How was St. Ledger eligible to play for them? Wasn't his grandfather from Carlow?
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How was St. Ledger eligible to play for them? Wasn't his grandfather from Carlow?
Carlow is in Northern Ireland silly. Ask anyone born in Birmingham ;-)
No, unused sub.Quote:
Originally Posted by paul_oshea
Kerr was a staunch critic of St Ledger's call up.
St Ledger's (infinite) heart for Ireland didn't include having an Irish passport until it was delivered at express speed after Staunton included him in the squad v Germany.
Kerr had no such qualms about calling up England U20 cap Jon MackenQuote:
Originally Posted by geysir
Lolz! What does the doc have to say about that?Quote:
Originally Posted by geysir
Recently moved to Carlow and there is indeed a few St. Ledger's down in BagenalstownQuote:
Originally Posted by DannyInvincible
Quote:
Originally Posted by geysir
Is this the same Kerr, that was pushing for SSL to be called into the under age set up?
It's all academic now, as he's done pretty well for us in the games he's played.
I'm sure you all were celebrating the goals he scored?
How soon ye all forget!
I know my footie, I deal in facts not fiction like others on here!
I presume you have evidence to back this up?Quote:
Originally Posted by the doc
And no, hearsay and conjecture are not kinds of evidence
If so, and you knew of Ireland's interest, why the wait to get an Irish passport?Quote:
Originally Posted by the doc
So to sum up, your preference is for 100% committed players but you'll celebrate players less than 100% committed that do pretty well (subjective) and score goals?Quote:
Originally Posted by the doc
Your insight is invaluable.Quote:
Originally Posted by the doc
Of course we were. Nobody's forgetting your goals and performances, Sean. They were much appreciated.Quote:
Originally Posted by the doc
We're just laughing at the bull you spout on here from time to time. It's a little less appreciated, although still amusing, I'll grant you that.
Paul McGrath has joined beanbagsports.com and in his first blog gives his opinion on Villa, Grealish, Keane and Ireland: https://beanbagsports.com/#/news/219...ight-for-villa
Going by the club's twitter account, Grealish ran the show today for the U21s against Bolton, hitting the bar and having a handful of other chances. Shay Given and Kevin Toner also played, but Graham Burke wasn't in the matchday squad.
https://twitter.com/AVFCOfficial
Did you see Kerr on Soccer Republic the other week discussing that? Sounded like he regretted it to me. Basically said he did it out of desperation but wasn't happy with Mackens committment, or words to that effect. Some players will perform well in the green shirt and give their all, because basically they are good professionals. Andy Townsend was a prime example. Doesn't make them Irish though. I know many people disagree and feel that if its in FIFAs rules then it's fair game, beggars can't be choosers etc etc. Wouldn't be my view.Quote:
Originally Posted by tetsujin1979
I generally like Kerr - thought he got a raw deal from the FAI - but it's much easier to claim the moral high-ground when not in charge and sniping from the sidelines. I find it difficult to reconcile some of his earlier actions with his later axe-grinding. He happily selected Belfast-born Ger Crossley when he was in charge of the national team, for example, but later criticised the FAI for facilitating and selecting northern-born players in recent years.
What would make these players you mention authentically Irish, in your view? Townsend was exceptionally touched to captain us at USA '94. See the interview below:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dq_Av65L4R0
SvD stated a few weeks back that he was actually crying in studio after we were knocked out of the 2002 World Cup. (At least, I don't think SvD was joking.) Sure, he was supporting England against us in 1988, but in tandem with the professionalism you mention, there is/was obviously some sense of Irish pride and sentiment there.
One thing I noticed though was "to lead the team out", he didn't say "to lead my country out", mind youQuote:
Originally Posted by DannyInvincible
Wayne Rooney might say the same about England, lol probably not the best example there, but John
Terry might have said the same thing, But anyway for a player with mixed nationality/eligibility the
phrase "my country" is not one that describes their nationality accurately, it is more complex than that
for them.
There are even people who do not live in Manchester who support Man United :)
Amazing comment to be fair. Let's get the microscopes out and start examining our respective DNA levels, and maybe we can come up with who's really Irish and who is not.Quote:
Originally Posted by TonyD
Bottom line my friend is this: Andy Townsend was, and is, a credit to Ireland, and he like a multitude of others deserve mountains of credit for opting to play for the country of their forefathers when surely they took plenty of stick from those around them. It would have been far easier for them to take the easy option and not have to deal with the flak.
Ireland is not refined to the land mass west of Britain. It is spread across the world in places like America, Australia, Canada and almost every country in between.
Just a question for you: "If say, Paul McGrath's, David O'Leary's or Liam Brady's son (born in England) wanted to pull on the green shirt - you would deny them the chance?
And then, to follow your logic, you would accept the son of say someone from a far flung land whose mother arrived in Ireland just in time to give birth?
Strange logic.
Pretty sure I can remember that - it went back to the ITV studio after the peno shoot out and the itv presenter (gabby yorath i think) asked andy to comment on Ireland losing the shootout - andy started to say the better team lost and just had this gutted look on his face and basically said something to the effect that he needed a moment due to his dissappointment for the team and that ireland were out...which the presenter quickly acknowledged and gave him a few moments and directed questions at the other analystQuote:
Originally Posted by DannyInvincible
Im about 80% the above happened and that it wasnt some strange Andy Townsend crossover in one of my many Gabby Yorath dreams :D
MOL to the rescue for MON:
http://www.independent.ie/sport/socc...-30626792.html
I don't understand the diaspora argument really. A liberal estimate of 10-15% of foreign born players declare for Ireland because it's their first choice, if that.
And since the late 90's, a miniscule amount of foreign born players outside of McGeady & McCarthy (and they shouldn't be lumped in with people like Green & Cox) have actually proven any better than Irish born players.
Look at Anthony Pilkington. Hyped up like David Beckham, makes miniscule impact and is currently back playing the Championship. Now it's Will Buckley. Rinse repeat for the next flavour of the week.
Whatever about Townsend's era but the likes of Richard Stearman and Will Buckley aren't our lord and saviors. England have a well-publicised talent drain. If a player doesn't have a hope of playing for them what difference are they going to make to us?
I don't have much of a problem with young lads at U-19 and under who make a decision and stick with it but even then there is the rigmarole of changing allegiances if they are talented enough.
On the plus side, Pilkington is no longer out of favour.
Who is suggesting those named players are our lords and saviours? Who hyped up Pilkington to be David Beckham?
I think Pilkington is a useful addition to the squad and we may see more of him. I think Buckley could be a useful squad addition. Note choice of words: "useful" and "squad".
Pilkington - so in favour that Norwich rathered that he didn't come to the stadium on match days as part of squads during the second half of last season before (surprise, surprise) being sold to Cardiff. "He won't go there."Quote:
Originally Posted by Charlie Darwin
I wouldn't go down the route of reporting message board gossip as fact.
What's the "diaspora argument" exactly?Quote:
Originally Posted by TheOneWhoKnocks
Why do you have it in for Green and Cox? Did McCarthy have a "first choice"?Quote:
And since the late 90's, a miniscule amount of foreign born players outside of McGeady & McCarthy (and they shouldn't be lumped in with people like Green & Cox) have actually proven any better than Irish born players.
Eh? But what if he can make a difference? We should automatically ignore him because England never declared an interest? Why would the fact that a player isn't desired by the FA necessarily mean he can't prove a useful addition to our squad? Isn't St. Ledger a good example of an England-born player who's proved useful from recent times? Nobody's forcing us to select England-born players, nor are England-born players being selected for the sake of it and at the expense of better Ireland-born players; they'll be selected if they're eligible, willing and good enough to make a difference to the squad.Quote:
If a player doesn't have a hope of playing for them what difference are they going to make to us?
O'Leary has offered him free flights if he declares for us.
............ no hope now I guess.
Free flight yes, but has to pay for check-in bag, seat, priority boarding, credit card surcharge, glass of water, etc etc.Quote:
Originally Posted by Paddy Garcia
Lolz.
you have until the end of the day to find proof he was offered a chance - direct quotes from the player or manager - or you can have a day off to think about what you've doneQuote:
Originally Posted by the doc
Didn't Grealish actually say O'Neill didn't ask him to come along to the senior squad? Grealish said that he really appreciated the lack of pressure and that he appreciated how O'Neill respected the situation.
?Quote:
Originally Posted by tetsujin1979
Get real!
When was it again that you got your passport sorted to play for Ireland, Sean?Quote:
Originally Posted by the doc
You've been reading too many fairy tales......Quote:
Originally Posted by Stuttgart88
And they all lived happily together again!
Sean?
Wrong!
I was born in Ireland!
OK, I'll play along... So when was it that Sean St. Ledger got his passport sorted to play for Ireland?Quote:
Originally Posted by the doc
I know my football and Sean St Ledger is no Jack Grealish, that's for sure!Quote:
Originally Posted by DannyInvincible
Have you seen Jacko play much?Quote:
Originally Posted by Predator
No doubt you will be cheering him on for England in the future.
Grealo = Much ado about nothing, another Daniel Nardiello, he will fade away quicker than a cheap T Shirt!
Lambo's only talking him up to divert attention away from his dreadful Villa team.
Every source I have read has stated that he turned down an invite to link up with the squad.Quote:
Originally Posted by Stuttgart88
http://www.independent.ie/sport/socc...-30578518.html
Grealish saying he and his dad wouldn't have appreciated O'Neill putting him on the spot, and he didn't so it was all fine and dandy and they respected O'Neill for that.
There's another quote from Grealish subsequent to the one above which suggests that O'Neill didn't formally invite him to join up and that O'Neill was very softly softly. I guess it's a question of semantics really. What's a formal invitation versus an informal one Blah blah blah? That's enough out there to suit any viewpoint if you want it to.
I'll see if I can dig up the subsequent quote.
Sounded to me as if O'Neill did broach the issue of him joining the senior squad but did so very softly softly.
There were no real quotes to support that Grealish would have been called up to that squad, except what one would infer from what both (Grealish and O'Neill) were stressing afterwards, namely the need for Grealish to take his time about senior intl commitments.