There are people now involved in professional football who would not have got within an ass’s roar of the place up to a few short years ago. Money is, without any shadow of doubt whatsoever, the catalyst that facilitates and eases the entry of the vain and self-interested into a world that for many years required, if not a love, then certainly a respect for the soul of the game. But when one allows a certain type of business people into sport respect is all too often replaced by ruthlessness.

During a part of my career I accepted the fact that whatever winning required was what was required and needed to be supplied. The game became bogged down in a mire of mediocrity that almost choked the life out of it. Every professional game in England and Ireland was the same game irrespective of its level or location and some awful things happened. Bad Injuries were inflicted as vendettas, and cheating, proliferated and strength and organisation were extolled as virtues and the beautiful game wore a mask of ignominy and deceit.

But thankfully, it didn’t last. The real strength of professional football lies in the hands of the supporters. Oh, they do not and cannot play any part in the actual running of the game, more’s the pity, but they can stay away and in those pre-live television days that meant everything. Nowadays, this turnstile money holds less impact but the contemporary residual income i.e. replica shirts, pay-to-view etc.. grants supporters even more power than ever.

The media, of course, have cottoned on to this and the increasing belligerence and hysteria of the spoken and written words machine-gunned across the air waves and pages in the direction of the general public underlines as much the enormous insecurity of our media as it does the  growing strength of public opinion. And the FAI has long since absorbed this important message and ironically I congratulate the organisation on this. 

Hence, the long process involved in the selection of the new Republic of Ireland manager owed as much to the public outcry should the new man not meet almost immediate approval as it did the pursuit of the best man for the job. But who is the best man for the job? And what constitutes the reasons?      

Experience is one of the main pre-requisites. Trapattoni has enormous experience in all types and styles of football and in many different places. His ability to retain his own mind and beliefs amid the media frenzy and huge public interest will be vital if the Republic team is to regain its old ground in International football. We have a solid base and with good coaching and managing I expect good progressions and in a reasonable amount of time. 

International football is different. The very best each country has to offer expect the very best from themselves and those around them. Success is not merely a pre-requisite it is a pre-expectation, if you know what I mean. Trapattoni at 68 years of age has been through it all and has resisted all the bull and ego that the modern game attracts. It is an exciting prospect we have ahead of us.

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