Shamrock Rovers to host Arsenal and Manchester United reserves

[Charlie Darwin]

From RTE:



Shamrock Rovers have today announced that the club will play the reserve squads of Arsenal and Manchester United at Tallaght Stadium in the Platinum One Challenge.
The three team tournament will take place from 15 August to 22 August at Tallaght Stadium.

The Manchester United and Arsenal squads will feature a host of the respective clubs up-and-coming stars. Former Man United star and now Manchester United reserve team manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer said that the new event promised to be an early season boost for players who are pushing for first team recognition.

'Our current first team contains many players like Ryan Giggs, Gary Neville, Paul Scholes, John O'Shea, Darren Fletcher, Jonny Evans, Darron Gibson and Wes Brown, who have come through the ranks and some of the talent on show in Dublin will hopefully be in Sir Alex's mind in the near future. For these players to get additional competitive action early in the season is welcome.'

Head of Youth Development at Arsenal Liam Brady said: 'Arsenal's policies in player development are fundamental to the success of the club.

'Once players get to reserve level they have to prove that they are capable of moving into the first team.

'An event like The Platinum One Challenge is important in that respect.

'To play Shamrock Rovers, whose European exploits have been so impressive, and our old rivals Manchester United in Dublin will be a bit special.

'We will have some very talented young players from all over the world on show and I am looking forward to seeing how they perform in this tournament.'

Shamrock Rovers Manager Michael O'Neill said: 'By the end of August, Shamrock Rovers will have hosted Real Madrid, Juventus, Manchester United and Arsenal at Tallaght Stadium in little over a year.

'This is a progressive football club and again working with Platinum One on this event, our board is making sure that we are behaving as the leading club in Ireland should.

'The opportunity to see some of the Manchester United and Arsenal stars of the future at Tallaght will attract new football fans to our home stadium and we aim to impress them both on and off the pitch so that they return to watch Shamrock Rovers on future occasions'

Details of the Platinum One Challenge fixtures are as follows:

Sunday 15 August, 7.00pm: Shamrock Rovers v Manchester United Reserves

Thursday 19 August, 7.45pm: Manchester United Reserves v Arsenal Reserves

Sunday 22 August, 3.00pm: Shamrock Rovers v Arsenal Reserveshttp://www.rte.ie/sport/soccer/2010/0730/platinumonechallenge.html

[John83]

Sadly, the middle game will be the one with the greatest public interest.

[peadar1987]

Well done once again, Shamrock Rovers.

[El-Pietro]

Bit of hyperbole in that piece isn't there "Shamrock Rovers, whose European exploits have been so impressive"

Yes they got one very good result in Israel, but one result along with drawing Juventus out of the hat doesn't exactly count as all that impressive does it? Maybe I expect more from our best teams, maybe I'm reading into a comment by Liam Brady used to market these games a bit too much.

[Charlie Darwin]

It's always impressive when you go away from home and beat a better team.

[SkStu]

It's always impressive when you go away from home and beat a better team.

erm, werent Bnei ranked below Rovers and had to beat an Armenian team to get to the round that Rovers entered at?

[Charlie Darwin]

Were Rovers even ranked at all? Bnei were put into the first qualifying round by default because they got the last spot from their league. Objectively, I'd have said they have better players.

[dfx-]

erm, werent Bnei ranked below Rovers and had to beat an Armenian team to get to the round that Rovers entered at?

Possibly, but we all know that superior ranking isn't necessarily enough....

[Lamper.sffc]

Good stuff. More good PR for the club. Keep it up

[Dodge]

erm, werent Bnei ranked below Rovers and had to beat an Armenian team to get to the round that Rovers entered at?

No, the israeli's were the seeded team. The round they enter is based on league position in their league, not club seeding


Bizarre to see games like this hyped up. I'm not a huge fan of Senior sides playing reserves and youths (and yes, I did say it when pats played Chelsea last year)

[ped_ped]

Shamrock Rovers Reserves vs Arsenal / Man United Reserves would probably be better. Don't like to see a top side like Rovers lowered (in the mind of the public) to playing English Premier League Reserves.

Still, PR is PR and Rovers could soon be fondly engrained in the minds of the barstool public if they keep bringing over wet dream clubs like Real Madrid, Juventus, and the unknowns in Man United / Arsenal jerseys.

[Cuyahoga]

From RTE:

http://www.rte.ie/sport/soccer/2010/0730/platinumonechallenge.html
Nothing on Rovers website about this which seems strange. Also Rovers have a lot of games around this time,2 days before first match rovers away to
Drogheda,2 days before second match semi final of league cup v sligo. and day after 2nd match home to Bray and day after 3rd match home to Ucd.
Cant imagine too many of Rovers best players will be playing!

[Charlie Darwin]

I imagine it will be similar to the way Bohs played a mixture of starters, fringe players and reserves against Villa. Regardless of who plays, it will be another good test against technically and perhaps athletically superior opposition.

[Dave_SRFC]

It will be the same as the friendlies we played last season, it will be trialists and reserves playing..

[Acornvilla]

all that matters is your making a lot of money, and for that i tip my hat to ye (if i had a hat)