Irish League 1 Strikers

[youngirish]

I see there's a number of young Irish strikers banging the goals in in league 1. Maybe one or two of them can develop and cut it at a higher level.

Andy Keogh (20) has formed a potent partnership with Billy Sharp at S****horpe that has seen him bag 6 goals this season and S****horpe now sitting at the top of the table. He should be playing in the Championship next season so we should see then more what he's made of.

Gary Mulligan is a 21 year old from Dublin who has 8 goals for Gillingham this season after getting a free transfer from Sheffield United. I haven't seen him play but 8 goals in his first season at this stage is promising.

Also Leon Best (20) is finally starting to show the kind of form he's been touted to display for so long. At Yeovil he's banged in 5 goals in his last 6 starts. Impressive by any standards. Is he still committed to Ireland does anyone know?

Also throw in Doyle, Elliot, Long, Stokes, Clarke and Rooney and I reckon Ireland could be the Brazil of the future. All attack, no defense.

[tetsujin1979]

Also Leon Best (20) is finally starting to show the kind of form he's been touted to display for so long. At Yeovil he's banged in 5 goals in his last 6 starts. Impressive by any standards. Is he still committed to Ireland does anyone know?
Still in the Irish pool of players in football manager anyway

[bwagner]

I read a article about Best a couple of months back , he said he was very prove of his irishness and was very interested to play for us but he wanted to get more games at club level 1st. He said "im Irish" in the article ....I wouldnt really worry about our options up front but so we dont need him never mind england needing him

[bwagner]

proud i mean opps

[dodgycanadian]

lee trundle anyone?

[Stuttgart88]

Leon Best's just scored a beauty on SKY against Huddersfield, and missed two other good chances. As I type he's just been denied a goal by an o.g. from a Huddersfield defender. He looks lively & athletic and full of confidence, a far cry from the useless stick I've seen previously. As youngirish says, he finally looks to be living up to the (non-Irish) hype from a couple of years back. I've seen his other recent goals on Goals on Sunday too and he's looked good.

Does anyone know if James Hand, Huddersfield's left back & Irish U21 is any relation to Eoin? Eoin Hand managed Huddersfield at one stgae so that's where I'm guessing about the connection.

Another total aside, but I'm surpridsed nobody mentioned Michael Timlin, on loan at Swindon, getting a goal over Christmas - or did I miss it? To the best of my knowledge he's an attacking midfielder though.

[Soper]

If League 1 players are good enough for Ireland, then players from our domestic league are too.

[Dan K]

If League 1 players are good enough for Ireland, then players from our domestic league are too.

Without having Eircom and League One teams play each other regularly, there is no direct way of knowing that.

Personally, I think League One is (on the whole) of a higher calibre than the domestic Irish league, simply because of the number of players who have played at a higher level have made the step down - thus rubbing off on the younger players in that league.

Also don't forget that many of the young players in League One are on loan from Premieship and Championship squads - a la Leon Best.

As much as I'd like to see the Eircom League flourish, it has an awful long way to go yet.

[Stuttgart88]

If League 1 players are good enough for Ireland, so am I! Would that make you good enough for League 1 then? :)

I don't think the premise is that they're good enough for Ireland, it's more that it's encouraging that young Irish lads are among the goals. I said it before about Stokes, but if an 18 year old scored as many goals in the domestic league I'd be equally excited about him.

Andy Keogh doesn't look like an outright goalscorer to me, but like Robbie Keane a lot of his best work is done outside the box. Will he make the grade as an Irish international if he stays in League 1 for the rest of his career? No, of course not. But is it a good sign that he's scoring goals and attracting good reviews early in his career? I think so.

[Closed Account]

Irish "International" Thomas Butler scored two and won a penalty(taken down by Derek Geary, not the first one he's given away this season) against top flight side Sheffield United, albeit a second string Sheffield United.

[youngirish]

If League 1 players are good enough for Ireland, so am I!

Not at the moment they're not that's why I only picked out the young uns who are more than likely to improve (though not always). I didn't mention older players like Heffernan or Trundle for this reason as at their age they are never likely to be playing in the Premiership. Look at all the strikers that are now in the Premiership. Most of the good ones have made their way through the lower leagues (Bent, Johnson, Defoe, Keane, Doyle, Crouch, Bellamy etc etc etc).

The way the Premiership has gone most managers are unlikely to brood young players (particularly strikers) so you have to start somewhere as the saying goes.

[youngirish]

Keogh has been linked today with a £500,000 move to Wolves. Story here:

http://www.eleven-a-side.com/acrossthewater/irish_soccer_detail.asp?newsid=26111

[IsMiseSean]

Is Jon Walters of chester city Irish? He is scoring lately!

[tetsujin1979]

Is Jon Walters of chester city Irish? He is scoring lately!

He is indeed. Scored on his debut for the U-21's. Was rated at Bolton but left to get first team experience. Joey O'Brien was supposed to leave too, but stayed and is now a full international. Go figure.

[youngirish]

I see Keogh signed for Wolves today. Good move IMO as I'm not sure S****horpe are going to get promoted. He's 20 now and needs to be showcasing his talents at a higher level. Whether he'll be up to the challenge or not I'm not too sure. He's a decent player but doesn't score enough goals for a striker from what I've seen and Wolves are likely to drop him if he's not scoring regularly.

On a side note Leon Best is on fire at Yeovil. He scored again this weekend. When he's on form he looks to be free scoring the only worry I have is that when he lacks a bit of confidence (as often happens when strikers hit a barren patch) he seems to struggle big time. Could be one for the future though.

[republicofwhite]

Keogh makes all the goals for Billy Sharp, who's scored something like 19 already this season, they are/were a brilliant partnership, and Keogh was the one who played deeper, created and brought it all into the box. He looks very skillful, touch of class, I think he's going to do very well. If its any consolation all the goals he scores are absolute crackers!

[eirebhoy]

Keogh makes all the goals for Billy Sharp
That seems to be the general consesus alright.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1_E9effMqNk

[youngirish]

I see Leon Best scored again for Yeovil last night. That's 10 goals in 15 games for them now. Surely one to watch for the future as he's still only 20.

[tetsujin1979]

I see Leon Best scored again for Yeovil last night. That's 10 goals in 15 games for them now. Surely one to watch for the future as he's still only 20.
He's been tipped as one to watch for some time, but surely he needs to be in the first team, and scoring, at Southampton? Dexter Blackstock was ahead of him in the reserves at the Saints, and he had to leave to get first team football...

[Irish_Praha]

Keogh makes all the goals for Billy Sharp, who's scored something like 19 already this season, they are/were a brilliant partnership, and Keogh was the one who played deeper, created and brought it all into the box. He looks very skillful, touch of class, I think he's going to do very well. If its any consolation all the goals he scores are absolute crackers!

I havent seen any of Ward's goals for Wolves. Has Keogh been making the goals for him too? He's 6ft too so maybe he might be the target man we are looking for. Best is a tall lad too.

BTW Sharp's goals haven't exactly dried up since Keogh moved to wolves.