Sectarianism, unification and rash tackles: A busy week on the home front.

Dia dhuit to one and all again. A few matters cropped up this week, some straddling the border with our Northern friends/rivals/counterparts, depending on how you view the relationship between the pair of us. So I’ll probably be covering a fair portion of Norn Iron’s news for the week as well, that way it gives you a better scope of what the news is from the Republic this week. Anyways, onto the news…

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I was scanning through the RTE website a little while ago, when I came across this article. Now in some respects, I can understand the concerns of Edwin Poots and Jim Shannon, but I do believe that they are arguing the matter on the wrong point. This rule, whereby players can switch alleigance from the North to the Republic, and vice versa, is stupid. If you were born in the country, or your parents were born in the country, then fair enough, because there may well have been mitigating circumstances with your birth, or whatever the story is. This affair of being able to play for another country because of a grandparent of a passport is ludicrous and thick.
However, politicians won’t make the matter any better by bringing the black stain of sectarianism into the matter. The issue should be seen in terms of how it affects Northern Ireland in footballing terms, not how it makes a difference politically, and the fact that people are still thinking in this way, while not necessarily surprising, is quite disappointing, because it shows that we haven’t left the past where it belongs. Is it a matter of importance? Yes, of course. Northern Ireland don’t want to see their home-grown stars, who have come through their national system, jump ship and join the Republic squad (To be frank, why would they want to at the minute), but I severely doubt that nationalism or unionism is the fundamental factor behind their thinking, more it’s for footballing reasons. That’s how the IFA should be approaching the matter, because to dredge up old skeletons that belong in the past of both countries is bound to just cause enmity. Let sleeping dogs lie…

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Noises were also made by certain media outlets in the week conerning the potential for an all-Ireland league, a story first mentioned by the Irish Independant, which the BBC then picked up and gave a brief mention. It may well all be mere speculation, but if it did come to pass, I’ve got to say that I’d be quite sceptical about it, and I’m unsure that it would benefit any of our sides, much in the same way it probably wouldn’t help the IFA teams involved. The incentive of the Setanta cup is already in place, so to try and bring together a league between the two countries, be it on a permanent basis or not, would just smack of money-grabbing from both FA’s, whilst in the process probably also weakening two pretty soft leagues further.
I would like to think that the cup is enough of a lure for sides to try and perform to a certain standard, in order to gain the greater exposure. If you had a breakaway league of some sort, it would leave certain clubs on a plateau, with no real apparent route into European football, without it being complicated and messy, while the rest are left behind to straggle along in a desperately poor league which just gives a bad impression. My fear is that this will probably come to some sort of fruition in the not-so-distant future, but for the sake of both leagues, I hope we maintain our own competitions, whilst enhancing the reputation of the Setanta cup.

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Stephen Ireland managed to get in the headlines again last weekend, unfortunately for the wrong reasons once again, with a rash, reckless two footed lunge on Lee-Young Pyo for Man City at White Hart Lane. Stephen Ireland is a talented player, his performances over the last 18 months for club and country have proven that, but he does need to calm down and find some semblance of normality within his life and his career. It may well be best to write off this season as a bit of of an anomaly, because of the trauma that has engulfed his private life and the embarassment for both club and country as lies and damned lies unravelled in the glare of the media, no matter what else he does this term, his 2007 will be remebered purely for that incident. If he does find that level within his personal life, then he could be City’s star turn for this and many a year, as well as being the crux of the Ireland team.
I hope that he will learn from events like those of last Sunday and move on, because he’s got the potential to be one of the key Irish players, along with the likes of Robbie Keane, Damien Duff and Paul McShane for years and years to come. If he doesn’t settle down hoever, he could end up like Liam Miller, in footballing terms at least, a youngster who promised so much, but ultimately delievered so little. Ireland’s in the right hands, at the right club, with bags of ability, it’s just that he needs to prove that he’s not a one-season wonder, I hope he proves all the doubters wrong spectacularly.

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Other news from the week saw the Republic announce a friendly with Serbia at Croker for the 24th May. Fairly run of the mill stuff I suppose. If anything, it will be a test against a side of similar capabilities to ourselves, whilst also providing a guide for how the new manager plans to shape the team and the subsequent players for the start of 2010 World cup qualifiers a few months on from that game. Otherwise though, it’s a friendly to boost the coffers of the FAI, and the chances are it will be a dull affair and a nothing result, so ho-hum.

Speaking of the new manager, all has gone quiet on the Western front this week. With the FAI setting up in Abbotstown over the last few weeks, I suppose things must be allowed to settle down, but I look at the example of England, who appointed Fabio Capello yesterday evening, and the delay does concern me somewhat. It’s now been the better part of two months since we sacked Stan, and in that time the FA have managed to fire McLaren and hire Capello, a manager with an undisputable track record and fantastic footballing brain. Of course, we’re not going to attract the likes of Capello and Mourinho to the Ireland job, but if we had acted as quickly in searching out the best candidates and head-hunting them, perhaps we may well have found up with Paul Jewell or someone of a similar ability as a coach, rather than probably being lumbered with the disastrous option of Terry Venables, with Howard Kendall ready to step in if El Tel thinks there’s not enough money within the FAI to leech out. Some of the sceptics within the English media may well criticse the failure of Barwick and co. to allure Mourinho to the job, but hell, if they want to be in our position, they can bloody well take it, we’ll have Mr Capello, thank you very much. I’m sure I’ll have far more to say on the matter next week.

I’ll leave it at that for the week though, if you have any comments to make, positive or negative, feel free to leave me a line below, and I’ll answer any questions next week, or fire back at anyone who thinks I’m a rambling plurk.

Stainte chugat, everyone.

Eugene