Copy the Belgians with ‘root and branch’ revamp - O’Donnell
St Patrick’s Athletic boss Stephen O’Donnell insists Irish football should stop looking for quick fix and copy the example of rival nations like Belgium by tearing up the traditional script to sustain a strong side at senior international level.
The immediate focus for O’Donnell is maintaining a bright start to the 2021 season for Pat’s, who began with a draw away to champions Shamrock Rovers and followed that up with a win over Drogheda United and confidence is high ahead of Saturday’s derby away to Bohemians.
The Galway native has been involved in the game here for 14 years as a player and manager, after an initial stint in the UK which included time at Arsenal, says Ireland must build long term. That means giving time to his former Dundalk mentor Stephen Kenny and looking beyond these shores in order to bring about changes to a deep-rooted system.
“It’s there for all to see in regards to where we are at and how Irish football has been ignored. We are starting to see the results of that now, it was sort of glossed over a little bit,” says O’Donnell who played at all levels for Ireland, except the senior grade.
“Obviously it needs a ‘root and branch’ revamp. I think Brexit is going to be big where we see that our best young players cannot go until they are 18. Now it’s our country and our island’s job to give these young players a proper professional pathway that equates to other countries.
“Belgium tore up the script after Euro 2000 when they co-hosted and were very disappointing. They started from scratch and you can see the generations that they have brought through. It’s up to us with our young players – who cannot go until they are 18, which is great for the League of Ireland – to capitalise.
“But we have got to put proper structures in place for these players to get hours of training and hands-on, good-quality coaching from younger ages up. It’s something that is probably not there at the minute but is something that we need to implement if we want to change,” added O’Donnell.
“What we have seen from the old ‘lesser’ countries is that they have improved.
“Luxembourg went 1-0 up against Portugal. It’s probably still within our psyche that we should still be rolling over these countries. But they’re improving and we need to get with the script and do it ourselves.”
O’Donnell wants Kenny, with whom he won four league titles at Dundalk, to be afforded time. “He’s always been a brave manager,” he says. “He has a way and an idea of what he wants Irish players and the team to look like and how he wants to go about it. That takes time, especially with a a new crop starting to come into the Ireland senior set-up. It’s not going to be a seamless introduction. I have absolutely full faith in Stephen. These things take time if you want to implement change. If he gets it, then I have full faith in him.”
Irish Independent
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