EDITORIAL: Changing the team format can be dangerous

If the World Cup has taught us anything it’s that teams who change format mid-tournament do not tend to fare all that well in the aftermath.

And, this will surely be on the minds of the remaining sides in the Qatar spectacle as they enter the final stages of what has been a fantastic festival of football, despite all of the humanitarian problems which have been highlighted for the last three months or so.

Changing format mid-stream will also be on the minds of the government this week as the three coalition party leaders ready themselves for the mid-term shake-up which will see the Tánaiste become the Taoiseach and the Taoiseach become the Tánaiste in a little two-step shuffle.

Unlike the teams in Qatar though, this change has been well highlighted and there is no real element of surprise with the leading two captains. But, there could well be surprises when it comes to the team personnel and there will be a lot of jockeying and schmoozing these days as Ministers bid to hold on to their jobs, and others try to break into the Cabinet.

The Finance portfolios would appear to be sorted with Michael McGrath and Paschal O’Donohue trading places - the pair have worked very well together during some very challenging times and have managed to keep the country afloat. But, there are big challenges ahead too and they are seen as two safe pairs of hands in the overall context of the Cabinet.

Which portfolio will Micheál Martin take? Possibly Foreign Affairs, which will then discommode Simon Coveney who could be on his way to fill the Varadkar vacated Ministry for Enterprise, Trade and Employment.

Will there be new members on the team, or will it be a case of shuffling the deck chairs on the Titanic? It’s hard to say, but one thing is certain - all parties in government will want to go full term and could easily do so. Considering the polls, none of the three leaders want an election.