Irish football from Grassroots to International: What needs to change?

The_Kew_Tour

Well if Irish football ever needed waking up it sure did after Thursday.

I like to hear your opinions as to what needs to be done at LOI, Local clubs and grassroots level that will help us in the future.

We all like get rid of some within FAI(maybe all), but I like to hear where we are going wrong and can we take lessons from these championships that maybe in years to come we might reflect that this was wake up call we needed.

My own opinion on this is that first off its going take quiet some time before we may be able to put decent structures in place and reap the rewards.

As things stand the lack of talent is apparent.

I dont expect us to turn into Spain we have be realistic about it we dont have numbers, but there should be no excuse for some of the things that go on in football in this country.

I feel like im waffling on so I leave it to you the experts;)

Caveman1

I think we actually have a lot of talent at underage coming trough, even around the senior squad there's a lot of your lads who'll do well for us, givin them the chance is all we need to do

[-0-]

I gave my thoughts here. http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=79239478&postcount=1605

Princess Consuela Bananahammock

Probably goign to get shot down for this, but the problem is creativity. We have an education system and a soceity that simply doesn't value it.

SThe resutls of this, relating to football, is that we have no problem turnign out defenders or attackers, even defnesive midfield marshalls a la Keane, but we very rarely turn out geuinely creative players. At best, craeative ideas, both on and off the field, just don't get enough encouragement in this country, at worst they are shot down instantly.

Reulsting in the fact that new players coming through, learn a position, learn how to play it and stick with it.

The_Kew_Tour

Ikky Poo2 wrote: »

Probably goign to get shot down for this, but the problem is creativity. We have an education system and a soceity that simply doesn't value it.

SThe resutls of this, relating to football, is that we have no problem turnign out defenders or attackers, even defnesive midfield marshalls a la Keane, but we very rarely turn out geuinely creative players. At best, craeative ideas, both on and off the field, just don't get enough encouragement in this country, at worst they are shot down instantly.

Reulsting in the fact that new players coming through, learn a position, learn how to play it and stick with it.

Its a fair point.

It's been hell of long time since we had a player that could give killer pass to teammates on consistent basis.

Samich

Johnny Giles - "The kids now a days aren't playing on the streets anymore, when I was a kid...."

Caveman1

Another problem I think we have is similar to a lot of clubs, our underage teams play a different type of football from the senior team, so when the lads get a chance they're playin in a system they aren't used to

southlouth type

Its simple ! How about all the football supporters in this country actually go and support football in this country and not to manchester , glasgow and the pub . That would be a serious start

Samich

Caveman1 wrote: »

Another problem I think we have is similar to a lot of clubs, our underage teams play a different type of football from the senior team, so when the lads get a chance they're playin in a system they aren't used to

If they're individually good enough to play for Ireland, than they can adapt to a systwm.

The_Kew_Tour

Samich wrote: »

If they're individually good enough to play for Ireland, than they can adapt to a systwm.

Try telling that to Trap.:)

southlouth type

southlouth type wrote: »

Its simple ! How about all the football supporters in this country actually go and support football in this country and not to manchester , glasgow and the pub . That would be a serious start

I don't see how supporting the current failing system would help but that's just me.

_blank_

Some kind of academy is needed, but as long as the FAI are paying their CEO 450k they aren't going to have the money for that.

***************************************

For too long we have depended on English club to take players at a young age and do their development for us. Any development that takes place in Ireland is geared towards getting players noticed by English scouts and those clubs paying the money to sustain the Irish clubs to bring through the next young players.

Joined up thinking between the clubs like Home Farm, Cherry Orchard etc, and the LoI Clubs near them is needed. At the moment the good players are put through the clubs who send players to England. We need to keep players in Ireland until they are 19,20,21, get them playing at the best clubs here, getting European experience with Shamrock Rovers, St Pats, Sligo, then the very best moving on, as would be normal in most of the smaller European countries like Scandinavia, former Yugoslavia etc, the very best players go abroad to bigger leagues, the less good ones stay home. The situation here is different.

When the players who don't make it come back to Ireland, there is nothing done to get them back into soccer here. They are disillusioned with the football life and fall into factory work and unemployment. Drink and waste their talents.

We'd also try to persuade the Irish eligible English players to declare. Now, only 40% of players in the PL are eligible for England, never mind Ireland, so any English born players playing at the highest level in England are playing for England, and those that are not picked, but are Irish eligible, are second or third rate players.

We need to address the development of players, right through to the early 20s, and not up to 14,15,16 and then send them off to England.

Des

Des wrote: »

When the players who don't make it come back to Ireland, there is nothing done to get them back into soccer here. They are disillusioned with the football life and fall into factory work and unemployment. Drink and waste their talents.

From a completely "cold" point of view what use would players who couldn't get into a 4th-tier English club be to the national team?

LuckyLloyd

An U-17 FAI National League is in the works. An U-19 National League has already been set up.

The links between youth football and the LOI are being developed.

To be honest, most of the 'what do we need to do to develop the game' discussion on here the past week is retarded. Welcome to the party boys, pity you needed to see us get beat 4 - 0 to figure it was an issue. For once the FAI is way ahead of you. They are churning out good quality coaches, they are getting youth squads to play the "right" way, and they are trying to establish a pipeline for players to move from elite youth football through to the top level LOI clubs.

An academy is way beyond the association's financial means though, and the reality is that they don't have essential control over youth and grassroots football in this country. The FAI have the best of intentions. The people who run the DDSL, etc don't. And the latter like things the way they are just fine.

Samich

Des wrote: »

We need to keep players in Ireland until they are 19,20,21, get them playing at the best clubs here, getting European experience with Shamrock Rovers, St Pats, Sligo

Yeah, all 4 or 5 games a year :rolleyes:

Danye

I know it's easier said then done but I think every schoolboy club in the country should push one of their members as far as they can in regards to gaining coaching badges and qualifications.

In turn that person could act almost as a technical development officer for that club and over see the standard of training being implemented throughout the club especially under 8's through to under 14's.

Every coach or manager involved with the running of any team MUST have started there own journey on getting badges and qualifications. All clubs must encourage this and support these individuals.

For far too long now we have parents or whatever acting as coaches and they are either not knowledgeable enough of how the game is played and should be played / living their dream through the kids they are coaching / Think they where good players "back in the day" and are still implementing the outdated coaching and tactics they used when they where playing and then the manager / coaches who want to win at all costs.

I think we should introduce 5 a side, 7 a side, 9 a side and then 11 a side. Two years playing at each.

Make sure the enjoyment is in football. The more enjoyment the kids are getting from the game the more they will stick with it and the more they will look to improve.

I also think the idea of winning anything should be done away with until the under 12 age group at least.

Just a few random thoughts that have been in my head. I'm thinking out loud here

bookie basher

we are a long ball team and always have been, that dosnt work at international level or in the champions league but since all our players play in england well then thats the only way they know, it would take a monumental effort to break away from long ball football and i dont think it will ever happen

Danye

southlouth type wrote: »

Its simple ! How about all the football supporters in this country actually go and support football in this country and not to manchester , glasgow and the pub . That would be a serious start

I'm not sure how that would improve the fortune of the national team?

MANUTD99

With all the money the FAI has made out of the team going to Poland I wonder how much will be put into grassroots. I'm not even talking about LOI.

The DDSL League, The Brenfer League. The NDSL (these are the leagues that I am knowledgeable of). Kids need to be coached from a very early age and encouraged to play the game. The FAI should be getting behind this leagues all around the country.

A serious amount of money should be spent in this area in my opinion. From going to a lot of underage games lately there has an American Soccer Mom feel to it and just showing up and taking part cos it's great to have kids out of the house for a hour or 2.Soon as the match is over,its back to the playstation

If we can encourage kids to put the effort in at a early it it will pay dividends in the future. That's my 2 cents anyway

kksaints

Samich wrote: »

Yeah, all 4 or 5 games a year :rolleyes:

Better that then rotting away in the reserves or not playing much when they go on loan to a L1 or L2 club.

mike65

Caveman1 wrote: »

I think we actually have a lot of talent at underage coming through, even around the senior squad there's a lot of your lads who'll do well for us, givin them the chance is all we need to do

If this is true then (controversial opinion alert) the FAI have to stop nicking Northern Irish talent, thus by-passing the need to develop their own.

Richard Hillman

MANUTD99 wrote: »

With all the money the FAI has made out of the team going to Poland I wonder how much will be put into grassroots. I'm not even talking about LOI.

The DDSL League, The Brenfer League. The NDSL (these are the leagues that I am knowledgeable of). Kids need to be coached from a very early age and encouraged to play the game. The FAI should be getting behind this leagues all around the country.

A serious amount of money should be spent in this area in my opinion. From going to a lot of underage games lately there has an American Soccer Mom feel to it and just showing up and taking part cos it's great to have kids out of the house for a hour or 2.Soon as the match is over,its back to the playstation

If we can encourage kids to put the effort in at a early it it will pay dividends in the future. That's my 2 cents anyway

None. It will go towards paying off the shiney new stadium that the FAI national team cant fill.

Agree with your post

Ferris_Bueller

LuckyLloyd is right, the FAI currently are making a big effort to improve the quality of coaching at grassroots level, a lot of the solutions people are saying to develop players are currently in place, but we will not see the benefits for a number of years. A big problem from what I see is the club structure in the country, the FAI have no control over the clubs/leagues. As far as I know some leagues (NDSL I think are one) are making changes and having smaller sided games to an older age, making young leagues non competitive, etc. which would be an ideal structure for all leagues, but the FAI cannot force leagues to do this, it is their own choice. The DDSL really is a problem IMO, the big clubs in that league have the pick of the talent in this country and then aim to ship them over to England, the LoI underage sides don't even compete at this level, if the LoI clubs had strong underage set ups they would be able to develop players from a young age all the way through to senior level.

I don't know if it is ever possible, but the FAI really should have control over all leagues/clubs in the country, then they could implement changes and hopefully improve the club structures in the country.

Diddy Kong

There was a good article in The Guardian about Germany and the measures they put into place after a poor showing in 2000: http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2010/jul/04/germany-youth-development-england.

But sounds like some of the development is already ongoing, so will be looking for a good show in 2020

bohsman

Deleted User wrote: »

From a completely "cold" point of view what use would players who couldn't get into a 4th-tier English club be to the national team?

Ask Keith Fahey.

Jimmy Iovine

bookie basher wrote: »

we are a long ball team and always have been, that dosnt work at international level or in the champions league but since all our players play in england well then thats the only way they know, it would take a monumental effort to break away from long ball football and i dont think it will ever happen

I don't think it'd be as much of an effort as you say it would. The trick is to implement the training methods at an early age. If children are taught to play with their head up and shown how to pass and move from the age of 7/8 then they will have the perfect foundations on which to build a promising career.

It wouldn't be easy. It'd take a lot of time. We wouldn't see the benefits for another 5/10 years. I'm certain that it'd be worth it in the long run.

We need to have people who have the proper coaching qualifications in charge of training the children. For far too long training sessions from u-11 all the way up to adult level has meant a warm up and a kick around. You go home and realise that you haven't learnt a single thing.

At a youth level no one is ever challenged to work on their weaker foot. Once in a while the coach might do a shooting exercise with the left foot. No one can do it because they probably never used their left foot until they were 15/16.

It's the same in the case of playing with your head up. Kids just run around with their head down. I did the exact same when I was younger. They don't know enough to realise that they should get their head up and pass more, and no one is there to tell them otherwise.

The coaches instil a sense of fear in children with regard to being in control of the ball. Defenders are told to "put it in row Z" if they are put under any kind of pressure. If there's a tall player on the team he's lumped up front and the ball is kicked at him. If there's a fast player on the team then give it to him and he'll run as fast as he can and try to score a goal.

If we can educate the coaches and try to put an end to parents becoming the coach of a young team then we'll have a great chance of changing it all.

RandolphEsq

We could disband the GAA and make those lads train at football instead!

joe123

One of the major problems imo is that there is a complete disconnect from LOI clubs and local town sides. Maybe its different in Dublin but in Mayo, there is absolutely no connection to anything LOI related. I posted in another thread about how the club I play for reformed after 15 or so years, Sligo Rovers said they would be play us in an exhibition as an offical opening sort of thing.

Needless to say, that after weeks of promoting the match around the town, on the day of the game Sligo send down 8 lads consisting of u18 age group and some of them not even tied to Sligo which ended up us giving them 3 of our own lads as subs and us hammering them off the pitch.

Here was a chance for Sligo to show some of what they were about and for us (in a mainly dominant GAA town) to show of our club, gain interest and raise funds.

Everyone that day was disgusted with the way Sligo acted, they didnt give a **** and none of us give a **** about them.

If LOI sides had a bigger involvement with local sides, spreading around coaching to youth sides in these smaller towns then you would straight away see improvements, not only in the young players but those managers managing these local sides.

And who knows, if these LOI sides actually did this they might even gain a bit of a following themselves. But no they dont and they leave it to the LOI brigade to lambast anyone that has no interest in their team/league.

Kidchameleon

I was thinking maybe we should look at a country like Croatia. Similar size, population but football a notch or two above us... What is it they do differently? We need to look like places like this and start making changes...

kksaints

joe123 wrote: »

One of the major problems imo is that there is a complete disconnect from LOI clubs and local town sides. Maybe its different in Dublin but in Mayo, there is absolutely no connection to anything LOI related. I posted in another thread about how the club I play for reformed after 15 or so years, Sligo Rovers said they would be play us in an exhibition as an offical opening sort of thing.

Needless to say, that after weeks of promoting the match around the town, on the day of the game Sligo send down 8 lads consisting of u18 age group and some of them not even tied to Sligo which ended up us giving them 3 of our own lads as subs and us hammering them off the pitch.

Here was a chance for Sligo to show some of what they were about and for us (in a mainly dominant GAA town) to show of our club, gain interest and raise funds.

Everyone that day was disgusted with the way Sligo acted, they didnt give a **** and none of us give a **** about them.

If LOI sides had a bigger involvement with local sides, spreading around coaching to youth sides in these smaller towns then you would straight away see improvements, not only in the young players but those managers managing these local sides.

And who knows, if these LOI sides actually did this they might even gain a bit of a following themselves. But no they dont and they leave it to the LOI brigade to lambast anyone that has no interest in their team/league.

This may seem a strange question but at what time of year and what year did this happen? Just wondering if it happened out of the LOI season and it wouldnt have had many players under contract. Bad form in any case.

joe123

kksaints wrote: »

This may seem a strange question but at what time of year and what year did this happen? Just wondering if it happened out of the LOI season and it wouldnt have had many players under contract. Bad form in any case.

Think it was around September, cant really remember exactly. We didnt expect their first team to show up or anything, but they didnt even have one reserve player there. Not even a coach. The guy that was managing the team was from Charlestown and had no real connection with Sligo he just knew one of the staff from their club.

We got in touch with them and they got back to us saying we can go watch one of their matches as an apology. Yeah **** off with that thanks.

kksaints

joe123 wrote: »

Think it was around September, cant really remember exactly. We didnt expect their first team to show up or anything, but they didnt even have one reserve player there. Not even a coach. The guy that was managing the team was from Charlestown and had no real connection with Sligo he just knew one of the staff from their club.

We got in touch with them and they got back to us saying we can go watch one of their matches as an apology. Yeah **** off with that thanks.

Fair enough. Just wondering.

dreamers75

I love when people who know nothing about Irish football from schoolboy to junior to LOI make suggestions on how to make it better.

Its brilliant i getting a note pad out and going to write down all of these ideas. Cheers lads you are saving my kids under 12 team and St Pats and the national team.

The_Kew_Tour

dreamers75 wrote: »

I love when people who know nothing about Irish football from schoolboy to junior to LOI make suggestions on how to make it better.

Its brilliant i getting a note pad out and going to write down all of these ideas. Cheers lads you are saving my kids under 12 team and St Pats and the national team.

Im pretty sure few of these do know what they are talking about.

Have you proof to suggest otherwise that everybody here has no clue?

MANUTD99

dreamers75 wrote: »

I love when people who know nothing about Irish football from schoolboy to junior to LOI make suggestions on how to make it better.

Its brilliant i getting a note pad out and going to write down all of these ideas. Cheers lads you are saving my kids under 12 team and St Pats and the national team.

Who so far, who has posted knows nothing about Irish football in your opinion

Danye

dreamers75 wrote: »

I love when people who know nothing about Irish football from schoolboy to junior to LOI make suggestions on how to make it better.

Its brilliant i getting a note pad out and going to write down all of these ideas. Cheers lads you are saving my kids under 12 team and St Pats and the national team.

This is the attitude that I was talking about in my post. No wonder there is never any kind of progression

Kidchameleon wrote: »

I was thinking maybe we should look at a country like Croatia. Similar size, population but football a notch or two above us... What is it they do differently? We need to look like places like this and start making changes...

Good point. But why not Spain and Germany. Follow what they have done and scale it down to the size that we can do.

If you want success copy what successful people do.

LuckyLloyd

The_Kew_Tour wrote: »

Im pretty sure few of these do know what they are talking about.

Have you proof to suggest otherwise that everybody here has no clue?

Well, some people in here over the past few days are suggesting things that:

- are already happening;
- are outside the control of the FAI;

The_Kew_Tour

LuckyLloyd wrote: »

Well, some people in here over the past few days are suggesting things that:

- are already happening;
- are outside the control of the FAI;

I know, but thats not what I said.

LuckyLloyd

The_Kew_Tour wrote: »

I know, but thats not what I said.

Sure, hyperbole on his part. But imagine you actually coach a youth team in this country, are taking badges, and attend LOI games and spend a portion of your free time talking about the deficiencies in our footballing structures - and have done for years.

Now, read this forum since full time against Croatia. lol right?

The_Kew_Tour

LuckyLloyd wrote: »

Sure, hyperbole on his part. But imagine you actually coach a youth team in this country, are taking badges, and attend LOI games and spend a portion of your free time talking about the deficiencies in our footballing structures - and have done for years.

Now, read this forum since full time against Croatia. lol right?

Yes, I agree, but there been few good posters in here that have made some valid points and seem to know what their talking about. Take Des post for example.

Every thread in Soccer fourm has people just there for smart ass comments. Thats nothing new.

Most people here I think have least good knowledge of game and have the best interests to make their opinions worthwhile.

CSF

The_Kew_Tour wrote: »

Im pretty sure few of these do know what they are talking about.

Have you proof to suggest otherwise that everybody here has no clue?

To be honest, the lack of any kind of original ideas, or ideas with any real substance seem to indicate this to me.

The_Kew_Tour

CSF wrote: »

To be honest, the lack of any kind of original ideas, or ideas with any real substance seem to indicate this to me.

Well feel free to give us your original ideas.

aindriu80

It is a switch from the English premiership to the league of Ireland. That itself would be enough for most of the country to turn off the whole thing but its the single most aspect of Irish soccer which is our downfall.

The other major shortcoming is the two national teams and two leagues from one isle. An all island league and an all island national team can only help the team. Then after that its down to developing the players, the grounds and the fans becoming a bit more realistic.

bohsman

aindriu80 wrote: »

It is a switch from the English premiership to the league of Ireland. That itself would be enough for most of the country to turn off the whole thing but its the single most aspect of Irish soccer which is our downfall.

Agreed but it doesn't have to be LOI, if everyone interested in football on this island got involved at some level be it going to LOI games or being involved with a junior club or schoolboys it would be a massive step. A few were complaining about Tralee Dynamos and others not getting LOI licenses, if those clubs had hundreds of members and could show that closer to a thousand people would go to matches they would not have trouble upgrading facilities and being happily accepted by the FAI.

CSF

The_Kew_Tour wrote: »

Well feel free to give us your original ideas.

Well I mean, as someone who plays, coaches and attends football almost every week I'd like to think I'm doing my bit.

I don't think theres a quickfire answer to any of our problems, and I don't think its simply a matter of the FAI coming up with some expert plan.

The general footballing public has to play their role if we are to progress as a footballing nation.

If you're a person who is interested in the welfare of football in this country, its up to you to do your bit. If you're (and I'm not addressing you individually) not out coaching, getting badges to help develop the abilities of future generations, why not? If the reason is good, fair enough. If not, you're a bit hypocritical moaning about these things on the internet. If you're not attending League of Ireland games every 2nd week, why not? Again, if the reason is good, fair enough.

If we had alot more volunteers for coaching in this country, and alot more people getting up off their arses on a Friday night, then things would start to happen quickly, and eventually we could look at more complex systems to take football in this country to the next level.

The_Kew_Tour

CSF wrote: »

Well I mean, as someone who plays, coaches and attends football almost every week I'd like to think I'm doing my bit.

I don't think theres a quickfire answer to any of our problems, and I don't think its simply a matter of the FAI coming up with some expert plan.

The general footballing public has to play their role if we are to progress as a footballing nation.

If you're a person who is interested in the welfare of football in this country, its up to you to do your bit. If you're (and I'm not addressing you individually) not out coaching, getting badges to help develop the abilities of future generations, why not? If the reason is good, fair enough. If not, you're a bit hypocritical moaning about these things on the internet. If you're not attending League of Ireland games every 2nd week, why not? Again, if the reason is good, fair enough.

If we had alot more volunteers for coaching in this country, and alot more people getting up off their arses on a Friday night, then things would start to happen quickly, and eventually we could look at more complex systems to take football in this country to the next level.

Fair enough CSF.

Well for what it was worth I did train local underage sides since I was 18 to 23 when I came home from playing in England and have to give up the game. I then went abroad working for few years and then coached a team in Dublin when I came back. Gave that up when I lost my job, but have job for last year, but afraid I cant give my time at present due to work and few other issues, but I do hope to get back into it soon enough (next 12 months).

I do agree with first half of what you say, but everybody has their reasons for doing it and not doing so.

However your part about LOI for me is not totally true. You don't have to support your LOI side. You can support your local club be that a Sunday league team or decent League side.

I said this already in another post, but I know guy who has single handed trained a club from u12 upwards to senior side. He uses his own land and has produced a player went on to win few caps for Ireland. He does not support LOI side, but to me that guy is doing just as much for football in this country as anybody else.

Just my 2c.

eyescreamcone

First of all we need to introduce more kids to more sports. This will improve balance and hand eye coordination. There is no PE in primary schools in our supposed sports mad country. There should be PE EVERY DAY (not prayers - but that's for another forum)

Specifically for football we need kids playing more (hours per week) and earlier age wise.
John Giles talked about playing on the street all day every day. Now our kids go to train with their clubs 1 or 2 times a week for an hour. This is not enough!!!

Coaches need to be trained. This is improving but a lot more needs to be done.

Attitude - we inherited an attitude of admiring the "hard man". Whether we got this from GAA or not is irrelevant.
The get stuck in attitude. We praise the guy who kicks the talent.
I showed him!!! etc.
We must teach players that the brave player is the guy who tries to hold onto possession and not the coward who puts his studs down the back of your legs.

We need to introduce training methods from Holland, Spain and Germany and let the kids know where these methods came from and who they are trying to emulate!
Iniesta etc

We must have reasonable expectations.
We won't win a Euro or a World Cup ever.
With our population size we won't always qualify. But we should put the right systems in place to maximise our chances of progressing.

Possession football is the ONLY way to achieve this!!!!!!!!!

Idea:
Introduce an initiative of a game of "Piggy in the middle" at lunchtime in primary schools (indoors or outdoors) would be a start.

CSF

The_Kew_Tour wrote: »

Fair enough CSF.

Well for what it was worth I did train local underage sides since I was 18 to 23 when I came home from playing in England and have to give up the game. I then went abroad working for few years and then coached a team in Dublin when I came back. Gave that up when I lost my job, but have job for last year, but afraid I cant give my time at present due to work and few other issues, but I do hope to get back into it soon enough (next 12 months).

I do agree with first half of what you say, but everybody has their reasons for doing it and not doing so.

However your part about LOI for me is not totally true. You don't have to support your LOI side. You can support your local club be that a Sunday league team or decent League side.

I said this already in another post, but I know guy who has single handed trained a club from u12 upwards to senior side. He uses his own land and has produced a player went on to win few caps for Ireland. He does not support LOI side, but to me that guy is doing just as much for football in this country as anybody else.

Just my 2c.

But he isn't doing as much, he is only doing half as much. In the same way that someone who attends LOI games, but doesn't coach is only doing half as much. The country needs a good underage system AND a good national league. Neither is an adequate substitute for the other.

The_Kew_Tour

CSF wrote: »

But he isn't doing as much, he is only doing half as much. In the same way that someone who attends LOI games, but doesn't coach is only doing half as much. The country needs a good underage system AND a good national league. Neither is an adequate substitute for the other.

He trains teams during the week and matches at weekends.

I think he needs to enjoy bit of his own life too lets be fair about it.

Between Saturday and Sunday he could be in 6 different towns. Cork is pretty big county too.

He cant be superman

CSF

The_Kew_Tour wrote: »

He trains teams during the week and matches at weekends.

I think he needs to enjoy bit of his own life too lets be fair about it.

Between Saturday and Sunday he could be in 6 different towns. Cork is pretty big county too.

He cant be superman

I'm not having a pop at the man. I just think that if people are going to be on here complaining about these things, then they have to be proactive in a balanced way. Its too easy to come on here and say that we have to emulate Holland or Spain and state how in a vague clichéd manner.

The_Kew_Tour

CSF wrote: »

I'm not having a pop at the man. I just think that if people are going to be on here complaining about these things, then they have to be proactive in a balanced way. Its too easy to come on here and say that we have to emulate Holland or Spain and state how in a vague clichéd manner.

I agree, but I guess we need start somewhere.

I do know that its not as simple as to just copy any countries system of doing things, its much more complex.

TBF though some people have suggested things that at least would be start.

every little helps and all that.