Dave McMillan

[pineapple stu]

Is this how this forum works?

After last night, with Martin O'Neill watching, why not?

With an ageing forward line - Long (29), Walters (32), Murphy (33 and has never scored), Keane (36) and Doyle (32), why not call up the top scorer in the Champions League for the Oman friendly?

[usename]

They dont have the guts to do it, hope they prove us all wrong eventually though and give someone game time !

[BonnieShels]

Is this how this forum works?

After last night, with Martin O'Neill watching, why not?

With an ageing forward line - Long (29), Walters (32), Murphy (33 and has never scored), Keane (36) and Doyle (32), why not call up the top scorer in the Champions League for the Oman friendly?

What have you done. You know he can only have a thread upon leaving for England or Scotland. Bad Stu, Bad!

[Eminence Grise]

Why not - how many other Irish players will have the chance to feature in at least 12 European matches this season?

And would it be naughty to suggest that in scoring twice against a Belarussian team he achieved something no other Irish player has this year...?

[pineapple stu]

Alexander Hleb has played in two LoI grounds this year.

Won v the national team in Turner's Cross.

Lost v Dundalk in Tallaght.

[DeLorean]

Why not - how many other Irish players will have the chance to feature in at least 12 European matches this season?

I'm thinking at least 10-15 more. :)

[OwlsFan]

What have you done. You know he can only have a thread upon leaving for England or Scotland. Bad Stu, Bad!

I know that is tongue in cheek and there is of course no reason (I assume) why someone couldn't start a thread on LoI players who potentially should get international recognition. However, the truth is that in recent times they have been few and far between. Glen Crowe and Jason Byrne spring to mind but no doubt there are others. So by and large they have to travel across the water to make a name for themselves before international recognition will come their way.

[paul_oshea]

Owlsfan but thats because those players never got tested against top opposition before going to England.

I have seen most of his goals in Europe, and particularly the 2 yesterday, its real goal poachers, the way he extended himself back and placed the ball was top notch and none of our current strikers bar robbie could do that.

What he isn't good at is running into space(like long) or holding it up(like Murphy/Walters - he is a bit like keane in that regard more of an out and out striker. BUt definitely seems to have the ability to make chances count, something we don't create enough of though so he might look like a passenger for Ireland.

I'd love to see what O'Neill made of horgan, and to a lesser extent McEleney(he can still switch) and McMillian.

[Eminence Grise]

I'm thinking at least 10-15 more. :)

Touché! :highfive:

[DeLorean]

I'd love to see what O'Neill made of horgan, and to a lesser extent McEleney(he can still switch) and McMillian.

Horgan and McEleney's parts in the first two goals really were top class. The right full back was impressive as well but we need lefties!

[paul_oshea]

The right full back Gannon, caused the goal in the first leg with sloppy poor defending, that would get punished all day long in International football.

Massey(the left back) was the big thing last year from the LOI stalwarts banging the drum, he hasnt been outstanding in the games I have seen of him.

[DeLorean]

Oh right, I saw the Gannon mistake in the first leg alright, didn't cop it was the same fella as I was watching it muted on my phone last night. Looked good in an attacking sense anyway, relieved a nice bit of pressure by just bombing up the right and winning a throw-in or whatever.

[paul_oshea]

Did you not want the missus to know you were watching football and interrupting her Eastenders/Corrie marathon. :P

What did you use to watch it on the phone, I can never watch these things on the phone :(

[DeLorean]

Mobdro app. You're more or less correct, but it was that kind of unnerving Child Genius UK show she was watching for the most part I think. :)

[paul_oshea]

Ya mobdro is only available on IPhone isnt it.

[DeLorean]

No, I've Galaxy S6. Just type it into Google, don't think it's in the Play Store.

[TheOneWhoKnocks]

Not to take anything away from him but I thought the marking was non-existent for both of his goals, and for the first they didn't even try to challenge him for the ball.

Have seen Long and Murphy score plenty of goals like that against better defenders - Long both kind of headers.

Would call him and a few others up for Oman because of attrition etc.

Be a good chance to throw them on for 20 minutes and see what they can do because the opposition are so bad and they aren't going to tell us anything we don't know about what faces us in the qualifiers.

Nobody, myself included, would've thought Hayes could do as well as he done in the friendlies. Other people thought O'Kane fared very well, though I thought he was middling.

Horgan certainly has the close control and technique to succeed at a higher level yesterday.

[IsMiseSean]

Can't believe no one has mentioned Stephen O'Donnell. He was immense last night. Name-checked by MON afterwards too.

Realistically Horgan is the only potential international & perhaps McEleney but I think he's going with the north.

[paul_oshea]

He was very good, but oneill picked out shields by the looks of things although it was hard to tell who he was looking at.

But I think horgan is one that you could realistically see cutting it at a higher level. They are all big strong lads, as was Towell, not like your typical players these days and certainly not like your LOI players of old.

[DeLorean]

I heard O'Donnell interviewed after the game as well and he came across very well. Very humble about his own performance saying that he has an easy job as he only has to pass the ball a few yards, that it's like likes of Horgan and McEleney that have to take players on and create things and how they did it brilliantly. Obviously he was underplaying his own contribution as he was immense, he had one outstanding tackle in particular near the end of the game at 2-0.

What age is Horgan?

[IsMiseSean]

What age is Horgan?

He's 24 next week. His two younger brothers play with Galway United.

[DeLorean]

Assumed he was older for some reason, maybe 27/28.

[bennocelt]

Assumed he was older for some reason, maybe 27/28.

ha yeah me too, he is a top quality player, the best in the league, love watching him

[geysir]

I think Horgan's a better footballer than McClean. He's Duff-like, but with a cage fighter aura.

Dundalk have never known such love for their team.

[Stuttgart88]

Not since you were a little boy anyway.

[BonnieShels]

Not since you were a little boy anyway.

I refuse to believe that that was ever the case.

[geysir]

You're not far off there Bonnie, I was always way taller than the rest.
and now that i recall a faint memory, my first boyhood hero in the LOI happened to be Big Ben Hannigan.

[OwlsFan]

You're not far off there Bonnie, I was always way taller than the rest.
and now that i recall a faint memory, my first boyhood hero in the LOI happened to be Big Ben Hannigan.

Who was he playing for at the time?

[geysir]

Who was he playing for at the time?It must have been his last season with Dundalk, I remember I was brought to a league game after Christmas at Tolka, v Shels. Ben had had been caught offside about 15 times and the slagging from the Shels fans just got more vociferous with each offside call, sure enough with 10 minutes to go, Ben trapped a high ball on his chest, swiveled 180 degrees and hit the winner on the turn into the corner, Ben just stood there on the spot, turned and gave the Shels fans his trademark raised armed salute. He was transferred to Rovers a few months later. I went along to his debut at Milltown, a B league game against Limerick (but with Kevin Fitzpatrick in goals). A few hundred of the Rovers' 'ultras' turned up also to welcome Ben and he scored all three goals. The 'ultras' packed in behind the goal were singing "Ben Hannigan" over and over. I didn't see Ben play after that, Rovers had a formidable group of forwards at that time with Eric Barber, Mick Leech, Mick Lawlor and Big Ben.

[Stuttgart88]

Eric Barber's son was in my year in school. Classy player. No place for him in a rugby school.

[SkStu]

What school were you at Stutts?

[paul_oshea]

Ah come on have ye not figured out yet? He obviously wasnt smart enough for the Rock.

[Stuttgart88]

True.

Stu, same school as Anthony Stokes I'm led to believe, though they speak more fondly of Ciaran Clarke, Conor O'Shea and Girvan Dempsey,

[SkStu]

True.

Stu, same school as Anthony Stokes I'm led to believe, though they speak more fondly of Ciaran Clarke, Conor O'Shea and Girvan Dempsey,

Ah...oh...ok...I am more of the James Joyce, Kevin Barry, Cian Healy, Ian Dempsey vintage. :D

[geysir]

That's the difference between a school and a college.

[Stuttgart88]

Yep, I'll concede that. We also had Mike Murphy, Lorcan Crannitch and Bosco Hogan. Peter Lawrie the golfer and Jack Doyle the show jumper too. And me of course.

Stu is older than I thought..

[paul_oshea]

Can it still be a school if its called a college or can a school be called a college :D

I think stu is a little more than halfway between you and I, in or around CTPs age a year or two older.

Fwinw my uncles went to Blackrock and my mother went to that one in cabra of thelma mansfield fame..ya who.

[SkStu]

Turned 39 just last week. I'm old. Equally offended and proud that you thought I was younger Stutts!

[paul_oshea]

I had you as either 39 or 40, similar age to CTP :P But maybe it was CTPs age I got wrong :rolleyes:

So the other ages should be easy enough figure out.

Does anyone know what happened that Waterford supporter who used to post on here, a ringer for stephen hunt, blue(tilIdie?) something?


Turned 39 just last week. I'm old. Equally offended and proud that you thought I was younger Stutts!

But he never said what age you were, he thought you were at least 45..

[OwlsFan]

It must have been his last season with Dundalk, I remember I was brought to a league game after Christmas at Tolka, v Shels. Ben had had been caught offside about 15 times and the slagging from the Shels fans just got more vociferous with each offside call, sure enough with 10 minutes to go, Ben trapped a high ball on his chest, swiveled 180 degrees and hit the winner on the turn into the corner, Ben just stood there on the spot, turned and gave the Shels fans his trademark raised armed salute. He was transferred to Rovers a few months later. I went along to his debut at Milltown, a B league game against Limerick (but with Kevin Fitzpatrick in goals). A few hundred of the Rovers' 'ultras' turned up also to welcome Ben and he scored all three goals. The 'ultras' packed in behind the goal were singing "Ben Hannigan" over and over. I didn't see Ben play after that, Rovers had a formidable group of forwards at that time with Eric Barber, Mick Leech, Mick Lawlor and Big Ben.

I don't remember the hardcore Rovers fans being called "Ultras" in those days and I should know as I used to stand behind the goal Rovers were attacking and then move up to the other end for the second half with the rest of the Rovers' support. Hard to imagine that now in most grounds. As I grew older I went under the shed in the middle but never sat in the stands in Milltown: that was for the oldies and the big knobs.

Got talking to Mick Lawlor in a lift in Poland I think it was not so long ago. The years have been kind to him. Haven't seen Mick Leech since he used to score for fun for Rovers. The Gerd Muller of Irish football.

[paul_oshea]

Not like geysir to make something up as fact.

I watched that documentary with mick lawlor recently it was good. Ya the grey locks suit him alright.

Stutts I was getting excited thinking you were on about the boxer.

[CraftyToePoke]

I had you as either 39 or 40, similar age to CTP :P But maybe it was CTPs age I got wrong :rolleyes:

No, you are bang on the dollar there, 39, 40 next month. Whatever mad POS form of calculus you are in cahoots with.

[paul_oshea]

No calculus just using tidbits down through the years to figure things out, sometimes people map ages differently to times or events in the past, and trajectory. Its then easy figure out within a couple of years without DOBs or ages.

Dundalk in the Champions League groups stages, playing Leicester in Leicester, thats a good 40th birthday present :)

[geysir]

I don't remember the hardcore Rovers fans being called "Ultras" in those days and I should know as I used to stand behind the goal Rovers were attacking and then move up to the other end for the second half with the rest of the Rovers' support. Hard to imagine that now in most grounds. As I grew older I went under the shed in the middle but never sat in the stands in Milltown: that was for the oldies and the big knobs.

Got talking to Mick Lawlor in a lift in Poland I think it was not so long ago. The years have been kind to him. Haven't seen Mick Leech since he used to score for fun for Rovers. The Gerd Muller of Irish football.
Ultras is obviously a modern term and didn't exist then, but it exists now.
For want of a better word I used 'ultras', in parentheses to emphasise it was a word out of place but not entirely inaccurate.
I could have used a word that I used then to describe that shower, but ..... :)

[tetsujin1979]

anyway, moving on from the ages of various forum members

[paul_oshea]

Don't worry tets we won't mention your age.

If McMillian scores in either leg against Legia, i think he has justified a call up to the Oman squad. Nothing lost, only potentially gained, and some recognition to LOI players, especially those who can perform in Europe. It's also an incentive to them. I think I'd like to see Horgan get a call up also.

[Stuttgart88]

I'd also like to see O'Dowda and Forrester there, and maybe even Stokes or Rooney. Jonny Hayes is injured and Gibson, O'Kane and Arter should be in contention. Not all like for like, I'm just saying that there are several fresh additions to the squad worth considering, and there won't be room for all. I agree with the sentiment, maybe not the substance in cold light of day. Legia will be a good test alright.

[passinginterest]

If McMillan and Horgan perform well against Legia and in the group stages of Europa or Champions league they'll almost certainly move to at least Championship level in January. Would be no harm throwing them into a squad at this stage, when they'd 100% bein contention if they move to Championship level.

[pineapple stu]

How many Rovers players got a big move after their group stage participation?

Think it was actually none, wasn't it?

Granted, they lost all six games, but McMillan is a 27-year-old part-time footballer. I think we need a little bit of perspective!

Even look at Richie Towell - what has moving to the Championship done for him? Nothing as yet; can't even get on the bench at the moment.

[tetsujin1979]

How many Rovers players got a big move after their group stage participation?

Think it was actually none, wasn't it?

Granted, they lost all six games, but McMillan is a 27-year-old part-time footballer. I think we need a little bit of perspective!

Even look at Richie Towell - what has moving to the Championship done for him? Nothing as yet; can't even get on the bench at the moment.

Enda Stevens moved to Villa