Jack Grealish

[paul_oshea]

that doesnt annoy me what annoys me is that the people on here are acting like it doesnt matter what he says on his twitter or does he will stilll be playing for ireland.

Its as clear as the light of day if he gets a call up for the senior england squad he will take it.

[tricky_colour]

I hear Rory McIlroy has declared for Ireland.

[paul_oshea]

Declared he had nothing to declare, the GUI is both parts of the islands. He was just reaffirming that, if he had declared it would have been a switch of allegiance to GB, he took his time so as not to offend "the other side". But anyone who knows anything and supports golf on the island of ireland will not be offended by this as its always been the case.

[geysir]

That's resolved it, clarity has now been established and Grealish is settled on the track to our senior squad.

[DannyInvincible]

that doesnt annoy me what annoys me is that the people on here are acting like it doesnt matter what he says on his twitter or does he will stilll be playing for ireland.

I don't think anyone has said anything is certain in relation to this matter. Other than yourself and TOWK perhaps, who assure us that Grealish is a master of deceit. I'd rather remain rational and not lapse into paranoia. If he switches, he switches - that's his choice - but at this point, he's indicated he wants to continue playing for us. I'd like to take him at face value and give him the benefit of the doubt. If he does change his mind at some point, fair enough, it'll be an unfortunate loss and I can wish him farewell, but there's no way anyone can know for certain what will happen right now.

[Charlie Darwin]

The joke will be on all of us when he winds up switching to Scotland. We're doomed, etc.

[BonnieShels]

. How does it feel in hindsight knowing that the likes of Dan Crowley, Will Keane and Michael Keane took squad place and opportunities away from people who actually wanted to play for their country?

I think it's a joke to be quite frank but sure nevermind... I'm just a bellend.

Wow.

http://www.sterlingcareerconcepts.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/baseball_player_photo.jpg

And... it's... outta here!

[geysir]

He has already received and rejected what amounts to an invite to join the English underage set up and at a time when he was being peed around a bit by us.
Now we have certainties being expressed, that if he gets a call up to the English seniors then he'll be off.
That is a certainty of course because if he stays with Ireland, it will only be because he was certainly ignored by England and his devious strategy to grab attention by appearing not to be interested in their advances, failed. :rolleyes: I wonder why he didn't join them and if he failed to make the break through with England he could always settle for us?

So far, he's one of a select few of irish eligible players, who have rejected an invite to the English underage set up.

[liamoo11]

Aside from the fact that he supported England when the team that he is currently playing for were playing in International competition? The fact that he won't declare his allegiance to Ireland or England and is seemingly going to make the call based on how his club career pans out. Whatever criticisms or motivations you can level at Paul Green or Simon Cox, at least a decision is made and over with. How does it feel in hindsight knowing that the likes of Dan Crowley, Will Keane and Michael Keane took squad places and opportunities away from people who actually wanted to play for their country?

I think it's a joke to be quite frank but sure nevermind... I'm just a bellend.

Poor old Will Keane was never in Irish squads and never therefor took away a young Irish boys dream. His conscience is clear. Dan crowley looks like a lovely footballer. Over on Big soccer on the english section some talk a few weeks back that he was switching back to us. Its in the thread discussing their under 17 euro win. Lots of kerry family it seems

[TheOneWhoKnocks]

I thought it was common knowledge that he turned down an offer to play for England U-17 because he was playing for Ireland U-18 at a higher level. I'm pretty sure both Jack and his brother have pointedly said that several times.

@ BonnieShels :stupid:

[gastric]

Poor old Will Keane was never in Irish squads and never therefor took away a young Irish boys dream. His conscience is clear. Dan crowley looks like a lovely footballer. Over on Big soccer on the english section some talk a few weeks back that he was switching back to us. Its in the thread discussing their under 17 euro win. Lots of kerry family it seems

Would be fantastic if he did return to us!

[TheOneWhoKnocks]

*if he's any good.

And even then it won't be out of the goodness of his heart.

[gastric]

*if he's any good.

And even then it won't be out of the goodness of his heart.

Does anyone know where the ignore button is on here?

[TheOneWhoKnocks]

Relax gastric. Stop getting so agitated. It isn't really that big a deal.

[tetsujin1979]

he said, after spending weeks and weeks of trying to convince people of how big a deal it really is

[Olé Olé]

Poor old Will Keane was never in Irish squads and never therefor took away a young Irish boys dream. His conscience is clear. Dan crowley looks like a lovely footballer. Over on Big soccer on the english section some talk a few weeks back that he was switching back to us. Its in the thread discussing their under 17 euro win. Lots of kerry family it seems

Did a bit of digging on Big Soccer and think I've found what you're referring to:
http://forums.bigsoccer.com/threads/england-u-17-discussions-thread-3.1775615/page-96

I have seen one of arsenals fitness coaches (im not sure wtf he does actually) who's presumably spent a lot of time with Crowley this year, recently mention on twitter something along the lines that he'd convinced Crowley to play for Ireland. Annoying if true and if it had something to do with him leaving the England squad

I wonder was that Jerry Flannery whilst he was over with Arsenal? I'm obviously pretty clueless as to what other Irish people are on board over there.

EDIT: Bit of activity on Flannery's twitter with Crowley here:
https://twitter.com/jerryflannery/status/466989753297281024

I can't find the tweet to which that chap is referring but, in fairness, much of what Flannery puts up on twitter is done so with his tongue absolutely welded to the inside of his cheek.

[TheOneWhoKnocks]

...and yet another passive aggressive comment.

Go back to page 22.

And I'm not trying to convince anyone it's a big deal because, frankly, I don't think Jack is a big deal! I think England aren't as worried about losing him as some people make them out to be, or else they would make more of a concerted effort to get him in their setup; give him more guarantees. I don't think he's our great white hope either.

If he turns it on in the Premier League or Championship within the next several years, great, but in that event I think he will switch to England.

Hopefully he'll be good enough to play for both teams and choose Ireland but I doubt it - not out of paranoia but from his and Kevan's own words and body language.

I realise I ramble on sometimes (passionate) but I don't think that's a crime?! Don't get the hostility.

[paul_oshea]

Did a bit of digging on Big Soccer and think I've found what you're referring to:
http://forums.bigsoccer.com/threads/england-u-17-discussions-thread-3.1775615/page-96


I wonder was that Jerry Flannery whilst he was over with Arsenal? I'm obviously pretty clueless as to what other Irish people are on board over there.

EDIT: Bit of activity on Flannery's twitter with Crowley here:
https://twitter.com/jerryflannery/status/466989753297281024

I can't find the tweet to which that chap is referring but, in fairness, much of what Flannery puts up on twitter is done so with his tongue absolutely welded to the inside of his cheek.

There's 3 or 4 over there now, it was 3 and then they got an intern over but dont know if he is still there. Big Munster presence though - yet they are always getting injuries...

[DannyInvincible]

Hopefully he'll be good enough to play for both teams and choose Ireland but I doubt it - not out of paranoia but from his and Kevan's own words and body language.

Body language? What are you referring to exactly?

[Olé Olé]

Here we go:
https://twitter.com/jerryflannery/status/467006373449183232

Jerry saying "It's sorted." Some poor bugger got as paranoid as we do about Jack Grealish.

[Stuttgart88]

The self righteousness of this thread is bugging the hell out of me. If he continues to be available to play for Ireland and is good enough, then great. I couldn't care less about whether he's also good enough to play for England, Brazil or Andorra. If he plays for Ireland and gives his all, that's good enough for me. There's too much Norman Tebbitry going on here for my liking.

[Charlie Darwin]

Fackin' foreigners, taking jobs away from honest, hard-working Irish midfielders.

[Fixer82]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=768h3Tz4Qik

[IsMiseSean]

Since we're all having a moan about english-born Irish youth players supporting England.
I'm just going to put it out there that I saw a tweet from Kilkenny-born Mikey Drennan which indicated his support for England. Also Darron Gibson got behind "the boys in white"
Shocking :mad:

[Fixer82]

Since we're all having a moan about english-born Irish youth players supporting England.
I'm just going to put it out there that I saw a tweet from Kilkenny-born Mikey Drennan which indicated his support for England. Also Darron Gibson got behind "the boys in white"
Shocking :mad:

I reckon if I was playing week in week out with English players I'd be shouting them on.
Same way if I was playing with Liverpool I'm sure I would have been shouting on Suarez last night. Two great goals to be fair to the boy

[DannyInvincible]

Gibson did justify his support of England last night (justification was required to quieten some disapproving "ballbags") by tweeting that he had three team-mates in the England squad as well as one of his best mates (https://twitter.com/D_gibson4/status/479706699864223744). Is that Wayne Rooney?

[TheOneWhoKnocks]

What's wrong with what Gibson or Drennan are doing?! Ireland aren't playing in the World Cup. That's the difference.

Some interesting comments from our WC panelist Kenny Cunningham.

Cunningham urged caution following a FIFA rule change allowing players over the age of 21 to switch their international allegiance. Commenting in relation to Ireland's qualifying campaign ahead of the 2010 FIFA World Cup (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2010_FIFA_World_Cup), he said: "It wouldn't be something I'd be hugely in favour of" and "I'd be very disappointed if I was a player in that squad to miss out on the World Cup for somebody who was jumping on board at the last minute".

[BonnieShels]

What's wrong with what Gibson or Drennan are doing?! Ireland aren't playing in the World Cup. That's the difference.

Some interesting comments from our WC panelist Kenny Cunningham.

Cunningham urged caution following a FIFA rule change allowing players over the age of 21 to switch their international allegiance. Commenting in relation to Ireland's qualifying campaign ahead of the 2010 FIFA World Cup (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2010_FIFA_World_Cup), he said: "It wouldn't be something I'd be hugely in favour of" and "I'd be very disappointed if I was a player in that squad to miss out on the World Cup for somebody who was jumping on board at the last minute".



I'll wait til we qualify for something to worry about that.

[tricky_colour]

I'll wait til we qualify for something to worry about that.

I think we should worry now whilst we are still alive.

[DannyInvincible]

What's wrong with what Gibson or Drennan are doing?! Ireland aren't playing in the World Cup. That's the difference.

Well, there's nothing wrong with what they're doing. They can support who they wish for whatever reasons they wish. Why, is there something wrong with what Grealish is doing, or with what Grealish has done in the past? You'd nearly give the impression he has no empathy for us whatsoever, or that he has even expressed some sense of antipathy by way of publicising his support of England at a finals. What body language were you referring to earlier? You neglected to respond to that.


Some interesting comments from our WC panelist Kenny Cunningham.

Cunningham urged caution following a FIFA rule change allowing players over the age of 21 to switch their international allegiance. Commenting in relation to Ireland's qualifying campaign ahead of the 2010 FIFA World Cup (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2010_FIFA_World_Cup), he said: "It wouldn't be something I'd be hugely in favour of" and "I'd be very disappointed if I was a player in that squad to miss out on the World Cup for somebody who was jumping on board at the last minute".


That rule change was back in 2009 after the initial allowance to switch up until the age of 21 was introduced in 2004. Players in our set-up to have benefited from the introduction of a right to switch association once have been the northern players who had already represented the IFA (McClean and Duffy, for example) and Ciaran Clark. Not that many, really, and they all switched before or around the age of 21, if I'm not mistaken.

Darron Gibson and Marc Wilson never represented the IFA in an official competitive fixture, as far as I know, so they would not have had to formally effect any switch. Gibson would have played for the IFA in a Victory Shield game, but I'm pretty sure that's not FIFA-sanctioned, whilst Wilson played for them at under-15 level, but I don't think that constituted official representation either in the eyes of FIFA. I think they've always been FAI-registered players, in other words, as far as the rules are concerned anyway. I am open to correction on Wilson, but would be fairly sure under-15 isn't deemed official representation. Maybe someone can confirm...

What's the relevance here though? Who else is there and who's been "jumping on board at the last minute"? Alex Pearce?...

It's not that major an issue so as to cause genuine concern for our squad morale surely. I'd imagine Cunningham made the above comments in relation to talk of Jermaine Pennant or some other obvious mercenary-type/Stutts' gut-test failure possibly making a switch. Wasn't there talk of Pennant switching around 2010-2011?

[TheOneWhoKnocks]

Gibson and Drennan didn't support England at an International tournament that their own country was playing in and make some frankly daft comment about - I'm paraphrasing here - supporting the Ireland U-19 team and the England senior team.

My interpretation of Kevan's posting history on VillaTalk is that his preference would be for Jack to play for England. He has also referred to Ireland in the past as Jack's "International club", which I thought was pretty telling. Then there are the facts that there is no firm allegiance to Ireland. He stated his short-term future is with Ireland. I think people read far too much into his reassurances. What happens if he does make an impact in the PL within the next 2 or 3 years? We (I) won't be able to enjoy it because in the back of your head you'll (I'll) be worried about him switching to England.

Whatever about Gibson, Wilson and Duffy, a lot of U-21 caps will invariably hit a wall and progress no further as a result of lads in their 20's switching to Ireland or discovering a Grandparent they didn't know about.

[DannyInvincible]

We've discussed Grealish's words to death, but the reality is we don't really know for certain. He's a young lad - a dual national - and I'm prepared to give him the benefit of the doubt for reasons expressed earlier in this thread. You aren't as forgiving when it comes to his alleged sins. So be it; we'll have to agree to disagree. :)

But who are these imaginary or prospective "lads in their 20s switching to Ireland or discovering a grandparent they didn't know about"? Aren't you just scaremongering without any real justification for doing so? Have you got past examples upon which your alarmism is rationally founded? The rule hasn't opened any flood-gates or anything in the sense you seem to be fearing, and it's been in place since 2009, or since 2004 with 21 being the age-cap.

[Stuttgart88]

Some people read far too much into his reassurances, others read far too much into his lack of them.

[gastric]

And the only person who knows what he will do is Jack. I know it's the off season, but the sheer amount of debate sparked by some support for England where he was born is crazy. Without wanting to reopen another debate, the only way we might influence any decision, he may or may not make, is if MONRoy have a word in his ear. Over to them!

[Fixer82]

If the kid decides tp play for England good luck to him, I'll wish him all the best. If he decides to play for us great.
He seems like a nice young fella

[tetsujin1979]

If the kid decides tp play for England good luck to him, I'll wish him all the best. If he decides to play for us great.
He seems like a nice young fella
Apart from one or two notable exceptions, I think that's the consensus of the forum

[TheOneWhoKnocks]

So it's okay if he's just hedging his bets by playing for our national team? Unfortunately, some of the youngsters who don't get into our underage teams don't have the opportunity to play for more than one national team.

I would appreciate it if he would just nail his colors firmly to the mast and play for the national team he wants to play for instead of him - and his brother - coming out with all this codology. That's what I have a problem with. If he wants to play for England, I won't make a Jack Grealish voodoo doll.

[Olé Olé]

If the kid decides tp play for England good luck to him, I'll wish him all the best. If he decides to play for us great.
He seems like a nice young fella

Yeah, that's the thing. I had a good look at his twitter feed and he seems well-grounded and nice young fella.

He talks a bit of sense too. I saw him get a tweet off someone asking why he was in Ibiza and he just replied something like 'Footballers have lives to live too.'

Did we ever establish his actual Irish background? A couple of times it's been report his dad is from Dublin which isn't the case, as far as I know (think they're mixed up with the brother Keane, Will and Michael). 3 of his 4 grandparents are Irish, correct? Or maybe all 4? And he played a bit of gaelic football too.

[DannyInvincible]

So it's okay if he's just hedging his bets by playing for our national team? Unfortunately, some of the youngsters who don't get into our underage teams don't have the opportunity to play for more than one national team.

I would appreciate it if he would just nail his colors firmly to the mast and play for the national team he wants to play for instead of him - and his brother - coming out with all this codology. That's what I have a problem with. If he wants to play for England, I won't make a Jack Grealish voodoo doll.

You make a lot of assumptions there. Nobody's said he wants to play for England, so why would he nail his colours to their mast in terms of who he'll represent at senior level; you're just assuming he secretly intends to switch in the future and holding said assumption against him. He's a dual national; whether or not you think such a concept is unfair or whatever on guys who are eligible to represent only one country, that's the reality. Grealish is under no obligation to play for us and we're under no obligation to select him. We continue to select him in full knowledge of his dual national status; it seems to be a risk the FAI are happy to run with. If there is a concern over his loyalty, we can always stop selecting him and select others instead. When we have selected him, though, he has shown up, proudly played for us to the best of his ability and demonstrated commitment. Give the lad a break with talk of "hedging his bets", accusations of codology and such nonsense. He's only 18. You'd nearly give the impression he and his younger brother were cynically conspiring against us.

[SwanVsDalton]

So it's okay if he's just hedging his bets by playing for our national team? Unfortunately, some of the youngsters who don't get into our underage teams don't have the opportunity to play for more than one national team.

I would appreciate it if he would just nail his colors firmly to the mast and play for the national team he wants to play for instead of him - and his brother - coming out with all this codology. That's what I have a problem with. If he wants to play for England, I won't make a Jack Grealish voodoo doll.

Giving up voodoo after the Richard Keogh one failed to work, I presume?

[gastric]

Someone seems to have OCD, considering the 'codology' that is consistently written on here. JACK FOR IRELAND!!!

[TheOneWhoKnocks]

Giving up voodoo after the Richard Keogh one failed to work, I presume?

His performances were so laughably bad in the Costa Rica and Portugal game that someone must have been sticking pins in a doll of him.

http://www.birminghammail.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/aston-villa-teenager-jack-grealish-7308176

In talks over new contract.

[Charlie Darwin]

Happy now, TOWK? If Grealish even thinks about defecting he'll be on the end of a two-footed challenge from Our Roy.

[samhaydenjr]

Happy now, TOWK? If Grealish even thinks about defecting he'll be on the end of a two-footed challenge from Our Roy.

On a more practical note, this appointment should give us the inside track on Grealish's development over the next few months and should help the management judge better when to promote him to the senior squad (if at all) - and likewise for Carruthers, Drennan, Burke and Stevens

[Charlie Darwin]

Stevens will be gone sooner rather than later, I'd think. As a Rovers fan I'd have loved to see him make it but he's just not reached his potential.

[paul_oshea]

Or maybe he has and he just isn't good enough

[TheOneWhoKnocks]

I liked the look of Stevens when he got game time at Villa; he looked competent enough, so it was surprising that he wasn't given more of a chance. Villa had some shocking results immediately before and after he was in the team. He couldn't have been much worse than the dreck that were playing LB; but he wasn't a Lambo signing so c'est la vie.

[SwanVsDalton]

I liked the look of Stevens when he got game time at Villa; he looked competent enough, so it was surprising that he wasn't given more of a chance. Villa had some shocking results immediately before and after he was in the team. He couldn't have been much worse than the dreck that were playing LB; but he wasn't a Lambo signing so c'est la vie.

He did ok and was a bit unlucky, but never looked like an EPL player. He was limited and it didn't matter if Lambert found that out sooner or later.

[liamoo11]

Is there anyone on here who watches enough of scottish football to be able to compare Ryan gauld who had that eye catching move to sporting this week to Grealish. From the small amounts I have seen of Gauld online in last few days it would seem a reasonable comparison.

On a side note rememeber when sporting signed alan mahon? I am more than likely dreaming but I had an idea that was a 1.5 million deal at the time. Didnt really work out for us in the end

[Charlie Darwin]

Alan Mahon was free I think.

Like you, I've only seen bits of Gauld but he looks very good. Full of tricks and vision but the question is whether he can become a 90% player rather than the 50% he is now.