Martin O'Neill and Roy Keane

[tricky_colour]

Still 3 mins to go so I am on for a treble.

[BonnieShels]

Ings just hit the post. So close Tricky.

[SwanVsDalton]

Juck...Juci...Jukwic...your man who could play for us had a great chance to win it too.

[ArdeeBhoy]

The Polish fella from the South Coast? Grandparent eligibility?

[DannyInvincible]

'Roy Keane's shock Aston Villa exit sparked celebrations in the dressing room': http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/footba...-villa-4719930

Roy Keane walked out on Aston Villa to the sound of cheering from Paul Lambert’s dressing-room, writes Neil Moxley in the Sunday People.

Villa’s players broke into applause when the Irishman’s exit was confirmed on Friday morning.

...

And although he walked and was not sacked by Villa boss Lambert, the club’s first-team squad were still happy to see the back of him.

Matters came to a head after Villa’s toothless defeat to QPR at Loftus Road last month. Manchester United legend Keane rounded on several Villa players, calling them out after a pitiful display during the loss.

...

Insiders have confirmed to Sunday People Sport that Keane suffered “a real head loss” following their no-show in west London.

Tets; it's kind of become taken-for-granted now, I know, but is there any way you can amend the ridiculous thread title to 'Martin O'Neill/Roy Keane' or something? It's almost like when someone's been referring to you by the wrong name for so long because you never bothered correcting them the first time, so it has stuck and eventually becomes too late to correct them. Or is it worth preserving as a sort of forum in-joke?

[TheOneWhoKnocks]

The Polish fella from the South Coast? Grandparent eligibility?

Some randomer who is completely ambivalent about playing Intl. football for Ireland, who said he would like to play for Poland if England didn't select him, who has been bang average at Championship level and continued that form into the Premier League; and yet some people would rather continue to hand out caps like confetti to people like him than reward lads like Alan Judge, Alan McCormack and Jonathan Douglas who have all been a credit to a promotion chasing Brentford team and would give their right arm to be selected for their country.

[tetsujin1979]

Some randomer who is completely ambivalent about playing Intl. football for Ireland, who said he would like to play for Poland if England didn't select him, who has been bang average at Championship level and continued that form into the Premier League; and yet some people would rather continue to hand out caps like confetti to people like him than reward lads like Alan Judge, Alan McCormack and Jonathan Douglas who have all been a credit to a promotion chasing Brentford team and would give their right arm to be selected for their country.

O'Neill and Keane have only handed out three new caps since taking over more than a year ago - Elliott (who was already involved in the squad), Christie and McGoldrick, hardly handed out like confetti
nobody is calling for Jutkiewicz to be called up, he's barely mentioned playing for the Republic, to be the best of my knowledge he's never been mentioned by management and we're all well aware of the alternatives

Tets; it's kind of become taken-for-granted now, I know, but is there any way you can amend the ridiculous thread title to 'Martin O'Neill/Roy Keane' or something? It's almost like when someone's been referring to you by the wrong name for so long because you never bothered correcting them the first time, so it has stuck and eventually becomes too late to correct them. Or is it worth preserving as a sort of forum in-joke?

Meant to do that for a while actually. The order bothered me more than anything else - Keane and O'Neill made it look like Keane was the manager, with O'Neill his assistant.

[DannyInvincible]

Some randomer who is completely ambivalent about playing Intl. football for Ireland, who said he would like to play for Poland if England didn't select him, who has been bang average at Championship level and continued that form into the Premier League; and yet some people would rather continue to hand out caps like confetti to people like him than reward lads like Alan Judge, Alan McCormack and Jonathan Douglas who have all been a credit to a promotion chasing Brentford team and would give their right arm to be selected for their country.

If a player is eligible, willing and deemed good enough, he'll be selected. It's not the same as throwing out confetti at random. Silly comparison. Fair play to them on chasing promotion, but the reason the Brentford lot you mention are not in our squads is because it is deemed that we have better options elsewhere.

Nobody has ever called for the inclusion of Jutkiewicz, or have they? I first came across his eligibility in one of the old Football Manager games and that's probably from where wider knowledge of his eligibility stems, as I don't think he's ever appealed for his own inclusion or even flirted with the notion of representing us.

O'Neill and Keane have only handed out three new caps since taking over more than a year ago - Elliott (who was already involved in the squad), Christie and McGoldrick, hardly handed out like confetti

Shane Duffy has been another recipient of Martin's infamous confetti.

Meant to do that for a while actually. The order bothered me more than anything else - Keane and O'Neill made it look like Keane was the manager, with O'Neill his assistant.

The least we can do is have the name of "O Neil" spelled correctly!

[SwanVsDalton]

Some randomer who is completely ambivalent about playing Intl. football for Ireland, who said he would like to play for Poland if England didn't select him, who has been bang average at Championship level and continued that form into the Premier League; and yet some people would rather continue to hand out caps like confetti to people like him than reward lads like Alan Judge, Alan McCormack and Jonathan Douglas who have all been a credit to a promotion chasing Brentford team and would give their right arm to be selected for their country.

Who ya talking to?!

[TheOneWhoKnocks]

They have been pursuing eligible players though, largely without success - while ignoring half a dozen players who are interested and wouldn't require paperwork. All they seem to do is wax hypothetical about players who may or may not want to play for us while talking about how crap our talent pool is.

And I never said MON is handing out caps like confetti. I said some people would like to hand out caps like confetti to eligible players.

[DannyInvincible]

They have been pursuing eligible players though, largely without success - while ignoring half a dozen players who are interested and wouldn't require paperwork. All they seem to do is wax hypothetical about players who may or may not want to play for us while talking about how crap our talent pool is.

You're exaggerating wildly. Queries have been made with certain players and I think Martin made a comment or two about our level/general ability and possible lack of depth at the outset, but it's not all he does. I'd doubt making queries with potential eligible players even consumes anywhere close to majority of his time.

Name the half dozen or so players who've been ignored but you think should be in our squads. Simply being interested and eligible doesn't cut it; you have to also be good enough.

And I never said MON is handing out caps like confetti. I said some people would like to hand out caps like confetti to eligible players.

Who are these people? Where are they?

[Stuttgart88]

If it wasn't for the degree to which TOWK exaggerates and engages in sophistry I'd have some sympathy with his argument. I personally think O'Neill has been too critical of his talent pool, too vocal of the need to recruit via the granny rule and too vocal about how he is pursuing it. I think the latter places in the enlarged squads lack imagination.

But when it comes to the final squads I think he has got it pretty much right.

[ArdeeBhoy]

I personally think O'Neill has been too critical of his talent pool, too vocal of the need to recruit via the granny rule and too vocal about how he is pursuing it.

If anything, it's not vocal, or vigorous, enough...

[BonnieShels]

Well Lukas has a thread here therefore we can assume like Paddy Bamford there is widesprwad clamour for their inclusion. That's what I infer from a player with a thread.

[tetsujin1979]

They have been pursuing eligible players though, largely without success - while ignoring half a dozen players who are interested and wouldn't require paperwork. All they seem to do is wax hypothetical about players who may or may not want to play for us while talking about how crap our talent pool is.

Really? Apart from Grealish, who they only mention when asked, I don't recall them mentioning any other players.

And I never said MON is handing out caps like confetti. I said some people would like to hand out caps like confetti to eligible players.

I think you need to realise the difference between a discussion on an eligible player and calls for him to be capped