Finnan retires from International Football

[lopez]

Wait a minute.. forget about the FAI (I know it is hard, we try to do the same with the IFA).. when you play for your country, you aren't playing for them, you are playing for your Country! Every single person, every single club..every single footballer and every single supporter. When you pull on the shirt, you inspire kids to continue the dream of doing so. When you walk on that pitch and see everyone in unison, regardless of club affiliations.. that is what it is all about!
I know clubs pay the wages, but clubs can sell you.. your Country can never do that.. and yet it seems that players are quite happy to sell their country, and all those that have supported them at home, for what? Will he be a better player? No! Will he be a worse player? I doubt it as all the best players in the world manage to do it, and do it with pride!
All he has done is sold his country down the drain and give everyone the two fingered salute.. not the FAI, you the supporter.


Hmm...see Spurs just scored..

Well said! I was gonna nominate Neil's post about Sheffield and Limerick for post of the month (I've been to Sheffield not Limerick and the former is one hell of a dump), but I'll give it to the man who talks sense than the man who made me wet me panties.

Finnan is a t*sser. He get's no sympathy from me.

[shanman2]

That line makes me laugh, it's not really one you'd use for a situation like this...it's not like he's actually retiring, just doesn't want to play for his country anymore

Do you know what makes me laugh "supporters" who openly critise players who serve our country with distinction. Which in my opinion Finnan has done and what does he get a nice send off of "just doesn't want to play for his country anymore". Thats absolute crap. If your looking for someone who "just doesn't want to play for his country anymore" I suggest you check out Stevie Irelands thread. Oh and the retiring thing, I don't recognise Liverpool as a football club more a soap opera and a bad one at that... So for me he is retiring from football.

[Bottle of Tonic]

I always had my doubts about Finnan.
I don't watch liverpool.

Still, an important player for us in the circumstances and a loss to the team..

disgusted with him, don't get the mentality, but we move on.

[shanman2]

I always had my doubts about Finnan.
I don't watch liverpool.

Still, an important player for us in the circumstances and a loss to the team..

disgusted with him, don't get the mentality, but we move on.

Why are you disgusted with him? Why would you doubt him?

[OneRedArmy]

Why are you disgusted with him? Why would you doubt him?

Why don't you read the whole thread.

There are enough posts explaining why. You don't have to agree with them but I would've thought you may have grasped why people feel the way they do.

[jbyrne]

The FAI let him down, they put him in a pressure situation where he had to decide if he wanted to make himself available for the next 2 years before the Brazil game with no knowledge whatsoever about who the next manager will be.

didnt affect other senior players like carsley, given and kilbane

[as_i_say]

heh yeah it did-carsley retired! came back though. this is getting more posts because finnan is viewed as such a great player whereas at the time carsley wasnt. its never too late to change your mind and he may well change his.

Players annoucing retirement and then coming back is very popular these days. i'll reserve judgement till i know all the facts...

[elroy]

heh yeah it did-carsley retired! came back though. this is getting more posts because finnan is viewed as such a great player whereas at the time carsley wasnt. its never too late to change your mind and he may well change his.

Players annoucing retirement and then coming back is very popular these days. i'll reserve judgement till i know all the facts...

In fairness to Carsley, his reasons for retirement were understandable, he has a young kid with down syndrome i think it is and he was spending a good deal of time away from the kid with Ireland whilst never getting a look again. When he was needed again, he answered to call and has said he will continue to do so. If anything Carsley should be more worried about his position at Everton than Finnan at L'pool.

[Stuttgart88]

I thought Finnan's interview in the Indo today with Vincent Hogan was pretty fair.

The headline suggests it's a case of yet another player complaining of criticism but all he really said was that yes, the atmosphere is more critical but when it gets personal it has gone too far (presumably the "Stan is a Muppet" fiasco in the tabloids).

[rambler14]

On the bright side maybe this'll encourage Stephen Carr to come out of retirement again.

The laziest player ever to play for Ireland let hope not

[Block G Raptor]

yes, perhaps the identity of the new Ireland manager being leaked to the players.

Was Finnan signed by houllier could there be history there?

[Morbo]

Do you know what makes me laugh "supporters" who openly critise players who serve our country with distinction. Which in my opinion Finnan has done and what does he get a nice send off of "just doesn't want to play for his country anymore". Thats absolute crap. If your looking for someone who "just doesn't want to play for his country anymore" I suggest you check out Stevie Irelands thread. Oh and the retiring thing, I don't recognise Liverpool as a football club more a soap opera and a bad one at that... So for me he is retiring from football.

Served his country with distinction? he's a footballer for feck sake not in the army, lets get things in perspective. I'm all for giving players a good send off if they deserve it, but when you give people like Finnan a good send off then it cheapens it for the players that really deserve it. How does Stephen Ireland not wanting to play for Ireland prove that Finnan served his country with distinction anyway? If every player had Stephen Irelands attitude then you might have a point but thankfully we're not at that point, yet

[paul_oshea]

I'm dissapointed but I have to say in my heart of hearts I don't blame him.. The timing of this is very telling if you ask me.. Where was these sentiments after the Cyprus game. To me it sounds like he was committed then... But committment works both ways and blind commitment to anything in any walk of life is folly. What has he seen from those cowboys in the FAI since to warrant him jepardising the remainder of his club career at one of the biggest clubs in the world... It works both ways lads. I'm all for patriotism and passion and players retiring early really grinds me gears. But everyone has to be pulling in the same direction.... To me it's a side effect of the ballsology goings on in the FAI.

Nothing of the sort, he was just waiting for things to settle before he made his announcement, this was in his mind since the end of last season supposedly.

[tetsujin1979]

some of the comments on this thread make me sick

[as_i_say]

i would be very surpised if ireland didnt come back under the new manager. i really think that finnan could have stayed on a bit longer though. we really need him as well which is the most disappointing thing. our defense now has only one really outstanding player in Dunne.

[cornerflag]

aye its a shame. he could have at least hung around for a bit longer to see who was appointed and perhaps had a chat about his future, like forget about friendlies and play the important games at least. maybe if that was the case then people wouldnt see him as a disgrace now.

[Morbo]

I'd rather have 4 OK defenders than 1 outstanding defender and 3 weak links though, I'm not as convinced Ireland will return under a new manager either, not as critical a loss as Finnan but he was capable of scoring crucial goals even if he didn't contribute much else.

[Stuttgart88]

I think it's only a matter of time before Ireland returns.

[Kingdom]

Sad to see him go,he's one of the best players we currently have . All this messing around by the FAI can't exactly be helping.That said 31 is way too early for him or any fit Pro to retire .

Thats the way I see it. Not going to go castigating him over it. Just move on and be done with it.

[shelbourne1904]

If I was dropped for Steven Carr I would moan and moan a lot.If I was our best player at the Japan World Cup and then got switched or dropped for Steven Carr I would moan and never show up again!!!