Young Irish Players in Premiership
I reckon next year could be a big year for a number of the young Irish players in and around the fringes of the Premiership teams.
Stephen Kelly, Stephen Elliot, Daryl Murphy, Willo Flood, Joey O'Brien, Darren Potter, Stephen Ireland, Mark Yeates and Michael Timlin could all possibly be established first team players when WC 2006 comes around (I know Kelly practically has established himself but with the signing of Stalteri and the emergence of Phil Ifil next season he might find first team games harder to come by).
What follows is a rundown of my thoughts on these young players but what I'd like is other people to contribute their knowledge.
Stephen Kelly - I watched him a fair bit last season and thought he showed decent potential. While being a bit dodgy defensively (as many young defenders are when they first make the breakthrough) he looks strong and quick and decent going forward. I personally believe he'll have a good season next year and be in the squad for WC2006 if we qualify.
Stephen Elliot - Bags of potential but unfortunately I think he'll have a difficult season next year as I believe Sunderland will struggle and he'll find goals hard to come by. His finishing at the moment can be a bit dodgy and he usually needs two or three clear chances before bagging a goal (a la Andy Cole and Robbie Keane). I hope I'm wrong and he has a good season because we need a striker but I think he might take a bit longer to establish himself as a premiership player if indeed he ever does.
Daryl Murphy - I'd be surprised if Daryl gets much of a look in and hindsight may suggest he should have followed Kevin Doyle to the Championship before attempting to tackle the Premiership. I think it'll prove too big a step up from the LOI.
Willo Flood - I don't see him making an impact at all next year. He failed to prove that he's consistently a good enough performer at this level when he had his chances last season and I believe that both Lee Croft and BWP will now be given more chances than Willo.
Joey O’Brien - I seen him at Sheffield Wed a bit and he just got better and better with every game. If he gets the chance I can see him establishing himself in the top flight but whether he's given that chance next season remains to be seen. He'll definitely play a few games possibly in the Carling Cup.
Darren Potter - Didn't look great in the few games he played last season. Can't see him being good enough in the long run to be a regular Irish international unless he dramatically improves. I do think, however, he'll get a few more games under his belt next season.
Stephen Ireland - Haven't seen him but I've heard from numerous sources that he's highly talented and expected to make a big impact at some stage in the future. I reckon he'll get a few games next season to show what he can do. Can anyone comment on him?
Mark Yeates - Again a player that’s highly talented but he's meant to be notoriously inconsistent and his finishing is poor. He might get a run out next season but I have my doubts whether he'll fulfil his undoubted talent.
Michael Timlin - Another talented player. He's been tipped for a while to make the breakthrough at Fulham but injury has hampered his progress. I can see him being farmed out on loan next year and depending on how he performs possibly getting a few games in the first team on his return.
Can anyone else comment on any of the players above or if there are a few other young Irish players in the premiership that might make the breakthrough before the World Cup?