Graham Barrett

[pete]

After obviously doing well to score on his international debut he seems to be the new poster child for media.

Has been strange to hear the irish media say what a great future he has at Arsenal when Barrett doesn't have a first team squad number at the club & has a minimum of 6 forwards ahead of him.

Anyway hes going to get anywhere is to move clubs.

[Irish_Praha]

Just seen today that he signed for Shamrock Rovers.
He actully didn't look out of place in the few caps he got with the international team. In fact if I can remember correctly he had a decent game in an end-of-season friendly against Holland about 5 years ago.
He's had a few bad injuries so I'm not sure how good he is anymore but I always thought he was a decent enough player. If he gets his game and stays fit I think he should do well in the LOI. It would be nice to see a few more players of a similar quality going back to the LOI instead of p!ssing around in the lower English and Scottish leagues.
Or maybe someone will disagree and tell me that he's past it and just signed for Rovers because nobody wanted him in England/Scotland?

[elroy]

In fact if I can remember correctly he had a decent game in an end-of-season friendly against Holland about 5 years ago.

Scored a good goal in a 3-0 friendly away win to Finland i think it was in our first friendly after 2002 WC. Had a very bright young team that day, really thought we had an extremely bright future then.

Decent player but thats about it really, had gone through a number of clubs in recent years.

[Eirambler]

Ya, I remember that game. You'd have never thought that day that Mick McCarthy only had two competitive games left as manager.

Injuries ruined whatever chance Barrett had of becoming a top player. Don't know if he was good enough anyway, he might have been championship standard.

Its frustrating to think how many young Irish prospects in the last 10 or 15 years have gone on to achieve little or nothing. You could just start with Kerr's U-20s in 1997 and work up from there.

[dr_peepee]

Injuries ruined whatever chance Barrett had of becoming a top player. Don't know if he was good enough anyway, he might have been championship standard..

I remember Brady was on the TV panel for the Finland game and as much as he didn't say anything bad about Barrett in a general review about him, he didn't laud too much praise on him either. And he'd have known him better than anyone from Arsenal....

[Stuttgart88]

Its frustrating to think how many young Irish prospects in the last 10 or 15 years have gone on to achieve little or nothing. You could just start with Kerr's U-20s in 1997 and work up from there.

hear hear

[Jicked]

As a Rovers fan I'm delighted to see Graham back playing in Tallaght. Great prospect, but never fully recovered his form after a serious bout of glandular fever that kept him out of the game for a year. Will be tough for him to make an impact in the last few 10 or so games of the season when he's not match fit, but hopefully next year he'll be raring to go at home and in Europe.

From tonight's Evening Herald:

Barrett: Rovers is a forward step

FORMER Ireland international Graham Barrett insists that his decision to join Shamrock Rovers is not a step backwards, but an opportunity to get his career moving forward again.

Ten years after he made his English Premier League debut for Arsenal as a sub for Thierry Henry, Barrett (28) played his first game for Rovers as a second-half sub in Friday's win over Galway United, having last week signed for the Hoops until the end of the season.

The Tallaght man had a good career in his decade as a full-time pro in Britain, winning six Ireland caps and scoring two goals for the national team along the way, but Barrett's progress has been halted by knee injuries in recent times, and he spent last season with Scottish Division One side St Johnstone after his release from Falkirk.

As a teenager, Barrett mixed with the best of them in his six-year spell with Arsenal, making three first team appearances for the Gunners, and he also earned kudos for scoring on his Ireland senior debut, in a 3-0 win over Finland in 2002.

Now it's back to basics and back to the family home in Tallaght since his decision to join Rovers, but Barrett says he's delighted with the move and is keen to impress in the same league where his dad, Gary, shone as a striker with Dublin sides Rovers and Shelbourne in the 1980s.

"Some people may have thought it was a strange move for me to come here but I know it's not a backwards step, it's a great chance for me to get going again," says Barrett.

"I am not coming over here like some big-time Charlie, expecting to walk into the team and do well in the league just because of what I have done in my career before. I feel it's an honour to get to play for a team like Rovers.

"In fact, the main thing for me now is to try and get into the Rovers team, which won't be easy. I have played out wide for much of my career but Michael O'Neill has signed me as a striker and that's where I want to play but it's going to be hard to get a game here. Up front Rovers have Gary Twigg, who has probably been the player of the year so far, and Dessie Baker, who is the most in-form player around at the moment.

"So I am not arrogant to think I'll waltz into the team and grab a lot of goals. It's going to be a challenge for me to do well here but I needed a challenge at this stage of my career.

"I am 28 now. I have had a lot of moves and loan spells in the last few years, so this is a good chance for me to settle down, start doing well for a club who are really going places and maybe even finish out my career here," he added. "It was great for me to come off the bench and get a game against Galway on Friday night. It's a long time since I last played, maybe four or five months, so I know it'll take time to get my fitness and sharpness up to the levels needed, but I have my debut out of the way, and we won the game as well, so it was a good start."

Barrett is also keeping up a family tradition by wearing the green and white Hoops, as his dad, Gary, began his senior career with Rovers, joining John Giles' revolution at the club in 1980 as part of the same intake as Jim Beglin, scoring eight league goals for Rovers (1980-82) before joining Shelbourne.

From early in his career, Barrett was earmarked as an Ireland star of the future. He made progress at Arsenal, making two Premier League appearances in the 1999/2000 season.

Let go by the Gunners in 2003, he began a three-year spell with Coventry but much of his football came on loan (Sheffield Wednesday, Livingston) as a knee injury stopped his progress.

A move to Falkirk in 2006 could have moved his career on but again he was blighted by injuries and was let go by the Bairns last summer, hence the move to Rovers.

Barrett enjoyed the contribution of his former Arsenal team-mate Stephen Bradley on Friday night as the midfielder scored his first league goal of the season to secure the win over Galway.

"It's funny to be on the same side as Stephen again as we were in digs together at Arsenal," says Barrett. "Stephen was always a great player and he could be really good for Rovers."

[Irish_Praha]

Rovers are putting together a handy little squad there. The experience these lads have of playing in front of much larger crowds can only be good for their prospects in away european games. If they gel properly, next year they could be the first LOI team to reach the the group stages of the Europa league.

I'm not sure exactly how it goes but is it only the champions that get to the qualifiers for the champions league and the the next two or three are in the Europa league qualifiers?

[SkStu]

I'm not sure exactly how it goes but is it only the champions that get to the qualifiers for the champions league and the the next two or three are in the Europa league qualifiers?

yes. The Champions may also qualify for the Europa League should they make it past 2 rounds in the Champions League.

The number of participants in the Europa League depends on who wins the cup. For example, Bohs did the double last year so Sligo were the thrid placed Irish representative in the Europa League this season. Otherwise, as far as i know, its the cup winners and the 2nd and 3rd placed league teams.

[Irish_Praha]

yes. The Champions may also qualify for the Europa League should they make it past 2 rounds in the Champions League.

The number of participants in the Europa League depends on who wins the cup. For example, Bohs did the double last year so Sligo were the thrid placed Irish representative in the Europa League this season. Otherwise, as far as i know, its the cup winners and the 2nd and 3rd placed league teams.

OK, so if Rovers do somehow manage to win the league there is still a chance that they will end up in the europa league. I would fancy their chances of getting to the group stages more there.

BTW I'm not dismissing Bohs and I'm not a fan of either team. I would just love a representive of the league to reach the group stages of one of the competitions. I feel that Rovers have more potential to improve, if none of their good players are poached.

[Jicked]

OK, so if Rovers do somehow manage to win the league there is still a chance that they will end up in the europa league. I would fancy their chances of getting to the group stages more there.

BTW I'm not dismissing Bohs and I'm not a fan of either team. I would just love a representive of the league to reach the group stages of one of the competitions. I feel that Rovers have more potential to improve, if none of their good players are poached.

If Rovers win the league (they won't this year, look good for next season though) they would definitely be in the Champions League qualifying stages. THey would have to play three knockout rounds to get in to the Group Stages of the CL. If they won two of those rounds before being knocked out, they would be guaranteed a place in the Europa League group stages.

If they finish second or third, or win the FAI Cup they'll go in to the Europa League, and would have to win 3 knockout rounds to qualify for the Europa League group stages. And yeah, we do look best placed to mount a serious run at that competition, especially as manager Michael O'Neill reiterated today that Rovers are operating well within their budget despite strengthening their squad mid-season with guys like Barrett, Paddy Kavanagh and NI international, Alan Mannus. A big factor in that is that aswell as the big crowds we've been getting, the board and management are refusing to pay guys over the odds and despite building a big squad the wages for individual players are extremely modest compared to the money paid by Bohs, Cork, Shels etc when they built league winning squads.
So hopefully in the next 2/3 years Rovers can make the breakthrough in Europe for Irish clubs. Barrett may have a big role to play in that, but first of all he has to try get himself in the first XI.

[irishultra]

Barrett comes across as a cool guy. On a sidenote if I was a footballer I'd much prefer to be playing for a team competing for Leagues and in Europe than a random English first division team, no matter what the money was.

[irishfan86]

Barrett comes across as a cool guy. On a sidenote if I was a footballer I'd much prefer to be playing for a team competing for Leagues and in Europe than a random English first division team, no matter what the money was.

Yeah, who wants financial security and playing in front of decent crowds each week?

Unambitious losers, that's who.

[Jicked]

Yeah, who wants financial security and playing in front of decent crowds each week?

Unambitious losers, that's who.

While the Championship would be a better option for a player than playing for Rovers (no guaranteed higher standard of football though), coming back here to play is far suprior to being stuck at a midtable SPL side. He's guaranteed both financia security and decent crowds at Rovers, expect crowds of 5 to 6,000 or so next season. Good standard of football, and the Irish management will also be more likely to take a look at a player playing well here than one playing well for someone like Falkirk.

[Stuttgart88]

I never knew he was Gary Barrett's son. Wasn't Gary a ginger winger for Rovers around 81 or 82??

[Jicked]

He was indeed. Has fallen on tough times recently which is sad to hear, but Graham is indeed a second generation Hoop.

[Stuttgart88]

Scored a good goal in a 3-0 friendly away win to Finland i think it was in our first friendly after 2002 WC. Had a very bright young team that day, really thought we had an extremely bright future then.

I came away from watching that game think that the world was at our feet. we'd qualify for tournaments again and great young players were coming through with regularity.

I still think that hitting the post at 0-0 in Russia shortly afterwards was a major turning point. If we'd gone 1 up in that game...

[Junior]

I still think that hitting the post at 0-0 in Russia shortly afterwards was a major turning point. If we'd gone 1 up in that game...

There you go again with that memory. I was at that game and dont recall us hitting the post (Prob Babbs og overrided everything!!)

Seriously how the fcuk do you remember all these details...............Im gonna have to get one of those brain trainer gadgets!!!!!

[paul_oshea]

That was the only last game i have missed that i can remember between friendles and competitive games since i started watching as a child, i came back and got bits of it online somewhere i think it was probably just the goals, but i was mad trying to find out as i was nowhere near a phone at the time or computer. Drove me mental.

So the moral of the story is, I would remember too had I seen it.

Back sorta on topic, ive been noticing the signals of intent from shamrock rovers for a while now and its interesting to see they are building a big squad with some substance. They are looking good for at least a Europe league spot too. They have their own ground(sort of), and nothing is coming out about money problems etc. Are they still run by 400...or whats the story? How is their wage bill so much lower than all the other clubs and have they they players with the experience and/or ability to play in Europe, because they certainly seem to be doing everything off the field right in preparation for a big hit at breaking into the group stages in Europe next year.

[Jicked]

That was the only last game i have missed that i can remember between friendles and competitive games since i started watching as a child, i came back and got bits of it online somewhere i think it was probably just the goals, but i was mad trying to find out as i was nowhere near a phone at the time or computer. Drove me mental.

So the moral of the story is, I would remember too had I seen it.

Back sorta on topic, ive been noticing the signals of intent from shamrock rovers for a while now and its interesting to see they are building a big squad with some substance. They are looking good for at least a Europe league spot too. They have their own ground(sort of), and nothing is coming out about money problems etc. Are they still run by 400...or whats the story? How is their wage bill so much lower than all the other clubs and have they they players with the experience and/or ability to play in Europe, because they certainly seem to be doing everything off the field right in preparation for a big hit at breaking into the group stages in Europe next year.

Yes still run and owned by the fans, though the 400 Club has expanded in to a Membership Scheme (whilst talking about the Irish national team, Noel Hunt is a member and thus part-owner of SRFC!)

No real money problems at Rovers either. Wages are considerably lower than the other big teams in the league, quite simply because Rovers refuse to pay the prices other clubs did. Why pay Glen Crowe €2000 or €3000 a week when in all honesty he'll play for €750. At the start of the season Michael O'Neill at the Rovers AGM told members how he'd been interested in numerous players from the LoI only to be left laughing by their wage demands. He couldn't believe what some 'big' LoI names were looking for, so said he'd do his shopping in Scotland where he knows he can get better value for money, and came back with Gary Twigg, and centre half Craig Sives from Hearts who has been perhaps the best defender in the league in the second half of the season. Now Irish players are beginning to wake up and realise they're better off taking €750 offered by Rovers, playing in front of big crowds in a squad that's going places, then taking €2000 or so from another club that won't be able to pay them that in a few weeks time. I haven't heard yet what Barrett is on precisely, but have heard the ballpark figure and its nothing remotely like what players were paid at clubs like Bohs, Cork, Pats in previous years.

Latest reports are that Rovers can cover their entire wage bill through membership fees/sponsorship etc and are not reliant on match day income (which is relatively huge, expect a crowd of about 5000 on Friday night, meanwhile the club shop is fantastic and does huge business, whilst our corporate box/function room is sold out for the Pats game)

Have we got the players to do well in Europe? Tough one that. The experience of recent signings like Barrett and NI international keeper Alan Mannus will help. In truth it will probably take two or three seasons of trying to make the breakthrough and build up experience, but the signs are that this Rovers team will be able to be kept together and realistically push for that.