2012, 5:21 PM

Lots of pie in the sky Football Manager type proposals and ideas from the people on that show. Fun to discuss but not realistic possibilities.

**Noelys Guitar** · 27/06/2012, 6:43 PM

Originally Posted by jbyrne

exactly. who had the more disappointing tournament.... us or the Dutch? Id say the dutch by far. would they say it would be better if they hadnt been there?

Glad you mentioned Holland. The head of the Dutch Football Association Bert Van Oosten has already had a meeting with Van Marwijk (who is contracted until 2016) with another one to follow in two weeks. Van Ooosten described the Holland teams performances as unworthy of the Orange shirt. “I cannot get into it too much so soon after the game. But I have received no signal that Van Marwijk wants to stop. The question is whether Bert is the man who can turn this situation around.” Exact questions Delaney should be asking but isn't.

**Stuttgart88** · 28/06/2012, 11:45 AM

Thanks to Uncle Joe for steering us towards this website. This is a great article:

http://www.thecoachdiary.com/grassro...ireland-fai-0/

**Stuttgart88** · 01/07/2012, 9:09 PM

I see Spain have sent their elite under 3s onto the pitch for some big time atmosphere experience. Gotta admire their far-sightedness. Are you watching FAI?

**seanfhear** · 02/07/2012, 7:20 AM

Originally Posted by Stuttgart88

I see Spain have sent their elite under 3s onto the pitch for some big time atmosphere experience. Gotta admire their far-sightedness. Are you watching FAI?

Was'nt it great that it was so well organised that the players could safely bring their kids onto the pitch.
It was a great advertisement for football.

**tetsujin1979** · 02/07/2012, 10:02 AM

Originally Posted by seanfhear

Was'nt it great that it was so well organised that the players could safely bring their kids onto the pitch.
It was a great advertisement for football.

Remember that the next time there's a pitch invasion at Croke Park and everyone says "you could never do that at a soccer game"

**tetsujin1979** · 02/07/2012, 10:06 AM

Spain didn't start playing like that yesterday, likewise Ireland aren't going to start playing like that tomorrow. Germany took stock of their position after Euro 2000 and started producing players like Kedira and Ozil, ten years later. Whatever success or failure the high performance plan at the FAI has, we won't be able to judge until the players in the program reach maturity, probably not for another seven years, minimum

**Bungle** · 02/07/2012, 10:58 AM

Originally Posted by tetsujin1979

Spain didn't start playing like that yesterday, likewise Ireland aren't going to start playing like that tomorrow. Germany took stock of their position after Euro 2000 and started producing players like Kedira and Ozil, ten years later. Whatever success or failure the high performance plan at the FAI has, we won't be able to judge until the players in the program reach maturity, probably not for another seven years, minimum

Totally agree and the thing is that Germany did that in a massive footballing country with a very rich history. They don't have sports like GAA and Rugby to fight off also.

I have a feeling that we will produce a really world class young player in the next few years. It could be someone like Robbie Brady or Alex Hanlon, but it is badly overdue going on our past ability to produce great players. We will be overjoyed and think we are marvellous for a small country (in a way we do have a great ability to produce great players so we should feel pride). However, this is only papering the cracks, of so much that is wrong with our game. It is no coincidence that St Kevin's are becoming the dominant schoolboy club in Dublin with Crumlin United very competitive also. I understand both clubs play football the "continental way" from a young age. Great schoolboy clubs like Belvo, Home Farm, Cherry Orchard and Joey's seem to be lagging behind and are not really producing what they used to.

A friend of mine coached a few years ago at a club called Knocklyon United, which would be a reasonably decent club in Dublin. His own team were exceptional and beating alot of the big schoolboy teams in Dublin and Cork in competitions. He wrote to a local LOI club and suggested that as alot of his players were beginning to be courted by English clubs, then perhaps they could represent that club, instead of Knocklyon United, so as to get them in to what he though would be a very good academy and really take them up a notch, to a level he didn't think he could take them. He suggested that they could amalgamate with that club's schoolboy team and be very competitive. The LOI club wrote back and stated they wouldn't be interested in this, as they have their own team. A short time later, the two clubs met and Knocklyon hammered them 6-0. He said that the LOI clubs coach had them playing hoof ball in to the corners.

In fairness, that LOI club has come on leaps and bounds since then and I have alot of time for their set-up with their stadium. However, it did get me thinking how LOI clubs should be getting top-class coaches and scouts running the rule over lads at local clubs in their areas and getting them in to their academys. While we will never have a really top club in this country, I don't see why we can't have a club at a leverl like Rosenborg or FC Copenhagen, filled with lads from local areas. We still produce great raw talent, if it could just be harnessed.

**paul_oshea** · 02/07/2012, 1:14 PM

that club = Tallaght

**Charlie Darwin** · 02/07/2012, 1:35 PM

If it was a few years ago then it was probably a different south Dublin club.

**Bungle** · 02/07/2012, 1:44 PM

Originally Posted by paul_oshea

that club = Tallaght

It is indeed

To be fair that club have been making great progress and it was a few years ago. I don't know if their academy or youth recruitment system has changed, but clubs like Rovers should be linking up with local schoolboy clubs, by giving them top class coaching, in return they could identify exceptional local talent before English/Scottis clubs do. They could also be building up link ups with clubs down the country in counties like Laois and Offaly etc.

At a national level, the FAI could then have regional academies to cherry pick the best academy talent at LOI and schoolboy clubs. For the players that might not want to go to England at 15/16 for a variety of reasons or are not good enough at that age, this might be enough to keep them motivated in the game and keep them involved.

**mark12345** · 02/07/2012, 8:12 PM

Good to hear that Kevin's and Crumlin are coaching their kids the continental way, but not so good that LOI clubs are still playing hoof ball. I used play for Home Farm, and looking back all we were ever coaches was hoof ball, and I'm talking about the LOI team.

I knew, when I live at home, quite a few brilliant (creative) players - a friend of mine went to play in England and was one of the more creative players in a Cup FInal appearance against United - but they were never even looked at. Reason being they didn't fit into the 100 miles an hour profile of a player that English football demands. Good post on your part though, very informative.

And now that you mention it, how is Alex Hanlon doing? I heard great things about him. Also there was another lad who went with him to City wasn't it. Jack Byrne? Anyone know how he's doing?

**Bungle** · 03/07/2012, 12:13 PM

Originally Posted by mark12345

Good to hear that Kevin's and Crumlin are coaching their kids the continental way, but not so good that LOI clubs are still playing hoof ball. I used play for Home Farm, and looking back all we were ever coaches was hoof ball, and I'm talking about the LOI team.

I knew, when I live at home, quite a few brilliant (creative) players - a friend of mine went to play in England and was one of the more creative players in a Cup FInal appearance against United - but they were never even looked at. Reason being they didn't fit into the 100 miles an hour profile of a player that English football demands. Good post on your part though, very informative.

And now that you mention it, how is Alex Hanlon doing? I heard great things about him. Also there was another lad who went with him to City wasn't it. Jack Byrne? Anyone know how he's doing?

It is interesting what you said about alot of the players that came from Ireland in the past that were so technically gifted, but went to the wrong clubs. I do think we often produce youth teams that are quite continental in how they play, but by the time they're older, they're a clone of typical British footballers. Even England never fully trusted many of their most gifted - Waddle, Hoddle and Barnes to name a few.

I heard Ronnie Whelan saying that he was blessed that he went to Liverpool, where they recognised his strengths as a footballer and developed him, because they recognised that he was technically gifted. He reckoned he never would have been anything, if he had gone to another English club. He said that Jim Beglin was another player that was similar in that regard.

I understand that Alex Hanlon is doing very well, from talking with mates over there that follow the academy teams. They reckon he's a very good chance of making the grade and say he has exceptional talent. Because of his age they're cautios of talking him up too much though. They also rave about a lad from Belfast called McLoughlin, who is a bit older and reckon will make the 1st team squad in no time at all, maybe even this season. They said there's another Irish lad over there called Cleary who is very good also. Think he's a centre half.

**mark12345** · 04/07/2012, 1:44 PM

Thanks Bungle. Keep the information coming. And while we're at it there's a younger lad in the Boston area - name of Owen Smith and his father's from the Liberties in Dublin. The kid is going to be the next Damien Duff, has a left foot which can make the ball talk.