Nuts gone at Rovers

[SkStu]

Now that he's free, Nigel Farage might be a good fit with the Rovers faithful?

[Charlie Darwin]

Now that he's free, Nigel Farage might be a good fit with the Rovers faithful?
No thanks, we're already out of Europe.

[Nesta99]

Walked in to that one Stu!!:D

[SkStu]

Dammit. thought I had nailed it. :)

must try harder...

"he'd bring a different type of nuts to Tallaght"...or..."something something fascist racist something roflmao"

[Martinho II]

speaking of Tony Cousins why did he leave Galway Utd in his second season in the top flight?

[Lim till i die]

They'll light up the first division while still conceding a goal a game with a Premier Division squad.

He has a Premier Division half dozen. The rest not so much. (I'm not complaining I realise the rest of the division is made up of women children and people with varying degrees of disability.)

Russell teams concede goals. But they also score goals. All the goals in the case of this season.

Pat O'Sullivan got First Division Champions 2016 Limerick FC relegated last year. No one else.

Don't even know why I'm leaping to Russell's defence here I'm not a particularly big fan and I'd like him to get the rovers job because a good old fashioned farcical First Division Champions 2016 Limerick FC manager hunt would lively up the second half of our parade/season.

It's just I think searing insights like "durr dry conseed a gol a game, durr he relageted dem durr can't wait to play dem durr" should have a bit of context added. :good:

[outspoken]

Agree with this, Limerick were a mess off the field before the start of last season between player recruitment, Jackman park and banning orders. As soon as July came Russell was allowed to add quality and he almost pulled it off. Always been a massive fan of his. Would take him in a heartbeat here even if it did mean going back down for 1 year at least the football would be attractive.

[White Horse]

Good article in the Independent today.

http://www.independent.ie/sport/soccer/league-of-ireland/success-or-survival-the-dilemma-for-rovers-34856992.html

[El-Pietro]

He has a Premier Division half dozen. The rest not so much. (I'm not complaining I realise the rest of the division is made up of women children and people with varying degrees of disability.)

Russell teams concede goals. But they also score goals. All the goals in the case of this season.

Pat O'Sullivan got First Division Champions 2016 Limerick FC relegated last year. No one else.

Don't even know why I'm leaping to Russell's defence here I'm not a particularly big fan and I'd like him to get the rovers job because a good old fashioned farcical First Division Champions 2016 Limerick FC manager hunt would lively up the second half of our parade/season.

It's just I think searing insights like "durr dry conseed a gol a game, durr he relageted dem durr can't wait to play dem durr" should have a bit of context added. :good:
Durr? Really?

Limerick realistically probably would have stayed up with a premier division team for the whole of last season. I'll grant you that, but even when you were winning games your team was seriously flawed.

The facts are despite having a team that are running away with the first division you have conceded 16 goals in 15 games ("dur dey condeed a gol a game"). This in a division where the other 7 teams are averaging just 1.39 goals per game.

Lets look at your remarkable recovery from beyond the grave last season. Starting with your first win of the season against Sligo in August (incredible by the way) Limerick went on to win 9 games of their next twelve, drawing 2 and losing one. Incredible. In that spell they kept 2 clean sheets, at home to Derry and Rovers in their second and third last games of the season. To be fair they also kept a clean sheet in the first leg against Finn Harps in the playoffs. In those twelve games they conceded 20 goals, including 3 goals on 3 occasions. 1.667 goals per game isn't terrible but its worrying, especially when the team continues to concede in a lower division. You can't keep outscoring teams, not forever.

In the whole of the 2015 Premier Division Season Limerick kept 3 clean sheets total (the third in a 0-0 draw against Derry).

So far in the first division they have managed a few more clean sheets, 5 to be precise. Two of those have come against Cabinteely, two against Athlone and one against Cobh. Interestingly those are the three teams with the fewest goals scored this season. Cabinteely have less than a goal a game scored. Between them they have 48 goals in 45 games played, or 1.067 goals per game.
Limerick have conceded 3 goals twice already this season, against Shels at the end of May and against UCD this weekend. They have conceded twice three times, against Waterford twice and against Drogheda in June. In fact they have conceded 8 goals in their last four games.

Limerick are runing away with the first division and will set all sorts of goalscoring records, but when you are that dominant you should be able to shut out opposing teams more often than you have done. It might be entertainging to watch but it tells me that there is a serious flaw in the way your team is set up. I haven't seen you play this year, but I saw you a few times last season, including that insane game against Sligo to end the season where you were very nearly relegated in stoppage time due to some absoultely insane defending. Enjoy the First Division Romp, but be prepared for some tougher days next season.

[Mr A]

Pat O'Sullivan got First Division Champions 2016 Limerick FC relegated last year. No one else.


Russell had a team in great form going into the playoffs and lost it. Obviously if the budget had been more consistent you'd not have been near it, but I thought he didn't cover himself in glory during those games. For which I'll be eternally grateful.

[Nesta99]

Durr? Really?

Limerick realistically probably would have stayed up with a premier division team for the whole of last season. I'll grant you that, but even when you were winning games your team was seriously flawed.

The facts are despite having a team that are running away with the first division you have conceded 16 goals in 15 games ("dur dey condeed a gol a game"). This in a division where the other 7 teams are averaging just 1.39 goals per game.

Lets look at your remarkable recovery from beyond the grave last season. Starting with your first win of the season against Sligo in August (incredible by the way) Limerick went on to win 9 games of their next twelve, drawing 2 and losing one. Incredible. In that spell they kept 2 clean sheets, at home to Derry and Rovers in their second and third last games of the season. To be fair they also kept a clean sheet in the first leg against Finn Harps in the playoffs. In those twelve games they conceded 20 goals, including 3 goals on 3 occasions. 1.667 goals per game isn't terrible but its worrying, especially when the team continues to concede in a lower division. You can't keep outscoring teams, not forever.

In the whole of the 2015 Premier Division Season Limerick kept 3 clean sheets total (the third in a 0-0 draw against Derry).

So far in the first division they have managed a few more clean sheets, 5 to be precise. Two of those have come against Cabinteely, two against Athlone and one against Cobh. Interestingly those are the three teams with the fewest goals scored this season. Cabinteely have less than a goal a game scored. Between them they have 48 goals in 45 games played, or 1.067 goals per game.
Limerick have conceded 3 goals twice already this season, against Shels at the end of May and against UCD this weekend. They have conceded twice three times, against Waterford twice and against Drogheda in June. In fact they have conceded 8 goals in their last four games.

Limerick are runing away with the first division and will set all sorts of goalscoring records, but when you are that dominant you should be able to shut out opposing teams more often than you have done. It might be entertainging to watch but it tells me that there is a serious flaw in the way your team is set up. I haven't seen you play this year, but I saw you a few times last season, including that insane game against Sligo to end the season where you were very nearly relegated in stoppage time due to some absoultely insane defending. Enjoy the First Division Romp, but be prepared for some tougher days next season.

Obsessed!

well going by Rover's fans logic when commenting on another club,

[Lim till i die]

Lets look at your remarkable recovery from beyond the grave last season. Starting with your first win of the season against Sligo in August (incredible by the way) Limerick went on to win 9 games of their next twelve, drawing 2 and losing one. Incredible. In that spell they kept 2 clean sheets, at home to Derry and Rovers in their second and third last games of the season. To be fair they also kept a clean sheet in the first leg against Finn Harps in the playoffs. In those twelve games they conceded 20 goals, including 3 goals on 3 occasions. 1.667 goals per game isn't terrible but its worrying, especially when the team continues to concede in a lower division. You can't keep outscoring teams, not forever.


Couple of things here.

1. I think wherever you got your stats you were reading arseways. First Division Champions 2016 Limerick FC lost those two games against derry and shamrock.

2. This period from the Sligo game on (when Russell had been allowed assemble something resembling a squad. Seriously I could post a typical starting eleven from before August that season but I don't want to distress any of the readers here.)

Anyway where was I - ya that final twelve games when we had a few players. First Division Champions 2016 Limerick FC picked up 23 points in those games. For a comparison John Caulfields title chasing cork city, with much greater resources, managed to pick up 22. Not a dig (I would be digging up from the First Division after all) just the easiest comparison for a cork fan.

I don't get this obsession with the goal a game thing. Wexford conceded over a goal a game last season. Go give out to them. I've already acknowledged Russell teams can't defend. If you look at his record with us that's patently obvious. His team's are set up to score more than the opposition. It's simple it's not really debatable. He is what he is.

It's worth bearing in mind aswell that our multi million pound squad has exactly one centre half who is near good enough and two broken goalkeepers, one physically and one mentally. Now of course you could argue that's Russell's fault he should have went out and signed a decent centre half to partner Williams. But he didnt. Because he'd rather use that money on Aaron Greene. Because that's the way he likes his team's to play.

We've average around 1200 in this most remedial of First Divisions. Would we be doing it grinding out the one nils under a Pat Scully? I honestly don't think so.


Russell had a team in great form going into the playoffs and lost it. Obviously if the budget had been more consistent you'd not have been near it, but I thought he didn't cover himself in glory during those games. For which I'll be eternally grateful.

These things happen in cup football though. Which is essentially what the playoffs are. I've never seen the game in ballybofey but our home leg should have finished around 5 2 which would have maybe been enough going up there. It was your classic bridge too far in the end. We'd all been saying it in the lead up to the end of season some of our players were wrecked from the previous few months. Dean Clarke and Vinny Faherty were absolutely gassed for example. In the end it told.

The die was cast last season when our chairman had a series of breakdowns between January and March. Russell and the players were treated abysmally. It was always going to need a miracle after that start.

[El-Pietro]

I copied and pasted from soccerway and then just typed the goals conceded into an additional column in excel. I did it very quickly so it is quite possible I read those results backwards. That means that you kept one clean-sheet for an entire season. Derry should be ashamed.

Your points total was incredible, I've acknowledged that. It is indeed better than ours over the same period, though we had very little to play for as the season went on and you were scrapping for your lives. I was actually stunned by your performance at the Cross, you caught us napping and we couldn't keep up with your pace that day.

As for Wexford, I predicted that they would struggle this season and would probably finish bottom because I didn't think Furlong would score enough goals to keep them up. I was right on that, he has 3 goals, but the rest of the team stepped up, and Longford were much worse than anyone could have predicted. Still despite all their spiritied performances they are second bottom with just 12 points from 17 games (tied with Bray) and 8 points below Finn Harps.

Wexford also were not running away with the title in the fashion that Limerick have done. Your scorelines look like something out of a 5 a side league and are scarcely believable.



It's worth bearing in mind aswell that our multi million pound squad has exactly one centre half who is near good enough and two broken goalkeepers, one physically and one mentally. Now of course you could argue that's Russell's fault he should have went out and signed a decent centre half to partner Williams. But he didnt. Because he'd rather use that money on Aaron Greene. Because that's the way he likes his team's to play.

We've average around 1200 in this most remedial of First Divisions. Would we be doing it grinding out the one nils under a Pat Scully? I honestly don't think so.

This is perfectly fine, he can set his teams up anyway he likes. He will have won the division with an entire series to go, if not more and he will deserve credit for that. I'm sure its fun to watch, City were fun to watch under Stuart Ashton, we'd win 4-0 one week, lose 4-0 the next, then win 5-3. Highly entertaining, but I'm glad we went with a more pragmatic manager in John Caulfield.

My point is, as fun as it is now, there are some serious problems, and if I were a Limerick fan I would be concerned about his ability to keep you up in the Premier Division. Yes you had that run towards the end of last season but a large part of that was momentum. I don't think even the most optimistic of Limerick fans thinks if you had that side for the whole season you'd have kept up that run of form.

You mentioned Wexford and I think this is a good time to bring them up again. John O'Flynn has 11 goals in 11 games. I'm a huge Flynny fan. The last few seasons when he was with us was hard to watch. Many of my fellow supporters wanted him to be given more of a chance, they said he'd come good if he played more regularly, and maybe there is some truth in that, after all he is flying in the first division. I, and others like me, however think he was no longer the same player. Not just his record with us, but his performances, and his record in his last few seasons in England made that clear.

If he comes up and scores 15 goals next season I'll hold my hands up and say I was wrong, and I'd love to be proven wrong, as long as he doesn't score too many of those against us! I don't think I'll be wrong though, I'd be surprised if he managed more than 7 or 8 for a whole season, which would be decent, but that's me being optimistic. Like Furlong, I think he has found his level, which is a harsh thing to say, especially about the most deadly finisher I've ever seen in the LOI, but I think it's true.

[osarusan]

Long post.
I agree with some of what you say, but I think it's worth pointing out that as soon as we started scoring and winning, Russell was very hesitant to tinker with the team too much. He didn't want to change formations or even personnel if possible. It's not as if he wasn't concerned with the goals being conceded, but he felt he didn't want to risk our chances of survival by making changes that would make the team less attacking.

The number of points we won from that Sligo match on would suggest that was a good decision to me.


Russell had a team in great form going into the playoffs and lost it. Obviously if the budget had been more consistent you'd not have been near it, but I thought he didn't cover himself in glory during those games. For which I'll be eternally grateful.
His decision to limit changes in personnel meant that a lot of our players were spent by that stage. We could see in the games against Derry and Rovers, we had very very little left. Lynch, Clarke, Faherty, Duggan, were all wrecked. More than anything else, the lack of a decent centre-half killed us.




My point is, as fun as it is now, there are some serious problems, and if I were a Limerick fan I would be concerned about his ability to keep you up in the Premier Division. Yes you had that run towards the end of last season but a large part of that was momentum. I don't think even the most optimistic of Limerick fans thinks if you had that side for the whole season you'd have kept up that run of form.


As I've said in the Limerick forum, I'm not too concerned with the goals being conceded. In other circumstances I would be, but we're still going to run away with the division. I am sure our current squad will be slaughtered by at least half the teams in the premier if we don't bring in a number of quality players, especially defenders. We don't need to do that yet, as the squad we have now is enough to win the first division easily.

Whether Russell is of the same opinion, I don't know. What Russell does between the end of this season and the start of the next one to improve his squad will be the key. I don't really think he deserves criticism for not already building a squad that will keep Limerick in the premier next year when we are just over halfway through the current season in the first division.

[Lim till i die]

Our squad wouldn't cut it in the Premier.

We'd stay up comfortably because at least four or five of the other teams are awful.

But it wouldn't be very pretty.

As it is we have:

Two broken goalkeepers.

A fairly decent pair of premier full backs.

One centre half.

One excellent premier midfielder, one good one and one fairly decent one.

A decent premier winger.

One striker who simply cant play every game.

Add to this two or three premier substitute standard players.

And eight or nine lads who would have no business in the premier.

It'll take serious investment to push on for the top four. Which is what I firmly believe we should be doing. The league can't stay this terrible forever like.

It's not up to me though. It's up to coco the chairman.

[Nesta99]

When a team like Limerick is decimating all in front of them why unnecessarily fork out wages now for additional defenders/players that are obviously not currently needed. We are just beyond half way of the 2016 season so there is plenty of time for Russell to address defensive frailties. He can bring Pat Fenlon in as his assistant or defensive coach to work on ruining Limericks attacking style as we know that attractive football is anathema to Nusty (can we continue slagging Pat off and analysing or speculating or being obsessed with Shamrock Rovers under Fenlon rather than sidelining the thread entirely with a fans Munster derby? Not that watching a Corks fan's obsession with Limerick and Limerick fans *****ley retort is not intriguing if for no other reason but WITH the parallels earlier in this and other threads involving Rover's fans and a pick of other club's fans).

Didnt realise p-r-i-c-k-l-e-y was a bad word!

[sullanefc]

City were fun to watch under Stuart Ashton, we'd win 4-0 one week, lose 4-0 the next, then win 5-3. Highly entertaining, but I'm glad we went with a more pragmatic manager in John Caulfield.


Jeez, exaggerate much? You'd swear we were losing 4-0 every second week under Ashton. Our league record under him: P10 W7 D1 L2 F21 A15 Pts22.

Our 2 defeats were 2-1 away to shamrock and 4-0 away to Dundalk. Not the same as the picture you are trying to paint. Its just a pity he couldnt take the job instead of JC.

[Eminence Grise]

Didnt realise p-r-i-c-k-l-e-y was a bad word!

It is if you spell it with an e.;)

[El-Pietro]

Jeez, exaggerate much? You'd swear we were losing 4-0 every second week under Ashton. Our league record under him: P10 W7 D1 L2 F21 A15 Pts22.

Our 2 defeats were 2-1 away to shamrock and 4-0 away to Dundalk. Not the same as the picture you are trying to paint. Its just a pity he couldnt take the job instead of JC.

I stand by my point. We were entertaining but I'd prefer JC long term. Besides he didn't want the job. He didn't even want to get the coaching badges.

[sullanefc]

I stand by my point. We were entertaining but I'd prefer JC long term.
But why? More goals > less goals

[Nesta99]

It is if you spell it with an e.;)

Tried it without the 'e' too! No matter.

[El-Pietro]

But why? More goals > less goals

Winning games and competing for trophies > than being entertaining but losing

[ger121]

Bradley confirmed as Caretaker coach

[outspoken]

Caulfield has done a great job building a solid foundation at cork but he's not the man to win them a league title.

[Mr A]

Please, please let this happen, Jeffrey in running for Rovers job: http://www.thesun.ie/irishsol/homepage/sport/7208494/David-Jeffrey-Shamrock-Rovers.html?CMP=spklr-_-Editorial-_-TWITTER-_-IrishSunSport-_-20160706-_-SunIESoccer-_-509521223

[Mr A]

Caulfield has done a great job building a solid foundation at cork but he's not the man to win them a league title.

Not sure that's fair. Dundalk have been exceptional in recent years. Being best of the rest no small achievement in itself.

[eelmonster]

Please, please let this happen, Jeffrey in running for Rovers job: http://www.thesun.ie/irishsol/homepage/sport/7208494/David-Jeffrey-Shamrock-Rovers.html?CMP=spklr-_-Editorial-_-TWITTER-_-IrishSunSport-_-20160706-_-SunIESoccer-_-509521223

Hearing it's a done deal with Hooperman coming in as assistant.

[El-Pietro]

Not sure that's fair. Dundalk have been exceptional in recent years. Being best of the rest no small achievement in itself.

We had enough points in 2014 to win the league most years, and we're not far off that again this year. Last year we fell away when it became clear we couldn't catch them.

[ger121]

Please, please let this happen, Jeffrey in running for Rovers job: http://www.thesun.ie/irishsol/homepage/sport/7208494/David-Jeffrey-Shamrock-Rovers.html?CMP=spklr-_-Editorial-_-TWITTER-_-IrishSunSport-_-20160706-_-SunIESoccer-_-509521223

With Roddy as assistant manager. Comedy Gold!

[vinnie]

Please, please let this happen, Jeffrey in running for Rovers job: http://www.thesun.ie/irishsol/homepage/sport/7208494/David-Jeffrey-Shamrock-Rovers.html?CMP=spklr-_-Editorial-_-TWITTER-_-IrishSunSport-_-20160706-_-SunIESoccer-_-509521223

Always thought the Sun was similar to Waterford whispers, this proves it

[sundance kid]

Another Neil O'Riordan Rovers exclusive. How he gets away with it is beyond me.

[seand]

Glorious stuff. I just hope David Jeffrey is as successful as Trevor Anderson was at Dundalk (apologies to Dundalk fans for the flashback)

[Martinho II]

Ashton that was Cork caretaker mgr remind me again when he was caretaker mgr as I cant place him at all!

[El-Pietro]

Ashton that was Cork caretaker mgr remind me again when he was caretaker mgr as I cant place him at all!

Post Tommy Dunne, pre John Caulfield

[Hitman]

Ashton that was Cork caretaker mgr remind me again when he was caretaker mgr as I cant place him at all!

He took over when Tommy Dunne was sacked in 2013, though in theory Paul O' Brien was in charge for the last few games as Ashton didn't have his Pro licence at the time.

[Nesta99]

Glorious stuff. I just hope David Jeffrey is as successful as Trevor Anderson was at Dundalk (apologies to Dundalk fans for the flashback)

Nightmares now for at least a week...that moustache....

[gufc2000]

speaking of Tony Cousins why did he leave Galway Utd in his second season in the top flight?
Cousins was sacked four games into the 2008 season after three defeats and a draw. To be honest he was already on thin ice from the 2007 season. Granted he had kept us up finishing 8th, but safety was only assured in the second last game. The football on show was wretched compared to the way he set up when in the First Division, it took us until the end of August to win our first game at home. He also squandered a pretty large budget on some very dubious signings- Stephen O'Flynn, Mark Leech, Dimitri Brinias, Chris Armstrong, Yeboah Mensah to name but a few. Also think he may have insisted on the players relocating to Galway when signing (which was only right) but he refused to do so himself.

[outspoken]

Cousins was sacked four games into the 2008 season after three defeats and a draw. To be honest he was already on thin ice from the 2007 season. Granted he had kept us up finishing 8th, but safety was only assured in the second last game. The football on show was wretched compared to the way he set up when in the First Division, it took us until the end of August to win our first game at home. He also squandered a pretty large budget on some very dubious signings- Stephen O'Flynn, Mark Leech, Dimitri Brinias, Chris Armstrong, Yeboah Mensah to name but a few. Also think he may have insisted on the players relocating to Galway when signing (which was only right) but he refused to do so himself.

He really isn't a people person. Fans just can't take to him even when doing well.

[sullanefc]

Winning games and competing for trophies > than being entertaining but losing
No evidence to suggest Ashton would not have done that.

[disgruntled]

Winning games and competing for trophies > than being entertaining but losing


No evidence to suggest Ashton would not have done that.

Guess we'll never know now ?
However we are entertaining, scoring goals & challenging for trophies so maybe JC is the right man.

[sullanefc]

Guess we'll never know now ?
However we are entertaining, scoring goals & challenging for trophies so maybe JC is the right man.
Thats a stretch. Particularly away from home.

[Nesta99]

Sullanefc (or more 'Sullenfc with the above comments:p). Fair play for going against the general opinion among plenty of Cork folk that when playing in Turners Cross they transform in to a lethal tippy tappy Barcelona type team, rather than the direct style i've seen by Cork at home. They wouldn't have a benchmark to assess home performances with away as Cork fans don't like travelling though In fairness they played up to one of their strengths against Dundalk in Cork - physical, tenacious, direct and high tempo and it worked. It was a masterclass by Cork management to nullify Dundalk's attacking game but not a great spectacle to watch unless you are a Cork fan and wouldn't care how Dundalk were beaten!

[WoodquayBoy]

Cousins was sacked four games into the 2008 season after three defeats and a draw. To be honest he was already on thin ice from the 2007 season. Granted he had kept us up finishing 8th, but safety was only assured in the second last game. The football on show was wretched compared to the way he set up when in the First Division, it took us until the end of August to win our first game at home. He also squandered a pretty large budget on some very dubious signings- Stephen O'Flynn, Mark Leech, Dimitri Brinias, Chris Armstrong, Yeboah Mensah to name but a few. Also think he may have insisted on the players relocating to Galway when signing (which was only right) but he refused to do so himself.

A bit unfair to slam him for Armstrong and Mensah, as both picked up season-ending injuries just a few games into their time with us. But splashing a grand a week on Leech - his cousin, if I'm not mistaken - was criminal. And as you said, he insisted on players relocating to Galway but refused to do so himself, which was a bit silly. But ultimately it was the form and displays of the team that cost him his job. Convicted criminal, club CEO Nick Leeson, held a meeting with players demanding better performances considering the money they were getting. That didn't materialise so Cousins got the boot

[Charlie Darwin]

Never heard anything about Cousins being related to the Leeches, but that doesn't mean it's not true. He's Tommy and Richard Dunne's cousin.

[WoodquayBoy]

Never heard anything about Cousins being related to the Leeches, but that doesn't mean it's not true. He's Tommy and Richard Dunne's cousin.
Yeah, aware of the Dunne connection, but there is one there with Mick/Mark as well

[outspoken]

Never heard that one about his cousin before, although a lot of people around here reckon that a lot of players we've bought in /sold to/from England have been through his brother who is an agent. Whether that's true or not I have no idea.

[Ezeikial]

Never heard that one about his cousin before, although a lot of people around here reckon that a lot of players we've bought in /sold to/from England have been through his brother who is an agent. Whether that's true or not I have no idea.
Is that lucrative business?

Are there many players who have been sold by Longford to English clubs?

[Longfordian]

I'd say that's worked in our favour overall. Selling Don Cowan for €20k and Josh O'Hanlon for €70k was great business. Not like those he brought in would cost much. There are only two or three that he's brought in so far that I can think of. Tom Morris, this Dsane chap, Philip Gannon possibly although he had come home anyway and was on trial at Pats.

[Martinho II]

Never heard that one about his cousin before, although a lot of people around here reckon that a lot of players we've bought in /sold to/from England have been through his brother who is an agent. Whether that's true or not I have no idea.

yep Andy Cousins is his brother and is based over there! Tonys dad Jimmy was a scout for the Uk clubs in Ireland.I think that is true but dont forget about Munnellys influence also!

[Martinho II]

Dave Savage left us for Millwall in 1994 for I think £100k which included increments for Ireland appearances which he made of course! Mick McCarthy was instrumental in his signing as he was Millwall manager and it worked out well for Dave when Mick was Ireland two years later! Think he got three caps for us in the US tour of 96!