EURO 2012

[brokencrossbar1]

if the goal is merely to qualify then it is pretty darn good, but now that we've got there, have you enjoyed the tournament from an Irish perspective?

I've gotten enjoyment from it, just as I always get enjoyment from following Waterford. Even in September 2008.

and why should Ireland have a 'natural' level not to qualify anyway? does Croatia have a "natural" level? Denmark? they're not bigger countries, they're not more special 'naturally' talented than us, are they?

We can always aspire to do better, no doubt about it. But history and circumstance suggest Ireland simply are not at their level. Those countries have professional leagues. We . . .don't. That's how far off the pace we are and the changes required to bring us to their level would be so  fundamental that I question anyone who thinks they have the answers.

But we may as well have with the "best league in the world" only a spit away.  But in all serious they team played above themselves to qualify and they did play 2 of the stronger teams in the competition.  I just wonder if there isn't a better idea the current one?  I am with puskas to a point here.  Look longer term.  Instead of paying big money to "international" class managers invest this money at the ground, trim the number of clubs in Ireland and get onto the Welsh and Scottish FAs.  The Rangers debacle could actually open a potential door here.  Develop a number of "Celtic" clubs a la rugby and have a Pan Celt cup and pump big money into developing the young indigenous players.  The draw of the Old Firm is no longer there so this could be a way to develop the other clubs.  Obviously the stronger players will go to the EPL but if you had 16 strong celtic teams playing in a league week in week out the levels will improve.

[Declan]

A pal of mine from last night - Sums it up

[laoislad]

A pal of mine from last night - Sums it up

At least he wasn't caught on camera licking a nipple..

[AZOffaly]

Looks like Aidan McGeady

[seafoid]

and why should Ireland have a 'natural' level not to qualify anyway? does Croatia have a "natural" level? Denmark? they're not bigger countries, they're not more special 'naturally' talented than us, are they?

Spot on

Austria, Belgium, Switzerland, Turkey and Slovakia have bigger populations than the 26 counties and are watching the tournament at home .

Belgium have been shite for at least a decade. Austria hasn't had a decent team for longer than that. 
Talented teams come around every so often for smaller countries. It's the same in the GAA for counties like Longford and Armagh.   
Croatia will be back in the doldrums at some stage. England won't win anything .

There's no rugby, gaelic-football or hurling to 'compete' for the talent in Croatia.

Other countries have skiing , tennis, ice-hockey, hockey etc to compete with soccer. I dunno if you can pinpoint it all on the GAA. However at least Croke Park won't be moaning about the glamour of soccer taking away all the fans this year 

Anyone know how many Croatia players are from the Diaspora ?
 
Perhaps the standard of coaching in Croatia is higher than it is in Ireland. Maybe the lure of a life in soccer is stronger in Croatia. As the indo said recently DJ Carey could even have played in the Premiership!   

But overall I don't think you are going to see small countries consistently excelling at this level.

[Declan]

He'd be delighted with that - A Donegal man

[puskas]

Austria, Belgium, Switzerland, Turkey and Slovakia have bigger populations than the 26 counties and are watching the tournament at home .

Belgium have been shite for at least a decade. Austria hasn't had a decent team for longer than that. 
Talented teams come around every so often for smaller countries. It's the same in the GAA for counties like Longford and Armagh.   
Croatia will be back in the doldrums at some stage. England won't win anything .

we're getting stuck on qualifying for tournaments being a greater goal than being able to play decent football. Achieve this and you'll reap the reward in the long-term, and qualify for tournaments

Slovakia is more or less the same size as Ireland, has a struggling low-income post-communist economy but can sustain a professional league get teams in the Champions League every other year, and outplayed and outthought Italy at the last World Cup.     

Belgium are on the way back up after a long period in the doldrums (and taking time out to restructure and rebuild), have shit hot youth teams and should comfortably qualify for the next World Cup.

Austria and Switzerland are mediocre I 'll grant you, although the Swiss beat Germany 3-0 a few weeks ago, something Ireland would never ever be able to do the way things are.

It's the level of the above countries plus the Scandinavians that Ireland should be aspiring to reach, Turkey's a different league altogether.

[Denn Forever]

Looking forward to the games tonight.  Especially to see if Ukraine can replicate their performance from the Swedish game.

[puskas]

There's no rugby, gaelic-football or hurling to 'compete' for the talent in Croatia.

not good enough BB, handball (Olympic), basketball, and water-polo are all big spectator sports in Croatia, all competing for the talent and the cash. and then there's tennis. and they excel at all of these. amazing sports people actually Croatians, Serbs etc   

[puskas]

Anyone know how many Croatia players are from the Diaspora ?

But overall I don't think you are going to see small countries consistently excelling at this level.

No-one in the Croatian squad is from the diaspora. Can't think of any from the diaspora who has ever played for them.  They do get Croatian-Bosnians declaring for them, so there is a bit of a demographic bounce from that but that's only the odd one here and there, like a James McClean every few years.

And by the way, I'd like to think Armagh, small as it is, hasn't been a "small" GAA county since pre-1977 if ever, no offence to Longoford who you also mentioned in your example ;-)

[blewuporstuffed]

this looks like the last hurrah for players like given, duff & keane who have been great servanst to ireland over the years.
I would like to see ireland now bring through what even good young players we have and try and work with them towards Euro 2016, even if that does mean missing out on the next world cup.
players like mcclean, coleman,mccarthy, ciaran clarke etc that are regularly playing for thier clubs in the PL and should be able to improve the type of football we currently play

[deiseach]

Would Croatia allow dual nationality in a manner that would encourage players to declare for them? I encountered a guy in college who was German born-and-bred but his passport was Croatian. Neither country would allow him hold the passport of the other and seeing as he wanted to protect inheritance rights he had back in the old country he plumped for Croatian citizenship

[puskas]

Would Croatia allow dual nationality in a manner that would encourage players to declare for them? I encountered a guy in college who was German born-and-bred but his passport was Croatian. Neither country would allow him hold the passport of the other and seeing as he wanted to protect inheritance rights he had back in the old country he plumped for Croatian citizenship

Their striker Eduardo is an out-and-out Brazilian who declared for them out of convenience when he moved to Dinamo Zagreb but don't know how generally easy it is. Joe Simunic, their old defensive stalwart from 98  is still around, hasn't got any playing time yet, he's an Aussie originally now that I think of it, Croatian parents though. It's not exactly Tony Cascarino and Chris Morris.       

[seafoid]

Would Croatia allow dual nationality in a manner that would encourage players to declare for them? I encountered a guy in college who was German born-and-bred but his passport was Croatian. Neither country would allow him hold the passport of the other and seeing as he wanted to protect inheritance rights he had back in the old country he plumped for Croatian citizenship

Their striker Eduardo is an out-and-out Brazilian who declared for them out of convenience when he moved to Dinamo Zagreb but don't know how generally easy it is. Joe Simunic, their old defensive stalwart from 98  is still around, hasn't got any playing time yet, he's an Aussie originally now that I think of it, Croatian parents though. It's not exactly Tony Cascarino and Chris Morris.     

If they hadn't ethnically cleansed the Krajina in 1995 they'd have another 200,000 to pick from

[seafoid]

Do the people counting the passes for OPTA get the minimum wage ?
It must be soul destroying.

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