Wednesday 20 June 2012

Ireland Football : Answer to International problem could be Europe

Barry Maguire of VVV Venlo




A consistent criticism of the Irish football team despite the relative recent success of qualifying for the European championships has been the standard and style of play of the team. The deficiencies in the style of play in the team can largely be traced back to the technical ability of some of the players and the coaching these players have received during their lives. Perhaps the league the majority of the squad play in on a weekly basis has also played a part.

In England the FA has had similar issues with producing enough technically gifted players and has recently stopped 11 a side football until beyond the under 13 age group to try to change the type of player being produced by youth football there. This and a national academy something proposed but never executed by the FAI could be solutions which might have an effect on the technical ability of the average Irish football export.  I believe grabbing hold of our destiny through moves such as the two above can affect the fortunes and style of play of our national team in the future and ultimately the participation levels in this country.

It may also make Irish players more attractive to clubs in continental Europe where other styles of play can be learnt and adapted to by Irish underage teams as well as eventually the senior team. I don't have a problem with England or Scotland being a destination for a young player looking to play the game professionally I just believe it is more desirable if our best players have to ply their trade outside of Ireland for them to play in more than just these leagues. The top flight in England has become a difficult place to secure regular first team action for even our best players so having the option of playing  in other leagues is definitely beneficial for up and coming Irish players. Unfortunately playing in countries such as Holland , Germany, Spain and Portugal isn't currently a real option for our young players. Of 47 scouts registered in Ireland with the FAI all of them are affiliated to clubs in either England or Scotland. Tradition plays a part in the clubs who position scouts here and perhaps clubs on the continent believe the market here is already sown up by cross channel clubs but surely that doesn't fully explain the current predicament. My gut is that clubs in Europe don't see the type of players produced through our youth systems as being easily compatible to a different football culture.

Looking across the continent Irish players are few and far between. There are several Irish qualified players like Barry Maguire of VVV Venlo in the Netherlands and Niall Burdon of Rennes in France but the vast majority including the 2 mentioned are linked to Ireland through family alone. Of the players whose football education has been in Ireland few appear to have lasted more than a couple of seasons . Triestina a lower league Italian club with considerable financial difficulties have had Irish players Michael Collins and Conor McCormack in recent years however neither made a permanent mark in Italy. It should be noted both players improved as players during their time abroad with McCormack in particular becoming an impressive player for Shamrock Rovers on their magical Europa League run. Waterford s Conor Morrisey is still on the books at this club and may yet make a success story of his time in Italy. Another is Ian Daly a former Manchester City academy player who tried his luck in both Greece and Spain and has now returned to the Irish league with St. Patricks Athletic. In the past there have been success stories involving Irish players Liam Brady being the most notable with Dominic Foley a player now back in the Eircom League who enjoyed considerable success in Belgium being a more low profile example. As mentioned above though the majority have ended up back in England or Ireland quite quickly.

I don't believe culture can be taken as a reason for this sure we aren't renowned for our language skills but plenty of other Irish sports people ply their trade on the continent.  My thought is youth football in Ireland is heavily influenced by the principals of the game in England making most players technically inferior when placed in the academies of continental clubs. In order to turn around the style of play of our national team and be successful we can't simply hope to take advantage of Irish qualified players born abroad. Being proactive in the way we prepare young men for professional football is the only way we can sustain success and it might just mean the next Damien Duff has the chance to sign for Blackburn, Bordeaux or Valencia.

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