Finnan retires from International Football

[boovidge]

Is it not a priviledge anymore for these players? And if not, why not?

because they play week in week out in big stadia and get paid thousands of pounds a week?

Having said that David Beckham is the most famous football player in the world and he's desperate to play for England.

Perhaps Finnan's just fed up with the farce that is the FAI?

[Maroon 7]

In fairness we all say we'd love to play for our country, pull on the jersey, I'd never retire from it, etc, etc.

But maybe when you've had 10 years of it there comes a time when you just think you'd had enough.

[RogerMilla]

Come back Stephen Carr all is forgiven !!! :D

LOL classic:D !! gutted finnan has retired , way too early , he had much more to give.

[mackannovic]

Really disappointed to hear that. Especially since his Ireland career never really took off thanks to the insistance of incompetants on playing Fat Stump Steven Carr at right back and pushing Finnan, one of the most consistant performers in the Premiership at right back, into every other position but his favoured right-back.

A waste of a good player.

[bwagner]

Feckin traitor over paid clown, at least Carr has been hammered by injuries Finnan is 31 for christ sake but sure i expect all the irish liverpool fans that love "the reds" over there own country will love this news

[jebus]

Feckin traitor over paid clown, at least Carr has been hammered by injuries Finnan is 31 for christ sake but sure i expect all the irish liverpool fans that love "the reds" over there own country will love this news

The perfect example as to why club footballers couldn't give a toss about national teams anymore. When Finnan leaves Liverpool it will be with his head held high after years of good service and he will be fondly remembered on Merseyside. Finnan leaves Ireland after years of good service and this is the nonsense he gets

[OneRedArmy]

The perfect example as to why club footballers couldn't give a toss about national teams anymore. When Finnan leaves Liverpool it will be with his head held high after years of good service and he will be fondly remembered on Merseyside. Finnan leaves Ireland after years of good service and this is the nonsense he getsThis is a disconnect between the views of fans and players. Playing for your country isn't supposed to be a job (ref. "good service"). Rightly or wrongly there is an expectations that its an honour and therefore players go to great lengths to turn out for their national team.

The least the players could do is be honest and admit they are money-grabbing whores and value their future ability to buy the best cars and phattest entertainment gear and bling more than representing their country.

At least everyone would know where they stand then...

[Krstic]

New manager having his own ideas . . . . . . .
younger players having a chance to stake their claim . . . . . . . .

Two poor sentences.
Utter bull****.
Crap talk.

"I'm quitting my team because a new manager might have his own ideas."
In fairness, what in the name of jebus is that meant to actually mean?
I know we've heard all this before but why can't he dispense with the crap-talk?
He should just admit he prefers those 4 or 5 midweeks or weekends off, say he wants to spend more time with his family or something.
A lazy statement.


You're spot on Risteard, but why or how does this make Finnan a Mercenary?

[shakermaker1982]

If Finnan told Liverpool he would not be participating in away European fixtures (didn't like the travel time lost for example) do you think the scouse fans would take it in their stride and accept it? As soon as you start picking and choosing games you play in then your fair game for critcism - especially when your one of the few senior players in the squad. 31 is no age.

[NeilMcD]

Nope across the pond I support Sheffield Wednesday

You're not a Man Utd fan then are you?

You don't speak French obviously, my advice is to learn it and then decipher what I said back there

I do speak french by the way. So you can relate to Sheffield Wednesday then. Maybe its to do with Sheffield and Limerick both been kips.

[bwagner]

Really jebus - well let me tell you about your boyfriend Finnan ....Ireland Have about 3-4 real senior players in the squad (Given,Carsley,Kilbane,Dunne) This is our darkest hour and he turns his back , he could have at least waited to talk to the new manager and say hi Im not doing friendlies etc. its the youngest squad we have had ever and its needs top players from top clubs to guide them.Its all money now and if he wasnt from stab city you would'nt even care about him .p.s he is as limerick as Phil Babb

[Stuttgart88]

Agree with all of that but didn't he leave Limerick aged 7?

[eirebhoy]

Can't be bothered, I think I'll just hang around here. Alternatively if ye'd set up a France National Team section I'd head off there, because if there's one national team I love, then it has to be France. Much prefer my representatives at international level to be millionaires I can't relate to with a French manager, than millionaires I can't relate to with a Cockney manager any day of the week
At least keep it in mind where you're actually posting. I don't think anyone would get a good reaction here if they called the LOI "some poxy league".

[Maroon 7]

Can anyone blame him retiring when you see the reaction on here?

Barely anyone has thanked him for playing for Ireland for the best part of a decade.

Instead he's getting called a traitor and a mercenary.

[Stuttgart88]

His performances have been praised to the hilt here in the past. The traitor & mercenary jibes are too extreme but 31 is no age to retire and frankly I feel like he's letting us down now.

I've known international rugby players to make their debut at 31 FFS.

[Thunderblaster]

Thanks to Steve Finnan on his undenying loyalty to the green shirt over the last eight years. You will be missed and I hope that the incumbent will persuade you to come back. Best of luck for the future.

[OneRedArmy]

Can anyone blame him retiring when you see the reaction on here?.A pre-emptive retirement then so?

I think thats known as reverse justification.....

[DotTV]

First job of the new manager will be to get him back on board.

[Maroon 7]

A pre-emptive retirement then so?

I think thats known as reverse justification.....

Well let's just hope if the new manager tries to convince him to stay on that he doesn't look in here in the meantime.

[eirebhoy]

I know how silly this is but, in a way players shouldn't really be allowed to retire from international football, without good reason, if they're still playing professionally.
They're not. See Makelele.

[Armando]

First job of the new manager will be to get him back on board.

Agreed. Any manager worth his salt will do this.

[Armando]

They're not. See Makelele.


Ye, I thought that was great by Domenech...call him up anyway and deal with it from there. At least he showed to Makelele that he really wanted him and wasn't going to take no for an answer and it worked.

[boovidge]

TV: Please play for Ireland
SF: Oh go on then

It's not going to happen, he's made his choice and made it official by telling the press. He'd look like a right eejit changing his mind after a couple of weeks!

[OneRedArmy]

I fully support international managers naming their preferred side and force the lads to turn it down.

[NeilMcD]

I think Makelele wanted to play but did not want to let down Chelsea, so he told Domenech is plan and Domenech called him up and Chelsea had to release him. Makelele could say to Chelsea that he planned to retire but was not allowed.

[Éire Óg]

Hardly surprising his retirement when he wasnt fit to travel to Bratislava & Prague and then 3 days later;

PORTSMOUTH 0 - 0 LIVERPOOL
Saturday 15 September 2007 12:45 , Barclays Premier League

Pepe Reina, Alvaro Arbeloa, Daniel Agger, Jamie Carragher (c), Steve Finnan, Yossi Benayoun, Xabi Alonso, Momo Sissoko, Jermaine Pennant, Peter Crouch, Andriy Voronin

Subs:Torres (Crouch 62) Gerrard (Pennant 67) Babel (Alonso 77)

[ghBohs]

Finnan retires from internation football.

A nation shrugs it's shoulders and says "nyeh".

[osarusan]

Maybe its to do with Sheffield and Limerick both been kips.
What an idiotic comment.

It's clear you disagree with his opinions, as do I, but there is no need for the kind of comment I've quoted.

[aidz1]

Hardly surprising his retirement when he wasnt fit to travel to Bratislava & Prague and then 3 days later;

PORTSMOUTH 0 - 0 LIVERPOOL
Saturday 15 September 2007 12:45 , Barclays Premier League

Pepe Reina, Alvaro Arbeloa, Daniel Agger, Jamie Carragher (c), Steve Finnan, Yossi Benayoun, Xabi Alonso, Momo Sissoko, Jermaine Pennant, Peter Crouch, Andriy Voronin

Subs:Torres (Crouch 62) Gerrard (Pennant 67) Babel (Alonso 77)

Surely a player has to return to match time at some stage after an injury. This one just happened to be A few days later. He may not have been ready earlier.

He was about to only player to stand out for us in the Cyprus game a month later.

[mackannovic]

His performances have been praised to the hilt here in the past. The traitor & mercenary jibes are too extreme but 31 is no age to retire and frankly I feel like he's letting us down now.

I've known international rugby players to make their debut at 31 FFS.

I've known International Rugby Players to be grossly overweight. It's a completely different sport.

[NeilMcD]

Hardly surprising his retirement when he wasnt fit to travel to Bratislava & Prague and then 3 days later;

PORTSMOUTH 0 - 0 LIVERPOOL
Saturday 15 September 2007 12:45 , Barclays Premier League

Pepe Reina, Alvaro Arbeloa, Daniel Agger, Jamie Carragher (c), Steve Finnan, Yossi Benayoun, Xabi Alonso, Momo Sissoko, Jermaine Pennant, Peter Crouch, Andriy Voronin

Subs:Torres (Crouch 62) Gerrard (Pennant 67) Babel (Alonso 77)
Yeah I thought that was bang out of order at the time myself, considering that you can see Gerrard did not play that game for liverpool but played for England 3 days earlier.

[Metrostars]

Thanks to Steve Finnan for his years of service. I felt he always gave 100% and was one of our better players in the last 6-7 years.

Still I am very disappointed in him. He is taking the lazy way out and I suppose thats his option but it would have been nice to have his stability for the upcoming qualifiers.

[mackannovic]

Hardly surprising his retirement when he wasnt fit to travel to Bratislava & Prague and then 3 days later;

PORTSMOUTH 0 - 0 LIVERPOOL
Saturday 15 September 2007 12:45 , Barclays Premier League

Pepe Reina, Alvaro Arbeloa, Daniel Agger, Jamie Carragher (c), Steve Finnan, Yossi Benayoun, Xabi Alonso, Momo Sissoko, Jermaine Pennant, Peter Crouch, Andriy Voronin

Subs:Torres (Crouch 62) Gerrard (Pennant 67) Babel (Alonso 77)

Thats a b0ll0x statement and you know it. Ledley King was out on Saturday for Spurs against Sunderland but he's playing tonight 3 days later. What a lazy tw@t eh? And he's a senior player. Should be ashamed of himself.

[paul_oshea]

ya i mentioned this before, i didnt mention a source as i didnt want to name it, but he had said it before the last game of the euros, actually i think it was before the germany game even.....

The same fella told me a funny story about what keane said to finnan about robinson during their game at anfield.

[NeilMcD]

Go on Paul what did he say or pm

[Stuttgart88]

What is it? email me if you want.

[jebus]

I'm not bothered Osarusan, the only argument anyone ever seems to get here in the Ireland forum is personal insults, homophobic jokes, and a bunch of people thumping their chests and singing about 32 counties. It really is half the fun of posting here

[NeilMcD]

Sorry but if I went on a Man Utd or LIverpool forum and started slagging Liverpool or Man Utd I would expect to be thrown out. The same as if I went on to a gay forum and started spouting anti gay stuff. Surely the Ireland forum should be for people who are interested in the Irish National team and have its interests at heart. We have a situation here were those who are interested are gone and those that slag it are still here.

[rambler14]

A little competition from Arbeloa and he sh*ts himself. Absoutely no need to retire.

[Stuttgart88]

I don't see too many of the older Scottish players retiring. David Weir plays on at 37.

[Dr. Ogba]

I'm not bothered Osarusan, the only argument anyone ever seems to get here in the Ireland forum is personal insults, homophobic jokes, and a bunch of people thumping their chests and singing about 32 counties. It really is half the fun of posting here


apologies sir....now lets all head off to the "enlightened" EL forum to better ourselves in every way possible...

:rolleyes:

[John83]

Can anyone blame him retiring when you see the reaction on here?

Barely anyone has thanked him for playing for Ireland for the best part of a decade.

Instead he's getting called a traitor and a mercenary.
How's this: I'm so honoured that he graced his national team with his presence.

[jebus]

apologies sir....now lets all head off to the "enlightened" EL forum to better ourselves in every way possible...

:rolleyes:

You can try, not sure Dahamsta allows name changes for one

[mackannovic]

I don't see too many of the older Scottish players retiring. David Weir plays on at 37.

Weir retired in 2002,was a traitor for a period and then came back.

[Dr. Ogba]

You can try, not sure Dahamsta allows name changes for one

just.....doesn't.....make......sense...

:confused:

[Stuttgart88]

Weir retired in 2002,was a traitor for a period and then came back.Bloody ex-traitors!

[John83]

just.....doesn't.....make......sense...

:confused:
Yes.....it.....does.

[NeilMcD]

Weir fell out with Bertie Vogts after Bertie Vogts publicly blamed him for the draw with the Faroes I think it was. Christian Dailly was also blamed but he played on. When Walter Smith got the job he asked Weir to come back.

[Dr. Ogba]

Yes.....it.....does.


ok then, resorting to slagging a persons username (if that's what he was getting at) is a pretty poor effort.

Anyway mods - apologies for being dragged off topic, i will now utilise the ignore button for the first time ever on this forum...

[LeviathanNI]

I'm not bothered Osarusan, the only argument anyone ever seems to get here in the Ireland forum is personal insults, homophobic jokes, and a bunch of people thumping their chests and singing about 32 counties. It really is half the fun of posting here

#Cough cough#

I'll stick to my six thanks ;) :D

Anyhow..regardless of his reasons, he is still playing football at a high level, which means he can still be talked round to playing for the ROI again. I still don't understand how a player could turn their back on their country.