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.
There was plenty to be encouraged by in Ireland's performance against Portugal, but the mistakes that contributed to defeat must be eliminated.
The FAI's ace card is that it represents Irish football and no lender would dare seize the home of the national football team and it would be a brave politician that allowed it to happen.
Wales have players Ireland can only dream of, but beyond that there are lessons for the lost decade of Irish football.
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