Keith Fahey

**youngirish** · 05/05/2009, 11:02 AM

Originally Posted by Stuttgart88

It's a pity another positive Irish story of the season has been turned inside out on this forum by childish insults and braindead argument.

I was only responding to the original insult by Buller but as I've stated before on other boards you can ignore the original reference if you want I won't lose too much sleep over it.

I actually hope Fahey does well next season as Ireland are short of decent players in his position at the moment but the majority of posts on here are just reactive nonsense in response to the last 2 games. He had been solid, if not spectacular in the Championship beforehand, hardly International form. At best I can see him doing a Keith Andrews, Glenn Whelan type job in the Premiership next season. Solid but unspectacular so I will hold my excitement in a tad while longer thanks very much and hope the likes of McCann or McCarthy continue to improve as they have done this season and Garvan gets his career back on track.

Anyway that's all I have to say on the subject. It gets tiresome being shouted down but ultimately being proved right in these flavour of the month arguments - Darren Potter, Patrick McCarthy, Alex Bruce, Roy O'Donovan, Daryl Murphy we've seen the exact same arguments many times before endlessly recycled again and again. The posts are endless with ill informed posters jumping on the bandwagon if an Irish player has a couple of good games ignoring all that has gone before.

Dodge's last post says it all about the prevailing wind that blows amongst many on these boards.

Originally Posted by Dodge

As you said, in the biggest 2 games of Birmingham's season, he scored twice and set up the other goal, playing very well in both games. If thats not a good pointer to a footballer's ability I don't know what is.

How about consistently performing well over an entire season of 50+ games?

**tetsujin1979** · 05/05/2009, 11:07 AM

Originally Posted by youngirish

How about consistently performing well over an entire season of 50+ games?

hasn't Fahey played more than 80 games this season!

**pete** · 05/05/2009, 11:09 AM

I see only 3 Birmingham players have scored more than Fahey in the Championship this season which isn't bad as they are not exactly a prolific team. Good luck to him in the Premier League next season. Terrible to see such begrudgery from some people...

**Dodge** · 05/05/2009, 11:11 AM

Originally Posted by youngirish

How about consistently performing well over an entire season of 50+ games?

He did. In fact he won the league's Player of the Year award.

**youngirish** · 05/05/2009, 11:32 AM

Originally Posted by tetsujin1979

hasn't Fahey played more than 80 games this season!

Again so what? Didn't I quote a claim by Dodge that because Fahey had been impressive in the previous 2 games that was a good indicator (perhaps it is even implied it may be the most important indicator) of his ability? Where did he mention the 80 games that came beforehand as being used as the grade to judge his talent?

Why oh why aren't these things obvious? Does everything have to be explained in such minute detail? Please stop quoting my posts and leave me be. I have work to do.

**Dodge** · 05/05/2009, 11:35 AM

Originally Posted by youngirish

Again so what? Didn't I quote a claim by Dodge that because Fahey had been impressive in the previous 2 games that was the way to judge his ability.

That�s not correct. Seeing as you're one for minute detail, surely you can see the difference between "that�s a pointer to his ability" and "lets judge him solely on 2 games"

**soccerc** · 05/05/2009, 12:16 PM

Originally Posted by youngirish

How about consistently performing well over an entire season of 50+ games?

Since March 2008 Fahey has been very consistent and as Dodge stated was the LOI's Player of the Year, agong voted for and awarded by his peers.

He has also being playing since that time not just since August 2008.

Bear in mind he's predominantly a central/right sided attacking midfielder, whereas since his arrival at Birmingham has been used mainly in a defensive left sided role.

**pineapple stu** · 05/05/2009, 12:22 PM

Originally Posted by youngirish

Why oh why aren't these things obvious? Does everything have to be explained in such minute detail? Please stop quoting my posts and leave me be. I have work to do.

Translation - "Oops. Oh yeah."

**Billsthoughts** · 05/05/2009, 1:02 PM

Originally Posted by DmanDmythDledge

He has been one of Birmingham's best players since he arrived there, playing out of position on the left. The quotes I have from him said he loved the training- mainly the step up of training with a higher quality player. If he has found it tough it certainly hasn't shown in his performances. A high Championship standard player is more than good enough for a squad place for an international side like us.

Regardless, this stuff is irrelevant to Colbert Report's post to which I was responding to.

It was on a phone call on MNS. Point I was making is that he is realistic himself about what he needs to do to have a successfull career over there. What has he got to gain from being a fringe player member of the Ireland squad?

**Dodge** · 05/05/2009, 1:23 PM

Originally Posted by Billsthoughts

What has he got to gain from being a fringe player member of the Ireland squad?

The gratitude of Pats fan for another add on fee kicking in?

**geysir** · 05/05/2009, 1:25 PM

What has he got to gain from being a fringe player member of the Ireland squad?

He would have nothing to lose. It would be up to Keith to decide if he has anything to gain by being a part of the Ireland squad. He doesn't need to be called up in order to be a better player. He has nothing to prove to anybody how talented he is, except to his own standards of footballing ambition.

**Brendan 82** · 05/05/2009, 2:24 PM

Whew, what a thread. Some of the old Irish self hatred coming out and it is sad to see. This stuff really drags soccer down in this country in my opinion. This sort of stuff is not present in the rugby community. Imagine Irish rugby fans actively willing Irish players not to do well because they play for Munster or Leinster? Because Wasps and Harlequins and Ospreys are just better like...

Obviously our domestic league is of lower standard. I find that LOI are fans usually the first to admit this. Sure they love their clubs, but I don't see any delusions of grandeur or claims that certain players in the league are the next Marradona(spelling?). But that does not mean that good players, and in fact the occasional brilliant one, cannot come out of the LOI. To suggest otherwise means that you know very little about soccer; actually, you know very little about sports in general. Good players always slip through the cracks in all sports. You see it all the time. Why would it not happen with the LOI?

**Billsthoughts** · 05/05/2009, 3:39 PM

Originally Posted by Dodge

The gratitude of Pats fan for another add on fee kicking in?

Fair enough. Was more thinking of peoples perception of what constitutes him being a decent player or not. He was a good player at pats, he seems to be a good one at Birmingham and he will still be a good player regardless of whether he does or doesnt get picked for an Ireland side were his type of ability isnt really valued too highly.

btw for those who said his goal on sunday was flukey....did you not see the pass for the Phillips goal? excellent.

**MeathDrog** · 05/05/2009, 3:44 PM

Originally Posted by youngirish

How about consistently performing well over an entire season of 50+ games?

Yes because he's just been pure **** apart from them 2 games...

**NeilMcD** · 05/05/2009, 3:45 PM

His dribble and pass to Phillips in the first half was sublime also. Point about it is, that we have another player who is of Championship level at the moment who seems to be showing signs of progression and stepping up to the plate. We have a glut of midfielders at this level at the moment and it would be great if these ones could then go to the next level or two and be as good as Stephen Ireland without the tantrums and personality.

I would take no joy from any players failing to make the grade whereas I think there are certain people on the forum who would love to say I told you so and see players fail.

**Dodge** · 05/05/2009, 3:50 PM

Well one on this thread posted that he hoped Birmingham wouldn't go up. Although in fairness to Ciaran, it was obviously so his predictions on Fahey wouldn't look even more ridiculous.

Hopefully some people won't comment on players they haven't seen play in future.

I doubt it though...

**pete** · 05/05/2009, 3:57 PM

One of the ways to judge Fahey is to look at the players he is playing instead of. I have only seen him a little bit for Birmingham but it can be difficult to breaking into teams after joining mid season especially in midfield. Manager must see something in him as the tendency would be to view him as a risk as he was coming from what some consider as football back water in the LOI.

**tricky_colour** · 05/05/2009, 6:27 PM

Originally Posted by pete

One of the ways to judge Fahey is to look at the players he is playing instead of. I have only seen him a little bit for Birmingham but it can be difficult to breaking into teams after joining mid season especially in midfield. Manager must see something in him as the tendency would be to view him as a risk as he was coming from what some consider as football back water in the LOI.

Well he played him in a �50 million promotion 'final'. Games don't get much bigger than that really. In fact such matches more are worth more than winning the Champions League!! (correct me if I am wrong!!).