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I was directing the question at TOWK rather than to the board generally. I don't see why it should pain anyone to get behind an England-born Irish international player giving his all for Ireland who might also have (seriously) considered playing for the country of his birth at some point, but I had gotten the impression that TOWK has little time for such players because they don't neatly fit into his simplistic and over-presumptuous world view of seeing everything in black or white. He has belittled the integrity of the likes of Simon Cox, Paul Green and Anthony Pilkington in the past. So, I was wondering did it pain him to get behind the likes of Andy Townsend or Clinton Morrison when they gave their all for us? Or will it pain him to support Jack Grealish when he next wears an Ireland shirt? It appears he begrudgingly sweeps it under the carpet.Originally Posted by ArdeeBhoy
I'm sure I have agreed with you before. Once or twice.
So you at least acknowledge he's confused and unsure of what to do really?He doesn't know what his long-term plans are. I suspect that they are determined on a number of factors, some beyond his control. He implied that he was looking forward to a prospective call up during the summer several months ago and then turned it down when it came.
Maybe we could simply conclude that he doesn't want to commit to an irreversible and life-changing decision so early in his life?No, he indeed hasn't suggested that he will jump ship to England but what conclusions are we supposed to draw from him turning down a call up to the Ireland senior team when to my knowledge he hasn't even been offered a call up to the England U-21 team?
I've re-quoted the tweets plenty of times for you but you're putting words in his mouth with the above interpretation by giving the impression that he supports England to the exclusion of ourselves. Just because he expressed support on Twitter for England doesn't mean there's no place in his heart for our senior team either. Dual nationals will, more often than not, support more than one country.I believe he said he supported the senior England national team and the Ireland U-21 team (or something to that effect). I'm open to correction on that.
Don't trivialise it. It's a massive decision for him. It's his profession and livelihood he has to consider here, and a footballer's career is a short one at that. It's easy for you to talk - you're a fan with no split allegiance - but you're not in his boots. Would you have been happy to make all your life-changing decisions at the age of 18?He's not a child. He is a grown man and he has had plenty of time to ascertain what national team he wants to play for. It's not a life or death decision at the end of the day.
It is a first-world problem and it all pales into general insignificance when you think about the broader world, but we are where we are and we support the Irish national team (or, if you prefer, a bunch of spoilt Irish brats chasing around a ball of, erm, polyurethaneI know I'm going to get the mocked for this but it's a first world problem isn't it? There are 12 year old children fighting wars these days yet I am supposed to feel some kind of empathy for a 19 year old footballer, who already earns more in a month than I do in a year, over what country he plays for, because he is a young man?), so we find ourselves discussing our interest by virtue of that. Nobody said you have to feel empathy; just give the lad a break. You don't need empathy to stop being so cynical and suspicious. Why can there can be no grey or ambiguity with you? Must everything be as simple as black-or-white, with a heavy dose of pessimistic cynicism usually determining which tone will be favoured?
You really think Grealish is depriving another player of ever being seen by the FAI? As I said before, cream rises to the top. Noel King said Jack is happy to play for us. If you have a problem with Grealish being in our under-21 squad, direct your ire at King and the FAI who are more than delighted to continue selecting him. If anything, Grealish's presence should enhance competition for places; not provide a convenient excuse for those who weren't good enough to claim they never got their chance.It doesn't pain me. I get over it and try not to think about it too much as it goes beyond my control. I support the team whoever plays. What pains me is someone playing all through the age groups for one country, turning down a call up for the senior team and taking a place in the U-21 team of someone who may want to play for his country whenever he gets the call.
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