Jack Grealish

[Charlie Darwin]

He's doing it again!! :mad:

Jack Grealish ‏@JackGrealish1 (https://twitter.com/JackGrealish1) 2m (https://twitter.com/JackGrealish1/status/509033720117207040)
Yes the big bro fab starting https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v1/72x72/1f64c.pnghttps://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v1/72x72/1f64c.png

[Closed Account]

He's doing it again!! :mad:

Jack Grealish ‏@JackGrealish1 (https://twitter.com/JackGrealish1) 2m (https://twitter.com/JackGrealish1/status/509033720117207040)
Yes the big bro fab starting https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v1/72x72/1f64c.pnghttps://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v1/72x72/1f64c.png
Nothing wrong with him being delight that Delph is starting. (or him supporting England)

[Charlie Darwin]

Nothing wrong with him being delight that Delph is starting. (or him supporting England)
He's watching England and not only does he not want them to lose, he's actually got friends in the team. Kick the wee turncoat out.

[TrapAPony]

He's watching England and not only does he not want them to lose, he's actually got friends in the team. Kick the wee turncoat out.
True, didn't mention anything about Ireland and Georgia. It's all England from him.

[Charlie Darwin]

Irish Star Sport ‏@IrishStarSport (https://twitter.com/IrishStarSport) 47m (https://twitter.com/IrishStarSport/status/509084281587896320)
There's an interesting development in the career of @JackGrealish1 (https://twitter.com/JackGrealish1) in tomororw's @IrishStarSport (https://twitter.com/IrishStarSport)

[Charlie Darwin]

Probably bought a new pair of boots.

[tetsujin1979]

The lads at the "Irish" Star should have a word with their counterparts in London, they published this earlier:
Chelsea eye up Jack Grealish as Aston Villa contract talks stall: http://www.dailystar.co.uk/sport/football/398748/EXCLUSIVE-Chelsea-eye-up-Jack-Grealish-as-Aston-Villa-contract-talks-stall

[Charlie Darwin]

Key words there are "contract talks stall." This is an attempt to get Villa to pay out. I'd hope the people around him know he's onto a good thing with Villa and that Chelsea don't have the best record of bringing through young talent.

[Stuttgart88]

It'd be hard to see him remain with Ireland if he was at Chelsea. They are brutally commercial these days and Mourinho has a boner for England anyway, at least while he's trying to court popularity.

[gastric]

And we're off! These rumours will continue to surround him until he finally moves to a big team. Agree with Stutts, the pressure will continue to grow for him to play for England from his club, manager and coaches. I feel a bit sorry for Villa fans, you finally produce a potentially great player and the vultures move in. I know this is reality, but it's why I hate the Premiership.

[paul_oshea]

Chelsea will buy him and loan him back anyway.so it doesn't matter!

[Stuttgart88]

You mean lone?

[tetsujin1979]

And we're off! These rumours will continue to surround him until he finally moves to a big team. Agree with Stutts, the pressure will continue to grow for him to play for England from his club, manager and coaches. I feel a bit sorry for Villa fans, you finally produce a potentially great player and the vultures move in. I know this is reality, but it's why I hate the Premiership.
surely you could level that against almost every league, Hibs produce a great player, almost guaranteed to be snapped up by Celtic, half the Dortmund team have moved to Bayern, any decent player in La Liga will end up at Barcelona or Real Madrid, etc

[TheOneWhoKnocks]

He's watching England and not only does he not want them to lose, he's actually got friends in the team. Kick the wee turncoat out.

Actually I don't think anyone has/should have a problem with Jack supporting his club colleagues.

The problem isn't even that he supports the England national team.

The problem is that he openly admits it on social media whilst playing for the Irish national team. The fact that he refused a senior call up but went on to play for the U-21's several day later. The latter is pretty unprecedented and IMO, pretty disrespectful.

I called it with the way I interpreted his media quotes what was going to happen several months later anyways so no shock to me, although him making it at Chelsea and representing Ireland would genuinely be a shock of epic proportions.

Some people think he's beginning a journey of cultural identity or something like that; fair enough and I respect that. I think he's testing the waters to see if he's good enough to play for England.

Don't shoot me! I'm not the only one to interpret it that way.

[paul_oshea]

No you're not, but you got it right TOWk, spot on.

He is holding out for the England call up and/or ensuring his best club chances by keeping his options opened.

I find it funny that certain posters are being cynical and sarcastic now about his support for England because they ignored or didn't understand his postings on social media and where his priorities lay.

[nigel-harps1954]

Does anyone have a problem with the way Andy Townsend talks about England?

[paul_oshea]

I just textd lads on the aul whatsapp group yesterday about this. I do now. He is over doing it.

[DannyInvincible]

True, didn't mention anything about Ireland and Georgia. It's all England from him.

The reason he mentioned England seemed to be primarily because he had a personal connection with the game; he had a team-mate, Fabian Delph, starting. It's not all England for him. He plays for us and has tweeted about Ireland plenty.


I feel a bit sorry for Villa fans, you finally produce a potentially great player and the vultures move in. I know this is reality, but it's why I hate the Premiership.

Where isn't like that though? It's the way it always has been and always will be so long as football remains an open market. The clubs with bags of money will strip to the bone when a star begins to emerges those other clubs whose main focus is on developing youngsters. See what happened Southampton this summer. Villa have previously had young or home-grown talents snapped up by bigger clubs too; after impressing for Villa in the Premier League within recent years, James Milner and Gareth Barry were signed up by Manchester City whilst Ashley Young moved to United.


The problem is that he openly admits it on social media whilst playing for the Irish national team. The fact that he refused a senior call up but went on to play for the U-21's several day later. The latter is pretty unprecedented and IMO, pretty disrespectful.

"Openly admits"? Supporting England isn't a crime. He's a dual national, so why wouldn't have split loyalties? As I've said before, there's nobody compelling us to keep selecting him either. If you have an issue with his selection, you should take it up with Noel King and the FAI. What's so disrespectful about what he's done anyway? He'd rather not be rushed into making what will be a life-changing decision. If we'd called him up to tie him, don't you think it would have been a bit cynical on our part?


I called it with the way I interpreted his media quotes what was going to happen several months later anyways so no shock to me, although him making it at Chelsea and representing Ireland would genuinely be a shock of epic proportions.

What did you call exactly? He hasn't made any decision on his international future. The situation hasn't really changed.


I find it funny that certain posters are being cynical and sarcastic now about his support for England because they ignored or didn't understand his postings on social media and where his priorities lay.

It's not that posters ignored or failed to comprehend his tweets; everyone is aware of the possibility of him switching, but some would rather acknowledge the present ambiguity of the situation rather than jumping to rash and partisan conclusions. He hasn't switched to England, nor is there any certainty that he will.

[SwanVsDalton]

Does anyone have a problem with the way Andy Townsend talks about England?

I don't but it drives some people I know do-lally. Every time I hear him talk about England, I remember him crying in the ITV studio when Spain knocked us out in '02.

[Stuttgart88]

Don't shoot me! I'm not the only one to interpret it that way.
That's not why people want to shoot you. The ambiguity has long since been evident. I had thought he's ours to lose, now he's probably ours to gain, but that's not the point. The point, for me anyway, is the pretty explicit value judgment in your previous posts on this topic.

[Charlie Darwin]

That's not why people want to shoot you. The ambiguity has long since been evident. I had thought he's ours to lose, now he's probably ours to gain, but that's not the point. The point, for me anyway, is the pretty explicit value judgment in your previous posts on this topic.
I'm glad we've accepted that he needs to be shot. Now, who do we get to do it? I would have ruled McGeady out on past performances, but that was before Sunday...

[TheOneWhoKnocks]

The reason he mentioned England seemed to be primarily because he had a personal connection with the game; he had a team-mate, Fabian Delph, starting. It's not all England for him. He plays for us and has tweeted about Ireland plenty.



Where isn't like that though? It's the way it always has been and always will be so long as football remains an open market. The clubs with bags of money will strip to the bone when a star begins to emerges those other clubs whose main focus is on developing youngsters. See what happened Southampton this summer. Villa have previously had young or home-grown talents snapped up by bigger clubs too; after impressing for Villa in the Premier League within recent years, James Milner and Gareth Barry were signed up by Manchester City whilst Ashley Young moved to United.



"Openly admits"? Supporting England isn't a crime. He's a dual national, so why wouldn't have split loyalties? As I've said before, there's nobody compelling us to keep selecting him either. If you have an issue with his selection, you should take it up with Noel King and the FAI. What's so disrespectful about what he's done anyway? He'd rather not be rushed into making what will be a life-changing decision. If we'd called him up to tie him, don't you think it would have been a bit cynical on our part?



What did you call exactly? He hasn't made any decision on his international future. The situation hasn't really changed.



It's not that posters ignored or failed to comprehend his tweets; everyone is aware of the possibility of him switching, but some would rather acknowledge the present ambiguity of the situation rather than jumping to rash and partisan conclusions. He hasn't switched to England, nor is there any certainty that he will.

I never said supporting England was a crime. I said it was disrespectful to say he supports the England senior national team while playing for Ireland (albeit for the time being); why is he playing for us if he supports England? It's not a life-changing decision. Yes I did think it would be cynical on our parts - I often said that. It's a sad byproduct of modern football that an International team should feel they have to select someone out of a justified concern that they will switch countries. It should also be noted that he has played all through the International age groups for us - something that wouldn't/didn't happen with England.

Exactly. When I was saying he was deliberately being hazy about his International loyalties, people were making smart comments and saying I was automatically assuming the worst in him - when I was simply being pragmatic.

[swinfordfc]

I actually dont see the big fuss is about this lad ........

[tetsujin1979]

the excellent Zonal Marking tweeted this earlier: https://twitter.com/Zonal_Marking/status/509315125669801984

Spain doing with Munir what they did with Bojan in '08, 10mins in a comp game, so can't switch countries. Bojan hasn't played another minute(incidentally, Bojan was called into a later squad but pulled out)

and then he posted this https://twitter.com/Zonal_Marking/statuses/509315720598265856

Munir, incidentally, has now made his debut for Barca B, Barca, Spain U19, Spain U21 and Spain in the same year, which is incredible.
Checked this guy out on wikipedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Munir_El_Haddadi

Prior to his senior debut for Spain, Munir had been desired by the national teams of his father's homeland Morocco, and Qatar who offered him a deal to represent the country when it hosts the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

but I digress

[paul_oshea]

Dead right.I want exact same treatment for noble and many others. Don't wait do it quickly on the sly. Spain don't have any sentimentality when it comes to capping players and they won the world cup!

[DannyInvincible]

I never said supporting England was a crime. I said it was disrespectful to say he supports the England senior national team while playing for Ireland (albeit for the time being); why is he playing for us if he supports England?

Because he's a dual national with split loyalties?

You'd said he "admitted" to supporting England, as if he was doing something wrong and had to confess.


It's not a life-changing decision.

Of course it is. It could have massive repercussions for his future career, livelihood and "marketability". It's an unfortunate reality, but, in any other field besides football, he'd be considered highly reckless for rushing into an equivalent decision like this. Footballers have to make a living too; they need to ensure they make decisions that will allow them to sustain a comfortable standard of living after they retire from playing. I'd love if there were more Kevin Kilbane's on the planet, but the reality is that there aren't. That Grealish isn't exactly a Kilbane who, without question, goes with the heart doesn't make him a deceitful exploiter; he's just a young lad of dual nationality who's being level-headed about his future.


It's a sad byproduct of modern football that an International team should feel they have to select someone out of a justified concern that they will switch countries.

I think it's generally a positive thing that young players of dual nationality have such protection against potentially cynical carrot-capping associations.

[tetsujin1979]

I never said supporting England was a crime.But you're still judging him for it


I said it was disrespectful to say he supports the England senior national team while playing for Ireland (albeit for the time being); why is he playing for us if he supports England?Presumably you're not thrilled about these so:
https://twitter.com/PhilipRobbo9/status/509053274339946497
https://twitter.com/JoeRafferty5/status/509068946382000128
https://twitter.com/BradleyGarmston/status/509379329609183233
https://twitter.com/england/status/509387976946642944 and https://twitter.com/england/status/509374829041291265 (both retweeted by Bradley Garmston)
https://twitter.com/stevenreid12/status/509072826717208576


It's not a life-changing decision. Do you not realise it's a decision that will change his life?


Yes I did think it would be cynical on our parts - I often said that. It's a sad byproduct of modern football that an International team should feel they have to select someone out of a justified concern that they will switch countries.See my post above about Bojan and Munir


It should also be noted that he has played all through the International age groups for us - something that wouldn't/didn't happen with England.It didn't happen because he refused a call up to their U19s


Exactly. When I was saying he was deliberately being hazy about his International loyalties, people were making smart comments and saying I was automatically assuming the worst in him - when I was simply being pragmatic.it's a glass half full type of situation. You chose to only see the negatives in his statements.

[gastric]

surely you could level that against almost every league, Hibs produce a great player, almost guaranteed to be snapped up by Celtic, half the Dortmund team have moved to Bayern, any decent player in La Liga will end up at Barcelona or Real Madrid, etc

Course you can make that assertion, but there are at least a few German, Scottish, Spanish players playing for the above mentioned teams. If you showed the team lists of City, Arsenal or Chelsea to someone who had no knowledge of football, would they be able to determine what country these players play in? I feel I have lost all empathy with these teams and it seems Utd and Liverpool (to a lesser degree) are going the same way. All have excellent academies that seem to produce players for other teams. It doesn't make sense to me. Then when a young talent does come along like Shaw, they pay an exorbitant amount of money for him and they become one of a few English players in a team. Grealish will be pressured by Villa to declare for England, as they will get possibly more money for him, as would Chelsea who would gain an English player. While I know I am stating the bleeding obvious, this small cartel of teams will continue to dominate English soccer and the less competitive clubs like Villa will just have to make do. And this is why I made the above comment Tets!

[Charlie Darwin]

I feel I have lost all empathy with these teams and it seems Utd and Liverpool (to a lesser degree) are going the same way. All have excellent academies that seem to produce players for other teams.
I'd guess the main reason you had empathy in the first place was because they were bringing through Irish players instead of other foreigners. We've always been foreigners in England, it's just now we're not the only ones, and these teams are scouring the globe rather than just picking the best Irish talent.

[gastric]

I'd guess the main reason you had empathy in the first place was because they were bringing through Irish players instead of other foreigners. We've always been foreigners in England, it's just now we're not the only ones, and these teams are scouring the globe rather than just picking the best Irish talent.

You're spot on I think. I tend to watch teams with Irish players only these days. It's always a question of time and interest

[Charlie Darwin]

You're spot on I think. I tend to watch teams with Irish players only these days. It's always a question of time and interest
I'd say a few of us in here are the same. I'm happy enough because I've always like Everton and Hull, and Stoke have turned into a fairly likeable side.

[tricky_colour]

Does anyone have a problem with the way Andy Townsend talks about England?

No, and particularly not when he is being paid to do so by an English TV channel!!!
You can support more than one team internationally.

[jbyrne]

Does anyone have a problem with the way Andy Townsend talks about England?

seems quite excited about longs goal against england in this commentary piece...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xkiMhAnZD4A

[paul_oshea]

It's not that posters ignored or failed to comprehend his tweets; everyone is aware of the possibility of him switching, but some would rather acknowledge the present ambiguity of the situation rather than jumping to rash and partisan conclusions. He hasn't switched to England, nor is there any certainty that he will.

Its not partisan or rash. Its bleeding obvious! I'm not looking through green tinted glasses, I'm not living in a bunker either. I'm reading his tweets and the fact he refused a senior call up. I would suggest you are being irrational by still thinking he is ours to lose or the situation isn't clear cut.

He could still well play for Ireland, there are few certainties in life, but by all accounts and likelihood he will play for England and that is based purely on his outpourings and current actions.

[TheOneWhoKnocks]

Because he's a dual national with split loyalties?

You'd said he "admitted" to supporting England, as if he was doing something wrong and had to confess.



Of course it is. It could have massive repercussions for his future career, livelihood and "marketability". It's an unfortunate reality, but, in any other field besides football, he'd be considered highly reckless for rushing into an equivalent decision like this. Footballers have to make a living too; they need to ensure they make decisions that will allow them to sustain a comfortable standard of living after they retire from playing. I'd love if there were more Kevin Kilbane's on the planet, but the reality is that there aren't. That Grealish isn't exactly a Kilbane who, without question, goes with the heart doesn't make him a deceitful exploiter; he's just a young lad of dual nationality who's being level-headed about his future.



I think it's generally a positive thing that young players of dual nationality have such protection against potentially cynical carrot-capping associations.

I don't even know what the point is in saying it anymore because you'll just ignore what I'm saying again. He stated that he supported England senior team on Twitter even though he plays (underage) for Ireland. He has since gone on to turn down a call up to the senior team. Yes he's a dual national. I'm more than aware of this. It gives him the chance of playing for England or Ireland as a fall back option. His loyalties are to himself. He is a professional footballer. And I'm not judging him. This is what modern footballers are like. Face it. I'm simply being realistic here. Life changing is a bit melodramatic tbh and it undermines genuine life changing decisions. He is a professional footballer at the end of the day.

Yes. If he is good enough to play for England, he could play in every tournament which will factor in his decision. It also may get him the Brylcreem deal he won't get if he's playing for Ireland. It could also be because he is an England supporter. Now we're on to something. You're actually agreeing with what I said in the past - there is no sentiment in his decision. You mention Kevin Kilbane. He himself said that by the time someone is in the U-21 team, there shouldn't be any indecision about what country he wants to play for.

I think it's a sad thing that footballers can't just play for their country. I think it's a sad thing that someone turns down a call up to our national team when he hasn't so much as got an U-21 call up for England.

Funny how people didn't agree when I said a few months ago that it would be cynical of the FAI to call up Grealish but now the goalposts have changed. :rolleyes:

[TheOneWhoKnocks]

But you're still judging him for it

Presumably you're not thrilled about these so:
https://twitter.com/PhilipRobbo9/status/509053274339946497
https://twitter.com/JoeRafferty5/status/509068946382000128
https://twitter.com/BradleyGarmston/status/509379329609183233
https://twitter.com/england/status/509387976946642944 and https://twitter.com/england/status/509374829041291265 (both retweeted by Bradley Garmston)
https://twitter.com/stevenreid12/status/509072826717208576

Do you not realise it's a decision that will change his life?

See my post above about Bojan and Munir

It didn't happen because he refused a call up to their U19s

it's a glass half full type of situation. You chose to only see the negatives in his statements.

I'm not thrilled about them but I'm under no illusions as to why they are playing for Ireland. I suppose it may be hard on me to judge Grealish for actually being potentially good enough to play for England but if he wants to play for England long-term I don't think he should be taking squad places from someone (English or Irish) who actually wants to play for Ireland or sees their long-term future with Ireland.

I don't see how it changes his life. If he is good enough he will play for England imo. If he isn't, he'll play for Ireland. If he gets tied for Ireland, turns out to be the next Ronaldinho and leads a fulfilled Intl. career I don't see how he should live with any regrets for his decision to play for us. Likewise if he plays for England and only gets 5 caps, I don't think he should regret that. He should be happy to play for his country. It shouldn't come down to anything other than that.

Did he though? I thought he stated that the reason he turned down England was because he was playing with a higher age group with Ireland and wanted to play at the most competitive level.

Well it's hard to see what the positives are. The fear is that a very talented player has turned down a senior call up and if he goes on to get full honors for England (I doubt he will) it will mean nothing to us. If he ends up playing for Ireland it could realistically take anywhere between two and four years.

[Stuttgart88]

Do you all not think you're overthinking things?

[DeLorean]

I don't even know what the point is in saying it anymore because you'll just ignore what I'm saying again.

Annoying, isn't it?

[DeLorean]

Life changing is a bit melodramatic tbh and it undermines genuine life changing decisions. He is a professional footballer at the end of the day

I do agree with this though.

[tetsujin1979]

Do you all not think you're overthinking things?
on that note, he retweeted his birthday wishes from the FAI - https://twitter.com/JackGrealish1
But he didn't reply to them?? What does it all mean??

[Stuttgart88]

He shares an agent with Yaya Toure?

[SwanVsDalton]

The 'Grealish to Man City' rumours start here.

[Charlie Darwin]

Jack Grealish ‏@JackGrealish1 (https://twitter.com/JackGrealish1) 12m (https://twitter.com/JackGrealish1/status/509733450170269697)
Congrats to gabby on his new contract https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v1/72x72/1f44f.pnghttps://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v1/72x72/1f44f.pnghttps://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v1/72x72/1f604.png

Disgraceful behaviour considering he's on his way to Chelsea.

[tricky_colour]

seems quite excited about longs goal against england in this commentary piece...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xkiMhAnZD4A

Video is not available in your country!!!

Seems like you can only view it from Ireland?

[DannyInvincible]

Its not partisan or rash. Its bleeding obvious! I'm not looking through green tinted glasses, I'm not living in a bunker either. I'm reading his tweets and the fact he refused a senior call up. I would suggest you are being irrational by still thinking he is ours to lose or the situation isn't clear cut.

He could still well play for Ireland, there are few certainties in life, but by all accounts and likelihood he will play for England and that is based purely on his outpourings and current actions.

He has explicitly stated we're in his long-term plans and he remains an FAI-registered player. Personally (or selfishly-speaking), I thought calling him up was worth a shot (a sly one, sure) in order to dispel the sort of discussion we're presently having (and to get him tied), but that he didn't want to rush into accepting an admittedly cynical call-up isn't necessarily a sign that he's going to switch to England, nor is it a sign that he's intent on doing so if given the chance. He'd rather not rush into what is a life-... nay, career-changing decision and would possibly prefer to have a greater think about the matter before fully committing. That's OK; he's a dual national with split loyalties and it's a big decision for him. It's not that I'm naive to the possibility of him switching either; I'd just rather not automatically suspect that an 18-year-old is deceiving me just because he might have cold feet.


You're actually agreeing with what I said in the past - there is no sentiment in his decision.

Not quite. I've said that many factors are sure to colour a decision and just because he might include career-oriented considerations in his decision-making process, it doesn't mean that he's a full-blown mercenary who holds no sentiment for Ireland and his Irish heritage.


Video is not available in your country!!!

Seems like you can only view it from Ireland?

Can't get it either. :(

Was Townsend actually sobbing in studio after we were eliminated in 2002, by the way? Is there a video of that anywhere?

[TrapAPony]

There is an article in the Mirror about him wanting an English call, although no direct quotes from him.

http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/aston-villas-jack-grealish-chasing-4196817

[Charlie Darwin]

There is an article in the Mirror about him wanting an English call, although no direct quotes from him.
http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/aston-villas-jack-grealish-chasing-4196817

Seems to be all speculation, although hard to know what's been said off-record. I like this line:


MirrorSport understands he politely declined a chance to train with Martin O’Neill’s full Irish squad during this international break.

O'Neill basically said as much last week. Hardly a scoop.

[Charlie Darwin]

Front page of tomorrow's Star, Grealish apparently accused Stephen Quinn of calling him a 'fake Paddy' during the Hull game.

[gastric]

In this article, Darren Potter comments on the England result and does not mention Ireland at all! Another bloody Englishman showing no loyalty to the cause.

http://www.mkweb.co.uk/8203-MK-Dons-midfielder-Darren-Potter-free/story-22898810-detail/story.html

[Charlie Darwin]

Even by the standards of footballers' columns, that is spectacularly dry.