Success only derives from good habits

In order for the domestic game to make necessary advancements, the preferred style of play needs to change from youth level all the way up to professional.

Not long after Wim Koevermans had arrived in Ireland, he travelled down to Limerick to watch the best of the underage teams in the country compete in the Kennedy Cup.

The newly-appointed International High Performance Director for the FAI stood back from the sideline and out of earshot of the screaming parents with arms folded and a curious stare.

Having spent all of his footballing life in the Netherlands, he had become accustomed to seeing youngsters play the beautiful game with a certain degree of composure. However, that is not what he witnessed that day in Limerick.

The former Dutch international remarked that the Irish kids surrendered possession far too easily and that coaching them to use the ball more cleverly was essential to their growth as footballers.

Insider’s View was reminded of that incident when covering Dundalk’s Europa League qualifier in Luxembourg last week. The Lilywhites were training at the Stade Josy Barthel the evening before their first round match when the topic of keeping possession cropped up.

A routine training match was suddenly stopped by manager Ian Foster, who began to preach to his players about the importance of not giving the ball away when they came up against CS Grevenmacher.

Of course, this is quite a common warning barked out by coaches and managers, but it is something that came back to haunt the County Louth club as their 2-0 early lead started to slip away.

Rather than adopting a short-passing game and letting their opponents chase the ball, some of the Dundalk players got sucked in by old habits and launched needless long balls all around the pitch. With the evening heat also weighing heavy on them, this led to the home side dominating more and fighting their way back into the tie.

If the players had been used to playing in a more cautious way, whereby giving up possession is a last resort, then they might have been able to build on their lead and perhaps escape with a win. It is something that they need to work on, but there is no hiding from the fact that bad habits exist throughout Irish football.

Or should that read ‘bad habits exist throughout English football’, considering how much influence the English game wields over Ireland. And the problem is certainly evident there too.

In a recent interview with the Sunday Times, Spanish midfielder Xabi Alonso suggested that the style of play in England is far too rushed at times and that can often be their downfall.

“Direct football is great but you have to know how to combine that with an understanding of the need to associate with other players, with knowing how to pass and keep the ball, how to change the rhythm of a game as circumstances demand. Sometimes, yes, the football England play is too quick,’ said Alonso.

The former Liverpool player is deadly accurate with his viewpoint, although it is hardly surprising that he can spot that when he has been coached since an early age to always make the most of possession of the football.

Alonso was brought up on good habits. As were his Spanish team-mates and the bulk of the Germany team lighting up the 2010 World Cup. It is only when those habits become second nature when success can be achieved.

In order for Irish football to compete as equals on a European or International stage, it needs to be technically more advanced and not just revert back to old habits when the pressure comes on.