QuoteI'm a Liverpool fan but when it comes to Ireland they don't even come into the equation. It sickens me to see certain people's allegiance to a foreign team clouding their judgement on the national team.Originally Posted by Stuttgart88
Definitely half the stake for situations like that. Dead heat rules.
I'm a Liverpool fan but when it comes to Ireland they don't even come into the equation. It sickens me to see certain people's allegiance to a foreign team clouding their judgement on the national team.
If the FAI could get Houllier then they'd have to take him, since he's by far the best qualified candidate in the frame. And I think he'd do a good job if for no other reasons that his qualities - stature, experience, continental approach etc - are exactly those where Stan fell down, so I think the dressing room would be glad to get him, too.
That said, there is one flaw on his record which would worry me if he were managing my country. The Liverpool fan (above) referred to it. When GH was in charge of the French National team they failed even to to qualify for the 1994 World Cup. This was from a mediocre Group topped by Sweden (15 pts from 10 games), then Bulgaria (14 pts), with France third (13 pts) ahead of Austria, Finland and Israel.
Moreover, the manner of their elimination was embarrassing. Having coasted through the early stages, they effectively only needed to beat bottom team Israel at home in their second last game to qualify, yet they lost 2-3 after having been 2-1 up at half time. Worse was to come in their final game at home to Bulgaria, where a point would still have seen them through. Yet despite being a goal ahead, they eventually lost this one 2-1, via a last minute goal.
I remember seeing GH at the post-match Press Conference, where he put ALL the blame for France's failure to qualify squarely on Ginola for losing the ball before the Bulgarian winner. GH was so trenchant that Ginola's career was effectively finished in France after that.
Yet what GH pointedly ignored was that he had started Ginola on the bench to accommodate a last minute change of formation. In fact, it was GH who brought Ginola on with an hour gone, when the teams were level - hardly the sort of player to defend a point in a crucial home game! Moreover, Ginola actually gave the ball away right by the Bulgarian goalline. GH made no mention of a Bulgarian defender then running 70 yards with the ball past several French players to cross to an unmarked forward. Any one of 4 or 5 Frenchmen could have hacked him down if need be - it was injury time, so a red card wouldn't have mattered.
And it's not as if he had a poor team to work with - if anything his players were even better than those which won the World Cup just four years later:
http://www.fff.fr/cgi-bin/historique...pl?nomatch=516
FRANCE
[8] LAMA Bernard (Paris-Saint Germain F.C.)
[4] DESAILLY Marcel (Milan A.C.)
[12] ROCHE Alain (Paris-Saint Germain F.C.)
[35] BLANC Laurent (A.S. Saint Etienne)
[13] PETIT Emmanuel (A.S. Monaco)
[36] DESCHAMPS Didier (Olympique de Marseille)
[8] LE GUEN Paul (Paris-Saint Germain F.C.)
[39] SAUZÉE Frank (Atalanta Bergamasca Calcio) puis >81 [2] GUÉRIN Vincent (Paris-Saint Germain F.C.)
[4] PEDROS Reynald (F.C. Nantes-Atlantique)
[49] PAPIN Jean-Pierre = (Milan A.C.) puis >69 [7] GINOLA David (Paris-Saint Germain F.C.)
[36] CANTONA Eric =69 (Manchester United F.C.)
Moreover, of Jacquet's 1998 winning squad - rather different from that of GH in 1994 - 19 of the 22 players were 20 or over in 1993 i.e. potentially available to GH.
The spite which GH showed to Ginola seems to reveal to me a critical flaw in his character, which is that when the pressure is at its greatest, he's a "choker", as we saw with Liverpool, where he led them via Cup wins to as high as second in the League, before being blown away by Ferguson and/or Wenger. And when that happened, he laid the blame everywhere else but on his own doorstep. Which is why, imo, he was ultimately disliked by so many of his former players and the Anfield fans.
P.S. Houllier fans can put all this down to the fact that I am a huge Ginola fan; perhaps I should be grateful to GH for driving him to England, and Spurs, via Newcastle!
As was also pointed out, Sweden came third and Bulgaria fourth in the subsequent World Cup so, like Ireland's 2006 qualifying group, not as mediocre as some people like to make out.
Here, not fully up-to-date with betfair, how do you check this out?
San Marino are going to be a handful as the group goes on." - Steve Staunton reacts to performance against San Marino.
I can answer that one now. Eirebhoy gets out his calculator and ....
Or you can click on the little graph symbol to the left of the name and up pops another window with the info.
Cheers for that
San Marino are going to be a handful as the group goes on." - Steve Staunton reacts to performance against San Marino.
Houllier
I agree. Thompson was chosen because of his knowledge of the club, the area and his great affinity with the fans. I don't think that he is credited as great coach (to his credit, I don't think he claims to be either).
I would love to see Houllier get the job but I can't imagine that he's familiar with our players beyond the high profile ones in the EPL.
I think he needs an assistant and/or coach who does know the RoI set up and players. Personally, I think Chris Houghton would be a marvellous choice but I guess that it's down to chemistry with Houllier.
I just hope that Houllier (assuming that he gets the job) brings in someone with the right background and experience to assist him.
I'd have no problem with Kerr but, frankly, I doubt that he'd take it after the way that he was treated by the FAI (and I wouldn't blame him for that).
I think the simple fact of the matter is that Houllier, as recent as two years ago was managing one of the top teams in Europe in the Champions League. What right has anyone to turn their nose up at him. To say he is in another league to the other candidates is almost an understatement. Venables fans, all two of them, will use the example of of a La liga win 23 years ago. Nothing said about the last half a dozen jobs he has had and been a disaster in. I actually feel that Houllier was a relative sucess at Liverpool. He won trophies and that to me adds up to success...it will be a hell of a long time till you seeanyone bring the Premiership to Liverpool so i think it is unfair to use that against him. I actually think that his failings in the 1994 qualifying campaign could be a positive for us as it will give him the hunger not to do that agin and to succeed. As has been pointed out it was Sweden and Bulgaria, the teams that finished 3rd and 4th that knocked out France. The main point is that Houllier is an outstanding candidate and if he were interested in the jo we should be biting his hand off.
We've dismissed the likes of Venables and O'Leary for many reasons, but one of the constant complaints is that if no Premiership side wants either of them, why should we be speaking to them? Well, Houllier's boss had to issue a statement that he wasn't going to Newcastle, which is seen as a big job in the Premiership. So who are we to turn him down, if he is interested?
According to news reports now he was never in the running for the Newcastle job. I would suggest Gerard has a good agent.
The Newcastle job isn´t a good example. Logic is suspended there.
When Keegans name was mentioned here, did anybody want him @ £750k p/a?
Yet Newcastle give him a £5m? p/a contract.
Houllier is into the seminar phase of his of his life, travelling all over the world, receiving 5 star hospitality, giving seminars on how to to set up a winning team. He is seen as a man who has managed a top team and done well. He is articulate and intelligent. He has a top job with the FFA. Newcastle day to day grind with a relegation squad and moaning fans would not interest him.
He has it made.
I could see him do the Ireland job and keeping his profile intact.
We would be fortunate top get him for 2 or 4 years.
That all means nothing unless he can get this team over the line for the 2010 WC finals. I heard all this when Kerr took over. I agree that Houllier has the best recent record of those that are in the running for the job but I am not convinced he will get the group of players we have over the line.
I'm not conviced our players can get over the line, but anything other than the lathargic effort we saw in the last campaign is an improvement. Think Ealing Green, for all the abuse he gets, can be very astute in his reading of things.
Camac Ultras North Terrace Section
I said at the very outset that GH was the outstanding candidate. Just look at his recent record. Venables is a gamble. While he may be more attacking than Houllier, u have to question his recent record when it's compared to a candidate like Houllier. Look at it this way, as bad as we are now, our home record is pretty decent. Our problem has always been getting a result away from home. Who would be better at grinding out the away results required, Houllier or El Tel? It's Houllier hands down. We have an inexperienced batch of young players that need organisation. Houllier is the man and I for one will be shaking my head in dismay if it's Venables sitting before the press next week...
Ireland job is Houllier's to refuse
http://www.tribune.ie/article.tvt?_s...=Tribune/Sport
Last edited by Deckydee; 20/01/2008 at 4:32 PM. Reason: no source for article
The pessimist complains about the wind; the optimist thinks it will change; the realist adjusts the sails.
The Indo reports that Houllier is on a good salary with the FFA, about €1.6m p/a and there is no contract waiver for compensation for an International job.
Houllier - a bit rich already
That's what you would call a stumbling block.
Howe Backs Houllier For Ireland Role
Nothing in it really.
Yeah this Mr A Source guy really knows his stuff. He seems to get into every article an Independent Media Journalist writes. Fanning wants Venables. Fanning knows that the media in this country seemingly have some sort of sway with the board or a stranglehold on Joe Public's thoughts, so if they can put some doubt into the public eye of going after Houllier then they will. As long as they get their man.
Delaney has gone on record with the money the FAI has got the past year. He has gone on record as saying money won't be an issue. He should put his money where his mouth is, and stump up the cash for Houllier (if he is actually available/interested. I'd much prefer for €3m to be spent on Houllier, than €2m on Venables and any of his cronies.
As an aside and unfortunately off-topic, Fanning made a remarkable turnabout on Benitez today. Hails him as a saviour of Liverpool and a true visionary for his 'outing' of the American bluffers. It wasn't too long ago that he derided Benitez as being a bluffer himself. He's a b*llox that bloke and I'm fcuking sick of him and his p*xy articles.
Here they come! It’s the charge of the “Thanks” Brigade!
Even with upping the salary from €400,000 to a 7 figure sum we are still not attracting a list of quality interested candidates so maybe Dunphy had a point about needing pay the most for the best.
Maybe I am just too mean but with 6 to 8 games a year its ridiculous overkill to be offering to pay a manager a ratio of €400,000 to €500,000 per game.
Bribing the ref might be a better investment.
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