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He might hand out caps like chocolate, but will he be handing out World Cup call-ups like chocolate? Is there some foundation to your speculation, Nigel? I just don't see a competitively-uncapped Colorado Rapids 20-year-old heading to the World Cup, or am I underestimating the next biggest thing since Fraddy Adu?
I think this all hinges on how much Shane O'Neill likes chocolate. If he's a chocoholic, we're in trouble.
presumably because our FA is only interested in doling out fudge :)
It was mentioned in the article that he was on the verge of being called up. Take it how you wish from The Star, but he's in the running for MLS young player of the year, or something to that effect.Quote:
Originally Posted by DannyInvincible
I was reading of our management team's relentless pursuit of Nathan Redmond today and it got me thinking....
Has any player gone on record to say that it is their ambition to represent England, they are holding out for England etc... only for them to select Ireland at a later date? Redmond would be a first wouldn't he if he did declare for us after so categorically nailing himself to England previously....
I can't think of any off-hand, but I'm sure there have been some. There was Alex Bruce's infamous (paraphrasing) "I won't be able to play for England, but I'm eligible for Ireland and Northern Ireland and Ireland are better."
Andy Townsend is perhaps the most obvious example? He even supported them v.us in Euro'88, before ever being selected...Quote:
Originally Posted by Grafter
Obviously there's 'Lawro', but don't want to dignify his warped view of the world.
Oh and Kevin Gallen's family called him,'The Brit'...:rolleyes:
Interesting article about Northern born artists and their description of their identity. Varied, clever and complicated are words that come to mind. And what about the flag, I actually think the colours compliment each other!
http://www.irishtimes.com/culture/bo...1619432?page=3
Read the question AB.Quote:
Originally Posted by ArdeeBhoy
Did Lawrenson ever say (or silently hope) that it was his desire to play for England before he declared for Ireland?
He was the classiest player ever to declare for us. He did that while he was at Preston.
He would have been a first choice player for England and got to 2 world cups. I've not even heard since, state any regrets about his decision to declare for us. What's warped about that?
Plenty. Clearly you've not heard his frequent use of 'we' when talking about them...including during games, or tournaments.
And 'classiest player' who declared;he was just selected. He had nothing to 'declare'...
;)
He was selected but he still had to choose to come.Quote:
Originally Posted by ArdeeBhoy
Having a pop at Lawrenson over his use of the "we" is about as corny and ignorant and as it gets for an Irish supporter. He's English born and bred, had an Irish grandparent. He was the classiest player ever to declare for us, he could have been with England for 2 world cups, and he has NEVER expressed a regret about his choice to declare for us and has always stated his pride in playing for us through the thick and the thin. That answers the question that was asked.
Oh come on, just because you can also identify with England doesn't mean you can't also be proud of your Irishness. How many times do I have to say the exact same thing in this thread?!!Quote:
Originally Posted by ArdeeBhoy
Agreed. Lawrenson and Hansen were arguably the two best defenders in the world for a long period of the 80's. The guy would have walked into the English team, as would quite a number of our players from that era. I totally understand how he would feel both English and Irish. It is naive and unfair to criticise him for referring to England as "us" or "we"...he does the same when Ireland are playing.Quote:
Originally Posted by geysir
I've no huge problem with English born players saying 'we' when referring to England as they grew up there and have a connection to the place. When Dave O'Leary does it though it really irks me. Though we haven't seem him in a while on tv
To be fair, with the likes of O' Leary and Ronnie Whelan I can understand how they'd have an "identity crisis". They've lived over there since mid-teens, possibly wives and children are English born and raised etc.... I certainly think such fellas are more in tune with the UK than Ireland at this stage and that's understandable to some extent. Nurture over nature.Quote:
Originally Posted by Fixer82
i'd be with Fixer, the identity stain of your formative years runs deep,
certainly deeper than an acquired crummy english one. :D
No way. Not after all them derbies they had in the late 80s and early 90s. There's no way they should be saying 'we' when referring to England. Never heard Ronnie saying it though. Has he referred to England as 'we'?Quote:
Originally Posted by Grafter
p.s. i remember reading an article years ago about Whelan's home life when he was nearing the end of his playing days with Liverpool. A human interest story I guess you'd call it. And it said that the kids spoke bits of Irish in the home, 'Dún an doras', that type of thing.
Friends of mine have told me back in the day when they'd go over to Liverpool and if Ronnie did anything wrong on the pitch the anti-Irish stick he'd get from the Kop would be ridiculous.
I think it's safe to say Whelan never had an 'identity crisis'.
I've never heard David O'Leary call England 'we.' Then again, he was born there.
I lived in liverpool back then. There used to be Celtic-Rangers chants among different groups of people in the Kop. Normally it was good natured and to be honest there was probably a bit more support for Celtic, but among the Rangers fringe of Scousers, there was a very anti-irish feeling. Ronnie definitely got a bit of that. Though I do remember Rush getting a lot of Welsh stick in his first breakthrough season when he was pretty crap.Quote:
Originally Posted by Fixer82
Townsend DID say he watched the Euro 88 game in a bar while on holidays and was supporting England. However his case is a poor answer to Grafters question. He did not 'hold out for England'. On the basis of all available evidence he came over to play for us the very first time he was asked and was pleased and honoured to do so.Quote:
Originally Posted by ArdeeBhoy
Neither he nor Lawro owe us any more than the towering effort they put into it when in the green shirt.
Kevin Gallens case is different but not unique -in fact Brian McDermott is in the same boat where basically pressure was applied directly by the clubs involved to accept call ups to England underage squads for the clubs own good reasons. It's a pity -but that's where they found themselves.