Not sure about that. Bonner was an average enough keeper whose career was then destroyed by the back pass rule. McCarthy and Moran were blood and thunder centre halves, Brady was nearing the end of his career as was Stapleton while Galvin was an ordinary enough winger. These players are famous in retrospect because of their heroics under Jack but if we hadn't qualified for tournaments, they wouldn't be held in such high esteem.
"Got far" - hmmmm, never qualified for anything before Jack and we then qualified for 3 tournaments. We were within a few minutes of getting to the semi-final of Euro 88 against one of the best Dutch teams ever (having beaten England along the way and drawing against the Soviets who contested the final against the Dutch), last 8 in Italia 90 going out by one goal to the Italians in their own backyard in the quarters and then the last 16 in USA '94 with an ageing team but of course, we should have won all these tournaments but for Jack. I wonder how did England do with teams that were better on paper?
There had been good Irish teams for generations who had qualified for nothing. See the team below that Giles was manager of:
Michael Kearns; 2 Anthony Grealish, 3 James Holmes, 4 Mark Lawrenson, 5 Noel Synnott (60’ Ashley Grimes), 6 Liam Brady, 7 Gerry Daly, 8 Francis Stapleton, 9 Stephen Heighway, 10 John Giles, 11 Paul McGee (80’ Donald Givens).
Forget about the performance or entertainment. It's only the result that matters.
Sheedy was another great player. In 1985 he'd have made any team anywhere.
Dream team (at their prime):
-------------Given---------------
Dunne----McGrath--Lawrenson----Irwin
----Brady---Keane Roy--Giles----Houghton
----------Keane Robbie---Stapleton------
Have to fit in Brady, Giles and Roy Keane. Would like to have been able to include Whelan and Heighway as well.
Forget about the performance or entertainment. It's only the result that matters.
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