Keith Fahey

[Kildare Lad]

Thought Fahey looked very comfortable and calm on the ball, never seemed to panic despite being closed down quickly. Rarely gave away possesion too. Only criticism I have of him is that he runs very close to teammates with the ball alot of the time, in positions where he is a useless target for a pass.

Do people think he will be a regular in the starting XI for Birmingham this season? I'm not an expert now but I didnt think before the season began he would be a regular for them and if Birmingham had only have played 4 in the middle yesterday would he have started?

[gustavo]

Stay on topic please lads

[gustavo]

Thought Fahey looked very comfortable and calm on the ball, never seemed to panic despite being closed down quickly. Rarely gave away possesion too. Only criticism I have of him is that he runs very close to teammates with the ball alot of the time, in positions where he is a useless target for a pass.

Do people think he will be a regular in the starting XI for Birmingham this season? I'm not an expert now but I didnt think before the season began he would be a regular for them and if Birmingham had only have played 4 in the middle yesterday would he have started?

I think he'll be a regular for them but not neccesarily first choice every week

[adamcarr]

I think he'll be a regular for them but not neccesarily first choice every week

He'll probably be playing on the left side of midfield, McCleish isn't a big fan of wingers.

[SkStu]

Seriously, have you ever even been to a foreign country? Watched football there, spoken to their fans? 'Only in Ireland, only in Ireland, only in Ireland.' Get over it - it's arse. Where I live, the biggest club is an hours journey away, and every football fan I know supports Chelsea/Arsenal and/or one of the Prague teams (about 2 hours away).

But please lose the deluded self-hating idea that this is specifically an Irish phenomenon. It's not. Other countries follow foreign teams ahead of their own leagues, and other countries pick players in higher quality leagues ahead of their own domestic leagues. It's a shame, and you're right to be annoyed about it as a die-hard LOI fan, but it's not just an Irish thing.

Back on topic - watched the game on a poor stream, but Fahey looked dangerous and tenacious, as well as looking very comfortable on the ball. Definitely didn't look out of his depth at EPL level.

i have bolded and underlined the important part of your post. These Czech fans you refer to support either their "local" team or an english team and their local team. The majority of Irish people dont do that, they just support an english side and ignore quality live football only a short trip from their house. Thats very different to what you point out. I have no problem with anyone that supports Liverpool while making frequent trips to see their local team - it demonstrates that they actually enjoy football in all its forms and that, for me, is a good thing. The premiership obsessed Scandanavians, Chinese, Japanese, Australians all follow this trend - they follow an English team but also attend their local leagues games. Again, its different to what you claim is the same problem...

Anyway, fair play to Fahey, im absolutely delighted for him and he is a credit to himself and to the LoI.

[DeLorean]

they just support an english side and ignore quality live football only a short trip from their house

An awful lot of the people you refer to wouldn't agree with you that it is quality live football.

Anyway, fair play to Fahey, im absolutely delighted for him and he is a credit to himself and to the LoI.

Way to stay on topic I concur though.

[Junior]

i have bolded and underlined the important part of your post. These Czech fans you refer to support either their "local" team or an english team and their local team. The majority of Irish people dont do that, they just support an english side and ignore quality live football only a short trip from their house. Thats very different to what you point out. I have no problem with anyone that supports Liverpool while making frequent trips to see their local team - it demonstrates that they actually enjoy football in all its forms and that, for me, is a good thing. The premiership obsessed Scandanavians, Chinese, Japanese, Australians all follow this trend - they follow an English team but also attend their local leagues games. Again, its different to what you claim is the same problem...

Anyway, fair play to Fahey, im absolutely delighted for him and he is a credit to himself and to the LoI.

Is the poster not siggesting that they in the main support the big clubs whether they be in Prague or in England, rather than say the local provincial club?

[Drumcondra 69er]

An awful lot of the people you refer to wouldn't agree with you that it is quality live football.

An awful lot of people who've probably never been to an LOI game.

However, as an LOI season ticket holder I must say that the bleating from some LOI fans on here can be embarrassing at times. Yes, the top end of the LOI is now a reasonable standard but players need to be tested at a higher level week in week out, not for 6 or 7 games a season before they'd be ready for international football. I hope Fahey keeps it up in the EPL and gets his chance but he wasn't ready for it last season regardless of how well he played against Hertha. Particulalry as Trap was trying to mould a group of players devoid of all confidence into something resembling a team at the time.

[paul_oshea]

Yes quite right, it is embarassing. It must be even more so for actual LOI fans who can see this such as yourself drumcondra.

Only saw highlights of the UTD game unfortunately, on BBC MOTD2 and all I saw of fahey was the chance he hit from outside the box. NOw i only saw the highlights, but a lot here have made out he played very well, if thats the case then surely he should have been in more of the highlights or the highlights should have included more of fahey.

[SkStu]

An awful lot of the people you refer to wouldn't agree with you that it is quality live football.

But by any reasonable comparison taking into account the difference in results over the last ten years it is at least the level of football similar to domestic leagues that attract good domestic support - Scottish, Swedish, Danish, Austrian.

Way to stay on topic I concur though.

erm... thanks...

Is the poster not siggesting that they in the main support the big clubs whether they be in Prague or in England, rather than say the local provincial club?

possibly Junior but it can also be read that alot of Czech people go to great lengths to get to a game involving a local club...

[kingdom hoop]

a lot here have made out he played very well

Hang on. Some people said he played quite well, but I've just read down through the last few pages and only one person said he played very well.

So it would probably be more accurate to say that you're making out he played very well based on people saying he'd a decent game. I watched the first half and that's probably how I'd describe his performance. He played one great pass that I remember and generally was very composed on the ball, making snappy passes and keeping the play moving on the few occasions Birmingham had the ball.

[DeLorean]

An awful lot of people who've probably never been to an LOI game

I went to a few Cork City matches during the couple of yrs I lived there. Overall I wouldn't have considered the standard all that great. The best I seen them play was in the Setanta Cup against Clifftonville but I'd put that down to the Irish League being a lower level again. Over the two years I was there I saw St. Pat's (1-0), Bohs (0-1), Rovers (1-1), Waterford twice (2-0, 4-0) and in years previous to that I had seen Shelbourne (4-4), Bohs (1-1) and Derry City (1-1). Hardly a die hard fan but would have watched them on TV whenever they were on as well, which more often than not comes across worse than being at the match I accept. All I am saying really is that I don't think one has to be completely ignorant to not have a great love for the LOI.

[DmanDmythDledge]

Only saw highlights of the UTD game unfortunately, on BBC MOTD2 and all I saw of fahey was the chance he hit from outside the box. NOw i only saw the highlights, but a lot here have made out he played very well, if thats the case then surely he should have been in more of the highlights or the highlights should have included more of fahey.

I have the game recorded so I can watch it again but I didn't notice Fahey that much apart from that. Wasn't paying 100% attention though as I was doing other things while watching the match.

Birmingham fan comments for a bit of perspective:
http://bcfcforum.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=53813

18. Keith Fahey - 7.5/10 - A little anonymous at times, but that's him. When he did what he does best he did it brilliantly.

Fahey ~ 8. Showed some really good touches and good intelligence on the ball.

For me, Vignal, Johnson and Fahey were 8's.

Keith Fahey : 8
Great intelligence on the ball - link up play with Carsley and Ferguson was sweet. Like to have seen him go on a run with it and try and take on one or two players though. His long range effort was decent, but we didn't see enough of his forward driving runs.

Fahey ~ 7. Showed some really good touches and good intelligence on the ball.

Keith Fahey : 8 - Looked fantastic last year looked just as good in his first taste of Premier League football, played great alongside Bazza and looked a threat going forward.

Fahey 6, got stuck in and played nice passes. Looks good at this level by didn't get a chance to shine in that role.

http://bcfcforum.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=53809&st=25

Fahey - Splendid Premiership debut by the Irishman ....looks very comfortable on the ball.....wore himself out but so refreshing to see he wasn't overawed by the surroundings....Great game, Keith

http://bcfcforum.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=53806&st=75

Fahey needs to get in the game more, he's not done anything! (at half time I think)

I reckon Fahey was fantastic today.

[DeLorean]

But by any reasonable comparison taking into account the difference in results over the last ten years it is at least the level of football similar to domestic leagues that attract good domestic support - Scottish, Swedish, Danish, Austrian

Yeah but I think the people who consider the LOI rubbish would have a similar view on these leagues. The thing is it shouldn't really matter too much about the quality in relation to attendances. If I was from Cork City I'm sure I would have developed into a more devout fan just by liking the club so therefore I'd go to the games. For some reason in Ireland people just don't seem to care but that's their choice.

[Dodge]

Hang on. Some people said he played quite well, but I've just read down through the last few pages and only one person said he played very well.

So it would probably be more accurate to say that you're making out he played very well based on people saying he'd a decent game. I watched the first half and that's probably how I'd describe his performance. He played one great pass that I remember and generally was very composed on the ball, making snappy passes and keeping the play moving on the few occasions Birmingham had the ball.

Thats it exactly. I think the term I used on another forum was that he looked like he fit in at that level. If you weren't looking out for the ex-LOI player, you couldn't have picked him out.

[Razors left peg]

I've litterally just 2 minutes ago had a mate of mine tell me that Jay O Sheas performance when he came on is proof that the LOI is crap.When I asked him about Keith Fahey he just shrugged and said that one good game proves nothing..... I swear there are so many so called football fans that havent a clue about football.
This is the same guy though that has sworn to me for ages that Lucas at Liverpool is excellent and will be a massive player this season and that he was Liverpools best player against Spurs on Sunday, so I really dont know why I even bother talkin football with him...

Ok deep breaths.... rant over ...

[geysir]

I swear there are so many so called football fans that havent a clue about football.

You'd think out the 400k who are supposed to be playing football week in week out, that there would be an amount of football sense floating about to appreciate that it was an amazing day and debut for Jay O'Shea. Seems like many Irish people in order to manufacture a sense of fandom for a hyped up team in a foreign country, have to deny appreciation of the LOI football at home.

Plus they know nothing

[centre mid]

I watched him 3 weeks ago in the Carlisle, its pretty amazing to think that within a menstural cycle of the average women he was playing at Old Trafford, its was understandable that his legs resembled those of a young foal taking its first tentative steps. Hopefully Fahey takes him under his wing and helps him settle in. At least two people who have no time for the LOI were talking to me about the LOI because they were amazed that O'Shea was playing in the LOI just a couple of weeks ago, it might just serve to highlight the league a wee bit more.

[SkStu]

I watched him 3 weeks ago in the Carlisle, its pretty amazing to think that within a menstural cycle of the average women he was playing at Old Trafford, its was understandable that his legs resembled those of a young foal taking its first tentative steps. Hopefully Fahey takes him under his wing and helps him settle in. At least two people who have no time for the LOI were talking to me about the LOI because they were amazed that O'Shea was playing in the LOI just a couple of weeks ago, it might just serve to highlight the league a wee bit more.

well said all round.

[SkStu]

Yeah but I think the people who consider the LOI rubbish would have a similar view on these leagues. The thing is it shouldn't really matter too much about the quality in relation to attendances..

Irish people mightnt rate those leagues particularly highly but that doesnt matter at all when the paying customers in those countries do rate it and attend their domestic game in far higher percentages than Irish people and the LOI. This is the point i am making and it highlights the difference in mentality between the Irish and most other countries when it comes to football. Though having said that i do take on board all your other points.