Potentially eligible players thread

**Stuttgart88** · 08/04/2015, 10:03 AM

I taped extended highlights on Ford Football Special on Sky last night which I guess will be repeated sometime today.

**DeLorean** · 08/04/2015, 10:16 AM

Damn repeat started at 10am.

**paul_oshea** · 08/04/2015, 10:19 AM

Clark was out-muscled for one of the goals. That seems to be a persistent problem of his, the lapses seemed to have ceased/less and less, but he is repeatedly being out-muscled and a goal conceded off the back of it.

**DeLorean** · 08/04/2015, 10:48 AM

He was extremely lucky to escape conceding a penalty at Old Trafford at the weekend.

**Olé Olé** · 08/04/2015, 1:51 PM

http://www.irishpost.co.uk/sport/fai...striker-garner

This chap will be 27 in a couple of days time and plays in L1. His record at Championship level during his career is pretty poor (a goal in 22 games for Watford in 2011/12). Would prefer if this was filed beside Richard Stearman, especially given that Daryl Murphy is top scorer in the Championship and far from first choice for us.

**Charlie Darwin** · 08/04/2015, 2:03 PM

It's beyond embarrassing at this point. We'll chase any old journeyman with an Irish name.

**Stuttgart88** · 08/04/2015, 2:52 PM

Originally Posted by DeLorean

He was extremely lucky to escape conceding a penalty at Old Trafford at the weekend.

I thought Rooney made a meal of it, happier to go down than actually take a shot which he might have done. The way Rooney bent both knees was classic Drogba.

**DannyInvincible** · 08/04/2015, 3:40 PM

Originally Posted by Olé Olé

http://www.irishpost.co.uk/sport/fai...striker-garner

This chap will be 27 in a couple of days time and plays in L1. His record at Championship level during his career is pretty poor (a goal in 22 games for Watford in 2011/12). Would prefer if this was filed beside Richard Stearman, especially given that Daryl Murphy is top scorer in the Championship and far from first choice for us.

According to the Irish Post, he "has relations still living in Galway city"! Bloody hell, will they ever catch on and get out before it's too late?

**DannyInvincible** · 08/04/2015, 3:47 PM

In seriousness, interesting comment also from O'Neill from the Irish Post piece above:

Originally Posted by Irish Post

Last month O’Neill said: “I would love to leave a legacy. I would love to leave some young players who came through in my tenure for the next person.

“Ideally they would be born in Dublin, Cork, Waterford or Galway, but that is certainly not to say I won’t consider second generation Irish players. I want to make that very clear.

“If a guy like Cyrus Christie or David McGoldrick comes along and expresses an interest in playing for Ireland of course we will want them.”

I note the absence of any mention of possible consideration of northern-born players. That's not necessarily to say Martin wouldn't consider/want them - indeed, I think he might have said he would be open to it a fair while back - but there is another part of me that feels he'd be reluctant to actually go after a northern-born player (in the same way he's clearly happy to go after players like Christie, McGoldrick or former/current England under-age internationals) for fear of irritating the IFA, with whom he probably still has some sort of close informal relations or for whom he probably possesses some sympathetic if not affectionate sentiment.

**TrapAPony** · 08/04/2015, 3:49 PM

Why Garner? Can't be any better than Eoin Doyle or Paddy Madden who aren't good enough either by the way. When we were chasing Wilson & Bamford then that was a step in the right direction..... but this????

**DannyInvincible** · 08/04/2015, 5:37 PM

Originally Posted by TrapAPony

Why Garner? Can't be any better than Eoin Doyle or Paddy Madden who aren't good enough either by the way. When we were chasing Wilson & Bamford then that was a step in the right direction..... but this????

Increasing our options can't ever be unhelpful, surely. He'll be an option, but if he's not good enough, we'll select someone superior. No harm done.

**Olé Olé** · 08/04/2015, 5:53 PM

Originally Posted by DannyInvincible

Increasing our options can't ever be unhelpful, surely. He'll be an option, but if he's not good enough, we'll select someone superior. No harm done.

I dunno, Danny. I'm normally very receptive to the players that have switched their allegiances to us but I think this is a step too far. I think it actually does more harm than good because he's no better than the options TrapAPony listed above (definitely not Doyle anyway, if you compare their L1 tallies) and it is very disheartening to the likes of Doyle and those coming through if the FAI is actually investing resources in Garner. Garner has never shown anything at a level above League 1 (fair enough, Doyle and Adam Rooney haven't either) so I don't see how the FAI (if the report is indeed accurate) believe he's worth adding to the ranks.

Maybe he'll move into the Championship and shatter all records next season. Who knows.

**osarusan** · 08/04/2015, 7:14 PM

Originally Posted by Stuttgart88

I couldn't help noting just how silly the Villa fans were for celebrating a late equaliser that prevented a direct rival getting within a point of them. Have they no dignity?

What is this in reference to?

**Stuttgart88** · 08/04/2015, 7:28 PM

Some people complaining about Irish players and fans celebrating an injury time equaliser against Poland as if it is some kind of hardwired permanent acceptance of mediocrity.

**nigel-harps1954** · 08/04/2015, 7:59 PM

Originally Posted by DannyInvincible

Increasing our options can't ever be unhelpful, surely. He'll be an option, but if he's not good enough, we'll select someone superior. No harm done.

Despite players playing European football this year, scoring 20 goals a season in Ireland, and the rising standards of football here..that a 27 year old English fella who never made it at the highest level and only scoring goals in League One, arguably a slightly lower standard than the top League of Ireland sides, would be considered before them would be a disgrace in my opinion.

**SkStu** · 08/04/2015, 8:05 PM

this is a bizarre one alright.

**Charlie Darwin** · 08/04/2015, 8:09 PM

He'll be tempting Lee Trundle out of retirement before long.

**Stuttgart88** · 08/04/2015, 8:10 PM

Relax for the moment, there's relatively little of substance in the story - so far.

Nigel, I went to Rovers v Bohs when home for the international break and didn't see much evidence of a rising standard! A dull 0-0 that I loved every minute of, but I think your protestations would be taken a bit more seriously with a better sense of context.

**tetsujin1979** · 08/04/2015, 8:20 PM

Take it all with a pinch of salt, the article itself is fairly short, there's no quotes from the player, management, or the club involved and I haven't seen any other news outlet pick up the story

**nigel-harps1954** · 08/04/2015, 8:27 PM

Originally Posted by Stuttgart88

Relax for the moment, there's relatively little of substance in the story - so far.

Nigel, I went to Rovers v Bohs when home for the international break and didn't see much evidence of a rising standard! A dull 0-0 that I loved every minute of, but I think your protestations would be taken a bit more seriously with a better sense of context.

Most agreed that it was a poor game, but in all fairness, Pat Fenlon has never really had attractive football as part of his managerial CV.

The likes of Dundalk, St Pats and Cork are starting to really lift the standard. Shamrock Rovers have a good side that will be hard to beat without playing spectacular football and players such a Keith Fahey, an Irish international only a couple of years ago and Mikey Drennan, a rising Irish star only a year ago.

I firmly believe that any League One player picked ahead of a top League of Ireland player playing at least a handful of European games this season would be a disgrace.