Chief executive can often be found amid the revellers when things are going well for the Republic of Ireland but that has not been the case recently and something had better changeThe decision to end the reigns of Martin O’Neill and Roy Keane was the right one for the Republic of Ireland, even if it may not have been reached for entirely the right reason and does not go far enough. As so often in such cases, the effect of letting the manager and his assistant know that it would be best if they relinquished their positions is that the chief executive, in this case the Football Association of Ireland’s John Delaney, may also have made his own position a...
Fergus Dowd, an IT systems analyst for Dublin, won the backing of Luís Figo, Roy Keane and a film director to help rescue from obscurity Patrick O’Connell and his exploits at BarcelonaLike absolutely no other middle-aged IT systems analysts from Dublin, Fergus Dowd went to a Blyth Spartans match and wound up spearheading an international campaign to resurrect the memory of a former Manchester United captain who saved Barcelona from extinction. Sometimes, apparently, it takes an extraordinary Irishman to tell the story of an extraordinary Irishman.Patrick O’Connell, a footballer with what might be classed as scoundrel tendencies as well as qualities that enabled him to become a heroic manager, had lain in an unmarked London grave for 57 years until...
Republic of Ireland manager’s substitutions abandoned the heart of midfield to Christian Eriksen and Denmark, and the manner of defeat could hardly have been worse for O’NeillMartin O’Neill said he would take a couple of weeks to mull over the implications of the Republic of Ireland’s play-off defeat before deciding whether to follow through on the informal agreement he reached a month ago to remain in charge for another two years.He would be entitled to reach the conclusion that one ghastly loss does not negate the positives that preceded it; results have generally been better than expected during his four years in charge. The question is would that continue to be the case? The answer is probably not but he...
The Republic and Northern Ireland managers, Martin and Michael O’Neill, realise the importance of a thoughtful approach to their World Cup play-offs against Denmark and Switzerland“Thinkers are the deadliest men”Liam Brady was playing for Internazionale in Serie A when he said this to Hugh McIlvanney in the Observer in 1984. Brady had won two Italian titles with Juventus and was discussing the stylistic contrast between Italy and England, where Brady had been such an elegant force at Arsenal for a decade, and was the Professional Footballers’ Association’s Player of the Year in 1979. “The public don’t necessarily want a lot of hectic, brainless action,” Brady added. “They like to see quality, thinking players.” Continue reading...
The Republic of Ireland manager, once the favourite to succeed Sir Alex Ferguson at Manchester United, is unfortunate never to have had a chance at one of the biggest clubsBlink, and you might have missed the part Shepshed Charterhouse, in the puddles and potholes of the Northern Premier League, played in the professional life of Martin O’Neill, back in the days when aspiring managers were prepared to start at the bottom and learn the hard way.O’Neill’s first steps in management were actually with Grantham Town, grubbing around for points in the then Beazer Homes League, Midlands Division, a couple of rungs below the Conference. O’Neill arranged the deal at a bed-and-breakfast on the A52 and had a five-year plan in...