An Over Rated Irish 11

[an_ceannaire]

Now this is only for a laugh so dont go getting all precious on it!!!

An Irish team made up of lads who many Irish Fans would at one stage have had you believe were well decent players...but who actually....werent/arent....!

Joe Murphy

Chris Morris
Gary Doherty
Paul McShane
Phil Babb

Eddie McGoldrick
Alan McLoughlin
Bernie Slaven
Stephen Hunt

David Connolly
Tommy Coyne (no matter how much he ran!)

[elroy]

Reasonable selection, S Hunt shouldnt be near it though.
Chris Morris was a decent right back in his day.
McShane, i'd give the lad time he is still young.
Purely for one reason, McLoughlin should be excluded.

[ofjames]

Reasonable selection, S Hunt shouldnt be near it though.
Chris Morris was a decent right back in his day.
McShane, i'd give the lad time he is still young.
Purely for one reason, McLoughlin should be excluded.

mcshane is poison

[tiktok]

I'd have McGeady in for Hunt.
There's not much between them but Hunt is not over-rated nearly as much as McGeady

Chris Morris was a decent full-back too.

[pineapple stu]

Hunt is a definite, I think.

McLoughlin had a really good spell around 1996/97 at about the only time he was a regular starter; he was Player of the Year in 1997 I think, and deservedly so.

Don't know how you figure on Slaven; he only played seven games? Put McGeady in there instead.

[rambler14]

McGeady has to make that team. He should be captain ffs.

[peadar1987]

Roy Keane as manager.

[Murfinator]

Keith Fahey as captain

[Uncle_Joe]

McGeady still has a lot of time to prove himself so I wouldnt put him in. The only quibble I would have is Gary Doherty as a defender, Surely he is a striker:rolleyes:

[brine3]

Andy Reid. Because if the press are to be believed he is Maradona and Gazza rolled into one. (On second thoughts, he does look it)

[tricky_colour]

I just though it was worth chipping in that Hunt is currently ranked the 22 best player in the Premiership (Actim index), the only Irish player ahead of him is Richard Dunne at 11.
He also got two goals for Hull last night bring them back from 2:0 down and resulting in Gary Megson sacking. I'd say the most underrated player award would be more appropiate!!

Not just my opinion, but the opinion of John Cross (who?) of the Daily Mirror :D

"Why Stephen Hunt is exactly the sort of player the Premier League needs"

http://www.mirrorfootball.co.uk/opinion/columnists/john-cross/Why-Hull-anti-hero-Stephen-Hunt-is-exactly-the-sort-of-player-the-Premier-League-needs-by-John-Cross-article272327.html

[DCross06]

Now this is only for a laugh so dont go getting all precious on it!!!

An Irish team made up of lads who many Irish Fans would at one stage have had you believe were well decent players...but who actually....werent/arent....!

Joe Murphy

Chris Morris
Gary Doherty
Paul McShane
Phil Babb

Eddie McGoldrick
Alan McLoughlin
Bernie Slaven
Stephen Hunt

David Connolly
Tommy Coyne (no matter how much he ran!)
I'd have Gary Breen, Steven Elliott, Anthony Stokes and Liam Miller. I actually rate Joe Murphy as a keeper and hes still young.

[zenokelly]

Liam Miller, Aiden McGeady and Willo Flood(more the media than the fans) have to be in there.

[irishultra]

Most of them. Shay Given plaudits have merit and robbie keane is underrated but everyone else we overrate.

Andy Reid though takes the biscuit.

[theworm2345]

Joe Murphy

Chris Morris
Gary Doherty
Paul McShane
Phil Babb

Eddie McGoldrick
Alan McLoughlin
Bernie Slaven
Stephen Hunt

David Connolly
Tommy Coyne (no matter how much he ran!)

Oh, so this is the "players other people think are overrated by theworm2345" XI? Honestly, I don't think theres another person who rates him at all. As far as actual overrating Kevin Doyle and McGeady should be in there.

[Murfinator]

Steven Reid should possibly be there. He's had 2 good games in an Irish shirt and is often times treated like the teams success hinges on his fitness.

Very good player at times no doubt but I feel like he hasn't earned the high caliber reputation he's been given at international level.

[gustavo]

Doubt there's many that would have over rated Doherty

[Ciaran W]

There all spot on apart from stephen hunt

[Fixer82]

Bit harsh sticking Hunt in there. Maybe Alan O'Brien....

Always felt sorry for Connolly as he always got a hard time, never suited him playing beside Keane and about 20 of his caps came as a sub coming on in the last 5 minutes of a game...His biggest game for Ireland (v Spain i 2002) he played fantastic and was only marred by a penalty miss in the shoot-out

[Colbert Report]

Anyone who thinks Hunt should be on this team needs to watch the Bolton/Hull match from a couple of days ago. Hunt looks like Ronaldo out there.

[EastTerracer]

Steven Reid should possibly be there. He's had 2 good games in an Irish shirt and is often times treated like the teams success hinges on his fitness.

Very good player at times no doubt but I feel like he hasn't earned the high caliber reputation he's been given at international level.

Not the first time you've posted this. Apart from his very early appearances (in the 2002 world cup) I don't think he's done anything wrong for us when he's been fit to play. He hasn't always been picked in his correct position but even when picked out wide he was always consistent, if not spectacular.

Think its a bit harsh to judge McGeady as above. He should have scored a couple of goals at crucial moments during this campaign but I recall several times during the campaign when he took the pressure off the defence by making some long (if meandering) runs with the ball into opposition territory. The final ball definitely needs work though.

[peadar1987]

Steven Reid should possibly be there. He's had 2 good games in an Irish shirt and is often times treated like the teams success hinges on his fitness.

Very good player at times no doubt but I feel like he hasn't earned the high caliber reputation he's been given at international level.

That's the thing. It's an over-rated XI, not a hopelessly **** XI! So while Doherty wasn't brilliant, few people ever said he were, so I don't think he really qualifies for being over-rated. For my money:

Kiely (Suddenly world class after being dropped)

McShane (The Great White Hope after the Czech game)
Breen (One of my favourite players, but I think he was more lucky than amazing!)
O'Shea (Controversial, he's very good, but when he burst onto the scene, everyone thought he was going to be world class)
Harte (Could hit a free kick, which masked his faults on the back foot)

McGeady (People are starting to realise he hasn't got a great end product yet, but he was really overrated for years)
Miller
Healy (Next Roy Keane)
McCarthy
Garvan (Both promising, but again, got the whole "world class" tag attached to them, which they are almost certainly not)

Stokes (He's a good finisher, but again, not up to the hype that surrounded him when he was on loan at Falkirk)

I was tempted to put Sadlier in up front, but he was a brilliant player, who was crippled by injuries. (I was actually at his last ever game, Stoke against Millwall at the Britannia in 2003. Even though he could still barely walk, you could see he was a great footballer)

[Fixer82]

Bit harsh on Healy too. He was very good for us until he got a very bad injury. There was another player I thought would break into centre midfield for us but didn't, possibly cos of injury I can't remember. His name was Barry Quinn I think...

[elroy]

O'Shea (Controversial, he's very good, but when he burst onto the scene, everyone thought he was going to be world class)

McCarthy

Garvan (Both promising, but again, got the whole "world class" tag attached to them, which they are almost certainly not)

Stokes (He's a good finisher, but again, not up to the hype that surrounded him when he was on loan at Falkirk)



O'Shea, are you serious??? Come on, he has developed into a damn fine player, one of our most important and becoming more and more important to Man U with each season.

The other 3 are a bit young to write off but Garvan has certainly been rated very highly here with not a lot so far to back it up.

[gael353]

and there can only be one name as manager...highly rated by the FAI, constent, heap of excuses for his "lack of luck" "players fault" etc....Super unlucky....Don Givens!

[Crosby87]

Anyone who thinks Hunt should be on this team needs to watch the Bolton/Hull match from a couple of days ago. Hunt looks like Ronaldo out there.

So he had womans clothing on?

[CarrickFan]

Keith Fahey as captain



Clueless.

[peadar1987]

O'Shea, are you serious??? Come on, he has developed into a damn fine player, one of our most important and becoming more and more important to Man U with each season.

The other 3 are a bit young to write off but Garvan has certainly been rated very highly here with not a lot so far to back it up.

Don't get me wrong, I really rate O'Shea. I think he's an excellent player. However, when he first emerged, people were saying he was going to be one of the ten best defenders in the world, which he isn't.

[Crosby87]

However, when he first emerged, people were saying he was going to be one of the ten best defenders in the world, which he isn't.

I think this is the kind of thing that lends a hand to a foggy memory. I dont remember anyone ever saying JO was going to be a top ten defender in the world. Maybe they said they hoped he would be. Its the details like this that are messed up over time. There is always a mystery group of people "saying" things. Yet no one knows who these people are. I think a lot of times some drunk guy in a bar on a tuesday night in January ends up being "These People" 6 years later.

[peadar1987]

I think this is the kind of thing that lends a hand to a foggy memory. I dont remember anyone ever saying JO was going to be a top ten defender in the world. Maybe they said they hoped he would be. Its the details like this that are messed up over time. There is always a mystery group of people "saying" things. Yet no one knows who these people are. I think a lot of times some drunk guy in a bar on a tuesday night in January ends up being "These People" 6 years later.

Just because he's overrated by some drunk guy in a bar doesn't mean he wasn't overrated ;)

I was 15 or 16 when he started to break into the first team, and I'm going to admit to being one of "those people" myself!

[Den Perry]

Hunt is Irelands best outfield player imo

are you having a laugh? touch wise he is absolutely scandalous...and ha no brain whatsoever. two bloody goals against Bolton somebody posted above...what's that old saying? oe swallow and all that....

[Den Perry]

I'd have McGeady in for Hunt.
There's not much between them but Hunt is not over-rated nearly as much as McGeady

Chris Morris was a decent full-back too.

I have to say that defensively Morris was one of the best right-backs i've seen play for us. it was his crossing that was poor

[Oink]

are you having a laugh? touch wise he is absolutely scandalous...and ha no brain whatsoever. two bloody goals against Bolton somebody posted above...what's that old saying? oe swallow and all that....

Ok, Hunts first touch is pretty brutal and he's not as technical as a Kevin Kilbane but he has a very good football brain..... very clever at reading and working the opposition, knows how to play the ref, makes some great runs off the ball and makes very few mistakes in judgement in his own teams half. Things he no doubt works on harder than most in order to make up for his shortcomings and something I respect about the little pikey.

[pineapple stu]

Don't get me wrong, I really rate O'Shea. I think he's an excellent player. However, when he first emerged, people were saying he was going to be one of the ten best defenders in the world, which he isn't.
Yeah, was thinking of putting O'Shea in myself, but in the last couple of years, he's really come good. Prior to that, he was very much overrated.

Agree with Liam Miller in the selection too.

Nobody rated Alan O'Brien bar Pat Devlin, so he can't go in.

[gael353]

My eleven


Bonnor (was lucky to be in a winning team where we often played with 6defenders and yes cost us games in two world cups

Stephen Kelly:.lots of clubs "highly rated" at all and sold the following season
Ian Harte: Nuff said
Phill Babb: such lack of pace for such a "speedy" center half
David O'Leary: ****e manager but one of the most static center halves ever to attepmt playing football
Paul McShane: car crash.............

Ray Houghton; Two or three goals in big matches makes him a hero, but added nothing on the field. ran like an expecting ant, going home with some heavy shopping.
Colin Healy: Hes from cork, he signed with united, hes the next roy keane
Liam Miller: Hes from cork, hes with unitied hes the next roy keane
Aidin McGeady, good dribbler, loses the ball too much and no final ball

Anthony Stokes; found his level at hibs


manager Don Givens


tellin ye, we might just do it with this team :)

[Hibs4Ever]

Ray Houghton; Two or three goals in big matches makes him a hero, but added nothing on the field. ran like an expecting ant, going home with some heavy shopping.



Rubbish, Houghton was a great player

[elroy]

My eleven


Bonnor (was lucky to be in a winning team where we often played with 6defenders and yes cost us games in two world cups

Ray Houghton; Two or three goals in big matches makes him a hero, but added nothing on the field. ran like an expecting ant, going home with some heavy shopping.


Cant agree with Houghton, he put in some great performances for us.
You have a point with Bonner though, certainly nowhere near as good as Given, although performances like Denmark away in the 94 campaign were top notch.

[Wangball]

Ray Houghton; Two or three goals in big matches makes him a hero, but added nothing on the field. ran like an expecting ant, going home with some heavy shopping.
Colin Healy: Hes from cork, he signed with united, hes the next roy keane



Colin Healy never played for United did he????

As for Houghton this just shows how delusional some fans are, what exactly do we expect from our players? One thing Ireland fans have been noted for is not hammering players as long as they show they are commited to our cause by giving 100% and Houghton certainly did that. Houghton was an integral part of the most successful Ireland team we ever had and for that matter a hugely successful Liverpool team that would of surely conquered Europe had it not been for the Heysel ban, he achieved more in an Ireland shirt than nearly anyone else, winning goals against England and Italy in 2 major championships and a trophy cabinet that would be the envy of any Irish internation (O'Shea, Irwin & Keane aside)

Your inclusion of him is ignorant to say the least

For the record I'm not just some Houghton-O-Phile...I just chose him to illustrate the point.

EDIT***** Just to point out, guys like McGeady, Garvan, Stokes etc are just at the beginning of their international careers and the point should be made that our expectations of them is in no way reflective of their actual ability, half the people on here have probably never seen Owen Garvan play yet are quick to write him off because he has yet to fulfil the hype built up in the media, ha hasn't even got a single cap! We're starting to come off like English fans, building guys up only to revel in pulling them down with stupid comments like we've used in this thread

[Crosby87]

Yeah, was thinking of putting O'Shea in myself, but in the last couple of years, he's really come good. Prior to that, he was very much overrated.


I dont understand that though Pine. If the point of this thread is: "What Irish players did you think would be Pele when they were 18-25 but they werent?" Then I agree. But realistically, the man has been a fixture for Man U for a while now. Perhaps he needed some time when he was younger but you really thought he was going to be a great player at 22 or 23?
Its really unrealistic in my mind to think O'Shea hasnt taken a natural career path.

Wouldnt this all mean young James McCarthy is overrated? I mean how can we even judge his progress when he never plays? How can you be overrated before you've got a fair crack at being rated?

[pineapple stu]

What he does for Man U is irrelevant in the context of this thread, I think.

O'Shea was, as you say, long a fixture for United but often poor for Ireland. I know I've often given out about his performances here, and had many agreeing with me. As I say, in the last couple of years, he's improved immensely in the green, but before that, I think he was a definite candidate for a team of players whose reputation far outshone their performances for Ireland.

[Brendan 82]

weird

[Brendan 82]

McGeady still has a lot of time to prove himself so I wouldnt put him in. The only quibble I would have is Gary Doherty as a defender, Surely he is a striker:rolleyes:

Ive always wondered about this one... Is Gary Doherty an attacker who can do a job in defence, or a dodgy defender who can help out in the attack now and then?

Even his managers don't know

[Crosby87]

What he does for Man U is irrelevant in the context of this thread, I think.

O'Shea was, as you say, long a fixture for United but often poor for Ireland. I know I've often given out about his performances here, and had many agreeing with me. As I say, in the last couple of years, he's improved immensely in the green, but before that, I think he was a definite candidate for a team of players whose reputation far outshone their performances for Ireland.

would you agree with the statement that O'Shea was one of the most study players in the last campaign though?

I do understand what you say about the thread context but going with that, a Welsh person could call Ryan Giggs overrated. I cant believe we cant take into account the club preformance just b/c a guy is Irish.

[gael353]

Colin Healy never played for United did he????

your right sorry i was on a roll!


As for Houghton this just shows how delusional some fans are
Your inclusion of him is ignorant to say the least

For the record I'm not just some Houghton-O-Phile...I just chose him to illustrate the point.

its an opinion i have of the man as a player, for ireland not for liverpool for ireland! less of the slags please

[OwlsFan]

"Overrated" or just cr+p like the team you selected. To be overrated you have not only have to be rated, but overrated. For instance, take Paul McGrath. A very good player but could walk on water for most Irish fans and could do not wrong. Is that overrating him? Was he viewed in the same light across the water? I think we overrate most of our players to be honest and before I am shot, I am only using McGrath as an example of possibly overrating someone. Most people regard McGrath as one of the best players in the world but while he was one of the best Irish players, I think he was overrated as being one of the world's best.

Packie Bonner
Chris Morris
Gary Breen
Paul McGrath
Ian Harte
Tony Galvin
Matt Holland
Mick Martin
John Alridge
Kevin Doyle
Aiden McGeady

[Hibs4Ever]

take Paul McGrath. A very good player but could walk on water for most Irish fans and could do not wrong.

I think you'll find the same opinion from fans at his clubs




Was he viewed in the same light across the water?

From what i remember he was voted one of Aston Villa's greatest ever players, and their fans absolutely worship him, so yes, he was viewed in the same light across the water

[Wangball]

its an opinion i have of the man as a player, for ireland not for liverpool for ireland! less of the slags please

Slags? You need to be slightly less sensitive pal, its not personal.

How can you judge whether he was over rated based solely on his international career? Thats crazy

Whats your criteria for including Stokes in your team? He has 3 caps, so if judged solely on his international career and I don't think any of the caps were starts (open to correction here), he really hasn't had much of a chance to make any kind of impression, so how can you judge him to be over-rated as an international.....any hype or expectation that built up around him started because of his club career, you can't seperate the 2

This is a very subjective thread, its all about individual opinion obviously but I don't think the question of being "over rated" really comes into it, its more a case of some players possibly having over achieved despite being quite average or whatever(John O'Shea, possibly Houghton, maybe Bonner) and other players under achieving despite seemingly having all the natural talent in the word (McGeady, Garvan, Stokes etc)


Edit....on the theme of how players were viewed at their clubs (See Hibs4Ever's above post) Houghton was voted 52nd on the list of 100 Players that Shook the Kop, did they over rate him?

[stojkovic]

From what i remember he was voted one of Aston Villa's greatest ever players, and their fans absolutely worship him, so yes, he was viewed in the same light across the water

Agreed.
Was at a Villa game once. He came on as a sub and every single Villa fan got down on their knees in praise of the man. I couldnt believe the love.

[bennocelt]

"Overrated" or just cr+p like the team you selected. To be overrated you have not only have to be rated, but overrated. For instance, take Paul McGrath. A very good player but could walk on water for most Irish fans and could do not wrong. Is that overrating him? Was he viewed in the same light across the water? I think we overrate most of our players to be honest and before I am shot, I am only using McGrath as an example of possibly overrating someone. Most people regard McGrath as one of the best players in the world but while he was one of the best Irish players, I think he was overrated as being one of the world's best.


WTF Mcgrath was easily one of the best players during his time, I would have him second to Baresi in my all time defender list
Re game v italy in World cup, or any of Villas euro games (genoa?)

[SkStu]

Owlsfan,

McGrath is very respected and remembered fondly by United fans and, despite the injuries and subsequent alcohol problems leading to Ferguson forcing him out, hes considered one of the United greats during a tough time for United. He made 159 appearances in 7 seasons and only won an FA Cup. Heres an interesting article which fouceses on his days with United. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/leagues/premierleague/manutd/5368008/Manchester-United-v-Barcelona-All-time-greats---Paul-McGrath-v-Miguel-Nadal.html


When he moved to Villa, McGrath was superb widely considered as top class for a good Villa team. He was voted players player of the year back in the 90's and was in the Premier League teams of the season on more than one occasion and all this with seriously dodgy knees and still struggling with the booze. Oh, and he played til he was 38 with good success and great displays.

The man oozed class from beginning with Pats (where he was also loved) to the end with Derby and Sheffield United and his dominace of the 90 and 94 World Cups surely place him up there with the best in the world.

My favourite Irish player of all time (if you hadnt already worked that out) ;)