Football.

[Giggles]

Were Martin O'Neill and Roy Keane that bad? I recognised two names in that Irish team posted further up, so you could have Tik O'Taka running the show and they would surely still be bollocks.

Watch their last couple of matches and come back to me.
If you've poor players then it's even more of a reason to have a structure and a plan for a style of play rather than 90 minutes of hoofed clearances. Even bad long ball club teams have an actual plan for the long balls. It's common knowledge that no training ground work was done for the opposition or on the shape of the team, Matt Doherty only said last night that players would be guessing the formation until he named the team an hour before kickoff (which is when Cyrus Christie first found out he was playing in midfield for the first time in his career). His answer to anyone questioning his methods was always basically "I won two European cups and this is how Mr. Clough did it".

There's also a wide range of play between tiki "O" taka and hoofing clearances, it's not either-or. You do need to earn your money and organise players no matter what the style though.

On Keane, well Harry Arter might not be Luka Modric but he's useful enough to us that you don't want him pulling out of squads because the assistant manager calls him a lazy cunt for needing treatment. His input off the pitch was also minimal by all accounts including this last night.




.

[Giggles]

It's looking very much like Mick McCarthy and Robbie Keane now anyway. They're desperate to have someone in place before the Euro 2020 draw and it shouldn't be too hard get things organised. They also approached Stephen Kenny about taking over the under 21's but he is only interested in the senior team. I could see him maybe getting it after these if he has another couple of good European runs, it's too soon now.

[mugbull]

You’re so apathetic about everything but when it comes to anything Irish, you just gain a whole new lease on life. It’s fascinating

[Giggles]

Why wouldn't I?

[Shindig]

I just find it weird the talent went the way it did. Like there was a weird brain drain where the Irish footballing populous forgot how to carry a ball 20 yards up the pitch.

[Giggles]

I just find it weird the talent went the way it did. Like there was a weird brain drain where the Irish footballing populous forgot how to carry a ball 20 yards up the pitch.

That's what happens when you forget your domestic league and rely on overseas ones to develop your players. Back in the 80's and 90's Irish players were near as exotic as things got in the British leagues so players made it through a lot easier. These days there's lads going over at 16 and being put in youth squads with a hundred other kids from all over the world and you just don't get the same chances or leeway then. There's a bit of a change in the mindset coming now and the FAI haven't relieved the heat on them by changing manager, people are starting to see there's deeper problems in the game here.

That said, O'Neill has always kept the British media sweet and his people have done a very good job on the 'hands are tied because of zero talent' message being pushed in the papers there. They're not great but actually watch a game and then watch some of these players at their clubs where there's actually a plan formulated. You're still talking about a team made up of lower Premier League and Championship players that ends up with bottom 5 possession stats in Europe and only having more shots on goal than San Marino and Andorra.

[phonics]

Sols got the Macclesfield job apparently.

[SvN]

I give it three months.

[Lewis]

Only a British and Irish league can save Mick football from its death spiral. Preferably a franchised one as well, so Linfield, the Old Firm, and whichever Irish club some wealthy Americans can be conned into backing can enter the inaugural top flight season (in place of Burnley, Fulham, Huddersfield, and whichever South Coast team finishes lowest over the three seasons leading up to it).

[Jimmy Floyd]

That was where Ince started wasn't it? Before he took over at Zanu-PF, I mean.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Only a British and Irish league can save Mick football from its death spiral. Preferably a franchised one as well, so Linfield, the Old Firm, and whichever Irish club some wealthy Americans can be conned into backing can enter the inaugural top flight season (in place of Burnley, Fulham, Huddersfield, and whichever South Coast team finishes lowest over the three seasons leading up to it).

Shamrock Rovers the obvious choice, except their colours would have to be changed to green shirts with green trim, and their motto to 'So, what's de big oi-dea?'

They could play eight home games a year in Boston as well.

[Lewis]

No we're talking.

[Disco]

The lads at the Anti Oirish group won't go for this at all.

[Shindig]

James McLean will turn out for a different club every week.

[Giggles]

McCarthy has been offered it anyway. Predictable enough but very quick.

[niko_cee]

Chelsea midfielder N'Golo Kante, 27, will pay more tax in Britain than international companies Starbucks and Amazon combined, after signing a new £15m contract. (Sun)

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If only he could start some sort of phenomenon among the highly paid.

[Shindig]

Next comes a list of players you could've signed for that money.

[Giggles]

Next comes a list of players you could've signed for that money.

Someone from League One at this stage.

[Giggles]

McCarthy is going to get €1.2m a year, which is down 700k from O'Neill but still astronomical compared to most national coaches around Europe. Madness.

[Disco]

I'll do it for a 1/4 of that and you wouldn't get to any fewer tournaments.

[Giggles]

That was unexpected.

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