As I said in the other thread, he hasn't called him up. He asked a few American based players to train with the squad.
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As I said in the other thread, he hasn't called him up. He asked a few American based players to train with the squad.
There's certainly a disappointing number citing "personal of family commitments".
I'd love to know exactly what these are.
I think some of those who pulled out have failed to recognise two blindingly obvious things:
(1) their place is by no means safe so this is a chance to impress and at least, when there's any doubt, to benefit from the Kilbane-like "he deserves his place because of his attitude" effect, and
(2) it'll actually be to their benefit if players like Keogh, Murphy, Doyle or whoever emerge with credit from this tour, and by not being there they're minimising the chances of the rookies performing to their best. It's a very short term approach in my mind.
Would they have been so quick to pull out if it was a boozy session in La Manga?
Emmet Malone commented over the weekend on Mick McCarthy turning down being best man at his brother's wedding to play in a similar tournament.
you don't really believe this do you?
it is absolutely inconceivable that the next squad to be announced, and indeed the next starting xi, won't include given, finnan, dunne, keane etc. even the less established players who have chosen not to travel, like miller, ireland will be in the next squad. staunton patently wouldn't have the guts to drop them, and it would be sheer lunacy to do so anyway. his own lackadaisical attitude to the tour means he cannot read the riot act to anyone who, knowing their place is secure, couldn't be arsed travelling.
Obviously those going out wont get straight into the team for next qualifier but a good performance can help them move up the ranking and defintely those that arent guaranteed a place in the team that passed up the chance to go on the tour arent doing their place in the squad any favours.
Yeah it's only really the squad places up for grabs but I don't see why they're not important. We're never going to have 11 fit first team players. The only player that can really earn a first team place from this is Hunt and he would have probably started the qualifiers anyway.
I forget the details but wasn't there a story when Mick McCarthy was called up to the team to play in China, he had no second thoughts, missed his own wedding :) or something.
I think we need to get T-shirts made up:
I PULLED OUT OF THE US TOUR
wear them to the games in the Autumn. :D
Is Ronnie O'Brien actually part of the squad?
Can he play?
Ecuador team if anyone cares:
Marcelo Elizaga; Jairo Montaño, Carlos Castro, Jairo Campos, Óscar Bagui; Luis Caicedo, Patricio Urrutia, David Quiroz, Walter Ayoví; Jaime Iván Kaviedes, Cristian Benítez.
According to the news bulletin on RTE 2, Kilbane and Potter will start in central midfield, and Colin Doyle will definitely earn his first cap, but didn't say if he'll start or not
Don't rate Potter. That midfield looks exceptionally dodgy though I suppose Stan has the excuse of having a serious lack of resources so we'll let it go this time (he should have brought and played Garvan though who is a far, far better player than Potter so again he's not entirely blameless).