The Irish men’s football team doesn’t have much to worry about in FIFA competitions. They rarely participate, anyway. The group seemed to be at its best in the FIFA World Cup 1990 when it made it to the quarter-finals, the most accomplished result so far. Fans who want to see the team winning should probably resort to online games, where they can at least enjoy welcome bonus deals in the Irish market.
What are the reasons behind such underwhelming results? Keep reading and find out.
Square Ball
The first FIFA World Cup happened in 1930, and Boys in Green appeared only thrice in the competition: 1990, 1994, and 2002. The team even won against powerhouses like Germany and Italy in European competitions when Martin O’Neal was ahead of the squad. Those times seem long gone now, and it’s been over two decades without playing in a World Cup.
Football is the second most popular sport in Ireland, where about 16% of the population watches it regularly. It doesn’t lack enthusiasts either, as nearly 3.5 million young men play it weekly. The country still counts on more than 40,000 registered football players. Yet, no Irish club has ever qualified for UEFA’s Champions League.
Underlying Issues
It seems one of the big problems of Irish football is the lack of homegrown talents. Such an issue results from a lack of investment in developing a robust young generation. Eventually, the national team tries to draw British players using the “Granny Rule,” recruiting British players with Irish heritage. Usually, such players aren’t invited to participate in England’s national team, but are still above the level of most Irish-born players.
Also, the Irish youth system seems overly concerned about winning, but not so much about improving. The pressure for results and the angry reactions when they don’t come. It influences those players to play safely instead of experimenting and developing their skills, even if they lose. While underage players are pushed to win irrelevant competitions, quite a few have the time or the environment to grow to a world-class level.
Even when a talent comes out of such a system, they’re quickly exported to other leagues. One of the greatest names in national football, Roy Keane, played only 23 home games. Seamus Coleman was snatched by Everton when he was still 20 years old.
The goalkeeper, Gavin Bazunu, showed top-level technique and impressive reflexes already at the age of 19. After playing for Man City on loan, he’s now defending Southampton. The examples go on and on, with names like Conor Coventry, Troy Parrott, Declan Rice, and others.
The first football academy for youth players, maintained by the Shamrock Rovers, opened its doors in 2017. The academy can train up to 250 young players and children. While it’s a significant step for Irish football as a whole, it’s still going to take some time until they reap the first benefits at a professional level.
Room for Improvement
A well-known recipe for developing footballers’ level is to invest in infrastructure. It means government investment in grassroots initiatives, marketing, and top-level coaches. Moreover, investing in the development of coaches is essential to developing the players. In this context, a network of youth academies for prospective coaches could help greatly to foster talented tacticians.
Most clubs prefer to sign 40-week contracts for financial reasons. However, creating longer seasons could also help. Typically, there isn’t much happening between September and March. It results in long pre-season periods that benefit no one. Players could have more time to recover. Fans wouldn’t have to choose which game to attend, where several matches happen at once.
Longer seasons with matches more evenly spread could also benefit the media coverage such games receive. There are just too many games to cover in the same period. Kick-off times aren’t always convenient. It means home games could have much more viewership if they were more conveniently scheduled.
Adequate media coverage means more than increased viewership, though. A more commercial outlook on home competitions can also boost clubs’ revenue and attract more sponsors. Sponsorship is business. Sponsors are less likely to put their money into events that nobody is watching. Undoubtedly, sponsorship plays a vital role in the development of the sport. Ultimately, it can increase the level of performance.
Looking Forward
Newly planted seeds can take a few years to grow into fruit-bearing trees. Despite dismaying results, the Irish field for football is far from barren. Better still, some crucial seeds have already been planted. That’s why many fans and specialists are beginning to look at the 2030 FIFA World Cup with optimism.
The Boys in Green should be in a much better position in 2030, with some of the greatest talents being fully developed. By then, Gavin Bazunu will be 28 years old; Sam Curtis will be 24; Matt Doherty and Seamus Coleman will be over 30. It means some of the biggest promises of Irish football will be at a young age, having experience in top-flight football leagues.
