Jack Grealish

**TheOneWhoKnocks** · 11/05/2015, 9:19 PM

There's no way O'Neill can win is there?

Respect Grealish's wishes and he is ignoring our best young talent to the detriment of our qualification hopes. Give Grealish a call up and he declines it.

It's a frustrating situation. If the lad committed, it would have a galvanising effect on the squad and would give us a much needed spark.

But it is very unlikely he would accept a call up for a variety of factors, not least the fact that England are our next friendly opposition.

What planet is Dunphy living on? Or anyone else that thinks Grealish is going to play against England & Scotland. Even in an alternate universe where Grealish did want to play for Ireland right now, O'Neill would be too cautious to play him anyways!

**DannyInvincible** · 11/05/2015, 9:54 PM

I suspect this talk of Grealish possibly being in the squad is pure media speculation based on nothing. He said he hopes to be back in September and his father confirmed that these plans hadn't changed last we heard from him. I think I read somewhere that Jack has a holiday booked for early June anyway.

Originally Posted by OwlsFan

So Dunphy now wades in http://foot.ie/threads/200872-RTE-Du...-Jack-Grealish

I thought he would use just the Hoolahan situation to batter O'Neill but now he has found another stick in Grealish. As ever, the new manager is initially praised by both D & G and then slowly but surely the poison is spread.

Originally Posted by Eamon Dunphy

We could have had Harry Kane, you know: he was in Tottenham’s reserves this time last year, and if you’d have offered him a cap he’d have jumped at it. Jack Grealish, could easily have been capped in the game against Gibraltar.

Was Dunphy calling for Grealish's inclusion against Gibraltar? No. Did Dunphy even know who Grealish was then? It's easy to talk in hindsight...

And there were talks with Kane going back a while now but he always reiterated that making it into the England senior team was his focus. As they say; you can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink it. That applies to Grealish as well. Clueless stuff from Dunphy. Does he not know that Martin and Roy have met Grealish and his father and that Jack's break is self-imposed?

**tetsujin1979** · 11/05/2015, 10:51 PM

Telegraph reporting Grealish will be in the squad announced tomorrow: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/foo...d-call-up.html
Not a lot in it to be honest. Mentions that playing against England would not tie him to us (which is true) but no mention that playing against Scotland would

**DannyInvincible** · 11/05/2015, 11:31 PM

Interesting development, if true.

**Fixer82** · 11/05/2015, 11:33 PM

Originally Posted by tetsujin1979

Telegraph reporting Grealish will be in the squad announced tomorrow: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/foo...d-call-up.html
Not a lot in it to be honest. Mentions that playing against England would not tie him to us (which is true) but no mention that playing against Scotland would

It mentions his Dublin born father but his Dad was born and raised in Birmingham

**nigel-harps1954** · 11/05/2015, 11:34 PM

Originally Posted by Fixer82

It mentions his Dublin born father but his Dad was born and raised in Birmingham

This again? Really?

**Fixer82** · 11/05/2015, 11:47 PM

Originally Posted by nigel-harps1954

This again? Really?

Is there a problem?

**TheOneWhoKnocks** · 11/05/2015, 11:51 PM

Jack Grealish has just tweeted "WOW. Just read stff in the papers about myself that I didnt even kno bout. Smile smiley face. Sunglasses smiley face. Cheesy grin smiley face. Head in palm smiley face. Beach ball smiley face. Batman smiley face. Tongue out smiley face. Monocle smiley face. Harvey two face smiley face. LULZ. Exclamation mark. Exclamation mark. Exclamation mark".

**Charlie Darwin** · 11/05/2015, 11:54 PM

Is that you Roddy?

**samhaydenjr** · 12/05/2015, 2:26 AM

Originally Posted by tetsujin1979

Telegraph reporting Grealish will be in the squad announced tomorrow: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/foo...d-call-up.html
Not a lot in it to be honest. Mentions that playing against England would not tie him to us (which is true) but no mention that playing against Scotland would

Spot on - they don't even claim to have been told this by a source - they just use the passive voice - "Jack Grealish is expected to be called up". Interestingly, they also use the phrase "force Jack Grealish's hand", almost like they read that article from that Irish journalist a couple of weeks ago and are trying to build on it to stir up conflict between MON and the Grealishes. I think it would be ridiculous for MON to start playing "silly buggers" by naming Grealish in a squad without knowing whether he will accept a call-up - he should talk to the Grealishes and let them know that he's ready to bring him into the fold before saying anything publicly, regardless of what the Telegraph or Eamon Dunphy say. (On a side note, it's also ridiculous that there's far more sensible and circumspect opinions to be found on an internet forum than from RTE's highly paid panel of experts)

As regards whether Grealish should be called up for Scotland, I guess that's Martin O'Neill's call at the end of the day. And while I think the phrasing he used about it being "too big a game" might be debatable, considering Grealish has already impressed in the FA Cup semi and Villa's relegation battle, the fact that he only got his first Premier League start in April might make it a little too soon to shoehorn him into the team's system for such a vital game (although events may well prove me wrong)

So yes, it would be a bonus to see him trot onto the pitch for the last 15 minutes on June 13 and help us clinch victory against Scotland and we could start high-fiving each other at the prospect of reaching five or six of the next seven tournaments instead of three or four. But if that doesn't happen, there's still no cause for panic. The more realistic target would be for him to play against Gibraltar and Georgia in September with a view to preparing him for a role, possibly as an impact sub, against Germany and Poland.

**CraftyToePoke** · 12/05/2015, 2:42 AM

Originally Posted by samhaydenjr

(On a side note, it's also ridiculous that there's far more sensible and circumspect opinions to be found on an internet forum than from RTE's highly paid panel of experts)

This is it, I come on here to find informed and considered comment far more than most mainstream Irish media sources.

Dunphy on this is being dangerously ignorant, rabble rousing nonsense at best, MON may not be able to make a move which wins this battle at present, but he doesn't have to go all in and lose it either.

If Grealish was not a dual national & just qualified for us, would you put him in against Scotland having never trained in our system, met the squad, up to that point ? Its still touch and go for me if I'd favour it even in those circumstances. Its the biggest game for Ireland in a while, that comes first. And we can well do without any 'Grealish shuns Ireland' for days on end in the papers before it.

**Charlie Darwin** · 12/05/2015, 3:00 AM

Originally Posted by samhaydenjr

(On a side note, it's also ridiculous that there's far more sensible and circumspect opinions to be found on an internet forum than from RTE's highly paid panel of experts)

I've heard there is one forum in particular that has the most sensiblest and circumspectest opinions of all internet forums, and its members go to away matches and everything.

**paul_oshea** · 12/05/2015, 7:27 AM

Any truth in this?what's the point if he will just refuse

http://m.independent.ie/sport/soccer...-31214385.html

**TrapAPony** · 12/05/2015, 8:58 AM

If he is called up you would imagine that Jack would know beforehand. If he turns us down then we know exactly where we stand.

**Deckydee** · 12/05/2015, 9:06 AM

Examiner says he wont be called up: http://www.irishexaminer.com/sport/s...ad-330040.html

**TrapAPony** · 12/05/2015, 9:23 AM

Squad to be announced around 12pm allegedly.

**Park_Lane** · 12/05/2015, 9:36 AM

If he is named in the squad I imagine he will withdraw saying he is 'not ready' or get a mysterious injury and withdraw. Don't see the point in trying to force his hand, the guy is going to play for whoever he wants end of. If he wants to get 5 caps for England then good luck to him, its his choice.

**TrapAPony** · 12/05/2015, 9:48 AM

He's to be named in the squad according to the Independent.
http://www.independent.ie/sport/socc...-31214996.html

**Stuttgart88** · 12/05/2015, 10:44 AM

I can only assume he'll be called up if he has given his consent. Otherwise it'd be another unnecessary media sh1t show. Any competent national association would understand this. (Maybe I should change "assume" to "hope to Jaysus".)