Fair play to Doyle...

[Darco Ooragnak]

Doyle called up to Republic squad
Reading striker Kevin Doyle has been named in the Republic of Ireland squad for next month's World Cup qualifiers against Cyprus and Switzerland.

Doyle earns his first call-up to the senior squad after scoring three goals for The Championship club this season.

With Clinton Morrison and Andy Reid suspended for the game in Cyprus, Wigan's David Connolly is recalled by manager Brian Kerr.

Roy Keane is ruled out of the Republic squad because of injury.

Reid and Morrison will return to the Irish squad for the game against Switzerland.

Under-21 international Doyle moved to Reading from Eircom League club Cork City in June and his recent form has impressed Kerr. "He has maintained a high level of performance and I am obviously serious about bringing him in," said Kerr.

"We don't have too many centre-forwards in the squad, and as to whether he plays, I will see how he does in the next couple of matches for Reading."

Connolly has not played for the Republic since the 2-0 European Championship qualifying defeat to Switzerland in October 2003 but he has scored five goals in his last six outings.

I have good reports on David Connolly
Republic boss Brian Kerr

The Wigan striker recently expressed his disappointment at failing to figure in Kerr's World Cup plans this campaign but the Irish boss insisted that he had remainded in his thoughts.

"He had a decent season last year with Leicester, and I have seen him in action for both Leicester and Wigan this season.

"I have good reports on him because he has made a bright start and he looks like his old self."

The Republic face Cyprus in Nicosia on 8 October before taking on Switzerland at Lansdowne Road four days later.

The Irish have a strong chance of earning a World Cup play-off if they win their remaining group games.

However, the group permutations remain complicated and goal difference could be needed to separate the teams if Switzerland were to beat France on 8 October and the Republic were to defeat the Swiss in Dublin four days later.

In that situation, providing the Republic had beaten Cyprus on 8 October and France claim their expected home win over the Cypriots, the French, Switzerland and the Republic would be level on points at the top of the group.

In this instance, goal difference in the games between those three countries would be used to decide the group winners and the second-placed team who would earn a play-off spot.

Republic of Ireland squad
Goalkeepers : Given (Newcastle), Kenny (Sheffield Utd), Colgan (Barnsley)
Defenders : Cunningham (Birmingham), Breen (Sunderland), O'Brien (Portsmouth), Dunne (Manchester City), O'Shea (Manchester Utd), Carr (Newcastle), Harte (Levante), Finnan (Liverpool)
Midfielders : S Reid (Blackburn), Miller (Manchester Utd), Holland (Charlton), Kavanagh (Wigan), Kilbane (Everton)
Strikers : Connolly (Wigan), Duff (Chelsea), Doherty (Norwich), Elliott (Sunderland), Doyle (Reading), Robbie Keane (Tottenham)

[Hecko]

Delighted for Kev, but not to state the bleedin obvious he's not suddenly a hugely better player than he was with is last year, when he had proved himself in Europe and for the u-21s.

IMO Jason Byrne should feel a bit pi**ed off. He's in brilliant form, and is a far better player than Crowe ever was

[The Stars]

There are loads of Defenders in the Eircom League better than Breen and alot more forwards better than Doherty......seems to be who you know that you get into the Irish team,well actually where you are playing your football.
We must be the only nation in the world that doesnt select anyone playing in our country in the national team.

[ccfcgirl]

Im delighted for Kevin also .Nice chap ,excellent goal scorer.

[Troy.McClure]

I think its a massive slap in the face for many p;layers in the league. Theres not much of a gap in quality between the likes of Doyle and: Byrne, JOF, George, Gamble, Heary although the currnet lack of strikers might be one of the reasons Doyle is in the squad, be have had lack of cover in all the posissions that the other players play in too.

Happy for the guy
Gutted for the league

[Troy.McClure]

I should have also put Mick Devine in that list, he should be in the squad regardless.

[ger121]

Delighted for Doyle but he'e been playing well for the last couple of seasons but suddenly after a handful of appearences a 3 goals for Reading he is now good enough. Not that much has changed since he was at Cork the only difference is he now plays in England. Seems as though you aren't good enough when you play in Ireland but move to England and thats alright you're in the squad. Have to sat Byrne must be well ****ed off he's not getting a look in. He must be wondering what he has to do.Oh yeah move to England Byrne that'll do the trick

[nismo]

knew it was comin,they posted the 21's squad on bohs forum last week and he wasnt in it.

[EnDai]

HAppy for him, but has he real gone from not being good enough to get a look in to good enough for call-ups in 2 or 3 months since his move?!

[michaelguineys]

U N B E L I E V A B L E!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I am so delighted for him.
Such a pity that it didnt happen while he was with us,
It is a disgrace that hes automatically considered better now that hes playin in england but still, so proud of him all the same.Cant wait to be singin SUPER KEV and KEVIN DOYLE IS A STRIKER WHO'S ON FIRE in Nicosia!!!
Come on Kev!

[Hitman]

I'm amazed that Jay Tabb wasn't picked first, as he was obviously better to get selected ahead of Doyle for the under-21's. Still, I suppose we'll have to wait until Don Givens is rewarded with promotion to senior manager for his good work before that happens.

[Darco Ooragnak]

It’s all about being noticed and the so called standard of the league that you are playing in. Guys could be scoring for fun over here, but does Kerr notice, to a certain extent the media may be to blame. How many people had heard of Doyle before he moved across the way? I’d like to know the break down of games that Kerr as been at between England and Ireland over the past few years…..but then again things are much more comfy sitting in a box at Old Trafford than freezing his buts off at Tolka or The Brandywell…

Several posters have been saying that its not fair that he only gets picked when he heads over to England, the sad fact is that the majority of Irish Soccer fans don’t follow the league over here and tend to follows the likes of United, Liverpool, and Chelsea....watching a bunch of guys who don’t give a feck about their team, watching a bunch of guys who follow the money and aren’t in it for the right reason.

As someone already stated there are better players playing over here that probably should be in the squad. Perhaps we should go back to the auld days of a "B Team" where these guys can prove they are up to it, it would be a transition from Under 21`s to the Senior Squad. Perhaps we could dump some of those meaningless friendlys and use the "B Team" to combine the sh1t guys playing in England with the cream of the crop from over here.

The only down point is that the cream of crop would then been dragged off to England...and the Eircom League would then suffer….anyway…I’m going home….

[A face]

we'll have to wait until Don Givens is rewarded with promotion to senior manager for his good work before that happens.


Are you taking the p!ss or am i just falling for a cruel joke hook line and sinker ??

Please tell me you dont believe this ??

"for his good work" ...... will you do me a small favour there fella and quantify all of this good work for me willya ??

On Doyler ....


Just give us the money already .... I am disgusted that he is getting picked now for 2 months at Reading and never got a lookin at City, has he changed that much ?? What the fúck are they feeding them at Reading to say he has improved that much ??

Kerr .... Get us to Germany .... if not, then just fúck right off, ya cretin !!

[Bald Student]

There are loads of Defenders in the Eircom League better than BreenI don't agree. If you ask me Clive Delaney in the best centre back in the league. He played along side Breen at West Ham and then at Sunderland and decided to come home again because he wasn't going to make it in England. Breen in my opinion is the better player.

[Bald Student]

I’d like to know the break down of games that Kerr as been at between England and Ireland over the past few years…..but then again things are much more comfy sitting in a box at Old Trafford than freezing his buts off at Tolka or The Brandywell.I don't know the answer but Kerr is a regular enough at Belfield.

[A face]

I don't know the answer but Kerr is a regular enough at Belfield.

He has been in Cork once in the last five years .... pr!ck !!

[Troy.McClure]

Are you taking the p!ss or am i just falling for a cruel joke hook line and sinker ??

Id guess its this (http://www.istockphoto.com/file_thumbview_approve/440872/2/Hook__Line_and_Sinker.jpg) ;)

[JackeenRebel]

There are loads of Defenders in the Eircom League better than Breen and alot more forwards better than Doherty......seems to be who you know that you get into the Irish team,well actually where you are playing your football.
We must be the only nation in the world that doesnt select anyone playing in our country in the national team.

I have to agree with The Stars here, there are some better defenders and attackers in the EL that are on the Irish "squad" ... Its such a shame that some done get more of a chance.

Although I dont 100% agree with not selecting more Eircome Leauge players it has to be fair to say, and this is no consolation, the players across the water are playing at a higher standard and playing against other international players though.

[Jerry The Saint]

He has been in Cork once in the last five years .... pr!ck !!

Are you his stalker? How do you know this?

Kerr has been at more eircom League games so far this season than his two predecessors went to in 17 years in charge! Most times he goes and stands with the fans so he's obviously not too concerned about a comfy seat in an eircom league director's box, never mind a corporate box in Old Trafford. If anyone knows the standard of players in our league it's Kerr. The FAI won't renew his contract unless we get at least a play-off - does anyone honestly think that he's deliberately picking less-talented players than what's available here purely because he hates the league so much he doesn't care if it costs him his job :confused:

[A face]

Are you his stalker? How do you know this?

He said it himself .... or should we not believe him ??

[tiktok]

Are you his stalker? How do you know this?

Every Cork fan knows this, the only reason he was down in Cork on that one occasion was because he was lauching some FAI gig at the Rochestown Park Hotel, so he wandered across to the cross and proceeded to prove he couldn't give a toss about our league by wishing us luck against the Icelandic opposition we were about to play in the UEFA cup, funnily enough they were playing the home leg in Lithuania :rolleyes:

[GK for the Town]

Does anyone know if Doyles call up has triggered something in his contract for a Cork payday ?

[kingcolers]

In fairness to Kerr or any other Irish manager, picking an eL player for a competitive game would be a huge gamble. Not because they arent good enough but more likely because they aren't proven in a high-quality competitive league. Even though we love it, the eL is a sub-standard league and anybody who thinks differently should read the latest Genesis report.

If Kerr had played an eL player during either of those games against Israel he would have been absolutely slaughtered had the results been the same (and they might have been worse!). The last manager to try it was Eoin Hand in one of his last games in charge, against Denmark I think (cant remember the player but he was a central midfielder from Shamrock Rovers). Ireland were beaten 4-1, Hand was crucified and that was the end of that.

Blame the league for being rubbish; but dont blame Kerr for not picking anybody from it.

[Ozymandias]

Pat Byrne was the player..well wotrth his [place at the time

that Danish side were a superb team..Preben elkjaer got a hatrick and had one of the best goal per game ratios in world football

Pat byrne is one of the few genuine caps given to EL players...it wasn't tokenistic like Jason byrne and etc

[JDB]

Even though we love it, the eL is a sub-standard league and anybody who thinks differently should read the latest Genesis report.
Blame the league for being rubbish; but dont blame Kerr for not picking anybody from it.

I think Doyle has disproven the notion that this is a substandard league [massive room for infrastructural improvement nothwithstanding]. He didn't become so much better in the space of his 2 1/2 months with Reading that all of sudden he merits selection on the Irish squad. He came through the eL and the ranks of underage Irish teams and performed really well at these levels so his form doesn't exactly come as a surprise. Going forward what this might do is give future Irish managers the confidence to select eL players, especially those who have international experience at junior levels, and give young players the confidence to stay in Ireland and ply their trade here. If they're good enough to merit a big monetary move then clubs will come knocking on their door as Reading did for Doyle; if not they can continue to enjoy their playing careers in Ireland rather than langusihing with the likes of Peterborough, Port Vale or Cambridge since the age of 16 and then returning home tail between legs. The days when English clubs raid young players from Ireland and dump them when surplus to requirements are coming to an end. We should start to see eL clubs making decent money from transfers unlike when Reading pillaged City for Doyle - daylight robbery - and that money can in turn be used to build up clubs even more from which more interest will be generated etc etc..

[kingcolers]

doyle was far and away the best player in the league but managers couldnt be sure how good he actually was until he was playing against more quality opposition. i agree with all your points, except that the eL is not where we hope it can be just yet, and until it is i wouldnt expect national manager to take the risk.

[Hecko]

Even as a City fan I don't think Doyle was "far and away the best player in the league." Heary and J Byrne would give a good shout and probably a good few others. Doyle was the best, but I woudln't put him that much above them

[sullanefc]

does anyone honestly think that he's deliberately picking less-talented players than what's available here purely because he hates the league so much he doesn't care if it costs him his job :confused:

I don't think anyone is saying that he is deliberately picking less talented players. But the fact that he couldn't spot that Doyle was a quality player at Cork would suggest to me that he couldn't spot talent when it was staring him in the face. The fact that the Reading boss had to sign Doyle to make Kerr pick him would suggest to me that it isn't Kerrs judge of players that picks the squads, it's all the managers accross the water doing his job for him.

If that's the case then anyone could pick an Ireland squad. All you have to do is look at the league tables accross the water, start at the top and work your way down until you have found 24 Irish players.

Kerr has gone way down in my estimation on this.

Fair play to the Doyler though.

[JDB]

But the fact that he couldn't spot that Doyle was a quality player at Cork would suggest to me that he couldn't spot talent when it was staring him in the face.

Couldn't agree more - hopefully Doyle's case may change future perceptions of the top eL players.