Friday, May 11, 2007
Sanchez abandons NI fans as predicted
Well, well, well. Lawrie Sanchez has resigned as Northern Ireland boss to take over at Fulham. Fancy that. Said Lawrie:"During my last month or so at Fulham I became increasingly enthused by working daily with players on the training pitch, and the satisfaction that I felt at seeing the end result on a weekly basis.
"Northern Ireland will be a great job for someone and I leave the team in good shape with them at the top of their Euro 2008 qualifying group.
"I wish them all the best for the future. They're disappointed but I hope they understand my actions."
Hate to say I told you so NI fans but...here is what I said back on April 11th when it was announced that the NI boss had taken up the job with Fulham but would stay with NI part-time:
"Of course we have the typical guff coming from the IFA and Sanchez himself trying to reassure NI fans that he "remains committed" but when one reads between the lines it's clear his heart is not in his current job.
"Anyone who follows football knows how this sort of thing works. Sanchez will dip his toes into the waters of top-level management and will soon want to abandon the morass that is the NI set-up. And you NI fans thought things were going so well!"
Of course NI fans wouldn't believe me would they? Let's look at some of their replies:
"While I'd prefer we had Sanchez's undivided attention, I'm reasonably relaxed about this development. He'll not be in 'international duty' again till August, and it was always likely he'd leave either after the qualifiers (if we don't qualify) or the finals (if we do). That will remain the case."
- Mike
"UI,
"You honestly haven't a clue."
- Audaces Fortuna Juvat
"News that Lawrie wishes to persue (sic) his career in the full time thrust of club football comes as no surprise to me.
"He has made that absolutely clear publicly since the day he signed the contract at the IFA - a contract I believe he will honour.
"That contract binds him until the end of the current Euro campaign.You really should do more research on such matters before you embarrass yourself by posting such nonsense."
- Audaces Fortuna Juvat again
"I fully expect to see LS take charge of the Northern Ireland team until the end of the current campaign - albeit may well be in a part time capacity."
- Audaces Fortuna Juvat once more
Tuck into your humble pie lads! Does it taste bitter?
Like I wrote back in April, anyone who follows football knows how this sort of thing works. Sanchez leaving his post was an inevitability. His heart just wasn't in it.
I do actually sympathise with NI fans as I feel he has left them high and dry and I don't like to see that sort of thing happen. I don't fancy their chances of qualification now seeing as Sanchez has worked a minor miracle there.
NI fans must be gutted.
# posted by United Irelander @ 5:18 PM 
© 2008 United Irelander.
