Terry Venables

[EalingGreen]

Fabregas and Hoyte came directly through the Academy. Also the 'youngsters' that are brought over at 17/18 have all been developed through their Academy. Diaby, Flamini, Van Persie, Clichy, Bendtner, Clichy, Song and even Walcott have all spent time at the Academy when they were first signed by Arsenal before going into the reserves and first team squads.

BTW, I agree Brady is not the man for the ROI manager's job.

The Academy exists to find and develop young players for the first team. Of those players, precisely one* was found and developed by the Arsenal Academy - Hoyte - and there's no guarantee that he will make it.

Contrast that with e.g. West Ham in the same period, or Southampton, in whose Academy Walcott was first schooled, along with Gareth Bale and Andrew Surman.

* - Though I'll give you Steve Sidwell. Now at Chelsea. ;)

[eekers]

The Academy exists to find and develop young players for the first team. Of those players, precisely one* was found and developed by the Arsenal Academy - Hoyte - and there's no guarantee that he will make it.

Contrast that with e.g. West Ham in the same period, or Southampton, in whose Academy Walcott was first schooled, along with Gareth Bale and Andrew Surman.

* - Though I'll give you Steve Sidwell. Now at Chelsea. ;)

ashley cole

can all this brady stuff be moved to the brady thread - its making the el tel thread pop up on the top of the page and look like we're all interested in talking about him

[kennedmc]

Fabregas and Hoyte came directly through the Academy. Also the 'youngsters' that are brought over at 17/18 have all been developed through their Academy. Diaby, Flamini, Van Persie, Clichy, Bendtner, Clichy, Song and even Walcott have all spent time at the Academy when they were first signed by Arsenal before going into the reserves and first team squads.

BTW, I agree Brady is not the man for the ROI manager's job.

Cesc was at Arsenal for around 3 months before he made his first team debut - he had nothing to do with the Arsenal Academy. Wenger prised him away from Barca reserves - Barca were not suprsingly very p!ssed off....

Bendnter was just 17 and already a very well known player in Denmark and WEnger specificially went over and got him. He did spend time in the Academy but I'm not sure Brady does any coaching there atall! Wenger has also gone off and got the likes of Vela from Mexico, Fran Merida from Barca etc.

My point is I'm not sure how much coaching Brady does if any atall - I think his role is more administrative / fgiurehead at Arsenal.

[backstothewall]

In terms of manager there is no way Brady is the man. I think he is setting himself up for the performance director role, which he would do well i'm sure, but for that role i think i would prefer Steve Heighway. T

here are arguements about who the Arsenal academy are responsible for, but there is no doubt the Liverpool academy produced Steve McManaman, Robbie Fowler, Steven Gerrard, Jamie Carragher, Dominic Matteo, David Thompson, Steven Warnock and Michael Owen. And he is available

[eekers]

My point is I'm not sure how much coaching Brady does if any atall - I think his role is more administrative / fgiurehead at Arsenal.

Yes Steve Bould is the coach of the Arsenal academy and 'manages' the u18 side.
Brady is the Director of the academy

[Schlooooomp]

Lets get back to the reasons why Venables should or should not get the job. Hopefully most of you are in the should not camp.

[eekers]

he convinced Steve McLaren to play 3 at the back away to croatia.
those are tactics from ten years ago.
france 98 showed up wingbacks as a non-viable option in high level football
and in an away game ffs

[eekers]

strong anti-venables article in the sindo today

http://www.independent.ie/sport/soccer/el-tel-is-streetwise-witty-and-charming-but-not-the-man-for-us-1229974.html

[Stuttgart88]

Yet Fanning seems certain Venables will get the job.

So what's going on here exactly? Is the FAI using external advisors or are they simply (allegedly anyway) convinced Venables is the man and no amount of advice or lobbying otherwise will change their minds? Is the FAI in any way united on this?

[Stuttgart88]

he convinced Steve McLaren to play 3 at the back away to croatia.
those are tactics from ten years ago.
france 98 showed up wingbacks as a non-viable option in high level football
and in an away game ffsBoth Croatia and Australia played 3 at the back in WC06. Australia didn't use wing backs so much as a 3-1-4-1-1 wuth Grella protecting the back 4, a regular midfield, Cahill playing off Viduka.

A pro Venables piece in This is London (Evening standard online I think - how objective would that be? Venables has mates well placed in the media, especially London & the Standard always sticks up for their own) said that TV wanted a different role to be played by the 3 CBs than Mclaren. They went with 3 at the back but with McLaren's idea of how to use it. Like it counted anyway, Croatia were better that day too and would have been no matter who or how England lined up.

[geysir]

Terry has some of these gullible hacks totally sucked in.
The one I read was that the 352 was Terry's idea but they didn´t know what to do because McLaren gave them the day off from training.

[Schlooooomp]

Have just read Roy Curtis's article in the sunday world today promoting Venables as a "visionary applicant" for the Irish job. He then goes about criticisng those in the media who have not jumped on the venables bandwagon as using "lazy lampooning and powder-puff parody" as the weapons of choice to refute venables as a valid candidate. (Gotta love all the alliteration used by Curtis, very tabloidesque). He makes several claims about venables but doesn't back any of them up - "man management, training ground smarts, tactical awareness,...,media skills"

He then sets up a straw man argument by claiming that one of the main drawbacks of venables according to his critics is the fact that he is too old for the job. Now, maybe I have missed out on this aspect of the venables discussion but I have not seen his age brought into the argument anywhere. Despite this, Curtis spends six paragraphs refuting an argument that only he has brought up. Quality journalism.

He continuously compares venables to Jewell, as if there are no other candidates in the running, from what I can see, it is easier to inflate venables record by comparing him to Jewell than other candidates like Hodgson or Houllier.

He brings up Euro 96, what one of the venables cheerleaders doesnt, but he doesn't disect that particular competition, I am not going to discuss it here as it has been discussed extensively elsewhere on this thread, in short, it has been debunked as a pretty average stint as manager.

He then proceeds to gloss over stints at Leeds and Portsmouth, the former were doomed anyway and nothing could save them, for the latter, "he was more interested in owning the club", thats the reason for a lack of success. Praise indeed! What, venables interested in money more than football, never!

In opening the article Curtis also states, "they are seeking to pass their blinkered guff as serious analysis" in reference to journalists that are against venables getting the job, last words for Roy, physician, heal thyself!

[paul_oshea]

After the response i recieved from Dion Fanning, I honestly think most of them dont have a clue and only know the obvious names from what they hear here in England. Seriouslly.

And stop reading the sunday independent, its the worst paper I have ever read. Sunday times ( English and IRish version ) is by far a better read.

[Superhoops]

strong anti-venables article in the sindo today

http://www.independent.ie/sport/soccer/el-tel-is-streetwise-witty-and-charming-but-not-the-man-for-us-1229974.html


Yet Fanning seems certain Venables will get the job...

The Indo article is by Tommy Conlon, not Fanning

[kennedmc]

Euro 96 from my memory

Average 1-1 draw against Switzerland
Beat Scotland 2-0 although the Scots missed a pen(?) and then England went up and Gazza scored 'that' goal
Very good win against the Dutch (played well for 30 mins?)
Fortunate to beat Spain who had a good goal ruled out for offside
Lost to Germany on pens....

IMO it sounds more impressive now than it actually was

[geysir]

He then sets up a straw man argument by claiming that one of the main drawbacks of venables according to his critics is the fact that he is too old for the job. Now, maybe I have missed out on this aspect of the venables discussion but I have not seen his age brought into the argument anywhere. Despite this, Curtis spends six paragraphs refuting an argument that only he has brought up.
His age has been mentioned in the Indo article by Conlon, irresistible line to wrap up the article
'will we still need him now he´s 64'

[Schlooooomp]

His age has been mentioned in the Indo article by Conlon, irresistible line to wrap up the article
'will we still need him now he´s 64'

Fair enough, not sure that Curtis would have known about this article while writing his own.

I wish journalists wouldn't roll out such trite excuses, they are easy to refute, in fairness to venables, he looks pretty healthy and his age is not a factor as far as I'm concerned.

[Drumcondra 69er]

Have just read Roy Curtis's article in the sunday world today promoting Venables as a "visionary applicant" for the Irish job. He then goes about criticisng those in the media who have not jumped on the venables bandwagon as using "lazy lampooning and powder-puff parody" as the weapons of choice to refute venables as a valid candidate. (Gotta love all the alliteration used by Curtis, very tabloidesque). He makes several claims about venables but doesn't back any of them up - "man management, training ground smarts, tactical awareness,...,media skills"

He then sets up a straw man argument by claiming that one of the main drawbacks of venables according to his critics is the fact that he is too old for the job. Now, maybe I have missed out on this aspect of the venables discussion but I have not seen his age brought into the argument anywhere. Despite this, Curtis spends six paragraphs refuting an argument that only he has brought up. Quality journalism.

He continuously compares venables to Jewell, as if there are no other candidates in the running, from what I can see, it is easier to inflate venables record by comparing him to Jewell than other candidates like Hodgson or Houllier.

He brings up Euro 96, what one of the venables cheerleaders doesnt, but he doesn't disect that particular competition, I am not going to discuss it here as it has been discussed extensively elsewhere on this thread, in short, it has been debunked as a pretty average stint as manager.

He then proceeds to gloss over stints at Leeds and Portsmouth, the former were doomed anyway and nothing could save them, for the latter, "he was more interested in owning the club", thats the reason for a lack of success. Praise indeed! What, venables interested in money more than football, never!

In opening the article Curtis also states, "they are seeking to pass their blinkered guff as serious analysis" in reference to journalists that are against venables getting the job, last words for Roy, physician, heal thyself!

In fairness Roy Curtis is possibly the worst sports journalist in the country and there's a lot of competition for that role. His pieces read like they've been written by a 12 year old who's just discovered the metaphor. He's a buffoon of the highest order and a lazy journalist to boot.

[Stuttgart88]

The Indo article is by Tommy Conlon, not FanningIs the back page article saying that FAI will offer TV the job not by Fanning? It's already in my recycle box and I'm not going to the bother of salvaging it.

[Stuttgart88]

Euro 96 from my memory

Average 1-1 draw against Switzerland
Beat Scotland 2-0 although the Scots missed a pen(?) and then England went up and Gazza scored 'that' goal
Very good win against the Dutch (played well for 30 mins?)
Fortunate to beat Spain who had a good goal ruled out for offside
Lost to Germany on pens....

IMO it sounds more impressive now than it actually wasExactly. With home advantage he only won 2 games out of 5, and that'd only have been 1 but for Gary Mac's missed penno. It's not exactly comparable but if that was our home record in qualification the manager would be toast.

Spain also had a stonewall penno denied when Gazza tripped a Spaniard in the box late on.

[viagogo]

Am I stupid but I thought that after this disastrous qualifying campaign that the FAI would put some serious thought into this and appoint the right man but instead it looks like we are going for the ex England coach whose best days are well behind him. Can anybody see the logic in this? All the FAI have to do is watch Englands last game against Croatia then see that Venables had some input into this and they would see that he is totally the wrong man.

[eekers]

Am I stupid but I thought that after this disastrous qualifying campaign that the FAI would put some serious thought into this and appoint the right man but instead it looks like we are going for the ex England coach whose best days are well behind him. Can anybody see the logic in this? All the FAI have to do is watch Englands last game against Croatia then see that Venables had some input into this and they would see that he is totally the wrong man.

in fairness i dont think the fai are going near venables.
just because he is the bookies favourite at the moment

[Schlooooomp]

in fairness i dont think the fai are going near venables.
just because he is the bookies favourite at the moment

A major problem with venables is that he is being backed by most journalists and media commentators. This makes it easier for the FAI to hire him, as they can then say, in the event of failure, that everybody thought he was the right man for the job. It is disturbing how many ordinary fans also think he is the right man for the job

[gael353]

Lets hope we dont appoint him if only to disappoint the madding media (indapendent newspapers) who seem to be pushing his name and getting all their pundits and journos and radio presenters to push his name also. Really crap as hes just a spoofer, which fills column inches and so hes perfect for the media. 64 years old now, (just mentioned that to annoy curtis) and a group which we'd be lucky to get third in...no point in this clown even being mentioned

[Stuttgart88]

The general quality of sportswriting in this case has been shocking.

Has anyone in the Irish Times said anything? Tom Humphries usually isn't shy about voicing an opinion on his 3rd favourite sport. I'd be very surprised if he'd have much positive to say about Venables.

[geysir]

64 years old now, (just mentioned that to annoy curtis)
65 in January
resonates better.

[Noelys Guitar]

Liam Touhy was in pole position for the job according to the media prior to Charlton taking over. I can remember a huge headline on the back of the Herald saying "Rasher flavour of the month with FAI" the day before Charlton was installed as manager.

[eekers]

haha Venables wants Andy Townsend as his assistant

http://www.irishexaminer.com/irishexaminer/pages/story.aspx-qqqg=sport-qqqm=sport-qqqa=sport-qqqid=48854-qqqx=1.asp


bare in mind here's how he's hyped by his agent on his after dinner speaking bio


Most recently Andy is hosting "Playing Around" on Tyne Tees TV, where he interviews other sporting personalities whilst playing a round of golf.http://www.cityspeakersinternational.co.uk/speakers/speaker_andy_townsend.php?PHPSESSID=apsf2dvv96m

[Drumcondra 69er]

Would Andy be allowed park 'Townsend's tactics truck' outside Croker do you reckon?

[tetsujin1979]

Would Andy be allowed park 'Townsend's tactics truck' outside Croker do you reckon?

I could tell him a few places to park it, if Venables is appointed

[citizenerased]

getting venables is a joke....foock sake when will the fai ever wake up...sickens me even further that houllier has expressed interest and being snubbed for that crook

[NeilMcD]

Lads we dont know who is snubbed or who has not been snubbed. I think we are all falling into believing the media too much. I will judge Delaney and the FAI after the process is finished. Until then it just media speculation.

[Dodge]

Townsend as assitant is even worse. Here's a man who has absolutely ZERO coaching experience, who's been brought in as a token "Irish" gesture.

[eekers]

Lads we dont know who is snubbed or who has not been snubbed. I think we are all falling into believing the media too much. I will judge Delaney and the FAI after the process is finished. Until then it just media speculation.

true
the 3 man selection team hasnt been finished being established yet
it will be another 2 weeks minimum before a manager is announced

[geysir]

The Examiner has not been pushing Venables and now they are coming out with
It's Venables bar the shouting line this morning.

[eekers]

proof the media dont know are a bit lost on this

http://www.eleven-a-side.com/boysingreen/irish_soccer_detail.asp?newsid=30140


The Irish Daily Star reports that three of the 10-person Board of Management are strongly opposed to the candidacy of Venables, effectively shelving the Englishman’s hopes of landing the job in the immediate future at least.

the 10 person board of management arent selecting the manager so their opposition to candidates is irrevevant? dont the media realise this?

[Drumcondra 69er]

Some reporter called Dion Fanning is driving the Venables agenda, as far as I can see.

Out of those who've commented:

In the Venables corner Fanning, Hyland, Curtis and possibly Liam Mackay. Hyland and Curtis are idiots, I'd have thought Fanning and Mackay would be able to see through him but unfortunately not.

Against has been Garry Doyle, Eamon Carr, Dunphy and Daniel McDonnell.

At least there's some sort of balance, absolutely no middle ground from what I can see though.

Does Humphries have anything to say in The Times this morning about it or is he writting about t he GAA club championships again?

[citizenerased]

no about keano see below..


Seven reasons not to make Roy angry
Tom Humphries

Locker Room: There are places in the world where you just don't want to be. Starbucks in Basra, Stringfellows in Kabul, library in Texas, Sunderland's training ground this morning. There is always a cold nip to the air in that part of the northeast of England but imagine the glacial freeze which will set in this morning when Roy Keane steps out to face the players who on Saturday afternoon brought him the most ignominious defeat of his career.

Many professional footballers forget a lot of things forever in the giddy few minutes after they open their first pay cheque and realise they aren't like ordinary people anymore.

They forget their manners and they forget the relative value and usefulness of footballers to society in general. They forget about fashion sense and they forget about hard work. They really should never forget, though, that if you know somebody like Roy Keane it is far better for Roy to let you down than for you to let Roy down. In fact that is the key to a long and happy life.

I speak as somebody who let Roy Keane down once. He divulged his phone number to me. I divulged it to somebody else, something Roy would find inexplicable even had I been detained at length in Guantanamo Bay. I, however, just coughed it up to the first person who asked me for it, and Roy Keane told me that he would like to eat my liver with some fava beans and a nice Chianti. At the time he was holding my warm liver in one hand and clicking his fingers to summon a stern sommelier with the other. I didn't doubt the earnestness of his intentions.

Last week Roy had a lot to say about the mentality of modern footballers. He said it in the context of England's amusing achievements in the field of snatching humiliation from the jaws of success, and yesterday the first draft of the history declared Sunderland's embarrassment had left Roy with an omelette worth of egg running down his face. Not so.

Sunderland are in the position they are in this morning - bottom three and zero momentum - because they have a quixotic insistence on tilting at windmills.

Niall Quinn and Roy Keane, whatever they may have thought of each other during the Saipan soap opera - have more in common than either probably realises. They both drank at international level during their playing careers, and Keane certainly had a catalogue of moments he wouldn't be happy seeing replicated by any of his own players, but both of them had a competitiveness and a sense of duty on the pitch which meant neither ever came off so much as a practice field without having sweated his guts out.

That shared belief in values has informed Sunderland's rise, and unfortunately it underpins their current stasis as well. Roy Keane spent the guts of £35 million on keeping Sunderland up, considerably more than the other clubs in the basement area of the Premiership, but the club's (quite correct and indeed heroic) approach to having a wage structure and not being held hostage by agents has meant that often the only players available were ones who would otherwise have been playing Championship football.

Sunderland realised a long time ago through bitter, close-hand experience that the traditional boom-or-bust approach to life in the bottom two-thirds of the table is unsustainable. When the last round of crazy TV money came into the clubs, Sunderland argued at chairmanship level with the other Premiership clubs for the imposition of some sort of rational approach to wages in the league, a loose salary-cap arrangement.

In private there were many heads nodding in agreement but when the crunch came clubs opted for the short-term solution of signing a few big names hawked by fat agents and putting a massive wage cheque into their hands every week. This has a ratchet effect on wages at the club.

Weak chairmen and weak managers often sign deals guaranteeing a particular player he will always be the best player in the club or will always be among the top three wage earners. Agents often engineer situations whereby if their absurdly well paid player doesn't leave when said agent engineers a few transfer rumours the player will be rewarded with a nice, fresh contract and a loyalty bonus.

The signing of one star player has a knock-on effect right through the wage structure of a club and usually through the wage structure of rival clubs.

It is important therefore that Sunderland succeed in staying up this season, that they became a model for fiscal common sense from which other clubs could draw some inspiration and the courage to say no to Simon Spiv next time he calls on his mobile looking to do business.

Roy Keane was gracious and humble on Saturday in the wake of the Everton debacle. He had a lot to be gracious and humble about but when he spoke about having good players and good characters his loyalty wasn't merely a motivational device.

The players Sunderland have brought into the Premiership with them are the ones willing to take a risk at an unfashionable club with a young manager who carried with him a reputation for fearsomeness.

Keane often speaks about the difficulty of attracting players to the northeast of England. This is really a code for the difficulty of attracting modern footballers to a club who pay less than 20k a week to a player. Keane need only look down the road at Newcastle or Middlesbrough to see there are many players and their "wags" who will live in the northeast if the money is absurd and the demands on them are moderate. Even our own Damien Duff was content to move from Roman Abramovich's opulent Chelsea to the old money at Newcastle.

Keane spent £35 million, a good chunk of it on a goalie, Craig Gordon, who has been worth a few points to his side already this season but whose confidence must this morning be in the same left-luggage department as Paul Robinson's and Scott Carson's.

The striker Kenwyne Jones has been a surprising success but, after a good start, Michael Chopra has drifted off the pace.

Keane is still waiting for Anthony Stokes to become the player the advance billing promised he would be.

Curiously for a man who was one of the greatest midfielders of our time, Keane has been reluctant to invest much money in that area of the field. It may pain him too much to pay good money for mediocre talent in his own speciality.

As for the defence, notably porous on Saturday, it contained Ian Harte and Paul McShane. Harte and McShane have much in common. Harte now has a great future behind him and it's often forgotten that in the early days of Mick McCarthy's stewardship when Harte had to be slotted on occasion into the centre-half position he looked as if he could be a great defender in years to come. But the rap sheet filled up with critical errors.

McShane has beguiling enthusiasm and a playing style that suits his flame-red hair, and the more enthusiastic cheerleaders were comparing him early on to Kevin Moran.

Again though the critical errors are piling up. Two of Everton's goals on Saturday were attributed to McShane's mistakes.

It's time to wonder if McShane hasn't been given too much exposure and expectation too young. And to wonder if he, like Harte before him, would not have been better off down a division or two for another couple of years learning his trade.

Sunderland are an attractive experiment. Keane hasn't been able to buy readymade Premiership players. He is not a readymade Premiership manager. The learning takes place on the job, and if Keane thought life at the top was tough when he was at Manchester United he knows this Monday morning that life at the bottom is far more urgent and frightening.

Seven-one.

And this morning he looks into the eyes of the players that for whatever reason did not go for bigger money and crazier money anywhere else. It's them versus the rest; their values and their ambitions against a world of money and myopia.

Seven-one.

A lot of people would have laughed at Sunderland on Saturday when they heard that. But we wish them luck. Sunderland need to succeed.

© 2007 The Irish Times

[eekers]

the townsend spectulation has come from the fact delaney met townsend on friday. as one of the 25 people he has consulted im taking it. also perhaps because he knows venables from their time as fifth rate pundits on itv.

anyway the media have put tw0 and two together and come up with assistant manager

http://www.ireland.com/newspaper/breaking/2007/1126/breaking16.htm


Delaney met the former Ireland skipper Andy Townsend while in London on Friday and there is a suggestion this was with a view to sounding him out about taking on a role in the new management team, possibly as assistant to Venables, rather than part of the association's reported attempt to recruit a third intermediary.
The latter objective is still officially said to be Delaney's priority though he would only talk about the process in vague terms after yesterday's World Cup draw in Durban.

[Schlooooomp]

Oh Jebus, a venables and townsend combination, when will I wake up from this nightmare!

[tetsujin1979]

It's time to wonder if McShane hasn't been given too much exposure and expectation too young. And to wonder if he,like Harte before him, would not have been better off down a division or two for another couple of years learning his trade.Harte started out at Leeds in the Premiership, moved to the Primera Liga and didn't play outside the top division in any country until Levante were relegated to the Secunda Liga in Spain.

[eekers]

Oh Jebus, a venables and townsend combination, when will I wake up from this nightmare!

robbie earle is gonna join them and all decisions are gonna go to votes from the 'premiership parliament'

[Schlooooomp]

robbie earle is gonna join them and all decisions are gonna go to votes from the 'premiership parliament'

Noooooo.......

[Kingdom]

.... as one of the 25 people he has consulted im taking it.....

Does anyone think the amount of people being consulted is getting a bit ridiculous at this stage. I mean if they have consulted Alex Ferguson and asked him for a list of ten people to interview and did the same with Wenger and Brady, surely that would be sufficient.

[Schlooooomp]

Harte started out at Leeds in the Premiership, moved to the Primera Liga and didn't play outside the top division in any country until Levante were relegated to the Secunda Liga in Spain.

I think he means that Harte might have been better spending some of his formative years in a lower league, I'm not saying I agree with that particular sentiment, just thats what I think he is saying.

[Dodge]

Does the 25 people consulted include the players he spoke to? Ridicullous carry on

[tetsujin1979]

I think he means that Harte might have been better spending some of his formative years in a lower league, I'm not saying I agree with that particular sentiment, just thats what I think he is saying.
Think you might be right, it doesn't read well on first glance.

[Schlooooomp]

Does anyone think the amount of people being consulted is getting a bit ridiculous at this stage. I mean if they have consulted Alex Ferguson and asked him for a list of ten people to interview and did the same with Wenger and Brady, surely that would be sufficient.

I agree, it could well turn into a "farce", we will be left with only those candidates who have no other options or who see Ireland as an easy touch for a few euro. Is a manager who is in demand gonna wait around for Delaney to ask everyone and their grandmother for an opinion, I dont think so. We need to get a move on here.

[Kingdom]

Does the 25 people consulted include the players he spoke to? Ridicullous carry on

If you mean it is ridiculous to consult the players then I agree with you 1000%. I see John O'Shea is regarded as one of the Senior players who Delaney consulted, as is Lee "I've retired once because I wouldn't sit on a bench" Carsley. Why ?

[Drumcondra 69er]

If you mean it is ridiculous to consult the players then I agree with you 1000%. I see John O'Shea is regarded as one of the Senior players who Delaney consulted, as is Lee "I've retired once because I wouldn't sit on a bench" Carsley. Why ?

That's riddiculously harsh on Carsley, he'd been out with an injury and had lost his place in the Everton side. He put his international career on hold in order to get his place back and spend more time with his family as one of his kids is special needs. At he time he said "As soon as I am playing again, I will be straight on the phone saying I want to be considered for the Ireland squad".

He was available for a number of squads and wrongly ignored before being recalled.