Alan Moore.....

**eoinh** · 11/08/2004, 10:02 PM

Wes Hoolahan, Danny murphy, John O'Flynn all could play for Ireland.

Alan Moore was class tonight. So much for him not being up to the standard of the English First Division. What crap promulgated by skyhypnos!

oh by the way malmo went top of the swedish first division last night.

Sheridan · 11/08/2004, 10:11 PM

Just what I was thinking (specifically with regard to Hoolahan, rather than Moore, who I didn't think was all that good tonight.)

Hoolahan is a better player than Andy Reid. All Reid has on him is the ability to score a bit more frequently. I hope this "never played at a higher level" bullsh*t will stop now. Hoolahan performed brilliantly tonight against a better team (in a better competition) than any Reid has ever played against, and probably ever will play against. (I don't fancy him, btw.)

Very impressed with Fenlon after the game, he reacted to the result for what it was- a good scoreless draw that could have been improved upon.

**Slash/ED** · 12/08/2004, 1:18 PM

Hoolahan was the most skillfull player on the pitch against Deportivo. Not calling him up to the Ireland squad now is taking the ****, and Heary also proved he's a better full back than Maybury. You can no longer use the argument that they haven't done it at a high enough level.

**tiktok** · 12/08/2004, 1:28 PM

Originally Posted by Slash/ED

Hoolahan was the most skillfull player on the pitch against Deportivo. Not calling him up to the Ireland squad now is taking the ****, and Heary also proved he's a better full back than Maybury. You can no longer use the argument that they haven't done it at a high enough level.

Can't argue with that.
If there are drop out's from the current suqad over the weekend I'd hope that Hoolahan gets a shot at least.

**CuanaD** · 12/08/2004, 7:42 PM

Was Kerr there? did he see Hoolahan? (I know half of depor couldnt see him, he was so fast!)
Has Kerr just become a fai lapdog or why won't he pick a good ammount of eL players? - its obvious to us that they are up to the required standard & he ought to know

**daithi** · 12/08/2004, 11:25 PM

I see John macken of man city was called up to the Irish team, I thought we seen the end of this rubbish....... He was capped at underage for england, but it's ok his granny was Irish

**Stevo Da Gull** · 15/08/2004, 11:28 AM

well lads what did u expect- that the players called up would be there on merrit

still though I would rather see Kerr in charge than than a foreign manager who would'nt even aknowledge the league's existence.
Macken being called up just cancelled out G Crowe or J Byrne ever gettin another cap anyway and I'd say Wes H will move to UK at the end of the season (where he will of course be called up when he plays well against the great /example/ Preston North End <no offencePNE> insted of Depor) so I cant see an EL player being called up again anytime soon. Unless they breakthrough from U21 level but Wes H apparently was a class act for U21s on numerous occasions and well, got no reward.

**tippman** · 15/08/2004, 1:07 PM

this should be the team:

1. given

2.heary(owen) 4.o'shea 5.cunninghamn 3.harte

11.byrne(jason) 6.moore 8.hoolahan 7.duff

9.keane 10.crowe

**adamcarr** · 15/08/2004, 1:17 PM

Originally Posted by tippman

this should be the team:

1. given

2.heary(owen) 4.o'shea 5.cunninghamn 3.harte

11.byrne(jason) 6.moore 8.hoolahan 7.duff

9.keane 10.crowe

Jason Byrne isnt better than Reid. Moore/hoolahan arent better than Keane, O Shea is crap in CD. And Crowe isnt better than Morisson/Lee/JOF.

**tippman** · 15/08/2004, 1:50 PM

jof has been poor enough this year and is yet to prove himself as a injury free consistant goal scorer

i dont rate lee much div 3 engurland!

morrison never really seems to play well for more than 90 minutes in an ireland jersey

crowe has scored 12 goals for under acheiving bohs team this year and has consistantly played well and scored goals in the el.

as for reid and byrne, reid cant really play on the right and you could hardly get rid of duffer...?

ok if keane plays i would take out moore and i think we should at least try o'shea at cb in a friendly

**adamcarr** · 15/08/2004, 1:54 PM

Originally Posted by tippman

as for reid and byrne, reid cant really play on the right and you could hardly get rid of duffer...?

Reid is Premiership standard. Byrne isnt close!

**tippman** · 15/08/2004, 4:30 PM

what has the premiers*ip got to do with this

**Beavis** · 15/08/2004, 6:37 PM

The eL has some players with undoubted talent but the overall standard does not nearly compare to Englands top 2 divisions.The players with quality in the el need to be tested at higher standards every week before being seriously considered for proper role in the national team.It may not be a popular opinion but its the truth.I was at Rovers Waterford on Friday and the football was brutal.

**Slash/ED** · 15/08/2004, 6:48 PM

Higher standards as in five matches against teams full of internationals, sort of like Shels five champions league matches so far you mean?

**tippman** · 15/08/2004, 7:24 PM

dont forget corks euro run.

p.s. its not the type of football you play its the results that matter

**tiktok** · 15/08/2004, 8:17 PM

Originally Posted by Beavis

The eL has some players with undoubted talent but the overall standard does not nearly compare to Englands top 2 divisions.The players with quality in the el need to be tested at higher standards every week before being seriously considered for proper role in the national team.It may not be a popular opinion but its the truth.I was at Rovers Waterford on Friday and the football was brutal.

No offence Beavis, but no-one is suggesting anyone from Rovers and Waterford should be on, so that example carries no weight.

Moore, Heary and especially Hoolahan have played competitive European football in the last five weeks and have excelled against Hadjuk Split and Deportivo.
That more than compares to what any player in England's top two divisions has done, most have only played preseason, some of the players in the panel have only managed brief substitute appearances.

I'd have no problem giving Hoolahan a shot, and if there are withdrawals from the Irish squad after the weekend (and Holland for one will be out) Kerr should bulk the squad out with form players.

**ShelsTim** · 15/08/2004, 11:41 PM

In most of the cases, the eL players aren't up to standard, they might be fringe players on an International Squad, but far from first teamers. Kerr knows what he's doing, he's managed the youths which had a heavy influence from the eL, he's not scared to put in a player where they're good enough, but he knows who's good enough. It's easy to say such-and-such a player is fantastic because his biggest challenge has been getting around Chris Deans but put him up against a World Class player and see what happens.

Deportivo is another thing, it's one of the two times this Shels squad have played world-class opposition. Depor were out of season, weakened from last season, unprepared and going for a 0-0 draw. Doesn't mean you can start sticking half the shels squad into the Irish team. Split, Rekjavik, Malmo, Nantes and Nemjegen are all far from world class. If Shels surprise the world and get into the CL groups we'll see how they compare against truely world-class players, week-in, week-out.

Weso is the only one I'd think of putting in. Maybe owen heary if we didn't have such an abundance of right backs.

**Slash/ED** · 15/08/2004, 11:55 PM

Originally Posted by ShelsTim

Split, Rekjavik, Malmo, Nantes and Nemjegen are all far from world class. If Shels surprise the world and get into the CL groups we'll see how they compare against truely world-class players, week-in, week-out.

A valid point if Ireland 23 had players playing at the highest level week in week out. They don't. In Irelands mid field for the next match we have a player who can't get a game for Sheffield United. Wes Hoolahan has done more to merit a place in the Ireland team than Alan Quinn, who has warmed the Sheffield United bench.

Split, Rekjavik, Malmo, Nantes and Nemjegen all contain international players, if EL players don't look out of place against teams of internationals, world class or not, then that says it all. Split, Rekjavik, Malmo, Nantes and Nemjegen are also as good or better than the average teams you'll meet in the lower leagues in England which, sadly, is where some of our players come from.

**A face** · 16/08/2004, 12:24 AM

Originally Posted by Slash/ED

A valid point if Ireland 23 had players playing at the highest level week in week out. They don't. In Irelands mid field for the next match we have a player who can't get a game for Sheffield United. Wes Hoolahan has done more to merit a place in the Ireland team than Alan Quinn, who has warmed the Sheffield United bench.

Split, Rekjavik, Malmo, Nantes and Nemjegen all contain international players, if EL players don't look out of place against teams of internationals, world class or not, then that says it all. Split, Rekjavik, Malmo, Nantes and Nemjegen are also as good or better than the average teams you'll meet in the lower leagues in England which, sadly, is where some of our players come from.

Cant argue with any of that !!
I'd like to think that the league is turning a corner now, even if it isnt to the top level but ......

At what stage will players in the eL be good enough ..... what do they need to do ?? What stage does the league need to be at in order to be deemed good enough quality for a player to play in week in, week out ? When will we be able to have 3-4 players from the league in the national team ?

Surely having players from the league in the national side be an incentive for players to improve and not have the door closed on them all the time.

ShelsTim ..... can you answer those questions if you get a chance.

**Beavis** · 16/08/2004, 6:08 PM

Originally Posted by tiktok

No offence Beavis, but no-one is suggesting anyone from Rovers and Waterford should be on

Exactly,none of them are near good enough for international level.Point is that this is the standard that the eL international hopefuls face every week and are therefore IMO not adequetly positioned to be considered for anything other than a cameo role unless they are being tested on a regular basis against the quality of players equal to that of decent international sides.