The tragic comedy of Steve Staunton
If there was one theme which defined the International Managerial Career of Stephen Staunton, it was comedy. From the first, infamous “Gaffer” press conference, to his bizarre posturing behind Ray Houghton moments before Ireland confronted Germany at Stuttgart, Staunton's reign had all the hallmarks of an Elizabethan farce. A famous literary critic once theorized that the only thing to separate a Comedic play from a Tragic play is the ending. In this case, most Irish soccer fans firmly view the last twenty-two months as pure comedy, for it is difficult to formulate a happier ending than that heralded by the FAI in the early hours of Wednesday, 24 October.
However, the damage inflicted on the reputation of the Irish soccer, not to mention the malaise currently affecting the senior international panel, is no laughing matter, and it is worth assessing the fundamental errors of all parties involved in the accession of Stephen Staunton to uncover the true depths of negligence and ineptitude pervasive at the highest levels of the FAI.
After the 2002 World Cup, it became apparent that the stirring optimism of the Charlton (and perhaps even McCarthy) eras was a fleeting grace, tied as it was to Ireland's ever-expanding economy and the burgeoning awareness of her place as a modern, progressive country on both the European and World Stages. Perhaps appealing to a new generation of both fans and players, Brian Kerr attempted to effect a departure from the last-gasp, underdog mentality employed so effectively by the Charlton-McCarthy axis by imbuing the Irish Team with a sense of professionalism, adopting a tactical approach to qualification which saw him (often rightly) suffer the scorn of a fan base more accustomed to passion than pragmatism.
It can perhaps be argued then, that the FAI regarded Staunton, a much respected professional during his playing days, as the antidote to the supposed cynicism fostered by Kerr. However, by playing up Staunton's profile as a dyed-in-the-(presumably red) wool Irishman, brim full of heart and desire, the FAI regrettably overlooked his complete lack of managerial experience, experience which could generally be considered an important factor when appointing someone to the most senior soccer post in the land.
Given that Staunton had just four months working knowledge as Assistant Coach at Walsall, and given that during Stan's brief coaching stint, the hapless saddlers suffered nine losses and seven draws out of 25 games (all at the dizzying heights of League Two), the blatant negligence of Staunton's FAI appointees is rather glaring. Attempting to obscure the obvious error in appointing an International Soccer Manager with no Managerial experience by referring to such nebulous qualities as ‘record' and ‘reputation' fooled few, and garnered the ire of many. With little else to warrant his elevation to Senior International Manager, it was quite clear that the over-riding concern of the FAI's Chief Executive (or, if one is inclined to believe John Delaney (pictured), its enigmatic three-man committee) was of a monetary rather than a performance related nature.
As with the ignominious departure of any Chief, the issue of competence becomes interminably intermingled with performance. True, six wins and six draws out of seventeen games hardly warrants casting Stan off the Tarpeian Rock, but it was the manner with which the Irish Team played during these games, and the manner with which they suffered the accompanying defeats, which truly condemned the self-styled ‘Gaffer'.
Take, for example Keith Duggan's Irish Times editorial epistle:
“the sacking of Staunton will remain as an embarrassing example of how small and harsh and impatient and deluded the general attitude has become in the national desire to be perceived as winners, as players on the main stage”.
This misses the point completely. What really drove fans to pen-throwing levels of frustration wasn't the Republic's inability to qualify for a major tournament, but rather the team's lack of cohesion, the complete absence of will, knowledge and guile, and their seemingly unending ability to commit the most basic of footballing errors. This has little to do with Cup qualification or the indefinable vagaries of player ability. Anyone who witnessed the last twenty minutes of Ireland's debacle against Cyprus in October could quickly grasp the fundamental flaw within the Irish Soccer Team; they were ill-prepared.
Both Martin O'Neill and Lawrie Sanchez have repeatedly proven that the players available to a team is often of less significance than is often suggested; as long as a team is well-drilled, as long as they have a rigorous, defined game plan, and as long as they have trained sufficiently to appear competent and assured on the ball, maintain good awareness and execute a consistent level of crossing, there is little obstacle to them achieving even the most fantastic of results. There should also be little to prevent them beating a group of semi-professionals from a small Mediterranean island.
Even before the Cyprus capitulation, when Staunton's managerial record appeared to taking on a decidedly pear-shaped dynamic, Staunton himself made much talk of progress, of a four year plan and, rather like a Gin-imbued First World War General, of ‘seeing things through to the end'. However, if there was indeed, a “four year plan”, it was hardly what one could call transparent. The FAI Website made no reference to it, there was no official press release, there was no material concerning this plan made available to journalists and, rather crucially, Stephen Staunton was the only individual to continually refer to the inscrutable “plan”. Certainly, if the beleaguered expressions on the faces of Kevin Doyle et al were anything to go by after the Cyprus game, the only plan they were exposed to was likely of the seating variety.
Another inherent difficulty with Staunton's supposed vision was that the very word “plan” promotes the idea of incremental improvement, of discernible, tangible development both on and off the pitch. However, it is uncomfortably obvious that, not only did the National Squad stagnate under Staunton, they positively floundered. Therein lies the reason that, taking the results of the last eight games in to account (won two, drawn five, lost one), Irelands real position in the International Standings sees them languishing in the company of Herculean combatants Israel, Moldova and Bolivia.
Roy Keane's Sunderland (one feels slightly guilty about comparing Stan with Keano, its like criticising Cecelia Ahern for not being Hemmingway) is a case in point. The Black Cats lie just two points and two places ahead of Derby County in the Premiership, but should you ask the supporters of each club who is the more content, Sunderland's belief will become more apparent. While Derby flaff, aimlessly drifting from heavy defeat to heavy defeat, Sunderland remain focused. Although the Weirsiders were able to add considerably to their squad during the Summer Transfer window, whereas Darby had to await the TV rights windfall in August before real spending could begin, it is again the method with which they approach each game that truly distinguishes the two sides. It is also this disparity which has afforded Roy Keane the kind of admiration and respect so desperately sought by Stan. It is also worth noting that, when they finally did experience a little liquidity, Darby decided to expend it all on Robbie Earnshaw.
At times Sunderland appear a little out of their depth, it is apparent that they do not have the kind of pervasive quality across the pitch enjoyed by Manchester United, Arsenal, Liverpool or even petulant Chelsea, but they also defend, attack and pass as a unit, an organized structure solid in concentration and cohesiveness. Keane clearly regards defeat as an insufferable, yet inevitable reality of top-flight management. However, the ineffective posturing of fools is something which he has repeatedly refused to suffer, be it in the guise of woeful performances on the pitch or equally ill-advised decisions off of it.
The departure of Stephen Staunton as Republic of Manager should serve as a timely reminder, not least to the feckless collection of bureaucratic self-servers at the FAI, that all the grit and commitment in the world makes an ill substitute for competence.