Keith Fahey

[Closed Account]

Finally our squad should not be divided into those with League of Ireland experience against those that do not. Whoever is good enough should be in the squad. Regardless of Faheys background but he looks like he is good enough to be in an Ireland squad over the next few months. Anybody who saw him week in week out in the LOI knew he was blessed with talent. We are now seein that at a consistantly higher level although he did stand out against Hertha Berlin in the Uefa Cup.

Is he a footballing genius, No, is he a talented footballer who is woth a look at in our squad, Yes.

Spot on, fair enough if people don't rate Fahey based on performances, but it seems its his League of Ireland background that is coming under scrutiny by some people. Its too early for anyone to tell whether he'll be a successful Republic of Ireland international or not. His age shouldn't come into it either, he's 26, weren't Holland and Kinsella 25 and 26 when they made their senior debuts and I would love to have a player of their calibre back playing now.

[soccerc]

By the way hasn't McCann scored almost treble the number of goals this season than Fahey and isn't he 6 years younger and almost certain to be playing in the Premiership sooner rather than late

Chris McCann is 21, took part in 53 games for Burnley this season scoring eight

Keith Fahey is 26 and scored four times in the 19 games he participated in for Birmingham

Therefore, the facts are: McCann played almost three times as many games as Fahey but only scored twice as many despite being an attacking midfielder and is only five years younger than Keith

[SkStu]

i just dont get the motivation behind posts like YoungIrish's.

The post he quoted was in direct response to drivel from (the now banned it appears) Ciaran who let his major anti-EL bias get in the way of seeing positives in a player. There is no fault in playing a bit of "i told ye so's" when we have had to read such anti-Fahey drivel since he moved over there.

Furthermore, what is wrong with el fans following a former players progress? Fahey has made the step up to the Brum first team with relative ease. This is something that should be welcomed by all fans, not just eL as it goes to show that the league can be a breeding ground for good players who may eventually make the step up to the national team. A good thing all round surely?????

YoungIrish, your post is bang out of order.

[youngirish]

Sure if in doubt insult the poster and call him names.

Not sure anybody said that Fahey was the next Diego Maradona so not sure what you are talkilng about there.

What most poster have said here is that Fahey is doing well and that he should be looked at by Trap and his scouts. I can't find any posts that were raving on about him as he was the next Diego Maradona.

Name the midfielders who have played better in the Championship than Fahey.

To compare Mc Canns goalscoring with Fahey's is stupid as Mc Cann has played more games. So its probably better to look at goals per game. In addition there is more to a midfielder than just scoring goals. Also what is wrong havin both McCann and Fahey in the squad. Its not an either or.

Finally our squad should not be divided into those with League of Ireland experience against those that do not. Whoever is good enough should be in the squad. Regardless of Faheys background but he looks like he is good enough to be in an Ireland squad over the next few months. Anybody who saw him week in week out in the LOI knew he was blessed with talent. We are now seein that at a consistantly higher level although he did stand out against Hertha Berlin in the Uefa Cup.

Is he a footballing genius, No, is he a talented footballer who is woth a look at in our squad, Yes.

I stated McCann was worth a look at the start of the season ahead of Fahey because he was younger and therefore more likely to develop into a top player so I was responding to the poster pulling me up over this assumption just because he had seen the highlights of Fahey's admittedly fortunate goal on skysports yesterday. Fahey has not been brilliant for Birmingham since his signing by any stretch. He was done a good job, no more, no less. I'd still rate McCann as a better prospect for the Ireland team in the future.

How many LOI fans have stated other players have been similarly blessed with talent? Historically such predictions have had a shocking success rate on here at identifying players talented enough for the International team (isn't that what this forum is ultimately about?) so I don't take their opinions under too much consideration.

For the record I have nothing against the LOI but most of the posters on heres opinions about the relative merits of LOI players have turned out to be drivel in hindsight. Only Doyle has shown any quality worthy of an International player for even a team as mediocre as Ireland.

We'll see how smug Buller is regarding Fahey after a season in the Premiership next year.

[youngirish]

If anyone's ill-informed, it's not people who actually attend football matches.

(Surely ignorance such as that should be cause for a ban? If you don't draw the line there, where do you draw it? Chimps?)

What a ridiculous statement. Yes everyone who has went to an LOI match is better informed about International football than everyone who watches football for the most part on TV. Is this a new universal law of logic you have cleverly deduced yourself?

Do I therefore know more than LOI fans because I watch the local Sunday league matches in the park at the top of the road most weekends? The logic of your statement above would still apply though since you are obviously not taking into account the differences in the quality of various levels of the game so my assumption must ring true.

By the way I've been to plenty of games all over the world not just in the one ground in the one country.

Do you always like to have people censored if they show you that your opinion is wrong? Continue to live in the ignorance then that you seem happy enough to inhabit.

Here's a little task for you. Go through all the old posts on many of the players I mentioned earlier - Daryl Murphy, George O'Callaghan, Alan Bennet, Jason Byrne, Roy O'Donovan and retrieve the evidence of this great wealth of knowledge that the LOI fans have displayed over the non LOI fans instead of simply stating such drivel without any facts or examples to back it up. If anything their predictions have been shown over time to be shockingly biased and incorrect as opposed to be insightful.

Now tally on down to your local LOI ground and keep away from the internet and those people from the outside world with their dangerous, radical, evil ideas.

[NeilMcD]

I have said it before Youngirish, This is an Ireland forum for discussing football but for some reason you resrot to insults and aggressive abusive posts. That is not to say that everything you say is rubbish or is not without merit. But the style of it is somewhat overly aggressive in my opinion.

As I said I would be of the view that Mc Cann and Fahey should be looked at and its not an either or.

[youngirish]

I have said it before Youngirish, This is an Ireland forum for discussing football but for some reason you resrot to insults and aggressive abusive posts. That is not to say that everything you say is rubbish or is not without merit. But the style of it is somewhat overly aggressive in my opinion.

As I said I would be of the view that McCann and Fahey should be looked at and its not an either or.

I see it like this. Buller pulled up an old post of mine and tried to rubbish it with his 'I told you so' smugness even though nothing I stated in the original post has turned out to be incorrect. I showed his smugness to be the unfounded nonsense it clearly is.

What if I was to resurrect all those old threads with posts on players I have been right about from the LOI - Byrne, O'Donovan and O'Callaghan to name but three and slagged off all the LOI heads that stated they were all good enough to do well in England? I think a different attitude would prevail on this site.

[NeilMcD]

I see it like this. Buller pulled up an old post of mine and tried to rubbish it with his 'I told you so' smugness even though nothing I stated in the original post has turned out to be incorrect. I showed his smugness to be the unfounded nonsense it clearly is.

What if I was to resurrect all those old threads with posts on players I have been right about from the LOI - Byrne, O'Donovan and O'Callaghan to name but three and slagged off all the LOI heads that stated they were all good enough to do well in England? I think a different attitude would prevail on this site.

I agree that Bullers quote from you did not actually show you up so I am not sure why you got so worked up about it. I do get the impression from you that you would prefer if Fahey never made it as a player so you could be right. The point is, that as Ireland fans we should all be hopin that are players are as good as they can be and to encourage them and take an interest rather than have vitriolic arguments with anti LOI fans pitted against pro LOI fans.

[osarusan]

P.S. How knowledgable about football can a man really be who doesn't know how to spell favourite?

How knowledgable about football can a man really be who doesn't know how to spell Maradona?

[MeathDrog]

I stated McCann was worth a look at the start of the season ahead of Fahey because he was younger and therefore more likely to develop into a top player so I was responding to the poster pulling me up over this assumption just because he had seen the highlights of Fahey's admittedly fortunate goal on skysports yesterday. Fahey has not been brilliant for Birmingham since his signing by any stretch. He was done a good job, no more, no less. I'd still rate McCann as a better prospect for the Ireland team in the future.

How many LOI fans have stated other players have been similarly blessed with talent? Historically such predictions have had a shocking success rate on here at identifying players talented enough for the International team (isn't that what this forum is ultimately about?) so I don't take their opinions under too much consideration.

For the record I have nothing against the LOI but most of the posters on heres opinions about the relative merits of LOI players have turned out to be drivel in hindsight. Only Doyle has shown any quality worthy of an International player for even a team as mediocre as Ireland.

We'll see how smug Buller is regarding Fahey after a season in the Premiership next year.

We really are a nation of begrudgers. youngirish is proof is this. You know very little about the player in subject and I doubt you've ever actually seen him live.

Fahey is probably the most naturally talented Irish footballer the league has ever seen. He bossed the game yesterday against Reading. IMO he should have been called up for Ireland 2 years ago.

I'd say Buller will be very smug after Fahey plays in the Premiership for a year. I am fully confident that you will have egg on your face.

[youngirish]

How knowledgable about football can a man really be who doesn't know how to spell Maradona?

Its more difficult to spell than favourite which is pretty basic grammar. But good spot. If that's the only typo or spelling mistake you can find in my numerous posts then give yourself a pat on the back. Actually I think I had a typo spelling talking somewhere else but you missed that one so you're not too clever.

More knowledgable than you if the passage of time has shown anything on this site to answer your question.

[NeilMcD]

Youngirish you are incredible, You have a go against someone for their football knowledge based on a spelling mistake. Then when someone else points out you have made spelling mistake, you go and insult this guy and question his knowledge of football. Have you left the school yard.

Can you not see that spelling has nothing to do with footall knowledge and there is an old expression that those in glass houses should not throw stones. Oh by the way, to save you the bother I have loads of spelling mistakes in loads of my posts on here.

[Colbert Report]

I have to admit that I'm happily surprised to have been so wrong about Fahey. I thought "how good could he be playing in the LOI at his age?". Fair play to Fahey for going back to England and potentially starting in the Premiership in August. I hope to see him in an Ireland jersey sooner rather than later.

[tricky_colour]

Was looking on a Brimingham forum, someone changed their opinion of him there:-


Pre-Match

have we been watching the same player?not a bad footballer,not bad at all in sporadic patches.but to say he gets stuck in???are you having a laugh.when just when?weak in the tackle and ive seen him back out a few times.one for the future?maybe, i hope so.but be fair.nice couple of goals or so.but that really is about it.

and

no i havent seen him bck out of a 50/50 either.i havent seen him go near one.i have said i dont think hes a bad player at all.but i think the game does pass him by sometimes.top scorer from midfield?blimey that takes a bit of doing doesnt it?not!just take a look at any cover or help he gives the left back.zilch.


Post Match:-

hands up!i got that completely wrong.excellent performance from him yesterday.he did everything i accused him of not doing.no wonder i never did win the pools.any more of this and he'll be some player.a good rest for the kid and a pre season,we could have a very useful player to say the least.

It should also be noted that he has had a 13 month long 'season'.
What a way to finish it!

[Razors left peg]

No matter where he has come from he has done very well in a midfield that were good enough to get promotion to the Premiership.To go straight into the first team in the middle of the season the way he did is impressive.With a good preseason behind him next season he will be fitter and stronger than this season too so it is then he should show his full ability

[seanfhear]

Was looking on a Brimingham forum, someone changed their opinion of him there:-


Pre-Match

have we been watching the same player?not a bad footballer,not bad at all in sporadic patches.but to say he gets stuck in???are you having a laugh.when just when?weak in the tackle and ive seen him back out a few times.one for the future?maybe, i hope so.but be fair.nice couple of goals or so.but that really is about it.

and

no i havent seen him bck out of a 50/50 either.i havent seen him go near one.i have said i dont think hes a bad player at all.but i think the game does pass him by sometimes.top scorer from midfield?blimey that takes a bit of doing doesnt it?not!just take a look at any cover or help he gives the left back.zilch.


Post Match:-

hands up!i got that completely wrong.excellent performance from him yesterday.he did everything i accused him of not doing.no wonder i never did win the pools.any more of this and he'll be some player.a good rest for the kid and a pre season,we could have a very useful player to say the least.

It should also be noted that he has had a 13 month long 'season'.
What a way to finish it!

What Fickle fans some supporters can be.

[ifk101]

Here's a little task for you. Go through all the old posts on many of the players I mentioned earlier - Daryl Murphy, George O'Callaghan, Alan Bennet, Jason Byrne, Roy O'Donovan and retrieve the evidence of this great wealth of knowledge that the LOI fans have displayed over the non LOI fans instead of simply stating such drivel without any facts or examples to back it up. If anything their predictions have been shown over time to be shockingly biased and incorrect as opposed to be insightful.

I think it's safe to say that for all the players you mentioned above, there are countless more threads about potential prospects in the lower British leagues that never amounted to anything. Can football fans not rave about potential prospects in the LOI? Nobody here is Nostradamus, not even yourself.

Just take a break, calm down and learn to accept that you are invariably wrong in your opinion.

[Stuttgart88]

Delighted to see him doing well and having such a meaningful impact in some pretty big games.

On a broader point, I think it's good that a young player like Fahey who could have been lost to the game after his first spell in England getting and taking a second chance in the LOI enabling him to move on to better things. How many like him have we lost in the past?

Good on him, and good on St. Pats.

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.

[Dodge]

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.

happens every time a player leaves Ireland for the British leagues. Very tiresome.

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.

Hopefully he continues to develop.

[ifk101]

Delighted to see him doing well and having such a meaningful impact in some pretty big games.

On a broader point, I think it's good that a young player like Fahey who could have been lost to the game after his first spell in England getting and taking a second chance in the LOI enabling him to move on to better things. How many like him have we lost in the past?

Good on him, and good on St. Pats.

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.

Good post Stuttgart88.

I think if you look at Pats' results so far this season, you can see the hole Fahey has left behind him (although there obviously are other factors at play). He certainly has a gift for playing those incisive passes that can decide games.