Everton?s Carsley kicks Liverpool old boy, Steve Staunton, in the teeth

Last week Steve Staunton was falling over himself to avoid picking Everton?s Lee Carsley. He was picking Sheffield United reservists and, when they let him down he decided to drop down a whole division to pick any obscure player ahead of Harry Hill look-a-like Lee Carsley.

Even after last week?s debacle against Cyprus when asked about the possible return of Carsley, Staunton replied, ?No, because we?re looking forward?! Looking forward to what exactly? Another 5-2 defeat?

Apparently he preferred to go with Stephen Ireland who ?didn?t let me down tonight?. Well if a losing badly to a second rate team is Steve Staunton?s ambition, then no, young Stephen Ireland didn?t let him down?.

Staunton even went so far as to say that if he picked Carsley then ?it would be a kick in the teeth for those guys?.

No Steve, allowing a young, inexperienced and unprepared side to go out and face a well organised, but average team and allow them to get a hiding on the world stage is a kick in the teeth. You are right in a way, Steve Ireland didn?t let you down, you let him down, by placing the hopes of a nation on a 20 year old?s shoulders without providing him adequate support on the pitch.

Steve Staunton was a much respected player in his day, but he was very stubborn even then. There is much to be admired in his wish to stand by and develop his young team, to shape and mould them into his vision of Irish football, but throwing them in at the deep end and hoping they will swim is NOT the way to build a team, it is the way to destroy a team, to drain their confidence and ability and to lose your job!

I suspect its no small co-incidence that the numbers of players reporting injured are rising. Pain that isn?t felt in the joy of Victory can seem like the fires of Hell when you are faced with yet another public humiliation.

He needs to develop the youngsters alongside the best players available to him, to show them what they can to aspire to, to teach them what leadership and hard graft can achieve.

Hopefully he will do this now and seek Carsley?s help, but you get the feeling that if he does it?s not because he has seen the light, but because further depletions to his squad has forced him to. He needs to accept these gifts from God in good grace and without bitterness and not merely reject Carsley because he happens to plays for, what is currently, the more successful team on Merseyside?