Kevin Foley

**jbyrne** · 01/06/2012, 11:44 AM

Originally Posted by tetsujin1979

He seemed fine in the post game lap of honour, laughing and joking with Trapattoni.

id say he quickly remembered what trap does with players that dont toe the line

**Murfinator** · 01/06/2012, 1:38 PM

I think its a sad indictment of how anglicised (i.e. ridiculously missing the point) our media and a large section of our public have become over this Kevin Foley saga. For many the emotions and sensationalism of the story is the be all and end all with the actual sporting and management significance of little importance. The fact that a week before our first major tournament in 10 years the most talked about subject is a meaningless fringe player position must be saddening for Trap.

**DannyInvincible** · 01/06/2012, 2:11 PM

I dunno if it's strictly indicative of Anglicisation. Maybe more indicative of human curiosity and the conveyor belt information age in which we live where we're constantly drip-fed the latest in "exclusive updates" and mountains are made out of molehills. Still stupid that it is overshadowing our preparations though, I agree.

**Manc Irish Wolf** · 01/06/2012, 2:16 PM

The furore regarding Foley is ludicrous. The fact of the matter is that he was a more than competent full back in the Championship however blew his chance for both Wolves and Ireland when he had the opportunity. Evidently the occassion got the better of him and he ended up like a rabbit in the headlights. He had his chance and simply proved he didn't have the balls for it. If he did, he would have cemented what was a very precarious position months ago.

Conversely, McShane, whilst a liability on occasion (similar to Dunne for the early part of his career - possibly not a like for like comparison but with similarities), did well when he first came on the scene for Ireland, did well against France in the playoff and played very well on Saturday showing he has the heart for the task, with the added adcvantage of covering two positions.

It's a dog eat dog world and Trap didn't become the highly honoured man that he is today through emotional sentiment. It possibly could have been handled better and he may well feel agrieved that Paul Green was called in when he has performed well on ocassion as defensive mid this season. But choices are choice, so just get the f*ck on with it. Boohoo. All of this betrayed nonsence is just distracting us from thae fact that we have the squad and need to get on with it.

Hopefully, this will teach the rest of the squad (including Hunt, Ward & Doyle - three other under-performing Wolves players) that the cosy little set up is no more. You are either up for the job, or you aren't. The latter of which I think should be well down the peckinng order behind Long and Walters based upon performances of late. Our strategy is and always has been one of fight and determination, if you don't step up when the opportunity arises, you can get f*cked as far as I am concerned. You are fighting for your country now, not some bit part club who pay your wage (of which Wolves are one):

For the record, below are a few point-points (which in fairness has been mixed with regards to the stle in whichTrap is done it):

Shame for him and I agree it could and should have been handled better - but it's amazing he was in the squad to begin with considering how poor he's been all season.

I think you're all forgetting that Foley has been utter gash this season. Maybe that has something to do with it?

i understand the logic behind it just the way its been dealt with was wrong

Boo hoo. Man up an move on Foley. If he had performed anything like this season for Wolves then he would have been un-droppable for the national team. in reality Foley has been mediocre at best and has done nothing to cement his place in the Ireland set up...at best he was, like McShane, destined to be a bench warmer.

**paul_oshea** · 01/06/2012, 4:34 PM

Not so long ago you were telling us all how great ward was etc, how times change.

It was handled terribly, just because you now dislike(or perhaps disdain for) foley because Wolves are relegated does not change this fact. The guy had a kid only 3 weeks ago, he made a big sacrifice, for his country, and was treated -ashamedly- terribly.

**Paddy Garcia** · 01/06/2012, 10:15 PM

Originally Posted by Manc Irish Wolf

Conversely, McShane, whilst a liability on occasion (similar to Dunne for the early part of his career - possibly not a like for like comparison but with similarities), did well when he first came on the scene for Ireland, did well against France in the playoff .

Mmmm - apart from failing to clear the ball & allowing Henry through to score.

**elroy** · 01/06/2012, 10:54 PM

It was on the sports news earlier today that the FAI are trying to get in touch with Mark Wilson to place him on standby. Apparently Foley has indicated he will not answer the call if he is called up for example in the event of an injury to JOSH.

I do feel very sorry for Foley and believe that he was very hard done by. Was the use of the word betrayed an overreaction? No I dont think so, the guy cares about playing for Ireland and had it snatched away from him in the cruelest way possible. However, I think this matter should blow over now and its only the media needing to fill column inches that is keeping the story alive. I suspect once we get to the Hungary game, we will have heard the last of it.

**theworm2345** · 01/06/2012, 11:02 PM

Originally Posted by elroy

It was on the sports news earlier today that the FAI are trying to get in touch with Mark Wilson to place him on standby. Apparently Foley has indicated he will not answer the call if he is called up for example in the event of an injury to JOSH.

I do feel very sorry for Foley and believe that he was very hard done by. Was the use of the word betrayed an overreaction? No I dont think so, the guy cares about playing for Ireland and had it snatched away from him in the cruelest way possible. However, I think this matter should blow over now and its only the media needing to fill column inches that is keeping the story alive. I suspect once we get to the Hungary game, we will have heard the last of it.

What a ****show.

**Stuttgart88** · 02/06/2012, 10:15 AM

Originally Posted by paul_oshea

Not so long ago you were telling us all how great ward was etc, how times change.

It was handled terribly, just because you now dislike(or perhaps disdain for) foley because Wolves are relegated does not change this fact. The guy had a kid only 3 weeks ago, he made a big sacrifice, for his country, and was treated -ashamedly- terribly.

He was treated harshly, but not ashamedly. That's just pure hyperbole. Tough decisions mean somene loses out. I disagree with MIW that McShane did well in the play-off but just about everything else was bang on. This is a relatively marginal event involving marginal players yet our press and the more excitable on here think it's some sort of catastrophe.

**paul_oshea** · 02/06/2012, 10:39 AM

Ashamedly on Traps part I meant. He should have just told him after the Bosnia game and not brought him to Italy.

This is a relatively marginal event involving marginal players yet our press and the more excitable on here think it's some sort of catastrophe.

Its not hyperbole to point these things out, the key point you miss and missed by others, the way Trap handled it, if it were a top player (though we don't have any in the shape of Roy K this time around), everyone would be up in arms and divided. Its the way its handled is the problem, doesnt matter if its me or you or kevin foley or Richard Dunne.

As I said it will all be forgotten about next week.

**tetsujin1979** · 02/06/2012, 10:55 AM

People complain when Trap doesn't make hard decisions with the squad (dropping a favoured player for someone like Hoolahan) can't really complain when he does make a difficult decision.

**paul_oshea** · 02/06/2012, 11:17 AM

Agree completely, but loyalty and playing lads or picking the same lads for squads over and over is completely different to a pre-meditated dropping a player, last minute, for footballing decisions rather than fitness.

Tough decisions should, and have to be made from time to time, its how you go about it is the issue here.

**tetsujin1979** · 02/06/2012, 11:34 AM

Originally Posted by paul_oshea

Agree completely, but loyalty and playing lads or picking the same lads for squads over and over is completely different to a pre-meditated dropping a player, last minute, for footballing decisions rather than fitness.

Tough decisions should, and have to be made from time to time, its how you go about it is the issue here.

how do you make a pre-meditated, last minute decision?
if it's pre meditated you have known about it for some time
if it's last minute you make it at the last possible moment

**Irwin3** · 02/06/2012, 12:24 PM

Originally Posted by tetsujin1979

how do you make a pre-meditated, last minute decision?
if it's pre meditated you have known about it for some time
if it's last minute you make it at the last possible moment

He obviously means it was pre-meditated but waited till the last minute to execute the decision.

**Closed Account** · 02/06/2012, 3:03 PM

The decision to include McShane over Foley wasn't made until McShane passed a fitness test on Tuesday morning. Foley was given the bad news almost immediately after, at the earliest possible time.

Edit, to not quote Irwin3, he seems a little touchy.

**Irwin3** · 02/06/2012, 4:29 PM

Originally Posted by joe_denilson

The decision to include McShane over Foley wasn't made until McShane passed a fitness test on Tuesday morning. Foley was given the bad news almost immediately after, at the earliest possible time.

Thanks for letting me know (we all have access to the same information). I'll be sure to pass it on to paul_oshea.

**Closed Account** · 02/06/2012, 5:02 PM

Pretty good summation of the Foley story.
Vincent Hogan: Betrayal? Trap was just doing his job

http://www.independent.ie/opinion/co...b-3125853.html

**geysir** · 02/06/2012, 10:18 PM

Trap could have handled it differently but hard to say if that would have been any better.
Has Dunphy appeared yet on TV criticising Trap's management, with tears welling up along with a choked voice, recount just what a fine fellow Kieran Foley is and just how his heart must be broken as he sits at home in the dog house, reeling from the awful treatment he has just received from Trap.

**Irish_Praha** · 02/06/2012, 10:27 PM

Originally Posted by tetsujin1979

how do you make a pre-meditated, last minute decision?
if it's pre meditated you have known about it for some time
if it's last minute you make it at the last possible moment

I only started reading this debate from here but it all sounds like the difference between murder and manslaughter.
IMO if its something Trap felt he had to do it's fine with me.