Originally Posted by geysir
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I agree with geysir in making the LOI manager comparison/connection, even if seemingly indirect. If the FAI were pumping the money into more sustainable models of progress that would aid long-term domestic development, I would happily put up with lower profile names in the managerial and assistant positions for a few years. Unfortunately, the future is rather bleak because the FAI don't appear to have the nous or foresight to look very far down the line. Competing associations are moving on and we have fewer and fewer players playing at the top level of English football by the season. Formerly, we relied on English academies to produce our talent but we can't piggyback any longer (due to the way the worldwide footballing market has changed and the EPL becoming a truly global behemoth), so we should be concentrating on ensuring a steady stream of talent internally that will have a greater chance of engineering better performances and long-term success. That in turn would generate greater public interest and increased revenue that could be pumped back into the self-sustaining model, thereby ensuring a follow-up generation of talent. It would be a more sustainable, stable and beneficial way of doing it rather than the short-termist throwing of everything at high-profile senior team managers and assistants. What happens when said managers and their assistants inevitably fail to deliver because they don't have the players coming through? Of course, the above would require a complete revamp of the game's structures in Ireland which is easier written about than done. I also acknowledge O'Brien's contributions, but I think it is generally accepted that the FAI devotes a disproportionate level of focus and investment to projects from which only the senior men's team will benefit.
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