FAI...New Manager is Heimir Hallgrimsson

[thejuice]

The fact is the FAI are failing at their job because I don't think anyone at the top of that organisation cares about the sport they are presiding over. They are business men and women only there to make a chunk of money and move on.

The FAI is the problem. Quite frankly it needs to be abolished and rebuilt from the ground up but I know that will never happen.

[Dag Dog]

The fact is the FAI are failing at their job because I don't think anyone at the top of that organisation cares about the sport they are presiding over. They are business men and women only there to make a chunk of money and move on.

There's probably not enough business minded men and women in the FAI. Most of them have no ability to run a large organisation.

[weareros]

No problem with homegrown but managers also require personality to inspire. Charlton and McCarthy did well because they were confident (even when wrong!). Even Trap and O'Neill had that. Kenny came across as ponderous and less confident as games went on. The Dentist never took ownership at the start. Professional footballers, even lowly ones, need someone who can lead. We haven't had that in a while. It was telling how hardworking the IFA team are. Not much skill but the other night when Germany had the ball, a player sprinted at them to close them down. Even Bradley was doing that donkey work all match. That's a team trying hard for their manager, doing thankless work. Jack Charlton's team did that type of harrying too. Wasn't all long ball.

[Baile Brigín 2]

The fact is the FAI are failing at their job because I don't think anyone at the top of that organisation cares about the sport they are presiding over. They are business men and women only there to make a chunk of money and move on.

The FAI is the problem. Quite frankly it needs to be abolished and rebuilt from the ground up but I know that will never happen.

Isn't the traditional argument that there isn't enough commercial ability in there?

[Captain Scarlet]

It might seem like from Delaney's time that there are money-grabbers but you actually want money-grabbers for the association - ones that are not minding it for themselves.
The GAA gets hit with the Grab All Association and that's what they should be doing if it means getting funding into clubs, coaching and facilities.

The issue is that we have relied on the British system to create our stars and we are so far off building a structure. Even within the small community of the academies there are lads always falling out and bouncing around clubs.

But in the here and now, what happened last night was a joke. There is zero fire in so many of the players and it's sickening to see these lads doing so much better for their clubs. Collins is not that shite, but my God he looked awful a fair few times for Ireland.

It's clear they don't trust each other on or off the ball. It must be a nightmare for Kelleher having to watch that and see what's coming at him.

[Muhammad]

Dunphy was going well there until he bigged up Idah.  The reason Idah doesn't start at this level is that he is useless.
How many diaspora players in Eng, Sco and Wales will want to play for that team? There are plenty of Irish guys currently in the NI set up who would play for the South in a heartbeat and they're at least as good as anyone on the pitch last night.

Last time I tuned in the U21s were 1-0 up against Andorra with a few minutes left, so there nothing coming through those ranks?  I watched about 20 mins of that game and Andorra were the better side.

Under 21`s are very young , Noonan who scored has just turned 17 ! He along with Derry`s Trent Kone Doherty and Glasgow`s Rocco Vata are the only decent Players on it though . I fear if the Senior Team keeps going the way they are we will lose Vata .

[Baile Brigín 2]

Dunphy was going well there until he bigged up Idah.  The reason Idah doesn't start at this level is that he is useless.
How many diaspora players in Eng, Sco and Wales will want to play for that team? There are plenty of Irish guys currently in the NI set up who would play for the South in a heartbeat and they're at least as good as anyone on the pitch last night.

Last time I tuned in the U21s were 1-0 up against Andorra with a few minutes left, so there nothing coming through those ranks?  I watched about 20 mins of that game and Andorra were the better side.

Under 21`s are very young , Noonan who scored has just turned 17 ! He along with Derry`s Trent Kone Doherty and Glasgow`s Rocco Vata are the only decent Players on it though . I fear if the Senior Team keeps going the way they are we will lose Vata .

Melia played too, and Abankwah too. Has played in Serie A.

[seafoid]

https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/soccer/2025/09/11/five-years-of-woe-irelands-diminished-place-in-international-football-laid-bare/

Over the last five years the Republic of Ireland international football team have played a total of 56 matches – with just 16 wins, 25 defeats and 15 draws.
The 16 victories came against 13 different countries – and only two of those are currently ranked inside the top 50 of the Fifa rankings. None are placed inside the top 35. Seven are outside the top 100.

[Baile Brigín 2]

In a cooler light of day, at what point do we blame the players? Collins is a solid, dependable premiership defender. He turns into Bambi on ice for Ireland. Cullen is the captain of a premiership team. He can't string a pass when in green.

We need to stop picking players simply on the basis of their clubs. O'Neill has no issue playing lads at nowhere clubs on the basis of international form.

Get a sports psychologist in, I believe Shamrock Rovers have a full time one

[seafoid]

How much would a decent system to develop players to age 18 cost? It would probably make more sense than ponying up for the Ryder Cup.

I saw an article recently that compared Shamrock Rovers' facilities to a 5th division club in Belgium.
.I was looking at the new stand in Galway's rugby ground.

https://www.connachtrugby.ie/dexcom-stadium/the-new-dexcom-stadium/327/

Rugby runs a tight ship and has enough money for everything.  So does the GAA.

Football is the poor relation in Irish sport.

[NAG1]

How much would a decent system to develop players to age 18 cost? It would probably make more sense than ponying up for the Ryder Cup.

I saw an article recently that compared Shamrock Rovers' facilities to a 5th division club in Belgium.
.I was looking at the new stand in Galway's rugby ground.

https://www.connachtrugby.ie/dexcom-stadium/the-new-dexcom-stadium/327/

Rugby runs a tight ship and has enough money for everything.  So does the GAA.

Football is the poor relation in Irish sport.

Poor relation because they all have their hand out the whole time, they aren't in it for the system or the betterment of the game. It's a professional setup top to bottom only they don't have the backing financially that they think they need from top level sponsors or revenue streams etc

Self fulfilling prophecy.

[Baile Brigín 2]

How much would a decent system to develop players to age 18 cost? It would probably make more sense than ponying up for the Ryder Cup.

I saw an article recently that compared Shamrock Rovers' facilities to a 5th division club in Belgium.
.I was looking at the new stand in Galway's rugby ground.

https://www.connachtrugby.ie/dexcom-stadium/the-new-dexcom-stadium/327/

Rugby runs a tight ship and has enough money for everything.  So does the GAA.

Football is the poor relation in Irish sport.

Rugby can leverage corporate sponsorship in a way no other team sport can, but still has major financial problems. Excluding the racing nonsense, the GAA gets more grants than every other sport combined. That's more than 50 sports. Soccer is the working man's game so mostly misses out on both.

I read a counter to that report. Rovers acadamy was compared to a very specific Belgian 5th tier club, one that is better than most Belgian 1st division sides. A headline grabbing outlier. Stephen Bradley was accused of having too much control over the acadamy and a few pages later of not talking enough to the acadamy staff and not attending underage games. A confusing set of claims.

But Rovers acadamy has produced 2 of the current Irish squad, another from the last one, one of the squad is a current player and two ex players there. They have made millions in player sales. The issue is they are doing it with zero FAI or state support.

[Baile Brigín 2]

How much would a decent system to develop players to age 18 cost? It would probably make more sense than ponying up for the Ryder Cup.

I saw an article recently that compared Shamrock Rovers' facilities to a 5th division club in Belgium.
.I was looking at the new stand in Galway's rugby ground.

https://www.connachtrugby.ie/dexcom-stadium/the-new-dexcom-stadium/327/

Rugby runs a tight ship and has enough money for everything.  So does the GAA.

Football is the poor relation in Irish sport.

Poor relation because they all have their hand out the whole time, they aren't in it for the system or the betterment of the game. It's a professional setup top to bottom only they don't have the backing financially that they think they need from top level sponsors or revenue streams etc

Self fulfilling prophecy.

Which is it? The FAI aren't in it to improve the game or are professional top to bottom? Can't be both.

[Baile Brigín 2]

https://www.fai.ie/latest/john-martin-appointed-fai-director-football/

His first decision is back or sack HH..

[NAG1]

How much would a decent system to develop players to age 18 cost? It would probably make more sense than ponying up for the Ryder Cup.

I saw an article recently that compared Shamrock Rovers' facilities to a 5th division club in Belgium.
.I was looking at the new stand in Galway's rugby ground.

https://www.connachtrugby.ie/dexcom-stadium/the-new-dexcom-stadium/327/

Rugby runs a tight ship and has enough money for everything.  So does the GAA.

Football is the poor relation in Irish sport.

Poor relation because they all have their hand out the whole time, they aren't in it for the system or the betterment of the game. It's a professional setup top to bottom only they don't have the backing financially that they think they need from top level sponsors or revenue streams etc

Self fulfilling prophecy.

Which is it? The FAI aren't in it to improve the game or are professional top to bottom? Can't be both.

FAI can't improve it because of the nature and the structure of the sport.