Kilbane's dedication to the cause

[smasher]

I'm sure all fans are pleased and respecful of Kilbane's determination to play for Ireland, despite his injury.

[lionelhutz]

Yes, yes we are. Thanks for starting a pointless new thread considering this sentiment has been expressed numerous times in other threads

[jbyrne]

Yes, yes we are. Thanks for starting a pointless new thread considering this sentiment has been expressed numerous times in other threads

is one supposed to trawl through all the other threads to see what has been discussed before before setting up a new thread? :rolleyes:

[gspain]

Definitely. Well done true dedication to the cause. Hope it rubs off in areas close to Wigan as well.

[Pauro 76]

Well I havent come across this topic on any other threads anyway. Has an Irishman ever worn one of these masks in a game before, cant think of one anyway.

[drinkfeckarse]

Kilbane's commitment to the cause has never been in doubt. He'll always be remembered for it.

[davey]

I love him :D

[smasher]

Yes, yes we are. Thanks for starting a pointless new thread considering this sentiment has been expressed numerous times in other threads

Please inform me of any enlightening new threads initiated by your good self, assuming the capacity is there in the first place to undertake what may be an onerous undertaking.

[Wolfie]

Kilbane has shown undoubted committment over the years and has always given the preverbial 137%. He also appears an all-round good egg to boot.

It strikes me that people trip over themselves to rightly acknowledge attributes that should be the bare minimum we require. Commitment and effort.

Again - I'm not begrudging Kilbane the praise, it's just a further confirmation of how far we'd drifted from some of our previous teams ethos.

[lionelhutz]

Apologies lads, I meant to be sarcastic and humerous with that comment - obviously didn't work so well ;)

I admire KK for always giving his utmost but as wolfie stated, this really should be a minimum requirement. Was never a fan of his in terms of ability but at least he doesn't hide in games when the going gets tough

[NeilMcD]

Well I havent come across this topic on any other threads anyway. Has an Irishman ever worn one of these masks in a game before, cant think of one anyway.

I know a few that should have.

[NeilMcD]

Apologies lads, I meant to be sarcastic and humerous with that comment - obviously didn't work so well ;)

I admire KK for always giving his utmost but as wolfie stated, this really should be a minimum requirement. Was never a fan of his in terms of ability but at least he doesn't hide in games when the going gets tough

I think you mean to be ironic, sarcasm is when the intention is to mock or hurt or jest the other person.

[drummerboy]

Kevin Kilbane is a model pro. Can you imagine the impact a certain egg-headed boy wonder would have if he had Kevin’s dedication.

[carloz]

Certainly is a model Pro. I always gave him quite a bit of abuse in years gone by and questioned his inclusion many a time. I know wish we had 11 Kevin Kilbanes in our team. Its easy to forget at times that he has a daughter with downs syndrome. His committment is to be so commended. Thanks Kevin :D

[boovidge]

Its easy to forget at times that he has a daughter with downs syndrome.

isn't that Carsley?

[irishultra]

Is it true he has started every competitive match since 1999?

[Stuttgart88]

Carsley's son has DS too. I think Phil Neville has a kid with severe CP.

[gspain]

Kilbane has shown undoubted committment over the years and has always given the preverbial 137%. He also appears an all-round good egg to boot.

It strikes me that people trip over themselves to rightly acknowledge attributes that should be the bare minimum we require. Commitment and effort.

Again - I'm not begrudging Kilbane the praise, it's just a further confirmation of how far we'd drifted from some of our previous teams ethos.

Did we ever really have it from everyone?

Remember the much revered Davy Langan (and rightly so) well a few of his team-mates went missing when required as well. We've always had people prepared to die for the green jersey but there have been quite a few more whose commitment can be called into question at times.

[smasher]

Kilbane has shown undoubted committment over the years and has always given the preverbial 137%. He also appears an all-round good egg to boot.

It strikes me that people trip over themselves to rightly acknowledge attributes that should be the bare minimum we require. Commitment and effort.

Again - I'm not begrudging Kilbane the praise, it's just a further confirmation of how far we'd drifted from some of our previous teams ethos.


It's because Kilbane's committment is such a rarity that it should be highlighted and not taken for granted

[Wolfie]

Did we ever really have it from everyone?

Remember the much revered Davy Langan (and rightly so) well a few of his team-mates went missing when required as well. We've always had people prepared to die for the green jersey but there have been quite a few more whose commitment can be called into question at times.

Its just I can recall a time were we had a higher concentration of players that exhibited these qualities on a regular basis.

McCarthy, Moran, McGrath, Houghton, Townsend, Aldridge.............all of these players gave of their best.

[gspain]

Its just I can recall a time were we had a higher concentration of players that exhibited these qualities on a regular basis.

McCarthy, Moran, McGrath, Houghton, Townsend, Aldridge.............all of these players gave of their best.

Great player but he went missing on occasions too.

You also omitted some big names of the past. The same big names who in some cases could have doubled their caps totals if they weren't "injured" for many Internationals. OK mainly friendlies but some competitive games too.

[Legendary Bear]

Did Kevin Moran wear a mask once or was it just some crazy granny knot bandage Mick Byrne put on him.

Fair dues to Kilbane. If the mask is worn on his left side he'll have to work on that knock the ball around him and run the other side trick he uses.

[irishultra]

'the cow' is what its called by Brazilians, when an Irish player does it its lashing the ball down the field.

[dr_peepee]

all this talk about the "minimum" we should expect... belittling his efforts

it's bollicks, and i'd say hypocritical on alot of our parts... We're paid to work 40 hrs a week and the minimum expected of us is to work it yet who here does.. the posts on here are testament to that..... mimimum expected??:rolleyes:

the guy has a work ethic and a level of commitment to be admired whether it is in football or not... he doesn't represent ireland for you or me... if he did he'd have given in to some of the clowns that follow us.. he represents ireland and himself.. he's an example and should be put on a pedestal.. ye didn't see him bitchin and whingin on the late late show blaming fans and media when he got more of a raw deal off both than any other player.. he just gets his head down and gets stuck in. lesser people would and have retired...

kevin kilbane...... we salute you

[Billy-Green]

He will go down in the history books as one of the greatest servents to irish football. Zinedine Kilbane deserves all the praise he gets. For a man who was born across the water to have such pride and want for the green jersey is inspirational. Take note Stephen Ireland

[EastTerracer]

100% agree with the praise for Killer. As he mentioned himself in the Sunday Indo this week he had a very shaky debut in Iceland all those years ago. However he has become a credit to the country and represents perfectly the second-generation Irish who choose to play for Ireland along with people like Grealish, Hughton, McCarthy, Houghton, Phelan, Breen and others who were never less than 100% committed. He may not have been that clever on the ball but even Phil Babb stated when he was 16 (in a Millwall programme) that his ambition was to captain Ireland.

Players like Townsend, Aldridge, Cascarino and many others didn't quite have the same direct relationship (grandparents & adoptive grandparents) but nobody can question the commitment they gave as well.

Of the current squad I think Shay, Duffer and Robbie deserve credit alongside Killer. They have always turned up and played, even in friendlies, - I'm giving Robbie the benefit of the doubt for the stag party because Trapp said it was ok ;-)

[SkStu]

all this talk about the "minimum" we should expect... belittling his efforts

it's bollicks, and i'd say hypocritical on alot of our parts... We're paid to work 40 hrs a week and the minimum expected of us is to work it yet who here does.. the posts on here are testament to that..... mimimum expected??:rolleyes:

the guy has a work ethic and a level of commitment to be admired whether it is in football or not... he doesn't represent ireland for you or me... if he did he'd have given in to some of the clowns that follow us.. he represents ireland and himself.. he's an example and should be put on a pedestal.. ye didn't see him bitchin and whingin on the late late show blaming fans and media when he got more of a raw deal off both than any other player.. he just gets his head down and gets stuck in. lesser people would and have retired...

kevin kilbane...... we salute you

couldnt put it better myself. I love the guy, hes an absolute hero.

[gspain]

100% agree with the praise for Killer. As he mentioned himself in the Sunday Indo this week he had a very shaky debut in Iceland all those years ago. However he has become a credit to the country and represents perfectly the second-generation Irish who choose to play for Ireland along with people like Grealish, Hughton, McCarthy, Houghton, Phelan, Breen and others who were never less than 100% committed. He may not have been that clever on the ball but even Phil Babb stated when he was 16 (in a Millwall programme) that his ambition was to captain Ireland.

Players like Townsend, Aldridge, Cascarino and many others didn't quite have the same direct relationship (grandparents & adoptive grandparents) but nobody can question the commitment they gave as well.

Of the current squad I think Shay, Duffer and Robbie deserve credit alongside Killer. They have always turned up and played, even in friendlies, - I'm giving Robbie the benefit of the doubt for the stag party because Trapp said it was ok ;-)

And Gary Breen who went to school on June 13th 1988 wearing an Ireland top in London.

[smasher]

all this talk about the "minimum" we should expect... belittling his efforts

it's bollicks, and i'd say hypocritical on alot of our parts... We're paid to work 40 hrs a week and the minimum expected of us is to work it yet who here does.. the posts on here are testament to that..... mimimum expected??:rolleyes:

the guy has a work ethic and a level of commitment to be admired whether it is in football or not... he doesn't represent ireland for you or me... if he did he'd have given in to some of the clowns that follow us.. he represents ireland and himself.. he's an example and should be put on a pedestal.. ye didn't see him bitchin and whingin on the late late show blaming fans and media when he got more of a raw deal off both than any other player.. he just gets his head down and gets stuck in. lesser people would and have retired...

kevin kilbane...... we salute you

Or listen to him moaning about training pitches or lack of footballs!

[OwlsFan]

Not like Jamie Carragher:

In typically blunt Scouse style, the Liverpool stalwart reveals his feelings about turning out for the national side.

“I was never in love with playing for England,” he says. “I confess: defeats wearing an England shirt never hurt me in the same way as losing with my club.”

Recalling his penalty miss in the World Cup quarter-final against Portugal in 2006, he notes: “I would rather miss for England than LFC.”

As for the end of his England career: “By the time I stopped I felt a huge weight lifting.”

:rolleyes:

[shakermaker1982]

Not like Jamie Carragher:

In typically blunt Scouse style, the Liverpool stalwart reveals his feelings about turning out for the national side.

“I was never in love with playing for England,” he says. “I confess: defeats wearing an England shirt never hurt me in the same way as losing with my club.”

Recalling his penalty miss in the World Cup quarter-final against Portugal in 2006, he notes: “I would rather miss for England than LFC.”

As for the end of his England career: “By the time I stopped I felt a huge weight lifting.”

:rolleyes:


I hope England continue to play losers like that for the next 100 years!!!! :D

Zinedine Kilbane determination to play against Georgia shows that footballers aren't all greedy, ego driven monsters. Good on him. I wish the profession had more like him.

[Drumcondra 69er]

Not like Jamie Carragher:

In typically blunt Scouse style, the Liverpool stalwart reveals his feelings about turning out for the national side.

“I was never in love with playing for England,” he says. “I confess: defeats wearing an England shirt never hurt me in the same way as losing with my club.”

Recalling his penalty miss in the World Cup quarter-final against Portugal in 2006, he notes: “I would rather miss for England than LFC.”

As for the end of his England career: “By the time I stopped I felt a huge weight lifting.”

:rolleyes:

He should've played for us, might have felt diferently, pretty sure he qualified! :D

[spin]

And Gary Breen who went to school on June 13th 1988 wearing an Ireland top in London.

Didn't know that...classic!

I wore mine and a massive smile walking through the brit check point after the match as the b######s pulled every car into the search bay.

Let Killer be our Ray Houghton for Saturday. The man's a legend, a true soldier and an example to some of the modern money-driven prima-donnas we see poluting the game today.

[jjppc]

Let Killer be our Ray Houghton for Saturday. The man's a legend, a true soldier and an example to some of the modern money-driven prima-donnas we see poluting the game today.

Lets hope he can live up to all this praise (unusual on here) and have a good game come Saturday.

[Wolfie]

all this talk about the "minimum" we should expect... belittling his efforts

it's bollicks, and i'd say hypocritical on alot of our parts... We're paid to work 40 hrs a week and the minimum expected of us is to work it yet who here does.. the posts on here are testament to that..... mimimum expected??:rolleyes:

the guy has a work ethic and a level of commitment to be admired whether it is in football or not... he doesn't represent ireland for you or me... if he did he'd have given in to some of the clowns that follow us.. he represents ireland and himself.. he's an example and should be put on a pedestal.. ye didn't see him bitchin and whingin on the late late show blaming fans and media when he got more of a raw deal off both than any other player.. he just gets his head down and gets stuck in. lesser people would and have retired...

kevin kilbane...... we salute you

It was me had the temerity to state that commitment and determination were the bare minimum required. Both are essential to any successful team but there has to be more.

I was most certainly not belittling Kilbanes efforts - in fact I went out of my way to clarify that he was deserving of the praise he was receiving.

My point was that, while such qualities should be lauded, that and that alone is not enough. Will anyone be happy with losses against Georgia and Montenegro but will console themselves that we did our best?

I'm not singling out Kilbane - its a general point that I put forward as Devils Advocate.

[seanfhear]

Commitment and determination are possibly just as important as ability.Roy Keane did not have the skill/ability of a lot of players.It was his other qualities hat made him a top player.
I think one of his best was his ability to continue to learn.I believe that he was not a good passer of the ball when he first went to utd but he worked on it and turned out to be one of utds greatest ever players.

[smasher]

Commitment and determination are possibly just as important as ability.Roy Keane did not have the skill/ability of a lot of players.It was his other qualities hat made him a top player.
I think one of his best was his ability to continue to learn.I believe that he was not a good passer of the ball when he first went to utd but he worked on it and turned out to be one of utds greatest ever players.

Commitment? Are you serious?

[seanfhear]

Commitment? Are you serious?
His commitment to Ireland was at times questionable.

His commitment to the game of football I dont think is/was in question

[dr_peepee]

It was me had the temerity to state that commitment and determination were the bare minimum required. Both are essential to any successful team but there has to be more.

I was most certainly not belittling Kilbanes efforts - in fact I went out of my way to clarify that he was deserving of the praise he was receiving.


Sorry man... I was drunk when I wrote that... Got all higher moral stance about it!!!:o

[paul_oshea]

is kilbane in the ra?!

[Wolfie]

Sorry man... I was drunk when I wrote that... Got all higher moral stance about it!!!:o

No need to apologise, good Dr. :)

[geysir]

Sorry man... I was drunk when I wrote that... Got all higher moral stance about it!!!:o

Not bad for a drunken rant :)

[Supreme feet]

My friend went on a drunken rant about Kilbane last night, and put his feelings bluntly;

'I used to hate him, for the simple reason that he was rubbish, and so frustrating to watch. But now I won't hear a bad word against him, he's so dedicated.'

I'd say that sums up how I feel too. I cringed whenever I saw him in central midfield, but it wasn't his fault he was put there. He's always tried his best, and he epitomises the best traditional attributes of Irish football - honesty, integrity, courage and making the best out of negligible ability.

[backstothewall]

Its hard to knock him at this stage. He will give you blood and sweat in buckets. Still not sure about him in midfield mind you

But he would be my first choice left back at this stage

Getting back to the masks, Duff should have been wearing one when he got us that penalty against Spain in '02

[eirebhoy]

I cringed whenever I saw him in central midfield, but it wasn't his fault he was put there.
I think that's a bit unfair. I think he played 16 games in the centre under Kerr and we lost 1. He's not in there to create. He was really excellent for us up until the last few games. He was playing with Kav mainly at the start until Keane came out of retirement. Once he has an intelligent player like that beside him with a decent range of passing he'll play the Gattuso role superbly.

[onenilgameover]

Well I havent come across this topic on any other threads anyway. Has an Irishman ever worn one of these masks in a game before, cant think of one anyway.

Alex Bruce in the B friendly v Scotland a couple of years ago at Dallymount if I remember right

[Supreme feet]

I think that's a bit unfair. I think he played 16 games in the centre under Kerr and we lost 1. He's not in there to create. He was really excellent for us up until the last few games. He was playing with Kav mainly at the start until Keane came out of retirement. Once he has an intelligent player like that beside him with a decent range of passing he'll play the Gattuso role superbly.

I wouldn't say 'superbly', to be honest! Despite his stormer against France (where he was playing against Dacourt and Mavuba, rather than Vieira and Makelele in Lansdowne), Kilbane was never totally comfortable in centre-mid, very hit-and-miss, and was only there for legs and aggression, something Steven Reid could have provided, and more. The win/loss stats don't tell the full story. Israel, for instance.

In theory at least, a good team should have two intelligent players with a good range of passing in centre-mid. I'll always bemoan the fact that Steven Reid wasn't used in centre-mid alongside Keane during the Kerr era.

[eirebhoy]

He was player of the year playing central midfield and rightly so. Superb against Czechs and Brazil. Basically any game against a really talented team he usually played very well. :)

[Supreme feet]

In fairness, he was given Player of the year in 2004, during which we only played four competitive matches. In that time, we beat Holland, Portugal, Croatia and the Czechs in friendlies, and drew with Brazil. However, that Irish team under Kerr flattered to deceive, and that's how I feel about Kilbane's contribution in centre-mid too, as hard and honestly as he tried. I really, really don't believe in playing players out of position, and it was this tendency that eventually cost Kerr his job.

[tetsujin1979]

Alex Bruce in the B friendly v Scotland a couple of years ago at Dallymount if I remember right
Yep, he did, see here: http://picasaweb.google.com/tetsujin1979/IrelandBVSScotlandB#4997551795106545682