Ireland and Ireland

[FarBeag]

What sort of an accent has he? Surely someone with an Irish brouge who is born in Ireland would not play for England.There must be someone out there who knows where his preference lie.Why is it such a mystery?:confused:

[eirebhoy]

Have to say that piece of skill Ireland did to Cole was sublime. Don't think there's any other Irish midfielders capable of producing something like that out of nothing. Well McGeady is I suppose but he's not producing the goods at all at the moment...
http://rapidshare.de/files/7043866/steve_ireland.wmv.html

[Stuttgart88]

I can't open it, dammit!

I watched the first half and was quietly impressed. He covers a lot of ground, isn't afraid to put in a hefty tackle and uses the ball intelligently & accurately. He tends to play the ball very early and usually forward, unlike some of our current options.

I was on the phone to a pal in Wexford during the second half while my wife was watching something else. At about 9.30 he suddenly interrupted "Jaysus, you should have seen that pass from Ireland!"

Sadly, watching Ireland doing his bit at City highlights how much of a shame Liam Miller's situation is. Miller is probably a better player than Ireland (at the moment) and could probably do a decent job in a lot of sides in the Premiership.

[nismo]

What sort of an accent has he? Surely someone with an Irish brouge who is born in Ireland would not play for England.There must be someone out there who knows where his preference lie.Why is it such a mystery?:confused:

he has a cobh accent and will play for ireland..no one else.

[eddieohalloran]

Knowing his Dad (who also played for Ireland U/18's), I would say there's no doubt that Stephens colours are totally nailed to the Green mast.

Shane

It was Under 15 actually and I have no doubt he will play for Ireland again. A class act who is getting better. Peter Reid joined his fan club last night with a glowing tribute to him.

[drinkfeckarse]

Long time no speak Eddie! I stand corrected, I thought Coochie played Under 18's but here's hoping Stephen can go on to great things.

[onenilgameover]

jaysus I could watch that clip all day.....fantastic stuff...ye can stick your lee trundle up yet @rse!

[Clifford]

Wait til ya see the assist today, out of this world deft touch to set up City goal. Out of the top top drawer.

[livehead1]

any chance of anyone been able to get hold of that one? imissed match of the day. i think that we could get a soccer AM weekly thing going here!

[Kevin77]

Fantastic display by Ireland last night against Fulham. If anyone is interested in watching how a functional central midfield partnership should work, look no further than Ireland and Barton (although he should have seen red rather than yellow early in the first half). Barton was the steel, providing all the tough tackling, all action display that is needed of the much vaunted 'holding' midfielder. Not the finished article by any means, but a definite talent.

And the real point of interest from an Irish point of view - Stephen Ireland. Sky Sports top scored him with an '8' in a losing side and I don't think theyve got it too far wrong. Looked a natural on the ball, his first touch is almost immaculate and his ability to quickly (first time) pick a pass was no better illustrated than when he set up Lee Croft. He was definitely the man pulling the strings in the City mdfield.

I am a fan of Claudio Reyna, but I think it might be difficult for him to break up this partnership for City when he returns from injury (although Barton has got himself suspended...so that could be Reyna's chance if he's fit in time).

I don't want to get too excited (McGeady etc), but at the moment Ireland looks like he has the potential to be top class. We dont have any friendlies for a while, so lets all enjoy his progression and if he has a good season hopefully we can fast track him into the national team with a view to him having a few caps under his belt before Euro 08 (or at least the qualifiers).

Thank God! Finally there is some light at the end of the tunnel in our most dire position. I know all about O'Brien (needs to be playing centre midfield not right back..and where will he be once Bolton players are fit), Garvan (League Championship...potential, nothing more) and Whelan (a struggling league championship team). I'm not writing them off, merely stating it will take more than a handful of games out of position playing reasonable matches or a run in the Championship before we have players that are better options than the current incumbents.

By the way, Kavanagh impressed me again last night. I've always been a fan of his, but it was just unfortunate that he has not had the chance to pit himself against the best week in week out until this season. Now he is doing it, he will be a bigger asset to Ireland in his twilight years.

Perhaps the (next) manager could have a look at a central midfield pairing of Kavanagh and Ireland in the next lot of friendlies with a view to bringing through whoever is performing/taking the next step out of Garvan/O'Brien/Whelan?

[Reality Bites]

I am presuming that Ireland if he keeps progressing the way he is, is now in a position to slot straight into the centre of the Irish Midfield, lets face it the competition isn't that stiff - Kavanagh,Holland, Miller, Kilbane etc. I think he is too good to play at underage level, he was excellent yesterday for City against Fulham probably there best player..

[Stuttgart88]

Following on from the last two posts:

Ireland too good for underage level.

The potential of O'Brien / Garvan / Whelan

Don't forget Alan Quinn too I suppose.

The next year, if used intelligently, could sow the seeds of a very productive era in Irish football. Sod Kerr's strategy of using friendlies to clock up ranking points. Being back the McCarthy ethos - play fringe players alongside experienced ones, give them a grounding at international level & see who cuts it and who doesn't.

If the FAI are indeed intent on waiting to get the right man somebody like Brady should be appointed caretaker now, preparing files on the top 30 players in contention so that the "newcomer" doesn't have to waste any time doing the exploratory work. This work can be done now.

I met Robbie Keane the morning after the Swiss game. We were stuck ina queue at Heathrow. I asked him if what he thought of the likes of McShane & Whelan. He didn't know them. I was astonished. Our best U21s should be training with the senior guys all the time in my view.

For friendlies you can pick enlarged squads - Kerr often used 27. I think these players would benefit more feeling part of an enlarged senior squad than the U21 squad.

I also heard that Venables, who I've never liked, is being approached for the Ireland job. In a near-term, say 2 year context, I think he'd be the type of guy who could forge the transition from prospect to finished article for a lot of these guys.

There's actually a lot of good happening in Irish football at the moment (see my earlier post above). Daryl Murphy playing 90mins against Arsenal could be added. I can't remember if I highlighted Kav's club form.

Crafty Toe Poke - it seems to me that Paddy McCarthy seems to be adapting after a touugh introduction. Clean sheets, fewer cards etc. Another positive?

[eirebhoy]

any chance of anyone been able to get hold of that one? imissed match of the day. i think that we could get a soccer AM weekly thing going here!
Not the best quality but anyway:
http://rapidshare.de/files/7262991/ireland_assist1.wmv.html

I added a bit of effects to his pass on the first replay. :)

[Kevin77]

Not convinced about Quinn at all. I really like him as a young kid when he was in the Sheff Wed team as a left winger in the Premier League a good few years back. As Sheff Wed tumbled, so did his form it seemed.

Now at Sheff Utd, he's at least playing in a side going in the right direction. But is he playing strictly as a central midfielder? Is he consistently good. Every time I get excited, he seems to get dropped (sit on the bench for a while)

I have more questions every time I think about him as an option. Plus he's about 26. Getting a bit old to be considered a youthful option (in saying that Kinsella and Holland were late coming through too).

I know he's not going to be the top class midfield option we so desperately need. We definitely need a dominant central midfielder in the Roy Keane, Stephen Gerard, Frank Lampard, Patrick Viera, Michael Essien mould.

I'm not sure Quinn will ever be that...but why not have a look at him now. Nothing can hurt. The main pre requisite is that he gets into the Premier League with Sheff Utd, keeps his place and then plays well.

[thejollyrodger]

I thought young ireland played well the other day but nothing awesome. He isnt the next rooney or anything like that. Hopefully he will continue to develop

[Clifford]

I thought young ireland played well the other day but nothing awesome. He isnt the next rooney or anything like that. Hopefully he will continue to develop

Yeah, he's not fat and doesn't look like getting sent off for being a tw*t every time he plays. Thank the Lord for that. Rooney played a through ball to horsey vs Spurts and it was raved about even though it was missed, Ireland played a better ball through to Croft, which was scored - I don't think they are like for like, but if you must make the comparison.....

[Stuttgart88]

Getting a bit old to be considered a youthful option (in saying that Kinsella and Holland were late coming through too).

I only added Quinn to the list as he's a player on the fringes that really should be involved more often, in my opinion anyway. I like him because he's proactive, he always tries to play it forward or run at people.

He's no world beater that's true but good enough to do a job. I've always maintained you don't need real quality as long as the balance of the side is good. Wigan are a current example.

I think he's been playing left midfield for the last 4 or 5 games, maybe more.

[jbyrne]

I also heard that Venables, who I've never liked, is being approached for the Ireland job. In a near-term, say 2 year context, I think he'd be the type of guy who could forge the transition from prospect to finished article for a lot of these guys.


off-topic i know but the venables type of manager is the last thing we need at the moment. we need a relatively young, hard working, enthusiastic manager who will unearth and work with new talent not a money grabber like venebles just looking to top us his pension!

[Stuttgart88]

The more I think of it the less I like the Venables idea, though more because of my utter dislike of him than because of his management abilities.

Whoever they go for, and whatever his background, I hope the new manager is as willing to give chances to young players as Mick was in the beginning of his tenor. We've nearly a year and probably 5 games, maybe more, to shape a team made up of experience and youth. The friendlies in the New Year should not be used to give Kevin Kilbane another look in central midfield, and so on. The Tribune's headline said it all recently after Kerr was let go: "End of an Era: McCarthy's Era".

Quarter one 2006 is the time for the new era to start regardless of who, if anyone, is in charge. I really hope that if the FAI are intent on waiting to get O'Neill (or Hiddink?) that they at least fill the void productively, as I suggested above. Is it really oooking like Stan will get the job? I'm a bit out of touch over here.

[CraftyToePoke]

Following on from the last two posts:

Ireland too good for underage level.

The potential of O'Brien / Garvan / Whelan

Don't forget Alan Quinn too I suppose.

The next year, if used intelligently, could sow the seeds of a very productive era in Irish football. Sod Kerr's strategy of using friendlies to clock up ranking points. Being back the McCarthy ethos - play fringe players alongside experienced ones, give them a grounding at international level & see who cuts it and who doesn't.

If the FAI are indeed intent on waiting to get the right man somebody like Brady should be appointed caretaker now, preparing files on the top 30 players in contention so that the "newcomer" doesn't have to waste any time doing the exploratory work. This work can be done now.

I met Robbie Keane the morning after the Swiss game. We were stuck ina queue at Heathrow. I asked him if what he thought of the likes of McShane & Whelan. He didn't know them. I was astonished. Our best U21s should be training with the senior guys all the time in my view.

For friendlies you can pick enlarged squads - Kerr often used 27. I think these players would benefit more feeling part of an enlarged senior squad than the U21 squad.

I also heard that Venables, who I've never liked, is being approached for the Ireland job. In a near-term, say 2 year context, I think he'd be the type of guy who could forge the transition from prospect to finished article for a lot of these guys.

There's actually a lot of good happening in Irish football at the moment (see my earlier post above). Daryl Murphy playing 90mins against Arsenal could be added. I can't remember if I highlighted Kav's club form.

Crafty Toe Poke - it seems to me that Paddy McCarthy seems to be adapting after a touugh introduction. Clean sheets, fewer cards etc. Another positive?


yep.thats about the size of it stutt,gradual sustained improvement from Paddy at the moment, no one here at leicester expected to pluck the finished article from the man city reserves for 150k in the january sales but what is expected is potentially a good player who is willing to learn and capable of improvment, and after a baptism of fire in a team (still) in transition at a club which is generally struggling, and part of a largely inexperienced defence, he is demonstrating the ability and the willingness to do this.

too early, in my opinion, to speak of him in international terms but i wouldnt rule it out either. hard to judge at this level also as guys like Connolly and Maybury can stand out here. but in the last month he has definately come on.

[ken foree]

We definitely need a dominant central midfielder in the Roy Keane, Stephen Gerard, Frank Lampard, Patrick Viera, Michael Essien mould.


not to nit-pick (well okay, to nitpick): i'd say all those players are fairly different to one another but regardless, i'm actually not sure it IS what ireland need. i think someone alluded to it above (stuttgart88?), balance should be the desired result in crafting the next irish team and not just because it doesn't look like we'll get any authoritative midfielders like the ones you describe. in that case, we should be looking for two central players that complement each other, a passer and a tackler, for example. or a fella that can carry the ball and create/shoot alongside a windscreen wiper in front of the back four. eggs in one basket is the problem we've had with roy keane in the recent past; when you lose a player to injury, it affects a well-balanced* side less.

anyway, there's hope for the future, don't be disheartened irish fans, we might not have been up to the standard around these days but it seems like the international gulfs in class are shrinking.

*and please, for "well-balanced," do not read "lacking in creative identity or style"

[dr_peepee]

not to nit-pick (well okay, to nitpick): i'd say all those players are fairly different to one another but regardless, i'm actually not sure it IS what ireland need. i think someone alluded to it above (stuttgart88?), balance should be the desired result in crafting the next irish team and not just because it doesn't look like we'll get any authoritative midfielders like the ones you describe. in that case, we should be looking for two central players that complement each other, a passer and a tackler, for example. or a fella that can carry the ball and create/shoot alongside a windscreen wiper in front of the back four. eggs in one basket is the problem we've had with roy keane in the recent past; when you lose a player to injury, it affects a well-balanced* side less.

anyway, there's hope for the future, don't be disheartened irish fans, we might not have been up to the standard around these days but it seems like the international gulfs in class are shrinking.

*and please, for "well-balanced," do not read "lacking in creative identity or style"

Agreed. Whoever comes in should revolve tactics etc on the best 16 or 18 players rather than our best eleven (or even our best 3 players). I mean how often do we get the same eleven playing consecutive games.... It was something Charlton believed in and stood to us, even if you didn't necesarily agree with his tactics.


Spoke to a couple of pros in the Championship this week and they really rate Alan Quinn. One said it won't be long til someone snaps him up. Don't want to name drop, but he's grabbing attention from well-placed people.

Disclose your scources. Yeah I like Quinn myself. Regardless of the positons he plays accros I don't think he's ever expected to act as an out and out wide man in that sense. He's game is more about his industry on the ball. I'd love to know the ins and outs of what happenned at Sunderland. McCarthy said he was too similar to what he had already but he's obviously better than the likes of Whitley.

I'm reluctant to make too much about Ireland and O'Brien. It's unfortunate we haven't got the personal to let the players develop at their own rate, rather than be thrust in with all expectations at such a young age with no real experience beside them. It's in situations like these where Roy Keane will be missed more so than what he can physically do on the pitch for me.

[zerocoolie]

Article in the Sun today claiming Ireland says he is ready to play for his country.

Feud or no feud, its great news, given his current form for Citeh :)

[gustavo]

Article in the Sun today claiming Ireland says he is ready to play for his country.



strikes me as a bit of an arrogant attitude for a 19 year old to have :confused:

[zerocoolie]

maybe he is clearing up the whole mess/fuss that has been created by the media over the u16 (?) incident in Cork.

And besides, it's not like we are choc full of creative midfield players in the squad these days..

[tetsujin1979]

I agree, throughout the whole "Stephen Ireland won't play for Ireland under Brian Kerr" debate/debacle/media circus (delete as appropriate) in the run up to the Cyprus/Swiss double header, which coincided with young Ireland breaking into the City team and performing quite admireably, the amount of quotes from Ireland and Kerr on this came to: zero. The closest either came to mentioning him playing for Ireland was before the Italy game when Kerr mentioned that Ireland had done well for Man City in pre season and had unfortunately gotten injured in the final game before the season started. So now he's trying to get his opinion out there and get it sorted before it blows up again the next time an international rolls around

[Reality Bites]

Gaurdian newspaper gave him man of the match against blackburn at the weekend, and all other reports referred to a defence spliting ball from Ireland being the games one moment of true quality, You will get a chance to see him play this saturday on Setanta i.e Man City V Liverpool..