Joey O'Brien

It's hard to evaluate the strength of our player pool on their standing and numbers within the EPL, due to the fact that the top-flight in England has become so money-driven and multi-national.

At the moment, QPR are bottom of the league, despite having a squad composed of 18 different nationalities, over 20 capped international players, and several Champions League winners. In 2001, Ipswich qualified for Europe in 5th place with an almost exclusively home-grown line-up, many of whom had never even played top-flight football before. Leeds challenged for the title that season with a predominantly British/Irish starting line-up, including Harte, Kelly and McPhail. We had some very ordinary players playing regular EPL football at the turn of the century, like Barry Quinn, Jason Gavin, Gareth Whalley, Dominic Foley, and others. Things have definitely changed since the deluge of foreign investors rolled into the league post-Abramovich. It's always been pretty difficult for Irish players to get regular first-team football in the top-tier, it's twice as hard now. A lot depends on luck, i.e. getting promoted at the right time, like Whelan, O'Brien and Hoolahan.

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Originally Posted by Colbert Report

Those were the glory days, alright. Sadly I think we're going the way of the North. Without a proper domestic league of our own to develop players, we're going to wind up with a squad full of League 1 and Championship players, with the odd standout playing in the Premiership. Heck, we're almost there now when you look at our team. We've only five or maybe six players that are Premiership standard players.

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I think the problem is not so much the lack of a proper domestic league but the increased internationalisation of the Premier League.
I mean even England suffers form that, they certainly have far fewer players playing in the top flight than they used to.
I am not even sure if do not have more Irish playing in the PL than in the past, however that might be because I was not as aware of all the Irish players playing in it in the past.
I am pretty sure we had to draw on Championship players in the past??

[edit] Only just read Supreme Feet's post after I posted. Same sentiments basically.

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Originally Posted by Supreme feet

It's hard to evaluate the strength of our player pool on their standing and numbers within the EPL, due to the fact that the top-flight in England has become so money-driven and multi-national.

At the moment, QPR are bottom of the league, despite having a squad composed of 18 different nationalities, over 20 capped international players, and several Champions League winners. In 2001, Ipswich qualified for Europe in 5th place with an almost exclusively home-grown line-up, many of whom had never even played top-flight football before. Leeds challenged for the title that season with a predominantly British/Irish starting line-up, including Harte, Kelly and McPhail. We had some very ordinary players playing regular EPL football at the turn of the century, like Barry Quinn, Jason Gavin, Gareth Whalley, Dominic Foley, and others. Things have definitely changed since the deluge of foreign investors rolled into the league post-Abramovich. It's always been pretty difficult for Irish players to get regular first-team football in the top-tier, it's twice as hard now. A lot depends on luck, i.e. getting promoted at the right time, like Whelan, O'Brien and Hoolahan.

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Agree totally. However, the key from our perspective is how do react to this. It would seem to me that we've done very little, just relying on Championship and SPL clubs to flog our players to instead.

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Originally Posted by tricky_colour

I am pretty sure we had to draw on Championship players in the past?

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Yes, but we didn't have such delusions of grandeur in the past!

O'Brien played the full 90 minutes for West Ham today as they beat Chelsea 3-1 at home.

Sigh him up Trap!!
He's in a top 8 team!!!

Was "terrorising" the Liverpool defence according to bbc text updates... Currently 2-2

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Originally Posted by SkStu

Was "terrorising" the Liverpool defence according to bbc text updates... Currently 2-2

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Would certainly prefer him to Kelly in the squad for the reserve right-back/utility defender role. He's played all three defensive positions competently this season, while Kelly - who, in my opinion, is less comfortable than O'Brien on the ball - has been stuck on the Fulham bench.

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Originally Posted by Supreme feet

Would certainly prefer him to Kelly in the squad for the reserve right-back/utility defender role. He's played all three defensive positions competently this season, while Kelly - who, in my opinion, is less comfortable than O'Brien on the ball - has been stuck on the Fulham bench.

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I agree. At 26, time is on his side and it's great to see him getting such a strong run of Premier League football.

Again, Trap likes the continuity of calling on players like McShane and Delaney regularly, but O'Brien seems to be a far better quality alternative to both.

I'm looking forward to him getting a chance with Ireland. I think it will come. He's solid.

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Originally Posted by SkStu

Was "terrorising" the Liverpool defence according to bbc text updates... Currently 2-2

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Bombing up the wing presumably.

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Originally Posted by Supreme feet

Would certainly prefer him to Kelly in the squad for the reserve right-back/utility defender role. He's played all three defensive positions competently this season, while Kelly - who, in my opinion, is less comfortable than O'Brien on the ball - has been stuck on the Fulham bench.

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Definitely nudging ahead for that spot at present.. His early days as a midfielder at Bolton mean he is happy to have the ball, vital in a FB these days. Kelly is much less comfortable on it and using it.

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Originally Posted by SkStu

Was "terrorising" the Liverpool defence according to bbc text updates... Currently 2-2

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While sleeping as Joe Cole of all players nipped in to make it 2-2!

O'Brien with a goal so far against Norwich. A nice sort of triangle passing move all on the left side of the Norwich box with O'Brien finding Noble, who found Cole right in front of goal but heavily marked, Cole laid it off to O'Brien whose shot went in low at the near post.

Think this will be 4 defeats on the trot for Norwich, but from some tough games.
A lot of big decisions have gone against them, including two penalty decisions.

Signed a three-and-a-half year deal: http://www.espn.co.uk/football/sport/story/188050.html

Fair play to him. His career was over not too long ago!

I still can't believe he's only 26. He's got 4 years of his peak to play and a return to midfield may occur if things go well enough. He definitely has a lot to offer Ireland, I hope Trap realizes. It's easy to constantly hark back to Paul McShane but his dwelling on the Hull bench should make this decision far easier for Trap. Stephen Kelly being likely to attain regular Premier League games with Reading (for now anyway) is another plus to the full-back positions, which should be further re-enforced by a timely recovery from Marc Wilson.

...Now to sort out centre-half!

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Originally Posted by Olé Olé

...Now to sort out centre-half!

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Joey O'Brien !? :)

O'Brien could be a serious option at left back. He is playing well again and deserves a shot at the squad. I really hope he can at least replace McShane as the utility defender in the squad.

Very rough match for O'Brien (and the whole West Ham backline) so far today, has really struggled with Walcott.