QuoteI think you need to take into acount that many players play better for Ireland than they do for thier clubs.
If you'd read the original comparison it was based on goals per games.Originally Posted by weldoninhio
Most Arsenal fans I know think Bendtner's a stocking. With an attitude problem to rival Adebayor.
Your 2nd paragraph is childish beyond belief and would be more suited to a bebo page then this message board.
I think you need to take into acount that many players play better for Ireland than they do for thier clubs.
Given is a class keeper. I don't think anybody can argue with that one?
Keane and Dunne are solid Premiership performers week in week out and have been excellent when representing their country. They are not 'world class' as such but I'm delighted they are Irish. Could English fans say they've seen the best of Lampard/Gerrard and co in an English shirt? According to Andy Gray at the last WC England had 8/9 WORLD CLASS players. I nearly fell off my chair.
Duff in his prime was a joy to watch. Injuries have taken their toll but he can still do the business for us which is what counts.
S Ireland looks like a real talent and it's a shame he has decided to quit international football because I imagine most managers would try and build the team around him.
At the end of the day as long as the Trap can get the team to gel, work hard and put teams under pressure we'll give a lot of countries a game (and probably draw 1-1!). We are hard to beat and are now starting to grind out results. I'd like to think I don't over estimate Irish player abilities but even a few weeks ago I posted on here I wouldn't swap Dunne for Terry in an Irish shirt. Maybe I'm completely crazy but I know Dunne has very rarely let us down and plays well in the big games for us.
Robbie Keane is number 10 on the all-time goal scoring list for the premiership, so in all fairness you can't really argue his top quality there he also is always up among top scorers every season and even managed to score 10 goals last year despite Bentez's efforts.
On the topic of the other players I think An_cinnaire must be the only person who thinks Given isn't world class, as stated before Duff was world class but moving to Newcastle ruined his career (like a lot of other players) Dunne had a very poor season last year but he was captain of one of the top (not top 4) clubs in England and was raved about. Finan was at one of the top clubs for years and has won the Champs League, you cannot doubt that he was world class at the time.
Andy Reid however is a special case as he doesn't seem to be world class, but he seems to be working hard and hopefully he can fulfil his potential that he does clearly have.
McShane was a big one though, he was given great reviews for his game against the Czech even though he didn't play great and was at fault for the goal.
Oh oh not that one againO'Shea & Henderson were at fault. McShane's error was not blocking a shot by a prolific international striker.
Cue recurring argument no. 73...
I thought his debut was really impressive. It's a pity what happened since though. I think it's fair to say he's not overrated by many now.
Given is world class.
A partnership of Dunne and O'Shea can compete with the best of them. I have never seen Kilbane play a bad game in an Ireland Jersey, and his last own goal occured because he was trying to defend.
Right-back is our problem, though McShane is still under-rated by the Irish public. I would not nor would many Irish people, give him a place on the Ireland team. But he's not sh!t, and that's what he's being called.
Duff was world class, and though he has dipped, he can change a game against ANY TEAM when he's on form. McGeady is relatively young, and still international standard, though he will, I hope, improve.
Stephen Hunt is a work-horse, and is one of my favourite players, though he is not world-class.
Kevin Doyle was subject to the other Irish rating problem: when at Cork City he was no worse than he is now, and yet he was dangerously under-rated. He is well-worth a place in the Ireland set-up and, more than that, good enough to play in the World Cup. Keane is top class, for all the reasons christo, above, stated.
Now as for Andy Reid, he is RIDICULOUSLY over-rated. In the Premier Legaue this season, we may well have six midfielders on Premier League starting 11's:
Andrews, Stephen Reid, Delap, Lawrence, Whelan and Fahey.
Andy Reid will not be one of them.
So where is his genius being displayed? Why is he a supposed shoe-in for a place in the Irish squad while not in the SUNDERLAND squad?
Kilbane has had plenty of bad games in an Ireland jersey. He's also had plenty of good ones, but lately it's been more of the former unfortunately. He's not a left back, but we don't have a proper one so someone is gonna have to fill in there, so it may as well be Killer (definitely open to trying alternatives though).
I don't believe that Duff can change a game against anybody unfortunately. He is definitely a massive player for us though, and still gives international fullbacks a big problem.
In terms of Andy Reid, I don't care if Roy Keane and Sbragia, two nothing managers have dropped him. I've seen what he can do in an Ireland jersey, especially during the Kerr era, and know that he's worth a place in the squad.
Maybe he doesn't fit Trap's system, or he's a disruptive influence, and if he is being excluded for these reasons, that is Trap's prerogative and I trust him to make these decisions.
But it is not for a lack of ability. The managers of English teams should never dictate who is good or not good enough for our squad. Thankfully we've got a manager now who is willing to play players who are out of favour with their clubs if he believes they are our best option. We've seen the rewards so far with Whelan and Folan.
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