View Full Version : Eircom League For Ireland
Da-Mini
11/12/2006, 7:36 PM
Ok new topic. Which players from the Eircom League should get a chance with Ireland?
In my opinion Joe Gamble, should get a chance and Crowe should be given another look at. Anybody else?
Soper
11/12/2006, 10:35 PM
O'Donovan should have a chance next season if he starts well.
bwagner
12/12/2006, 10:35 AM
ward and the 1 or 2 of the derry lads including the keeper forde
cavan_fan
12/12/2006, 10:46 AM
This isnt about who the best player in the league is, but who could best improve the squad. We need:
Centre backs, Left backs, Central Midfielders.
All other poisitions are quite strong and it would be hard to see any eL player break in.
gustavo
12/12/2006, 10:55 AM
Barry Molloy?
Soper
12/12/2006, 10:55 AM
Could do with a very pacey striker though, yes?
tiktok
12/12/2006, 11:03 AM
To be honest, the only EL player who I know would contribute something to the first eleven immediately just left Cork City.
Danny Murphy was/is the best left back available to Steve Staunton for selection, he'll probably get his shot now that he's at Motherwell.
There's a few players who seem close to being squad level, although it'll take other few MOTM performances at 'B' level before management will acknowledge that they can offer a serious option.
Ward, Deery, O'Donovan, Gamble, Byrne, Forde maybe Devine (probably too old to be considered) are all easily at the 'B' international level and potentially offer a lot more than some of the tat Staunton insists on picking.
eirebhoy
12/12/2006, 12:02 PM
Could do with a very pacey striker though, yes?
We probably need the opposite tbh. :) Someone that can hold up the ball and bring others into play. Ward would probably be the most likely for that.
higgins
12/12/2006, 12:17 PM
Heary has been the best Right Full in the League for the past 8 seasons!
Last season he was great and I don't see why next season would be any different.
Heary would be first name on my Irish team sheet.
Kingdom
12/12/2006, 12:23 PM
I wouldn't have had him ahead of Stephen Carr pre 2002 nor would I have had him ahead of Steve Finnan post 2002. Definitely worth his place in a squad though.
Out of interest has he ever had a bid for him from a foreign club?
tiktok
12/12/2006, 12:24 PM
Heary has been the best Right Full in the League for the past 8 seasons!
Last season he was great and I don't see why next season would be any different.
Heary would be first name on my Irish team sheet.
He's still not a patch on Steve Finnan in fairness.
Just because he's been the best right back in the league over the last eight seasons (bar the season before last - Neal Horgan was) doesn't mean he'd neccessarily bring anything to the national side's first XI.
he's better than the waddling perma-tanned one though, worthy of a place in the squad if Carr can get in.
Jason Gavin of Drogheda United could a job at centre back.Paul Keegan plays the role of Carsley at the moment also.Was getting foreward at the start of the season and scoring goals......
Joe Gamble excelled in the B International. If that is to stand for anything he should be called up although some reasonable competition for that position currently.
Dazzy
13/12/2006, 11:51 AM
Gamble and Molloy! Forde played for Welsh underage teams i think!
republicofwhite
13/12/2006, 3:21 PM
Forde is now at Cardiff. Very surprised Jason Gavin hasn't been linked with a move away, he's been excellent. Should definitely be in the picture given the dearth at centre half. Quigley, Gamble and Ward all excellent and deserving of some sort of chance, and realistically at least two of the three will be in Scotland/England after the transfer window.
Da-Mini
13/12/2006, 10:35 PM
I agree Danny Murphy should get a chance. We havnt really got a decent natural left back playin der now nd i dont think O'Shea is the permanant answer.
Gamble should get a friendly chance considering the lack of quality in centre mid. Byrne too although i hate the guy, gotta admit he can play. Forde i think is welsh but if he isnt would be a good call for back up to Given although this isnt based on the FAI Cup Final lol.
Soper
13/12/2006, 11:00 PM
Forde is now at Cardiff. Very surprised Jason Gavin hasn't been linked with a move away, he's been excellent. Should definitely be in the picture given the dearth at centre half. Quigley, Gamble and Ward all excellent and deserving of some sort of chance, and realistically at least two of the three will be in Scotland/England after the transfer window.
Regardless of where they play, they should be in the squad.Players don't get better overnight, or worse.Gavin has been good enough for ages, as has Gamble.
Best thing Staunton could do, if they are to leave Ireland, is to cap them first, so the clubs can get an even fairer price.
Dazzy
13/12/2006, 11:15 PM
Regardless of where they play, they should be in the squad.Players don't get better overnight, or worse.Gavin has been good enough for ages, as has Gamble.
Best thing Staunton could do, if they are to leave Ireland, is to cap them first, so the clubs can get an even fairer price.
Derry have a 500,000euro price tag on the sought after players:)
Leaving aside Derry players, I'd see Jason Gavin, Heary, Stu Byrne, Roy O'Dononvan, and possibly Mick Devine having decent chances of doing well internationally if they were picked (not too sure about Devine's age though). I've also been impressed with Dan Connor at Drogs this/last season.
I wouldn't have Gamble - even though he has talent, from what I've seen he definitely doesn't have the right temperament or attitude.
I'd easily have Ndo if he were eligible! :cool:
If an eL player does break through (properly) he'll have to impress, otherwise it'll be a while before the next one.
adamcarr
14/12/2006, 6:12 PM
Leaving aside Derry players, I'd see Jason Gavin, Heary, Stu Byrne, Roy O'Dononvan, and possibly Mick Devine having decent chances of doing well internationally if they were picked (not too sure about Devine's age though). I've also been impressed with Dan Connor at Drogs this/last season.
I wouldn't have Gamble - even though he has talent, from what I've seen he definitely doesn't have the right temperament or attitude.
I'd easily have Ndo if he were eligible! :cool:
If an eL player does break through (properly) he'll have to impress, otherwise it'll be a while before the next one.
Ndo is capped for Cameroon. He was in their WC squad for '98 and 2002.
lofty9
14/12/2006, 6:42 PM
Heary is the only one. Best right back Ireland have got.
DmanDmythDledge
14/12/2006, 7:21 PM
Devine, Ryan, Quigley, Heary, Gavin, Murphy, Gamble, O'Donovan, S Byrne, J Byrne
eirebhoy
14/12/2006, 9:00 PM
Heary is the only one. Best right back Ireland have got.
Surely you don't think he's better than Finnan?
Surely you don't think he's better than Finnan?
In fairness Finnan may play for big club but is useless for Ireland. If O'Shea wasn't as bad he'd be noticed too.
irishfan86
16/12/2006, 4:47 PM
In fairness Finnan may play for big club but is useless for Ireland. If O'Shea wasn't as bad he'd be noticed too.
With the exception of the Cyprus game, I'd disagree.
It's also worth noting that he's playing out of position for Ireland most of the time.
lofty9
21/12/2006, 8:49 AM
Surely you don't think he's better than Finnan?
I have only ever seen Finnan play in the flesh 3 times. He was awful defensively, caught out positionally and offered absolutely nothing going forward. From that I don't rate him. He may have played well in other games but I haven't seen him "live" enough to comment. I couldn't comment on any games I have seen him on TV.
Over the past eight years watching Heary he has been outstanding each time I have seen him. I know they are different levels of football but Heary is good value for a place in the team.
Heary is the only player good enough in the eircom league to get into the Ireland team. if he had played right back in Cyprus the score might have been less embarrassing. The rest of them are B internationals at most. Deery in Derry is not good enough, anytime I have seen Gamble - Barry Molloy has him in his pocket and Molloy himself is too slow to be in an international team, as is Jason Byrne.
eirebhoy
21/12/2006, 10:09 AM
I have only ever seen Finnan play in the flesh 3 times. He was awful defensively, caught out positionally and offered absolutely nothing going forward.
I don't know what Finnan you watch. I can't remember Finnan having really hard time against a winger much in his career. He makes it look easy.
lofty9
21/12/2006, 10:24 AM
I don't know what Finnan you watch. I can't remember Finnan having really hard time against a winger much in his career. He makes it look easy.
One of those 3 games was in Russia - watching him have one of the worst games I have seen a footballer have. Luckiliy enough I was in Russia because of work and didn't have to make the personal sacrafice that some made to go from here. In the matches I have seen him, he didn't need a winger to challenge him, he got caught out positionally. He is a very average footballer - somehow lucky enough to be playing for one of the historical giants of world football. And because we have so many average footballers like Finnan, it's the sole reason why we are having a debate on whether any EL players are good enough for Ireland.
eirebhoy
21/12/2006, 10:54 AM
He is a very average footballer - somehow lucky enough to be playing for one of the historical giants of world football.
It's not through luck that you keep your place and play consistently well for 3 and a half seasons with Liverpool. Premiership players also voted him into the Team of the season when at Fulham, that's like Wigan's Chimbonda making it this season.
If you're going to judge Heary on his club career then you have to do the same with Finnan. If he was as average as you think then surely the Liverpool fans wouldn't be happy with him.
Irish players who play for the bigger teams usually play well for their clubs otherwise they would not get a game. They rarely transfer their club form to the International stage though.
Our best international performers are the players at mid level clubs who raise their games for Internationals.
cavan_fan
21/12/2006, 2:16 PM
I have only ever seen Finnan play in the flesh 3 times. He was awful defensively, caught out positionally and offered absolutely nothing going forward. From that I don't rate him. He may have played well in other games but I haven't seen him "live" enough to comment. I couldn't comment on any games I have seen him on TV.
Over the past eight years watching Heary he has been outstanding each time I have seen him. I know they are different levels of football but Heary is good value for a place in the team.
This is madness. Do you not think that if Heary was a better player than Finnan, one of the 40 Premiership/Championship clubs in Britain would have signed him by now. One of the great things about football is that it's a great meritocracy. Players rise to the level of their abilities, those that are over-promoted are obvious.
Finnan is a regular choice in one of the 10 best teams in Europe. He's not a very exciting player but he makes very few mistakes. I would guess that Rafa Benitez knows more about football than all of us put together.
I would love to see the day when the eL is providing the 'squad filler' in our team rather than us needing to tout around for Clinton Morissons. Our bext players will hopefully always play overseas as is the case in all succesful European countries excpet Italy, Spain, England and Germany.
This is madness. Do you not think that if Heary was a better player than Finnan, one of the 40 Premiership/Championship clubs in Britain would have signed him by now. One of the great things about football is that it's a great meritocracy. Players rise to the level of their abilities, those that are over-promoted are obvious.
Funny that...how is it that one of the best players/strikers in the Premiership (Dolyer) this was only picked up by one English club by total chance, (a tip off from a former manager). The same English system totally missed out on Shane Long too. Kevin Doyle was a quality player and better than many of the chancers in the Ireland squad when he was playing in the eircom league but amazingly 40 clubs were not knocking down the door!
Risteard
29/01/2007, 12:35 AM
Left back - Nobody good enough in the eL to take this place.
Centre back - Jason Gavin.
Midfielder - Joseph Gamble.
cavan_fan
29/01/2007, 11:07 AM
Funny that...how is it that one of the best players/strikers in the Premiership (Dolyer) this was only picked up by one English club by total chance, (a tip off from a former manager). The same English system totally missed out on Shane Long too. Kevin Doyle was a quality player and better than many of the chancers in the Ireland squad when he was playing in the eircom league but amazingly 40 clubs were not knocking down the door!
But Dolye is playing in England, whether by chance or not. Owen Heary is 31, it's unlikely he has not been watched.
My original point (weeks ago!) was that we should be looking to the eL for players to fill in the gaps in our squad. Right back is not a gap, Left Back, Central Midfield and Centre Back are.
galwayhoop
29/01/2007, 11:22 AM
I would guess that Rafa Benitez knows more about football than all of us put together.
:rolleyes:
the thread is about eL players who could get into the national team. i would guess that rafa benitez knows diddley squat about the eL. i also think that rafa benitez, while were talking about him, is very adept at buying average players and has a squad of about 30 who fall into the medocre bracket (by EPL and CL standards), bar one or two players. he is totally overatted
Possible Ireland Internationals now they recognised by foreign managers:
Forde, Dillon, Hawkins, Murphy, O'Callaghan, Molloy, Ward, Byrne, Ryan...
:(
cavan_fan
29/01/2007, 4:30 PM
Possible Ireland Internationals now they recognised by foreign managers:
Forde, Dillon, Hawkins, Murphy, O'Callaghan, Molloy, Ward, Byrne, Ryan...
:(
None of these are possible Internationals until they do something more than they have in the past. If any of these are called up for the next squad then it will show Stan has no mind of his own.
...it will show Stan has no mind of his own.
Do we not know this already?
e.g. Alan O'Brien
Qwerty
29/01/2007, 11:40 PM
It's not through luck that you keep your place and play consistently well for 3 and a half seasons with Liverpool. Premiership players also voted him into the Team of the season when at Fulham, that's like Wigan's Chimbonda making it this season.
If you're going to judge Heary on his club career then you have to do the same with Finnan. If he was as average as you think then surely the Liverpool fans wouldn't be happy with him.
I would agree, when Rafa came in I got the feeling he didn't fancy Finnan and he gave Finnan a fair amount of bench time early on but that has changed and Finnan is pretty much one of the first names on the team sheet.
galwayhoop
30/01/2007, 1:45 PM
I would agree, when Rafa came in I got the feeling he didn't fancy Finnan and he gave Finnan a fair amount of bench time early on but that has changed and Finnan is pretty much one of the first names on the team sheet.
second if he goes from GK and then R to L with his defenders, however he may start with the CF and work back in which case he would be one of the last ;) :D
JamesB
30/01/2007, 2:17 PM
Interesting no one mentioned Bennett, now he is a premiership defender will he be considered for the Irish team down the road, which would give great weight to the case for eircom league players.
At least Doyle was young Bennett is 25. As the man himself said
"I think that needs to be addressed, you are telling players in the Eircom league that your not good enough but play in England and then you are seen in a different light," he said.
"More Eircom players should be given the opportunity."
source: http://home.skysports.com/list.aspx?hlid=444705&CPID=8&clid=108&lid=3098&title=Cork+star+wants+move
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