How The Irish Fared

ONE FOR THE FUTURE: Kevin Foley (left) tussles for a ball with West Ham's Jack Collison. The Wolves right back may be ready to step into the breach in the Irish team. /Getty Images

How did the Irish fare this week? Not very well unfortunately as the country was left reeling from one of the biggest injustices football has ever seen.

As was pointed out by one football pundit, FIFA got us into this mess, so why can’t they get us out of it? If not they, then what does that tell you about the sport?

In any event it’s time to put ‘Handgate’ behind us and move on towards Euro 2012, the draw for which will take place in February.

Yet feelings about a brand new campaign, which could possibly culminate in another playoff situation, is not something to get the happy juices flowing.

The long and short of it is that the best chance for Irish success at any major tournament is through integration between FAI and IFA to produce a representative team for the whole island. One day, when the pressure from players and public is brought to bear, the respective administrators will make it happen.

When that day comes is anyone’s guess, but with an All-Ireland league being suggested repeatedly these days, perhaps it is not as far away as some would have us believe.

For the time being however Grandma is going to be a big help. Giovanni Trapattoni alluded to the need for the Republic of Ireland to cast the ‘granny net’ far and wide in the search for eligible players. Expect that process to get underway as soon as possible with the likes of Jamie O’Hara, Anton Ferdinand and Mark Noble being asked for a ‘ye or nay.’

There are others no doubt who’ll be encouraged by the Irish performance in Paris, and will decide to represent the land of their grandparents. From the current senior squad there are signs however that the pendulum is about to swing in the downward direction.

While Kevin Kilbane may not want to quit the international scene just yet, the realization that Ireland’s next competitive fixture is almost a year away, may just sway his decision. Paul McShane may be deemed surplus to requirements given his overall performance in the campaign just ended and Steve Finnan may just have played his final international game, given his current difficulties with injuries.

Ditto Steven Reid who received all the sympathy in the world following Giovanni Trapattoni’s assessment of his health recently - the Blackburn midfielder is scheduled to move to QPR on loan in the short term which tells its own tale about his injury.

If all four are to hang up their international boots it will leave a void in the current set up. Of the current players playing in English football only Portsmouth’s Marc Wilson, Birmingham’s Keith Fahey, Wolves pair Kevin Foley and Stephen Ward and Norwich’s Wes Hoolohan may be ready to make the step up to wear the senior green shirt.

Burnley’s Chris McCann and Birmingham’s Jay O’Shea are names to remember as are Keith Treacy and Aaron Doran (Blackburn) and Alan Judge (Plymouth). Owen Garvan of Ipswich is expected to move away from Portman Road in January - the former Home Farm player, if he can realize the potential he has shown in his youth, may just be a mainstay in the Irish midfield in years to come.

There can be little doubt however that the next Robbie Keane, Damien Duff and Shay Given are light years away from the Irish squad just now. The need therefore for the Irish management team to blood new players in the senior squad is more acute than ever.

And finally, when you are down, and in your hour of need, you know you can depend on Roy Keane to give you a helping hand.

Looking perhaps to provide a bookend to go with that of ‘his echo’ Stephen Ireland, before the Croke Park first leg, the Ipswich manager pontificated on the France-Ireland game this week. And, as sure as night follows day, he had his own inimitable view of things.

“What goes around comes around,” was Keane’s assessment of things.

Obviously still harboring thoughts of Saipan Keane once again chose the wrong stage to have a go at the FAI.

“People seem to forget what was going on in that World Cup (2002), and that man (FAI chief executive John Delaney) is on about honesty. I was one of the players and he didn't have the courtesy to ring me," the former Sunderland manager said.

"I'd been involved with Ireland since I was 15 years of age and that man didn't have the decency to make a phone call. He could have phoned me, of course he could have."

What Keane expected Delaney to say to a player who betrayed his country so badly, is anyone’s guess? Keane also had a go at Shay Given and the Irish defence in allowing the goal which William Gallas scored.

However, Delaney said on Saturday that Keane should move on from the Saipan affair, saying: "It's just a side-show.