Mark Noble

[Junior]

Cheers - will have a read of that when I get half an hour.

[Closed Account 2]

I did. He was mainly sh*t for Ireland, regardless of his exact heritage!

Anyone remember a June afternoon in Orlando?

[Eirambler]

The thing i see again and again looking at these EPL fans forums is how negative everyone over there is about the England team at the moment. They're sick of the same names and the underachievement at finals. I think this is having an impact on the dual-national players.

I think with Noble and maybe also Clark its not a case of giving up on ever getting an England call but not really being too pushed about it either way. England doesn't seem to be too relevant to the average footballer over there now. So they see Ireland as a closer knit team with less media hassle who are more enjoyable to play for and that appeals to them. Suddenly we're being linked to English born players with genuine potential rather than ones that would never get a game for their country of birth.

For that reason I don't think we need to feel this kind of guilty conscience that we're getting an England reject that's expressed on here every time somebody 'declares' for us. I think most of these lads look at the English setup and genuinely feel that they'd be more at home with Ireland.

[Docboy]

Can only assume you weren't at the games to see the energy and passion Aldo put in for the Green shirt over the years. Massively respected and got some important goals despite the jinx he went through in the beginning of his international career.

[ken foree]

cynically i'm thinking of the rumours being used to alert the english management to his desperation/frustration at not being picked. no disrespect to drummerboy, and would welcome him as he seems quite a skillful player.

[Charlie Darwin]

If he really wanted to alert the English management to his desperation I can think of more effective ways than asking his mate to send drummerboy a text.

[mark12345]

I did. He was mainly sh*t for Ireland, regardless of his exact heritage!

That's the 'best' quote I've ever seen on any messageboard pertaining to Irish football, ArdeeBhoy. Aldridge was among the best goalscorers we ever had, I'd put him up there just behind Robbie. And who knows if he had have been playing since he was 18, like Robbie, he would have netted more than his 19 total. Aldridge was one of Europe's top poachers. Go, ArdeeBhoy, and ask God for forgiveness.

[ken foree]

If he really wanted to alert the English management to his desperation I can think of more effective ways than asking his mate to send drummerboy a text.

nahh it's actually the ideal way charlie... everything's viral these days.

[CraftyToePoke]

Came off the bench tonight when it was 1-1 and had 2 direct assists to turn it, finished 3-1.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/league_cup/9059596.stm

[TrapAPony]

Edit : Oops!

[ArdeeBhoy]

Can only assume you weren't at the games to see the energy and passion Aldo put in for the Green shirt over the years. Massively respected and got some important goals despite the jinx he went through in the beginning of his international career.

Was at far too many of them for my liking, that's why I know he was pretty ineffective/useless, compared to how he was at Liverpool, albeit they played a different system to be fair. And told him to his face, so there.

That might be all I should ask 'forgiveness' for??
;)

[Scooby Doo]

Back page of today's Sun. Sorry can't find link. Says Noble is ready to commit to us and that Tardelli went to see him play in the Carling Cup last night. No quotes, sources etc. The cynic in me would be inclined to believe the inspiration for the article is based on internet rumours on various football forums.

[SwanVsDalton]

Enough speculation I say, time for Mark to do the noble (sorry) thing and declare.

[Charlie Darwin]

Back page of today's Sun. Sorry can't find link. Says Noble is ready to commit to us and that Tardelli went to see him play in the Carling Cup last night. No quotes, sources etc. The cynic in me would be inclined to believe the inspiration for the article is based on internet rumours on various football forums.
Wouldn't read too much into it. The lads from the tabloids all read these boards.

[IsMiseSean]

John Aldridge declared for us at 28 with only a great grandmother from Athlone as his Irish connection. Nobody had any problems with him.

I didn't know that... Bit before my time I was 3 when he made his debut.
Anyone know why he didn't declare at and earlier age, was he waiting for an England chance?

[Paddy Garcia]

He was stuck in the lower leagues & out of sight.

.. declared when he was at Oxford after Houghton mentioned to Jack that he also qualified.

[Eirambler]

Great-grandfather? Is that correct or were the rules different back then?

[Irish_Praha]

He was stuck in the lower leagues & out of sight.

.. declared when he was at Oxford after Houghton mentioned to Jack that he also qualified.

Pretty crazy when you think about it. A 25-year-old moving from the old English 3rd division to the 1st division and being the top scorer for the league champions in his first full season. It's like Roy of the Rovers stuff.
It would be like Chelsea signing Craig Mackail-Smith from Peterborough and him scoring 25 plus goals in the Premiership.

[geysir]

Aldo was already a proven top striker in the (old) 1st division by the time Liverpool signed him.

[TrapAPony]

Noble did very well for the 2nd and 3rd goals for West Ham v Stoke.

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xff9u6_west-ham-united-v-stoke-city_sport#from=embed&start=103

[Irish_Praha]

Aldo was already a proven top striker in the (old) 1st division by the time Liverpool signed him.

My bad; I thought Oxford were a few divisions lower. Not such a great story after all. :(

[Sullivinho]

Always lacked passion that Aldo character..

http://img169.imageshack.us/img169/9145/aldo.jpg

[seanfhear]

I would say that if this was genuine then we would have heard from the horses mouth by now.

[ArdeeBhoy]

Always lacked passion that Aldo character.

That's as maybe. But for me just another who went through the motions for Ireland, in the main.

[Paddy Garcia]

I wish we could get some of our lads born in Ireland to go through the motions!

On Noble; I heard him speaking recently on representing England & I'd be very surprised if this was accurate, seemed to have a lot of passion for England.

[CraftyToePoke]

In todays Independent, Noble is mentioned by Dion Fanning as 'Irish target, Mark Noble' I dont have a link, sorry.

Now, has he read it on here? A superb exhibition of lazy journailsm if so, or does this give more credibility to this story if he is working off a source. I'm not familiar enough with the guy and his writing to say really.

[Charlie Darwin]

I would be fairly certain he read it on here. A lot of journos get their news from the forums.

[theworm2345]

In todays Independent, Noble is mentioned by Dion Fanning as 'Irish target, Mark Noble' I dont have a link, sorry.

Now, has he read it on here? A superb exhibition of lazy journailsm if so, or does this give more credibility to this story if he is working off a source. I'm not familiar enough with the guy and his writing to say really.


I would be fairly certain he read it on here. A lot of journos get their news from the forums.
Fanning is a clown, I wouldn't believe anything he writes over anything any one on here writes.

[CraftyToePoke]

Fanning is a clown, I wouldn't believe anything he writes over anything any one on here writes.

Shall we ask him?

dfanning@independent.ie

[AlaskaFox]

Shall we ask him?

dfanning@independent.ie

Please do...

[CraftyToePoke]

Please do...

En masse? round up a posse ....

[Wolfie]

That's as maybe. But for me just another who went through the motions for Ireland, in the main.

A preposterous statement to make - utterly wrong.

The constraints of how Ireland played ensured Aldridge would not get as many goal opportunities as he did at Liverpool.

He was hugely important to how we played - continuous runs out wide to receive the ball and provide an outlet, where he'd be based in the box and around the 18 yard line for Liverpool.

To suggest he "just went through the motions" is an insult to the man and grossly unfair.

There's a catalogue of games where Aldridge burst a gut for Ireland.

Some of this revisionism against some of our most loyal servants ridiculous.

[Charlie Darwin]

John Aldridge was almost as lazy and ineffective as Kevin Doyle. Wait...

[mark12345]

That's as maybe. But for me just another who went through the motions for Ireland, in the main.

You may be a nice guy but please forgive me ArdeeBhoy when I tell you that your statement on John Aldridge, one of the greatest goalscorers in Liverpool (and I'm an Everton fan) and Ireland history, is as stupid a football comment as I've ever heard from anyone.....ever.

[paul_oshea]

Fact!

[ArdeeBhoy]

It's just my opinion, but I really don't think he was at his best for us compared to his club form for Liverpool.

Certainly when I saw him, he might have been trying, but 'busting a gut', Naw.

[ArdeeBhoy]

your statement on John Aldridge, one of the greatest goalscorers in Liverpool (and I'm an Everton fan) and Ireland history, is as stupid a football comment as I've ever heard from anyone.....ever.

Clearly you've never encountered a lot of soccer fans......

[tetsujin1979]

out for a month after having his appendix out: http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story?id=838208&sec=england&campaign=rss&source=soccernet&cc=5739

[geysir]

Aldo would have burst his appendix on the field.

[SwanVsDalton]

Certainly vented his spleen in Orlando.

[ArdeeBhoy]

But ultimately blew off a lot of pointless hot air....

[Scooby Doo]

The more and more that this drags on the less it is beginning to look like Noble was considering joining us. I highly doubt there is anything to this at all.

[paul_oshea]

has drummerboy lost all credibility on the site as a result?

[drummerboy]

Believe me when I tell you, the source couldn't be much more credible. But hey I guess we won't know for sure now until the new year.

[Sullivinho]

out for a month after having his appendix out: http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story?id=838208&sec=england&campaign=rss&source=soccernet&cc=5739

Curse that infernal appendage!

I was hoping the next squad announcement would shed some light on this rumour/possible instance of BS.

[paul_oshea]

Believe me when I tell you, the source couldn't be much more credible. But hey I guess we won't know for sure now until the new year.

i was only messing btw.

[Scooby Doo]

Lets hope some journo has the gumption to ask Trap outright during an upcoming press conference. Although one would suspect that his English might become conveniently broken if there was some uncertainty.

P.S. DB i'm not for a minute suggesting that you are a WUM or whatever. Just becoming a bit sceptical is all.

[Drumcondra 69er]

Was asked today about Noble and O'Hara, said neither was prepared to commit and one agent had said his player would want a guaranteed starting place so don't see this happening anytime soon, still harbouring ambitions of making it with England obviously.

[peadar1987]

John Aldridge not caring:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wSJVL74OlQk

[ArdeeBhoy]

Look at this stage I don't give a flying feck about Aldo.
Start yer own tribute thread or forum if he was that great (He wasn't for us.) in yer eyes.