Ireland's Great Expectations XI

[an_ceannaire]

A team of lads we had great hopes for but ultimately.....it just didnt happen for at international level. Some of these lads have a good few caps and were decent but we expected so much more from

1. Graham Stack (just shades Mark Beeny!)

2. Paul McShane
3 Alan Maybury
4 Phil Babb
5

6 Mark Kennedy
7 Liam Miller
8 Stephen McPhail
11 Richie Partridge

9. David Connolly
10. Stephen Elliot


Any suggestions for Defender perhaps???

[pineapple stu]

Phil Babb in defence?

Sheridan's harsh.

[an_ceannaire]

Phil Babb in defence?

Sheridan's harsh.

I thought of Babb but I am not sure that would be fair on a fella with as many caps as him .......... although his comeback game was comically tragic if you recall it!

Sheridan is harsh I agree but he is not there cos he was sh*te or anything, simply because i thought he was a superb footballer, absolutely outstanding but it really didnt happen for him at international level. Although that was as much to do with Jack as anything else. That and us having one of the best CM's in Europe at the time

[IsMiseSean]

Alan Maybury maybe....

[an_ceannaire]

Alan Maybury maybe....

Good shout, will add him now.
Would add Liam Miller and Colin Healy except we have TONNES of MF's !

[pineapple stu]

I thought of Babb but I am not sure that would be fair on a fella with as many caps as him
Babb has just one more cap than Sheridan.

Babb also looked a superb prospect at the 94 World Cup, but never lived up to that thereafter. Seems almost the definition of what you're looking for.

[an_ceannaire]

Babb has just one more cap than Sheridan.

Babb also looked a superb prospect at the 94 World Cup, but never lived up to that thereafter. Seems almost the definition of what you're looking for.

Ok fair point so re caps, in that case Stu.....in he goes....... :)

[Sullivinho]

Alan O'Brien ;) I had high hopes that one day he'd lift his head..


I thought of Babb but I am not sure that would be fair on a fella with as many caps as him .......... although his comeback game was comically tragic if you recall it!

Babb's OG was the bitter cherry on the failcake that was that game. What is it with those Russians opening us up at will?

[an_ceannaire]

Alan O'Brien ;) I had high hopes that one day he'd lift his head..



Babb's OG was the bitter cherry on the failcake that was that game. What is it with those Russians opening us up at will?

At one point he actually missed the ball, the crowd actually LAUGHED and worst of all, he did too ,out of embarrassment. I remember thinking "he doesnt deserve this"

[an_ceannaire]

The more i think about it, Liam Miller HAS to be in there considering where he was around the time of the Celtic/United transfer. Ok will lose Sheridan so and replace with Miller

[Charlie Darwin]

I'd have McShane at 5 - centre-half is where we hoped he'd make it. Right back, maybe Stephen Carr? Jeff Kenna? Plenty of appearances between them but never matched their club form/potential.

[Stuttgart88]

Liam Miller should be captain.

[an_ceannaire]

I'd have McShane at 5 - centre-half is where we hoped he'd make it. Right back, maybe Stephen Carr? Jeff Kenna? Plenty of appearances between them but never matched their club form/potential.

to be honest Charlie, I put McShane at full back as I thought I would thinik of loads of centre halves but I havent really. I mean you might say Kernaghan but I dont think we ever expected much so he didnt fail to live up to his billing if you follow.
I think Stephen Carr would be extremely harsh!
Jeff Kenna, no, he pretty much was as we thought. Decent enough full back. nothing more nothing less, very like Curtis.

[Stuttgart88]

Paul Byrne?

Mark Kelly?

Joe Murphy even. Saved a penno at Anfield on his EPL debut.

[jbyrne]

Mark Kelly?


remember his debut. think it was tunisia in 1990 in dalymount. was poor and cant remember seeing him again

[Stuttgart88]

Did he not play against Romania or Yugolslavia at Lansdowne, in a late 80s friendly? Maybe it was post-Italia 90.

[SwanVsDalton]

Gareth Farrelly and Eddie McGoldrick - has anyone gone to a World Cup with us but have less of an impact internationally than McGoldrick?

[geysir]

Stack wasn't capped. I vote Paddy Kenny in, responsible for his part in his own miserable international career.

[theworm2345]

A team of lads we had great hopes for but ultimately.....it just didnt happen for at international level. Some of these lads have a good few caps and were decent but we expected so much more from

9. David Connolly

At the moment, has the exact same amount of goals and caps as Doyle in more than 10 fewer starts. I have to wonder if Doyle was never capped again would people say it just never happened for him for Ireland? Obviously its not a like for like comparison but no question they're both aiming to score goals.

[Fixer82]

At the moment, has the exact same amount of goals and caps as Doyle in more than 10 fewer starts. I have to wonder if Doyle was never capped again would people say it just never happened for him for Ireland? Obviously its not a like for like comparison but no question they're both aiming to score goals.

Have to agree. I would even go as far as to say that Connolly has played less minutes than Doyle. Always felt he got a raw deal from fans. He was just unlucky he was similar to Robbie but not as good. Always looked better, as did Keane, beside Quinn or the Doc

[Fixer82]

Didn't he get a serious injury though?

[peadar1987]

Curtis Fleming? Keith O'Neill?

[SkStu]

Did he not play against Romania or Yugolslavia at Lansdowne, in a late 80s friendly? Maybe it was post-Italia 90.

it was Romania and he was excellent. Dont remember him playing in that Tunisia game (Aldridges 1st goal??). Did we play them in Dalymount or was that Morrocco?

Anyway, Kelly was a top prospect atthe time and he also played in the Ireland B vs. England B game where we won 4-1, if i remember correctly...

[Eminence Grise]

Barry Quinn, Liam Daish and David Kelly?

Never got a full cap, but Lee Power comes to mind as well.

[backstothewall]

Surely Keith O'Neill has to beat Mark Kennedy for a place in this team. Kennedy has that goal against Yugoslavia to keep him clear.

Paul Butler at #5?

[Dunners]

Liam O'Brien
Graham Barrett
Dominic Foley

[IsMiseSean]

Graham Barrett


Good one, I remember thinking he was going to be our next top striker for awhile...

[dr_peepee]

Liam Miller should be captain.

I dunno... Mark Kennedy has to be the Daddy of failed expectations... Britains most expensive teenager when he joined Liverpool under the guise of a "Cross between Rush, Beardsley and Barnes" (Sunday World Description, will never forget it.)

[Supreme feet]

Michael Reddy. Made a good few appearances for Sunderland off the bench in the 2000/01 season, scored once. Appeared in the RTE guide's list of 'Stars of the new Milennium'. Jason Gavin - played a full season for Boro around the same time. McPhail and Partridge obviously. If we're going to mention Colin Healy and Keith O'Neill in the 'ruined by injuries' heading, then Richard Sadlier deserves a mention too. Ger Crossley - outstanding for the underage teams, released by Celtic. Shaun Thornton - remember his volley against Chelsea? Also Stephen Elliott, Darren Potter, Clifford Byrne, Stephen Paisley, Willo Flood, Liam Kearney - all played in the 2003 World Youth Championships (our last, incidentally) and looked pretty decent at the time. Going back slightly further, Gareth Farrelly and Davey Savage never really made the breakthrough after being capped in the late 90s. Keith Foy is another one.

[EastTerracer]

Mark Kelly?


remember his debut. think it was tunisia in 1990 in dalymount. was poor and cant remember seeing him again

Kelly got 4 caps - Yugoslavia ('88) Poland ('88) Tunisia ('88) and Morocco (1990). Alan Ball was his manager at Portsmouth at the time of his debut and unfortunately described him as the 'new George Best" (that one never ends well). He actually looked exciting as an 18 year old debutant but injuries ruined his chances and he was out of the English professional game at a very young age.

[dr_peepee]

Going back slightly further, Gareth Farrelly and Davey Savage never really made the breakthrough after being capped in the late 90s.

Ah Jayzus.. Dave Savage never merrited any expectation, that he subsequently failed to meet!!! Shaun Thornton though is a great shout....

[Supreme feet]

Point taken on Savage. Liam George was another. Okay, he was only playing for Luton, but at one stage he was cracking in the goals for them, and being linked with PL clubs in the tabloids. Alan Mahon was another off the top of my head, but he suffered from the fact that we had lots of left-midfielders when he was at his best - had a solid enough career in fairness.

Looking back at the 1997 World Youth Championship, most people would've expected big things from Neale Fenn, Robbie Ryan, Thomas Morgan, Dessie Baker, Trevor Molloy and Colin Hawkins, from that tournament. Knocked out a Spain team containing Albelda, Angulo, Farinos and Gerard, of Valencia fame. Only lost 1-0 to Argentina, who had Riquelme, Cambiasso, Aimar and Samuel!

[gustavo]

Shaun Byrne
Sean Thorton
Richard Sadlier
Stephen Elliott

[an_ceannaire]

Lads, Firstly, to those of you mentioning Stephen Elliot.....Look at the team again.......!

And some of ye seem to be confusing the issue. Its not "remember this lad who got one cap 10 years ago" etc. Its players we had high hopes for but it just never happened.

Thornton is a great shout. Liam George is not.....

[gustavo]

You can still have high hopes for players that only got 1 cap - or even none. Based on underage performances for us I'd say the likes of Liam George and Shaun Byrne are good shouts

[an_ceannaire]

You can still have high hopes for players that only got 1 cap - or even none. Based on underage performances for us I'd say the likes of Liam George and Shaun Byrne are good shouts

in that case would Michael Branch and Danny Cadamateri qualify for an English Equivilant?

[an_ceannaire]

Here is a controversial one.......Damien Duff......???? Not that he hasnt done well for us....but go back 8 years and wonder has he fulfilled his potential as "could be the best left winger in the world" etc...?

[AlaskaFox]

Here is a controversial one.......Damien Duff......???? Not that he hasnt done well for us....but go back 8 years and wonder has he fulfilled his potential as "could be the best left winger in the world" etc...?

That's just stupid. Duff was fantastic at the 2002 World Cup. How much more can you ask for?

[an_ceannaire]

That's just stupid. Duff was fantastic at the 2002 World Cup. How much more can you ask for?

Toto Schillachi was fantastic at Italia 90.....Daniel Amokachi was fantastic at USA 94........

Look I am not atall saying Duff hasnt been a great servant for us....not for a second.......its just a "throw it out there" possibility. Many of us thought he was going to be a world superstar post 2002. Then again we thought that about McAteer and Babb aswell post 94!!
You disagree......fair enough. Most probably would. Hell I probably do!

[pineapple stu]

I'd like if, nearly ten years on, he was still one of our best players.

Oh, wait...

[an_ceannaire]

I'd like if, nearly ten years on, he was still one of our best players.

Oh, wait...

its a fair point. Cant argue with that.

[Supreme feet]

Here's my XI;

Alex O'Reilly

Barry Quinn Gavin McShane Foy

Partridge McPhail Miller Thornton

Barrett Reddy

Not that one would have had 'Great Expectations' of all, but on underage form and early club appearances, you'd certainly have expected them to do better with their careers. Most of that team aren't even playing professionally anymore, despite eight having actual EPL experience and a further two (Partridge, O'Reilly) being reserves at EPL clubs. Foy gets in because of our dearth of left-backs.

[geysir]

Anytime I read 'Sean Thornton', I get this image of Michaleen (Barry Fitzgerald) in a Castletown pub, telling the the tale of Trooper Thorn.

[Crosby87]

Ger Crossley. Looked fantastic as a youngster. Was washing dishes in a TGI Fridays before he was 27.

[jbyrne]

Did he not play against Romania or Yugolslavia at Lansdowne, in a late 80s friendly? Maybe it was post-Italia 90.

maybe you are right and morroco (not tunisia as stated above) was his full debut

[Wolfie]

maybe you are right and morroco (not tunisia as stated above) was his full debut

I think East Terracer called it right. Kelly made his debut against Yugoslavia in a 1988 friendly. It was a warm up game before Euro 88.

If I recall it correctly, he only played the 2nd half???? (stand corrected on that)

I recall him playing very well in the 2nd half and the Yugoslav's resorted to kicking him off the park by the end of the game.

I recall Paul McGrath throwing one of their players to the ground following the final whistle in a "pick on you own size" style of retribution.

[EastTerracer]

maybe you are right and morroco (not tunisia as stated above) was his full debut

Wolfie's correct. Yugoslavia in 1988 was Kelly's debut as an 18 year old (think he was the youngest cap after Jimmy Holmes). I listed his four caps on the previous page (3 in 88 and Morocco game in 1990 was his last).

Kieron Brady (http://www.sporting-heroes.net/football-heroes/displayhero_club.asp?HeroID=38576)from Sunderland was another who had great potential but his career was lost to illness. He was retired by 22.

[Wolfie]

Here's a link to the "programme of the game" for any anoraks interested.

http://http://www.footballzone.co.uk/ireland-v-yugoslavia-13486.html (http://www.footballzone.co.uk/ireland-v-yugoslavia-13486.html)

[geysir]

Wolfie's correct. Yugoslavia in 1988 was Kelly's debut as an 18 year old (think he was the youngest cap after Jimmy Holmes). I listed his four caps on the previous page (3 in 88 and Morocco game in 1990 was his last)
Was that not Mark Kelly on the left wing for Ireland B V England B, on that video highlights you uploaded to you tube?

[Stuttgart88]

There's also Andy Turner