Northern Ireland chase Michael O'Neill as Worthington's replacement?

Squelchy

According to Ken Early on Off The Ball just now.

Shall hopefully elaborate on this theory after the 9 o'clock news.


More here:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2011/oct/10/shamrock-rovers-northern-ireland-worthington?newsfeed=true



Apologies if already posted.

dsmythy

Surely he'll be looking at a move into higher club football instead of a dreary job up north.

Squelchy

dsmythy wrote: »

Surely he'll be looking at a move into higher club football instead of a dreary job up north.

My feeling would be that Magilton is more likely to get the Norn Iron job and O'Neill to try his hand elsewhere, yeah.

BOHtox

There's no way he'd go unless either
A) He's kicked out off Rovers
or
The North offer him a lot of money.
It's a step sideways from Rovers to them

kerosene

I think the IFA will go looking for someone like O'Neill, purely for political reasons. I think they will try and get a catholic in place in an attempt to make N.Ireland more attractive for young nationalists. Then you will hear soundbites about progress being made, catholics are welcome at windsor etc. Gerry Armstrong new role being the 1st new tactic. It could all backfire spectaculary if the new manager doesnt get the desired results, and the spion kop faithful get to vent their anger

Rigor Mortis

Jaysis, I dont see how you see a move from rovers to International management as a sideways move. Even with the wee north

kerosene

On another thread here someone suggested that top loi managers are on 100K euro a year, I dont think the north job would compete with that.

pablomakaveli

Given Worthingtons dislike for the LOI it'd be funny to see his replacement coming from the LOI.:D

tommyhaas

BOHtox wrote: »

There's no way he'd go unless either
A) He's kicked out off Rovers
or
The North offer him a lot of money.
It's a step sideways from Rovers to them

kerosene wrote: »

On another thread here someone suggested that top loi managers are on 100K euro a year, I dont think the north job would compete with that.

Regardless of whether its a side ways step or not, Worthington, according to that linked article is was on £450,000, which if the above figure is accurate, is five times what he gets at Rovers. Firstly, I'd be surprised if he was on that much at Rovers, and secondly, I'd be shocked if he turned down that much of a pay rise to stay at Rovers

kerosene

Id say the £450,000 is for the entire contract not per annum. They dont get the crowds to justify that kind of money. I havent seen the article though.

kerosene

Just read the article in the guardian, it wouldnt come up earlier. Thats crazy money 9000 stg a week for a part time job, it would be hard to turn down. Even Neil Lennon might show a bit of interest with that kind of money, he could double it up with the celtic job

The_Kew_Tour

Whoever gets job I hope he does far worse.

Ian Dowie hopefully.

tommyhaas

kerosene wrote: »

Just read the article in the guardian, it wouldnt come up earlier. Thats crazy money 9000 stg a week for a part time job, it would be hard to turn down. Even Neil Lennon might show a bit of interest with that kind of money, he could double it up with the celtic job

Is he not on £400k? I thought he doubled his money this season after being on 200k last season? Or was it £100k last season, I forget

Either way, after the bother Lennon's had in Glasgow, I can't see him going back to work for the IFA after what he went through playing for them. It's be like jumping from the frying pan into the fire

kerosene

tommyhaas wrote: »

Is he not on £400k? I thought he doubled his money this season after being on 200k last season? Or was it £100k last season, I forget

Either way, after the bother Lennon's had in Glasgow, I can't see him going back to work for the IFA after what he went through playing for them. It's be like jumping from the frying pan into the fire

I was being sarcastic.

kerosene

Brian Kerrs name was mentioned a few weeks ago too, I wonder could the north match the Faroes wage structure.

briany

kerosene wrote: »

Brian Kerrs name was mentioned a few weeks ago too, I wonder could the north match the Faroes wage structure.

Kerr : "The Faroes don't exactly pay me in what you would call money but I'm not short of cod."

darkman2

Who cares. We have an all Ireland team. Anyone from the North can play for us. Kinda makes Windsor Park irrelevant. Not that they will get their game and some have made that mistake but frankly I don't care who manages Northern Ireland because it is irrelevant. Michael O'Neill or Brian Kerr would be good bets for them though. But since Rovers made the Europa cup would O'Neill even want to give that up for a job with the North?

Neil3030

Has Sven declared an interest yet?

ironbluedun

jack charlton is the man for the job

That_Guy

Capello will be out of a job soon won't he?

Tiocfaidh Armani

I think Lawrie Sanchez is a cert for the job, you can tell he's wanting it anyway.

Paul4As

darkman2 wrote: »

Who cares. We have an all Ireland team. Anyone from the North can play for us. Kinda makes Windsor Park irrelevant. Not that they will get their game and some have made that mistake but frankly I don't care who manages Northern Ireland because it is irrelevant. Michael O'Neill or Brian Kerr would be good bets for them though. But since Rovers made the Europa cup would O'Neill even want to give that up for a job with the North?

How do you have an all Ireland team just because some Northern Ireland born players choose to play for the Republic? You have Scottish and English born players playing for you...are you also a British Isles team?
If you don't care who manages Northern Ireland why are you even on this thread?

Any replacement would be better than Worthington...a man who plays 4 centre backs along the back...a defender in midfield...persists with centre midfielders on the wing...and when you need a goal brings on strikers who haven't scored for their country in 3 years.

Someone with charisma and who calls a spade a spade. Not like Nigel who would still focuses on "positives" even after a 4-1 thumping.

Paul4As

Tiocfaidh Armani wrote: »

I think Lawrie Sanchez is a cert for the job, you can tell he's wanting it anyway.

Lawrie brought Northern Ireland from 120 odds in the world rankings to 27th. He left for Fulham with us top of our qualifying group which included Spain, Denmark and Sweden.
He says he has "unfinished business".
I would seroiusly consider him...although I don't think those in the IFA like him for his outspoken character.

Tiocfaidh Armani

Paul4As wrote: »

Lawrie brought Northern Ireland from 120 odds in the world rankings to 27th. He left for Fulham with us top of our qualifying group which included Spain, Denmark and Sweden.
He says he has "unfinished business".
I would seroiusly consider him...although I don't think those in the IFA like him for his outspoken character.

Norn Iron had their purple patch, it ain't coming back. You've found your place, back in the also-ran category. The fans are getting a bit up themselves expecting them to be challenging for qualification.

Squelchy

Tiocfaidh Armani wrote: »

Norn Iron had their purple patch, it ain't coming back. You've found your place, back in the also-ran category. The fans are getting a bit up themselves expecting them to be challenging for qualification.

Sounds awful familiar that. :pac:

KeithAFC

Get Sanchez back. Get the players playing as a unit again.

KeithAFC

Tiocfaidh Armani wrote: »

Norn Iron had their purple patch, it ain't coming back. You've found your place, back in the also-ran category. The fans are getting a bit up themselves expecting them to be challenging for qualification.

Qualified for as many world cups as the Republic and then had this "purple patch". Nothing purple about it. We worked well as a team under Sanchez and put teams under pressure at home.

Tiocfaidh Armani

KeithAFC wrote: »

Qualified for as many world cups as the Republic and then had this "purple patch". Nothing purple about it. We worked well as a team under Sanchez and put teams under pressure at home.

You're also-rans of the modern game. A few decent players but mostly journeymen. The Irish team have a far better squad and struggle to qualify so what hope have you?

briany

Tiocfaidh Armani wrote: »

Norn Iron had their purple patch, it ain't coming back. You've found your place, back in the also-ran category. The fans are getting a bit up themselves expecting them to be challenging for qualification.

I've nothing against the common N.I. fan wanting to see their team succeed, but deep down they have to know that they're always going to be up against it unless they find a couple more talismanic players like yesteryear.

Again, and I don't like to come back to it but it's the elephant in the room when it comes to N.I. for the large part, the team is being severely drained by players from a nationalist background opting to play for the ROI. The team is losing out on quite a bit of potential talent because of that. Having Gerry Armstrong go along to have a bit of a chat with them is not a long term solution. Strides must be made to make that team as politically neutral as possible and they must be made now. If they do not, then I'm quite happy to see them leak players and languish in the doldrums of international football.

KeithAFC

Tiocfaidh Armani wrote: »

You're also-rans of the modern game. A few decent players but mostly journeymen. The Irish team have a far better squad and struggle to qualify so what hope have you?

Of course we are also-rans. We are a small country. Just like the Republic Of Ireland are also-rans in football terms. Both of us aren't as good as Spain or Brazil or Argentina. We will never win anything of note.

Tiocfaidh Armani

KeithAFC wrote: »

Of course we are also-rans. We are a small country. Just like the Republic Of Ireland are also-rans in football terms. Both of us aren't as good as Spain or Brazil or Argentina. We will never win anything of note.

We're well above you though. Your best player couldn't even hack it in the EPL. You're a poor team with average players with a couple of decent stand-outs. You would swear Kyle Lafferty was the second coming of Pele the way you all going on:D

The purple patch is over and like always "it's the manager's fault"....

KeithAFC

Tiocfaidh Armani wrote: »

We're well above you though. Your best player couldn't even hack it in the EPL. You're a poor team with average players with a couple of decent stand-outs. You would swear Kyle Lafferty was the second coming of Pele the way you all going on:D

The purple patch is over and like always "it's the manager's fault"....

You keep changing the argument. One minute it is also rans and now it is being above us. Well done, it is hardly a great achievement.

briany

To be fair, there was a point about 4 years or so ago when the North could laud it over us that they were in fact the ones that sat pretty in the rankings. I think that was during this purple patch being spoken about, though.

This is gonna turn into an Ourweecountry/YBIG hatefest. Lordy.

Tiocfaidh Armani

KeithAFC wrote: »

You keep changing the argument. One minute it is also rans and now it is being above us. Well done, it is hardly a great achievement.

I don't think we're in the same bracket as you. You're muck.

The_Kew_Tour

Tiocfaidh Armani wrote: »

I don't think we're in the same bracket as you. You're muck.

Now I am a big Irish fan, but to say Northern Ireland are muck and to see the way we have been playing for past few years is hilarious.

KeithAFC

The_Kew_Tour wrote: »

Now I am a big Irish fan, but to say Northern Ireland are muck and to see the way we have been playing for past few years is hilarious.

I think you have done really well recently and you might make the Euros but it hasn't always been like this in recent years. We aren't great but not the worst international team.

The_Kew_Tour

KeithAFC wrote: »

I think you have done really well recently and you might make the Euros but it hasn't always been like this in recent years. We aren't great but not the worst international team.

Well ye have beaten England, Spain, Sweden and Denmark in past 4-5 years.

Republic have beaten no big side in competitive game in 10 years maybe bar Slovakia in 2007.

No we have done ok, but we have played some dreadful football at times.

briany

Well that's the thing about Ireland, we're OK. It usually doesn't veer off from OK, it's been that way certainly since as long as I can remember. As a result, Ireland are a team that are not going to turn the world upside down with it's results but be robust, workmanlike and usually in with a shout of qualifying.

Northern Ireland, on the other hand, are a group of players who kicked off it's latest campaign by beating Slovenia 1-0 away which would have been a truly staggering result if the ROI had got considering we have not had an away win against a decent side in competitive action for about 20-25 years. Yes there was a 90 minute "win" vs France but that was a two leg playoff that went to E.T. or the Armenia game which was before they had found their form.

But N.I. are also a team who failed to beat the Faroes once and well beaten by Estonia twice plus Serbia, too. The form is kind of all over the place and as a result they currently sit second last in their group just a handful of points above the Faroes.

I'd take the relative consistency.

Tiocfaidh Armani

Ireland will nearly always challenge for qualification and last time were unlucky only to be cheated out of an historic victory. Norn Iron are also-rans who had a purple patch that was never going to last. Nearly every team has one, it wasn't that long ago Latvia qualified for a Euro championship.

WindmillWarrior

Tiocfaidh Armani wrote: »

Ireland will nearly always challenge for qualification and last time were unlucky only to be cheated out of an historic victory. Norn Iron are also-rans who had a purple patch that was never going to last. Nearly every team has one, it wasn't that long ago Latvia qualified for a Euro championship.

You do know what the score was at the time of the Henry handball yeah?

Tiocfaidh Armani

WindmillWarrior wrote: »

You do know what the score was at the time of the Henry handball yeah?

I was talking in context of the overall two-legs, I thought that would have been obvious:rolleyes:

WindmillWarrior

Yeah, about as obvious as the fact we were cheated out of a penalty shoot out, and not "an historic victory"!!

Tiocfaidh Armani

WindmillWarrior wrote: »

Yeah, about as obvious as the fact we were cheated out of a penalty shoot out, and not "an historic victory"!!

It changed the game and left us needing two goals and knocked the stuffing out of us. Whether it cheated us out of a penalty shoot-out I'm not convinced.

Thanx 4 The Fish

KEEP it on topic. This is not a discussion on which Ireland team is better. Let's keep it that way.

Paul4As

briany wrote: »

Again, and I don't like to come back to it but it's the elephant in the room when it comes to N.I. for the large part, the team is being severely drained by players from a nationalist background opting to play for the ROI. The team is losing out on quite a bit of potential talent because of that. Having Gerry Armstrong go along to have a bit of a chat with them is not a long term solution. Strides must be made to make that team as politically neutral as possible and they must be made now. If they do not, then I'm quite happy to see them leak players and languish in the doldrums of international football.

I have been to all of Northern Ireland's home games for the last 5 years or so...bar Estonia the other night and Israel 2 years or so ago.
As someone who lives in the Republic I have never seen or heard anything that would offend a nationalist. The only thing that may put them off is the playing of God Save the Queen. However I did speak to my father-in-law who is from the West of Ireland and he laughed when I suggested to him that it may be an offensive anthem.
Plenty of good things have come out of the Football For All Campaign.
In Northern Ireland what international team you support is determined mainly (though not in every case) by whether you are born in to a unionist or nationalist family...not by the actions of the IFA...you know that and so do I.
At least the IFA are still making the effort serving all sides of the community with their coaching etc...unlike FAI they do not target young players from only one side of the divide.

Tiocfaidh Armani

Paul4As wrote: »

I have been to all of Northern Ireland's home games for the last 5 years or so...bar Estonia the other night and Israel 2 years or so ago.
As someone who lives in the Republic I have never seen or heard anything that would offend a nationalist. The only thing that may put them off is the playing of God Save the Queen. However I did speak to my father-in-law who is from the West of Ireland and he laughed when I suggested to him that it may be an offensive anthem.
Plenty of good things have come out of the Football For All Campaign.
In Northern Ireland what international team you support is determined mainly (though not in every case) by whether you are born in to a unionist or nationalist family...not by the actions of the IFA...you know that and so do I.
At least the IFA are still making the effort serving all sides of the community with their coaching etc...unlike FAI they do not target young players from only one side of the divide.

Were you there before five years ago like when Neil Lennon got vile sectarian abuse on Ash Wednesday for have chosen to play for Celtic. I know strides have been made but you can't expect nationalists to just forget the days when they sang the Billy Boys and about being up to their necks in fenian blood.

And yeah you're da if from the West, he might not mind that anthem but you sure as hell will find the nationalists forced to live under that flag find it offensive and not to their tastes.

What utter ignorance in that post to the feelings of nationalists in the North of Ireland.

Paul4As

Tiocfaidh Armani wrote: »

Were you there before five years ago like when Neil Lennon got vile sectarian abuse on Ash Wednesday for have chosen to play for Celtic. I know strides have been made but you can't expect nationalists to just forget the days when they sang the Billy Boys and about being up to their necks in fenian blood.

And yeah you're da if from the West, he might not mind that anthem but you sure as hell will find the nationalists forced to live under that flag find it offensive and not to their tastes.

What utter ignorance in that post to the feelings of nationalists in the North of Ireland.

As usual...a poster who likes to look back to 10 years ago instead of looking at the present. A poster who probably has never even been to Windsor Park in the last 5 years!

As in previous posts I have made I would like the Northern Ireland football team's anthem changed...I don't like having the same anthem as the England team it is as simple as that!

God Save The Queen was not offensive to the people of the South when the Queen came...it is not offensive when English teams come to Ireland to play...if some nationalists are offended by it in Northern Ireland then it is sad. Many I am sure pick up benefits from the British government and use British currency...they probably even watch British TV and have English relatives.

I am not ignorant to the feelings of nationalists in Northern Ireland...I think both some nationalists and unionists go out of their way to be offended by things like anthems and the flags of countries! People need to move on and respect each others' beliefs.

Getting back to the managerial question...I am starting to warm to the idea of Brian Kerr. He has sod all to work with at the Faroes and is doing not too bad...he'd have sod all to work with Norn Iron!

The_Kew_Tour

Would the fans warm and accept Kerr though seeming like he from Republic?

Tiocfaidh Armani

Paul4As wrote: »

As usual...a poster who likes to look back to 10 years ago instead of looking at the present. A poster who probably has never even been to Windsor Park in the last 5 years!

As in previous posts I have made I would like the Northern Ireland football team's anthem changed...I don't like having the same anthem as the England team it is as simple as that!

God Save The Queen was not offensive to the people of the South when the Queen came...it is not offensive when English teams come to Ireland to play...if some nationalists are offended by it in Northern Ireland then it is sad. Many I am sure pick up benefits from the British government and use British currency...they probably even watch British TV and have English relatives.

They use British currency? What other option do they have? Jeez-oh! They're in the British system not through choice, they never got that choice, remember?

I'm putting things from their perspective, you might see it as people looking back but they will never identity with a team that plays the British national anthem as they don't see themselves as British. It's that simple.

Brian would seem to be a decent choice, that said he was a failure with the Ireland team, so nothing to suggest he wouldn't be a failure with the North, with a much lower quality of player to chose from. He had a younger Robbie Keane, Damien Duff, Richard Dunne, Jon O'Shea and had Roy Keane and still couldn't make a play off or beat teams like Israel.

I think Lawrie Sanchez will come back to get the fans back onside.

briany

Obviously it's not that nationalists are ever going to see themselves as British. It's not even the question that they will but rather if they can see themselves as part of an all inclusive apolitical Northern Irish identity. It's difficult for that to happen when they have to stand under GSTQ, the Union Jack or variations of the Ulster Banner incorporating symbolism of ties to Britain. It needn't even be that offends them, offend would be too strong a word, but they feel more culturally affiliated to the ROI, believing it represents them moreso and therefore some footballers from a nationalist background go that route. Or they could be gloryhounds. But why not give them as little excuse as possible, get your own anthem in, your own sporting flag if only a very simple unadorned version of the UB. Who in Northern Ireland wants to listen to GSTQ anyway? The people who can see wanting to keep it are part of the problem in as far as I can see. Scotland have their own flag, their own anthem. Wales as well, why not N.I.?

Even the Irish rugby team have a cross community flag, a cross community anthem as well (quality of anthem debatable but appreciate the effort). And while I know that Amhrain na bhFiann is played at home games as well, the tricolour is still waved by some, rugby doesn't seem to be as polarized by tribalism as soccer is. It could still be done without though.

Fr Tod Umptious

briany wrote: »

Obviously it's not that nationalists are ever going to see themselves as British. It's not even the question that they will but rather if they can see themselves as part of an all inclusive apolitical Northern Irish identity. It's difficult for that to happen when they have to stand under GSTQ, the Union Jack or variations of the Ulster Banner incorporating symbolism of ties to Britain. It needn't even be that offends them, offend would be too strong a word, but they feel more culturally affiliated to the ROI, believing it represents them moreso and therefore some footballers from a nationalist background go that route. Or they could be gloryhounds. But why not give them as little excuse as possible, get your own anthem in, your own sporting flag if only a very simple unadorned version of the UB. Who in Northern Ireland wants to listen to GSTQ anyway? The people who can see wanting to keep it are part of the problem in as far as I can see. Scotland have their own flag, their own anthem. Wales as well, why not N.I.?

Even the Irish rugby team have a cross community flag, a cross community anthem as well (quality of anthem debatable but appreciate the effort). And while I know that Amhrain na bhFiann is played at home games as well, the tricolour is still waved by some, rugby doesn't seem to be as polarized by tribalism as soccer is. It could still be done without though.

At the height of the troubles in 1982 you had a number, I'm not sure exactly how many, of people of a nationalist background playing their hearts out for NI in the World Cup.
The presence of the banners, the anthem etc did not seem to deter those guys

Or maybe they were just gloryhounds too