Fester Carsley retires again...

[the ox]

Conor74, you've got it in one! If I ever play for Ireland (!) I will definitely walk out on the eve of the biggest chance my country has ever had to challenge for a trophy and make a massive impact in world football. I will also do my best to alienate everyone in the squad who wasn't born on the same landmass as me. And I will come back loved by nearly all!

[TheJamaicanP.M.]

As for Lee O' Carslaigh, the man is not getting the credit he deserved and I for one wish him the best of luck in the rest of his career. Not blessed with too much ability, but always gave 100% in the green shirt and never failed to appear when announced in a squad ,despite knowing that most of the time he wouldn't get a run out. If only other more high profile players weren't so chosey on when to appear

Agree 100% with ye JoeSemi. About time someone acknoweldged Carsleys efforts. If only everyone had Lee's attitude, workrate and endeavour things would be an awful lot easier. He's a smashing pro and his international retirement can only benefit David Moyes' Blue Army. We have Lee's graft and Kilbane's trickery at Goodison and signs are on the toffees! Sitting at the dizzying heights of third in the league, things have never looked better on Moyseyside! As far as I'm concerned Rafael Benitez will remain Rafael BeneathUs!! [/QUOTE]

Smashing post Dillo. Goes down as one of the all-time greats.

[EamonD]

Ireland is the sow that eats her own farrow. Keep it up boys!

[De Town]

Carsley just scored a cracker of a free kick for Everton against Newcastle

[Donal81]

A decent bloke, dodgy footballer, but he doesn't deserve praise for turning up and I don't understand why so many people here are giving it for that reason. The reason that Carsley gets so much stick, aside from the fact that he's a ropey player, is that he never convinced anyone that Ireland was his country and that he really wanted to play for us. He showed up, blah blah blah, but he never convinced that he wasn't just playing for us because England wouldn't call him up.

[tricky_colour]

He scored a great free kick against Newcastle today, as good as you
will see.

[TheJamaicanP.M.]

A decent bloke, dodgy footballer, but he doesn't deserve praise for turning up and I don't understand why so many people here are giving it for that reason. The reason that Carsley gets so much stick, aside from the fact that he's a ropey player, is that he never convinced anyone that Ireland was his country and that he really wanted to play for us. He showed up, blah blah blah, but he never convinced that he wasn't just playing for us because England wouldn't call him up.

That's absolute rubbish. He made his debut for us against Romania in 1997. However, he had played at under-21 or B level a few years previously - Im not sure. Nobody can ever question his commitment to Ireland. What p!sses me off is that certain players cant even turn up for competitive games against the so called minnows, yet they are proclaimed as heroes just because they are good footballers. Lee Carsley might not have been a great player but at least he had decency and gave everything for Ireland anytime he played. For that, he deserves credit, not abuse from a group of jump-on-the-bandwagon supporters.

[Plastic Paddy]

I think you're missing Donal's point, PM. Too many nights at Tramco are blurring your vision. He doesn't seem to be questioning Carsley's commitment but pointing out that there's a section of fans that just don't like the fact that some 2G and 3G players (for that's what they are) like Carsley aren't outwardly passionate on the pitch or don't go for the whole badge-kissing Oirish mentality. Matt Holland is another player with clear British links and suffers from exactly the same bad deal as a result.

I remember reading an interview with the Shrewsbury forward, Birmingham-born Luke Rodgers, the season before last at the time Don Givens called him up for an u-21 squad. He qualified through an Irish grandmother. "Everyone knows I'm English and proud of it but Ireland have offered me a chance and I'm going to take it". What would the boo-boys have made of that, I wonder, should Rodgers have played and made it eventually as a senior player? (Nothing if he'd been prolific, I guess, but there's still time. He opted for England's National Game XI last season when Shrewsbury were in the Conference, played for them, and is still at Gay Meadow. But I digress.)

Back to the subject of this thread: Lee Carsley can hold his head high for serving Ireland with dignity and good grace, and we thank him for that. He won't feature as an all-time great. But then, very few ever do.

PP

[Donal81]

That's absolute rubbish. He made his debut for us against Romania in 1997. However, he had played at under-21 or B level a few years previously - Im not sure. Nobody can ever question his commitment to Ireland. What p!sses me off is that certain players cant even turn up for competitive games against the so called minnows, yet they are proclaimed as heroes just because they are good footballers. Lee Carsley might not have been a great player but at least he had decency and gave everything for Ireland anytime he played. For that, he deserves credit, not abuse from a group of jump-on-the-bandwagon supporters.

Take it easy, for jaysis sake, and I'll assume you aren't referring to myself as a jump-on-the-bandwagon supporter. I didn't question his commitment to Ireland but he never convinced the masses that he was in the squad for Irish reasons. Like Plastic Paddy says, he probably got a raw deal as a result.

But I'm not going to give the chap credit for turning up for a team he declared for - and I don't understand why anyone here is using this as a measure of his commitment - and nor am I going to give him credit for not complaining when he didn't get a game. This is football lads, that's what happens if you don't play your way into the team.

I'm sure he's a decent chap and best of luck to him but he never convinced the masses that he was doing it because he loved the country, i.e. that he was 'one of us'. Compare this to MacAteer, Morrison, Houghton, Cascarino. I don't know how this happened but I'm fairly sure this is where the abuse comes from. This and the fact that he's a sh*te footballer. Well, he was when he played for Ireland.

Generally, I don't like it when players declare for their club over their country. I know it's the way things are going but I just don't like it and I don't think too many fans do. I thought that playing for Ireland would be unbelievable and that you'd want to do it as much as possible and not turn away from it. He has his reasons and it's only a game but I still don't like it.

[Dillo]

Carsley just scored a cracker of a free kick for Everton against Newcastle

Jaysus twas a peach of a free kick! His celebration after it was as cool as a cucumber! Great battling performance from Everton and a valuable point. Great times being an Evertonian looking down on the redmen!

[tricky_colour]

Jaysus twas a peach of a free kick! His celebration after it was as cool as a cucumber! Great battling performance from Everton and a valuable point. Great times being an Evertonian looking down on the redmen!

His second goal from a free kick this season, he has become a bit
of a dead ball specialist!
I have been banging on about him being the top Irish player in
the Actim index for a while now, an index many here simply dismiss
as irrelevant statistics.
http://www.actim.pa.press.net/top100.shtml

He is actually at No. 7 now!!

Duff emerged in the index a few weeks back, now he is playing regular
and has now climbed to No. 25( That won't include his goal tonight).
He was No. 44ish last week.
Kilbane 35
Carr 69
Given 70
Keane 71
Finnan 73

I think it is a shame he was never selected when he declared himself
availabe for selection again

[Ozymandias]

That is a load of bullsh!t. Ireland were not the better team that night and 1-0 would not have been a fair result. We were completely over-run in midfield. Seldom have I seen an Irish team so out-played at Lansdowne. Tugay pulled the strings in midfield for Turkey while the outstanding Sergen Yalcin made a mockery of Roy Keane who was then at his peak. If you want to find scapegoats for that night, look to Tony Cascarino who continuously tripped over the ball and Rory Delap on the right wing who rarely got a touch of the ball. Many Irish players have made mistakes. Roy Keane missed a penalty against Romania, costing us a point. I dont hear people complaining about that. Carsley is simply an easy target.
As JoeSemi pointed out, no player was more willing to turn up for our squads, even though he knew his chances of playing were limited. Including the 2002
WC qualifiers and the World Cup itself, Carsley was available for selection in each of the 16 games. All he played was 20 minutes in the home game against Cyprus and 10 minutes against Saudi Arabia.
Thanks Lee. Your commitment will not be forgotten by those Irish fans who appreciate effort.

that turkish match the turks played keep ball nad passed the ball sideways and backwards all night..Yalcin was never near enough to keane to make a mockery of him...the turks came for a draw and got it..had lots of possession but created very little......

Carsley I thought was always used as a scapegoat by Irish fans..He is not creative more of a spoiler and he did that role well when he played for us...

He deserves to be thanked and respected for being an honest International and aware of his limitations.

[dynamo kerry]

carsley was always a dead ball bucko. when he played for blackburn he took all their penos and free kicks. scored 11 goals or so that season (div one mind you)

very under used player for ireland.

thank god that never happens. are you listening rory delap, david kelly, richard dunne?

[Dillo]

carsley was always a dead ball bucko. when he played for blackburn he took all their penos and free kicks. scored 11 goals or so that season (div one mind you)

very under used player for ireland.

thank god that never happens. are you listening rory delap, david kelly, richard dunne?

That's right. Even in his days at Derby County Carsley used to take a lot of set pieces too. Dead ball specialist is our Lee! Shame to see him retired from the International game. No point robbing Peter to pay Paul though as the saying goes! He's playing the football of his life these days in the Blue Chang Beer jersey at Goodison!

[brine3]

walk out

sent home

get your facts right

[Plastic Paddy]

Now now, let's not go there again...

PP

[sadloserkid]

Compare this to MacAteer, Morrison, Houghton, Cascarino. I don't know how this happened but I'm fairly sure this is where the abuse comes from. This and the fact that he's a sh*te footballer. Well, he was when he played for Ireland.

Are you for real??? You're talking about the same Clinton Morrison who pulled out of the first squad he was selected for because he was dreaming of an England call up? Morrison is 100% plastic.

And Ray 'I look up the Scottish result before the Irish one' isn't a shining example of all things green and beautiful either.

And I think you're missing the point about Carsley being praised for turning up. A lot of players don't bother turning up for friendly matches because they couldn't be arsed. Until his recent retirement Carsley was never one of that camp.

That said it annoys when any player announces their retirement but that's just me!

[Dillo]

What a moment that was for our beloved Lee on Saturday. As cool as ye like. Absolutely delighted for him. Amazing how far attitude and determination can get ye. Carsley is playing the football of his life under King Moyes and long may it continue!

[Donal81]

Are you for real??? You're talking about the same Clinton Morrison who pulled out of the first squad he was selected for because he was dreaming of an England call up? Morrison is 100% plastic.

And Ray 'I look up the Scottish result before the Irish one' isn't a shining example of all things green and beautiful either.

And I think you're missing the point about Carsley being praised for turning up. A lot of players don't bother turning up for friendly matches because they couldn't be arsed. Until his recent retirement Carsley was never one of that camp.

You're missing my point. I wasn't singing the praises of either Houghton or Morrison, which I thought I'd made clear. All Clinton has to do is score a few more goals and he'll become an Irish legend. He's popular, plays with a lot of heart, etc, etc. He was accepted almost immediately as was Houghton, who will go down in Irish footballing history as one of the legends. I'm not making scales of Irishness here, I'm saying that Carsley never convinced that he was ever in the slightest bit interested about playing for Ireland other than the fact that it was international football. This is probably harsh as he did always turn up but that's what happened, he was never a proper part of the team.

I'm not missing the point about Carsley. What do you want me to say, "fair play Lee for turning up for the team you declared for and not complaining when you weren't picked because you weren't good enough?" He acted like a mature footballer. Some players don't bother, true, but he doesn't deserve the amount of credit that he's getting here for it, that's the least that I'd expect of him.

[sadloserkid]

I'm not making scales of Irishness here, I'm saying that Carsley never convinced that he was ever in the slightest bit interested about playing for Ireland other than the fact that it was international football. This is probably harsh as he did always turn up but that's what happened, he was never a proper part of the team.

What have Morrison or Houghton ever done to prove that they're interested in playing for Ireland that Carsley hasn't? I'm not trying to be difficult here Donal but from what you've said so far it just seems that you never took to Carsley for some reason that you can't quite pinpoint.

We all feel like that about some players so don't feel bad (mine is Colin Healy)