Goodbye Stan...

A Euro campaign review presents a very sobering statistic...the Irish national soccer team took 1 point from a possible 6 from......Cyprus! Ireland still boast a team selection made up of mostly English Premier League players. Cyprus have mostly players selected from the Cypriot league...roughly on a par with the Irish domestic league (Eircom League), which is organized on what used to be known as a "semi-pro" basis. So Irish national coach Steve "Stan" Staunton will pay the ultimate price. What's more concerning is the scuttling sound emerging from the corridors of power at the Football Association of Ireland (FAI) as officials run for cover and try to avoid that awful thing...responsibility. Stan's appointment was contentious from the start as many outside the FAI criticized his lack of any meaningful coaching experience. Among many Irish football fans there is a popular contempt for the FAI and its perceived failings. There is a strong sense of disappointment now among the Irish football public as the past 5 years have been rather barren and the national team's decline has become apparent. Goodbye Stan. You will be forever associated with failure now, and with that spectacular shock when Cyprus put 5 goals past Ireland. Your huge contribution to Ireland as player and team captain are now eclipsed by your naivety and inexperience as a coach.