He's 1st choice central midfielder for the U21s. Our U21s midfield is very strong. Even when we're losing 3-0 we tend to be controlling the game.Quote:
Originally Posted by Ciaran
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He's 1st choice central midfielder for the U21s. Our U21s midfield is very strong. Even when we're losing 3-0 we tend to be controlling the game.Quote:
Originally Posted by Ciaran
Stephen Gleeson is still in our U21s and has played quite well. He's struggling to get into Wolves's team and is back out on loan again. MK Dons?
Harsh on Shane Long. I think he's doing alright but his club have been poor over last couple of months. I think he's got every chnace still.
Colin Doyle may get another chance soon, Taylor won't go on forever. Superb physique for a keeper but I often come away having expected better from him.
I don't think Wayne Henderson is good enough. I don't even think he was our best U21 keeper when he had that shirt.
St. Ledger should be in the squad in most people's opinion.
O'Halloran has been really unlucky with injury - 2 ACL injuries as far as I can remember.
Funny thing about Potter is that he actually played really well out there, showing composure and a passing range we don't usually see in an Irish midfield. He played well in Denmark too I think. It poses the question as to what standard the opposition was exactly, and also whether you need top quality players to compete against the middle tier in international football, or just the right type of player.
You've also got to remember that Stan picked that bunch, probably with input from Givens. You can be pretty sure that better young Irish players like Shane Supple or others were left out. I always felt that many of Stan's young or fringe call ups were haphazard at best.
I think that sums up the entire reign of Staunton, haphazard at the very, very best. The guy simply didn't have a clue and never even tried.Quote:
Originally Posted by Stuttgart88
excellent post - i think it's awful though that really one on this list has made it if you like - you mention alan o brien - i went to watch him a few months ago for hibs- he wasn't up to much - in saying that he is starting to play well, and start more regularly
an indication to the joke that is the irish national team, that a player performing excellently at the time would be considered a 'token' player.Quote:
Originally Posted by Ciaran
and the 'eircom' league doesn't exist, surely someone so into football like yourself ciaran would know this?
Graham Gartland was called up as well, but missed the phone call because he was at a wedding!
People criticise the capping of Joe Lapira, but far more things went wrong in those two games - Ronnie O'Brien refused to train with the squad, Michael Parkhurst likewise turned down the chance to turn out for the Boys in Green
How's that Norris guy doing at Ipswich? Keeping quite after his (in)famous goal celebration?
Has Lee Frecklington made any progress over the last few years?
Lewis Emanuel got a Football League Trophy winners medal today.
Quote:
Originally Posted by tetsujin1979
lol who did he think he was? 'willing to play for the irish national team' lmao.Quote:
Parkhurst is an Irish-American and thus holds an Irish passport. He had declared that he would be willing to play for the Irish national team if his American ambitions never came to fruition.[2] Parkhurst was called up by the United States national team for the 2007 Gold Cup, and earned his first cap against Trinidad and Tobago on June 9, 2007, thus eliminating any further possibility of playing for the Republic of Ireland.
To be fair to O'Brien to say he refused is a bit off the mark, he was recovering from knee surgery when he got the call to say he'd been named in the squad, nobody had bothered to check if he was fit or available before releasing the squad.Quote:
Originally Posted by tetsujin1979
I posted this table about the original squad called up by Staunton for the States, and the squad that eventually went
Code:Original Squad Eventual Squad Reason for withdrawal
Goalkeepers Goalkeepers
Nicky Colgan Nicky Colgan
Wayne Henderson Wayne Henderson
Colin Doyle Colin Doyle
Defenders Defenders
Stephen Kelly Stephen Kelly
Paul McShane Play-offs
Sean St Ledger Injured in squad training
Alex Bruce Alex Bruce
Derek Geary Injured
Joseph O’Cearuill Joseph O’Cearuill
John O’Shea Injured
Alan Bennett
Peter Murphy
Stephen O’Halloran
Midfielders Midfielders
Kevin Kilbane Kevin Kilbane
Darren Potter Darren Potter
Stephen Ireland Family commitments
Stephen Hunt Stephen Hunt
Alan O’Brien Alan O’Brien
Liam Miller Family commitments
Stephen Gleeson
Joe Gamble
Strikers Strikers
Kevin Doyle Kevin Doyle
Shane Long Shane Long
Caleb Folan Injured
Daryl Murphy Daryl Murphy
Stephen Elliott Family commitments
Anthony Stokes Anthony Stokes
Andy Keogh Andy Keogh
Joe Lapira
Ireland played Ecuador on May 23rd, 2007: http://www.independent.ie/breaking-n...ly-683785.htmlQuote:
Originally Posted by Mouthpiece
According to the Toronto's MLS records from 2007 - http://web.mlsnet.com/schedule/resul...t280&year=2007 - O'Brien played a day later in a friendly against Benfica - http://web.mlsnet.com/news/team_news....jsp&team=t280
He only missed one of the next six games, or at least he's not mentioned in the match report.
Off The Ball on NewsTalk contacted the club to speak to him, and he said he'd only talk to them if they didn't ask about him not wanting to join the Ireland team. Which was obviously what they wanted to talk to him about, so the interview never took place.
Incidently potential world superstar Joe Lapira is currently plying his trade for Nybergsund I.L in the Norwegian Adeccoligaen which is the 1st Division in Norway, the league below the Premier Division...............glad to see he's moved on to bigger and better things then!:rolleyes:
While he never should have been capped, I think you're being a bit harsh on him.Quote:
Originally Posted by rambler14
He's scored 7 goals in 23 matches in a foreign country, albeit at the second tier.
If he had come over from America and got that kind of tally in League 1 or 2 at age 22, we'd probably be hopeful that he could be a decent player in the future.
I may be laughed out of it, but if this guy continues to progress, he could be an option for us in his mid-late 20s.
I think u may be right:DQuote:
Originally Posted by irishfan86
if we're losing 3-0, we're hardly contorlling the game???Quote:
Originally Posted by eirebhoy
He simply wasn't good enough for the League of Ireland, despite his two international caps. Played about 10 games for Pats, being the worst player on the park in every single one of themQuote:
Originally Posted by Ciaran
Proof, if it was ever needed, that the League of Ireland is better than the Irish national side :p
I really thought after that tour that Potter would kick on to be a really good player. I suppose with late bloomers like Andrews and Kinsella before him there might be still hope but unlikely unless he has the desire
If you haven't actually seen him play for his new team I don't think you can draw any conclusions....he's still young enough that he can make an impact and given our limited pool of players we can't really afford to be writing anyone offQuote:
Originally Posted by rambler14
Quote:
Originally Posted by Razors left peg
same here Razor, I had been touting him for a while ever since seeing him play for the u21s a few times (outshining his then midfield partner Glenn Whelan might I add)....he seems to have faded into obscurity unfortunately and there have been rumours about his bad attitude which can't have helped things. Where is he these days? Still rotting in Wolves reserves?
on-loan with Sheff Wed, playing alongside James O'Connor if i remember correctly...