Mannus withdraws from NI squad - Any thoughts?

[Port Saint]

I don't think he should have pulled out. Every person should play/work at the highest level possible and even though it's a friendly tour it'll stand to him in the future.
From a League teams point (Rovers in this case) surely there is a second keeper at the club that could step up for a couple of games. The league won't be won and lost in that week of the season, will it?

[marinobohs]

I don't think he should have pulled out. Every person should play/work at the highest level possible and even though it's a friendly tour it'll stand to him in the future.
From a League teams point (Rovers in this case) surely there is a second keeper at the club that could step up for a couple of games. The league won't be won and lost in that week of the season, will it?

Think to be fair the point is that playing important League games for shams is more important than end of season friendlies for N Ireland. Brave call by Mannus and hope it wont cost him in the future.

[GGAJD]

Big decision from Al, althugh I know O'Neil and Worthington are friends since their playing days and with Alan Wright being Norn Iron's GK coach who was at Rovers last season, I'm sure some kind of agreement must have been reached reguarding his inclusion in the future. The number one spot for them is there for someone in the near future and hopefully Big Al will be in the shake up for that.
Rovers do have Robert Duggan as second choice keeper who's not bad from what I've seen of him and I think would have covered admirably, but the form Mannus has shown so far this season has been encouraging and he certainly looks to have settled into his role at the club.

[mrtndvn]

Meaningless friendly, only call he possibly could of made.
Fahey, Doyle, Murphy, D Murphy, O'Donavon, Bennett, McCourt etc etc Didn't need to play international football to improve themselves.

Crowe and J Byrne played for Ireland, where are they now?

[osarusan]

Well, for years, people on here complained about the lack of recognition the league gets from international managers.

Successive ROI international managers, not managers of other national teams.

[GerByrne]

"J Byrne played for Ireland, where are they now?"

I presume you've seen the top scorers list for the Premier League in Ireland for this season mrtndvn

[Munster Saint]

Successive ROI international managers, not managers of other national teams.

That's right, Manus isn't the first to turn down an international call up, if memory serves Mbabazi pulled out of Uganda national team squads to play for Pats

[Mr A]

I understand why the decision was made, but I think players should play for their country when they have the chance.

[Dodge]

That's right, Manus isn't the first to turn down an international call up, if memory serves Mbabazi pulled out of Uganda national team squads to play for Pats

Correct. He actually retired from international football

[SkStu]

its a strange one from Mannus. Obvious positives for Shams, obvious negatives for himself. Fair play to him if he wants to compromise his international career like that. MON must have been very convincing...

[Jicked]

Amazing, Murphy was a "legend" when he was at shams (most of your fans preferred him as a keeper to Mannus) but as soon as he joins Bohs ........

FWIW I've always been very much in the pro-Mannus group, but you're right plenty of our fans were against him signing and didn't want Murphy to leave. After what MON had to say at the Rovers AGM about the specifics of Murphy's behaviour, Barry has very few admirers left amongst those who found out the true story from an fed-up MON.

[paudie]

interesting decision from Mannus. I presume he's confident that he'll still be included in NI squads for competitive games.

Can Rovers get League games postponed if 1 player is picked for a competitive game?

[SkStu]

AFAIK it has to be three players called up for international duty (incl. U21's)

[EalingGreen]

Coming at this from a different angle (NI fan, rather than LOI fan), I'm disappointed he won't be there, but not disappointed in Mannus.
That is, I kinda understand where he's coming from.
For at best this Tour will be a joke, at worst an embarrassment. It was hoped to line up decent opposition for a quick trip to somewhere handy in the USA, pocket a decent appearance fee then return home.
Instead, we have ended up playing Turkey in Connecticut on a Wednesday, then flying down to to play Chile on the Saturday. And not only is the Chile game not in the capital Santiago (it's some way South), but Chile have another game scheduled for that same date i.e. we are effectively playing their "B" team.
Moreover, the dates clash with the narrow holiday window for EPL players, plus the FL Play-Offs and Steven Davis's wedding (to which a number of players are invited). Oh and we have kept several players who might have stepped up from the U-19s, since they are playing a competitive qualifying tournament in Russia at the same time.
Therefore the team which will travel will effectively be our fourth team - and we barely have a third team as it is...
(Oh and before anyone asks why we're going out there at all, it's solely for the money, since the IFA is completely skint).
In those circumstances, I suspect Worthington is more understanding of Mannus's decision than might normally be the case.

And from the player's pov, I don't think he's jeopardising his future international prospects, since those have effectively faded. That is, Maik Taylor is established No.1 for the next year, maybe even two(?), with Worthy testing other, younger keepers (but not Mannus) as possible successors. (Current head of the queue is Jonny Tuffey of Partick Thistle, who will be signing for an SPL club next season, or maybe English Championship? Next in line is probably Trevor Carson, Sunderland No.2 and highly thought of. And he is already bringing Michael McGovern of Ross County out on the Tour, where I think he'll play. All three are a few years younger than Mannus, btw)

Tbh, I think Mannus realised his international chance had gone after he left a full-time contract with Linfield to try his luck in England. When his trials there didn't work out, he came back to Ireland to play for Shams, and if he and the club are doing well, then he's probably happy enough.

Of course none of those youngsters might work out, in which case he might get back into the frame in another year or two. But if that happens, then I doubt that his opting out of this Tour will have burned his bridges with NI; if nothing else, he has proved his loyalty by joining numerous squads previously, without ever being likely to play.

P.S. Pleased to hear he's playing well for Shams - for all that he was a Bluenose(!), I always admired his attitude.

[PartySaint]

Good post EG but do you fear that NI fans will look at is as he has turned down the chance to play for his country to play for one of the big nationlist clubs down south?? and therefore give him a bad reception if he does get called into the squad in future (Not points for guessing which club these fans come from)

[EalingGreen]

Good post EG but do you fear that NI fans will look at is as he has turned down the chance to play for his country to play for one of the big nationlist clubs down south?? and therefore give him a bad reception if he does get called into the squad in future (Not points for guessing which club these fans come from)

Assuming you refer to Linfield, nothing would surprise me about some of their support!

But tbf, afaik, Mannus is/was highly regarded by their fans, there was no resentment when he left Windsor to try his luck in England, nor when he came back to sign for Shams.

And since he has never challenged for the top spot as keeper, but has always been content to be called upon on the rare occasions when Taylor (or Carroll) were unavailable, then I think most people accept (or should, at least) that his attitude towards playing for NI has never been in doubt before.

Besides, when you look at the list of other players who have pulled out from this Tour, it is so long that I suspect the bulk of any anger is directed at the IFA for putting them in such a difficult position for so poxy an event.

But as I say, there's no accounting for Linfield fans...

P.S. What kind of money would Mannus be on? I imagine it's decent, but hardly life-changing. That is, if he looks after himself and has another few years in him (as he should), then he should do OK out of the game. But as against that, if he screws up, Shams could probably find a replacement handy enough. In which case, I personally don't blame the guy for keeping himself right with his employer.

[sligoman]

Mannus is a better keeper any way, but when you compare their professional attitude/desire to play and win for Rovers, I'm thrilled we have a professional like Big Al who seems desperate to see Rovers succeed.

Why do your fans sing about him being a hun then, his religion shouldn't matter surely?

[Dodge]

AFAIK it has to be three players called up for international duty (incl. U21's)

No, its only one. Cork got games called up when Joe Gamble was called up for the ROI tour to the US a couple of years ago. Some clubs haven't exercised the right to get games called off in recent times (Rovers with Ian Bermingham last year for example)

[PartySaint]

P.S. What kind of money would Mannus be on? I imagine it's decent, but hardly life-changing. That is, if he looks after himself and has another few years in him (as he should), then he should do OK out of the game. But as against that, if he screws up, Shams could probably find a replacement handy enough. In which case, I personally don't blame the guy for keeping himself right with his employer.

Id say he is easily on over a grand a week but if you ask a Rovers fan he is probably only on €15 a week a packet of fruit pastilles and the love of playing in the hooped shirt

[marinobohs]

interesting decision from Mannus. I presume he's confident that he'll still be included in NI squads for competitive games.

Can Rovers get League games postponed if 1 player is picked for a competitive game?

No. usual is three players out before postponement granted. Although a club may apply for postponement of any game it is difficult to see one granted in these circumstances (one player called up). Also the matches concerned are not competitive in this case, so even less chance.