Should Gallen get a second chance?

[1MickCollins]

2 questions;

1. Is he good enough?
2. He said "No!" to Ireland once before, should he be given a second chance?

Here is an article from todays Indo:



Gerry Mcdermott: Gallen hoping his new status will attract Kerr's attention

THE Queen's Park Rangers' striker Kevin Gallen is hoping that his Irish international career can now take off following his side's promotion to the English First Division.

The 28-year-old scored the first goal on Saturday as QPR beat Sheffield Wednesday 3-1 to finish as runners-up to Plymouth in Division Two. And he believes that playing in Division One will give him every chance of earning a call-up from Brian Kerr.

Under FIFA regulations introduced this year, Gallen can declare for Ireland if he held dual citizenship at the time of his England debut.

"From what I can gather, I do qualify to play for Ireland so it's just a question now of being picked. Hopefully playing in Division One will make a difference," said Gallen.

Gallen, whose brothers Joe and Stephen both played under-age football for Ireland, was capped at youth and U-21 level by England but never won a senior cap.

He has strong Irish roots as his father is from Donegal and his mother from Mayo. He is a regular visitor to the country and would dearly love to play for Ireland.

"I have written a letter to Brian Kerr and he wrote back to me. It would definitely be a great thing for me and all my family if I was to get a chance and I'm certainly keeping my fingers crossed."

Gallen, who was QPR's player of the year in 2002-03, has had another magnificent season for the Loftus Road side. In 45 league appearances he scored 17 goals, his best ever return as a professional footballer. "It's been my best season as far as goals are concerned and I feel I am playing better than ever."

Kerr watched Gallen in a recent league game against Peterborough and will be attracted by the player's versatility as well as his squad's shortage of goalscoring strikers.

"I've played up front and all across the midfield this season. I don't know how I would be at the back though!" quipped Gallen.

Kerr is due to announce his squad for the summer friendlies against Romania, Nigeria, Jamaica and Holland within the next ten days, and Gallen will be one player paying a little bit of extra attention to the teletext service.

Meanwhile, Roy Keane's hopes of being involved in the summer fixtures depend on him getting back to action for Manchester United. Alex Ferguson suggested over the weekend that his captain is nearing full fitness.

[sylvo]

Mick that fcuker can fcuk right off, he's got some fcuking nerve, i read that bit in the indo yesterday also, he made his bed now he can go lay in it.

[lopez]

Should Gallen get a second chance? No! F*ck off you plastic tan!

[Plastic Paddy]

We're second best to nobody, but we need to be a little more pragmatic here. The likes of Kevin Nolan would add something to our team IMHO, but I'm not sure that Gallen or Jonathan Macken would.

Still, we'll soon see Mister Kerr's views on the matter...

:) PP

[gustavo]

plastic tan!

sounds sore :eek:

[Roo69]

We're second best to nobody, but we need to be a little more pragmatic here. The likes of Kevin Nolan would add something to our team IMHO, but I'm not sure that Gallen or Jonathan Macken would.

Still, we'll soon see Mister Kerr's views on the matter...

:) PP

But sure Nolan said no to us before as well, infact, he said no to Kerr in the youth teams !

But Gallen is'nt good enough anyway so theres no point in this conversation !
not a chance he's better than what we have at present

[Plastic Paddy]

But sure Nolan said no to us before as well, infact, he said no to Kerr in the youth teams !

I know that (see posts passim) but if he wanted to switch now, I think he could do a job for us, that's all. Hence my earlier reference to pragmatism, which is not something we Irish are particularly known for...

:) PP

[Dodge]

We're second best to nobody, but we need to be a little more pragmatic here. The likes of Kevin Nolan would add something to our team IMHO, but I'm not sure that Gallen or Jonathan Macken would.

Still, we'll soon see Mister Kerr's views on the matter...

:) PP
He already has given his view. Said that he got a "nice letter" from Gallen but Kerr said that there'#s loads of lads ahaead of him and it wouldn't be fair to them. Nice diplomacy from Kerr

[sylvo]

If judus Gallen want's to play international football again, he should go to soho square and ask Ulrika Johnnson's old mate if he'll give him a game seeing that nine year's ago he felt such tan and getting a couple of underage cap's and forty piece's of silver to play for that lot seemed such a great move @ the time, he's got some fcuking nerve wanting to play for Ireland after what he done.

[Dodge]

Relax. He's not a judas ****. He's just english.

if he played for ireland, then he'd a be judas. As ot is, he's just a wannabee

[Bowsy]

Gallen is a lower league forward and his best days are past him. Beyond the fact that he's already made his choice he's just not good enough. He's older and no better than The Ant or Alan Lee. If we look at any QPR player i'd rather it be Martin Rowlands, their player of the season.

[Plastic Paddy]

If we look at any QPR player i'd rather it be Martin Rowlands, their player of the season.

...and one who opted for Ireland anyway. IIRC, he played for the u-21s whilst at Brentford.

:) PP

[lopez]

Relax. He's not a judas ****. He's just english.

if he played for ireland, then he'd a be judas. As ot is, he's just a wannabeeHow did you work that one out? It's just that if your sh*t has an once of truth in it, I'm owed a hell of a lot of money. :rolleyes:

[London Irish]

……all I’ll say is compare Gallen to that true son of Mayo Kevin Kilbane who rejected England at a young age and risked isolation all for the country of his parents’ birth!!!!!.

[mickrev]

Gallen is definitely good enough for the Irish squad at least. Very experienced and definitely better than Crowe/Byrne/Lee. The only reason he orignially declared for England was because back when QPR were decent, they wouldn't give Gallen a new contract unless he declared for England instead of Ireland. This was down to the three foreigners rule in european football at the time. He wanted to play for Ireland but put his career first. Thats the fact of the matter ye clowns.

[Plastic Paddy]

The only reason he orignially declared for England was because back when QPR were decent, they wouldn't give Gallen a new contract unless he declared for England instead of Ireland. This was down to the three foreigners rule in european football at the time.

Correct. This was discussed here some months ago: http://foot.ie/showthread.php?t=10809


Thats the fact of the matter ye clowns.

And any credibility you had in this discussion disappeared here. Nice one. Clown.

:rolleyes: PP

[Declan_Michael]

Gallen is definitely good enough for the Irish squad at least. Very experienced and definitely better than Crowe/Byrne/Lee. The only reason he orignially declared for England was because back when QPR were decent, they wouldn't give Gallen a new contract unless he declared for England instead of Ireland. This was down to the three foreigners rule in european football at the time. He wanted to play for Ireland but put his career first. Thats the fact of the matter ye clowns.

Dosen't make sense to me. Been reading up on QPR as far as I know they never qualified for Europe in the 1990's (relegated mid 90's). Don't think they really came close to getting into Europe.

Besides you can't hold someone to ransom like that. If I was in that position think I'd rather forsake the contract. Afterall it's the morality of the matter (even in the face of Roy keane's return :D )

[The Legend]

Give Gallen a cap by letting him come on in injury time in some useless friendly...
.. then tell him to f**k off! ha ha ha! :)

[mickrev]

They came fifth in the first season of the premiership. European footie was possible the following seasons when the English clubs were allowed back to play.

[sylvo]

Relax. He's not a judas ****. He's just english.

if he played for ireland, then he'd a be judas. As ot is, he's just a wannabee


Dodge i take it then that the big fella in the three piece suit's who led Pat's to a trophy or to, and was alway's doing his best to promote Pat's and the el was english as well.
Dodge, Gallen may not be considered much of a judus around Inchicore, but to the vast majority of second generation Irish fan's he most certainly is, his two brother's played for Ireland, he classed himself as Irish and just cause Gerry Francis leaned on him a bit he cave's in and give's up something most of us would walk a million mile's to do, pull on a green jersey and play for Ireland, and now all of a sudden he want's a second chance, fcuk him.

[sylvo]

Gallen is definitely good enough for the Irish squad at least. Very experienced and definitely better than Crowe/Byrne/Lee. The only reason he orignially declared for England was because back when QPR were decent, they wouldn't give Gallen a new contract unless he declared for England instead of Ireland. This was down to the three foreigners rule in european football at the time. He wanted to play for Ireland but put his career first. Thats the fact of the matter ye clowns.


As has been said by some of us clown's Kevin Kilbane was leaned on and was hasselled by the manager @ Preston when he would'nt play for the tan's and he was @ a much younger age then Gallen, how come Gallen could'nt have done the same, was his vocal chord's not working that day when Francis leaned on him.

[Bowsy]

Mickrev, spout a load of rubbish and call everyone on the thread "clowns". Nice! :rolleyes:
No one who truly believes themself to be Irish would declare for England just because their manager said so. As for him being better than Crowe/Lee/Byrne that's very very debatable. Don't recall him setting the Second Division alight this season. 16 in 46 games for a team that finished 2nd. whoop-di-doo, the saviour of Irish football is here!! :rolleyes:

[Bowsy]

HANG on B,Isnt that someone else we all know & 'love'.........?!

Would you believe I forgot about that chap for a moment. :eek:
Will neglect to mention his name for fear of yet another thread being hijacked by those with a one tracked mind. :)

[Paulie]

[QUOTE=Bowsy]Mickrev, spout a load of rubbish and call everyone on the thread "clowns". Nice! :rolleyes:
No one who truly believes themself to be Irish would declare for England just because their manager said so.

To me this quote sums it up. He chose to play for ingurlund and now because things have not worked out as he would have wished he wants to join up with us. He's made his bed........

[Slash/ED]

Gallen is no better than Crowe/Byrne/Lee/O'Flynn/Heffernen (scored more goals in his division despite being in a relegated team)/Keane/Morrison/Connolly and many more I could probably mention and have forgotten about. I'd even have youngsters like Elliot ahead of him. He's not good enough, whatever about what he did, the fact remains he's not good enough so it will never be an issue.

[Irish_Hoop]

Some of the posts here show little knowledge of Gallen's ability. His game is about much more than scoring goals and he probably has more "assists" than goals to his name. I know, I've been watching QPR for all the years we haven't been "decent"!

I can't understand the venom behind some of the attackes on Gallen. He was young and foolish when he opted for England, and has regretted it for a long while. This is a "second chance" for him, why can't he take it? Just watch him play in Division 1 next year before you judge him. Gallen is only 28 years of age by the way.

Rowlands is an excellent player by the way, and will flourish in Division 1

[finlma]

Kevin Gallen is more than good enough for Ireland. He signed for england when clubs were only allowed 3 foriegn players in there teams. He is English and Irish, and we should consider ourselves very fortunate that he can now play for us. Most people on this board have no idea of his abiltity, but those of us who support QPR and Ireland are very aware of it.

No doubt about it but Kevin Gallen is a much better player than Gary Doherty, David Connolly, Graham Kavanage, Alan Lee, Alan Quinn, McPhail, Kinsella, Barrett (Coventry City), McGeady (Celtic)

He played in the preimership in 94-95 and himself and Les Ferdinand destroyed the likes of Arsenal home and away. He's only 28 and has 10 years experience.


Hold on there a minute.
English clubs were only permitted 3 players if they were playing in Europe and this wasn't exactly a problem for QPR.
As for the list of players you mentioned a lot aren't even strikers so I don't know where your comparisons are coming from. If Gallen is better than all those mentioned why didn't he try to move to a bigger club when QPR got relegated to the 2nd?

[Plastic Paddy]

No doubt about it but Kevin Gallen is a much better player than Gary Doherty, David Connolly, Graham Kavanage, Alan Lee, Alan Quinn, McPhail, Kinsella, Barrett (Coventry City), McGeady (Celtic)

No doubt about it but you really haven't the first clue, have you? I bet - as an example - you haven't an idea about Aiden McGeady. Nor obviously Graham Kavanagh, who has been the star turn in Cardiff's upper-mid table Division 1 finish this season. And, er, in case it had escaped your attention, Gary Doherty's been playing regularly for Tottenham in the Premier League. If Gallen is that good, why, surely he would be playing at that level too.

:rolleyes: PP

[Slash/ED]

ahahaha Gallen better than McGready :D

That's up there with the clown who said Kilbane was one of the best players at the 2002 world cup, and wasn't taking the **** :D

[Coltron]

Just to point out, and Im not 100% on this but pretty sure. Gallen left QPR a few years ago obviously looking for bigger and better things and when this didn't work out guess where he came crawlling back? Yes bonus points all round QPR. Gallen is not welcome here, he should act like a man and live with his choices...(could be heading to stormy waters better chance course) any self respecting nation would recognise that.

And lads, its far too early for this McGeady chap to be in the squad and here is where he should look at our neighbour (Cue Kev). Hes only played one or two games 'reserve games' for 'Sell-thick' and yet hes in the squad! If there concerned he will choose Scotland over us well he might but in that case he would consider himself Scottish and not Irish, if he says he is Irish then let him earn his place. 15-20 competative games for his scottish club atleast and thats if he performs well in the CL for them like Miller. Don't go getting all flusted because he looks good, like with Gallen its the principle.

[1MickCollins]

I can't see him brought in and I don't want it to happen. But he can always bask in the glory of being named in the Irish Independant's Irish Team of the Week ( yes, a world class 11 there ):

S Kelly

(Bohemians)

S Kelly Breen Coughlan Clarke

(Spurs) (Sunderland) (Plymouth) (Stoke)

G Kelly Holland Tresson Doyle

(Leeds) (Charlton) (Bray) (Coventry)

McGeady Gallen

(Celtic) (QPR)

[Irish_Hoop]

Some interesting points.

Apparently Kerr has said he wants to see Gallen perform at division 1 level next season and I think he is right. So we'll all have to wait and see how this one pans out in the future.

[only1kilbane]

Here was not taking the **** about kilbane had a great wc u muppet !

[lopez]

Gallen is more Irish than that McGeady Guy. I've got no problem with Gallen being Irish. I just think he's a w*nker for opting for England - despite the pressure from the cr*p player turned cr*p manager turned cr*p play director - and now trying to get into the Ireland team because his career with a white shirt is over.

[Macy]

Gallen is QPR through and through. Don't forget he played Premiership football 9-10 years ago and scored regulary.
That's me convinced, played Premiership football 10 years ago, so is obviously still good enough....

[tiktok]

Remember he was about 18 when he was pressurised into signing for England. Give the guy a chance.

Kilbane was younger when he turned England down.
McGeady was still only seventeen when he had Bertie Vogts around to his for tea.

If he wanted to play for Ireland, he would have, don't forget his two older brothers had declared for us, it's not like he wouldn't have had support.

[Bring Back Mick]

So KG was over looked by Sven again !!! will he be following the progress of his declared team in euro 2004,
He had the chance which all of us would kill for......and chose the money on the table. You make your choices...............
Didn't he leave QPR for a better career with .................Huddersfield, and I see that thug Bircham is in talks with Sheff Utd, money seems to talk for all these loyal QPR players who followed the club in their youth and have fulfilled their dream.

Ony one "Super Kev" from the County MAYO for Ireland .......................
Kevin Kilbane

[Slash/ED]

Here was not taking the **** about kilbane had a great wc u muppet !

sure he did, loseing out on player of the tournament only to Ian Harte.

[Bring Back Mick]

At the time Kevin Gallen was seen as a having potenial to be really top striker and so potenially worth a lot of money in transfer market. His brothers weren't. Who was pressurising his brothers to play for England.

http://www.soccer-stats.com/teams/results_so_far.asp?divno=1&code=q

McGready - well no one really knows why he is not playing for scotland. Upset of something about not getting on scottish schoolboys team, so he sticks his 2 fingers up at scotland and declares for Ireland? I don't know - but thats what it sounds like to me.

If Gallen thought he was as good a player as what was said about him at the time he would have declared for Ireland told GF where to go with England, and proberley would have got a move to a bigger club, wouldn't have been playing for QPR in a 1st Div game @ Porthsmouth where he picked up that injury............................."YOU MAKE YOUR CHOICES - MONEY TALKS" it seems for some,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

[Slash/ED]

BLOWING MY OWN TRUMPET - BUT HOW RIGHT AM I AFTER NIGERIA GAME !!!!!!!!

Yeah, us being beaten proves some random person is good enough to play for us.

[only1kilbane]

kevin gallen is a glory hunter end of story. He had his choice now suddenly wants to play for us . Hes not good enough Alan Lee though limited is much better player . So get over your kevin gallen thing

[Bowsy]

BLOWING MY OWN TRUMPET - BUT HOW RIGHT AM I AFTER NIGERIA GAME !!!!!!!!

Oh yeah, would of hammered Nigeria with Gallen in our side. :rolleyes:

[Slash/ED]

would you be happier if i said lets have jason byrne in the team cause he is better than gary doherty, stephen mcphail, alan lee.

I would have said the same. It was a second string we had out, us loseing that game hardly proves we need Gallen/Byrne/Anybody in the set up does it? And I hardly think we'd have won 4-3 if he was there.

[Bowsy]

never said we would mate

Then what point were you making? I think we should be trying to weed out players like McPhail, Connolly, Quinn, etc not add to them with more bog standard pros. Just because we have some second rate players in the squad is no reason to add more second rate players. He's a lower division striker and has been since the 90s. If he was half decent this wouldn't be the case. I too am not going to bother anymore. I don't believe he's worth a call up.

[Bring Back Mick]

The Football Association
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FAO : SVEN

Enougt said boys ...........................maybe KG hasn't got the new contact details for the FA, they were @ Lancaster Gate when he last turned out maybe his begging letters haven't been forwarded on !!!

[only1kilbane]

Then what point were you making? I think we should be trying to weed out players like McPhail, Connolly, Quinn, etc not add to them with more bog standard pros. Just because we have some second rate players in the squad is no reason to add more second rate players. He's a lower division striker and has been since the 90s. If he was half decent this wouldn't be the case. I too am not going to bother anymore. I don't believe he's worth a call up.

He aint and never was . As said above we have enough mediocre players in our squad without adding another one who cant get there game for england and tries to choose the easy option.

[Closed Account 2]

Wasnt there a rule (in the Early 90s, pre Bosman-EU etc) that clubs could have 3 foreigners and 3 "assimilated" players? This meant that QPR could have played say a German, Frenchman and an Algerian, and then a Scot, a Welshman and an Irishman... at least that was my understanding of it at the time... I think it changed post 95 (tho those with Championship Manager could check).

Personally I dont think Gallen is that good, Ive seen him play a couple of times while watching my team in Div 2 (or whatever its now been re-named to) and he looks like an average Div 2 player, hes also over 25 so I dont think hes one for the future.

As to him rejecting us back in 1994, well he made his choice then and its a bit harsh, but from whats been posted here earlier he also went against the wishes of his family who considered themselves Irish. We could always bring him on for the last 10 mins of the match vs the Faroes at LR and then never play him again. That would at least bugger his chances of say switching to Scotland, Northern Ireland or Wales.