Liam Brady’s dose of realism amid the current euphoria surrounding the European Championship-bound senior team is a timely reminder of the ticking time bomb for Irish football.

For Belgium the penny dropped in 2000 while Germany’s nadir arrived four years later but both have shown Ireland there’s plenty to be gained by recognising the inherent faults of their football systems.

Irish football may have to wait up to 15 years for an overhaul of the grassroots system, according to FAI High Performance Director Ruud Dokter.

Ireland legend Packie Bonner has spoken for the first time about his abrupt exit from the FAI in 2010 — admitting the prospect of staying on as a football ambassador was a non-starter for him.

Quite why it takes a crisis at senior international level to trigger calls for an overhaul of a grassroots system that has for years been dysfunctional must be unique to Ireland.

It looks like Irish football is heading for a whole different ballpark, with confirmation expected next week that a friendly against Spain in New York in May will take place at Yankee Stadium.

Today, it all starts again.

THE Football Association of Ireland’s High Performance Director, Wim Koevermans, believes the new U19 national league can help stem a talent drain from soccer to Gaelic football.

GIOVANNI TRAPATTONI’S pay cut as Ireland manager is estimated to represent a reduction of some €100,000 in the Italian’s €1.8 million salary. And it has emerged that it took him just half a minute to agree the wage reduction.

GIOVANNI TRAPATTONI is likely to take a voluntary pay cut in line with a range of redundancies and cost-cutting which the FAI has been forced to implement.

“IT’S about developing players but it’s also about qualifying and hopefully winning things.”

THE Irish U21 side ended one of their worst UEFA Championships campaigns with a frustrating 1-0 loss to Turkey in Kocaeli yesterday.

RICHIE TOWELL believes a baby-faced Republic of Ireland U21 side can use the final game of a forgettable campaign as something to build on for the future.

The Republic of Ireland Under-21s have been forced to make a number of changes to the squad ahead of Tuesday’s UEFA European Championship qualifier against Turkey.

IRELAND’S U21 side suffered a disappointing 1-0 loss to Switzerland in a UEFA Championships qualifier they could have won in Lugano.

IT’s any footballer’s dream – an opening game in the World Cup finals against Brazil. And that’s exactly what is in store for Ireland’s U17 Women’s team when they travel to Trinidad and Tobago next month.

EVEN the hype which always attends the early days of the new season can’t mask the fact that English football is going through another of its periodic bouts of soul-searching and self-flagellation.

Republic of Ireland U-21s 5 Estonia U-21s 0

NOEL KING insists he is comfortable with making the gender jump from coaching Ireland’s women’s team to taking over as manager of the Irish men’s U21 side.

NOEL KING yesterday expressed his delight after his appointment as manager of the Republic of Ireland U21 team.

AS our little country feels the bony fingers of the IMF on our shoulder and the cold winds of financial oblivion against our grubby face, we are often lectured – throughout the media – by so-called ‘self-made men’.

FOOTBALLERS born earlier in the year are more likely to be picked to play at an elite level.

The Football Association of Ireland has opened applications for the position of Republic of Ireland U21 head coach to replace Don Givens.

FAI chief executive John Delaney is optimistic the Lausanne-based Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) will rule in favour of the FAI in the ongoing tussle over Northern Irish players declaring for the Republic.

DON GIVENS insists it was his decision to step down as Ireland U21 manager, although he concedes that pressure was building on him in the wake of the recent home defeat to Armenia which capped a dismal run of results for his charges.

The FAI have announced that Don Givens will step down as under-21 international manager after almost ten years in the role.

THE Irish FA’s latest attempt to prevent players born in Northern Ireland declaring for the Republic is likely to be heard by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) within the next month and John Delaney has already expressed his confidence as to the outcome.

The Football Association of Ireland have appointed Dutchman Wim Koevermans as their International Performance Director.