Potentially eligible players thread

[Olé Olé]

Interesting move by the lad and it suits our chances of nabbing him now that he's out of the goldfish bowl over there. Still so young.

[mark12345]

Interesting move by the lad and it suits our chances of nabbing him now that he's out of the
goldfish bowl over there. Still so young.

If he's going to throw his lot in with us, there's no time like the present. Can't really see what he's waiting for to be honest. Unless of course he is still harboring hopes of playing for the lamd of his birth

[IsMiseSean]

Just noticed this now but Dutch born right back Sandy Walsh has joined Zulte Waregem from Genk in the Belgian top division.

[KrisLetang]

Going to his boyhood club Zulte Waregem from a place like Genk. Stuff dreams are made of.

[Stuttgart88]

Did Liam Buckley play for them?

[Charlie Darwin]

He played for KSV Waragem, who merged with Zulte VV 20 years ago to form Zulte Waregem.

[CraftyToePoke]

Mr Hogan coming aboard it seems

https://www.thesun.ie/sport/football/1398489/martin-oneill-hints-scott-hogan-closer-to-first-ireland-cap-than-sean-maguire/amp/

[Diggs246]

Im not sure if im excited or annoyed

[seanfhear]

Mr Hogan coming aboard it seems

https://www.thesun.ie/sport/football/1398489/martin-oneill-hints-scott-hogan-closer-to-first-ireland-cap-than-sean-maguire/amp/Hopefully he has a successful and long career playing for us . We can always use some talented young players .

[Lionel Ritchie]

I'll afford it some belief it when an actual newspaper reports it. Til then I afford it all the urgency I normally reserve for Ryanairs flash seat sales and Last Calls from Reverbnation.

[CraftyToePoke]

Its saying he himself pursued it in the summer and hints at agents stalling it in hopes of a bigger slice elsewhere.

Anyway, he's ours now.

[samhaydenjr]

I'll afford it some belief it when an actual newspaper reports it. Til then I afford it all the urgency I normally reserve for Ryanairs flash seat sales and Last Calls from Reverbnation.

FWIW the Official FAI shop on twitter has announced it: https://twitter.com/officialfaishop/status/897222306879217670, as has "thevillazone", which appears to be a fan feed: https://twitter.com/thevillazone/status/897239906128453633

[Charlie Darwin]

Sun journalist Neil O'Riordan explains it here: https://twitter.com/noriordan/status/897227528800219136

O'Neill announced it but FAI put an embargo on it until today.

[Stuttgart88]

Im not sure if im excited or annoyed

I'm both!

[Olé Olé]

https://amp.independent.ie/sport/soccer/international-soccer/striker-scott-hogan-finally-commits-to-ireland-after-facetoface-meeting-with-martin-oneill-36032777.html

If O'Neill's words are to be taken at face value (as I would) then it appears the assertions that Hogan was looking to regain his fitness following his injuries rings true. I think if he had been interested in holding out for an England call then he'd be holding out a tad longer than he has. I think he genuinely wants to play for us and I think he'll make a brilliant addition. A lot of how he fits in depends on combinations etc. But we have him, Long, Walters and Murphy competing and hopefully Maguire establishes himself in there over the coming season.

Welcome aboard, Scott.

[DeLorean]

I'm both!

The annoyance will quickly subside if he does well for us. I have a bit of an uneasy feeling about it as well but (at worst) it seems to have taken him a while to give up on his number one dream, no crime in that.

[Philly]

Good to see another option. Villa fans have not been too impressed, but seem to think he may not be suited to their style of play rather than him having a lack of ability.

[liamoo11]

I think he did great to get his big Villa move and serous wages I assume given that hourihane was supposed to have got close to 30 grand a week. He deserved that given his awful injuries. Nice addition for us but he needs to really improve his hold up and link play for international level. Don't see him having anything like longs impact in overall play but hopefully he turns out to be more prolific than long . He is a sub option in my eyes for games when we are pushing for a goal

[DeLorean]

Hogan gone off injured after 29 minutes tonight.

[samhaydenjr]

Hogan gone off injured after 29 minutes tonight.

Well of course he did - he should have maintained his ambitions of playing for England just for the good of his health

[CraftyToePoke]

The Villatalk match thread tonight was post after post after post about how pointless it is hoofing it at him and impossible to judge how good he is, or even how his form is due to the system, they also gave Hourihane MOTM and the busiest thread seems to be who will replace Bruce as manager there. All going on at VP.

[DeLorean]

Well of course he did - he should have maintained his ambitions of playing for England just for the good of his health

That wasn't working out too well for him either to be fair. He probably switched hoping for some of that famous Irish luck. :)

Any talk about Whelan, Crafty? That's good about Hourihane anyway seeing as it was his first start this season.

[CraftyToePoke]

Any talk about Whelan, Crafty?

Not a whole pile about GW one way or the other, but I only traced the thread to see if there was anymore on Hogans injury. Which means he is probably just getting on with stealthily being GW out there y'know, no heroics, no disasters, keep it simple, keep the ball, in your own half, the dying art of standing in the right place all game, a delicate gift.

[DeLorean]

Which means he is probably just getting on with stealthily being GW out there y'know, no heroics, no disasters, keep it simple, keep the ball, in your own half, the dying art of standing in the right place all game, a delicate gift.

Well he did score an own goal! To be fair, he couldn't do too much about it. It was very similar to the one in the Hoffenheim Liverpool match actually.

[Diggs246]

any update on his injury?

[DeLorean]

any update on his injury?

Bruce seemed a bit downbeat but didn't give a time frame - https://www.avfc.co.uk/News/2017/08/15/the-boss-on-reading-defeat


I think he’s tweaked his ankle.
I think he’s got a problem with his ankle again. It’s disappointing.

[samhaydenjr]

Hogan's injury not as bad as first feared and he may be in Villa's team this weekend: https://www.avfc.co.uk/News/2017/08/18/injury-update-norwich-city-jedinak-hogan-elmo, which is good. Still no official confirmation of his intent to play for us from the player himself or Villa, which is a little concerning.

[Olé Olé]

Jason McCarthy is playing right back for Barnsley. Signed from Southampton in the summer. Middle name is Sean. He was Walsall's POTY last season.

No idea if he is eligible but the name would imply he might be.

[liamoo11]

Hogan's injury not as bad as first feared and he may be in Villa's team this weekend: https://www.avfc.co.uk/News/2017/08/18/injury-update-norwich-city-jedinak-hogan-elmo, which is good. Still no official confirmation of his intent to play for us from the player himself or Villa, which is a little concerning.
Sub today

[liamoo11]

Armstrong okoflex played for arsenal 18s at weekend and was their youngest player. He is under 16 this season. Good effort at a big club like arsenal

[Olé Olé]

What's the latest on this lad? Was his last international appearance with ourselves? I know he was born here but not sure how long he stayed here. That seems to have been a big factor for, for instance, Shodipo.

[liamoo11]

https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/new-irish-busy-making-their-sporting-mark-1.3178485?mode=amp
This has a little interview with him which seems to be positive for us. A lad jack Nolan from reading played for our 16s last season and turned out for Brit's 17s recently so there is a bit of swinging that goes on. Still u have to play the game to grab the occasional Liam Kelly Conor Roman and Deccan rice. But u get burned obviously as well with the likes of grealish Michael Keane gooch at sunderland mcguane at arsenal and Kyle Scott at Chelsea all excellent players who we played at young age groups but didn't stick with us long term. Always makes me laugh when lads on ybig say the fai have no idea about lads in England who qualify for us cause it's plainly not true when u see our young age groups.

[Charlie Darwin]

I get the feeling Okoflex never turns down a chance for publicity. Which leads me to think he might be more of the Grealish mind.

[CraftyToePoke]

It was always Ireland - Scott Hogan comes out with fighting words for any doubters

Etc

https://www.rte.ie/sport/soccer/2017/0820/898689-scott-hogan-dismisses-claims-he-was-waiting-for-england/

[liamoo11]

I get the feeling Okoflex never turns down a chance for publicity. Which leads me to think he might be more of the Grealish mind.

Ah Charles he is only 15 I wouldn't judge him too harshly. His age group for us means I think he will be in our 17s when we stage the 17s Euro finals here which we won't have to qualify for which might be a big incentive to lock in with us. I miss jack grealish

[CraftyToePoke]

Always makes me laugh when lads on ybig say the fai have no idea about lads in England who qualify for us cause it's plainly not true when u see our young age groups.

Do you know if Scott Malone or Harry Maguire were ever on that radar liamoo ?

[Charlie Darwin]

Ah Charles he is only 15 I wouldn't judge him too harshly. His age group for us means I think he will be in our 17s when we stage the 17s Euro finals here which we won't have to qualify for which might be a big incentive to lock in with us. I miss jack grealish
Haha, maybe I should have phrased it more that both he and Grealish have dads who seem to crave publicity :D

[geysir]

Bad things happen to players who decline the option to declare or be called up for Ireland, Hogan made a wise choice.

[Olé Olé]

It was always Ireland - Scott Hogan comes out with fighting words for any doubters

Etc

https://www.rte.ie/sport/soccer/2017/0820/898689-scott-hogan-dismisses-claims-he-was-waiting-for-england/

I find the whole theory that he was waiting for England to be very flawed. Ok, he hasn't enjoyed a bright start to his career at Villa but he has plenty time to wait for England if he wanted to. He's often compared to Jamie Vardy for his career trajectory. Vardy was 28 when he earned his first England cap. There's also 31 year-old Rickie Lambert who also spent a lot of time down the leagues.

I'm quite disappointed with Kilbane on this one. He said he needed to wait to overcome fitness issues. He has done so and is committed to us now. Waiting for fitness takes less time than waiting for an England call.

Good to see his speaking about how his dad is proud. Not sure if his father is Irish-born but I haven't heard before that he is. Probably just a proud member of the second generation Irish community in Salford along with the Grealishes and the Crowleys a bit further away in Coventry.

Daniel Crowley. Now there's a man who you could question the motives of if you were Kevin Kilbane and the lad does opt to play for us down the line.

[Diggs246]

Hogans deafening silence was the problem. Anyway he is on board and we have no option but to welcome hime and give him the benifit of the doubt

[Olé Olé]

Hogans deafening silence was the problem. Anyway he is on board and we have no option but to welcome hime and give him the benifit of the doubt

I agree with you in one sense but what was the alternative? Announce in public that he's declaring for Ireland and he'll play once he feels his body is ready for the extra load? Imagine the pressure that would have brought. Any time we were short a striker his name would have been brought up. I think it was handled the right way and I think the players will welcome him. He's mates with John Egan and hopefully he'll have bonded with Hourihane, in particular, and Whelan.

[Diggs246]

Scott Hogan starting today in the league cup.

[Olé Olé]

Scott Hogan scoring today in the league cup.

[Diggs246]

Emergency passport only takes 10 days

[nigel-harps1954]

Two goals for Hogan tonight against Wigan.

[Olé Olé]

Two goals for Hogan tonight against Wigan.

Let's hope he kicks on for the squad for Wales game.

[mark12345]

Let's hope he kicks on for the squad for Wales game.

From Villaunderground:

"A really good display from Hogan, who ran himself into the ground across both halves. His reward was two deserved goals. The first a sliding finish, the second, a superb spin and strike beyond the keeper. As is often remarked, his movement is good, but he can sometimes be guilty (like many) of over-running the ball. With that said, a constant runner and never gave the defence a moments peace."

[samhaydenjr]

At this point, should Hogan have his own thread, or were we all so traumatised by the Jack Grealish affair that we daren't assume that Hogan won't also do an about-face, until he makes his competitive debut in green?

[DeLorean]

At this point, should Hogan have his own thread, or were we all so traumatised by the Jack Grealish affair that we daren't assume that Hogan won't also do an about-face, until he makes his competitive debut in green?

Was thinking the same. He's surely more than 'potentially eligible' at this stage anyway. And sure, he can always be banished to World Football if things go horribly wrong. :)

[Diggs246]

Will he be brought to Georgia? surely getting a passport cant be a big deal