Leon Best (again)

[Stuttgart88]

I thought we could all use a break from Paris chat for about 6 seconds.

With Beattie and now Crouch injured, Best is set to start Southampton's next game at Everton according to The Guardian.

Let's hope he plays crap and stops thinking he'll play for England. :)

[Greenbod]

No. Let's hope he plays crap and gets selected for England.

[Dan K]

Story about Leon at http://www.saintsfc.co.uk/article.asp?article=230039&Title=Best+at+the+ready

[Donal81]

Nationality is a funny thing. My mother was born to Irish parents in Birmingham and lived there until she was 8, when the family returned to Ireland. She said she would have always felt English until she reached her late teens and learned more about the history of the situation and so on and today would feel utterly Irish, seeing Birmingham as a pleasant place where she was born but certainly not her homeland. On the other hand, my uncle was born there and returned even younger than my mother, about 4 or 5. He said that he was always grateful to England for giving his parents a job and remembers them being happier there than they were in Ireland. He would still call himself English and Irish and he's almost 50 now. It's obviously a strange thing, growing up in England knowing that you've this attachment to Ireland. Compare the likes of Breen and Kilbane to Kevin Gallen and Noel Whelan, both of whom had Irish parents but never seriously considered playing for Ireland until now, when England have stopped knocking. The chap is only 17, I don't think he's being cynical. Maybe I'm being far too nice to him and this certainly goes against comments I've made about Carsley and others who take a laissez-faire approach to playing for their country but he could possibly just be a confused 17 year old. Like I said, it's a strange thing, even more so when you think of McGeady who seems to have had no doubts whatsoever.

[Don Vito]

Carsley and others who take a laissez-faire approach to playing for their country

You're wrong to be picking on Carsley, I think Carsley has been a good servant the team. I know he took alot of stick for taking time out from the national team but anyone who knows anything about his family situation will understand why he chose to take a break from internationals. (And there's no need to come back at me with all this stuff about how footballers have it so easy and its no excuse for Carsley, I've read it before from you so there's no need to waste time typing it out again)

[Don Vito]

Anyway lets forget about this Best lad, Anthony Stokes is the prospect we should be talking about, he's banging them in for the u-17s in the UEFA Championships.

[eirebhoy]

Anyway lets forget about this Best lad, Anthony Stokes is the prospect we should be talking about, he's banging them in for the u-17s in the UEFA Championships.
Best is now in Soton's first team, Stokes will be in the Arsenal youth's reserves for a long time. No matter how good he is, Wenger is renowned to bring through youth players.

[Don Vito]

Best is now in Soton's first team, Stokes will be in the Arsenal youth's reserves for a long time. No matter how good he is, Wenger is renowned to bring through youth players.

I understand Stokes is still very young but he has played with the reserves already and trained with the first team. Anyway the point I was making is its better for us to talk about Stokes as he is committed to us rather than Best whos future is still up in the air.

[BobbySands]

As a rule of thumb I'd suggest that anyone who plays for their country at any level should never be allowed change allegience.
Anyone who has ever legally gotten a passport for a country should only ever be allowed play for that country.

[Donal81]

You're wrong to be picking on Carsley, I think Carsley has been a good servant the team. I know he took alot of stick for taking time out from the national team but anyone who knows anything about his family situation will understand why he chose to take a break from internationals. (And there's no need to come back at me with all this stuff about how footballers have it so easy and its no excuse for Carsley, I've read it before from you so there's no need to waste time typing it out again)

As you've read it all before, don't you think that I've read all this before? Keeping that in mind, why bother writing? To be honest, I don't appreciate being told that I'm wrong when it's your opinion against mine, it's a bit childish. Also, in a lengthy post about Leon Best, you take one sentence and start something about Lee Carsley which, as you pointed out, has been written about on this post a hell of a lot. I was making a point about Leon Best and you didn't even respond to that, which is a bit annoying.

[TheJamaicanP.M.]

Anyway lets forget about this Best lad, Anthony Stokes is the prospect we should be talking about, he's banging them in for the u-17s in the UEFA Championships.

Great point Don Vito. Let's forget about this Best lad. Originally I thought young Stokes was from Longford. Despite the fact that he's not I think he will still go on to be a great player.