Potentially eligible players thread

[gastric]

That is nonsense. The vast majority of people who emigrate have/had jobs over here when they leave. A significant amount of Irish people who emigrate go to America and Australia without any guarantees of work. A lot remain there when their visa's expire.

If people don't want to remain in Ireland for whatever reason, that's their prerogative, but let's not pretend they are forced into it.

Edit: OK modern context.

As for Noble, he doesn't deserve to be in the starting 11 on merit so how is he going to be the difference in us qualifying and not qualifying? It's an oxymoron. If he does get regular playing time straight away, does this effect squad harmony? It's the same thing with Given.

Squad harmony? These blokes are in squads week in, week out where players are dropped, injured or have peed the manager off and lose their place. They are professionals who don't have to cry on a tricolour to find motivation. You seem to have a very idealistic view of these players. Ultimately, they live in a world of survival of the fittest and that includes international football. Earlier, you mentioned if players like Noble play for Ireland, it will affect the motivations of younger players. The reality is, if they play well enough, they will play for Ireland. If not, they won't. This is the reality of professional sport.

[TheOneWhoKnocks]

You honestly think a 27 year old who has previously expressed zero interest in playing for Ireland declaring literally days before a qualifying campaign won't cause a little resentment? You honestly think Hendrick, Meyler, Reid, Gibson and Hoolahan wouldn't be a little ****ed off if Noble was playing at their expense? You honestly think younger players would be happy to have their path to playing for their country being restricted because of near 30 year olds declaring because they give up on playing for England?

The player isn't good enough to improve Ireland - bottom line. People said Paul Green would be the answer to our problems after he concussed the ball into the net against Algeria!

A few things worth considering. He has been eligible for over three qualifying campaigns without declaring. He was said to want a place in the first team as a condition of declaring for this country. What kind of attitude will he have if he doesn't play?

Is it so much to ask for for us to have a little self-respect and pride in the jersey?

That's all I have to say. There are no quotes from the player and just two weeks ago he said he wanted to play for England. We have been down this road before so I'm not going to get any more passionate over an average, average player.

[ifk101]

He doesn't improve the quality of the squad, just adds another body. And if true, he'll stand in the way of the development of a future star for us, thinking Jeff Hendrick. Seeing this as another step towards the all too familar stage of a manager blaming his own inadequacies on not having the players to hand .....

[TrapAPony]

At the end of the day if Noble does in fact make himself available O'Neill will pick him.

[Real ale Madrid]

He was said to want a place in the first team as a condition of declaring for this country. What kind of attitude will he have if he doesn't play?


Have you a quote from him to back up that ridiculous assertion?




He doesn't improve the quality of the squad, just adds another body...

If he declares for us - he is, apart from McCarthy, our best midfielder. People who think Gibson is better are ridiculous - maybe just maybe Gibson is more talented than Noble but Noble is a regular in a Permiership - something that can't be said for Gibson.

And while I have certain misgivings about him declaring - at the end of the day if the Diego Costas of this world are doing it - who are we to turn down Noble. He's as Irish as Townsend, Houghton or any of them. If you don't cast your net as wide as you can you run the risk of falling behind - especially as the FAI couldn't give a toss about youth development.

[Charlie Darwin]

Have you a quote from him to back up that ridiculous assertion?
He didn't say it, but back when Trapattoni was talking to the agents of players like Noble and O'Hara, he made a comment about how agents were telling him their player would only declare if they were guaranteed to play. He didn't specify who it was but people seem to have concluded it was Noble.


If he declares for us - he is, apart from McCarthy, our best midfielder. People who think Gibson is better are ridiculous - maybe just maybe Gibson is more talented than Noble but Noble is a regular in a Permiership - something that can't be said for Gibson.
Because he's missed an entire year with injury and months before that. Anytime he's been fit, he's been first choice for his club.

[ArdeeBhoy]

This is what happens when you base the economic model of a country on mass emigration.
That's a bit of a daft assertion, it's as much to do with cultural & social factors as economic rationale.


And while I have certain misgivings about him declaring - at the end of the day if the Diego Costas of this world are doing it - who are we to turn down Noble. He's as Irish as Townsend, Houghton or any of them. If you don't cast your net as wide as you can you run the risk of falling behind - especially as the FAI couldn't give a toss about youth development.
Except you have to have the talent to develop in the first place...you could invest billions in domestic soccer at a youth level, but there's no guarantee it's going to develop lots of quality international players!
Our pool is spread quite thinly, given soccer is not our national sport so it's always going to be a problem IMO.

Otherwise a good post, though don't share those misgivings. If anyone improves the Irish team and they're eligible (>1% DNA will do for me) and the other players accept them, who cares...

[ifk101]

Saying Noble is better than the rest is very subjective, and nothing I'd agree with. We're not comparing Diego Costa with Conor Sammon here, no disrespect to Diego Costa intended. The assumption is Noble will apply himself to the best of his abilities but he's been sitting on the fence for countless years so why entertain Noble's whim and devalue our team this way?

[DannyInvincible]

I'm a bit torn. The idea of a 27-year-old player - who has repeatedly turned down the chance to represent us before - suddenly coming on board, now that he knows he'll never get an England call-up, doesn't sit well with me. I'm excited to see how the likes of Hendrick, Gibson, Meyler and Reid can do in this campaign, and someone like Noble coming in and possibly jumping the queue seems a bit distasteful.

Jack Charlton's squad, however, did have a few English-born players with tenous lineage, who declared late in their careers. Our success under Charlton inspired a whole generation of young Irish-born players - including Duff, Robbie Keane, Dunne, O'Shea and Andy Reid - to play football, win tournaments at underage level and become full internationals. If we qualify for tournaments, it generates interest, which is good for the game. To qualify, we need to play the best available players (while also laying adequate foundations to ensure that the next crop of young Irish talent is managed properly). I dont like exploiting the granny rule to this extent, but it may be a necessary evil.

I'm not all that gone on this, to be honest. However, we'd be in denial if we thought that there weren't numerous England-born Irish players down through the years (who we've happily supported in idealistic manner) that would have chosen to play for England if they'd ever been offered the opportunity. Noble's case has just been a bit more discernible as he, until now obviously, has perceived his chance of an England call-up to be a bit more realistic than that of some other England-born players who might have declared for us at a younger age.

Out of interest, does anyone know who the oldest player to declare for us/switch has been to date?

If Noble does indeed decide to switch, he'll need to prove his commitment and worth to the team.


Harry Kane's ruled himself out: http://www.tottenhamjournal.co.uk/tottenham-hotspur/tottenham_hotspur_2_3754/kane_i_ve_proved_i_can_be_a_lone_striker_for_spurs _and_i_ve_shown_my_character_1_3749558

We really are beginning to look like beggars.

Well, Martin does have IFA roots. :p

Kane doesn't quite rule a switch out as the article's deceptive paraphrasing suggests. He just states that there has been no decision to switch allegiance, or even that there is no decision, but that doesn't rule out the possibility of there being some decision in the future.


Kane is also eligible to play for Ireland through his grandparents, but he says there is no chance he will switch allegiances – and that he is happy to wait for Hodgson’s call.

“There’s no decision there,” he said. “Obviously I’m playing for England’s Under-21s at the minute and I want to break into that senior squad.


Noble getting a good bit of stick across all forums now. Part of me thinks the Mail 'source' could have been part-constructed by Noble himself to measure how Irish fans would react to him. If he's paying attention, he'll probably think it's more hassle than it's worth.

Just out of interest, how would people react if it were an uncapped Spanish or German player, lets say Illarremendi, Arteta or Lasogga, who just discovered a long-lost Irish granny? I'd imagine we'd be slightly more welcoming!

Noble hasn't just discovered his eligibility though. He's known about it for years and has had plenty of opportunity to declare, so the analogy doesn't quite fit.


You honestly think a 27 year old who has previously expressed zero interest in playing for Ireland declaring literally days before a qualifying campaign won't cause a little resentment? You honestly think Hendrick, Meyler, Reid, Gibson and Hoolahan wouldn't be a little ****ed off if Noble was playing at their expense? You honestly think younger players would be happy to have their path to playing for their country being restricted because of near 30 year olds declaring because they give up on playing for England?

The player isn't good enough to improve Ireland - bottom line.

Well, the aforementioned list of players will have nothing to worry about then if Nobel's not good enough to add anything... What you say is somewhat contradictory, no?

He'll surely add competition and depth at the very least. It will, or should, motivate others to try harder; not offer them an excuse for self-pity if they miss out at his expense. He'll win me over if he fights for his position in the team along with the other eligible players vying for places in midfield and appears to be deserving of it.

I must point out though, I don't flatly disagree with everything you're saying on the matter. :)

I'm not flat-out against his prospective declaration (if he proves his worth), but I'd be reticent to celebrate it just yet. It's a bit like the Pennant case, and, if I recall correctly, that story sparked a few unfavourable comments from established squad players at the time in relation to johnny-come-lately types.

[Stuttgart88]

Noble fails my gut test. Badly.

[Supreme feet]

Out of interest, does anyone know who the oldest player to declare for us/switch has been to date?

Not sure, but Jon Macken must be up there? A month short of his 27th birthday when he played for us.

[Charlie Darwin]

Noble fails my gut test. Badly.
Has anyone ever failed the gut test and proved you wrong?

[Charlie Darwin]

Not sure, but Jon Macken must be up there? A month short of his 27th birthday when he played for us.
Terry Mancini was in his 30s I think.

Bernie Slaven was 29 when he made his debut.

[ArdeeBhoy]

Noble fails my gut test. Badly.

Tbf you could say much the same about a certain RMK, S.Ireland & probably at least a few others, on occasion.

[Stuttgart88]

Has anyone ever failed the gut test and proved you wrong?my gut composition has changed over the years!

I'm a lot more fussy than I was at the time of Charlton and Hand. I was pleased as punch when Townsend declared but he'd probably fail now, but prove me wrong. Back then, of course, the FA was asleep at the wheel so there were fewer players then who were very clearly England holdouts who switched late. Townsend wasn't a holdout, nor was Aldridge, they were just overlooked. That's a bit different.

It's been argued above that our players are grown men and professionals so shouldn't be too miffed if a latecomer comes in and nicks their place. Maybe so, but O'Neill's insistence that we haven't the players really annoys me. We have plenty of good players. I'd prefer to put my faith in Hendrick, Gibson, McCarthy, Meyler, Quinn, Reid and Hoolahan. If Noble was to replace Whelan then maybe I'd be more inclined to see this as a progressive move :)

As SF says maybe this'll be a necessary evil.

[Closed Account 2]

Thinking about it from a purely footballing perspective I'd be happy to have him in the squad. He is a very accomplished midfielder, he marks well, he wins the ball and he is good at keeping possession, I would say he is the sort of high-tempo central midfielder akin to the likes of Andrews and Kavanagh (possibly a step up from both) that we are missing in our squad at the moment. In an emergency he could also play out wide, especially on the right, so again he brings a degree of versatility to the squad. If we play a 4-5-1 he could be in central midfield, on the right or at a push just behind the striker (at a push but Hoolahan would be better there), if we stuck with 4-4-2 he could be one of the central ones and if we did 4-3-3 he could be a centrally defensive player, McCarthy's shield so to speak. 21 goals and 30 odd assists in almost 200 premier league games suggests he would carry an attacking threat. I think he would compliment James McCarthy very well, and Gibson's situation at Everton is looking a bit bleaker than a year or so ago (his injuries and the additions of Barry and Besic might have caused him to slip down the pecking order). Aside from the other week he's very good at set pieces (esp penalties) and, if in the starting 11 would probably be the default taker (especially if Robbie isnt playing)

All of that is from a footballing persepective, I have mixed feelings about him playing for us in terms of desire. It does feel a little bit like we are his back up plan now he thinks the England ship has sailed, a lot of the signs in terms of timing point to this, but we don't really know either way. There can be a whole host of reasons for this sort of thing, Kevin Gallen wanted to play for us but was more or less prevented from doing so by his club (QPR), didn't McCarthy himself say his grandad's dying wish was for him to play for Ireland and that was a big factor in him playing for us? It could be he made a decision at under 21 level with a degree of duress or under undue influence and the situation has just drifted from that decision - who knows how much contact the FAI had with him in the last few years, it could be that he feels like he has a genuine split sense of nationality - did Houghton and Townsend say they both felt very Scottish/Irish, maybe there is a situation like that? If Noble does declare for us and if says his motivation for doing it is honorable (for want of a better word) then I wouldnt have a major problem with it.

[zero]

if noble comes on board and plays a key role in a successful qualifying campaign, most of these concerns will fade away.

personally i don't mind if one or two squad members have questionable motives as long as the team on the pitch does the job.

[Charlie Darwin]

It's a curious management technique both Trap and O'Neill have adopted - motivate your players by publicly talking them down on a regular basis. I don't know what coaches of other sides of our level do to get their players to play above their level, but I'm guessing it doesn't involve that. If I was being cynical, I'd say there was a bit of management going on of their own reputations.

[TheOneWhoKnocks]

Have you a quote from him to back up that ridiculous assertion?





If he declares for us - he is, apart from McCarthy, our best midfielder. People who think Gibson is better are ridiculous - maybe just maybe Gibson is more talented than Noble but Noble is a regular in a Permiership - something that can't be said for Gibson.

And while I have certain misgivings about him declaring - at the end of the day if the Diego Costas of this world are doing it - who are we to turn down Noble. He's as Irish as Townsend, Houghton or any of them. If you don't cast your net as wide as you can you run the risk of falling behind - especially as the FAI couldn't give a toss about youth development.

Honestly? Do you watch West Ham? They are probably one of the worst footballing sides in the Premier League. He went down to the Championship with them a few years ago. There is no way he should be shifting McCarthy, Hoolahan, Reid, Hendrick, Gibson, Meyler or even Whelan.

It's as well to give Eunan O'Kane a reward for his form at Bournemouth, a good footballing side. If Noble is much better - I sincerely, sincerely doubt it - any benefits are negated by his reticence to actually play for Ireland and any attitude problems stemming from a lack of playing time.

I haven't even mentioned Stephen Quinn. Start the season on fire for Hull and get the shaft while someone literally declares less than a week before the campaign starts and jumps ahead of him in the pecking order. It's shameful.

[Charlie Darwin]

Honestly? Do you watch West Ham? They are probably one of the worst footballing sides in the Premier League. He went down to the Championship with them a few years ago. There is no way he should be shifting McCarthy, Hoolahan, Reid, Hendrick, Gibson, Meyler or even Whelan.

It's as well to give Eunan O'Kane a reward for his form at Bournemouth, a good footballing side. If Noble is much better - I sincerely, sincerely doubt it - any benefits are negated by his reticence to actually play for Ireland and any attitude problems stemming from a lack of playing time.

I haven't even mentioned Stephen Quinn. Start the season on fire for Hull and get the shaft while someone literally declares less than a week before the campaign starts and jumps ahead of him in the pecking order. It's shameful.
Think you're underestimating Noble a bit. He's a very solid player at a poor team. And even if he does declare, it will take a few months, probably into 2015, before he is cleared to play.

[TheOneWhoKnocks]

Really? I read that he could be available for the Germany game.

[Charlie Darwin]

Really? I read that he could be available for the Germany game.
It's unlikely he will be cleared that quickly. It took Shane Duffy six months to get clearance, McClean something similar.

[DeLorean]

There is no way he should be shifting McCarthy, Hoolahan, Reid, Hendrick, Gibson, Meyler or even Whelan.

Well I think that's something we can all agree on.

[DannyInvincible]

Really? I read that he could be available for the Germany game.

Balls.ie stated that "a fast track passport would mean that Noble could be ready to make his debut against World Champions Germany": http://balls.ie/football/west-ham-player-season-wants-ireland-call/

From where they got their info, I'm not sure, as the Daily Mail piece mentioned nothing about a "fast-track passport". Balls.ie also don't appear to have considered the administrative side of things, as in FIFA approving any request to switch. The length of time that process takes can very, but it can take a few weeks at the very least, as far as I know.

Edit: Or months, in some cases, as Charlie points out. I'm not really sure if there's any strict time-frame, although, if memory serves me correctly, there was at least suspicion that Shane Duffy's switch was delayed as the Kearns case was ongoing at the time - FIFA may not have been processing IFA-FAI switches for a spell - even though Duffy's father is from Donegal anyway. I'm sure there are further details on this way back in the eligibility thread somewhere, but I'd need to get that confirmed.

I remember there being talk when McClean was switching that the process also required IFA action (in terms of handing over documents to FIFA or something) so they might have been lumbering on the matter, but I don't know how true that was. I don't imagine an association would be allowed to hold up a player who wishes to effect his right to switch association once.

[DannyInvincible]

The word on the street: http://balls.ie/football/audio-think-mark-noble-welcomed-ireland-setup/

[Charlie Darwin]

Is that first guy English or Irish?

[DannyInvincible]

I'm a lot more fussy than I was at the time of Charlton and Hand. I was pleased as punch when Townsend declared but he'd probably fail now, but prove me wrong. Back then, of course, the FA was asleep at the wheel so there were fewer players then who were very clearly England holdouts who switched late. Townsend wasn't a holdout, nor was Aldridge, they were just overlooked. That's a bit different.

Of course, prior to 2004 (or 2009 for over-21s), it wasn't possible for capped youth (and friendly?) internationals to switch association at all, so we never had to consider the prospect of, say, former England youth internationals who had tied their colours to a mast, so to speak, switching to us. You could never cynically say of those players like Townsend declaring for us, "Well, look, he played for England under-age and now he's switching to us late on because his senior England plans never materialised, so we're clearly a back-up plan." Media coverage was also less saturated and all-encompassing then. There was no social media. There were no internet forums with every little detail and utterance by individuals concerned recorded, analysed, archived and easily accessed. Supporters might not have been all that aware of who was actually eligible until the players concerned had decided to get their citizenship documents in order or were first called into a squad, so there probably wasn't all this "will he or won't he?" speculation (for months or years) surrounding or in the lead-up to declarations. Would there even have been a true gut test under those limited circumstances? I can't say with certainty that this was the case but I just sense things would have been a little different then due to the limited spread of information. Maybe some of the older posters could clarify what the situation was like. We just have a lot more information available now by which we can critically judge players and their perceived motives.

[DannyInvincible]

All of that is from a footballing persepective, I have mixed feelings about him playing for us in terms of desire. It does feel a little bit like we are his back up plan now he thinks the England ship has sailed, a lot of the signs in terms of timing point to this, but we don't really know either way. There can be a whole host of reasons for this sort of thing, Kevin Gallen wanted to play for us but was more or less prevented from doing so by his club (QPR), didn't McCarthy himself say his grandad's dying wish was for him to play for Ireland and that was a big factor in him playing for us? It could be he made a decision at under 21 level with a degree of duress or under undue influence and the situation has just drifted from that decision - who knows how much contact the FAI had with him in the last few years, it could be that he feels like he has a genuine split sense of nationality - did Houghton and Townsend say they both felt very Scottish/Irish, maybe there is a situation like that? If Noble does declare for us and if says his motivation for doing it is honorable (for want of a better word) then I wouldnt have a major problem with it.

McCarthy's grandad story was slightly embellished by the media. His Donegal grandfather had always said he would have loved it if James went on to play for Ireland and he was indeed a big influence on James, but there was no promise made to him on his death-bed: http://greenscene.me/2011/01/trapattoni-and-mccarthy-in-quotes/


I was born in Scotland but my mother’s family are from Donegal. My grandfather, Paddy Coyle, was a big influence on me before he died and it was my intention to represent Ireland if I was lucky enough to be selected. I was a Glasgow Celtic supporter as a kid and my grandfather used to tell about the history of Celtic and the Irish International team. I spent some time in Ireland with my relatives when I was younger and my aunts and uncles are coming along to the games during the week.



People think I chose to play for the Republic because my granda asked me to. It wasn’t his last wish, like some people think. He always said he would have loved to see me play for Ireland but that’s not the reason I made my decision. The chance came for an international cap and I decided to go for it because Scotland never asked me. There was never any indication they were going to either. I know I’m still young but I wanted international experience and it meant a lot for me to get it with Ireland.

In relation to Noble, it's hard to see how he might have made the decision to play for England throughout youth level "under duress". He's always been very open about his ambition to play for England at senior level. I'm not so sure he has ever felt particularly Irish. Did he, in fact, deny that he felt Irish at one point? That's not necessarily to say that he isn't Irish. He fulfills the legal criteria, after all.

Edit: Or am I confusing Noble with Kevin Nolan as regards not feeling particularly Irish?

[Stuttgart88]

Well I think that's something we can all agree on.
I think we should be tolerant of all creeds, colours and orientations. Now if he was to shift them all, I'd be asking questions.

[Charlie Darwin]

Source is reddit, so take it with a pinch of salt:


Cork Citycolmshan1990 (http://www.reddit.com/user/colmshan1990) 3 points 31 minutes ago No thank you.
I attended an U21 European Championship qualifier between Ireland and England at Turner's Cross in 2007, Noble captained England to a 3-0 win, scoring twice (and that was quite a good England side, other players included Milner, Hart and Walcott).
Both times after scoring he ran to the Irish fans (the first goal to the section where I was sat, in the family section) and screamed abuse along the lines "Take that, you fenian *******s."
Not the most offensive thing I've ever ever heard, but clearly not a player who wants to give his all for the green shirt or the Irish fans.

[Stuttgart88]

I remember that game. Randolph had a shocker. Garvan and Meyler were really good and we were unlucky to lose, let alone 3-0. I think Stokes was there too. I absolutely doubt the authenticity of that comment.

[DannyInvincible]

Crosby called. He wants to know what's so offensive about "you fenian chappers" anyway.

[TheOneWhoKnocks]

I remember that game. Randolph had a shocker. Garvan and Meyler were really good and we were unlucky to lose, let alone 3-0. I think Stokes was there too. I absolutely doubt the authenticity of that comment.

Why would anyone lie about something like that?

[Stuttgart88]

You're right, nobody says anything silly or untrue on the internet. Silly me.

Seriously, I think the comment sounds far fetched. Why would Noble even consider calling someone a Fenian so and so? If true it'd make him out as someone with a deep rooted dislike of the Irish, Not someone who'd play football for us even as a last resort. Instead, it sounds like some Provo nutter has been let loose on the internet.

Do you think it sounds credible?

[liamoo11]

Terry Mancini was in his 30s I think.

Bernie Slaven was 29 when he made his debut.

I still remember how worried i was that bernie would chose Scotland. Please god dont let noble bring jamie O hara or kevin Nolan on board

[ArdeeBhoy]

Too late for those two clowns...
And with Stutts on this one, am seeing some Hammers at a do tomorrow, will ask them if they think it's likely...

[DannyInvincible]

I still remember how worried i was that bernie would chose Scotland. Please god dont let noble bring jamie O hara or kevin Nolan on board

Nolan isn't eligible - he looked into it but it turned out he was a generation out - and, as it happens, O'Hara was released by Wolves today (http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/28981633) so is a free agent. His career steadily declined and I can't believe he's 27 now. Injuries didn't help. I wonder does he regret not having declared for us years ago when he was receiving rave reviews.

[TheOneWhoKnocks]

You're right, nobody says anything silly or untrue on the internet. Silly me.

Seriously, I think the comment sounds far fetched. Why would Noble even consider calling someone a Fenian so and so? If true it'd make him out as someone with a deep rooted dislike of the Irish, Not someone who'd play football for us even as a last resort. Instead, it sounds like some Provo nutter has been let loose on the internet.

Do you think it sounds credible?

If he's lying, it's some Walter Mitty stuff. The poster didn't even sound like he had a vendetta against English born players/Mark Noble. He just relayed an anecdote and said he would rather not have him on board. He even said it wasn't the most offensive thing he's ever heard.

Nobody knows if it's true. I wouldn't be surprised if it is. It is a lot more culturally acceptable in England to make derogatory remarks about the Irish and excuse it as sledging or banter than it would be any other nationality/skin color.

I have seen some shocking stuff said about James McClean, John O'Shea and Seamus Coleman on English football forums that no-one bats an eyelid too.

For some reason, I can't envision Carlos Cuellar being called a dago or Emmanuele Giaccherini being called a wop but call the Irish whatever you like and it will just be excused as banter.

[Stuttgart88]

I do find it especially interesting how you allocate the benefit of the doubt in certain situations.

[TheOneWhoKnocks]

I do find it especially interesting how you allocate the benefit of the doubt in certain situations.

I didn't say I think it happened. I said I wouldn't be surprised if it did. I don't understand what would motivate someone to post something like that if there wasn't an element of truth in it.

More than one person is bound to have heard it if it did happen. Someone should post something about it on a Cork City forum.

[Supreme feet]

http://anditscomethroughhere.blogspot.ie/2014/08/mark-noble-tests-limit-of-our-granny.html

Here are my two cents, in blog form. As always, any feedback, comments or critique would be welcomed.

[DannyInvincible]

I have seen some shocking stuff said about James McClean, John O'Shea and Seamus Coleman on English football forums that no-one bats an eyelid too.

For some reason, I can't envision Carlos Cuellar being called a dago or Emmanuele Giaccherini being called a wop but call the Irish whatever you like and it will just be excused as banter.

Excused by whom? Other mindless racist minority idiots on the internet?

What have you seen and where?

[Stuttgart88]

http://anditscomethroughhere.blogspot.ie/2014/08/mark-noble-tests-limit-of-our-granny.html

Here are my two cents, in blog form. As always, any feedback, comments or critique would be welcomed.second-last paragraph rings true. A bit harsh on Meyler.

As for the doldrums, I think we can turn a corner pretty quickly if things fall the right way, and without Mark Noble. The darkest hour is before the dawn.

Compete in midfield, avoid careless giveaways at the back, take chances. It's not that big an ask.

[Stuttgart88]

I didn't say I think it happened. I said I wouldn't be surprised if it did. I don't understand what would motivate someone to post something like that if there wasn't an element of truth in it.

More than one person is bound to have heard it if it did happen. Someone should post something about it on a Cork City forum.I'd be surprised if it did happen. It's only the type of thing a chippy loyalist nut job would have said. I don't know much about Noble but I haven't heard anything about him that suggests he's a politically aware anti-nationalist. I also suspect that if true this would have come to light before now. It may have preceded the twitter era but other forms of social media existed back then.

I'd prefer we didn't pursue him but I still instinctively think that story lacks credibility. I've seen the poisonous squaddy claptrap aimed at McClean on Twitter, but again, I'd be surprised if that was Noble's mindset. I can't imagine the Troubles or anything related ever bothered him much either way. It's not like he was Ian Durrant.

[Supreme feet]

second-last paragraph rings true. A bit harsh on Meyler.

As for the doldrums, I think we can turn a corner pretty quickly if things fall the right way, and without Mark Noble. The darkest hour is before the dawn.

Compete in midfield, avoid careless giveaways at the back, take chances. It's not that big an ask.

Thanks for the feedback Stutts. I hope your optimism is founded, and I hope Meyler proves me wrong. He has impressed me at times - especially in the Italy game - but I've seen him play very poorly too, and I wouldn't say he's a natural ball-player like Hendrick is. I see him as being a slightly more abrasive version of Keith Andrews.

[Stuttgart88]

I think it's harsh to describe Meyler as a kicker. He looks content to just be involved rather than to make things happen. You can argue that after his injuries he's still feeling his way into things but at some point very soon I want to see more from him. I can level the same criticism at McCarthy and Gibson. At the early stage of their careers they felt it was best not to look bad rather than to look particularly good, even though both had the talent to do more. O'Neill said as much about McCarthy last week.

I don't know whether Meyler has it. He's what I call an "adhesive" rather than an "accretive" player. I think Hendrick has more to offer and has more latent capacity, if you know what I mean.

[Charlie Darwin]

I think Meyler is a more cultured player than he gets credit for, and his athleticism means he's the type of player who can make things happen when the pace is slow, as it frequently is with Ireland. I noticed Fletcher displaying much the same quality for United last week - by no means the player you'd base a team around, but a guy who will pick up the slack where other people aren't pulling their weight.

[ArdeeBhoy]

http://anditscomethroughhere.blogspot.ie/2014/08/mark-noble-tests-limit-of-our-granny.html

Here are my two cents, in blog form. As always, any feedback, comments or critique would be welcomed.
Linked it on Facebook for you so should get a few more hits.

As for Meyler, more bad than good, my Mackem pals weren't overly impressed. Noble a marginal improvement IMO.

[Supreme feet]

I'd say we haven't had an 'accretive' central midfielder since Steven Reid - someone who demands the ball and positively directs the play, taking command of the midfield area. Andy Reid showed that same ability against Germany in 2007, I'd love to see him start against Georgia alongside McCarthy in the deep-lying midfield role - he's looking remarkably fit these days.

It is time for the lads - McCarthy, Gibson and Meyler - to really kick on. If we start with one up front, Hoolahan in the hole, and full-backs given licence to get forward, they have no excuse to play within themselves.

If, in the case of his eventual availability, Noble doesn't take responsibility straight away and boss the midfield, he should be immediately hooked and forever discarded!

And thanks AB. Much appreciated.

[geysir]

The Cork story is a blatant obvious crock of dung, that's why it's funny, that sort of thing passes for humour in Cork, at least it raised a smile on me.
I've never seen Noble play in a game, therefore I haven't got a clue about his style or ability or have a notion about his attitude to Ireland.
When a mature Paul Green came in for those friendlies, I was immediately very impressed with his attitude and character. He (questions of football ability aside) was a credit to the team.Whether he had a 5% or 25% or 30% or 50% bloodline to his irishness was irrelevant.. I'll keep an open mind on Noble, we should trust the manager in these matters until we see/hear the player for ourselves.