James McClean M Wrexham b.1989

[drummerboy]

Judging by the highlights he had a poor game. Missed a sitter, fell asleep for second goal which allowed Morrison in for a free header. Was also slow in closing down the WBA striker for 3rd goal. Ah well, he can't be perfect all the time.

[Yard of Pace]

I wouldn't worry too much, from the highlights it looked like every Sunderland player had just suffered a horrendous comedown. Some of the defending was appalling, the players didn't look interested at all, in stark contrast to previous games.

I wonder if he'll get a run on Wednesday? Should be interesting.

[EastTerracer]

On Twitter the @RTESoccer feed quoting Trap as saying that both McClean and Shane Duffy will play at some stage on Wednesday.

[DannyInvincible]

Article on McClean by Paul Rowan in the Sunday Times:


McClean: Hate messages in North will not ruin my Republic dream

James McClean says his dream of playing for the Republic of Ireland will not be broken by a deluge of hate mail posted on Twitter after he was named in Giovanni Trapattoni’s squad to face the Czech Republic on Wednesday. McClean also revealed that he might have stayed with Northern Ireland — who he played for seven times at U21 level — had he been called up to the senior squad earlier.

However it is the scale of abuse, some of it threatening in nature, which will most worry Sunderland and those closest to him.

“I’ve been getting a lot of hate messages every day. Around 50 to 100. I’m quite capable of giving some back myself, so it is not too bad,” McClean said. “I don’t mind abuse being directed at me. I can take that. But there have been times when they have been abusing my girlfriend, saying things about her and saying things about my family which is a different matter altogether.”

McClean, who played in Sunderland’s 4-0 defeat at West Brom yesterday, spoke about the hate messages after his parents were alerted to them by a tabloid newspaper during the week.

“It’s been crazy. I got a lot of abuse when I was not named in the original squad. Gloating messages. And now that I have been called in the squad it has been more angry, more heated messages.

“I am not too popular. One comment said ‘you’re from Londonderry. You’re a Fenian ****. I hope you break your leg’. I sort of expected that. It doesn’t really bother me.

“People need to understand that I grew up a Republic of Ireland fan. I’m from Derry. It is a quite nationalist area and my dream was always to play for the Republic.”

McClean, 22, who signed for Sunderland from Derry City last August for a fee of £250,000 (about €295,000), also said that he might have remained with Northern Ireland had he not been ignored by the then senior team manager Nigel Worthington for the Carling Nations Cup in May.

“I maybe would have played for the north. I had been playing well with Derry City week in week out and he wasn’t picking me but was picking players from the [Northern] Irish League. I don’t know why. I didn’t hear from them for two years and then I got a call up when I was signed by Sunderland when I hadn’t even kicked a ball for the club.”

However, it is clear that despite the abuse McClean is delighted to have made the switch and he could receive his first cap on Wednesday night, after he was cleared by Fifa to play for the Republic, a step that was quickly facilitated by the present Northern Ireland manager Michael O’Neill.

“I had a few chats with Michael and he asked what he could do to change my mind. He said if I am sure in my mind that I want to play for the Republic then he will sign the papers and get it done for me as soon as possible. I appreciate that a lot. He understands the decision and he hasn’t put any pressure on me.”

[elroy]

Mcclean was very lazy in not tracking Morrison for second goal. One mistake I know but that is the sort of stuff trap will not pick him for. At the other end he got on the end of a good cross and narrowly missed, if he had connected, would've been yet another goal for sure.

[nigel-harps1954]

Some very mature comments from McClean there which is great to see.

[Not Brazil]

Article on McClean by Paul Rowan in the Sunday Times:

I see "mature" young James is introducing words like "fenian", when no such word was used in the vile tweet to which he refers. He was called a "dirty rebel ****" in the tweet.

[Not Brazil]

Some very mature comments from McClean there which is great to see.

Very confusing comments.

Being a proud Irish Republican, he intimates that he might have turned down the opportunity to realise his lifetime dream to play for the South, if only he had been selected to play for Northern Ireland in the Carling Cup.

Maturity would be to ignore the scumbags abusing him and his girlfriend on Twitter.

[Predator]

I see "mature" young James is introducing words like "fenian", when no such word was used in the vile tweet to which he refers. He was called a "dirty rebel ****" in the tweet.Do you think he's making it all up?

[Predator]

Very confusing comments.

Being a proud Irish Republican, he intimates that he might have turned down the opportunity to realise his lifetime dream to play for the South, if only he had been selected to play for Northern Ireland in the Carling Cup.McClean's a realist. He realises that when he was a Derry City player his dream was unlikely to materialise. He has stated that having got the move to the Premier League, he wished to wait and pursue his dream. I don't see what point you're trying to make.


Maturity would be to ignore the scumbags abusing him and his girlfriend on Twitter.
Maybe. However fair play to him for shaming those fools.

[Not Brazil]

Do you think he's making it all up?

No...just changing words.

[Not Brazil]

Maybe. However fair play to him for shaming those fools.

They shame themselves....whoever they are.

I don't think McClean comes out of the whole Twitter thing looking "mature", that's for sure.

[elroy]

Maturity would be to ignore the scumbags abusing him and his girlfriend on Twitter.

Well at least we all agree on one thing.

[Not Brazil]

McClean's a realist. He realises that when he was a Derry City player his dream was unlikely to materialise. He has stated that having got the move to the Premier League, he wished to wait and pursue his dream. I don't see what point you're trying to make.


I think you know fine rightly the point I'm making.

The Carling Cup thing is a red herring.

Had he of played in it, I believe he still would have jumped ship to the South when the move to Sunderland materialised.

He's from "quite a nationalist area" after all, and always supported the South. it was always his dream to play for the South.

[geysir]

I see "mature" young James is introducing words like "fenian", when no such word was used in the vile tweet to which he refers. He was called a "dirty rebel ****" in the tweet.

In your eyes, James is somewhat less than mature because his recollection of the tweet was 'you’re from Londonderry. You’re a Fenian ****. I hope you break your leg’

when in fact the actual tweet was 'Your from Londonderry you dirty wee t**t NI is your country and your a dirty rebel c**t go f**k yourself break a leg!!'

You need help NB, this obsession with James has gone beyond the boundaries of what we know to be rational.

[Predator]

No...just changing words.Maybe he's mixing the comment up with one of the other couple of hundred.


They shame themselves....whoever they are.

I don't think McClean comes out of the whole Twitter thing looking "mature", that's for sure.You don't really like James that much, so that is not surprising. However, you're right, they do shame themselves. James is simply publicizing their shameful comments.

[tetsujin1979]

I see "mature" young James is introducing words like "fenian", when no such word was used in the vile tweet to which he refers. He was called a "dirty rebel ****" in the tweet.
it's entirely possible the message he's referring to was deleted, or was private so noone else saw it

[Predator]

He's from "quite a nationalist area" after all, and always supported the South. it was always his dream to play for the South.Reminds me of Niall McGinn.

McClean says that "maybe" he "might" have played for the IFA had he played in the CNC. He does not state that he would certainly have played for the IFA.

[SwanVsDalton]

it's entirely possible the message he's referring to was deleted, or was private so noone else saw it

Seems fairly likely the word 'fenian' might have got thrown into the significant abuse he was getting. The insinuation he's spinning it, whether you intend or not NB, is frankly ridiculous.

[drummerboy]

I think James would be best cancelling his Twitter account. It only encourages these bigots to post their vile posts.
On the other hand I understand how, for career reasons, he would have played for NI. It would have put him in the shop window a lot earlier. NI loss is our gain. I'm delighted that the lad will now get to play for the country he supported as a kid. He is a great ambassador for all the other nationalist kids who support the ROI up there. I hope many more of these kids go on to play for us. After all it is now their birthright.

[Not Brazil]

it's entirely possible the message he's referring to was deleted, or was private so noone else saw it

Geyser has quoted the neanderthal tweet verbatim.

[Not Brazil]

After all it is now their birthright.

Since when?

[BonnieShels]

Eh, since he was born.

[drummerboy]

Since when?

The fact is that anybody born on the island of Ireland can play for the Republic of Ireland if they wish.

[geysir]

Whether he was called a fenian xxxx or a rebel xxxx, is splitting hairs.
The operative word is xxxx.

[tricky_colour]

all that twitters is not gold

[amaccann]

Maybe it's just small minority as usual giving the rest a bad name, but I really don't see the sense or logic in professional footballers using twitter accounts; it just seems like more trouble than its worth and invariably opens themselves up for the kind of abuse McClean found himself suffering. Why give the extreme fans what amounts to a personal hotline to the player himself? Seems like madness to me, just asking for trouble ...

[tricky_colour]

pretty much agree with that. i think my last post sums it up pretty succinctly!!

[Yard of Pace]

I really don't see the sense or logic in professional footballers using twitter accounts; ..

That's the crux of the thing there really!

[the bear]

Maybe it's just small minority as usual giving the rest a bad name, but I really don't see the sense or logic in professional footballers using twitter accounts; it just seems like more trouble than its worth and invariably opens themselves up for the kind of abuse McClean found himself suffering. Why give the extreme fans what amounts to a personal hotline to the player himself? Seems like madness to me, just asking for trouble ...

spot on, cant believe managers havent banned it by now

[Charlie Darwin]

Maybe it's just small minority as usual giving the rest a bad name, but I really don't see the sense or logic in professional footballers using twitter accounts; it just seems like more trouble than its worth and invariably opens themselves up for the kind of abuse McClean found himself suffering. Why give the extreme fans what amounts to a personal hotline to the player himself? Seems like madness to me, just asking for trouble ...
They use twitter for the same reason everybody else does. Just because they're footballers doesn't mean they don't have the same range interests as everyone else.

[youngirish]

I think James would be best cancelling his Twitter account. It only encourages these bigots to post their vile posts.
On the other hand I understand how, for career reasons, he would have played for NI. It would have put him in the shop window a lot earlier. NI loss is our gain. I'm delighted that the lad will now get to play for the country he supported as a kid. He is a great ambassador for all the other nationalist kids who support the ROI up there. I hope many more of these kids go on to play for us. After all it is now their birthright.

It always has been. Any nationalist if they wished to play for us in years gone by could have chosen to do so. I'm not sure the Gentleman's Agreement would have made any difference. The main thing that's changed over the years is that more young players are now aware of the option to play for the Republic and we are currently a more attractive proposition than we perhaps were in previous decades.

[amaccann]

They use twitter for the same reason everybody else does. Just because they're footballers doesn't mean they don't have the same range interests as everyone else.

It's not a question of interests; it's the fact they're in a career that inevitably attracts negative (and positive of course) feedback from their ... well, customers. The public anyway. I'd point to teachers as a useful comparison here: nearly every teacher with any common sense & a social networking account blocks off their account because otherwise it just attracts problems. Footballers should do the same; it might mean a few less tabloid stories but hey-ho. Now, I know next to nothing of Twitter so perhaps it's unavoidable.

[Charlie Darwin]

I don't think the criticism affects them as much as you think. All the articles about the criticism he's been getting are probably making it seem like a bigger deal than it is. He's laughed most of off and shamed a couple of people publicly.

[Not Brazil]

The fact is that anybody born on the island of Ireland can play for the Republic of Ireland if they wish.

Yes, we know.

It's hardly a new phenomenon.

[gastric]

Yes, we know.

It's hardly a new phenomenon.

Drummerboy was making a valid point. What exactly is your point?

[drummerboy]

Yes, we know.

It's hardly a new phenomenon.

You seem like a reasonable guy NB. However you don't seem to have come to terms with whats happening. Time to get real.

[DannyInvincible]

To be fair, NB advocates an approach for the IFA that is mature, progressive and reasonable. He doesn't seek to impinge upon the rights of the FAI or Irish nationals in the slightest. He has come to terms with the reality of those rights, if ever he had difficulty with them in the first place. He merely wishes for the IFA to gauge players' ultimate ambitions before any potential selection for NI. That doesn't bother me in the slightest because whatever selection policy the IFA might wish to employ is none of my business.

[Not Brazil]

To be fair, NB advocates an approach for the IFA that is mature, progressive and reasonable. He doesn't seek to impinge upon the rights of the FAI or Irish nationals in the slightest. He has come to terms with the reality of those rights, if ever he had difficulty with them in the first place. He merely wishes for the IFA to gauge players' ultimate ambitions before any potential selection for NI. That doesn't bother me in the slightest because whatever selection policy the IFA might wish to employ is none of my business.

Thank you Danny.

That is a fair, and accurate, representation of my position on the issue.

[gastric]

To be fair, NB advocates an approach for the IFA that is mature, progressive and reasonable. He doesn't seek to impinge upon the rights of the FAI or Irish nationals in the slightest. He has come to terms with the reality of those rights, if ever he had difficulty with them in the first place. He merely wishes for the IFA to gauge players' ultimate ambitions before any potential selection for NI. That doesn't bother me in the slightest because whatever selection policy the IFA might wish to employ is none of my business.

Danny, Why do I always feel this guy has an agenda behind this supposedly progressive attitude? When rattled in debate, he seems to revert to stereotypical arguments. In saying this, so probably do I!

[Not Brazil]

Danny, Why do I always feel this guy has an agenda behind this supposedly progressive attitude? When rattled in debate, he seems to revert to stereotypical arguments. In saying this, so probably do I!

The Bhoy from Ardee will be along to call you paranoid soon, no doubt.

[ArdeeBhoy]

No. That's just the people you know!
:)

[ArdeeBhoy]

The Carling Cup thing is a red herring.

Had he of played in it, I believe he still would have jumped ship to the South when the move to Sunderland materialised.

He's from "quite a nationalist area" after all, and always supported the South. it was always his dream to play for the South.

South Korea? We're still waiting...

[brine3]

Just because we call them North Korea doesn't mean they call us South Korea. I believe the correct term for us is "Mexico" :D

But we'd love to have Mexico's debt levels at this stage...

[AlaskaFox]

No such place as South Korea ArdeeBhoy. It's the Republic of Korea. You're no better...

[Sullivinho]

http://www.sportsfile.com/winshare/watermarked/Library/SF820/599005.jpg

[Serb]

In relation to Predator and ifk101's comments on the previous page about the Derry Journal's article, if you can't see the irony, you quite simply don't understand the meaning of the word. Before I address specific comments, I'd just like to point out that I have no problem with McClean in the squad, and I'm sure he's 100% committed now that there's no turning back.


McClean is careful with his words regarding the IFA team. He gives what I call a diplomatic answer. Northerners can spot this straight away.
Fair enough, I can see you're a Derry City supporter would obviously know more about this kind of thing than I could ever claim to know. However, I don't agree that he did give a diplomatic answer.


He said: "International recognition is very important to most players." when asked would he like to play for Northern Ireland around the time of the CNC. (He also mentions the McEleney brothers and Gerard Doherty, all of whom have been part of FAI squads in the past.)
What he actually said was: "International recognition is very important to most players. I thoroughly enjoyed playing for the Under-21s and, therefore, any call-up to the senior squad would be considered an honour.". He has never played for Ireland's under 21 squad. He mentions "the" senior squad. The only international team he could possibly be referring to here is Northern Ireland's full international squad. It's not a diplomatic answer — he's saying he wants to be in Northern Ireland's squad. Of course, don't take my word for it, James McClean specifically said in the Sunday Times last week that he would have played for Northern Ireland if he was called up while playing for Derry:


"I maybe would have played for the north. I had been playing well with Derry City week in week out and he wasn’t picking me but was picking players from the [Northern] Irish League. I don’t know why. I didn’t hear from them for two years and then I got a call up when I was signed by Sunderland when I hadn’t even kicked a ball for the club."
As for the irony, he was asked, "Would you be happy to represent Northern Ireland with so many other players from the north-west area opting to represent the Republic?", and he said:


Yes, I was disappointed that a few of our own players didn’t get called up for recent squads, but I’m not breaking my heart or anything like that. I just felt that with the controversy surrounding other local players who have opted for the Republic, one of us at the Brandywell may have had a squeak of getting in, but that didn’t happen.
He is now representing the Republic of Ireland himself. Irony.

[ifk101]

James McClean is eligibile to represent two associations; the IFA and the FAI. The opportunity to play international football with the IFA or the FAI is regarded as a honour by McClean. That he enjoyed playing for the NI U21s and considered a call-up to the NI senior team a honour, does not conflict with his preference to play for the FAI.

[geysir]

What he actually said was: "International recognition is very important to most players. I thoroughly enjoyed playing for the Under-21s and, therefore, any call-up to the senior squad would be considered an honour.". He has never played for Ireland's under 21 squad. He mentions "the" senior squad. The only international team he could possibly be referring to here is Northern Ireland's full international squad. It's not a diplomatic answer — he's saying he wants to be in Northern Ireland's squad. Of course, don't take my word for it, James McClean specifically said in the Sunday Times last week that he would have played for Northern Ireland if he was called up while playing for Derry:
That Derry Journal article was from June 2011,
the full question and reply recorded was
Would he be happy to represent N. Ireland with so many other players from the North-West area opting to represent the Republic?
“International recognition is very important to most players. I thoroughly enjoyed playing for the Under-21s and, therefore, any call-up to the senior squad would be considered an honour.“Yes, I was disappointed that a few of our own players didn’t get called up for recent squads, but I’m not breaking my heart or anything like that. “I just felt that with the controversy surrounding other local players who have opted for the Republic, one of us at the Brandywell may have had a squeak of getting in, but that didn’t happen."

Yes he said it would be an honour to get called up to the senior NI squad and that it was disappointing that no one from Derry fc got a call-up but is not personally breaking his heart.
Predator regards this reply as diplomatic, maybe it is or isn't, I don't know, but I can imagine that a player with Derry fc would regard it as an honour to get picked for a NI senior squad and even if they would not regard it as an honour, in the event of not being included - would regard it as being snubbed.

Like others, I don't see much irony with this in the light of his subsequent declaration for the FAI and his quoted remarks.

What I appreciated was his account of the contact with O'Neill where O'Neill respected his decision and readily facilitated the paperwork involved with the switch.

[Predator]

IFK and geysir have pretty much answered enough, but I'll add something.



What he actually said was: "International recognition is very important to most players. I thoroughly enjoyed playing for the Under-21s and, therefore, any call-up to the senior squad would be considered an honour.". He has never played for Ireland's under 21 squad. He mentions "the" senior squad. The only international team he could possibly be referring to here is Northern Ireland's full international squad. It's not a diplomatic answer...The most important line from the above is the first sentence. It is 'most certainly a diplomatic answer, or a tempered one at the very least. He suggests that he would be happy at receiving international recognition from the IFA for his ability, which is fair enough, but it is not the same happiness that he has expressed when receiving international recognition for his country - as I have shown in a compare and contrast exercise between his statements. You will soon notice the constrained, diplomatic nature of his comment. You will notice it even more so if you watch how he dealt with the question prior to the Dublin Super Cup and then contrast that with the elation evident in his recent interviews. Of course, you are free to believe what you want.



...he's saying he wants to be in Northern Ireland's squad. Of course, don't take my word for it, James McClean specifically said in the Sunday Times last week that he would have played for Northern Ireland if he was called up while playing for DerryYou are bang wrong. He did not specifically say that he would have played for the IFA. He actually said: "I maybe would have played for the north.". He might have played - i.e. the chances that he may not have opted for the FAI might have increased.