Steve Finnan joins Espanyol

[carloz]

Just announced. Bit of a shock

[NeilMcD]

Very badly treated by Benitez in my view. Good for us that he will not be getting games and playing at a good level. Fair play to him.

[superfrank]

I'm always glad to see an Irish player move outside the UK.

Best of luck to him.

[DmanDmythDledge]

Slower pace should suit him now that he is getting on a bit. Good move also because he will be more used to the style of play that the national team have to face regularly.

[third policeman]

Great move for Finnan and Ireland. Shocking move for Liverpool who are now condemned to play Arbeloa or Degen. Of course Benitez may choose to play Robbie at right back.

[tetsujin1979]

Pretty much what everyone has already said, great move for Finnan, he'll only benefit from playing in the Primera Liga. Are Espanyol playing in Europe this season?

[Drumcondra 69er]

Pretty much what everyone has already said, great move for Finnan, he'll only benefit from playing in the Primera Liga. Are Espanyol playing in Europe this season?

Think they're in the UEFA, had a good season last year.....

[tetsujin1979]

Think they're in the UEFA, had a good season last year.....
Nope, not in Europe, finished 12th according to this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Espanyol#Recent_history
Still, that's a really good record in recent seasons

[Maroon 7]

Very badly treated by Benitez in my view. Good for us that he will not be getting games and playing at a good level. Fair play to him.

He was pretty much a regular under Benitez but he's 32 now. They obviously don't see him as a long term solution. Still think he's better than Arbeloa though.

[DmanDmythDledge]

He was pretty much a regular under Benitez but he's 32 now. They obviously don't see him as a long term solution.
He was out of the team for most of last season.

[back of the net]

liverpools loss - disgracefully treated by benitez


great for finnan and for ireland

[Maroon 7]

He was out of the team for most of last season.

Well he was a regular for most of the time Benitez was there. In fairness he picked up a couple of injuries last season and seemed to struggle to get back into the team once he was out for a bit.

[youngirish]

Just announced. Bit of a shock

Not really it was mentioned in the transfer thread early this morning.

[Torn-Ado]

Just hope he does better in la Liga than Harte and nails down a regular place.

[Inside Man]

Dissappionted to hear this. I rated him as one of the best Right full's in the league. Was hard done by with Benitez's bad man-management.
He should have stayed in England in my opinion.

[gustavo]

Dissappionted to hear this. I rated him as one of the best Right full's in the league. Was hard done by with Benitez's bad man-management.
He should have stayed in England in my opinion.
Why so ?

Also I don't see why he was disgracefully treated , players get dropped and sold by clubs all the time

[DmanDmythDledge]

Dissappionted to hear this. I rated him as one of the best Right full's in the league. Was hard done by with Benitez's bad man-management.
He should have stayed in England in my opinion.
Once he lost a bit of pace he was always going to struggle in the Premiership.

[third policeman]

Well he was a regular for most of the time Benitez was there. In fairness he picked up a couple of injuries last season and seemed to struggle to get back into the team once he was out for a bit.


Benitez bought Josemi as a replacement for Finnan the moment he arrived only to discover that he was no good. He then bought Kronkamp who turned out to be equally inept. Benitez has only picked Finnan reluctantly IMO and was never going to give him a chance this season. He has been badly treated because he has been extremely consistent and is the only Liverpool full back who has demonstrated an ability to get forward and deliver telling crosses. Hopefully he will now be playing for a manager who believes in him which can only be good for us.

[boovidge]

good move overall although slightly disappointing he wont be playing european football.

[shakermaker1982]

good on him. Hope he does well at his new club.

[Drumcondra 69er]

Nope, not in Europe, finished 12th according to this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Espanyol#Recent_history
Still, that's a really good record in recent seasons

Now that you mention it I thinks it's Ath. Madrid I was thinking of, knew it was a local rival of one of the big two over there!

[irishultra]

Great news, now if only people like Andy Reid, Ireland, Doyle and McGeady moved to strong continential European teams it would be great.


Espanyol did well the season before last I think. I remember they were second for a long time.

[danonion]

Ian Harte Mk II?

[mypost]

He has retired from international football, as no Irish player is selected* unless he plays in the UK.

*Injuries permitting.

[NeilMcD]

John Aldridge, Kevin Moran, Frank Stapleton, David Connolly,

[Hibernian]

I wish him all the best

Must admit was annoyed at him leaving the international scene but now he back hope he can improve with the Spanish outfit for the good of the international team.

[geysir]

John Aldridge, Kevin Moran, Frank Stapleton, David Connolly,
I feel a best 11 coming on ;)

Noel Campbell, Alan Campbell, Steve Heighway, Liam Brady, Mickey Walsh, Mick McCarthy, Tony Cascarino, John Byrne, Fran O'Brien and Don Givens.

[mypost]

John Aldridge, Kevin Moran, Frank Stapleton, David Connolly

Kevin Doyle, Anthony Stokes, Daryl Murphy, LOI players in general.

[deecay]

Shame about their fans

[Pauro 76]

What's wrong with their fans?

[tetsujin1979]

Kevin Doyle, Anthony Stokes, Daryl Murphy, LOI players in general.
Stokes never played LOI, although he was on the books at Shels before moving to Arsenal

[third policeman]

John Aldridge, Kevin Moran, Frank Stapleton, David Connolly,




Other Irish internationals who have played for European clubs?

Noel Campbell (fortuna Cologne)
Alan Campbell (Santander)
Mick Robinson (Osasuna)
Micky Walsh (Porto)
Liam Brady (Juventus, etc)
Liam Buckley (somewhere in Belgium?)
Tony Cascarino (Marseilles, Nancy)
Phil Babb (Sporting Lisbon)
Alan Mahon (Sporting Lisbon)
Mick McCarthy (Lyon?)
John Byrne (Le Harvre)

Probably a few more but its not many. It is extraordinary that our players dont look any further than England / Scotland.

[NeilMcD]

Kevin Doyle, Anthony Stokes, Daryl Murphy, LOI players in general.

We are talking about players being picked for the Irish senior team when not playing in the UK. So these lads do not qualify. But Jason Byrne and Glenn Crowe do.

[ifk101]

Dominic Foley with Gent in Belgium is another (former) international playing outside the UK. He also had a spell in Portugal before he joined Bohs.

[Carrigaline]

This is a terrible move for Finnan.

He's gone from playing with a top English team in the Champions League to a mid-table Spanish outfit.

Still, I hope he does well. We need him to be at his best for Ireland.

[ifk101]

Espanyol is a step down from Liverpool but realistically Finnan wasn't in Liverpool's plans so Espanyol is a good move for him. And I'd personally prefer to live in Barcelona than Liverpool :D

[Dodge]

This is a terrible move for Finnan.

He's gone from playing with a top English team in the Champions League to a mid-table Spanish outfit

He's gone from being the makeweight in a deal to bring Barry from Villa, to being the makeweight ina deal to bring Riera from Espanyol

Realistically he wasn't in Liverpool's plans and playing for Espanyol is better than the previous moves rumoured for him (Fulham, Portsmouth etc)

[Carrigaline]

Espanyol is better than the previous moves rumoured for him (Fulham, Portsmouth etc)
Everton were in for him as well. I think that would have been the better move to be honest.

[Dodge]

I disagree, but either way I can't see how its a "terrible" move

[mypost]

Dominic Foley with Gent in Belgium is another (former) international playing outside the UK.

Former is the key word.

[Closed Account 2]

It's a great move for him. Benitez never really took to him and it was time for him to leave Liverpool. Espanyol are a good club, he'll be tested at a higher level in la liga than in the premier league, he will face good opposition (in terms of technique) week in week out instead of the more agricultural players he would have faced against teams like Hull, Middlesboro' etc.

He could still develop as a player now, he will learn a lot in terms of positioning, mental toughness, pressure etc - much more than he would have learned had he gone to a "lump and chase" team like Hull, Derby, Everton etc.

Fantastic move and a great city to live in too!

[superfrank]

Former is the key word.
He was nowhere near the team when he was in England. He only played a handful of games and that was about four or five years before he went to Belgium.

[Stuttgart88]

I think it's a good move and better than going anywhere other than a top 4 + Villa / Everton / Spurs in england. The Primera Liga is less rough and tumble and I think he'll do well there and be fresher for international action.

This is what his new manager said about him - spot on assessment:

"He brings balance to the right side. He doesn't make mistakes, gives good passes, defends well and is correct in everything he does.

"He is always worth a 'seven' in ratings, he doesn't call attention to himself, but the coach and the squad will appreciate him.

[geysir]

That's Herrera who was at Liverpool in some capacity for a while, same time as Finnan.
A very good move for Finnan.

[ShamTalk]

As a staunch Liverpool fan, this is a crazy move by a crazy manager.

Liverpool have just bought the biggest donkey I have ever seen in Dossena and shipped out Mr. Reliable, Steve Finnan.

They could move Arbeloa to left full where he has done a decent job previously and with Aurelio you have two decent left full backs. On the right he could employ Finnan (or Carragher)..

Liverpool should let D.I.C. in, get rid of the Yanks and put Martin O'Neill at the helm......

[deecay]

What's wrong with their fans?
Strong right wing views

[gustavo]

He's gone from playing with a top English teams reserves in the Champions League to a mid-table Spanish outfit.


I fixed that for you

[boovidge]

when's the reserves champions league? :p

[Colbert Report]

Finnan hasn't even been named to the bench yet. What's the deal?

[tetsujin1979]

this is on Espanyol's site:


Finnan passa la revisió mèdica http://www.rcdespanyol.com//imagenes/nube.gif
L'últim fitxatge de l'Espanyol, Steve Finnan, ha passat aquest matí les proves mèdiques abans d'incorporar-se al treball a les ordres de Márquez. El jugador s'ha sotmès als exàmens pertinents a la Clínica Creu Blanca, encara que ja va ser examinat de manera completa abans de formalitzar el seu fitxatge, que es va produir el dia 31 d'agost.

A l'estar convocat amb la seva selecció, Finnan no va arribar fins ahir a la nit a Barcelona. Aquest matí s'ha desplaçat per realitzar les proves mèdiques i aquesta mateixa tarda, a les 18:00 hores, serà presentat oficialment a l'Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys. No serà fins demà, al tenir avui jornada de descans la primera plantilla, que el jugador s'exerciti amb els seus nous companys.

L'exjugador del Liverpool ha disputat dos partits des que va tancar el seu fitxatge per l'Espanyol, tots dos amb la seva selecció, en la que és indiscutible. Irlanda va guanyar dissabte passat davant Geòrgia, per 1-2, i va empatar a zero dimecres davant la selecció de Montenegro. En els dos partits, el nou lateral perico va sortir de titular i, mentre davant Geòrgia va ser substituït en el minut 80, davant Montenegro va disputar la totalitat del partit.

anyone speak Spanish?