IRISH UNDERAGE FOOTBALL has been a source of constant debate in this country in recent years.
Critics complain that the country doesn’t produce the same standard of players anymore. They cite the over-reliance on non-Irish-born players — of the U21 side that was beaten 4-1 at home to Italy recently, only four were born on these shores.
These naysayers yearn for the golden age of the Brian Kerr era around the late ’90s and early ’00s, when for a brief period, Irish sides would not only qualify for major underage tournaments but actually challenge for them outright and in two cases, win the entire event (the European Championships at U16 and U18 level). They will also ask why there is currently not one Irish player under the age of 24 playing regular Premier League football or in contention to start at the Euros.
In the other corner, you have the optimists who will point to the fact that Ireland have now qualified for two of the last three major tournaments — a record on a par with any other era in the game’s history in this country. They will argue that football has changed and suggest it is infinitely more difficult now for Irish teenagers to make an impact at club level even compared with the relatively recent late ’90s period when the likes of Robbie Keane and Damien Duff were coming through.
These supporters will also point to the introduction of the U17 and U19 Airtricity Leagues as evidence of positive recent developments and the recognition of the need for changes to be made, while citing the progress of promising players such as Jack Byrne, Chris Forrester and Robbie Brady as an indication that the outlook might not be as bleak as a couple of recent dispiriting results at underage level may suggest.
Of these two aforementioned groups, Tom Mohan is most certainly in the optimist camp. And the coach is conceivably better placed than most to comment on these matters. The former League of Ireland player has been involved with the Ireland U17s in some capacity for nine years and as manager since 2012, while Mohan’s appointment as Ireland’s new U19s boss was confirmed during the week.
But while Mohan’s name might not be as well known to casual Irish fans as some of the more prestigious ex-footballers that have joined the set-up, his appointment is potentially just as pivotal. One significant factor is that Mohan will begin his term as manager working largely with 1998 and 1999-born players, who he is already familiar with. In fact, it is largely the same group that he helped qualify for the U17 European Championships last year.
Mohan officially starts the full-time role as manager next month, with the U19s’ qualification campaign set to begin in October, and expectations will inevitably be high given what was achieved at U17s level with the same group.
It was confirmed yesterday that Damien Duff and a number of other former Irish internationals were joining the underage set-up. Donall Farmer / INPHO
Donall Farmer / INPHO / INPHO
Although Irish underage football has had its critics in recent times, Mohan is adamant that there is scope for positivity in relation to the current situation.
“I think Ireland are always producing very good players,” he tells The42. “There’s no doubt about it. But you look at the top five or six teams (in the Premier League) and there are a lot of non-Irish and non-UK players in the team. It shows that it’s becoming more difficult for home-based players to break in at the top level of English football.”
Yet as difficult as it can be for youngsters, Mohan believes that the faith in youth that certain English sides have shown of late is something that Irish youngsters can take heart from.
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“You look at Tottenham and you look at Leicester, and there’s a lot of English-born players in those sides, so you wonder why more Premier League clubs don’t take a chance on a lot of young players. It’s just getting that chance, getting the experience of first-team football and getting the confidence from performing to kick-start at that level.”
Some influential figures such as Niall Quinn have encouraged young Irish footballers to initially try their luck at Airtricity League level or in the English lower leagues, and while Mohan says that the League of Ireland is “a very good grounding for players,” he adds that he would not necessarily discourage players from joining big English clubs if the opportunity arose.
We’ve had a lot of success with young players — you look at Shane Long, you look at Seamus Coleman, fellas like that, who’ve had that experience of playing football in Ireland and been in a competitive environment as young fellas. They probably moved over to England at a good time. But there are other players who move over to England at a very young age and also do well.”
One big talking point in Irish football circles in recent years is the slow development of many players. Of the current Irish squad, players such as Jon Walters and Wes Hoolahan were approaching 30 when they made their Premier League debut. Is this down to bad management, the players improving belatedly, or simple bad luck?
“It can depend on where a player is at a particular stage in their career. The right manager can come along and they’ll just feel wanted, it’ll give them a boost of confidence. Confidence comes from performing and the higher the level you perform at, the greater your confidence will be.
Wes Hoolahan performed at any level he was asked to perform at. I remember from playing against Wes Hoolahan in the League of Ireland and he was a fantastic player — his intelligence and technical ability is top notch. He’s proven to be one of our best international players.
“Some managers want stronger players, while some see a place for a player like Wes Hoolahan, because they can unlock defences, they’ve great awareness, they have the technical ability to execute passes. If you look at all our international managers, there are none of them who are afraid to throw in small, technically good players.”
Wes Hoolahan is sometimes regarded as a player that Irish and British football neglected to an extent until recently. Donall Farmer / INPHO
Donall Farmer / INPHO / INPHO
And while there is still room for improvement and further development at underage level, Mohan cites the recent introduction of U17 and U19 Airtricity Leagues as evidence that progress is being made and that Ireland are learning from the success of their European counterparts.
“If you look at all the European countries, they’ve got leagues and academies at that level. So our U17 and U19 leagues are putting very good structures in place.
“The important thing is that it’s not only an opportunity for players but also for coaches. There are many good coaches around the country and it gives them the chance to work at a good level and it introduces players to a more professional environment.
It will have benefits no doubt and our U19 league has been very beneficial too. Some players have moved from the U19s league over to England, some have moved on to play first-team football with League of Ireland clubs. So the pathway is definitely there for young players at home or for going abroad.”
And while Mohan is aware that Irish underage football has its critics, he feels a significant portion of the negative feedback has been unfair, while echoing a recent point made by Damien Duff that it can difficult to persuade certain youngsters to put in the hours and constant practice needed to become a top footballer.
“I’ve worked as a Development Officer from 2003 in the FAI and have a good understanding of the grassroots game and the massive work that’s gone on within the organisation and the volunteers within the game. People sometimes don’t realise the amount of work that’s gone on and the development of facilities over the last number of years and the number of clubs that have come on board. The young kids now that are playing the game at all levels — there’s a lot of work going on at grassroots, we just need to get our kids out playing more.
Society is determining it a lot. Kids aren’t out on the streets as much, kids aren’t as active. You have to do an awful lot of work to get kids out playing now and to get everybody out playing again.
“The amount of fantastic players we’ve developed over the years — there’s been massive work going on within the FAI in all areas to promote the game and provide opportunities for boys and girls with different abilities.
“The simplest thing to do in football is criticise. The hardest thing can be to get out three or four nights a week, working with young players. It’s unfair on coaches and young players (to criticise), because there’s an awful lot of work going on and people are trying their best. People would be better going out and doing something for the development of the game.
“People are entitled to their opinion, but they’d be better off doing something rather than just talking about it — actions speak louder than words.”
In addition, there tends to be a perception that Irish youngsters lag behind their European counterparts when it comes to technical ability. One 2011 study claimed that young Irish players were “technically very poor” and lacked the “game intelligence” of the majority of their European contemporaries.
Tom Mohan cites Jack Byrne as an example of the underage system's ability to produce technically good players. Cathal Noonan / INPHO
Cathal Noonan / INPHO / INPHO
Yet Mohan feels the idea that Irish youngsters are technically inadequate is overplayed, citing Man City’s Jack Byrne — who has impressed on loan in Holland this season and who the coach worked with at U17 level — as an indication that the perception is not necessarily accurate.
Jack was a small and technically very gifted player. He had great ability and good belief in his own ability and he still does have that.
“He produced some fantastic displays for our U17s. He’s a really technical young player who’s performing very well in Holland at the moment.
“People say that we don’t produce technically good players but Jack’s one player with excellent technical ability.
“He’s a confident lad who has great belief — it’s a great thing to have.”
And finally, complaints about problems with underage football are often accompanied with critics’ misgivings about parents’ supposedly negative impact on players’ development. The idea of parents’ manic shouting from the sidelines and subsequent hindering of young footballers’ confidence and willingness to express themselves on the pitch has been well documented in recent times, and not just in Ireland. In Mohan’s experience, is it something that he considers to be a significant problem at youth level?
Not every person’s the same. You get some parents who are calm, while some are very emotional. The parents are the first coaches that the kids have. They instill that discipline and the characteristics and all those things — lifestyle, good habits, a lot of that is instilled by the parents, so they obviously play a massive role in the young players’ careers.
“Some of the sacrifices parents have to make too can be massive, so you have to take into account all those things and understand that.
“But you prefer people to stay calm and allow players to make their own decisions.”
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'You have to do an awful lot of work to get kids out playing now'
IRISH UNDERAGE FOOTBALL has been a source of constant debate in this country in recent years.
Critics complain that the country doesn’t produce the same standard of players anymore. They cite the over-reliance on non-Irish-born players — of the U21 side that was beaten 4-1 at home to Italy recently, only four were born on these shores.
These naysayers yearn for the golden age of the Brian Kerr era around the late ’90s and early ’00s, when for a brief period, Irish sides would not only qualify for major underage tournaments but actually challenge for them outright and in two cases, win the entire event (the European Championships at U16 and U18 level). They will also ask why there is currently not one Irish player under the age of 24 playing regular Premier League football or in contention to start at the Euros.
In the other corner, you have the optimists who will point to the fact that Ireland have now qualified for two of the last three major tournaments — a record on a par with any other era in the game’s history in this country. They will argue that football has changed and suggest it is infinitely more difficult now for Irish teenagers to make an impact at club level even compared with the relatively recent late ’90s period when the likes of Robbie Keane and Damien Duff were coming through.
These supporters will also point to the introduction of the U17 and U19 Airtricity Leagues as evidence of positive recent developments and the recognition of the need for changes to be made, while citing the progress of promising players such as Jack Byrne, Chris Forrester and Robbie Brady as an indication that the outlook might not be as bleak as a couple of recent dispiriting results at underage level may suggest.
Of these two aforementioned groups, Tom Mohan is most certainly in the optimist camp. And the coach is conceivably better placed than most to comment on these matters. The former League of Ireland player has been involved with the Ireland U17s in some capacity for nine years and as manager since 2012, while Mohan’s appointment as Ireland’s new U19s boss was confirmed during the week.
It was not the only change announced, with news yesterday confirming that five former Irish internationals, including Damien Duff and Kenny Cunningham, would be coming on board to help at various age levels.
But while Mohan’s name might not be as well known to casual Irish fans as some of the more prestigious ex-footballers that have joined the set-up, his appointment is potentially just as pivotal. One significant factor is that Mohan will begin his term as manager working largely with 1998 and 1999-born players, who he is already familiar with. In fact, it is largely the same group that he helped qualify for the U17 European Championships last year.
Mohan officially starts the full-time role as manager next month, with the U19s’ qualification campaign set to begin in October, and expectations will inevitably be high given what was achieved at U17s level with the same group.
Although Irish underage football has had its critics in recent times, Mohan is adamant that there is scope for positivity in relation to the current situation.
Yet as difficult as it can be for youngsters, Mohan believes that the faith in youth that certain English sides have shown of late is something that Irish youngsters can take heart from.
“You look at Tottenham and you look at Leicester, and there’s a lot of English-born players in those sides, so you wonder why more Premier League clubs don’t take a chance on a lot of young players. It’s just getting that chance, getting the experience of first-team football and getting the confidence from performing to kick-start at that level.”
Some influential figures such as Niall Quinn have encouraged young Irish footballers to initially try their luck at Airtricity League level or in the English lower leagues, and while Mohan says that the League of Ireland is “a very good grounding for players,” he adds that he would not necessarily discourage players from joining big English clubs if the opportunity arose.
One big talking point in Irish football circles in recent years is the slow development of many players. Of the current Irish squad, players such as Jon Walters and Wes Hoolahan were approaching 30 when they made their Premier League debut. Is this down to bad management, the players improving belatedly, or simple bad luck?
“It can depend on where a player is at a particular stage in their career. The right manager can come along and they’ll just feel wanted, it’ll give them a boost of confidence. Confidence comes from performing and the higher the level you perform at, the greater your confidence will be.
“Some managers want stronger players, while some see a place for a player like Wes Hoolahan, because they can unlock defences, they’ve great awareness, they have the technical ability to execute passes. If you look at all our international managers, there are none of them who are afraid to throw in small, technically good players.”
And while there is still room for improvement and further development at underage level, Mohan cites the recent introduction of U17 and U19 Airtricity Leagues as evidence that progress is being made and that Ireland are learning from the success of their European counterparts.
“If you look at all the European countries, they’ve got leagues and academies at that level. So our U17 and U19 leagues are putting very good structures in place.
“The important thing is that it’s not only an opportunity for players but also for coaches. There are many good coaches around the country and it gives them the chance to work at a good level and it introduces players to a more professional environment.
And while Mohan is aware that Irish underage football has its critics, he feels a significant portion of the negative feedback has been unfair, while echoing a recent point made by Damien Duff that it can difficult to persuade certain youngsters to put in the hours and constant practice needed to become a top footballer.
“I’ve worked as a Development Officer from 2003 in the FAI and have a good understanding of the grassroots game and the massive work that’s gone on within the organisation and the volunteers within the game. People sometimes don’t realise the amount of work that’s gone on and the development of facilities over the last number of years and the number of clubs that have come on board. The young kids now that are playing the game at all levels — there’s a lot of work going on at grassroots, we just need to get our kids out playing more.
“The amount of fantastic players we’ve developed over the years — there’s been massive work going on within the FAI in all areas to promote the game and provide opportunities for boys and girls with different abilities.
“The simplest thing to do in football is criticise. The hardest thing can be to get out three or four nights a week, working with young players. It’s unfair on coaches and young players (to criticise), because there’s an awful lot of work going on and people are trying their best. People would be better going out and doing something for the development of the game.
“People are entitled to their opinion, but they’d be better off doing something rather than just talking about it — actions speak louder than words.”
In addition, there tends to be a perception that Irish youngsters lag behind their European counterparts when it comes to technical ability. One 2011 study claimed that young Irish players were “technically very poor” and lacked the “game intelligence” of the majority of their European contemporaries.
Yet Mohan feels the idea that Irish youngsters are technically inadequate is overplayed, citing Man City’s Jack Byrne — who has impressed on loan in Holland this season and who the coach worked with at U17 level — as an indication that the perception is not necessarily accurate.
“He produced some fantastic displays for our U17s. He’s a really technical young player who’s performing very well in Holland at the moment.
“People say that we don’t produce technically good players but Jack’s one player with excellent technical ability.
“He’s a confident lad who has great belief — it’s a great thing to have.”
And finally, complaints about problems with underage football are often accompanied with critics’ misgivings about parents’ supposedly negative impact on players’ development. The idea of parents’ manic shouting from the sidelines and subsequent hindering of young footballers’ confidence and willingness to express themselves on the pitch has been well documented in recent times, and not just in Ireland. In Mohan’s experience, is it something that he considers to be a significant problem at youth level?
“Some of the sacrifices parents have to make too can be massive, so you have to take into account all those things and understand that.
“But you prefer people to stay calm and allow players to make their own decisions.”
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Interview Jack Byrne Jon Walters Martin O'Neill Noel King Ireland Republic Tom Mohan U19s Wes Hoolahan