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McDonnell been covering eL for the Star and others in recent years, and was one of the men behind HospitalPass and the founder of OrielWeb. Does the eL hour on Newstalk- hes the sensible one. He edited the UCD campus newspaper for a year too!Quote:
Originally Posted by Poor Student
Quote:
Originally Posted by OneRedArmy
That's because he's a journalist, not a columnist whose object is to give you their opinion on whatever floats their boat that week. It shouldn't matter who writes match reports - they should all just be a summary of the main incidents in the match. Tom Humphries hasn't written a proper article since his account of the Michelle de Bruin drug test (fantastically researched and well presented) - he's too concerned with his cigar-chumping sports editor jokes and moaning about the sorry state of Dublin hurling. His recent (last year or two) work smacks a bit of laziness to me - I get the feeling that he's trading on his name and nothing else these days.
Emmet Malone has got the height of praise on this forum from me, and I still think an NLSA award should be handed out every year to the journalist who does the most to promote Irish football.
You mean the boxing match (3, 3 minute rounds...) with Roddy.Quote:
Originally Posted by seand
Quote:
Originally Posted by seand
Was wondering was that the same Daniel McDonnell. Used to do the Hospital Pass Harps updates for the lads.
Good luck to you Daniel, good to see another true fans from days gone by popping up the the mainstream media. Now what ever happened to Mr Looney?
TG
Agree with most of that, though the distinction is that Malone is a (very competent) reporter, rather than a professional wind-bag. I have the highest regard for him, even though he had that lapse over Dalymount groundsharing.Quote:
Originally Posted by bigmac
And on the flip side we have this garbage from Philip Quinn in the Independent
http://www.unison.ie/sportsdesk/foot...=12&si=1679517
There have been many debates on the merits or otherwise of Devlin as a Manager/Advisor/Scout/"Pimp" but this doesn't even go near them and sticks with the barstooler refrain - "He's rubbish 'cos he didn't go to England". It's the same mentality that said Kerr was "out of his depth" because he'd only worked with kids (apparently Pats won a couple of leagues on a shoestring budget because the other managers felt sorry for him or something).Quote:
Ahead of Stuttgart, does Pat Devlin's experience in the eircom League qualify him to play a key role on Staunton's team?
Thursday August 31st 2006
STEVE STAUNTON'S right-hand man in the Gottlieb Daimler Stadium on Saturday night has never sat in the technical area for a competitive senior Irish international.
While Bobby Robson won 20 caps, and both played for, and managed, England in the World Cup finals, Pat Devlin, who won one Irish youth cap, has zero experience of the white hot heat that goes with being in soccer's supreme cauldron.
Robson won the English FA Cup and UEFA Cup with Ipswich Town, captured Dutch and Portuguese league titles with PSV Eindhoven and Porto, and also led Barcelona to Cup Winners' Cup and Spanish Cup glory.
Devlin won the FAI Cup twice with yo-yo club Bray Wanderers, managed the eircom League squad in 1996-97, and is best known for making a small fortune as Damien Duff's advisor.
Yet, in the absence of senior statesman Robson, recovering after a cancer operation, it is to the gnomic Devlin that Staunton will turn to for advice when the bullets are flying in Stuttgart on Saturday.
When the German panzer division, their World Cup bronze medals glistening under the Stuttgart spotlights, advance through the Irish trenches, Staunton will bend the ear of a manager used to fighting for crumbs at the foot of the eircom League.
The presence of the highly-respected Robson on Staunton's application swung the job vacancy the way of Ireland's most capped player; without Robson, Staunton's request would have carried little gravitas.
Yet now, with the ailing Robson unable to bring his immense experience, knowledge and acumen to the Stuttgart arena, Staunton will rely instead on a confidante, Devlin, more used to scrapping for points in St Mel's Park and Gortakeegan.
Threat
It's one thing working out how to curb the threat of Jason Byrne and Glen Crowe of Shelbourne; it's quite another eliminating the twin dangers of Miroslav Klose and Lukas Podolski.
When Robson fell ill and it became known that he would not be available for the Stuttgart assignment, Staunton could have sought senior counsel elsewhere, even on an interim basis. Kenny Dalglish, ironically a close friend of Devlin and linked with the Irish manager's job in the past, could have been approached.
Former Irish internationals John Aldridge and Joe Kinnear, proven club managers in England and, like Dalglish, currently unattached, would, almost certainly, have made their services available if asked.
Ron Atkinson, who discovered Sean St Ledger and was Staunton's manager at Aston Villa, could also have been considered as a temporary aide-de-camp.
Yet, Staunton in his wisdom, has decided against finding an interim replacement for Robson, preferring to rely on a clutch of international rookies in his backroom staff, of which Devlin has emerged as a key figure.
When Devlin was appointed in April his job specifications were that of international B manager and Eircom League co-ordinator.
Staunton explained at the time that Devlin's function would be to monitor the eircom League and report on potential international players. "My eyes and ears at home," he said.
Surprise
Some seasoned observers of the Irish club scene felt Devlin's appointment was something of a surprise.
For all his admirable work at keeping Bray alive, 'Devo' was regarded as a good club manager, if not a great one.
Yet, now, after 21 years in the relative backwater of League of Ireland management, during which time he gave service to his beloved Bray, Athlone Town and Drogheda United, the diminutive Dubliner finds himself, remarkably, as the man with the most managerial experience on the plane that departs Dublin Airport today.
In four short months, Devlin's responsibilities have taken a dramatic shift in emphasis and he has been catapulted into a position of power which his background might suggest he is not best equipped to handle.
As the Irish team played a friendly in Dublin yesterday against a home-based under-age side, Devlin rode shotgun to Staunton. Sancho Panza to Don Quixote.
Tomorrow night, as the Irish team go through their paces in Stuttgart, Devlin's Bray Wanderers will entertain Shelbourne at the Carlisle Grounds. Given his 20-year soccer CV in Ireland, it makes you wonder where his abilities are best suited.
Vorsprung durch technik, indeed.
Philip Quinn
Didn't this guy used to have a proper sportswriting gig (like lead soccer reporter) and now he's reduced to writing crap off the top of his head like this while Gerry McDermott gets to go and watch the games? I even think he claimed to be a Bohs fan at one point.
mcdermott is the equivilant of head lice.
with any luck he will be in accosted in stuttgart by german hoolie's who will use him as a rug .
Disgraceful article but well up there with the indo's line of slagging off anything to do with our league. I'm no lawyer but can Devlin sue for saying that he has made a small fortune from Duff?
And he wants Ron Atkinson on the Irish bench? Hope to see this clown in Stuttgart.
McDermott is an idiot too. For a dundalk native to complain about bad language at a Rovers game takes the biscuit, cake, meringue and flan.
KOH
God, that Quinn article was some heap of tripe wasn't it ? As Jerry the Saint pointed out this is exactly the type of mentality that turned on Brian Kerr. Rubbish from start to finish. Among other things, he doesn't even seem to know that Devlin is no longer in charge at Bray. And as for "German Panzer Division....advance through the Irish Trenches":rolleyes: God give me strength. The guy should be working for the Sun or one of the other English Tabloid rags. Is the Article accompanied by a picture of Staunton in a WW2 uniform by any chance ?
While i think the Indo sports writting in generally sh!te i have to agree that Devlin has no record worthy of international management.
Better than Stan's record anyway!Quote:
Originally Posted by pete
More credit where more due: Mirror's eL pullout today is a superb production and beats any of the so-called 'qualities' hands down.
He is stating fact when he says that Devo has made a small fortune from Duff so Im guessing any court action over such a statement would be thrown out before it got to the steps of the court.Quote:
Originally Posted by NY Hoop
I'd like to thank this guy for giving me a great laugh this afternoon.
whats the criteria for a soccer journalist? Know as little as possible about the sport?
I especially liked this The Sun-esque paragraph
"When the German panzer division, their World Cup bronze medals glistening under the Stuttgart spotlights, advance through the Irish trenches, Staunton will bend the ear of a manager used to fighting for crumbs at the foot of the eircom League."
I think Philip Quinn "retired" as a sports journalist after the 2002 World Cup because he was sick of the circus, and is now a sub-editor who writes the odd piece.
I do remember him being on "The Soccer Show" talking about the EL a lot.
Does the mirror do an eircom league pullout every friday?
Dunno, but good Catholics do!:DQuote:
Originally Posted by nshoop
*Sorry*
Taxi....
I think the Indo sports section has a lot of imported Herald journos now. Sure the Indo sports section event looks like a tabloid such is the layout.
The Times' sport section yesterday had zero eL coverage:(
Quinn's piece is valid. Devlin is a journeyman EL manager who has made a lot of money out of Duff. He's zero qualifications for the job unless his sole task is to sell Irish players to English clubs or win the FAI Cup.
On the other hand, Robson is a nice bloke who hasn't a clue at this level, despite dragging a dire England side to the last four in the worst World Cup ever, Italia 90.
Wheras Staunton has no experience of managing at any level.
Staunton+Robson+Devlin = failure. They're all ****e. The FAI-run league hasn't a chance.