FAI International Football Awards

**TheOneWhoKnocks** · 27/03/2015, 10:18 PM

Guess we'll just have to wait until September to see what country he commits to.

I'm not worried about it either way.

I was going to say he would want to make some more, tangible, progress fast if he wanted to play for England, but in fairness Ryan Mason was on the bench for England this evening and he is 23 years old.

**CraftyToePoke** · 27/03/2015, 10:20 PM

Originally Posted by Charlie Darwin

He could have refused quietly. Stephen Ireland was voted YPOTY a few years back but he said he didn't want it, so somebody the second candidate got it.

Would you say Stephen Ireland was the complete midfielder CD ?

**Charlie Darwin** · 27/03/2015, 10:20 PM

Originally Posted by CraftyToePoke

Would you say Stephen Ireland was the complete midfielder CD ?

He was a complete something alright.

**TheOneWhoKnocks** · 27/03/2015, 10:25 PM

4 goals in 6 appearances for Ireland.

That is more goals than Whelan, McCarthy & Gibson combined.

While McCarthy & Gibson have proven to be superior players and Whelan has had a more fulfilling career at this level, goals from midfield are a valuable currency, one we have been missing for too long, and it looked like Ireland was going to be the source of a lot of them.

If he continued scoring goals at that rate he would be #2 scorer behind Keane.

But things went tits up at club level not long after Grannygate anyway.

**DannyInvincible** · 28/03/2015, 4:46 AM

Defensive/passing/deep-lying/holding midfielders in scoring-less-goals-than-attacking-midfielder shocker! And Jon Walters has more goals than Shay Given, Kieren Westwood and David Forde combined, in case anyone wasn't aware of that either. Some things are just too daft to ignore. Seriously.

Originally Posted by geysir

Exactly, the obvious interpretation, until otherwise proven false, is that by turning up to accept the merited award, Grealish was re affirming his commitment.

There might have been an element of FAI cynicism/insecurity/buttering up in the initial decision to award, but I fully concur with your interpretation otherwise - Grealish passed the "test" if there was one - and yet we unfortunately still have commentators - some of them quacks and cranks amongst us - telling us he's in the middle of making a 50-50 decision. He was 100 per cent clear he wants to be back playing in the green. What else could he have said other than "hopefully next year I’ll be back playing again for Ireland" in order to better express his future hopes and intentions? Given he can't select himself, he can only hope.

Some people...

**TheOneWhoKnocks** · 28/03/2015, 10:50 AM

"Some things are just too daft to ignore". Then ignore them.

How many times have you been told to ignore my comments and yet you keep derailing threads by personally insulting me and attacking comments that are not directed at you.

What age are you? Grow up for Gods sake.

And I'm the bad guy again because of someone else's constant flaming and borderline trolling. I will gladly take whatever punishment I get for this but this guy should get an equal punishment for constantly going against moderators and starting this childish crap when I am making a genuine effort to ignore him.

"Exactly, the obvious interpretation, until otherwise proven false, is that by turning up to accept the merited award, Grealish was re affirming his commitment."

Or he could re affirm his commitment by, you know, accepting one of the several call ups that he declined.