John Aldridge: Don’t pile pressure on Evan Ferguson

While we’ve been impressed by what we have seen so far from the Brighton striker, who has emerged as one of the brightest stars in the Premier League over the last few months, we also need to inject a little caution here.

This kid is only 18, and while he has shown flashes of brilliance in the toughest league of them all, he is still learning his trade and will not be at his best for another two or three years, at the very least.

The trouble is, Ferguson has been so good in his breakthrough season that it has been impossible to stop the hype from inflating around him.

His movement is top-class, his awareness of where to be to collect the ball is superb, and his finishing has been excellent.

Gary Lineker and Alan Shearer are among those who have said he seems to be the real deal and I echo those sentiments.

I can see why Manchester United, Liverpool and Tottenham are among the clubs being linked with Ferguson because he looks to be an exceptional talent.

However, as I said in my Sunday World column last month, I’d advise him to stay put at Brighton for now, as that is the perfect club for him to learn his trade.

From an Ireland perspective, the last thing we want to see is a player who has such a big role to play for us sitting on a bench at a big club and only playing the odd cup game.

We need to see Evan getting as much game time as he can. That’s the only way he will develop, and while I say we need to tone down the expectations around him, that might be easier said than done.

The trouble is, Ireland have been waiting for a striker to carry the goal burden in the national team since Robbie Keane’s retirement, which heightens the excitement around Ferguson.

Amid this optimism, I would urge everyone, from Ireland boss Stephen Kenny to the wonderful fans who support our team, to let this kid develop.

Ferguson has earned the right to start next Friday’s vital Euro 2024 qualifier in Greece and I wish him every success in the role I carried out for Ireland so proudly on 63 occasions.

Yet let’s not put too much pressure on a teenager to fill Robbie Keane’s boots and fire us to a major championship finals.

Having a striker who can score consistently could solve a massive problem for Ireland, but it won’t be the solution to all our problems overnight.

What Kenny has now is a vital piece of his jigsaw in place ahead of a game against Greece that needs to have a successful conclusion, whether that is a draw or an away win.

The time for building for the future has gone and the moment has arrived for this manager and his team to start delivering the results we need to get into contention for Euro 204 qualification.

When you take on the job of Ireland manager, you are required to deliver performances and results and show evidence that the team is progressing.

Well, Stephen has delivered on the last of those requirements – we have seen some promising displays over the last year.

I was very impressed with the performance the lads put in against a very strong France team back in March, but the story had a familiar ending – a 1-0 defeat.

Now, Ireland need to start turning positive performances into strong results, or Kenny will come under big pressure.

This game against Greece feels massive for his reign as Ireland boss and while we all wish Stephen and the boys well, the headlines next Saturday will make for unpleasant reading if Ireland lose in Athens.

We won’t be out of the Euros if this game goes against us, but we will have our backs against the wall once again and another major championship will probably pass us by.

Amid this pessimism, I would add that changing the manager is not the solution to every problem in football.

There are people out there who have questioned Kenny and whether he has what it takes to do this job – but look at the players he is working with.

The Ireland squad I was a part of featured players from Manchester United, Liverpool, Arsenal and Tottenham at a time when those clubs were among the best in Europe.

Now Kenny is trying to get the best out of lads from Wigan, Preston and Cardiff, while also relying on reserve players at lower-ranked Premier League clubs. Would Pep Guardiola or Jurgen Klopp make a better success of the Ireland job right now?

Maybe, but Kenny is doing his best with the resources he has and we have to hope the emergence of Ferguson and the new brand of football he is promoting reaps rewards.

One factor that never changes with Ireland are the magnificent fans and they will travel to Athens in their numbers to support the lads again.

They deserve better than what they have been served up in recent years and we have to hope that this game in Greece is the moment we see Ireland get back to winning ways.

No place for hate in the game

A story emerged from last weekend’s FA Cup final that left me sick to the core.

Amid Manchester City’s joy of winning the match at Wembley, news emerged that police had arrested a Manchester United fan for wearing a shirt celebrating the deaths of Liverpool fans at Hillsborough in 1989.

I was playing for Liverpool on that fateful day and the horrors of what happened changed me forever. The idea that a fellow human being decided to get a shirt made up celebrating the deaths of innocent sons, daughters, mothers and fathers is disgusting.

The trouble is, this is the norm these days. Fans coming to Anfield regularly chant songs taunting the Hillsborough victims. It seems to be the way football has gone.

This is a great sport that takes us away from the miseries in our lives for a few hours each weekend, so why turn it into something hateful?

I get Everton and United fans abusing me in the street, and it doesn’t need to be like this.

We all love the game and rivalries are part of it, but you have to draw a line when it comes to a tragedy like Hillsborough.

If fans continue to chant about disasters that have cost the lives of other football fans, they need to be banned from attending matches for life and if that isn’t enough, don’t let certain clubs bring away fans to Anfield.

If that kind of punishment was in place, maybe the morons that promote this hate would keep their mouths shut.