Full coverage: FAI

In international football, only a change of manager can cater to the football supporter who wants his whims and fantasies catered for and cares nothing for reality.

The roots of Saipan were not to be found in the decades-long incompetence of the FAI or in the idea that it was a clash between the old Ireland and the new. The roots of Saipan, if there were any at all, could more conceivably be traced to a police cell in Manchester in 1999.

The FAI are right to be part of a bid for the European Championships in 2028 because their ambitions must extend beyond the audience that currently exists for domestic football in this country.

The FAI are embarked on a process of change but they continue to attract unwelcome headlines. Maybe that doesn't matter if they can get the fundamentals right.

The great English clubs no longer look to Ireland for their players. Brexit has restricted options even further so where now for the gifted Irish footballer?

A decision to alter the season for U-14 footballers has led many in the League of Ireland to question if the FAI is committed to progressive change.

The League of Ireland is slowly improving from the days of close your eyes and hope economics but there is still a long way to go.

The response to Cristiano Ronaldo's first football match in Dublin since 2009 underlined how little Irish football fans usually have to get excited about and why Stephen Kenny's mission to change must be all encompassing.

In 2022, the European Court of Justice will rule on UEFA's case against clubs involved in the super league. In the meantime, UEFA are complaining about the Spanish judge who ruled against them.

Stephen Kenny has no option but to take the approach he has. He may not get the rewards for it but it is essential for the future of football in the country.