Dundalk in "The Guardian"

**Plastic Paddy** · 10/10/2016, 12:26 PM

First post on here for quite a while - hope you're all grand. The Guardian has just posted this article on Dundalk and Stephen Kenny; I'm posting the link in here as the Dundalk forum hasn't been used in a couple of years. Enjoy.

PP

**the 12 th man** · 10/10/2016, 1:32 PM

First post on here for quite a while - hope you're all grand.
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It's like Bobby Ewing getting out of the shower....

**pineapple stu** · 10/10/2016, 1:55 PM

Five years?! Jayz; time flies!

I note your most recent posts were about Rovers' group campaign. Can you stop by more often maybe?

**gufcfan** · 10/10/2016, 4:25 PM

There is a football awakening in the Republic of Ireland and it has little to do with the national team and even less with the Football Association of Ireland.

Oh... real savage opener.

**Plastic Paddy** · 10/10/2016, 6:17 PM

Bobby Ewing? I wish I was as good-looking as Patrick Duffy.

And I may be back again sooner than five years Stu - I honestly never realised it was that long!

PP

**nr637** · 11/10/2016, 10:44 AM

**legendz** · 12/10/2016, 8:15 AM

Originally Posted by gufcfan

Oh... real savage opener.

It's a pity there isn't an international friendly next month. It could have been the opportunity to call up some LoI players off the back of a good season.

**dundalkfc10** · 12/10/2016, 8:29 AM

Originally Posted by legendz

It's a pity there isn't an international friendly next month. It could have been the opportunity to call up some LoI players off the back of a good season.

Horgan, McEleney etc would not suit Ireland's style of play at all!

These are footballers not long ball men

**gufcfan** · 12/10/2016, 8:46 AM

Originally Posted by dundalkfc10

Horgan, McEleney etc would not suit Ireland's style of play at all!

These are footballers not long ball men

That's what irritated me about O'Neill's comments regarding them being too busy with Dundalk to be called up.

I'm not saying he's incorrect in that, but implying he wanted to call them up with a view to ever playing them is nonsense, because how they play is the opposite to what he wants.

**Lim till i die** · 12/10/2016, 8:58 AM

If fellas want caps they have to move across the water.

Not because Martin o Neill is an awful, awful manager (and he is) but because they would need to prove themselves consistently against a higher standard of opposition.

The standard in the league is too poor for an oirish manager to take the risk.

Look at horgans screamer last night against the second best team in the country. He ran five hundred yards without a cork player so much as getting in his slipstream.

Stakes are too high at international level. Can you imagine the meeja if o Neill took a risk on a couple of dundalk lads and oireland only drew with Transylvania the other night?

Fellas need to do it a few times against Crewe and Rochdale before they can be picked. Our footballing culture demands it.

**legendz** · 12/10/2016, 6:14 PM

Originally Posted by Lim till i die

Stakes are too high at international level. Can you imagine the meeja if o Neill took a risk on a couple of dundalk lads and oireland only drew with Transylvania the other night

If a player is performing consistently well in the Europa League against quality opposition, there is merit in a callup, even under media scrutiny. An international friendly would be the appropriate game to give a first cap on merit.

**sparky12345678** · 12/10/2016, 6:31 PM

A few things. you're not wrong. There is a clear distinction between playing in a professional league with tough competition for places in the team and a more "serious" league (although it didnt stop Robbie Keane getting his game). But besides the fact that they are clearly performing well against decent oppposition in Europe there is a case to be made for supporting the LOI players. It should be possible to arrange friendlies for an Irish Wolfhounds style team where the best LOI players can come along with some other less experienced/youth players to give them a chance and play some friendlies etc or at least involve them in training sessions/camps etc.

O'Neill wont have the same excuse when 12th november comes around although its too important to "test" out random LOI players which makes it a pity there is a no friendly or whatever in which to give them a go.

**legendz** · 12/10/2016, 10:13 PM

Originally Posted by sparky12345678

there is a case to be made for supporting the LOI players. It should be possible to arrange friendlies for an Irish Wolfhounds style team where the best LOI players can come along with some other less experienced/youth players to give them a chance and play some friendlies etc or at least involve them in training sessions/camps etc.

There was a match in Mick McCarthy's time between a League of Ireland team and a Republic of Ireland B team. I would have liked to have seen it become more of a regular occurrence.

**seand** · 13/10/2016, 4:25 PM

Originally Posted by legendz

There was a match in Mick McCarthy's time between a League of Ireland team and a Republic of Ireland B team. I would have liked to have seen it become more of a regular occurrence.

This November would have been an ideal time for a LoI side to take on Ireland as a warm up for the Austria game. I'm hoping Dundalk will line up that friendly instead to keep us sharp for the EL.

**sparky12345678** · 13/10/2016, 7:41 PM

Originally Posted by seand

This November would have been an ideal time for a LoI side to take on Ireland as a warm up for the Austria game. I'm hoping Dundalk will line up that friendly instead to keep us sharp for the EL.

That would definitely be interesting. I mean I wonder how its all going to be managed; to go from this intense 10 days/2 weeks to much less games... but the end of a tough season will also surely be taking a physical toll. I hope they wont be too exhausted even with the break for the Alkmaar game.

**legendz** · 14/10/2016, 6:47 AM

Originally Posted by seand

This November would have been an ideal time for a LoI side to take on Ireland as a warm up for the Austria game.

The country has a strong tradition of league representation, the Oscar Traynor Cup being an obvious example. I would like to see the League of Ireland take on the Irish League on an annual basis.

**Mr A** · 14/10/2016, 10:45 AM

When we did have those games nobody cared about them. Managers would hate to give up their players in season and with the two leagues out of sync now that would be unavoidable.