FAI International Football Awards

[DeLorean]

McGeady, O'Shea and Walters battling it out for the senior player of the year award. Hendrick, Christie and Brady in the running for the young player of the year (seriously scraping the bottom of the barrel with the latter two!). An interesting race for the U21 award also but can't expand too much on that :) Three good candidates for goal of the year - McGeady (v. Georgia), O'Shea (v. Germany) and Pilkington (v USA). Has to be McGeady's though.

Some injury updates ahead of today's squad announcement (http://www.irishexaminer.com/sport/soccer/fai-names-award-nominees-as-oneill-ready-to-unveil-squad-317958.html)

[tetsujin1979]

spinning this post out into its own thread

Full list of nominees: http://www.fai.ie/ireland/news/nominees-for-25th-%E2%80%98three%E2%80%99-fai-international-football-awards-announced

[the doc]

These Father Ted Association of Ireland Awards are a shambles.

One year St Ledger was set to win the young player of the year award when some genius at the FTAI realised he was a couple of years over the young player age group.

Panic set in and it was revised with the 3 quickly assembled candidates, a mad cow from Cork with a large head, a Programne seller from the Aviva Stadium and Paul McShane.

The Cork Cow turned it down, and McShane won it after pressure from the Ginger Rights Campaign,

Mrs Doyle presented it with a nice cup of tea!

[gastric]

These Father Ted Association of Ireland Awards are a shambles.

One year St Ledger was set to win the young player of the year award when some genius at the FTAI realised he was a couple of years over the young player age group.

Panic set in and it was revised with the 3 quickly assembled candidates, a mad cow from Cork with a large head, a Programne seller from the Aviva Stadium and Paul McShane.

The Cork Cow turned it down, and McShane won it after pressure from the Ginger Rights Campaign,

Mrs Doyle presented it with a nice cup of tea!

He would be odds on favourite to win this year's 'I've got splinters in my arse award.'

[DeLorean]

Must be from staying on the toilet too long, as he wasn't warming any benches!

[the doc]

Must be from staying on the toilet too long, as he wasn't warming any benches!

More like warming the sun loungers by the pool after training at least he's got plenty of caps to keep the sun out of his eyes!

Magic Kingdom awaits.

Scorchio!

[nigel-harps1954]

Goal of the Year: Aiden McGeady
Hall of Fame winner: Andy Townsend
Under 17 player of the Year: Danny Kane
Under 19 player of the Year: Sam Byrne
Under 21 Player of the Year: Jack Grealish
Airtricity League POTY: Colin Healy
Young Player of the Year: Jeff Hendrick
Senior Player of the Year: John O'Shea

[zero]

the u21 player of the year made some interesting comments about his future. we're not allowed to mention this i think so i may be absent for the foreseeable...

http://www.rte.ie/sport/soccer/irish/2015/0322/688974-video-grealish-likely-to-return-to-ireland-set-up/

[CraftyToePoke]

At the awards Grealish signals intent to resume his Ireland career, which I realise is not up for discussion, but the stage he chose to affirm this is encouraging I feel, particularly after his club managers two cents on it recently.

http://www.rte.ie/sport/soccer/irish/2015/0322/688974-video-grealish-likely-to-return-to-ireland-set-up/

[CraftyToePoke]

the u21 player of the year made some interesting comments about his future. we're not allowed to mention this i think so i may be absent for the foreseeable...

http://www.rte.ie/sport/soccer/irish/2015/0322/688974-video-grealish-likely-to-return-to-ireland-set-up/

Great minds zero, great minds.

[zero]

i'm frightened, crafty.

[CraftyToePoke]

I am as well, lets just pray tets isn't in the throws of some horrible Sunday hangover or we are both for the gulag.

[tetsujin1979]

I'll allow the posts above. He's clarified his position, he's taking a year off. Let's leave it at that for now.

[CraftyToePoke]

Grand, good man.

[Olé Olé]

Lads, sorry to bring this up again but has anyone watched this clip on the RTE link? Does Tony O'Donoghue not completely cut Jack off when he is stating '..I'll be back player for, for.."?

[TrapAPony]

Ya, he doesn't let Jack finish but it does not matter. The FAI have an interview up on their website with Jack after the awards where he says that he hopes to be back wearing the green in September. It's as clear as crystal.

[Olé Olé]

Ya, he doesn't let Jack finish but it does not matter. The FAI have an interview up on their website with Jack after the awards where he says that he hopes to be back wearing the green in September. It's as clear as crystal.

The RTE one wasn't "as clear as crystal" but I've found the FAI one to which you refer: http://www.fai.ie/ireland/news/jack-grealish-talks-to-fai-tv-about-his-international-aims

[TheOneWhoKnocks]

Why did Noel King attempt to call Jack up for an U-21 squad after Jack had already clarified that he wanted to take a year off?

And why wasn't this brought to O'Neill or Keane's attention? As this clearly wasn't explained to them, judging by numerous recent press comments.

Lines of communication clearly need to be worked on and there obviously needs to be a little more transparency.

Still.. Jack has made his position a bit clearer now.

Hopefully it won't remain a bugbear for MonKeano and the lad can concentrate on his club career
Until decision time next year.

[geysir]

When he says at 1.45 "hopefully next september I'll be back playing for Ireland", his eyes look up to the right (his left), in nlp terms, most probably that's him being sincere and truthful, as far as he can be truthful.

[Stuttgart88]

Ya, he doesn't let Jack finish but it does not matter. The FAI have an interview up on their website with Jack after the awards where he says that he hopes to be back wearing the green in September. It's as clear as crystal.

England set to unveil green away strip!

[tetsujin1979]

Enough of this talk, no player is more or less Irish than any other, they're either Irish, and in possession of a passport, or they're not.

[geysir]

It would be ironic if say Gibson only had a UK passport,
i think they would still have to let him play for us.

[the doc]

Enough of this talk, no player is more or less Irish than any other, they're either Irish, and in possession of a passport, or they're not.

Well said Tetsa!

[KK77]

Great to see and hear Andy Townsend at the awards. A great pro and a great player for Ireland over the years.

[tetsujin1979]

irrelevant posts deleted, next time I'm locking the thread.

[nigel-harps1954]

It's getting tiring at this stage. At some point, it'd be nice to simply congratulate an award winner and move on rather than question anything about said person.

Well done to the winners, commiserations to the non-winning nominees, big game this weekend, let's focus on that instead.

[DannyInvincible]

Andy Townsend was interviewed at the awards and spoke fondly of his experiences with Ireland:


https://vimeo.com/122927661

[DannyInvincible]

A critical opinion from Peter Staunton on the awarding of the under-21 prize to you-now-who: http://www.goal.com/en-ie/news/3942/ireland/2015/03/24/10142792/absent-grealish-undeserving-of-fai-award?ICID=AR_PN_1

[Olé Olé]

A critical opinion from Peter Staunton on the awarding of the under-21 prize to you-now-who: http://www.goal.com/en-ie/news/3942/ireland/2015/03/24/10142792/absent-grealish-undeserving-of-fai-award?ICID=AR_PN_1

I don't really like that article. A lot of strands of speculation and high doses of cynicism.

Also tries to make his point this way:

It is also an insult to the efforts of the other candidates who turned up when asked and performed well under difficult circumstances, namely Ian Lawlor and Tommie Hoban
Tommie Hoban has 1 under-21 cap. Ian Lawlor has 2 under-21 caps. Jack Grealish has 6 under-21 caps. Taking the ultimate winner out of the equation, neither of them could have been cursing the FAI for not making them under-21 player of the year.

[DeLorean]

What is the criteria for winning the award? Is it based on club form as well as performances for the Ireland U21's? Or do you just have to be an Irish footballer under 21 years of age?

I'd be surprised if the motives behind the selected recipient strayed too far from this.


To give him the player of the year award is a transparent attempt on the part of the FAI to love-bomb Grealish into declaring for the green

[tetsujin1979]

of course, it does avoid the obvious question - was Grealish the best player for the U21's last year?

[Charlie Darwin]

What is the criteria for winning the award? Is it based on club form as well as performances for the Ireland U21's? Or do you just have to be an Irish footballer under 21 years of age?

I'd be surprised if the motives behind the selected recipient strayed too far from this.
Criteria is international performances only. From what I saw, Grealish was by far and away the U21s best player in an otherwise poor year.

[DeLorean]

Everything above board so I guess... and there was me thinking it was just an ideal opportunity to let TOD loose on young Jack.

[Olé Olé]

Also, that article seems to completely ignore the implications of questioning Jack's motives in accepting the award. God almighty, what kind of person would come over to Ireland with all their family just to get a vase and a cheap holiday on home soil for their gran before sodding off to England at the first chance? Makes little sense on his part and the author is making dreadful inferences on Grealish's character. If he were going to switch then he would have done so before now to try and play himself into contention for the England under-21's before the Euro's in the summer.

Terrible article.

[Stuttgart88]

It smacks of that typical Irish affliction, seeking outrage when no reason for outrage exists.

[geysir]

Terrible article and ends up with him sliding to the lower levels of the human condition, on the slippery slope of the conditional probability factor.

Aside from all that, maybe a grammar buff can confirm, but is this not a present tense unreality?
"If Grealish was intending to play for Ireland the chances are he would have given a proper answer by now"
should be expressed as
"If Grealish were intending......."

[CraftyToePoke]

This is it, yeah, I mean if he didn't want to be considered for the award he would just say so as he did about being available for selection surely ? And surely this was broached pre announcement of the short list with him by the FAI anyway, you would hope to save their own embarrassment if nothing else if he knocked it back publicly post announcement.

[TheOneWhoKnocks]

The only outrage I see is on this thread. Is there really a need to mock the journalist? The article wasn't that bad. This will come as a surprise to nobody but I agree with everything he said.

It's an opinion piece on a football website. Goal.com should be held to a different standard than the broadsheet publications.

That's why any indignation on my part would be reserved firmly for The Irish Times, The Irish Independent and The Irish Examiner for erroneously reporting that the player has nailed his colors to the Irish mast, which is not true.

Whatever about his body language, he said he would make a decision on his International future next year - be that September or be that 2016.

Nothing has changed in that regard.

[geysir]

This is it, yeah, I mean if he didn't want to be considered for the award he would just say so as he did about being available for selection surely ? And surely this was broached pre announcement of the short list with him by the FAI anyway, you would hope to save their own embarrassment if nothing else if he knocked it back publicly post announcement.
Exactly, the obvious interpretation, until otherwise proven false, is that by turning up to accept the merited award, Grealish was re affirming his commitment.

[Charlie Darwin]

This is it, yeah, I mean if he didn't want to be considered for the award he would just say so as he did about being available for selection surely ? And surely this was broached pre announcement of the short list with him by the FAI anyway, you would hope to save their own embarrassment if nothing else if he knocked it back publicly post announcement.
He could have refused quietly. Stephen Ireland was voted YPOTY a few years back but he said he didn't want it, so somebody the second candidate got it.

[TheOneWhoKnocks]

Guess we'll just have to wait until September to see what country he commits to.

I'm not worried about it either way.

I was going to say he would want to make some more, tangible, progress fast if he wanted to play for England, but in fairness Ryan Mason was on the bench for England this evening and he is 23 years old.

[CraftyToePoke]

He could have refused quietly. Stephen Ireland was voted YPOTY a few years back but he said he didn't want it, so somebody the second candidate got it.

Would you say Stephen Ireland was the complete midfielder CD ?

[Charlie Darwin]

Would you say Stephen Ireland was the complete midfielder CD ?
He was a complete something alright.

[TheOneWhoKnocks]

4 goals in 6 appearances for Ireland.

That is more goals than Whelan, McCarthy & Gibson combined.

While McCarthy & Gibson have proven to be superior players and Whelan has had a more fulfilling career at this level, goals from midfield are a valuable currency, one we have been missing for too long, and it looked like Ireland was going to be the source of a lot of them.

If he continued scoring goals at that rate he would be #2 scorer behind Keane.

But things went tits up at club level not long after Grannygate anyway.

[DannyInvincible]

Defensive/passing/deep-lying/holding midfielders in scoring-less-goals-than-attacking-midfielder shocker! And Jon Walters has more goals than Shay Given, Kieren Westwood and David Forde combined, in case anyone wasn't aware of that either. Some things are just too daft to ignore. Seriously.


Exactly, the obvious interpretation, until otherwise proven false, is that by turning up to accept the merited award, Grealish was re affirming his commitment.

There might have been an element of FAI cynicism/insecurity/buttering up in the initial decision to award, but I fully concur with your interpretation otherwise - Grealish passed the "test" if there was one - and yet we unfortunately still have commentators - some of them quacks and cranks amongst us - telling us he's in the middle of making a 50-50 decision. He was 100 per cent clear he wants to be back playing in the green. What else could he have said other than "hopefully next year I’ll be back playing again for Ireland" in order to better express his future hopes and intentions? Given he can't select himself, he can only hope.

Some people... :rolleyes:

[TheOneWhoKnocks]

"Some things are just too daft to ignore". Then ignore them.

How many times have you been told to ignore my comments and yet you keep derailing threads by personally insulting me and attacking comments that are not directed at you.

What age are you? Grow up for Gods sake.

And I'm the bad guy again because of someone else's constant flaming and borderline trolling. I will gladly take whatever punishment I get for this but this guy should get an equal punishment for constantly going against moderators and starting this childish crap when I am making a genuine effort to ignore him.

"Exactly, the obvious interpretation, until otherwise proven false, is that by turning up to accept the merited award, Grealish was re affirming his commitment."

Or he could re affirm his commitment by, you know, accepting one of the several call ups that he declined.