Best breakthrough player of 2005...

IMO there are 3 candidates:

In no particular order...

Pat McCourt: Shamrock Rovers & Derry City
John-Paul Kelly: Bohemians
Andrei Georgescu: Bray Wanderers

McCourt seems to be a real fancy dan on closer inspection. His loses possession trying to do too much, and I believe that him losing possession resulted in both Bohs goals last week? At least one of them. He is a great talent though and a great signing by Stephen Kenny. Of my three candidates he has certainly made the biggest splash.

Joxer is an absolute gem. He is a fool for giving up on such a high level of football in Britain when he was wanted so badly, and if he curbs his temper he could develop into a class of player rarely seen in Ireland.

Andrei Georgescu I have only seen twice, but he looks like an absolute class act. Could be a real star of the league at a bigger club.

Gary Dicker? Steven Hurley?

Joxer and McCourt are great players. As someone who sees Franco week in, week out, I think he's a really good player but not one of the best breakthrough players. He doesn't know when to pass and he's not consistent enough. He does have amazing ability though.

I'd say Stephen Hurley is also up there, a Wicklowman himself. I can't think of any other players that have made a great impact but the Dundalk left back, Grimes(?), does seem very good for a seventeen year old. It's scary though that he's my age and playing First Division football.

Not sure if he fits your definition of 'breakthrough player' but Mark Farren must be close to most improved.

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Originally Posted by Schumi

Not sure if he fits your definition of 'breakthrough player' but Mark Farren must be close to most improved.

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I think Farren is most improved at top level but is not new to the league so doesn't qualify.

I would add Roy O'Donovan to the list. U21 International, Scored away in Europe & injured Heary to make league more intersting this season.

;)

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Originally Posted by pete

& injured Heary to make league more intersting this season.

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Cos that makes a great player. :rolleyes: :(

If someone were to say Dan O'Connor was the best player cos he almost broke O'Donovan's neck, there'd be hell to pay.

Roy O'Donovan at Cork City
Gary Dicker at UCD
Pat McCourt at Derry

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Originally Posted by superfrank

Cos that makes a great player. :rolleyes: :(
If someone were to say Dan O'Connor was the best player cos he almost broke O'Donovan's neck, there'd be hell to pay.

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It was a joke. I've rarely seen O'Donovan hack a player down as more often then not he just doesn't pull out of tackle & as likely to injure himself as anyone. He is young & first season of senior football & aggressive in good way - its that play that allowed him brush aside Arsenals Clichy in U21 International.

Darren quigley and maybe stephan bradley could be up there

Quigley played for us last year so probably doesn't count for this.

It depends on your criteria. Quigley has half a season behind him from last season and Dicker a handful of appearances. Both have now gotten themselves U-19 and U-21 callups. Hurley however has never made a first team appearance prior to this season.

O'Donovan
Dicker
McCourt

in that order

Hasn't McCourt fizzled out since his move to Derry? It seems like they're employing him as a supersub as opposed to being superstar as Shamrock Rovers.

Barry Murphy
Pat McCourt
O' Donovan

In that order with Murphy streets ahead of anyone else.

Murphy is the lad who filled the void of goalkeeper left since Russel Payne started playing for you right? ;) How old is he?

20 years old afaik and right through the ranks...

To quote a barstooler but ex-Rovers match going friend after the win in Bray:

"He's the best keeper they've had since Milltown"

I don't know whether I'd go that far now...Jodi Byrne and Alan O'Neill would be in front of him, but give him a few years.... :)

biased but .. certainly in the first division either liam burns or faz kudozovic

Robbie Kelleher (Limerick)
McCourt (Derry)
O'Hara (Sligo Rvs)

From what I've heard, Kupono Low is a good player.

Gotta be Dicker anyway