Irish in EPL starting XI's in new season

[elroy]

Just having a look at the fantasy football website earlier and was wondering how many players are we realistically going to have in the starting XI for their respective EPL clubs on a regular basis at the start of the season......

B'ham - Carr, Carsley (on the bench?), Fahey
Doyle on the bench

Blackburn - Andrews, Reid (if fit)
Doran, Judge and Treacy on the bench

Bolton - A O'Brien
J O'Brien (on the bench if fit)

Burnley - McCann

Fulham - Kelly (on the bench)

Hull - Kilbane
Folan (on the bench)

Man C - Given, Dunne (if still there), Ireland

Man U - O'Shea
Gibson on the bench

Portsmouth - Wilson on the bench

Stoke - Delap, Lawrence, Whelan

Sunderland - Reid
Murphy, McShane (if still there) on the bench

Tottenham - Keane

Wolves - Foley, Keogh (on the bench?), Doyle,
On the bench - Ward

Any I've missed, feel free to add or anyone who ye think will make a breakthrough this year..........shame that we have no one at the likes of Arsenal, Liverpool, Everton and Villa.

[centre mid]

Everton - Seamus Coleman had been featutring pre-season for Everton so quite possible that he will be in the senior panel for the coming season.

[Irish_Praha]

Sunderland have accepted a bid for Murphy from Ipswich.
There's also talks of Folan being sold to a Championship side.
Terry Dixon, the young fella at West Ham might get a bit of game time before the end of the season if he proves his fitness and form with the reserves.
Stoke have been trying to sign a few midfielders so that could send Whelan and Delap to the bench.
With the turmoil at Portsmouth it's possible Wilson will get a bit more playing time.
Maybe a EPL club will still come in for Duff?

[stiffler]

You have left Given out

[macka]

you forgot given.:D

[Thommo]

Stephen O'Halloran at Villa has been ravaged with injuries but according to the Villa website O'Neill has high hopes for him.
Hopefully James McCarthy and Stephen Hunt will be added to that list in the coming days and weeks.

[elroy]

You have left Given out

Small bit of an oversight there, :o amended.

[Crosby87]

You guys dont think that Kevin Doyle is going to be starting?

[eirebhoy]

You guys dont think that Kevin Doyle is going to be starting?
Who said that? OP has him as a starter.

[Closed Account 2]

Does anyone know anything about Eoin Waeren ? He's at West Ham and played for them at the weekend at Grays Athletic and by all accounts did very well. From what I understand he's played for us at u17 level, is from Dublin County born 2/10/92, 6ft1.

Is he on loan there ? I think he used to be at St. Kevins a few years ago.

[tetsujin1979]

Irish Abroad updated with squad lists as they are at the moment: http://www.chatsoccer.net/irishabroad/competitionDetails.xquery?competitionID=1

[Scram]

Another question

WOULD ANY IRISH PLAYER MAKE A PREMIERSHIP TOP TEAM i.e. a team of the top 11 players in the EPL or make the bench?

I say Shay Given and Steven Ireland...................anyone else?

[irishultra]

Given defo, Ireland? Depends how he does this season imo.

[Thommo]

Probably Given and if Dunne was to transfer his international form to his club be that City or whoever he plays for next season he'd be a shoe in.
But then again it took those over the water 9 years to recognise the greatest centre half we ever produced and recognise his talents with the PFA player of the year in '93 so I wouldn't be holding my breath.;)

[Stuttgart88]

Daryl Murphy to Hull it appears. Bench probably.

[theworm2345]

You guys dont think that Kevin Doyle is going to be starting?
Iwelumo just broke his foot so there is pretty much no doubt that he will be upfront with Ebanks-Blake


Terry Dixon, the young fella at West Ham might get a bit of game time before the end of the season if he proves his fitness and form with the reserves.
Don't get your hopes too high, in my estimation he's below Carlton Cole, Dean Ashton (if he stays), Savio (if he's played up front), Fred Sears (if he's recalled from his loan), and two youngsters by the names of Zavon Hines and Anthony Edgar who have been playing well in their reserves and in preseason as well as any strikers they bring in (I've heard Eidur Gudjohnsen wants to join up with Zola). However, GFZ is supposedly working closely with the strikers there and is apparently to be doing a good job of it so the future could yet be bright for Terry Dixon (though probably not this season)

[youngirish]

Don't get your hopes too high, in my estimation he's below Carlton Cole, Dean Ashton (if he stays), Savio (if he's played up front), Fred Sears (if he's recalled from his loan), and two youngsters by the names of Zavon Hines and Anthony Edgar who have been playing well in their reserves and in preseason as well as any strikers they bring in (I've heard Eidur Gudjohnsen wants to join up with Zola). However, GFZ is supposedly working closely with the strikers there and is apparently to be doing a good job of it so the future could yet be bright for Terry Dixon (though probably not this season)

I disagree, let's not forget in your estimation Doyle - Wolves record signing, Championship player of the year, and one of Ireland's most important players should also be below Chris Iwelumo in the Wolves starting line up. If Terry Dixon is going to breakthrough to West Ham's first team then he will do so this season. Probably after Christmas. If he's as good as people say then he certainly won't be kept out of the first team by the likes of Fred Sears, Zavon Hines and Anthony Edgar. If he's not at least making sporadic appearances after Christmas then I don't think it looks too good for him.

The only barrier to him progressing to the first team are his injury problems and if they come back then I can't see him making a career for himself anywhere in the Premiership (or even Championship for that matter).

[endabob1]

Given would be a contender, Ireland wouldn't be that far away but Gerrard, Fabergas, Essien, Alonso, Lampard... hard to see him pushing in.
Dunney wouldn't be close, he's nowhere near as good as Ferdinand, Vidic, Carvallho or even Toure & Terry (and I've left ou my own personal bias).
If Duff was anytyhing like he was 4/5 years ago he'd be a shoe-in but the truth is the top 4 are the top 4 because generally they have the best players, we have only JOS playing anything like regularly for a top 4 side and he's too much of a utility player to hold down a regular slot.

[DeLorean]

A few yrs back Finnan would have been a candidate but we wouldn't offer anything outside Given now really. I'd rate Dunne much higher than Toure though.


I disagree, let's not forget in your estimation Doyle - Wolves record signing, Championship player of the year, and one of Ireland's most important players should also be below Chris Iwelumo in the Wolves starting line up

I think he was only saying Iwelumo's injury would mean that Doyle has even less competition for a starting place, not that he was necessarily behind him? By the way Ebanks-Blake was the Championship Player of the Year.

[theworm2345]

I disagree, let's not forget in your estimation Doyle - Wolves record signing, Championship player of the year, and one of Ireland's most important players should also be below Chris Iwelumo in the Wolves starting line up.
What does that have to do with West Ham? I'm pretty sure Mick would've started with Iwelumo and Ebanks-Blake up front in the first match, and why shouldn't they? Their striker partnership was the driving force behind Wolves' promotion, surely they should be given a chance to do it at the highest level. Hell, they started up front in Wolves' preseason game in Australia and Iwelumo set up Ebanks-Blake's goal. I don't know if you play striker but in addition to skill there needs to be chemistry. That is also why I think Anthony Edgar and Zavon Hines would start before Terry Dixon as they have chemistry and have been playing together for a long time.

[Kevin77]

Hell, they started up front in Wolves' preseason game in Australia and Iwelumo set up Ebanks-Blake's goal. .


The goal was a rebound off the post after a messy goal mouth scramble. Believe me Doyle is far superior to either Ebanks - Blank and more importantly Iwelumo.

[stiffler]

Marc Wilson played the first half of Portsmouth's first Pre season friendly against Havant & Waterlooville, seemingly at right back:

http://www.portsmouth.co.uk/sport/Hawks-2-Pompey-2.5479216.jp