Log in

View Full Version : Legends - Irish Independent


Pages : 1 [2]
geysir
05/12/2012, 9:19 PM
What about the X1 of choice?
It pretty much picks itself,
442 is default

Given
Irwin. Lawro. McGrath. Tony Dunne.
Houghton. Giles (capt). Brady. Duff.
Stapleton. Keane.


Only 2 at CM, unfortunately.
squareball
06/12/2012, 12:52 AM
What about the X1 of choice?
It pretty much picks itself,
442 is default

Given
Irwin. Lawro. McGrath. Tony Dunne.
Houghton. Giles (capt). Brady. Duff.
Stapleton. Keane.


Only 2 at CM, unfortunately.

Get Houghton out of that team Duff on right, Brady on left and Roy Keane in beside Giles.
SkStu
06/12/2012, 1:48 AM
Can't argue with one or two given that the scoring involves including club success in addition to international success. Accordingly, on that basis, I don't have any issues with O'Shea being ahead of Dunne.

All that said, McGrath will always be my own personal favourite Irish player, best Irish player I've had the pleasure of seeing in the flesh. (And he never - soberly �� - walked out on his country)... I love him.

Dodge - I don't think that there is any intentional controversy in this particular issue. The very nature of these sorts of lists as well as the controversy attached to some of the players on the list all just naturally lends itself to the drama!
The Fly
06/12/2012, 2:16 AM
What about the X1 of choice?
It pretty much picks itself,
442 is default

Given
Irwin. Lawro. McGrath. Tony Dunne.
Houghton. Giles (capt). Brady. Duff.
Stapleton. Keane.


Only 2 at CM, unfortunately.

Any all-time Irish side worth its salt will have Roy Keane in it.
gastric
06/12/2012, 4:13 AM
Any all-time Irish side worth its salt will have Roy Keane in it.

Good point Fly, and what about Staunton at left back? I would love to see a subs' bench for this team!
Charlie Darwin
06/12/2012, 4:21 AM
Surely there's a spot for Wes Hoolahan.
paul_oshea
06/12/2012, 9:44 AM
http://www.independent.ie/entertainment/film-cinema/you-stay-classy-ireland-will-ferrell-shows-his-support-for-ireland-on-budget-day-3317635.html

does he qualify as a Legend now?
geysir
06/12/2012, 12:19 PM
Any all-time Irish side worth its salt will have Roy Keane in it.

Fine, but I wouldn't have him ahead of Giles or Brady.
ArdeeBhoy
06/12/2012, 1:14 PM
You could put all three of them in....

And drop Lawrenson for a start.
Dodge
06/12/2012, 2:12 PM
Lawrenson's had the best club career of any Irish defender, winnig everything in England and a European cup too.

Scored the most important goal for Ireland in the Euro 88 qualifiers too IMO

He'd be in my first xi, without a shadow of a doubt
geysir
06/12/2012, 2:17 PM
If I had to, even with a gun put to my head, I'd have a difficulty to choose between Lawro and McGrath.
Similar ability to seamlessly adapt to different positions.
DeLorean
06/12/2012, 2:41 PM
If you really want to seperate them, just take a couple of notches off Lawro for his awful jokes and really annoying voice.
KK77
06/12/2012, 2:54 PM
If I had to, even with a gun put to my head, I'd have a difficulty to choose between Lawro and McGrath.
Similar ability to seamlessly adapt to different positions.

Yeah very true. Lawrenson was a truely world class centre half and as you say could adapt to several positions. Would have gone on for a few more seasons only for the injury.
geysir
06/12/2012, 2:59 PM
If you really want to seperate them, just take a couple of notches off Lawro for his awful jokes and really annoying voice.He's funnier than Franz Beckenbauer.
DeLorean
06/12/2012, 3:46 PM
He's funnier than Franz Beckenbauer.

Probably, but at least Franz knows he's not funny.
geysir
07/12/2012, 11:45 AM
Hardfécker Legends 11


Not based on mere hacking ability and selected off the cuff.


Given
Irwin Hurley Moran Kinnear
Keane, Giles, Grealish Galvin
Cascarino Cantwell


Keane is included, partly on merit and partly for humane considerations, so the modern generation who have grown up on the Keane myth, don't blow a gasket in that part of their anatomy where indignation is stored.
pineapple stu
07/12/2012, 11:48 AM
No Dunne?!

Whacking his face off that grille in Moscow was all in vain so?
DeLorean
07/12/2012, 12:20 PM
Mick McCarthy instead of Irwin maybe.
The Fly
07/12/2012, 4:37 PM
Keane is included, partly on merit and partly for humane considerations, so the modern generation who have grown up on the Keane myth, don't blow a gasket in that part of their anatomy where indignation is stored.

...http://z5.ifrm.com/5902/57/0/e5024227//e5024227.jpg
geysir
07/12/2012, 5:13 PM
No Dunne?!

Whacking his face off that grille in Moscow was all in vain so?

Moran would have grabbed the replacement shirt and written the number with his own blood.
ArdeeBhoy
07/12/2012, 5:36 PM
Lawrenson's had the best club career of any Irish defender, winnig everything in England and a European cup too.

Scored the most important goal for Ireland in the Euro 88 qualifiers too IMO

He'd be in my first xi, without a shadow of a doubt


Yeah very true. Lawrenson was a truely world class centre half and as you say could adapt to several positions. Would have gone on for a few more seasons only for the injury.
'World-class'?
Hmm. An element of rose-tinted spectacles here I reckon. He was good, but not as good as you make out.
Though do acknowledge his versatility.

And what's his club career got to do with it? If that was the criteria, then the most divisive player in Irish soccer history would be a cert....
ArdeeBhoy
07/12/2012, 5:37 PM
Here's an alternative XI.

http://backpagefootball.com/the-republic-of-ireland%E2%80%99s-all-time-xi-1924-2011/30766/
geysir
08/12/2012, 7:34 AM
'World-class'?
And what's his club career got to do with it? If that was the criteria, then the most divisive player in Irish soccer history would be a cert....
Club career is part of the 'legend' criteria, and so it should.
peadar1987
08/12/2012, 7:55 AM
Gary Breen is cast-iron evidence that's not the case! ;)
geysir
08/12/2012, 8:30 AM
If one was to also consider Ballon d'Or votes for the European player of the year (up until 2006), then Liam Brady stands out as the most lauded Irish player, with 3 or 4 brilliant seasons where he made it into the top 10 each year. Roy Keane made it into the top 10 on one occasion.

McGrath was also noted, picked up a few votes for 3 or 4 seasons.
ArdeeBhoy
08/12/2012, 10:53 AM
Exactly.

Stick the 3 of them in.

Bin Lawro or Duff.
geysir
08/12/2012, 12:13 PM
If you want to ditch Lawro from a CH position, who do you want to partner McGrath?
We can say that McGrath, even if he hadn't a career with the top club, he was quite capable of it.
Lawrenson was a confirmed fixture in the best team in England and one of the best teams in Europe. Dunne didn't quite reach that standard, but you could consider that when Dunne was in his prime, he had to face more competition from Johnny Foreigners vying for places at the top epl clubs.
I just think that Lawro had much more football ability than Dunne and in the position at stake - CH. Could Lawro have performed like that in Moscow? I doubt it, that performance defied science.
OwlsFan
08/12/2012, 9:08 PM
Get Houghton out of that team Duff on right, Brady on left and Roy Keane in beside Giles.

Did you ever see Houghton play? Having seen just about every game of the Charlton era, he was arguably the most effective player of those years. Up and down that line like a demented hornet not to mention the two special goals that make him the legend that he should be.


Already mentioned is the deserved measure that Frank O'Neill was held in, by the (Shamrock Rovers dominated) selection panel, with his inclusion into the list of legends.
My vote would have gone to Al Finucane, who has more than a strong case to be regarded as thee nr.1 LOI legend. He was a supremely gifted defender, graced with elegant footballing abilities.
But an automatic top 50 spot should have been held for Joe Haverty

I have no connection with Al's clubs (Limerick and Waterford), so no need to reply to this if you are only going to promote the merits of some 'legend' from your own LOI club :)

I would equate Al Finucane with Johnny Fulham. In the words of my bete noir, "good players but not great players". O'Neill was class.
geysir
08/12/2012, 10:06 PM
Johnny Fulham was a plodder compared to Al Finucane.
Paddy Garcia
09/12/2012, 7:45 AM
Did you ever see Houghton play? Having seen just about every game of the Charlton era, he was arguably the most effective player of those years. Up and down that line like a demented hornet not to mention the two special goals that make him the legend that he should be.


I agree - Houghton was the engine that drove that team and delivered success in the Charlton era - hugely influential, a winner with superb skills. Same at Liverpool a huge %age of Rush's goals came from Houghton assists. If you want a team that wins games consistently then you would want him starting.

Along with Keane and McGrath I dont think I've seen better.
OwlsFan
10/12/2012, 10:13 AM
Ignoring club careers and overall ability, 5 best players I have seen performing on the field for Ireland: 1) Houghton, 2) McGrath, 3) Keane Roy, 4) Keane Robbie, 5) Given (ignoring recent decline in form).

Biggest disappointment: Steve Heighway. The Liverpool fans still sing his name and he was a great player in a red jersey but he never matched those performances in the green.
geysir
10/12/2012, 2:13 PM
Heighway did not always perform to that club level for us, but there were matches where he definitely did perform to that level,
offhand, v Soviets '74 v England '76 v France ´77 v Bulgaria '77
KK77
10/12/2012, 2:27 PM
'World-class'?
Hmm. An element of rose-tinted spectacles here I reckon. He was good, but not as good as you make out.
Though do acknowledge his versatility.

And what's his club career got to do with it? If that was the criteria, then the most divisive player in Irish soccer history would be a cert....

Just my opinon that's all!
DeLorean
10/12/2012, 4:34 PM
...http://z5.ifrm.com/5902/57/0/e5024227//e5024227.jpg

Is that the top of the World Cup trophy?

:)
Paddy Garcia
10/12/2012, 8:24 PM
Heighway did not always perform to that club level for us, but there were matches where he definitely did perform to that level,
offhand, v Soviets '74 v England '76 v France ´77 v Bulgaria '77

My first Irish game - he was outstanding.
OwlsFan
12/12/2012, 8:57 AM
Biggest disappointment: Steve Heighway. The Liverpool fans still sing his name and he was a great player in a red jersey but he never matched those performances in the green.


Heighway did not always perform to that club level for us, but there were matches where he definitely did perform to that level,
offhand, v Soviets '74 v England '76 v France ´77 v Bulgaria '77

Ok, change NEVER to seldom in my post although my only recollection of the Soviet game is the Don Givens hattrick but I assume someone must have set the goals up for him.
geysir
12/12/2012, 9:36 AM
Change seldom to inconsistent, seeing as your memory is somewhat ....compromised:)
gastric
15/01/2013, 6:37 AM
McGrath supposedly not sounding well on 2FM, hopefully he is okay. His demons remain a concern.


http://www.independent.ie/national-news/radio-fans-worried-about-paul-mcgrath-after-interview-3353783.html