1.CEO(or something like that): Lanky Niall ‘The Business’ Quinn
2. Manager: Roy ‘Roy Keane’ Keane(who you’ll find pictures of on Supermans PJs)
3. Pandy ‘bakesale’ Reid-thats ma motherfucka!
4. Paul McShane-so much heart that the biddings already started for the rights to his donar card
5. The fact that the club have commited to bring through young Irish players and blooding them at premiership level so that they at least stand a chance of making it good at international level
6. 2 games in a row for the first time in in 4 years and (fingers crossed) maybe 3 in a row for the first time since 2001.
7. The fact that Niall Quinns experiment has done more for Irish football in under three years than the FAI have done in 14(yes its 14 years since USA ‘94)*.
8. This list of Irish players in the premiership basically sums up why Sunderland** are great. The following play for:
Kevin Kilbane (Wigan)
Kevin Doyle (Reading)
Stephen Hunt (Reading)
Shane Long (Reading)
Shay Given (Newcastle)
Damien Duff (Newcastle)
Stephen Carr (Newcastle)
Daryll Murphy (Sunderland)
Anthony Stokes (Sunderland)
Liam Miller (Sunderland)
Paul McShane (Sunderland)
Roy O D (Sunderland)
David Connoly (Sunderland)
Ian Harte (Sunderland)
Graham Kavanagh (Sunderland)
Andy Reid (Sunderland)
Stephen Kelly (Birmingham)
Joey O Brien (Bolton)
Andy O Brien (Bolton)
*Korea and Japan was good but that had nothing to do with the FAI. The miracle of Saipan was down to the players and coaching staff pulling together and making the best of an impossible situation-by themselves. If anything the FAIs amateur bullshit made circumstances worse. Also, there was a Quinny in the back room!
**much respect is also due for Reading because all three of those lads needed someone to invest in them
