Best Irish Players Ever [Archive] - Page 2

SkStu

03/03/2011, 1:00 AM

Speaking of full backs, no sign of Stan in the top ten. Is his legacy tainted (teinted?) by his disasterous spell in charge? Was Dinny a better player than him? You tell me!

Oh yes, i think Denis Irwin was a far superior player to Stan. Stan in his prime for Liverpool as a 17 year old and then Villa, however, was a revelation and just the player we needed at the time. He was excellent for us in the early to mid 90's. He played terribly for us in his later years as an Irish player with a brief resurgence around the 2002 WC. The poor spell (a few years) is what would drop him down the list because he was absolute poison. Still an Irish legend for his haul of caps if nothing else and in spite his managerial spell which must be blamed on Delaney/FAI at the end of the day.

AlaskaFox

03/03/2011, 8:36 AM

39th?

Oh no, 99th. ;)

geysir

03/03/2011, 9:53 AM

Oh yes, i think Denis Irwin was a far superior player to Stan.
Irwin was the better player - no doubt- but not one I would say who was far superior than Stan.

Stan - He was excellent for us in the early to mid 90's. He played terribly for us in his later years as an Irish player with a brief resurgence around the 2002 WC. The poor spell (a few years) is what would drop him down the list because he was absolute poison.
Recurring injuries took their toll on Stan who was played at full back, as you know a position which required some speed. At times he was as effective there as KK on one leg. There were games he played for us when he was barely mobile. He regained some of his ability in his later years, just like Carr has.
This confirms that his ability was never lost and it is a credit to him that even during those times his body was stiff as a poker, he was still a first choice.

SkStu

03/03/2011, 3:23 PM

im not sure if you've just agreed with me or disagreed with me! :)

geysir

03/03/2011, 4:48 PM

I think I explained it better, you sounded too mean :)

Fixer82

03/03/2011, 4:57 PM

"Chris Hughton�s Irish career is notable because he was the first mixed-race player to play for the Republic of Ireland"

You mean there was no half-English, half-Irish player before Chris Hughton. Surely this can't be true :bomb:

AlaskaFox

04/03/2011, 12:23 PM

Part three: http://greenscene.me/2011/03/best-irish-football-players-ever-40-31/

AlaskaFox

04/03/2011, 12:24 PM

"Chris Hughton’s Irish career is notable because he was the first mixed-race player to play for the Republic of Ireland"

You mean there was no half-English, half-Irish player before Chris Hughton. Surely this can't be true :bomb:

You know what I meant. A few sites say "mixed-race", so we went with that description too.

Paddy Garcia

04/03/2011, 6:22 PM

Still an Irish legend for his haul of caps if nothing else and in spite his managerial spell which must be blamed on Delaney/FAI at the end of the day.

Agree - except that Stan is very much accountable too. He accepted a responsibility he could not deliver and, worse, shamefully, and without dignity, walked away with a pay off which seriously undermines his pervious contribution.

SkStu

04/03/2011, 8:44 PM

I get that point of view but who made the biggest blunder in that whole episode? Delaney by appointing Stan in my opinion. Its not like Stan wasnt trying, he simply had NO EFFIN EXPERIENCE!! A sackable offence to hire someone like that in any other industry, Delaney can count himself lucky/untouchable...

Charlie Darwin

04/03/2011, 10:12 PM

Yard of Pace

05/03/2011, 3:28 PM

Interesting feature alright but there are too many glaring mistakes in their facts.

"One of the very few Irish players to have a Champions League medal, Steve Finnan was an integral part of the Liverpool side that lifted the title in 2007, playing 88 minutes of the final."

I thought they won it in 2005 and Finnan got substituted at half tme? He did however play 88 mins in the 2007 final.

Makes me wonder if I can believe anything they have written about the players from before the late 80's, as I'm too young to remember them.

Where is Steve Finnan, incidentally??? Did no one sign him this season at all??

AlaskaFox

07/03/2011, 7:17 PM

Part Four:
http://greenscene.me/2011/03/best-irish-football-players-ever-30-21/

EastTerracer

08/03/2011, 1:06 AM

Great to see Beglin and Lawrenson in the Top 30 - two players who played a part in qualifying for Euro88 but whose careers were cut short by injury before the finals.

Also, seeing Charlie Hurley at no.22 reminded me that during Premier Soccer Saturday on RTE a couple of days ago the commentator mentioned that Niall Quinn was sitting next to David Miliband (UK Labour party) at the Emirates. Unfortunately the commentator could recognise an English politician but didn't know that the chap Niall Quinn was talking to in the row behind was the legendary Charlie Hurley. Charlie is the older gentleman just behind Niall - delighted to see him still going strong.

http://d.yimg.com/i/ng/sp/empics/20110305/15/1160218684-soccer-barclays-premier-league-arsenal-v-sunderland-emirates-stadium.jpg

Fixer82

08/03/2011, 11:20 AM

Cas never played in World Cup '94 if I remember

*edit* I take that back, he came on as a sub against Holland late on. Didn't have much of an impact though that late in the game

Paddy Garcia

08/03/2011, 8:27 PM

What's Stan's pay-off got to do with anything? He's fully entitled to have his contract honoured, and I'd rather the money go in his pocket after he'd tried his level best than in the pocket of some FAI suit.

or read as "I'd rather the money go in his pocket after he'd tried his level best than in Irish grass roots football"

What it has to do with it is that, for some, there is always the option to do the right thing. Keegan and many others took this option. Frankly Stan did not earn it - for most of us trying our "level best" was only ever an excuse we could use to the age of about 4!

OwlsFan

09/03/2011, 9:59 AM

Agree - except that Stan is very much accountable too. He accepted a responsibility he could not deliver and, worse, shamefully, and without dignity, walked away with a pay off which seriously undermines his pervious contribution.

Steady on! I know there were rumours but.....

AlaskaFox

09/03/2011, 3:04 PM

I await the "should've been higher" comments...

Here's 20-11:
http://greenscene.me/2011/03/best-irish-football-players-ever-20-11/

EastTerracer

09/03/2011, 3:24 PM

I await the "should've been higher" comments...

Here's 20-11:
http://greenscene.me/2011/03/best-irish-football-players-ever-20-11/

Shay Given only at no.15 - is that because his goals to games ratio is so poor?:rolleyes:

EAFC_rdfl

09/03/2011, 4:21 PM

who's gonna be the top ten? I have these:
keane, keane, mcgrath, brady, giles, irwin, bonner, lawrenson, mcgeady?? AN other!!!
can't believe given is not in top ten

paul_oshea

09/03/2011, 4:31 PM

I think top ten and actually top 10 for positions is very different.

its the overall top ten hence why you can understand why given might not be there.

AlaskaFox

09/03/2011, 4:38 PM

who's gonna be the top ten? I have these:
keane, keane, mcgrath, brady, giles, irwin, bonner, lawrenson, mcgeady?? AN other!!!
can't believe given is not in top ten

Lawrenson was 24. If that's any help. ;)

CraftyToePoke

09/03/2011, 4:47 PM

who's gonna be the top ten? I have these:
keane, keane, mcgrath, brady, giles, irwin, bonner, lawrenson, mcgeady?? AN other!!!
can't believe given is not in top ten

Kevin Moran to sneak in there maybe ?

EastTerracer

09/03/2011, 5:19 PM

No sign of Frank Stapleton yet either so he must be in the Top 10 - by far my favourite player when I was 11 years old (1981-ish).

CraftyToePoke

09/03/2011, 5:24 PM

Stapelton
Keane
Keane
McGrath
Brady
Giles
Bonner
Irwin
Moran
+ 1
Not in that order.

Maybe?

sean r

10/03/2011, 3:04 AM

no eddie mcgoldrick??

AlaskaFox

11/03/2011, 2:21 PM

Drum roll...
http://greenscene.me/2011/03/best-irish-football-players-ever-10-01/

Also you can vote for your own here:
http://greenscene.me/2011/03/vote-for-your-greatest-irish-players-ever/

EastTerracer

11/03/2011, 2:41 PM

Drum roll...
http://greenscene.me/2011/03/best-irish-football-players-ever-10-01/

Can't complain too much with that line-up but personally I would have had McGrath at No.1. I still think Shay has done enough to overtake Packie as well.

Thanks to AlaskaFox and the lads at greenscene for keeping me entertained during the last two weeks.

AlaskaFox

11/03/2011, 2:47 PM

Can't complain too much with that line-up but personally I would have had McGrath at No.1. I still think Shay has done enough to overtake Packie as well.

Thanks to AlaskaFox and the lads at greenscene for keeping me entertained during the last two weeks.

Thanks. That's why you're to vote for your own too. ;)

Sullivinho

11/03/2011, 3:10 PM

I'd have had Shay higher placed as well as one or two others over the course of the feature but our top 5's are perfectly in sync.

Cheers to Greenscene and AlaskaFox for a very interesting and entertaining read, looking forward to more.

AlaskaFox

11/03/2011, 3:14 PM

Thank carloz too. Not just me :D

sean r

12/03/2011, 12:33 AM

the best irish player was no doubt GEORGE BEST!!!! (i am a close 2nd)

AlaskaFox

29/03/2011, 11:02 AM

Hope I'm not being a pain by bumping this, but we'd love more votes for this:
http://greenscene.me/2011/03/vote-for-your-greatest-irish-players-ever/

You can even post them as a reply to this thread and they'll be included!

Junior

29/03/2011, 11:31 AM

Done.

Adrock

29/03/2011, 2:55 PM

Im sure Mcgeady will be up there one day, once hes dead and his talents are finally appreciated.

AlaskaFox

13/04/2011, 11:09 AM

Here's the readers' results:
http://greenscene.me/2011/04/greenscene-readers-greatest-ever-irish-footballers/

You can only blame yourself if you forgot to vote! :D

geysir

13/04/2011, 11:33 AM

At nr. 40 Terry Phelan “Is he the fastest Irish player ever?”

Is he? Was Terry's speed ever clocked? I'd say Steve Heighway was the fastest ever, he was so fast that his feet didn't even touch the ground.