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IT'S FINALLY HAPPENED - Ireland has a (interim) manager!
29 Plays8 months ago
Talk about a football rollercoaster ride! 🎢 Today's FA Cup game saw Manchester United pulling off yet another last-minute stunner against Nottingham Forest, sending fans into a frenzy! 🙌 Meanwhile, the Republic of Ireland football team finally has a new interim manager, with the legendary John O'Shea stepping in. And let's not forget Everton Football Club, who've seen their points deduction reduced to six points. Drama, excitement, and everything in between – that's the beauty of the beautiful game! ⚽️✨
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Transcript
00:00:01
Speaker
I'm not into podcasts. I swear you'll never be anything like this ever again. What a hit. Back of the mat. Hello, hello,
Introduction and Podcast Overview
00:00:16
Speaker
hello. This is the Not A Pundit podcast. As you already know, I am Killeen Ginnishy. I'm delighted to be joined as ever by Connor Glennon and Nathan Byrne. Gentlemen, how are we doing?
00:00:27
Speaker
I think Nate can take this one fresh off of
Football Match Analysis: Castle Mirror vs Opponent
00:00:30
Speaker
1-0 win. Take it away, my friend. I'm great, yeah. 1-0 win currently. We're in the 96th minute, so like, this is like a Saturday, Saturday's scores, but like... Dogcaster 2! Castle Mirror, what a legend. Shift football, as usual. But, you know, I win the win, boys. Didn't actually see the game, so spell it out for us. What are they looking like?
00:00:54
Speaker
Oh, a really boring game. Going or pragmatic, there is a difference. Well, should we be pragmatic against them not on the far side that are going to be pragmatic?
Critique on Team's Playstyle and Managerial Speculations
00:01:06
Speaker
Yes. I think at this stage, you need to be. Yeah, I didn't hear that, but it was just very boring. It was one dimensional. There's no attacking style whatsoever.
00:01:16
Speaker
And the worrying thing is, like, after Hoyland got injured and we were having a good period with them three up front, it's like the other players just haven't played with each other. Do you know what I mean? And it's crazy to say that. A bit of PSG syndrome. Yeah, but like, their egos shouldn't even be that big after them are just shy. Like, so, do you know what I mean? Like, I struggled to see, like, why they're so disjointed.
00:01:44
Speaker
It's like, there's either massive egos going on in that club or they're just not being trained properly and I hope it's not the latter, well it could be. But if it is, will ten hag go? Because there's obviously a lot of rumours about Mr. Ratcliffe having a name in his head.
00:01:59
Speaker
Yeah, that was a bit of a weird one, wasn't it? Is there any truth to it? I don't know. It came from a decent source in France. I haven't heard of it since then.
00:02:15
Speaker
But there's no smoke without fire. There's some truth to it, obviously. You're like the federal guy who's speaking English, you know what I mean? He absolutely... This is like when Aguero can't speak English. The man knows English. No, he knows English, but like...
00:02:30
Speaker
I've never seen him, like speak it in English. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And like from what I've heard is he can't. So I said, like, that's probably one of the main things you need in English football is to be able to translate your talk. Have a trampotone situation. Well, it worked for Pochettino when he first came in. And Pochettino had a couple of languages. I'm just looking at Zidane here. So apparently he's fluent in French, Italian, Spanish, Arabic and Berber, which is one I've actually never heard of.
00:02:58
Speaker
and so over then that would do you yeah and then a term for english yeah that'd do it well to be fair i'm sorry english players are shy anyway so it doesn't really need to be yeah you do communicate with them yeah so he probably has the good ones now Dan so yeah maybe it's not an issue what changed though man because it seemed like or is it just any us playing the game they have to play because like it seemed like he was wanted somewhat in the plans and it seems to have got a little bit shifty
Managerial Challenges and Support for ten Hag
00:03:24
Speaker
i don't actually think they're looking for a new manager i think this is just like there's always going to be these rumors and stuff and they're just throwing about i'm sure potter will be next and we're all going to meltdown about it but it's like
00:03:37
Speaker
like he's at least getting the end of the season in my opinion and then we'll assess him on there but as he said in his press conference before we were like I think we were two months unbeaten you know what I mean so like it might look all doom and gloom and we're not playing good football but we're still two months unbeaten and we had that like little flow down with Hoyland, Garnaccio, Maynu it's like he's a county player oh top top
00:04:06
Speaker
And like, them three are just the shining light right now that we're pinning out our hopes on. Well, it's funny, man, like from the outside as a non, you know, I'd have found any us in big moves from board level players starting to get string things together. Yeah, one nil against Forest isn't exactly where you'd want to be able to win, you know.
00:04:26
Speaker
Yeah I wonder right now in the 99 minutes. Jesus Christ has gone on. We're 100 minutes there so we're praying for the win but I think like a big thing is I don't see how 10 high gets out of this without even at the end of the season which
00:04:42
Speaker
for if you're 10 hag in or out that's one thing but i just think the ownership are gonna get their own man anyway regardless well you've always been not always but you've been a maybe i'm wrong there but you've been a proponent of 10 hag for a good while so like where do you stand on it like you like you want them to succeed rather than being necessary like all in on them
00:05:03
Speaker
I really want them to succeed. I do think he's a really good coach and I'm sick of managers being thrown under the bus to a certain extent.
00:05:18
Speaker
like support of him has come pushing the other way sort of like come on we can't let another one fail just because yeah but like I do feel really bad for the guy it's like he's got no system around him like Sir Jim explained that all on his little interview it's like the way you know he's been running for the last 10 years has been disastrous so let alone any manager coming in
00:05:42
Speaker
Like, you know, they're working against it the minute they set foot in the door. So I do feel bad for the guy. I do think he's a good coach. And if he does leave, you know, I think he could go on to do good things. It's just, I don't see him making a pass. Where do you think he goes? Do you think clubs? Do you think international? Do you think West Ham?
00:06:02
Speaker
I think a Dortmund or something would work well from Leipzig. That kind of European-ish teams. Where there's systems in place of directors of football and such to take care of the problems. I do think with him, he'll end up
00:06:21
Speaker
He'll end up going down a little level now once he's done United but I think he'll shoot back up and he'll get another big job pretty quickly like I mean like you know how drilled that Ajax team was and I go back to that a lot and looking how good they were it's like they were a really good team they were really good drilled they did really good tactics like
00:06:41
Speaker
A manager just doesn't lose that, you know what I mean? Arguably, I think Dortmund's a great show because arguably Dortmund are German Ajax, really. Yeah. In terms of the academy system they have in place there, I mean, the size of the club. I think that could be a good landing spot. I wonder if Ajax, though, is like...
00:06:59
Speaker
IACs and people talking about systems and all that, and then using IACs as an example. That's like when, if we say, oh, well, the Swedes do this. Culture is so different, it would never work in Ireland. And a manager saying they have a system and then saying they're using the system in IACs is so different to saying they have a system in Italy or England because they are
00:07:25
Speaker
born into that system in IACS and they're brought through the whole thing and you don't deviate from it. And from eight till 80, you're going to play the way. Yeah. It's, it's much harder to try and implement that philosophy on a team that like an, and a club that is lacking in their own identity, but have such a facade of an identity. They're not going to let any identity be stamped upon it. Like I just, I just think 10 hag.
00:07:54
Speaker
has an end of days feel about him when he's responding to Jamie Carragher. True, yeah. And I hate that it's got to this point. Like, you know, like we won the... I know what people say about the Carragher Bow Cup and, you know, Liverpool were raving out a couple of days ago, like, so they were the ones giving out last year how it's a Mickey Mouse trophy and they were loving life three days ago. So, like, he did win that last year against Newcastle. Sorry, Connor.
00:08:21
Speaker
oh yeah no we were we were dog shit and uh you were surprised to be there do you know what i mean like he had a good first season he got us into champions he won a trophy and i just think the amount of shit he's had to deal with since he's taken over like we that is that is a very fair point we can go through all the bleeding facades but we'd be here till christmas and it's like
00:08:41
Speaker
It's like the poor chap hasn't had a chance to really stamp his field, but I do think he'll end up with Bayern Munich for some reason, way down the line. Just because he's been there before, decent manager, he'll go to the next... I don't end up that level, or you end up with Fenner Batche.
00:09:05
Speaker
I just bought into him a bit too much i think in terms of like his backstories on rail when you go deep into it like he proper like lives and breeds football which i just love about a manager so
00:09:17
Speaker
Yeah, I will end up getting sacked. We'll see who will be coming in next.
Irish Football Management Shake-up
00:09:22
Speaker
Looks like it's the second spicy game of the day. Chelsea would win a 90th minute winner. And I must say, I shoehorned that into the conversation for the mere fact that our Mackham friend is currently sat draped in a Chelsea jersey. Now, please do explain, young man.
00:09:41
Speaker
This is no change of allegiance, this is no wanting to fit into the Premier League chats for once. This is just pure, I'm sitting in front of a lovely fire here so I was too warm so I threw on a jersey and to shoehorn in a nice little humble brag of, I was given this by Chelsea when I was playing on Stamford Bridge for a shoot because this is why kids, you should work in the media because you get to do fun stuff like that so I'll accept no hate
00:10:10
Speaker
No slander, no nothing, but back to the main topic of hand, which is obviously managers under pressure and managers in new positions being John O'Shea. It has happened. It has happened. He has come. The Lord has arrived. Ireland finally has a interim manager. Was anybody else as surprised as I was at the timing more so than the news?
00:10:37
Speaker
Timing yes, person no, decision no. I think, you know, we talked about it and I don't know if it was the last part of the pub before that the prospect of an interim manager was getting floated and, you know, we kind of said maybe John O'Shea, but thought he might be kind of happy with his coaching roles.
00:10:55
Speaker
I was reading a piece there before we hopped on about why it might have happened in the fact that Carsley had promised the English FA that he'd handle the next two games which brings him up to April because there's then no games until September. So it could just be negotiating time for Carsley and I don't know about you Nate, were you surprised?
00:11:19
Speaker
Yeah, I was working on time and saw five minutes late because I literally did not think anything was going to happen. To me, a smacks of like,
00:11:29
Speaker
Desperation number one, but I think I'd be more on the line that they're hoping to do. I haven't given my contracts, you know It does reek of that that will get one one nil win in the 90th minute and then he gets a contract. Yeah Although they are saying that in April we will have a permanent manager like yeah Don't think you're gonna come out on the same day you're announcing an interim if you don't have something in the pipeline and I don't think I
00:11:55
Speaker
Well, I would hope that Mark Kabam has a better and more original idea than Ali 2.0. Like if he was to be given the permanent position, it would kind of smack off that kind of, oh, that was a feel of good factor. Let's keep it going. Oh no, it hasn't kept going. Oh no. I wouldn't be opposed to John O'Shea getting the main job, but if we do go down that road, it very much has to be like a one year deal.
00:12:23
Speaker
You know, we're not getting stuck in tournaments. Yeah, that's like something that's like, you know, short term, almost a pay-as-you-play contract, you know. Well, sure. Deaf AI, they love being upfront about things. So like, you know, them saying they'll have a permanent manager in April.
00:12:38
Speaker
They'll definitely deliver on that, won't they? In fairness, I do think they'll deliver on it. I just think they'll under deliver on it. I think it'll end up being Stephen Bradley or something like that, where we'll all be very underwhelmed. But I think it's just very interesting, one, the appointment to the timing, but also it was only last week that, not to get all politic-y, but that the FAI and Jonathan Hill, the CEO, was in front of the Oroctis committee. Yeah.
00:13:08
Speaker
and members of the FAI board after presenting a plan of getting people into football, a new structure for the sport and when it's going to be played, having summer games.
00:13:25
Speaker
coinciding and competing with GAA games, much to the chagrin of many parents, but one of the FAI board was pressed on whether they have confidence in Jonathan Hill. Now, bearing on mind, this proposal was fronted by the CEO, Jonathan Hill, and the kind of director of football, Mark Crabham, but was
00:13:45
Speaker
actually give him the thumbs up and the green light and all the encouragement from Ged Roddy who used to be involved with um uh Reading and if anybody's played football manager usually ends up becoming like either Head of Youth Development or Director of Football for like Sunderland or something like that really really good stats but he's actually a development
00:14:05
Speaker
coach and officer for FIFA. So he's actually really, really well thought of. And I believe he's actually somewhere under the Venger bracket in that kind of moving the game forward. So this plan has been very much globally saying, hey, that's a nice idea. Let's go with that. And the way that
00:14:26
Speaker
The Iraq Committee asked some of the members of the FAI, do you have confidence in Mr. Hill? And they very much avoided it saying we have confidence. He was a slippery fish on it. I'll give it to him. I mean, he didn't he didn't sandbag him in dinner, but he didn't help him. And I don't know about you guys, but.
00:14:47
Speaker
I, you know, the first person I thought of when I heard that answer was Nate. Cause I know you hate that kind of shit with players using social media to bag people. And I thought it was a bit of that. Like the guy knew by being a slippery fish, you know, it's, it's even worse than call it saying, like saying he should go is, is less bad than going like weaving the question. Cause you're getting more press on the weave.
00:15:12
Speaker
Yeah, but the thing is, I think everyone thinks, probably a bit me presuming, but I think everyone thinks he probably should go. He's, number one, not been very upfront with a lot of things. Number two, I think when they were in front of the Arraktas, it was very embarrassing. That email that got shown up that was literally just
00:15:33
Speaker
It even redacted the social handles for the FBI. And that got emailed at half eleven the night before and you know whatever like
00:15:46
Speaker
or at 9am start or 10am start. Whatever politician was saying at the time, like he was right when he said, like, how do you expect to read this? So either the organization is terrible, which wouldn't surprise me. Or number two, they're being very malicious when they send that out. Just for context for those who haven't listened, maybe do a quick spin on what that email was, boys.
00:16:13
Speaker
Well, nobody knows because it's all redacted, but it was to do with payments and whether or not John Miller signed off on them and who was in recipients of said payments.
00:16:45
Speaker
It lacked data over that. But it was the whole page. I've never seen anything like it. I think the only thing on the page you could see was the FAI logo. The funny thing is, someone has been to me the other day and it's either, what was it, a joke that he said he was joking when he said about the payments and stuff like that. It boils down to two things. It's either he's not telling the truth, which is very alarming,
00:16:51
Speaker
which is all believed to be him basically signing off on his own holiday pay.
00:17:13
Speaker
or even the chief financial officer is very incapable of doing their job. It's one or the other in both don't look good, you know what I mean?
FAI's Financial and Management Issues
00:17:21
Speaker
And I think another big alarming thing that came out of it was the fact that they're in like 42 million euro worth of debt or something. And of single digit, millions on hand cash reserve wise, it's frozen.
00:17:39
Speaker
I'd love to know what that number is. I think all of this paints a much more interesting picture of the John O'Shea appointment.
00:17:49
Speaker
like once you put that in context and kind of go a week on from that, well wouldn't it be just nice if we had a former near all-time caps earner being appointed as manager? Just please? Something? And someone who you'd be hard-pressed to find an Arnhem fan that doesn't love John O'Shea from his playing days, you know, whether you're a United fan or not, you know, he's a beloved character.
00:18:12
Speaker
Is there a part of this where the FAI went like, let's get something more positive after the shit show that was The Rock? Is there a part where they just went like, come on, John, get in the room, let's have a chat about you becoming... I wouldn't put it past them for them to be malicious in that way and go, we need good press and let's get us good press.
00:18:32
Speaker
I wouldn't call it malicious, but I do think that'd be part of the reason because he was part of the former setup. So it's unusual to go back on. But he got sacked with the rest of them. And then he got back into the job a couple of months later. And I know he has very much a growing pedigree in the UK. So after he did his
00:18:59
Speaker
very long stint at Sunderland as a player. He did one last season, maybe a season and a half at Reading, at which point he became a coach there. And then he did quite well there and then he was brought into the Ireland set up and then he was brought into the Birmingham set up.
00:19:14
Speaker
by Wayne Rooney. Yeah, which I just must jump in on this because when I was doing a bit of research on John O'Shea, you know the way the press just start jumping onto Anthony. It's like, who is John O'Shea? Well, the connection with Wayne Rooney begins when John O'Shea's wife catches the bouquet at Wayne Rooney's wedding, and that is their forever more friends pals. Not all the games they've played together for Man United, but a bouquet.
00:19:41
Speaker
amazing and what was very interesting actually and i didn't realize until i just did a little bit of googling googling earlier is he left Birmingham only a couple of days after seeking to be let go so he made a deal with him to leave a couple of days after Rooney got sacked okay he's a free agent now so like
00:20:02
Speaker
If you're looking for a good press, it all makes sense. He's going to be a cheap option. He's a low risk, potentially high reward. Um, no, and for him does not. And for the FBI does not really buys them a little bit more time. Plus like his tactics are going to be amazing. It's just going to be the video of him not making Figo go and do that. Yeah. That's enough for me. It's funny that you mentioned that. I was there. I was, I was looking back at his career earlier and I was like.
00:20:32
Speaker
he is so like he doesn't I don't think he gets the flowers he deserves as a player like his career is so impressive when you lay it out like and I think the good thing about the appointment is all them years and I know it doesn't translate with everyone but he's gonna have a football brain he's gonna know what he's doing and I like the experience that he's gained from all them years with United and Ireland and stuff like that it's like
00:20:57
Speaker
It's a good thing to have around the dressing room. A hundred percent. And I think that's why everyone loved him part of Kenny set up. And it's just Kenny, Kenny step up. And like, you know, I know, I know we're big fans of stick stick to football. Um, um, there's pardon, you know, only, only of Lake, you know, was saying players like G song park and John O'Shea just don't get their flowers. Like even when you look at Josh, like he played every position across the back, arguably went up the center mid at times. He was even the bloody goalkeeper at one point, you know,
00:21:28
Speaker
And like the other thing as well, which I think can be kind of understated is between him and his assistant, Paddy McCarthy, they both have played either at the top end or the low of the championship or the lower end of the Premier League. This is exactly our base of players right now. They've been there and done that. Like John O'Shea was part of all of Sunderland's great escapes before the eventual right relegation, but he's also got to play on there.
00:21:52
Speaker
Gus Poyette, he's got to play under Dick Advacat, Paolo De Canio, Steve Bruce. The list goes on, as something a fan would know. But having that kind of experience, plus with Paddy McCarthy being part of that Crystal Palace team that weren't doing well in the championship, earned their way up, got to the Premier League,
00:22:12
Speaker
Like, when we have, like, Ogbene in that situation with Luton, when we have Evan Ferguson breaking true out of a good team again, John O'Shea's been there. Like, I think... I think we've been... I think players aren't going to buy into him and his experiences and him not be able to relate to them who can.
00:22:30
Speaker
Yeah, the way I feel is I'm not happy as an interim manager, but we'd be filled to rule out that there's a chance he could be a good manager. You know what I mean? Like, we're in no position to be picky. Yeah. I'm a hundred percent willing to see what he produces. And if I like it, there's like, I'd be, I'd be.
00:22:50
Speaker
less happy if in two games he had two really good games and looked like it was positive and then they went to the point that someone else, you know what I mean? So Beggars can't really be choosers when it comes to that so... Do you think he'll be open though to say like say like the games are at Belgium and Switzerland, Belgium...
00:23:07
Speaker
who knows Switzerland we should be getting at least something there but like if he plays good football or if the team played good football under him do you think he's open to being a coach on the ticket again for whoever this dude in April is? I don't think so. I think it depends on who it is.
00:23:24
Speaker
I think he wants the full-time job if he gets to sniff at it now. I think it would be hard for him to have the job now and then go back to me and second fiddle, third fiddle, coaching setup. And who's to say that the manager would even want them? That's the thing. And no one, it never goes well. Like we were talking about last week when you guys, coaches, tagged onto your ticket that aren't part of your plans. Hello, Michael Beale.
00:23:53
Speaker
And who's to say that he doesn't, he's genuinely, who's to say he actually wants the full-time job? Is he using this as a way to increase his profile ahead of a summer where there's going to be potential manager movements in the Premier League and he's kind of going, you know what, I'd rather be on the coaching ticket with United for the next gen.
00:24:10
Speaker
Because you know, I did our in the habit of bringing back former players in them kind of more senior youth roles or as part of that kind of development developmental coach for bringing lads true because he did do a 23 stand with Ireland didn't he? Wasn't that a 21 Swiss Crawford? Yeah, and then he joined the main ticket then after that. Yeah, and so like he's kind of done his coaching Jews. He hasn't any like
John O'Shea's Role and Media Pressure
00:24:40
Speaker
Management. He hasn't been the man in the dugout facing the pressure. On that I'd wonder, I've crossed paths with him a couple of times flying in and out of Newcastle. He used to be on a couple of flights and lovely dude, quite shy, going to humour to him. I just wonder how he'll handle the media. He never liked it as a player, as a coach, he wasn't really put out to do it. I wonder
00:25:07
Speaker
And there's, you know, under Kenny, there seemed to be a kind of a prickliness to the media team. And there was that kind of like, some places either really loved them and some places didn't. And the places that loved them seemed to have a bit of good access and other ones became quite vicious at the end. Yeah.
00:25:25
Speaker
Yeah, so like, is he going to have an immediate team for the two games or is he going to be given one or is there going to be the same guy? I think that's the only team still there. Do you think Kenny's guys still there? Yeah, I think so. I haven't seen Anthony to say otherwise. He's a right trade. That's going to put some of you like a Jon O'Shea on the back for it as far as I'm concerned from the get go because
00:25:52
Speaker
you're going to have somebody dealing with people that are going to be asking you questions that has a very, very different personality type than you. Imagine us having, I don't know, a bloody priest talking on behalf of the podcast. There's a slightly different vibe to us. Yeah. I think media teams are quite important and I think what you touched on is right. It's like you sort of need your press guy to like mirror what type of vibe you give off. And I think
00:26:21
Speaker
not to speak badly of the guy that's there now, it was very much he came up with Kenny and was very ingrained in the way he worked. He was protective of them. Yeah. So like, what way will it work out now? You know what I mean? And I think, but one thing with John O'Shea is I think,
00:26:39
Speaker
it's a bit different to kenny in the way that the media might be a bit just nicer to in general yeah and there's no game to go in against john o'shay yeah because like yeah and one of the interesting things that i i'm very very curious about and
00:26:59
Speaker
It could tell us nothing, but it could also tell us a multitude of players that are actually called up for these games. Like when we have Sammy Smodak's who's been called up and then
00:27:14
Speaker
unavailable. Is he going to be suddenly available for these games? What does that tell us about Kenny? Is there going to be a few kind of guys more willing to declare for Ireland maybe or make themselves available for friendlies when previously they wouldn't?
00:27:33
Speaker
I don't think we're going to see people declare when there's an interim manager there. I think they'll want to see who the boss is going to be before probably making that decision. But it's interesting to see will new people open up now once there is a full-time manager. But there was the whole thing with Kenny saying that. Was it Casey McInteer that ended up being? He was apparently on the way to being there.
00:27:58
Speaker
and just wasn't over the line yet. That could have been the last throw of the dice. I think what I'm trying to get at is, is Jon O'Shea a signal of intent of who the next manager is going to be? You can't really put a Jon O'Shea in as an interim and then push.
00:28:17
Speaker
like all in hand in in like if we didn't hear Lennon after like Jon O'Jay like it was Jon O'Jay back you know what I mean yeah like round table opinions do we think they actually have the guy for April or are they is this a big fugue I think they don't they still are in the exact same place they were last week I think I think they don't I think this is a
00:28:40
Speaker
a quick PR hit, I really do. I think they might, but I think they might be waiting for an influx of money. I think they might have been hoping for the Arroctis committee to, for somebody to go, oh, actually, yeah, users are struggling.
FAI's Financial Plea and Funding Debates
00:28:54
Speaker
And that's why they did a big push with the debt where we're using loans to pay every bill. Yeah, we have cash, but it's closer to one than nine in the single million. You get to throw Crobox out. And then suddenly it's like, oh,
00:29:09
Speaker
Well, if you want us to have success, we already can't afford this, but you want success, so well then, give us the money for Carisley, and we can't promise to rest, but FIFA, who have given the green light on this plan, might be able to assist us in some granting later on. What's your thoughts on funding on the case?
00:29:29
Speaker
It's a lot of money, man. When you look at the state, Deaf AI are in and. I know, like, I don't know if I'm in the government if I want to give Jonathan Hill the money, but it's like. It's a lot of money to go to a stadium that isn't going to benefit. It's like 50 mil, is it like 50 mil and four games there? Like, I mean, like I'd be I'd much rather that go into obviously football.
00:29:58
Speaker
down here and also the FAI, you know what I mean? 100%. Not to sound like a Damien Duff wannabe, but like, you know, what that could have done for the League of Ireland, you know? Well, the thing about it is,
00:30:12
Speaker
I'm very much going to play devil to advocate. I would be generally for it because I think any development is good development. Any step in the right direction is better than no step. But overall, the FAI, can they be trusted with it? No. As of yet, no. Can Jonathan Hild's crew? No. It's not a continuation of Jonathan Laney, but it's better, but it's not good. Yeah.
00:30:38
Speaker
Would it ever go to the League of Ireland? No. If it was given to the FBI, definitely not. So that's an irrelevant point. This is extra money coming from the Exchequer to fund a cross-border thing. And considering we have how many extra millions being put into rainy day funds, apparently, at the end of every year, if we can afford $2.4 billion for a national children's hospital, we're only giving them a ward.
00:31:05
Speaker
to get a stadium that's going to one, make us look good, to overall make better facilities for us. We now have two stadiums on the island, tree stadiums maybe, on the island that could be used for European games. So if we had two European teams that get drawn on the same day, well then suddenly, oh right, we have
00:31:25
Speaker
I just, I just think it's so much money, man. Like, and I think, yeah, the thing is, swallow about it is it's a lot, like a lot, a lot of money in the grand scheme of Irish football. Yeah. Going to something football related that isn't that we're not going to see the benefit of. Like, I can understand you saying the European games and stuff like that, but I don't see that becoming an issue in terms of. All I'm saying is this is free money.
00:31:53
Speaker
This is money that was never going to the FBI, that was never going to the Irish game anyway. This is extra. That's a different question. So this is money being set aside for this, which is cool. Any development is good development.
00:32:08
Speaker
other question is why isn't money like that going into the league of Ireland? And that ultimately I think comes down to trust the FBI and the complete lack of. It seems like that the only thing harder than to get a manager for the senior team is to get a good CEO. Like, I mean, like we've made an absolute sham of like, arguably our managers have been better than our CEOs of the last two decades, you know? And like, I quite like Mark Cabham. He seems to have decent ideas as a director of football. So I think on the pitch wise,
00:32:35
Speaker
were getting there. The business wise, I think that infrastructure is just so rotten to the core that it needs to be like a United, right? Everything needs to be audited. Let's see, are you actually paying for your position? Are you actually earning the money that way? And when you look at the FAI connection with the League of Ireland, considering League of Ireland was doing quite well, relatively when it was
00:33:01
Speaker
running itself when it was its own entity. It was brought onto the FAI. It did no better, if not worse, and has steadily grown without any FAI help, aside from the crumbs from the table of John the Lady that they were given over the years. And this extra money, yes, we would love to see 50 million going into it. But the government is not going to do that because the money is going to go to Sports Ireland, which has to get divvied out. And they're going to look at the FAI card going,
00:33:30
Speaker
this is never going to reach the bottom anyway. So why, Bob? But even if it's going to sport Ireland, not even to be, you know, obviously football is my favorite sport, but like I'd be happier for 50 million to be distributed across a multitude of sports under the sport Ireland banner. I just think it's been too much of why are they getting that and where not kind of as if it's been taken away.
00:33:53
Speaker
I take your point on that. It's like having a colleague kind of going, well, why are they earning 10 grand more than me? They took that money from me. No, they just got the money. Your parents treated you badly. It's not your siblings fault. I think that's where the argument needs to more go. Don't begrudge something good happening. I think it's just hard for people. I think it's hard for people because the League of Ireland is having such a glow up of light that
00:34:21
Speaker
Now is the time to strike with proper academies, better facilities. I completely take your point that that money wasn't going to be sidelined for Ligue 1 anyway, but it's just more of a, if there's that kind of money around.
00:34:38
Speaker
dear God, what we could do in the League of Ireland, you know? Yeah. And like, I think going back to maybe the CEO point is like, what do you think would make a good CEO for the FAI?
Leadership and Corruption in Football Associations
00:34:51
Speaker
I think you wouldn't hate. I think you. Because I had this conversation the other day and I was like, I was more to start off with an RTE sort of thing, but then turn into the FAI. It's like, jeez, can we just not have CEOs that are just absolute
00:35:05
Speaker
dickheads, like, do you know what I mean? It's like, just be transparent, like, and do your job that's set out in front of you. Like, it's not, like, you get paid very well for it. Like, WWSJD, what would Sir Jim do? That is what we need to apply to all things related to football until he fucks it up himself.
00:35:26
Speaker
And I think that tells you everything you need to know about the FAI. What would Sir Niall do? Niall Quinn went in, was part of that interim board, and then he ran away from it as soon as it was something solid there. I think that tells you that a CEO is not going to fix this. I think genuinely full audit from top to bottom. I think you need somebody like a Niall Quinn to come in because I'm going to be very, very biased as a Sunderland fan. He brought Sunderland.
00:35:56
Speaker
from another good place brought in big investment got them to a good place and sold them on to
00:36:02
Speaker
on paper a perfect start.
00:36:31
Speaker
Well, that kind of raises another question. Like, without meaning to sound political, but what level of corruption are we willing to accept for success? Yeah. And I think when you're at that stage of money, when you have that much money going around, like I'd rather some lad getting 200k of a back backhander and delivering 200 millions worth. Yeah, who wouldn't? You know what I mean?
00:36:59
Speaker
But this is the kind of thing, like if you look at John Delaney, objectively, he did very good for Irish soccer, for the national team. Like, not for the division, but the national team was never in a better spot, never as well publicised, like under the wheels came off. But is that
00:37:23
Speaker
Is that the cost of doing business at that level of the game? Because if you look across the board, how many millionaires or billionaires have gone into clubs and been found out in the exact same kind of way? But they're successful along the way.
00:37:37
Speaker
Yeah, you know, not to bring it back to the Dan Ashworth conversation, so I'm still angry about that. But like, I think, you know, you look at what he did to the FA and the FA is by no means a perfect institution by FA in the UK, that is, but like, they seem to have at least got to a point in that
00:38:00
Speaker
in that kind of corruption talk where, yeah, there's definitely shit still going on in there, but I think there have it at a level where it's palatable and maintainable.
00:38:09
Speaker
But they have a lot more outward influence. So they have one of the princes as the head. Symbolically, they have some politicians sitting on, I think, the board in some way. And they've got executive board where it's like fucking Navy SEAL types and, you know. So their whole structure is one to definitely look at. But it's not a like for like comparison. Like we're at the stage where, going back to our chat with Coach Pomeroy, where
00:38:39
Speaker
somebody was brought in to run their league, then that's kind of what the FAI is. It's these people being brought in to run the company and they're answering to it. It's like a semi-state. Like the Scottish FA, much better place than us. Welsh FA, much better place than us. When we look around, what's our level? Who are we comparing ourselves to? But genuinely though, are they?
00:39:05
Speaker
Because, well, we don't hear about it. But the difference being is if you look at where Wales was 10 years ago and where they are now, they are objectively worse off. If you look at where Scotland was 15 years ago and where they are now, they're objectively worse off. Was that Gareth Bale run under Coleman? Was that their 2002 moment? Potentially.
00:39:30
Speaker
But that was set off many years before that after John Toshuck and then Gary Speed came in. So this was a continuation of built-in success.
00:39:48
Speaker
football association of Wales is considered to be one of the best places to get your coaching badges. So I think, is it Patrick Vieira has gone there? I think Thierry Henry has gone there. I think maybe even Shabi Alonso or something like that. Big names. They're doing part of this right, but a lot has gone wrong in a very short space of time. Don't forget, optically,
00:40:11
Speaker
with gigs they're not doing that well and they kind of stood by them probably longer than they should and then you have Scotland who've just continually gotten worse they went from being a team that was like alongside Ireland challenging to fallen alongside Ireland and then like I don't know what you guys opinion is on this but I think even the FAI and
00:40:31
Speaker
probably are a few as well maybe others they they close themselves off a lot and they don't really buy themselves much favors when it comes to things because they um like it comes across as like a football club a rugby club
00:40:47
Speaker
rather than a government entity, you know what I mean? Because at the end of the day, they're funded by the government, they're the head of the country in that respect of sport. I just think, like, there needs to be more transparency. And I think they buy a lot more public favour in that way, where if they go, all right, as we fucked up here, we apologise, this is how we're going to fix it.
00:41:09
Speaker
If they threw their hands in the air, I think you're absolutely right on this one, because we only ever hear about these things when they get caught. It's never, we found this or we've seen an issue and we're addressing it before it becomes a bigger issue. It's always an absolute fucking volcano explosion that leads to a press disaster, like an ash cloud. You know what I mean?
00:41:36
Speaker
And that comes from them closing off. I think the term was shown around earlier, the boys club, like it is a boys club. They close it off until no one can see it, no one gets access, until it gets unraveled and it's a shit show. So they need to change their approach when it comes to that. Be transparent, tell people what's going on. And if you fuck up, you'll have more public favour. It's quite simple in my head.
00:42:04
Speaker
I think you're right. Speaking of closing off, John O'Shea. Good appointment, Connor. Are we going 1-5 here or are we just going good or bad? Thumbs up, thumbs down. We're going pure Roman, like gladiator style. I'm going to say, for what it is, is an interim thumbs up.
FAI Criticism and Managerial Reactions
00:42:24
Speaker
Do I like the fact that it is an interim now, but for what it is, I'll have it. Nate.
00:42:32
Speaker
Thumbs up for now. I'm excited to see what he does, but I'm a little suspicious under timing and what it means. What are you saying, Killian? Yeah, I'm the same. It's
00:42:48
Speaker
We should enjoy the next two friendlies. There's absolutely nothing to lose other than our world rankings which gives us more seating and then we may be paying for that for the next couple of years. Absolutely nothing to lose but one team that has actually gained and we're going to touch on this just before we finish
00:43:03
Speaker
is Everton. They've now not lost 10 points, they've only lost six. For now.
Everton's Legal Success and Implications for Manchester City
00:43:12
Speaker
I'm not going to lie, I was happy to see it. I think we'd all talked about it before on the pod where we kind of thought they'd scaled it back down to five, six points somewhere around there. But it's four big points, you know? I'm surprised they'd moved on it because I thought
00:43:28
Speaker
Primarily we're just gonna take a very hard stance on this as a kind of like We're not gonna let anybody away with this right now kind of new laws. We're using these new powers body blah and I'm glad for the team and And like they could potentially get more points back because it's only one of their appeals so yeah, or my feeling is that about you Nate or kill but like I
00:43:55
Speaker
I think they got a win here, but I think you don't get that lucky twice. Yeah, but they'll have to judge it in the same way they get to judge now, you know what I mean? So, I would be surprised the second one is a six-pointer as well. I think the biggest thing for Everton though is the charge that did get knocked down was that they didn't comply or kind of facilitate the investigation, which at least transparency-wise for the board optically is a big win.
00:44:24
Speaker
And it could bode well for city in the long run by kind of going, well, if this is the bar on which this is now looked at, we now have something measurable against. Well, we.
00:44:34
Speaker
We did the same as Everton there, so by your own standards, we did comply. So not our bodies couldn't find something with us. Because I think ultimately, everything the Premier League does between now and whatever happens with City is going to always root back to what's going to happen with City, because it is going to be the make or break of... This is a pardon itself, but they're never going to fully string up City, because City is the Premier League right now.
00:45:02
Speaker
I think they would. I don't know. I have a feeling the Premier League wants to see really badly, more than we probably even think, just because they're willing to show them up. You know what I mean? I think after the Super League, the Premier League want to go listen. It would recalibrate the league for sure. Oh, 100%. But I think the Premier League want to go listen to that. We are the big dogs here, not you. But I think the Premier League will stand and you can get relegated. That's fine.
00:45:30
Speaker
I think City are the easiest ones to go after without making a huge shit show. You know what I mean? How big, how big does it go there? Like they're not kicking them into the championship. You know what I mean? I think they, I think they might. Like, I think like if you kick a city into a championship, it doesn't blow up as much as you kick a United or an Arsenal or you know what I mean? Like they're the prime ones that they can make an example of. And I think that I expect them to anyway. Do we have a date on that case?
00:45:57
Speaker
No. Basically, both sides are still putting together the case because of how litigious City's team is. So they're stringing them up where they can? Yeah. I think it's arguably one of two options. One is going to be they'll get massive, massive financial fines and a long transfer of maybe three years, at which point they do what Chelsea did and they'll either get loans in or pre-done and nothing will actually change. But it'll be symbolic.
00:46:27
Speaker
or they go thermonuclear, this will be the Premier League's version of Juventus getting relegated. Full Oppenheimer. I don't know about you, but I don't think the Premier League can lose this optically because I think it undermines everything then. It really does.
00:46:44
Speaker
If Citi wins this, it might as well be as good as over for any power that the Premier League has because you cannot go and say we are charging you for 101 different things and go. And then be like your grand, actually. Here's a staff on the wrist, you know what I mean? Especially considering Citi are using lawyers to do it. They're tying people up in knots. With an army of lawyers. Once the Premier League pressed all them charges,
00:47:10
Speaker
I was worried when I first saw it because I was like, okay, you guys need to sync them on all of these charges then. If you're going to charge them for it, you need to sync them on it. And I'm worried if they can. I hope that they do, obviously. I mean, I have found them.
00:47:25
Speaker
I want to see the highest severity of the law taken against City for their alleged crimes against football. Do we think that if City win it'll no longer be the golden ball we're all looking for, it's the golden suit and that lawyers will become the star signings every year?
00:47:47
Speaker
I mean, I do think that's kind of already the, in most sports, like you, you know, you guys, I'm sure we'll discuss it at length and I'm forming a team with, you know, investigations in, in, in different ways, but you know, it's not the only sport where, where a suit can get you some big wins. But like, lads, you, we talked about it earlier, like, and I'm not opening this up again, but a way for the Super League to get in as if the Premier League, then I'll sink them on this. I do agree. I do agree with that for sure.
00:48:16
Speaker
And if you want to hear about a super league, but not the super league, do follow us on Formula T because the F1 season is upon us and that is a very super, super league.
00:48:29
Speaker
It's myself and Nate being all nerdy about cars and Nate having a love in about Lewis Hamilton. Me just rabble rising just for fun. It's called Formula T. It's out wherever you find us here.
Podcast Conclusion and Mention of Sister Podcast
00:48:43
Speaker
It's part of the Not Appundant network. And this has been the Not Appundant podcast, the flagship. Gentlemen, thank you very much. Cheers, boys. Great to talk as always. I'm not into podcasts.
00:49:07
Speaker
Back of the mat.