World Cup has lessons for Ireland

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.

Such has been their slump over recent years in Fifa ranking and the illogical qualifying structure that decrees only 13 countries from Europe will reach the next World Cup in four years’ time, realistically only hope rather than expectation exists for Ireland’s prospects of making it to Russia.

Of more concern, however, is the long-term landscape.