contrasting fortunes of Eddie O'Sullivan's Ireland and Steve Staunton's Ireland

[CollegeTillIDie]

The players have to accept some of the responsibility for the antiquated back up scenario.

Kerr tried to introduce a more professional mode of preparation and the players didn't buy into it.

Obviously, interminable amounts of time on analysis can be counter-productive but a balanced approach of the practical and SOME analysis is part and parcel of the modern game.

Its a cliche, but a lot of players have a 3 second attention span and would rather be in their room ****ing about on Play Station as opposed to analysing the opposition on video.

If Stan actually got proper backroom staff in relation to scouting, analysis and scouting - would they be listened to anyway?

Watching DVD's and analysis is part of doing your homework , basic professional preparation. If you don't study, or do your homework, you won't even get your Junior Cert... oh that's right I forgot, most of our team didn't get their Junior Cert

[geysir]

You can look to Steve Coppell but why would he look to managing part time a national team for a small % of wages?
You can get lucky with a young manager, get lucky with a Beenhakker type or pay 80% of the profits from games on a proven manager.
It isn´t a close comparison with Rugby. International Rugby almost resembles a club set up, players contracts, long training camps with comparative salaries against other federations, etc.
What´s the fuss about Mick Byrne, I thought he was the national team version of a Billy Lord

[Billsthoughts]

If you don't study, or do your homework, you won't even get your Junior Cert... oh that's right I forgot, most of our team didn't get their Junior Cert

they are among the top tier of their chosen proffession......why would they need it??????

[TonyD]

I read until this and refuse to read anymore:



I hate when pundits/journalists come out with this crap.
How many Roy Keanes did we have? How many Paul McGrath's? I know it's only an expression but it annoys the hell out of me. Listening to the morons on the tv and radio bleat on about Arsenal recently talking about the Pires, the Vieras, the Petits, The Wrights, The Berkamps, gimme a break!!

End of Rant

Agree 100%. It's probably the prime example of your Jamie Redknapp's Lee Dixon's or Alan Shearer's on auto-cliche. And these are the people Dunphy was slagging off in the papers today.