I don't know if this is the right forum for this, mods move if you feel you need to do so.
Ronnie O'Brien has been playing well for Dallas after he broke his leg last year. Here is an interview/story about him (plus disses playing for Ireland): http://www.mlsnet.com/MLS/news/mls_n..._mls&fext=.jsp
Sour grapes from the erstwhile Man of the Century, it seems. It's all very well and good saying that he'd treat lightly an international call-up, but the chances of him winning one in the near future are slim to nil.
PP
Semper in faecibus sole profundum variat
Right on, he was with Dundee or Dundee Utd for a spell and made very few appearances. If you can't hack it in the Scottish Prem...
Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.
Nationalism is an infantile disease, the measles of mankind
I've watched him a few times over here on TV playing for Dallas and he has always put in a decent performance. Nothing magical but pretty solid usually. And please, spare me the MLS is crap replies. O'Brien is correct in saying it's about English Division 1 standard.
Couldn't possibly comment on the quality of the MLS as know nothing about it but don't really see Ronnie having any future in the Ireland set up anyway. Not sure what he has sour taste about - the fact he's not been good enough to make the Ireland squad or does he believe he deserved a call up and never got one?
Strange reaction.After being snubbed too many times at the U-20 and U-21 levels, O'Brien is not about to come running if he is summoned back to play for the full national team.
It's easy saying that when a call up isn't likely to come. If it did come, I'd say he'd change his tune fairly quick.
And the MLS, based soley on the American MLS based players at the 2002 world cup, is a pretty decent standard imo.
I saw Ronnie play two weeks ago. The article linked earlier in this thread must have been written by his own pr firm. One accurate quote however "I'm not as sharp as I once was". He's nowhere close to the possibility of an international call up. There's a reason he was subbed alot when he played on our youth teams... and I don't see that much has changed.
One comment about the MLS... it's quite a good league, probably lower Div 1, high Div 2. There's quite a few players who have been good in MLS that have made a quick transition to the higher leagues in England. The US national team has benefited significantly from it, by creating a better pool of players to choose from.
http://www.ussoccerplayers.com/exclusives/448900.htmlO'Brien has applied for a green card and is actively talking renewal in the last year of his current contract. He's embracing the American lifestyle and would even consider taking his connection to the States a step further. He wouldn't mind playing for the US National Team.
"I'd play. I'd be more than happy to play. If they'd want me I'd play,'' O'Brien said. ``The same with the Irish team. But they've got to want you to play. You don't beg people to play. If they're watching you, if they pick you. If Bruce came to me and said, `Ronnie, I'd fancy you playing over here on the right side.' I'd play. I'd be more than happy to play.''
FWIW, although he is highly regarded over here in MLS, he has a ways to go before he can play for the US...you must be a citizen and he's just applying for a green card.
Although he is much maligned by people who saw him in his younger days, IMO his performances in MLS have been pretty positive.
"Jacques Santini...will be greeted in every dugout of the country by "one-nil, one-nil" - Clive Tyldsley, 89th minute of France-England June 13, 2004.
"Ooooohhhh Nooooooo" Bobby Robson 91st minute.
MLS definitely has some pretty decent players and Ronnie is doing very well here. But I don't think flying from Dallas to Dublin for internationals is practical even if we needed another option at right-midfield. If he can get a US cap good for him.
Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.
Nationalism is an infantile disease, the measles of mankind
Indeed -best of luck to him if he can get a game for them. I don't think he'd be any huge addition to what we have. Their league is, in Ronnies own estimation, about as good as the 2nd flight in England (which means in all probability -about as good as the 3rd flight) so I don't think he'd bring anything special to the party.
" I wish to God that someone would be able to block out the voices in my head for five minutes, the voices that scream, over and over again: "Why do they come to me to die?"
O'Brien is right, MLS is on par with the League Championship or whatever they call it nowadays and not 3rd flight. After all, the US got to the quarter finals of the World Cup last night with half of the players coming from MLS and the other half were Euro based journeymen so they can't be all that bad. FWIW, MLS teams have a good record in friendlies against Premiership teams and the Metrostars beat Bayern Munich the week after they won the CL in 2001. But of course the Bayern fans said the team was on the booze since the CL win. Which was probably true.Originally Posted by Lionel Ritchie
Indeed -best of luck to him if he can get a game for them. I don't think he'd be any huge addition to what we have. Their league is, in Ronnies own estimation, about as good as the 2nd flight in England (which means in all probability -about as good as the 3rd flight
"Jacques Santini...will be greeted in every dugout of the country by "one-nil, one-nil" - Clive Tyldsley, 89th minute of France-England June 13, 2004.
"Ooooohhhh Nooooooo" Bobby Robson 91st minute.
Its amazing to see, usually people on this site are giving out about people like O'Brien from one country but for whatever reason going to play for another. Its a bit hyprocritical if we wish O'Brien well playing for a different country and then cursing when someone like Macken comes along and plays for us.
and going the other way, i think noonan of the revs (center forward - sometimes not bad, but has terrible, awful, puffy hair) qualifies for ireland under grandparentage.
I'd give him a chance for Ireland, from what I've seen he's been very impresive in the MLS which is a decent standard league, as shown by the US at the last world cup. There's no harm in trying him in a friendly or two, if he turns out to be the worst player ever we've lost nothing, if he plays well we've gained a decent option in mid field.
No it's not, if you ever lived in the U.S like I have you would know that this country really is a melting pot and it is very hard to define what it means to be American, the spectrum is just so wide.
This country is fuelled by immigrants though mostly from South America and Asia these days - I don't see it as being the same as Englishmen playing for Ireland, for starters O'Brien lives and works here which none og our mercenaries have done.
It would be interesting to know how many of the Englishmen who have played for Ireland never set foot in the ROI before their first call-up?
Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.
Nationalism is an infantile disease, the measles of mankind
That's a very 2-dimensional view Mick. I think your opinions are generally anti-English anyway. It's ironic because Wolfe Tone once said that the "Americans are half English, half Dutch, with the worst qualities of both peoples". Ronnie O'Brien declaring for the US should not be viewed as any differently just becase it is the US and not England. Would we be as supportive if England wanted to call him up? Unlike Jon Macken who has Irish blood, Ronnie has no American ancestry that I know of.
"Love many, trust few, always paddle your own canoe." Dillo
I believe the JamaicanPM must be a very well educated individual,hes a whirlwind of information,his deep knowledge on certain topics is truly mind boggling.Where did this man get his education?
Although i do not agree with some of his concepts or believes...
The only interesting answers are those which destroy the questions!
the game in the mls is not 'crap' (stunning critique by the way)
but it is ordinary most of them time with bouts of greatness.
Ronnie is indeed one of the stars but then so is a 38 yr old andreas herzog. Richie baker has 7 assists and has decent game time but he's nowhere near a call up and to be fair ronnie is in a different class. The problem is the league is full of average to good players like baker with a smattering of quality like Noonan, Eddie Johnson, Clint Dempsey and a few others like Landon donovan (outta there next season).
I have no probmel with the likes of Macken,(who was never asked previously to play for ireland) deciding to declare and I have no problem with ronnie playing for the us. ronnie has moved there, is getting married there, will raise kids there. to a great degree he has settled in and should be allowed play if he gets the citizenship.
I do doubt he'll get a call up while playing for dallas who are muck. they might improve next year but to be honest they couldn'd keep a clean sheet to bray reserve grannies. Having said that- there are only 3 or 4 yanks ahead of him in the league at right-mid
No. That isnt why the game is crap over here. Because it's all about statistics?
[/sarcasm hat on]
OK, I'll email MLS to drop with the statistics stuff and all their problems will br dropped
[/sarcasm hat off]
It's not like statistics are shown at all in the Sky games I watch such as possesion %, Shots on target, shots taken....right?
"Jacques Santini...will be greeted in every dugout of the country by "one-nil, one-nil" - Clive Tyldsley, 89th minute of France-England June 13, 2004.
"Ooooohhhh Nooooooo" Bobby Robson 91st minute.
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