Friday, May 11, 2007
Sanchez leaves for Fulham…
Blair and Hain were not the only ones to leave Northern Ireland this week. In what must be a blow to the Northern Ireland soccer team Lawrie Sanchez is quitting his job to take up a full time post with Fulham. He has clearly lost the argument with his new bosses that he could manage both at the same time.
Mick Fealty @ 11:02 AM
So long and thanks for the memories. Thought this was a joke at first - devastating.
Ah well the Tele will love this, after the swines have tried their best to stir things up and hound him out.
Martin O’Neill to replace him? Good work experience before England come calling.Posted by on May 11, 2007 @ 12:15 PMI hope the IFA hadn’t already booked their hotel in Vienna.
Not a surprise, but its a great shame that both Scotland and Northern Ireland’s campaigns have been sabotaged by managers who put wallet before country.
Posted by on May 11, 2007 @ 12:21 PMI don’t think he ever intended to stay on in both, he was just covering himself.
Now he’s gone out on top, will be treated as a legend. But he couldn’t possibly have replicated his/the teams successes into the second half of the qualifying campaign…
Posted by on May 11, 2007 @ 12:24 PMGood luck to him. Thanks for the memories.
As Sanchez made clear to the players, if you arent 100% committed to NI, you may as well go….Next…
Posted by on May 11, 2007 @ 12:25 PMJim Magilton hopefully.
Posted by on May 11, 2007 @ 12:33 PMColeman for Windsor? bThough more likely teh Dowie who I have been told would like the job alot and Magilton…and then there are those two geezers in the USA at the moment Morrow & Clarke.
As long as it isn’t Jimmy Nicholl..the IFA have some money they had better use it well.
Posted by on May 11, 2007 @ 12:35 PMBad form - On Fulham’s part that is. And a huge loss in potential.
Just look at the support in Ireland with Sunderland because Quinn and Keane are involved. Laurie’s involvement in Fulham could have raised their profile in NI.
Posted by on May 11, 2007 @ 12:40 PMIts football, shit happens.
Posted by on May 11, 2007 @ 12:41 PMHow about Minister of the DCAL Cllr. Poots?
Posted by on May 11, 2007 @ 12:46 PMLook at the plus side lads, Sanchez is liable to try to bring in a couple of NI types into Fulham from where they are languishing elsewhere in lower leagues.
NI players are pretty cheap purchases and he dont have much of a transfer budget.
The key issue now is who is the new manager. One of Magilton’s senior players at Ipswich is on record saying that hes worried about Jim going to Windsor. By all accounts Jim’s done alright after a dodgy start so maybe he is in prime position.
NI perhaps doesn’t want an absolute top flight manager in terms of what kind of teams they have manged before. They need someone who is used to working with limited resources and motivating like billyo.
Posted by on May 11, 2007 @ 12:48 PMThe day the music died.
Posted by on May 11, 2007 @ 12:52 PMIsn’t Magilton a brother in law of Staunton?
Posted by on May 11, 2007 @ 12:56 PMTochais
Not his fault if he is….
Posted by on May 11, 2007 @ 01:00 PM‘Jim Magilton hopefully.’
I hope not, Jim is nurturing a lot of our young Irish talent at Ipswich at the moment. They actually finished the game against Leeds the other week with seven Irish lads on the pitch.
Would Roy Coyle not do for you’se ?
Posted by on May 11, 2007 @ 01:02 PMDisappointing but unsurprising news. Lawrie was an outstanding success. I hope he succeeds at Fulham - it will be tough working with their Chairman!
Personally I would like to see Nigel Worthington get the job.
Posted by on May 11, 2007 @ 01:04 PMOh, and it would be great to see Healy, Stevie Davis and maybe other players go to Fulham.
Posted by on May 11, 2007 @ 01:06 PMTra G…two words..No & No.
Jim would be interested in the job apparently but I have no idea how well handcuffed Ipswich have him. He woudl be in financial range.
Posted by on May 11, 2007 @ 01:07 PM“Oh, and it would be great to see Healy, Stevie Davis and maybe other players go to Fulham”.
As a Leeds fan, i can tell you that Sanchez is the only possible route for Healy into the Premiership. He was absolutely shocking for Leeds last season. Only 10 goals in The Championship all season and the Elland Road locals lost count of the number of sitters he missed in vital games… It is no significance that not a single Premiership club has ever tried to buy him despite all of his goals for NI…
Posted by on May 11, 2007 @ 01:12 PMWhere he plays in what league in England matters not to the average NI fan, as long as he churns it out for the national side.
Anyway the rumours are that Healy is maybe on for Watford or a return to Preston…one league above your beloved Leeds which was bought and sold in 10 minutes during the week.
Posted by on May 11, 2007 @ 01:17 PMYokel,
Be a bit of a come down for Healy then if he returns back to Preston just 2 years after after he left them “to further his career” ...!!!
Posted by on May 11, 2007 @ 01:29 PM“Anyway the rumours are that Healy is maybe on for Watford or a return to Preston…one league above your beloved Leeds which was bought and sold in 10 minutes during the week.”
Actually, by no means a done deal yet. Two other groups in that may pump money into the club.
I can dream, like.
Posted by on May 11, 2007 @ 01:38 PMA come down to to go one division up from where he’s going at the moment?
Leeds would like to hang on to him, if he was that cack they wouldn’t bother.
Here, have some straws to clutch onto Macswiney..actually no..I’ll withdraw that offer.
Posted by on May 11, 2007 @ 02:07 PMKensei
lets hope so, its a sad state of affairs.
Posted by on May 11, 2007 @ 02:09 PMNeil Lennon is retiring from Celtic. No management experience but look at Roy Keane. Under the new dispensation, he would seems like a good fit….
Posted by on May 11, 2007 @ 02:22 PMWord coming through…
The IFA are lining up a dream team combo of…
Jimmy Nicholl & Marty Quinn.
*snigger*
Posted by on May 11, 2007 @ 02:28 PM
