I have to say I didn’t think we’d win the last two games against Wales and Slovakia. Wales were very poor and we defended very well against Slovakia so we deserved to win those matches and that, surprisingly, leaves us with an outside chance of qualification. It’s an outside chance and I’d give the players great credit for that.
But we shouldn’t be in the position we’re in. We should never be in this situation with the players we’ve got – it’s been a rollercoaster ride and we’ve got some credibility back but we’re a long, long way from where we should be.
Staunton’s been lucky with the way the fixtures have come. Three of our last four matches have been at home – and San Marino, Wales and Slovakia are not exactly top class opposition, but wins are wins and he now has six months to prepare for two away fixtures against Slovakia and the Czech Republic. They will be very tough tests for Staunton but if we get results in those games then we’re in with a shout.
The Czechs are probably our main rivals at the moment and they only managed a 1-0 win at home against Cyprus last time out, which isn’t very impressive. I don’t think they are a very good side as they’ve lost some important players and are having their own problems. However, they’ve got Wales and San Marino before they meet us next so the pressure will be very much back on Staunton by then.
Staunton has come in for a lot of criticism from all quarters and hasn’t had much support lately but his appointment was controversial from the very beginning because we were promised a world class management team and I don’t think we got that. So it was a massive gamble and people were wary from the start – then came the defeat in Cyprus and the performance against San Marino, which was only a few weeks ago. Now we’ve had two positive results which give the appointment a bit more credibility, but not enough to convince people that he was the right man for the job. And that’s the problem – this appointment was over hyped.
We have to find out who our best players are and in what position and get a settled team. We still have two full-backs playing on the wrong side of the pitch, which is inexplicable! Why wasn’t Kevin Doyle playing against Wales for example? I mean these things are down to the management – Staunton wasn’t criticised for no reason. He’s had some crazy team selections - Lee Carsley wasn’t in the team for Cyprus but now he’s the main man in midfield. These things don’t go unnoticed by football fans – you can’t fool the people.
He’s not very good with the media either – there have been huge inconsistencies in what he’s said. For example he said he wanted to play Premiership players and then he picks Douglas - he plays for Leeds at the bottom of the Championship. So no one can figure out which direction he’s heading, hence the criticism.
Maybe with experience he’ll get better – but international football is not the place to learn the job, you should have it learned before then.
We’ve a lot of good young players that will only get better; Doyle, Long, Hunt, Ireland, these are players for the future and are exciting prospects. We may be lacking in midfield slightly but Carsley is still good for the time being and Ireland can play there – but Staunton has to work with what he has. He’s got enough there to be in a serious position for qualification if we’d started off on the right foot. The Cyprus defeat hurt us badly.
Staunton is finding it tough over here but Steve McLaren has a much tougher job in England. That job is difficult beyond belief - it’s personal over there. Staunton might be criticised for his tactics and team selection, but that’s nothing like the venom that is hurled McLaren’s way. But The English FA also appointed the wrong man.
Take a look at Northern Ireland – what’s happening up North just shows what can be done if the set up is right. It’s amazing what Lawrie Sanchez has done with very limited resources – he’s done an outstanding job. Northern Ireland now have a very good chance of qualification for a major Championships for the first time since Mexico 1986. They have six games left with four of those at home.
I feel England and Northern Ireland have a good chance of making the finals, Scotland are in with a shout but they’re in a tough group, Wales are out of it and I don’t think we will qualify either, unfortunately.
Eamon was in conversation with Johnny Proby
