QuoteWell he's available now!
Sacked tonight by Sunderland!
http://www.rte.ie/sport/soccer/engli...martin-oneill/
Having watched the United/Sunderland match today, I can't say my opinion of O'Neill is super high at the moment.
Author of Never Felt Better (History, Film Reviews).
Well he's available now!
Sacked tonight by Sunderland!
http://www.rte.ie/sport/soccer/engli...martin-oneill/
DID YOU NOTICE A SIGN OUTSIDE MY HOUSE...?
I think this changes the Trap debate completely. For the first time there is a decent answer to the 'who would you replace him with?' question.
Bring Back Belfast Celtic F.C.
But Paul Jewell's been free since October.Originally Posted by backtowalsall
I know he has become a figure of fun in Irish football, but I actually think Jewell is a decent manager at a certain level. OK Ipswich was a fiasco, but he did some cracking work at Bradford and Wigan.
Bring Back Belfast Celtic F.C.
Another one (by Vincent Hogan) from the same school of thought offering some more to chew on: http://www.independent.ie/sport/socc...-29163896.html
Austria's late goal left Ireland's World Cup hopes on life-support, pitching the collective mood from hopeful to discordant.
And, for those filing live copy, this was the gravest inconvenience. Essentially, we had 10 minutes to turn a lullaby into Carmen and, with fingers no longer accepting signals from the central nervous system, that wouldn't be easy.
Still, it was no excuse for rounding on Trapattoni like a motorcycle-gang, which is essentially what the media did on Tuesday night.
The story on Wednesday morning was that he would not be stepping down as Ireland boss, as if this represented some breathtaking chutzpah on the Italian's part.
Now, this column wearies of his old colonel's eccentricities as quick as the next, but the idea that Trap should have resigned this week surely spoke more about an industry's self-delusion than it did about the Irish manager.
You have to wonder is there a comparable case-study anywhere in world football, where – decade after decade – the man at the helm of a national team gets depicted as some kind of hapless Mr Magoo, endlessly dragging his players down.
Through my entire journalistic career, this has been the unchanging soundtrack of Irish football.
The manager is the problem. With someone wiser in charge, our players would play to the sound of trumpets.
Maybe you have to be of a certain age to recognise the recidivism of that conceit.
Just now Wes Hoolahan must live in silent dread of the day Trap finally bows to the populist chorus and starts him in an important game. Because the more Wes gets overlooked, the higher his legend soars.
I happen to think that Trapattoni got a lot of things right last Tuesday night.
After the careless concession of an early goal, his team played with a competitive energy the Austrians, palpably, did not enjoy. Had Shane Long's back-heel not hit the post or had Heinz Lindner not produced a second-half wonder save, this might well have been filed away as the best Irish home performance since the '01 defeat of Holland.
But the third goal did not materialise and Ireland ended up wrestling vainly for control of the football in much the same way England did in Podgorica and, Heaven help us, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland all did during their respective defeats on the same night.
I don't know, but I suspect there's the kernel of a clue there.
Eight years ago, Brian Kerr was getting it in the ear for his team squandering leads twice against Israel.
During a 1-1 draw in Tel Aviv, he had perhaps the greatest on-field leader in Premier League history directing operations.
Yet, even with Roy Keane on board, Ireland dropped so deep in the dying minutes, that the concession of an injury-time equaliser ultimately felt self-inflicted.
In the return game at Lansdowne, a two-goal lead was squandered. That October, there were few cries of protest when Kerr got the sack.
Jack Charlton managed Ireland to three major tournaments, yet was accused of vandalising our native art. Mick McCarthy got his team to the '02 World Cup, yet was then bombed out in a popularity contest with Keane. The late Bobby Robson found himself ridiculed on 'Liveline' following a panicked win in San Marino.
And, now, Trapattoni's is the head being hunted.
He's certainly no Orson Welles when speaking English and, clearly, poor communication skills have created avoidable tensions in the Irish dressing-room.
But the concession of a deflected 93rd-minute shot is surely rank poor reason to expect a resignation in the qualifying mid-stream.
People fixate on Trapattoni's salary when, if anything, it's the salary of his assistant that should be questioned.
Trouble is, the media finds comfort in consensus and the cry for change now gathers unstoppably.
Liam Brady is shouted down on television for suggesting it inappropriate to ask Trap if he's considering his position immediately after missing out on a precious victory by maybe 30 seconds. Worse, Brady feels compelled to ask that his argument not be interpreted as some kind of blind faith in an old colleague.
Trap's time is probably coming to a close right enough, but the media repeated tired old sins this week.
We managed to spin the lie we've been spinning for decades, a fable depicting our football history as some potentially glorious tale reduced to hapless tragicomedy by a succession of bad managers.
Jonathan, mon frère, is this the life for you?
Fair article as usual by Hogan. Awful drivel on goal.com though.
Nothing will convince me that the concession of a late equaliser was not self inflicted with the manager extremely culpable.
Ok, so at the end of the campaign and Trap departs - which he will whether we qualify or not - it appears O'Neill is a candidate. Would he be interested? Should we be interested? He's very much in the rudimentary mould and player judgment is questionable, for example.
Regardless of how the campaign finishes, should Tardelli be a candidate? I don't know what the players' view of him is. It might offer the away form continuity we'd love to keep and maybe he'll be more progressive in the home games.
Just asking...
I don't always like Vincent Hogan's offerings but he was fair and not buying the ongoing fashion of boss bashing. It's embarrassing to read some of what has been written here or in the Irish meeja, I can only put it down to too many boys with too much time and free access to Football Manager.
As for a replacement at the end of the campaign - Martin O'Neill is obvious, but he'd get 6 months before something is found wrong. Paul Jewell, not the worst manager, but he'd last a month. Phil Brown, he's looking for work and cheap, he'd last at least a fortnight.
Sadly, until we break from the motherland we're not going to get anywhere. We're tied in blood to one of the crappiest player development systems in the world and it won't change so long as our own football establishment work along political lines rather than trying to make the sport a success.
The Goal piece, it at least says (sarcastically) a little about the Irish mentality. I blame the motherland!
Kilbane said in the Sunday Times a couple of weeks ago that Tardelli does practically nothing in the set-up beyond being someone there for Trap to have around. I think he'd be disastrous, though I do love the boyish enthusiasm he shows at times.
I'd have O'Neill in a heartbeat if his head is right. I presume he'll take a break so by October or whenever, he should be hungry enough for another job. But I think he might knock the club management on the head now, he's 61 and has been managing for a long long time. International football might suit him. He's not been great lately but wasn't he offered or at least interviewed for the England job not too long ago??
Maybe that other Clough old boy Roy Keane could be his assistant......that'd be something
Problem solved. The way forward is with Francis. Argentinian background, divine connection, can speak Italian and is of the same vintage as Trap, call him up John!
http://www.independent.ie/opinion/an...-29165109.html
They should hire a German with experience in the Bundy.
No Somos muchos pero estamos locos.
Or an Australian (manager) with experience on the Bundy
Or Al Bundy?
Or someone who's eaten a lot of Bundys?
DID YOU NOTICE A SIGN OUTSIDE MY HOUSE...?
ha thanks - cough, martin O Neill - or a cheap move, just get Roddy inbennocelt the eamon dunphy of foot.ie always knocking never offering a suggestion.
Last edited by bennocelt; 01/04/2013 at 6:50 AM.
I was thinking Hermann Gerland but OK.
No Somos muchos pero estamos locos.
Hogan was right re our "rich footballing history". We don't have one and it pains me to hear Dunphy and his ilk talking about it. We've qualified for five major tournaments, all in the last 25 years and the three managers who have gotten us there have all been criticised at some point for crapping on our footballing heritage. It's laughable.
Not sure O'Neill would take the job to be honest. Would it be worth the hassle he'd get? Never rated him that highly myself, he's a poor man's David Moyes (who isn't that great himself), so not sure he would be that much of an upgrade on what we have.
Can't agree with most of your post particularly your comment regarding Moyes. Brilliant manager!
It's the last 26 tbf, Barney.
Charlton only got criticised afterwards. For playing football that makes Traps look sophisticated.
And Moyes is decent rather than brilliant. Be interesting to see what he could do, with a lot of money to spend.
Moyes has done a great job with Everton but that's about his level. I really like the fella, he seems really honest and has stuck with Everton when he could have walked away a few times but he'll never be successful with a top club because his style of football will get found out at that level.
What do you mean get found out?
In the game v Man City, Everton were hardly "lucky" to have won. Same goes for most of the season.
Moyes is a good coach and I sincerely doubt he'd be "found out" if he went to Arsenal or Man Utd.
DID YOU NOTICE A SIGN OUTSIDE MY HOUSE...?
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