Serious lack of Irish players starting in the Premiership

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Originally Posted by Lionel Ritchie

Jack Charlton took a squad to the world cup finals in 1994 who's only top flight striker was Tommy Coyne of Motherwell.

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Jack Charlton also brought us to 1988 and 1990 with a stronger squad of players. It was at this time that he was demanding top flight first team football from his squad.

By the time 94 came around we were on the wane. Football was changing and we suffered and continue to suffer from the problem that Carloz has highlighted.

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Originally Posted by Colbert Report

What an absolute garbage point to bring up. I'm watching Richard Dunne, Stephen Ireland, and Andy O'Brien play in a match live right now. They all started.

Given and Duff play tomorrow. Finnan plays in Spain and McGeady in Spain. Stephen Hunt and Kevin Doyle play in the Championship (for now). O'Shea came on as a sub for Manchester United yesterday. Glenn Whelan came on as a sub yesterday as well.

Given (tomorrow)
Finnan(Spain)-Dunne(started today)-O'Shea(sub yesterday)-Kilbane
McGeady(Scotland)-Whelan(sub)-Gibson/Carsley/Reid-Duff(plays tomorrow)
Keane(started)-Doyle(started and scored).

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Had to laugh at this response from the man that thinks Dave Mooney should be called up based on his Champ Manager stats!

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Originally Posted by Dr. Ogba

Had to laugh at this response from the man that thinks Dave Mooney should be called up based on his Champ Manager stats!

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It was FIFA.

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Originally Posted by Dr. Ogba

Had to laugh at this response from the man that thinks Dave Mooney should be called up based on his Champ Manager stats!

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There's nothing funny about that. I hear Staunton found it useful. :p

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Originally Posted by jmurphyc

There's nothing funny about that. I hear Staunton found it useful. :p

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For a country like Ireland its certainly useful. It has perhaps the largest database in the world of professional footballers and includes their second nationalities if they are aware of them. They have far superior research tools than the FAI. I see no problem with using it for this purpose, I doubt anyone would really look at the stats of individual players!

Big Jack was on the Gerry Ryan show a week or two ago, and he said that on one particular Saturday there were only 37 English players starting. Not sure which Saturday it was, but assuming there were the usual 8 games, that's an average of between 4 and 5 Englishmen playing for each team.

If this is the case for the English, it will obviously have a knock-on effect on the Irish.

BTW, I'd recommend that everyone read chapter 3 of Jamie Carragher's book for some very valid points on the 'foreigner debate'.

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Originally Posted by carloz

Only really realised this on Saturday. Of the 16 Premiership teams that played on that day, there was only 3 Irish players who started for their clubs.

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And to think after all the decades of servile, mindless devotions the Oirish "we", "us" crowd poured upon their West Brition identity crisis of consumer choice you would think they would have more respect for the Irish footballer. Afterall aren't Man U, Chelsea, Liverpool, Hull etc all Irish teams!

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Originally Posted by Colbert Report

It was FIFA.

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touché!

Okay can we all just accept the fact that our best players need to be playing at the highest level and everything, including Champions League results, points to the Premier League. We should be benefiting from our proximity.
If you want to argue about supporting Eircom League clubs, not supporting the British leagues etc, go to a different thread.
We are explicitly discussing the success of Irish players in the Premier League here as it directly affects our national teams ambitions as it does to a lot of other countries. Live with it.

So last weekend we had
Given(probably)
McShane-Dunne-A O'Brien-Delap
Ireland-Andrews-Duff(probably)
Keane
with
Stephen Reid and Liam Lawrence not considered.

Not bad in my eyes?
Scotland-1 starter(James Morrison)
Wales-7 starters(Myhill-Collins-Collison-Davies-Koumas-Bellamy-Evans)
N.Ireland-2 starters(Hughes-McCartney)

France only had 15 and 5 of those were at Arsenal

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Originally Posted by joe_denilson

Okay can we all just accept the fact that our best players need to be playing at the highest level and everything, including Champions League results, points to the Premier League. We should be benefiting from our proximity.
If you want to argue about supporting Eircom League clubs, not supporting the British leagues etc, go to a different thread.
We are explicitly discussing the success of Irish players in the Premier League here as it directly affects our national teams ambitions as it does to a lot of other countries. Live with it.

So last weekend we had
Given(probably)
McShane-Dunne-A O'Brien-Delap
Ireland-Andrews-Duff(probably)
Keane
with
Stephen Reid and Liam Lawrence not considered.

Not bad in my eyes?
Scotland-1 starter(James Morrison)
Wales-7 starters(Myhill-Collins-Collison-Davies-Koumas-Bellamy-Evans)
N.Ireland-2 starters(Hughes-McCartney)

France only had 15 and 5 of those were at Arsenal

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Well the France stat doesnt count as they have players in other leagues too... not least their own!

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Originally Posted by Razors left peg

Well the France stat doesnt count as they have players in other leagues too... not least their own!

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What I meant was France have 15 starters out of 33 in the Premiership
Ireland have 9 out of 30

But statistics can be skewed anyway you want to interpret them.
Carry on....

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Originally Posted by tricky_colour

The Premier League is full of overseas players these days, they have been replaced by foreigners.

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:rolleyes:

You do know that when Manchester and Tottenham etc put up the union jack each 2nd weekend its because they are British, not Irish?

Here is a link to show you that Ireland is a foreign country too if you are British:
http://www.studyabroad.com/content/menus/europe.gif

ah the nit picking brigade out in full again....any possibility that he was referring to players overseas from England y'know given the fact that the Prem is in England and all....

Jeez some people have noting better to do....

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Originally Posted by Dr. Ogba

ah the nit picking brigade out in full again....any possibility that he was referring to players overseas from England y'know given the fact that the Prem is in England and all....

Jeez some people have noting better to do....

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Ah just as well there isn't any seas between us and England then

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Originally Posted by Dr. Ogba

ah the nit picking brigade out in full again....any possibility that he was referring to players overseas from England y'know given the fact that the Prem is in England and all....

Jeez some people have noting better to do....

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Emmm Ireland is not joined to England, to the UK maybe so Ireland is also overseas from England/Britain.

I think the influence of the British media here has got people's minds in a pickle. It can happen easily.

Its an unforgivable mistake really

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Originally Posted by finnpark

Emmm Ireland is not joined to England, to the UK maybe so Ireland is also overseas from England/Britain.

I think the influence of the British media here has got people's minds in a pickle. It can happen easily.

Its an unforgivable mistake really

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wow. thanks. for. that.

jaysus do yez not get sick of regurgitating the same old argument over and over again especially to people on this board, most of whom support the Irish national team ahead of any prem team anyway....

On a slightly more positive note, the performances of Hull, Stoke and WBA have proved that the gap between premiership and lower divisions is closing. We have plenty of players at championship level and if the likes of these teams can beat Arsenal, maybe we shouldnt be discounting the players we have at championship level.