Lawrenson also rises

t’s just as well that Roy Keane wasn’t in town for the recent friendly with Croatia. Given the actions of the FAI over the past couple of months, the Cork man could be forgiven for thinking twice about his decision to return to the Republic’s set up.

Despite Saipan, hefty severance pay offs, and the Genesis report, the organisation blundered into a confrontation with the Minister for Sport, John O’Donoghue, which it could only lose. And it did.
“Believe it or not,” says football pundit and former international Mark Lawrenson, “it’s got better over the years. In 1977, when I made my debut, it was an absolute shambles.
“Now they’re in another mess – but it’s nothing new. Like any football club or business, if you keep losing your Chief Executive it can’t be particularly good for business or long term planning.”
The 47-year–old BBC, Irish Times and TV3 commentator has had one particular experience with the FAI that he likes to recall: “I’ll tell you, the best incidence I had of it was just before Jack got the job. Kenny Daglish was manager at Liverpool, and I got a phone call saying ‘Do you fancy being player manager of the Republic?’
“So I went to see Kenny to ask him what he thought and he told me to go for it. So I applied, didn’t hear anything for months and finally received a letter accepting my application for the job three days after they had appointed Jack! That I suppose sums them up better than anything.”
The latest debacle at Merrion Square, though, was of little significance in comparison to the news that filtered through on the morning of our meeting. After a lengthy battle, Emlyn Hughes, the former Liverpool and England captain, lost his fight against a brain tumour. “It’s obviously a sad day for his wife and family but it’s also a massive massive loss for Liverpool Football Club and for football in general,” notes Lawrenson, “I never played with him. But I remember when I joined the club, of all the great players who had been there, he certainly would have been as good as anybody. You know, captain of the club, captain of England. It’s sad, and he’ll be missed.”
Hughes, like Lawrenson, was a footballer from a different era. The media focus was largely on players’ actions on the field, rather than off it. “Well, it’s a completely different game,” says Lawrenson. “One of the things you notice about players today is that not many of them play with a smile on their face. Drugs and that were never part of it in my day. We drank, that was our drug. I was on a European Cup winning side that could drink with the best of them. To be honest, though, I think a lot depends on the way you’re brought up. As with every youngster, whether they’re footballers or bin men, it’s all to do with your upbringing.”
Now firmly established as one of the game’s top pundits, Lawrenson obviously revels in his work: “It’s great, you know. I get to see lots of live football. Saturdays are long but fun. I do 14 hours as I’m also on Football Focus. Most people don’t know that Match Of The Day goes out live, but it does. So I’m usually in the office from 10am and finish about midnight. Long day, but I wouldn’t change it.”
With the job come varying perceptions of his character. He admits to not being well liked in places such as Barnsley, Bolton or the newly promoted clubs: “It’s just because I’m honest and point out that the three promoted have a great chance of going straight back down. This year though, there is twelve teams in that fight. Up at the top, I reckon it’ll be between Chelsea and Arsenal.”
And as for Ireland’s World Cup qualification chances, Lawrenson is upbeat. “Kerr is doing a good job,” he says, “and we’ve got some good young players coming through. If we beat Israel home and away we have a good chance of winning the group. Israel away is really the key. Whoever beats them twice will win the group.”