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Same old sh*t from Ireland! - Has the FAI ran out of ideas?
38 Plays7 months ago
This week revolves around Ireland's football scenario, particularly the end of John O'Shea's interim reign, managerial uncertainties, and the state of the Football Association of Ireland (FAI).
We look at the criticism of FAI's leadership, especially Jonathan Hill's role, with concerns about the managerial vacuum and the leaking of conflicting information. And, despite the recent draw against Belgium, there's disappointment in Ireland's overall performance, with defensive strength noted but lacking fluidity in attack.
We also look at Southgate's England and their next great hope.
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Transcript
Introduction and Overview of Irish Football
00:00:17
Speaker
This is then not a pundit podcast, but you already know that. It's Killian, it's Nathan, it's Connor. You already know that. I sound very excited.
00:00:29
Speaker
But I'm not, because we're going to be discussing Ireland. And Stephen Kenny's interim reign coming to an end. No, sorry. John O'Shea's interim reign coming to an end. Gentlemen, how are we feeling? I mean, like we've been saying in the group chat, let's not forget your little slide on John O'Shea. They're calling him Stephen Kenny. I'm sure we'll get to that. But yeah, I think
00:00:55
Speaker
It makes the motions, it's disappointing based off the results we've had. I think we really had the potential to get something out of the Belgium game. But with all the chat around what's going on within the C-suite of the FAI and a managerial situation that's still unclear, it's not the best old time to be in Ireland.
00:01:20
Speaker
It's just Ireland, isn't it? I've learned not to get excited, not to let the emotions go up or down.
Challenges in FAI Leadership and Management
00:01:27
Speaker
Until major things happen at that institution, not what's going to change in my opinion. Well, I think that was one of the interesting things for today at the time of recording was there was a big meeting in the FAI HQ.
00:01:42
Speaker
where we were led to believe that Jonathan Hill's head could have been on the block. And then that was very, very quickly put to bed that he was going to be staying and that there could be a little delay on the managerial appointment. Would that be convenient? Yeah, further into April rather than kind of like an early April, but they never, never said when in airports, just thought it was going to be then.
00:02:10
Speaker
I don't know how Jonathan Hill is still in the position, considering the Arachtas committee that we spoke about before and people not being willing to back him. They'd back the FAI board, not him.
00:02:25
Speaker
like they're trying to hire a coach and one of the things that they're looking for is somebody to base themselves in Dublin or in Ireland and Jonathan Hill doesn't do it himself. It sums up the FBI doesn't it? Even the news of like one or two outlets saying he's going to get the sack and another outlet coming and saying that no he's guaranteed to stay and there's no issues over him like how disjointed are the people inside that they don't know
00:02:55
Speaker
if the head is gonna get cut off like Michael Phelan is the reason he's still there is similar to the managerial job it would be incredibly hard to find someone to take that job and then if we're if we're now in a situation where his role is vacant the managerial role is vacant Christ what kind of rudderless ship are we you know yeah like it's
00:03:20
Speaker
It's also going to make trying to find a manager much harder. 100%, because why as a manager would you buy in? Well, I think today when you mentioned getting in earlier about the two reports coming out, that's different. I think that suggests that there's clearly a rift in the FAI. That sides have been chosen. That suggests that some information that leaked out one way and another set of information that leaked out another way. That's how I'd probably read into it.
00:03:48
Speaker
Yeah, we won't know until the curtain rise or whatever.
Tactical Analysis and Player Contributions
00:03:53
Speaker
I mean, we all know the FAI is about as watertight as a sieve. So Lord knows where those kind of that could be anyone feeding out those rumours. But I think you're right. I do think people want them out and they're trying to kind of do it in a calculated way.
00:04:10
Speaker
Yeah, was it leaked because that's what they wanted rather than what they knew. But just looking back on the international break, nil nil with Belgium, a very credible result. Like I thought the team were the better of the two, like boring game, but they were like, if anybody was going to do it, it would have been us. It was great to see Smodix make his international bow. Says a lot that he finally made it as soon as Kenny got out.
00:04:40
Speaker
I wonder whether Jon O'Shea stays or not, I think he'll be one of those players that he'll always have that kind of, I suppose, credit that he was the one that brought him through, you know?
00:04:55
Speaker
Yeah, I think Symonyx just fills in a gap that Ireland just constantly needs or should need to fill if they would play a formation that would actually go to their players because like the reason why in the intro I compared them to Stephen Kenny
00:05:14
Speaker
is because he plays exactly like Stephen Kennedy did in both games. It's a like a 3-5-2 kind of 5-3-2 kind of formation, but it's a 4-4-2 in transition. So as soon as they go attacking, Coleman tucks in and Brady was going higher. So it was that. I like a bit of fluidity like that.
00:05:38
Speaker
But it's Stephen Kenny. You know, he's, he's, he was, he was brought up in that system from a coaching perspective. You know, it seems to be, he's doing what he knows. And I don't know about you guys, but I think defensively we were relatively strong. Attacking was where we kind of lacked a bit of oomph, but I don't know if that's down to the resources we have or the tactics.
00:06:01
Speaker
yeah i think the promise of power from it was we were defensively sound i think that's a step forward from kenny i do think though that there is a disconnect from defense to attack where i don't know if we have that player that can get the ball to the attack in a in a timely manner and but i also want to say what is jonoshay thinking that
00:06:24
Speaker
the minute he gets the job and has a chance of making any impression, he goes to the same route that Kenny goes. It's like a bit of introspect here, like, come on, let's have a look and go, if these were changing something, it looks a lot better optically. He was very safe in his player selection as well. He was kind of picking who he knows and who he's used to, you know. And which is like, you have nothing to lose. Like, how did we go another international window with Jacob Ryan not making his debut?
00:06:52
Speaker
But great, we got, we got Sammy Smartox. That's fantastic. As they should have been playing already, but we have them now. Let's move on. Jake O'Brien is still not capped. He's like, he is one of legal and top goal scorers. I think we lack any imagination within any, as far back as you can think with managers, it was always, are you in the premier league? Okay. If you're not in the premier league, are you in the championship? That's about as far as the thinking went.
00:07:21
Speaker
You know, it's, it's never changed. And I think you're right. Like, I mean, the only thing that I will say about John O'Shea being safe is if you are making a play for the full-time job, you probably do it safe too. If, if you absolutely say, say, say like insert, I don't know, Gus Poit or any, anyone had been selected and he knows he's coming in and he's only got two games, then you'd be like, okay, I'm giving everyone a debut. My neighbor's getting a debut. You know, I'm going full ham at this.
00:07:50
Speaker
I disagree. I think if you're trying to make a name in Porsche for the job, which it seems like it is, you change something up and make an impression. I don't think if we bet Belgium 1-0, we'd all be here going, Oh my God, we'd be going. It's the exact same thing that we saw under Kenny, but we got to go. And I do think I was, I found it very encouraging when
00:08:10
Speaker
Jacob Ryan was called up and I was like, okay, this is, this is stepping the right direction. We're not just looking inward, but then from to not play, it's like, come on. Well, especially in it, like I don't understand if it was a, uh, non-friendly, like competitive game, but Jesus, when we've got a friendly, like what are we doing? You know, plus like it kind of shows that John O'Shea
00:08:35
Speaker
only positivity he brought was it was him because of his playing career. Like for the fans, he gave them nothing to kind of latch onto and kind of go, Oh, well, maybe like if John O'Shea is the guy that ends up being a, well, that was a clever move to put him as an intro. Like there was none of that. If he gets appointed, it kind of goes, okay.
00:08:59
Speaker
Yeah, more of the same, thanks. One thing I've seen and Coleman said it after the game, Rio Ferdinand, I actually think was over in Ireland today. Was for a North side cross border encouragement, more games and stuff with Sligo Rovers featuring Shane Seelan of Westlifefim.
00:09:25
Speaker
Um, both Coleman and Ferdinand were saying though, that he obviously is a young manager, but Coleman was like, you know, he, he does, he works well with the younger players. And he kind of, he's more relatable because he's, I suppose, just a younger guy compared to other international managers that we've had in the past. And I know that's not the most important element of it, but I do think with Ireland, who let's face it, our team is getting younger and younger. It's important that the manager understands young players.
00:09:54
Speaker
That's a really, really great thing to hear if he was going to be an assistant manager or coach. Yeah, where he's the guy who's in your ear. Yeah. Like that's where you have your Jared and your Mike, Mike Beal, whereas like you have Mike Beal for the tactics, but you have Jared to actually keep things trucking,
Discussion of Managerial Candidates
00:10:10
Speaker
keep players leaving. And I just don't think. Yes. O'Shea has that. I think he's like.
00:10:19
Speaker
When you actually look back on his coaching career, he left Sunderland as a player to go to Reading for his final year and he transitioned into coaching there. Where are Reading now? They're on the borderline of being non-existent. Then he started helping out with the Ireland underage and then eventually got called up and he went to Birmingham under Wayne Rooney.
00:10:41
Speaker
and got, went out the door fairly quick. And as you said, he chose to leave, but, you know, absolutely fine. But if you look at the coaching pedigree that he's learned from.
00:10:50
Speaker
or the lack thereof, you're closer to the pedigree dog food than you are a pedigree of championships. No harm to the man. He could absolutely prove us wrong. And there's been many coaches that have come from absolutely nowhere to do amazing stuff, but there's nothing from what I've seen. We have had two shots on target at home in two friendlies. That's crazy.
00:11:13
Speaker
If that happened under Stephen Kenny, you'd be baying for blood. Oh, he'd want his head to stick. I don't know. He'd already have the crucifix built. You'd be getting the rags of ether ready to get him. Like, I think we just can't get crowded by, he, he had an amazing international career. And club career. But like, I'm just being very, very like, if we were going to pick on, pick on biases, international career, that goal in Germany alone. Fantastic. Not Meg Figo.
00:11:42
Speaker
Play it for Sunderland, that's enough for me. I found out recently he was in an episode of the Alphas in a very, very short still on a computer screen. One of the guys was watching a game of football. There's many, many, many reasons to love John O'Shea. They're not reasons to hire him. Do you think?
00:12:04
Speaker
If he isn't selected as the kind of permanent manager, do you think he'd be open to being on the coaching ticket? Or do you think he's like, okay, I've tried it now. I'll go wherever I can get a job.
00:12:18
Speaker
I think he's shown his hand to be a head coach. What do you think, Nate? Yeah, I agree. Just even some of the talk after, he's like, I think I'm ready and this and that. But I actually beg to differ. I think he's not ready. I think this international break has shown that he's not ready because
00:12:35
Speaker
We went into an international break where it was like, okay, we're hopeful. We've got an interim manager. Let's see what he can do. And the fact of the matter is, he knows nothing. I read an article today and it put everything into perspective for me. And it goes, to be honest, when you look at this international break, it's a bit of a disaster because you've got two less games on your permanent manager that we're looking for.
00:12:57
Speaker
And you've also tried zero things to see was there any difference. So it's like, we're still at the same spot that we were a month ago. Yeah, you're not wrong. Six months ago, realistically. Six months ago. And when you look at the squad, yeah, we did well defensively. Our defense is our strongest position. The only position where we actually have a little bit of a headache is our central defense. But I think that's our necessity.
00:13:25
Speaker
You know, we have a good defense because we need it. Yeah, but we have it though. That's the difference. Like when say John O'Shea was playing himself, like it was for a time him and Richard Dunn. And then after that, it was a little bit kind of like,
00:13:42
Speaker
Yeah, there was one in, one out every week. Yeah, who's going to fill in there? And then, don't forget, Richard Keogh has more caps than I would care to even Google because it would impress me. But we now have Omidembele, Nathan Collins, Dara O'Shea, Jake fucking O'Brien played the man. That alone. It makes me wonder. There was a little bit of chatter online and with some of the journals that
00:14:12
Speaker
At first I thought, nah, that's really dumb, but I would really love to see it. One of the issues that we have is that like
00:14:20
Speaker
Josh Cullen can really pass. Very good at that. Really good in transition. Small bone is a good mover and can pass a ball. That's good, but it's that more advanced. Should we be moving to a four tree tree and putting the likes of a Nathan Collins in a center defensive midfield in that kind of actual anchor transitional role? Because for club, he's a ball playing center back.
00:14:46
Speaker
We don't necessarily play like that as an international team, so we're not actually using all of his strengths. And we're constantly seeing an international football players being played out of position. We have Trent kind of moving into midfield for England at times. We have David Alaba for decades.
00:15:03
Speaker
now attacking midfielder for Austria, while he was a left-back for a club and even a centre-back now. If we saw something a little bit ballsy like that, it would have been great. I wish we saw that. My thing is with it though,
00:15:24
Speaker
Do we have the resources to do that? From a defensive perspective, yes. We've four across the back we can do. Midfield, probably. Is Nathan Collins ready for that kind of an important role within that team with the players that we have around him? Because, yeah, he can do great things for his club because he's got better players at his club around him. But where I would worry is that front three. If we have the people to pull that off, it would be nice to see a strike, though.
00:15:54
Speaker
don't we have the people? Yeah, I think we do have the people. We have the pace on the wings. We've got Evan Ferguson, who hopefully will rekindle some form and score goals. Which, actually, just before we go on, Ferdinand says go on, Evan Ferguson is getting a terrible, terrible rap at the minute, both for club and country, where people are really starting to criticize him. I don't think he's criticizing. I think it's more... Questioning him.
00:16:18
Speaker
No, I wouldn't even go as far as to say a question or criticise. I think it's just putting it into perspective because a lot of the talk that's come around that hasn't been sympathetic and give the lad some time, but I think we're just pointing out that time that he's in right now, you know what I mean? I think people are judging him by his potential rather than his ability. He's very good and he will be even better, but people are expecting that now and I think that's an issue. Yes, he exploded onto the scene.
00:16:48
Speaker
as many, many young strikers do, but I would rather him explode onto the scene and then take two or three years off and build up to being a consistent striker. Evan Ferguson in the Premier League has, I think he's four goals shy or has maybe four goals either side of Wayne Rooney's record.
00:17:09
Speaker
at that same age but he's played 20 less games and if you think if you think that that wouldn't have been amplified that statistic if he was English and not Irish the whole world would know and when you look at the sides that they're playing in like Everton when Rooney came true is comparable to a Brighton now and then he was in a Ferguson actual like titles in a row Man United squad so like
00:17:37
Speaker
He is very very very good.
00:17:41
Speaker
He's going to have half games. No, no, I get that. We all know he's good. Yeah. But the part that I kind of lose you in is if we're judging him now, then you got to argue, should he be certain? Do you know what I mean? Should we have smart hooks up front? That's the question. So it's like a double edged sword. It's like, do we persevere and just give him time and just ride the Ferguson train? Or do we treat him as, listen lad, step up and get your game.
Financial and Strategic Challenges in Irish Football
00:18:11
Speaker
I think we need to protect them. I think one of the only things that I'll give John O'Shea credit for from this international window was giving Kelleher the starting birth. Because I've said for a long time, Bazoon, who needs a break, take him out with the limelight. He's made a couple of mistakes. Let him get back to just playing good football. Let him reset.
00:18:34
Speaker
I think Ferguson needs the same. I'm absolutely okay with that, especially in friendlies and stuff. If you think, yeah, this is an interesting thing to put them up against or bring them on for 45 minutes or whatever, I think it's not a good sign when your interim international manager is already pinning his hopes on a young lad, hopefully getting a break from the lack of
00:19:01
Speaker
anything that you're gonna port them to. My one comeback on that would be, and I hate being this guy, the commercial element of it. I agree. You know, it's bombs, he gets bombs on seats.
00:19:13
Speaker
I honestly question whether the FAI could afford to not play him. That's what I'm... Because you saw how empty the stadium was, you know, and that's with him in our team. And if we give him a break, you know. Like, that's a scary thought when you think of his age and like, as you said, protecting the players. Like, I wondered if the FAI, if it came down to it, if they'd have his best interests. Absolutely not.
00:19:40
Speaker
But the other thing around that is that we need to
00:19:49
Speaker
remember that it's not just him, it needs to be the forward line around him and being able to get the ball to him. But we have good players up front now, like Smodak's I think is very good. Obviously he's 27 goals in all competitions for Blackburn. He is very, very good. And the championship isn't like the championship of 10 or 15 years ago. The championship is- That's a tough league. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Ogg Bennett is playing very well in the Premier League.
00:20:18
Speaker
for Luton but he's still playing very well and is actually very exciting. Mikey Johnson is playing very well for West Brom. We have very good players around Ferguson now. We do, we just need to figure out how to make them work together. And the other thing I think people are getting wrong with Ferguson is I think there's this expectation he's going to score every game.
00:20:40
Speaker
depending on how you play him and depending on how he's kind of nurtured he might not be like Rooney has always said he's not a striker he was a forward he would be that 10 if he needed to and he can drop deep and whatever and we've seen it with Kane that you can have that nice mix but Kane is a better striker than he is a forward that you're always gonna have that kind of
00:21:04
Speaker
you're going to fall on one side or the other. And we might have Evan Ferguson that's a better creator that will score. Or a distracter. Like if we can get people to double team him to take attention away from a second striker or I feel like I feel player. I'll take that all day.
00:21:22
Speaker
there was a period of time for Ireland that Robbie Keane was very very good and scored a lot of gold and I guarantee he wouldn't be able to do that without Kevin Doyle beside him because he was doing the dirty work. He was the same with Tevez and Rooney. I just don't think we should be pinning all of our hopes on Ferguson and another man we shouldn't be pinning all of our hopes on is Roberta De Matteo despite the fact he was at the stadium then.
00:21:48
Speaker
Yeah, to be honest, I wasn't expecting that when I saw a sports father last time. I felt like that Ian Wright meme. I actually had to look up when the last time he managed was because I was like, I saw it and I was like, I had to double check. I was like, is that who I think it is? Does he still contract it somewhere? I think he's an advisor or was in South Korea.
00:22:15
Speaker
But is he still making that manager money from like a long term contract or is he?
00:22:20
Speaker
No. So after Chelsea, he was, uh, Aston Villa and Schalke, not sure what way around that was, but there was a massive gap. So that he got his bank, but I think it was only on a three or four year contract, only 120,000 pounds per week. Um, he got, he got, he got comfortable. Oh, he got his money. Well, what did you guys think? Cause I was like, either the FAI have really screwed up here by inviting him over.
00:22:47
Speaker
Or like, like it's the baby go, okay, something's brewing here. I read it as we still don't have a manager. We know it's not going to be him. We want the public to think it's going to be him. And we want the public to think that we're actively talking to high profile managers. I think it was complete again, smoke and mirrors.
00:23:07
Speaker
I don't think the FAI are capable enough to think that. The first picture that came out was him and Jonathan Hill together. Also, what was the little cuddle they were having? What context around that? An FAI communications person went, oh, he's sports fall, turn around, take a picture of that real quick. Do you know what I mean? We'll give you an exclusive, yeah. That's what it felt like. I was like, OK, either something rude here or this is like a diversion tactic. I'd absolutely take them, though.
00:23:35
Speaker
I know we won't take the job or get the job but you know. When I saw it I thought that's a very off the wall and astute signing kind of going oh never considered him. That's fun let's go with it like there's nothing to lose genuinely with the Ireland situation is now there is nothing to lose. Give him two years here we go.
00:24:00
Speaker
Yeah, like, and somebody like him has something to prove. He's still young. Like, he's only, is he even 50 yet? Like, maybe just all over it because he was he was very young at Chelsea.
00:24:17
Speaker
53. 53, just over it. Yeah. But he has a baby face, which is fine. Like, it would be very interesting, very exciting. It'd be a nice form of play. Now, only thing about his former play, his former play was exciting at its time. And I think we kind of forget how long ago that was. But
00:24:42
Speaker
It's setting the FAI up for a loss because like... You get people excited, we're not going to get them and they go, why was he there? Yeah, but it sets a level as well. I've expectation like... Yeah, because you're not going to go, okay, a little former like a Champions League winning manager.
00:25:02
Speaker
He was at Chelsea. He didn't have a great time at Aston Villa, but he's of primarily-ish standard. Then you're linked with the likes of Voli Sagnol and Gus Poyat, arguably the same kind of standard. Suddenly now, if they turn around and put in, I don't know, Brian Barry Murphy, it's going to go down like a damn slope. But I just wonder,
00:25:33
Speaker
Is the Willy's side, like we're all hanging our hat on Willy's side now, but like, I haven't heard a tap from him about it. Well, it won't be him. I want Gus player now. Like I genuinely do. I want Gus player. For actually for football or for the fun? No, for like actual football, I think he's the best option right now. And if that's Jon O'Shea as a coach beside him or something like that, I just think lads, this is probably the best option at this point. Could we afford him?
00:26:02
Speaker
I don't know what we can afford right now. But yeah, Jesus. I don't think Poyet would bring a massive backroom staff. So I think you'd have him and his absolute hench son. And that'd be kind of it. Maybe an assistant, Maurizio Tarricio, who used to have that... Translator as well. I'm sure he speaks English. I see. He speaks perfect English. Perfect English.
00:26:28
Speaker
Sure, he managed Brighton for years, and then he went to Sunderland. Do we think John O'Shea sticks around if he gets it? I don't think so. I think O'Shea is going to fancy his chances elsewhere. Maybe in Greece, if we got him. Just a straight swap. I don't think there's any good options left. I really don't. Ghost Spirit was up there, Greece last. He's 13-8 now.
00:26:53
Speaker
Like, come on, lads, it's either him or I don't know where we're going. We're going that way at that point. If Poyet doesn't happen and Sagnaw doesn't happen, it's Jon O'Shea. And if Jon O'Shea says no, I haven't a breeze.
00:27:08
Speaker
I don't think John O'Shea would say no. I don't think they're going to give him the option because he didn't increase attendances. If we're going to go very cynical, like if he had packed out the Aviva and kind of going, oh, wow, this is John O'Shea's first game. Then, yeah, I could absolutely see it happen. I mean, he got a bit shafted in that way that we're never going to pack it out for Switzerland ever.
00:27:37
Speaker
Plus, Belgium, though, like, yeah, you see the way they're doing tickets now? Like, oh, that's very dumb. Like Jesus. Even John O'Shea was come to none. And one of his pressers, he was like, his mates aren't a fan of that ticket buying structure. Like I.
00:27:53
Speaker
I don't like it. Especially when one of them is midweek. You can't expect people to commit to that. I think if you say you price them, what was the 60 quid or 70 quid for the two games?
Fan Engagement and Ticket Pricing Strategies
00:28:08
Speaker
I genuinely think more people would have turned up if you don't like a 40 euro ticket and a 20 euro ticket or a 40 euro and a 30 euro. 25, 35. Whatever split you want to do. You get a fiver or tenor off if you buy
00:28:24
Speaker
the two when you buy the midweek one. But then you're going to pay a higher price to go to the... There doesn't seem to be any kind of out of the box thinking. It's way too...
00:28:41
Speaker
They're way too dependent on their financials right now. It's like they're on the bread line and they're trying to massage Twitter. I think they're on the bread line. I think they're on the bread line. I think they're on the bread line. I think they're on the bread line. I think they're on the bread line. I think they're on the bread line. I think they're on the bread line. I think they're on the bread line. I think they're on the bread line. I think they're on the bread line. I think they're on the bread line. I think they're on the bread line. I think they're on the bread line. I think they're on the bread line. I think they're on the bread line. I think they're on the bread line. I think they're on the bread line. I think they're on the bread line. I think they're on the bread line. I think they're on the bread line. I think they're on the bread line. I think they're on the
00:28:56
Speaker
Yeah. What's the point of the thing, you know? Well, if you can't afford it, what's the point of it? Because if you're not going to fill it and you're only going to make lose money, like then like the rugby can still use it and we can use it on the bigger games. I don't think they lose money though. I don't think they lose money after Aviva. To fully turn the lights on and staff the Avivas like something like 80K. You know what I mean? So like they're, you know, it's not unholy money, but
00:29:25
Speaker
No, but I mean, if they're trying to penny-pinch and it's going to be the difference between a manager worth having and somebody that nobody wants, I'd rather see them play in Tallist Stadium every weekend. I mean, the atmosphere would be good, and you could get a whole good PR from playing League of Ireland. Or what they really should do is bring it around the country. Yeah, I agree with that, actually. Yeah, I do like that. And the French team do that in rugby. And I really like that concept because it brings the game
00:29:53
Speaker
around to everyone. Look at how well England did off the back of that when they were building New Embly. They were going around to different stadiums. I think there was even a game in St. James's Park. The difference is they have the infrastructure. Ireland has very good infrastructure. We have like Tomin Park and everything. Yeah, you could go to Tomin Park, you could go out to what's the one in Galway, Paris, is it? Or Park E3, or whatever it's called.
00:30:26
Speaker
be a little bit clever about things. Go and try other places. In general, I think as a country, we're too monolithic when it comes to Dublin. It's Dublin and the rest. I think for fans, that is slowly starting to grate because you're now making a separation between your national team that's meant to represent everybody and making it a Dublin team.
00:30:48
Speaker
Well, you'd run into the GAA issues there, which you're always going to run into.
00:30:52
Speaker
i don't know if you saw the news during the week it was uh the ga actually seemed to be more open to other sports to use because they probably need the money the urc semi-final final looked like they could be at crow park as well and the semi-final quarterfinal of the european cup as well so
00:31:13
Speaker
I think they feel safer with rugby than they do with football. Whether it's a sport in Ireland thing, I just think there needs to be more dialogue here. How do we make the ecosystem for everybody better? Absolutely.
00:31:27
Speaker
And that could come all back to having a good CEO, bringing it back to how the conversation started. But one guy who could be doing better, as far as I'm concerned, is Garrett Sykett.
Critique of Gareth Southgate's Management
00:31:41
Speaker
Did IDGs get to see anything about their matches from the weekend? Nate, you're probably watching with bated breath for your next manager at United. The opposite. I'm really caught to eyes if this guy gets the job.
00:31:55
Speaker
He's just like, he's an absolute cack, isn't he? To put it in perspective, when we look at the Brazil game, Garzok and England have only managed 4 wins in 26 games when they face teams in the top 10 FIFA rankings. Going into a major tournament year, that is fairly worrying for an England fan.
00:32:14
Speaker
That's crazy. Oh, but we got him to the final of the Euros ages ago. He's been handling like the easiest career in football management ever. I owe a genie to him. He's been upwards. Genuinely, he is the definition of failing upwards. He's been there for 11 years. It's ridiculous. I'm like, like, don't forget, when he was a club manager, he spent nearly 20 million on Afonso Alves from Hervin, from Middlesbrough, and got them relegated. Back when 20 million may as well have been like 80 million now.
00:32:43
Speaker
Yeah like i think maybe the year after i think burbatoff went for what was it 30 yeah burbatoff did like what he.
00:32:54
Speaker
He is so, everything about him is so safe. It actually irritates me. Him talking about the flag controversy. He says nothing about anything. Like it actually grates on me how popular he is in the UK. Cause he's politically, he's well, he's well polished from a political standpoint. Like he is everything. If you're the FA that you would want in a manager from a comms point of view.
00:33:20
Speaker
Yeah, but I think we need to make the Brit bitter again. Let's just play him missing that penalty.
00:33:29
Speaker
on repeat for a couple of weeks across Sky News and BBC. And let's just remind them of who this lad is. Genuinely. I think it's safe to say we won't get an interview out of out of Southgate anytime soon. Lads, we'd be surprised if we saw him as Prime Minister one day. I genuinely want to be that safe. That middle of the road, it's like, just have a bit of personality. Where's personality gone?
00:33:54
Speaker
I actually couldn't imagine him as Prime Minister, because being Prime Minister would make you decide on a party. No. And I don't think you could do that. He'd be so good at pedaling what he's told to pedal, you know what I mean? Yeah, he'd tow the party line like no one ever before. Like, it's Jenny on another level. And I'm like, at one point I'm like, fair play. Like, you absolutely scam the system. But at another point it's like, Jesus, someone get this fat out.
00:34:20
Speaker
Well, it's either yourselves or Liverpool if Glen Johnson has anything to do with it. Oh God, to keep him as fair. No. The only thing Glen Johnson should ever have to do with football is just watching that Middlesbrough, not Middlesbrough Day, Portsmouth goal that he had, where he just absolutely
00:34:39
Speaker
thunder bastard of the volley That's the only only reason that man should ever be talking about anything. It's just wheel him out every six months ago. Yeah There's definitely a part by the way in the top ten thunder bastards of all time because I mean, there are some absolute worldies out there. Oh Michael ballot comes to head Alex comes to the mind and
00:35:05
Speaker
Gio van Rancorst at the Euros. Yeah, and more absolute wellier. Manor Figueroa from his own half for Wigan. But with England, I have to say, as a team, I'm not impressed by them. Like they are being lauded by themselves really to be kind of challengers at kind of major competitions and
00:35:33
Speaker
I find it amusing that the parts of the team that they worry about are the parts of the team that you don't have to worry about. Like, they're always whinging about Pickford.
00:35:41
Speaker
That terrible mistake in the Belgium game, which is only a friendly, was the first time he made a mistake in an English shirt that led to a goal. The press wouldn't make you believe that, though. Or not even the press or social media wouldn't. England are in a better goalkeeping situation now, even with the backups, than they were with Paul Robinson, David James, Robert Greene, Ben Foster, that whole era. And there was never a question mark about who the goalkeepers were.
00:36:09
Speaker
they're in a much stronger position now, whereas they need to be worried about the rest of it, really. It's more the cohesion they need to worry about. Let's face it, we'll come on to Maynooth shortly, I'd imagine, or else Nath will probably explode. But the resources they have at their disposal are
00:36:32
Speaker
phenomenal like in world like it's a team that could win a war like on paper that's a football manager World Cup winning team absolutely but like every other era of England they can just never figure it out they'd almost be better in my opinion if they'd like five lads or four lads that were absolute worldies and the rest of them were just kind of like
00:36:55
Speaker
you know, middle of the road donkey workers, because then there's less, there's less kind of room for for 11 egos and all of that. If there's limited egos and limited skill breaks, two star players to be better off. But lads, the answer is right down front is like, it is gas outgate, that's the issue. Like, go back to the goalkeeper. It's like,
00:37:16
Speaker
The reason Pickford looks good in England is because they play horrible football. They play football that is, in my opinion, you'd see it in Everton, where if you've got a world-class manager who had to start a play, Pickford would look very average. He wouldn't be the playing goalkeeper that you need at that point. But then the other players, in my opinion, would look better because they're playing the start of football that they do week in, week out.
00:37:39
Speaker
I haven't had Pickford at my club. Pickford is a very good goalkeeper for teams that are constantly facing shots. That's my point. Last ditch. So you're 100% right there. I think one of Southgate's biggest faults is the English call it loyalty. I think it's either a fear or a lack of ingenuity.
00:38:08
Speaker
how Harry Maguire keeps playing under him. Jordan Henderson is still playing for England. He went to Saudi, he was still playing for England. He's in Ajax, he's still playing for England. The only thing I'll say about that is every single former player you hear talk about Henderson says he's like a coach in the pitch. But that's not the point. This is a friendly. This is where you're meant to be getting your next generation through. And this is where Kobe Manu comes in. That was the right thing to do.
00:38:37
Speaker
He seemed to be the only bright spark of the team. He's the only one that was like, Hey, do you know what? I've not done saloons. Let's try stuff. Well, that's the best, that's the best space to be in. Like, I remember hearing Gary Lineker and I can't remember if it was six football or the rest
Kobe Manu's Potential Impact on England
00:38:52
Speaker
is football, one of them. And they were saying, you know, he has to just go in there and absolutely just enjoy the moment and ball out and ball out is what he did. Good God.
00:39:02
Speaker
Oh, he's... Nathan, the floor is yours. Kobe Manu. Go on, anoint him Pope or whatever you want to be. Oh, unbelievable. 18 years of age. Man to match on his international full debut. It's like, I've... What a player. Like, I've never seen a player play with his head up to such a degree in my life. Let alone that he's 18 years old.
00:39:22
Speaker
and just quickly go back to the guy saying anything just the last thing is what did you make of him giving Kobe a main into debut because is it a bit of him trying to get goodwill before a major tournament or is it like I sort of was like
00:39:39
Speaker
I, because I wouldn't have expected him to do it, I was a bit like, why, what's his ultimate motive? What's the agenda? Yeah. It was the correct thing to do. And I think he did it for the wrong reasons. Yeah. I think you got it spot spot on there. Like I think.
00:39:53
Speaker
There was no doubt that he was gonna play for England, you know lost look, I think the clip of them needed that that you said us on Nate's will put up on socials that like you said about you know, I We said before the part who would we compare them to that plays with their their head up? But and you know, you've names like Javi and skulls and we don't know anoint them into that level yet but when you see this clip of
00:40:18
Speaker
I know it's a highlight reel and everyone can look amazing on a highlight reel, but there's about two and a half minutes where his head is. I don't even know how he knows where his feet is. It's like he doesn't look at his feet and he just gets this delivery is outrageous. His like, uh, technique is calm while he's calm when he's on the ball. And like you said, now for 18, it's terrifying and.
00:40:42
Speaker
five years' time, what's he going to look like? It's like a sixth sense, really. I wouldn't even know where my feet were if I was looking up straight. It's almost like when you watch him, it's like he just floats. He's like levitates around the place, like he's silky smooth.
00:41:08
Speaker
Just to put things in context though, do you think he's Kamavinka or two at many levels? I think he's better. I generally do. I think he's got the potential to be better, I think. Now is he better now?
00:41:21
Speaker
I could see him becoming a new Rashford. I hope this doesn't happen to him, but just it's Man United and this is what Man United has seemed to do over the last little while is where they end up relying on somebody that they shouldn't rely on yet, like let him have fun, like let him play under no pressure and instead like they did with Rashford, they put all the world's woes on him and Rashford
00:41:50
Speaker
He plays older than he is and I don't mean that in a good way. I think many would do well if they had a manager that took attention away from the team.
00:42:08
Speaker
if you know what I mean like right now give them a year or two of just where people people are kind of going oh fair play Kobe menu but now Mourinho and we're like I don't think Mourinho has that skill to kind of actually harness a player in that kind of way but having that ability to distract like I think uh Van Hal did decent with that with United there was a lot of players coming true and like Fosu Mensa and um
00:42:34
Speaker
like was able to kind of take away and at the beginning until everything went wrong, take away some of the kind of like press pressure and that Rashford then ended up having to endure and
00:42:48
Speaker
Rashford is always going to be a bit of a what if, because he's now been relegated to basically a left winger. I don't think Rashford's good. He's not as good at what I thought he would be, but I'd go as far as to say that I think Maine is a bigger talent than Rashford was at that age.
00:43:07
Speaker
Where do you think he lands on the, of the Man United youngsters of the last, I don't know, call it 20 years? I think one of the very best, like I genuinely, like I've been here about these kids since he was 15. People have been raving about this guy. We heard about Jett and Sancho at 15 in the Sydney Academy. I think you're being negative Nancy on this one. I think, I think I agree with Jacqueline. I think it could go either way. It absolutely could be a Rashford situation.
00:43:37
Speaker
I do also agree with Nate and the fact that I think he's got more talent than Rashford. He just needs the right people around him from both, when I say management perspective, I mean both personal management from his agents and his family and I suppose anyone who hangs out from a club level as well. And I think you're right, he also needs the right manager in a club perspective that will take that pressure off him.
00:44:03
Speaker
Just to point the perspective, this kid was playing under 18 football at 15 in midfield. For United. To see where he is now playing at the level that he's now at 18, you can see how highly he was thought of to move up to age caps that quick. I know we've seen him before, but I'd be a lot more on the fence of comparing him to a dude betting him at 17, 18 than a Rashford, wholeheartedly.
00:44:28
Speaker
Yeah. I think if we look back at Jude, don't forget, everybody laughed at Jude Bellingham when Birmingham retired his number and kind of went, oh, really? I still don't think that's outrageous, but we move. Hi, Diane. But the move to Dortmund Cup was kind of a bit like, oh, really? OK, that's cool. That's interesting. I would love Kobe Minu to make it to the absolute fullest of his potential.
00:44:56
Speaker
Ethan Ampedo was playing the men's game at 15. Martin Odegard made his debut for the international football at 15 and he didn't hit until he was 22. So like, I just don't want to like...
00:45:13
Speaker
rush into appointing to what he might just not be. He could have all the talent for and like the reason is because I actually went back and I read an article very recently looking at Michael Johnson. Do you remember Man City? He genuinely had the skill to be a top Premier League midfielder.
00:45:37
Speaker
Not saying he was going to be taking over the world. He wasn't Lampire 2.0, but he would have been a very, very good Premier League midfielder. Am I right in saying the drink got him or was that Michael Ball? Michael Ball, more so. He did have a drink problem, but that was more because he mentally couldn't handle it. Okay. He was retired by the time he was 23, 24, 25, in and around that.
00:46:05
Speaker
after being injured for years, because basically he was kind of slightly rushed back. So even sticking with Silly, look at Stephen Ireland. Stephen Ireland was a tough... Yeah, but I... He was a number of good players, but he was a fruitcake. I think him and Manu were different grades. And I think the thing that sticks out to me for Manu, and I understand he could get an injury tomorrow, but I think his technical ability, I've struggled to see that in a lot of players in the last God knows how long.
00:46:32
Speaker
I genuinely think he's up there. And coupled with what I've heard of him, he has a great attitude, very down to earth, has his head switched on for his age. It's like the world's his oyster right now if he wants it, but he's got the talent in buckets of space, you know what I mean? So it's up to him now to go and do it, but I'd put my money on him to do it.
00:46:53
Speaker
I will say as well, Nathan, I know you'll be in agreement with this, but I, you know, we, we, we see young players like, you know, you're Bakaia Sakas and, you know, Evan Fergusons and insert five other names. And, you know, it's exciting to see them come through, but it's been a long time since I've been this excited about someone.
Endrick's Rising Star in Brazilian Football
00:47:14
Speaker
And look, I'll be honest, I haven't seen too many games of them, but having, from what I've seen, I'm really excited by what's next in his career.
00:47:23
Speaker
Yeah, I'm rooting for sure. 100%. The other player, I thought, youngster-wise, that came out of the international window from the England games, that it's just, it seems he's arrived, is Endrick. Which, if you play football, Endrick, you don't need to know him. Like, we don't need to tell you about him. But, like... The streets I'll never forget. He's so good. He is very, very good. He's always seemed like a bit of a miss, hasn't he?
00:47:52
Speaker
It's like, yeah, we've already existed. We've like, Ram did spend all this money. We know about football management. We're always just thinking, is this guy as good as we think he is? Yeah, it's like, we can get told all this, but is he actually that good? And to be fair to him, he looks spot on. Like he's another one that like,
00:48:14
Speaker
I'm nearly not not that I want players like that to be going to Real Madrid all the time, but I'm nearly glad that he's going to this Real Madrid where the likes of Vinny Junior was the same. Yeah, like it was the exact same thing, just like transplanted again. And at least he has something like that to take him under his wing because Vinny has made it work. And despite all of the challenges that he's faced and the issues that he's now facing with kind of sticking with Spanish football. But
00:48:44
Speaker
like Endric, I have the same concern as I do with Kobe Menu, because how many Brazilian players have we seen come in, take over the world and just fall off before their time? I completely agree with that and I would say historically it's more likely Endric would fall off than Menu, I hope neither of them do, but one thing that
00:49:07
Speaker
Hendrik going to Madrid, I think you're completely right, perfect place for him. But when you look at what that team could be, Hendrik, Vinny, Bellingham, Mbappe, Trent has been talked about come 2025. It's frightening. I don't know how they've got away with that. FFP, how are you doing? Keep it moving. They've gone like, OK, we might give up a bit of performance here, but we're going to stack up for the future to have.
00:49:37
Speaker
But going back to Endrick, I'll say, from what I've seen now, I've seen very little of him. But the way his swagger with it at his age and how he looks at the pitch, there's just some players where you just see them and you go, you're a bit different, you know what I mean? There's an aura right in the middle. Yeah. And I don't know if that's a preconceived aura that gets made up from all the hype and stuff. But I know we talk about loads of other players that have fallen off, but there's just some players that you just go like, 100%. You're just going to be a world beater.
00:50:06
Speaker
But it's not even like, you know, when you're a kid, it's different. Like, I remember seeing Ronaldinho when, when Arnhem played, uh, Brazil. And it, I literally, I would swear to this day that there was a glow around them. And like, yeah, that's just you being a kid, but like, you're completely right. Like, you know, now it's grownups, if I dare call us that, um, forever children more like, but, um, there definitely is, there's something that's not quantifiable or tangible about people like him.
00:50:35
Speaker
He has that air of like, it's easy for him and not in an arrogant way. Like a Messi, like you're born to do this.
00:50:43
Speaker
I wouldn't go that far. I'd kind of look more like when Neymar was coming through with Santos, it was kind of like that. But with Neymar, he had a swagger on all, but it was arrogance. Like I'm better than you. Yeah. But I think, I think Endrick, and I think part of the reason for that, I think it's kind of one of the things that English football could be a little bit better at is like Endrick's
00:51:10
Speaker
I think we've been playing the men's game since he was 15 and then the way the Brazilian leagues are structured you kind of have like a summer and like there's different levels to like they have your main part of the season and then there's like an off-season league and all this kind of stuff and where you're playing in like the Sao Paulo divisions and then like it there's a lot of bigger system than the English game.
00:51:31
Speaker
Yeah, it allows these young lads to be kind of coming in in a better way in the sense that they're getting pressure without pressure.
Mentorship and Career Management for Young Players
00:51:40
Speaker
They're not friendlies where you can kind of do whatever you want, but they're fighting for a place without kind of like, I'm not going to be, in a relative sense, considering how passionate the Brazilian game is, I'm not going to be lambasted for not working out.
00:51:58
Speaker
And I think that's only going to stand to a player like Endrick now, like he's what 17, is he 18 years? Without saying I'm like the resident L bastard, like players just keep getting younger and younger and younger. Like if he's where he's at at 17, he's at 18. Like there's a 15 year old coven somewhere, you know.
00:52:19
Speaker
Well, we've seen the 15-year-olds come true, and they rarely work out at 15. That's the only thing. So I think in that sense, we can kind of still grasp on the kind of going, we're not too much older than the good players. It's more scary when you see, like, 2006 born kids being 18. Heavy breathing in tubes. Yeah.
00:52:51
Speaker
these young guys and again sticking with the international window and which Fernando pay as who Chelsea ball South America being caught up with the whole team going out and partying and stuff and then with the sent home where they were definitely pulled in by the by the FA and stuff like
00:53:10
Speaker
We need to even despite all of the control that the press and comms have nowadays, these players still need to be protected and I think there is a merit.
00:53:25
Speaker
in the old school, uh, mentorship kind of apprenticeship kind of way of doing things kind of going like, yeah, absolutely. You're playing the game, but you're still gonna clean the boots. Yeah, but I also, and I, and in addition to that though, I think I do think that's very important, but I also think that we're very quick to scald players for going on nights out and, you know, being real people at the end of the day, they're, they're, they're young lads. And yes, I know their job as professional athlete and comes with that a lot of expectation.
00:53:54
Speaker
But they're also human beings at the end of the day. And I think there needs to be a little bit more room given for them to be human and not just, you know, robots who play football and go back to their base for the day, you know. Yeah. No, like I, I agree. Um, I think.
00:54:13
Speaker
Looking outside of Ireland football is very, very exciting for the future.
Conclusion: Future of Irish Football and Young Talents
00:54:18
Speaker
It must be nice having all these youngsters. But gents, I think that brings us to the end for this week. Do we think we'll have a manager by the next episode? No, not a chance. I don't think we'll have a manager by another four episodes from now. What do you think, Nate? No, definitely not. And they'll be saying, oh, we've got someone, but it'll be me.
00:54:41
Speaker
We'll have a press conference in June. We're doing Frigado in the FAI. There you go. A little bit of culture for you. Gentlemen, thank you very much. Have a pleasure. We'll chat to you next week. Bye-bye. Messi. Messi. Oh, my goodness. It's LAA.
00:55:06
Speaker
Oh, that is extraordinary! What a hit! What a hit! Back of the net.