Ireland the New Brazil?

i actually think he's decent on the right. he did very well there against sweden.

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Originally Posted by Shelsman

Aren't we Irish Sports Fans????? Maybe you meant fans of ( indigenous ) Irish Sport. I would've thought we have a right as Irish Soccer fans to enjoy good times too? Surely it's a good thing for kids to have a choice of what sport they play, and many play more than one sport up until their mid-teens. I went to a GaelScoil and I was no-good at GAA, if we had a soccer team I might have taken to that -I'll never know at this stage anyway but it would have been nice to have a choice! ( I know some of you will say that there are local teams etc etc but they were very limited in availability when I was a young fellah ).

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spot on. I played GAA first before soccer. Started off with hurling before moving to Gaelic football. I had problems (even tho i was young) with how our local GAA club functioned. So I quit it and moved to soccer which i played for over 10 continous years. If it wasnt for soccer I'd have played nothing, more than likely have got into trouble and not met alot of very good friends. I was def happy for having the choice. It's better that kids have a choice. I would never see a kid moving from GAA to soccer as a bad thing for Irish sport. Alot of current stars of codes like rugby and soccer started off with GAA and moved to different sports.

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Originally Posted by youngirish

With O'Donovan attracting bids from the higher tiers of football across the water we are starting to look like we could well have nearly 20 strikers playing regularly in the top two divisions in England next year. Considering traditionally our forward line has been one of the weaker parts of the team this seems to represent a significant change in how our young players are developing and how they see themselves as footballers.

Take into account we've only about 2 centre backs getting regular football in the same two divisions (a position we have historically been very strong in) then it looks to me that we are going to end up to be quite lean at the back but top heavy at the front in the near future.

All the following Irish strikers are, or have been until recently, getting regular football for their teams in the higher two tiers of English football:

Keane, Doyle, Long, Connolly, Folan, Murphy, Elliot, Stokes, Ward, Keogh, Lee, Clarke, Rooney, Best, Byrne, Morrison, Foran.

Add to that lot Roy O'Donovan and Cillian Sheridan at Celtic and our forward line looks like it could have an unparralleled level of depth in a season or two.

The future looks good (at least in an attacking sense). Now does anyone know of any good defenders with an Irish granny (as Steve Claridge would say)? Roll on 2010.

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Most of these players will never make it in the premiership and you've already got them playing for Brazil!!!:rolleyes:

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Originally Posted by Condex

Most of these players will never make it in the premiership and you've already got them playing for Brazil!!!:rolleyes:

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What? Are you saying that Richie Foran isn't as good as Ronaldinho?

Obviously my analogy (which I described earlier) was lost on some. Yeah I actually really do believe all those players are good enough for Brazil :rolleyes:.

Where has Liam Lawrence gone? Is he one of the few (Sean McCarthy and Paul Byrne also) that came sat on the bench once and we never saw them again?

Shipped out to Stoke by Keano

Stoke probably signals the end of his international prospects. He was being watched by Everton at one stage. Anyone else know of any 'no-cap wonders' that came sat on the bench, but didn't get any action?

Richie Partridge was on the bench away to Greece, Don Givens' only game in charge.

Yeh, forgot him. Wesley Hoolahan was there if I remember correctly! Might be wrong though!

So we have:


Paul Byrne (v Russia 1994)
Sean McCarthy (v Russia 1994)
Brendan Murphy (v Wales 1997)
Richie Partridge (v Greece 2000)
Wesley Hoolahan (v Greece 2000)?

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Originally Posted by youngirish

With O'Donovan attracting bids from the higher tiers of football across the water we are starting to look like we could well have nearly 20 strikers playing regularly in the top two divisions in England next year. Considering traditionally our forward line has been one of the weaker parts of the team this seems to represent a significant change in how our young players are developing and how they see themselves as footballers.

Take into account we've only about 2 centre backs getting regular football in the same two divisions (a position we have historically been very strong in) then it looks to me that we are going to end up to be quite lean at the back but top heavy at the front in the near future.

All the following Irish strikers are, or have been until recently, getting regular football for their teams in the higher two tiers of English football:

Keane, Doyle, Long, Connolly, Folan, Murphy, Elliot, Stokes, Ward, Keogh, Lee, Clarke, Rooney, Best, Byrne, Morrison, Foran.

Add to that lot Roy O'Donovan and Cillian Sheridan at Celtic and our forward line looks like it could have an unparralleled level of depth in a season or two.

The future looks good (at least in an attacking sense). Now does anyone know of any good defenders with an Irish granny (as Steve Claridge would say)? Roll on 2010.

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You foget two other Irish Brazileros - Macken at Derby and Walters at Ipswich.

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Originally Posted by KopKiller

Definately. The days of having to wheel Gary Doherty on for the last 10 mins if we are a goal down are gone forever.

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Don't knock the time-honoured tactic of hoofing long balls up to the big man. I seem to remember the Ginger Pele getting a couple of vital goals for us in that fashion. And remember Quinn against Germany and Spain in our last world cup... Even Mourinho resorted having Chelsea, with all their myriad riches, hoof balls to Huth playing as an improvised target man, if memory serves.

I think the point is that we don't have to resort to lumping balls to the big man up front anymore, whereas under Kerr at times it seemed to be the only resort

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Originally Posted by Irish_Praha

Getting back to CMF we don't even have a decent starting CMF partnership, never mind cover. The Reids, J. O'Brien, Gibson, Garvan are all options but they are unproven in CMF at international level.

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Just wondering if Glenn Whelan deserves a look in the end of season friendlies. SWFC are doing well this season and I see he's been a pretty regular starter under the new manager. He scored at the weekend but I didn't see it.

Can Owls Fan or anyone comment on his form?

Whelan despite getting a huge amount of stick (mostly unfair) has being playing increasingly well for wednesday in that "water carrier" role. His major problem in my book is that his distribution lets him down at times. But he's gotten a few goals from midfield this season and a more whole hearted player you won't find.

Should be on the plane to America this summer to have a look at him. But then again there is a good chance that Staunton hasn't even heard of him

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Originally Posted by greatbleddyman

His major problem in my book is that his distribution lets him down at times.

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..which is a pity as it's potentially his greatest strength.

Whelan can score some cracking goals but he's not what we (Ireland) need, namely a midfielder who can hold the ball without giving it away cheaply. Glenn just gives the ball away far to often to make it to the top of his profession. A good Championship player who gives it 100% and has a great touch on occasions but alas lacks consistency even though, according to Wikipedia (which of course could have been written by his mother :D ) in "an interview to the Irish press former Manchester United legend Roy Keane touted Glenn Whelan as player who will fill his shoes."

who were these guys...........
Paul Byrne (v Russia 1994)
Sean McCarthy (v Russia 1994)
Brendan Murphy (v Wales 1997)

If I am not mistaken that 1994 game against Russia was Mick Mc's first game in charge. Don't remember the players though.

March '96 I think the Russia game was.

Paul Byrne was a much talked about player from Tallaght at Celtic (under Brady) whose moment of glory came scoring a lovely volley to equalise against Rangers live on SKY. He did sod all else at Celtic though and had weight problems and I think he was generally regarded as a lazy git. Played for Bohs when he returned to Ireland I think, but not sure.

Brendan Murphy was a tall but slow and ultimately very limited forward for UCD who moved to Rovers with Keith Dignam before they left Milltown, towards the end of Rovers' 5 in a row in the 80s. I presume that's the same guy.

Can't remember Sean McCarthy.

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Originally Posted by Stuttgart88

March '96 I think the Russia game was.

Paul Byrne was a much talked about player from Tallaght at Celtic (under Brady) whose moment of glory came scoring a lovely volley to equalise against Rangers live on SKY. He did sod all else at Celtic though and had weight problems and I think he was generally regarded as a lazy git. Played for Bohs when he returned to Ireland I think, but not sure.

Brendan Murphy was a tall but slow and ultimately very limited forward for UCD who moved to Rovers with Keith Dignam before they left Milltown, towards the end of Rovers' 5 in a row in the 80s. I presume that's the same guy.

Can't remember Sean McCarthy.

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Former Oldham player in the late 80's/ early 90's I think....