Liam Boyce, ex-Cliftonville youngster, now at Werder Bremen

Liam Boyce, the Cliftonville teenager who signed for Werder Bremen in the Summer (after being "linked with" Barcelona!) seems to be settling in well in Germany:
http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/sp...-15036413.html

I wonder did his transfer include any 'add-on' for Cliftonville in the event of his making his full international debut, since he seems rather keen?

"Of course it would be great to play for the senior Northern Ireland side," said the Werder Bremen front man.

"The manager Nigel Worthington is giving young players a chance which is good to see and if he wants to include me in any future squads, I'll be there trying to show what I can do."

I'll let you wonder.

Originally Posted by Mr_Parker

I'll let you wonder.

Am I to take it that you don't know, then?

Or may I expect another of your typical "I know something the rest of you don't, but am not going to say" posts?

Originally Posted by EalingGreen

Am I to take it that you don't know, then?

Or may I expect another of your typical "I know something the rest of you don't, but am not going to say" posts?

I do know, but the tone of your post indicates that you are more interested deriding the player and his desire to play rather than any genuine interest.

Originally Posted by Mr_Parker

I do know,

If you do know then why don't you say? After all, there may be other posters besides me who would be interested.

Originally Posted by Mr_Parker

... but the tone of your post indicates that you are more interested deriding the player and his desire to play

Where, in word or tone, did I "deride" the player in my original post?
As for his quoted desire to play for the senior NI team, I heartily welcome it, as I would from any promising youngster.

Originally Posted by Mr_Parker

... rather than any genuine interest.

I am interested in the Irish League and its clubs. It is a feather in both their caps when young players graduate from there to bigger and better things.
Meanwhile, I would be pleased for C'ville should they benefit further from his transfer, since outside money coming into the IL can indirectly benefit all the clubs in the League, including my own.

EG, You missed the boat.
There was a whole other thread on this. Am surprised you didn't, er, contribute.

IF LB now declares for the North that's up to him. He might well get more games. But at the time of the other thread, numerous locals seem to think he wouldn't.....

As we all know, anything can happen in football. He might be included in an IFA senior squad, not play, then, upon realisation at how close he came to eternal damnation, have an epiphany and begin machinations of the IFA's downfall, by declaring for the FAI - aided of course by the FAI, who will already have fired up the propaganda engine by arranging contrived media headlines of "I always wanted to play for Ireland". If so, the resultant fallout is almost inevitable. Boyce will most likely be castigated as nothing more than a "sectarian toe rag" (or "bigot", depending on how blindly furious one is), there will be a media spotlight programme on UTV Live where the ideas of changing the 'national anthem' and flag will be bandied about, then it will die down and everyone will get on with things, and rejoice in the beauty of choice.

Boyce has now been called into the senior NI squad for the Nations Cup game vs Scotland in Dublin next week:
http://www.irishfa.com/international...scotland-game/

With the obvious risk of withdrawals, his chance of a full debut must be getting closer.

Which could even trigger an add-on to his transfer from C'ville to Werder, if only someone knew whether this applied...

Good luck to Liam, even if he does has to settle for plan B, hope he does well. As long as he kicks the ball into his own net when he plays the ROI.

Have to give the OWC fans hope from time to time, we don't want the whole northern setup to collapse completely - I am sure that the FAI could do without the cost of training up the future Gibson, Duffy, Wilson. they're a bit skint at the moment and the IFA do them a favour in this regard.

Originally Posted by dantheman

Good luck to Liam, even if he does has to settle for plan B, hope he does well. As long as he kicks the ball into his own net when he plays the ROI.

Have to give the OWC fans hope from time to time, we don't want the whole northern setup to collapse completely - I am sure that the FAI could do without the cost of training up the future Gibson, Duffy, Wilson. they're a bit skint at the moment and the IFA do them a favour in this regard.

There can be no objection to Wilson (Grandparent) or Duffy (Parents) representing the FAI.

As for Gibson...

Let's just say NI fans are currently managing to contain their, ahem, disappointment on that one.

Is Liam Boyce playing in Werder Bremen's reserves or is it their third team?

2nd team, but the play in the 3rd tier (regionalised) of German football

I looked into this a bit and he has only played three times (0 goals) for a team bottom of the German equilvalent of the third tier in their league system.

Originally Posted by EalingGreen

As for Gibson...

Let's just say NI fans are currently managing to contain their, ahem, disappointment on that one.

Tend to agree he's over-rated, but Fergie keeps playing him so he can't be that sh*te. And looks more comfortable than a Mr.J.Evans in that side....

Originally Posted by ArdeeBhoy

Tend to agree he's over-rated, but Fergie keeps playing him so he can't be that sh*te. And looks more comfortable than a Mr.J.Evans in that side....

NO he doesn't. Not even close. Gibson is BY FAR the weakest member of United's squad.

Originally Posted by ifk101

I looked into this a bit and he has only played three times (0 goals) for a team bottom of the German equilvalent of the third tier in their league system.

It should be stressed that the 3rd tier is made of reserve teams and semi pros, and contains about 80 teams as its regionalised.

Werder Bremen 2 play in 3. Liga according to this;

http://www.soccerway.com/national/ge...egular-season/

The league split into regions starts at the level below 3. Liga.

yeah, I got that a bit wrong.

Some reserve teams play in 4th tier (and its about 40 teams, not 80)

Originally Posted by Dodge

NO he doesn't. Not even close. Gibson is BY FAR the weakest member of United's squad.

Much as have I no time for them, their worst players 'BY FAR' are G.Neville & Wes Brown, with the Evans bros. not far behind.
Granted Gibson isn't much better (maybe 5-6th 'worst'), but at least get yer facts right!!!

Originally Posted by ArdeeBhoy

Much as have I no time for them, their worst players 'BY FAR' are G.Neville & Wes Brown, with the Evans bros. not far behind.
Granted Gibson isn't much better (maybe 5-6th 'worst'), but at least get yer facts right!!!

How surprising that out of 50-odd professionals at Old Trafford, AB should point to two NI players (one of them a 20 year old who has just gone out on loan to Hull), as being amongst the four "worst"...

Anyhow, two "facts" re Jonny Evans:
1. Ferguson gave Evans a 5 year contract last year;
2. Ferguson said he and Smalling were "the two best young centre backs in Britain" as recently as last month.

Granted, he went through a real bad dip in form towards the end of 2010, culminating in a shocker v WHU, which saw him dropped. Since then, he has returned to the team to show much better form, notably against Liverpool, thereby proving the old adage "Form is temporary, Class is permanent".

Here is a sample of what people are saying about him:
Journalist, 06/01/11 - "Ferguson has already earmarked Jonny Evans and Chris Smalling as long-term replacements for Vidic and Rio Ferdinand" http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/foo...al-revamp.html
Fan, 10/01/11 - "Jonny Evans proves the cream always rises" http://thebusbyway.com/2011/01/10/jo...-always-rises/
Ferguson, 10/11/11 - "These two boys [JE and Smalling] are excellent players" http://www.manutdsoccerschools.com/n...r-promise-254/

As for comparisons with Gibson, I am increasingly less bothered that Gibson's not available to NI, whereas I would be devasted if something were to deprive us of Evans. One can never tell, but I am ever more confident that when the two come to end their respective careers, Jonny will have much the greater CV to point to, certainly at OT and who knows, maybe even at international level?

As for younger brother Corry, it's never easy following on from an older sibling, but he's still showing distinct promise:

Should he prove eg to be our "Phil Neville" to Jonny's "Gary", I will be more than happy. Whereas Gibson's best hope of emulating Gary Neville is in the Ugly Stakes..

Whatever.

Merely relying on anecdotal evidence of the few Man.U. fans I know who live in a virtually real world and actually go regularly.
They've slated Brown, G.Neville and J.Evans this eason as they see them all as defensive liabilities. Unimpressed by Gibson, but not on the same scale. On a par with Carrick they tell me.

Perhaps Evans J. is like David Healey who plays far above himself, outside club football....

And no way in a million years they (Evans/Smalling) will replace Vidic and Ferdinand.