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Don't think Roughan's ready from what I've seen of him. At least as of a few months ago anyway. Garcia a possibility alright, albeit I don't watch the Eredivisie so guessing a bit there, but we are desperately stuck at left back. If we had a competitive game in March who would play the position? So there isn't much to lose in trying AGM in a friendly.
Ryan Manning must likely. New manager might also see Doherty as someone to play on the left if Coleman is fit and available. Flat back four with Liam Scales or Dara O'Shea filling in at LB. It's a problem position for us alright.
Considering his background, it is no surprise that Niall is/was an ROI fan.Quote:
Originally Posted by Eirambler
But there's not a single NI fan holds that agin him (sorry), both because he's always been honest about it, but more importantly because he's always given 100% for the team and always turned up, even when he wasn't getting games.
Top man, and NI legend!
https://youtu.be/y3vtftFgAog?t=20
Appreciate the sentiment, but there's no "probably" about it - Conor is the Real Deal. :good:Quote:
Originally Posted by Eirambler
He is the real deal and I think he'll get into the frame there. He plays with the fearlessness and ambition that Andy Robertson does in Klopp's Liverpool team.
Presumably whoever sent him the bullet in the post that time held it against him!Quote:
Originally Posted by EalingGreen
It is interesting that him openly holding that viewpoint has been tolerated in the main though. I'd say if Josh Cullen or Will Smallbone played for us in a hammering by England and turned around afterwards and said they were happy enough with the outcome and their highlight was getting Harry Kane's jersey that would probably signal the end of their international career.
And if you know who that was, may I assume that you have informed the Gardai/PSNI?Quote:
Originally Posted by Eirambler
Unless, of course, you don't know...
"Tolerated in the main" doesn't even come close - he's one of the most popular NI players of his era:Quote:
Originally Posted by Eirambler
https://www.irishfa.com/media/30323/mcginn.png
And here's what he thinks of us:
And McGinn finished by thanking the fans for their support to round off an incredible moment for himself and Northern Ireland by saying: "Obviously I have just come on as a sub and scored at a major tournament in front of thousands and then millions watching around the world but in front of magnificent support that we brought to the Ukraine game.
"And as soon as I scored that was me off running, no one was stopping me then."
https://www.irishfa.com/news/2016/ju...wildest-dreams
Your prerogative.Quote:
Originally Posted by Eirambler
https://edition.cnn.com/2024/01/12/s...spt/index.html
Interesting read!
Dont ignore your LinkedIn messages Lads!
He was capped by NI at 17. Whether or not a 17 year old can make a decision that will bind him for life is a question I don't have the answer to. Only differences are that as underage player, he (and a few others) turned away from God Save The Queen. There was always speculation that he'd switch (age 15, 16, 17) and the narrative was basically that the IFA had been good to him and his family (captaining his youth side a year young) and they wouldn't feel right about making the switch "for now".Quote:
Originally Posted by Eirambler
My guess is, it's a bit like Rice and Grealish, if you cap people early before they're big, they're happy to go for it. The longer you wait, the more likely doubts are gonna creep into their head. And if he was uncapped now, there might be enough media attention on him and the debate might be loud enough that he'd decide to hold off and think. Whereas he was capped before 99% of football fans south of the border had any idea who he was.
I do think it'd be in all our interest to have an all island team. Probably the one chance either of us will ever have of qualifying for a World Cup. No need to divide Conor Bradley and Evan Ferguson, Gavin Bazunu and Shea Charles, Andy Moran and Callum Marshall...
Quote:
Originally Posted by elatedscum
Agree with that and I honestly think most people in NI (as opposed to most people who turn up to watch NI games) would agree. It works for numerous other sports and flags and anthems can always be finessed. I know EG will disagree and I would only support it if it turned out it's what most people in both jurisdictions want.
I think when it comes to sports with fans / crowds/ stadia, the only one it works with is Rugby I guess? I suspect the rugby guys are unionists who don't necessarily agree with us on every and all social or political issues. But my feelings is that a proportion of the soccer fans are more hardened loyalists. It might just make it trickier.Quote:
Originally Posted by third policeman
I think it's important that the rugby was always like that. They never had to negotiate unifying two rival organisations. I can't see it ever happening this side of national reunification.
Cricket, hockey, boxing. You're right about some of the NI fan base. The football team has been adopted as an emblem of identity by some hard line Loyalists, but how representative are they of the wider population? Maybe they wouldn't buy into an all-island team, but that doesn't mean they should have a veto. Historically many NI players from a Unionist background favoured a combined team/ There's nothing to prevent a few friendly games like the Shamrock Rovers v Brazil game.Quote:
Originally Posted by Diggs246
Rugby, hockey, Golf etc are sports of the middle-class and the elites - who will happily engage with one another as long as they can continue to make money by keeping the plebs divided along sectarian lines - and the sport of the plebs is soccer (and boxing which is a bit of an outlier - but is very much a minority sport).Quote:
Originally Posted by third policeman
However, the primary reason for two leagues and two international teams on the island is down to the bureaucrats running the associations - a unified association would result in half of them losing their power, influence and perks.
Chronologically, he turned away from GTSQ first and he decided to bind himself to NI for life second. He knew what he was signing up for. His family knew better.Quote:
Originally Posted by elatedscum
There is no grey area or uncertainty on this lad. He sees himself as Northern Irish first and foremost or decided that everyone else should see him as such. I don't buy the early capping piece either: a) he knew their motivation for capping him was to tie him and b) we are not England, his opportunities for Ireland would have been ample.
How or why on earth would I know the person or persons involved?Quote:
Originally Posted by EalingGreen
What an odd reply.
Callum O’Hare is on a great run of form and qualifies for us, if I recall correctly. Came up with two beautiful goals this morning against Leicester - 26 years old plays AM/FWD but probably doesn’t bring anything new to the squad that isn’t already covered off by Szmodics.
Also, Kasey McAteer played for Leicester - came on at h/t after Leicester were down to 10 men. He wasn’t great but not the best circumstances to make his first appearance in forever.
Don't think O'Hare does and I think Kenny confirmed it. His sister is a champion Irish dancer and I've seen it referenced that Callum played GAA. But it's a generation out that he is connected to Ireland i.e. a great or multiple great grandparents.Quote:
Originally Posted by SkStu
That's correct, if O'Hare had been eligible he'd have been capped long before now. He's a good player.
Ah ok - my mistake. Thank you both!
Except that it didn't tie him. His first caps were friendlies.Quote:
Originally Posted by elatedscum
Evidence?Quote:
Originally Posted by elatedscum
"For now" is it? So why didn't he make the switch? Forgetfulness? Slipped the family's mind that week?Quote:
Originally Posted by elatedscum
As for being made Captain "a year young", has it never occurred to you that it might have been because he was the outstanding player in the team?
Can't you see that Grealish was "playing you" from the start i.e. using ROI to get playing time for a higher age group than he would have got with England, until he was no longer eligible for your U-21's? And that he and Rice eventually reverted to the country of their choice (and birth), a country which (incidentally) was miles better/more attractive than their original team.Quote:
Originally Posted by elatedscum
Whereas CB was opting for the country of his birth from the very start, even though it was the poorer side of the two?
And what has the knowledge/consciousness of "99% of football fans south of the border" got to do with anything?
But yeah, apart from that, the cases are completely analogous... :rolleyes:
"All"?Quote:
Originally Posted by elatedscum
What planet are you on, never mind island?
As an NI fan of over half a century, how is it in the interest of me and my fellow NI fans, to see our team disappear? As I've said consistently, and I'm sure the vast majority of my fellow NI fans would agree, I have no more desire to see an all-island team than I have to see an all-UK team, even when the latter is more logical politically, both big "P" (United Nations) and small "p" (FIFA).
As for qualifying for World Cups, is that the be-all and end-all of your allegiance to your team? Are you really that fickle and needy? A glory hunter? Considering how far ROI are from qualifyinmg for a World Cup, why not just give up completely and start following the rugby team instead? I mean, they always qualify... :silly:
In any case, we have qualified to as many Finals as you, including getting to the Quarter Finals twice. But if you told me that we would never qualify again in my lifetime, then it wouldn't change a damned thing for me - all I've ever asked is that win, lose or draw. we send out 11 players who give 100% for the shirt, without their politics/race/religion etc mattering one damned bit.