Transfers 2019 season

[pineapple stu]

Conor Sammon and Dave McMillan released by Hearts and St Johnstone respectively.

Wonder will either return home now?

McMillan was unlucky with injuries after joining St Johnstone, but it's still disappointing that he didn't make more of an impact in the SPL. It seems that more LoI players going abroad are misses rather than hits lately. Maguire's done alright but no better (a difficult second season with just three goals), and Curtis has a couple of caps and a double-figure goal tally, but the likes of Andy Boyle, Pat Hoban, Kevin O'Connor, Graham Burke and McMillan have all unfortunately not made an impact, while others like Forrester, Towell and Horgan have earned a decent career but never really lived up to their perceived potential, and Sadlier and O'Malley are bit-part players in the third tier in England.

Probably fair to say that any Ireland team for the foreseeable future with 8 LoI players in the squad (like we had at Euro 2016) is going to be a fairly poor team. And that in an era when we're getting used to some fairly poor international teams too.

[RathfarnhamHoop]

Conor Sammon and Dave McMillan released by Hearts and St Johnstone respectively.

Wonder will either return home now?

McMillan was unlucky with injuries after joining St Johnstone, but it's still disappointing that he didn't make more of an impact in the SPL. It seems that more LoI players going abroad are misses rather than hits lately. Maguire's done alright but no better (a difficult second season with just three goals), and Curtis has a couple of caps and a double-figure goal tally, but the likes of Andy Boyle, Pat Hoban, Kevin O'Connor, Graham Burke and McMillan have all unfortunately not made an impact, while others like Forrester, Towell and Horgan have earned a decent career but never really lived up to their perceived potential, and Sadlier and O'Malley are bit-part players in the third tier in England.

Probably fair to say that any Ireland team for the foreseeable future with 8 LoI players in the squad (like we had at Euro 2016) is going to be a fairly poor team. And that in an era when we're getting used to some fairly poor international teams too.

People tend to look back on those 8 with a bit of a rose tinted view in fairness, other than McClean and arguably Meyler and Long they didn't really make big instant impacts in the UK, Hoolahan being the most obvious example. It's hard and only getting harder for LOI players to go over and make instant impacts because our league is getting more technical but the lower leagues in England are still very scrappy so unless a player is snapped up by a top championship of Premier league team in general they have to change their game to impress and if they don't they fall down the leagues even further which just multiplies the effects.

Players need to stop going to bloody Preston though, route one stuff battling at the foot of the table just does not suit the better players in the league that will be the ones looking for moves.

[pineapple stu]

Well, Coleman obviously made a big impact, and Ward went straight into a Wolves team which soon gained promotion to the Premiership. Even Stephen Quinn was playing in the Premiership a year after leaving Pat's.

But yeah, Hoolahan and Forde took time to get going, for sure, so things don't have to happen immediately. So I don't fully disagree with what your saying, but I suppose the problem is the current situation is still a step back. ANd I think that's showing in the transfer fees being paid for LoI players these days - they're way lower than what they were ten years ago, and I think that's in part because the players aren't making any impact, so there's just less interest. Less transfer fees coming into the league is an issue all of itself really.

[RathfarnhamHoop]

Well, Coleman obviously made a big impact, and Ward went straight into a Wolves team which soon gained promotion to the Premiership. Even Stephen Quinn was playing in the Premiership a year after leaving Pat's.

But yeah, Hoolahan and Forde took time to get going, for sure, so things don't have to happen immediately. So I don't fully disagree with what your saying, but I suppose the problem is the current situation is still a step back. ANd I think that's showing in the transfer fees being paid for LoI players these days - they're way lower than what they were ten years ago, and I think that's in part because the players aren't making any impact, so there's just less interest. Less transfer fees coming into the league is an issue all of itself really.

Yeah looking at their statistics I had got some timings slightly off, thought Coleman was at Everton longer before being loaned out for example.

It's a step back but it's symptomatic of the wealth gap appearing in global football and its not unique to our league, its happening to all the smaller leagues. Even just looking at since Coleman went over, when he got promoted with Blackpool the playoff final was the 80 million pound match, now its the 170 million pound match. The increased amount of money means players aren't being given as long because clubs are scared ****less of being relegated and can afford to get a replacement in at first sign of struggle and the money isn't being spread around because clubs have just taken the approach they can afford to wait on players and take the risk with low ball offers.

[Ezeikial]

Conor Sammon and Dave McMillan released by Hearts and St Johnstone respectively.

When did David McMillan's release by St Johnstone happen?

St Johnstone manager Tommy Wright was quoted in the Scottish media yesterday saying

“David McMillan is still available for transfer or loan but he’ll come back and we can play Michael O’Halloran up there. But we will be looking to sign a striker.

https://www.thecourier.co.uk/fp/spor...pared-to-wait/

[pineapple stu]

It's a step back but it's symptomatic of the wealth gap appearing in global football and its not unique to our league, its happening to all the smaller leagues. Even just looking at since Coleman went over, when he got promoted with Blackpool the playoff final was the 80 million pound match, now its the 170 million pound match. The increased amount of money means players aren't being given as long because clubs are scared ****less of being relegated and can afford to get a replacement in at first sign of struggle and the money isn't being spread around because clubs have just taken the approach they can afford to wait on players and take the risk with low ball offers.

True. Thr biggest issue we have is the lack of a professional league; must make it so much harder to go to England when you're coming from a part-time league or are a part-time player. And that has to be the biggest failure of Delaney's tenure - while money in football has been increasing almost exponentially, and the FAI's turnover is ten times what it was 15 years ago, prize and TV money in the league is a pittance. And I think that's directly linked to the decline of the national team too

[Ashbohs]

It would be an interesting excercise to tally up the amount of players from U19/senior LOI squads that have moved abroad and the value of the transfers.
Bazuna being the obvious recent one in that the fee was reported as decent.
We sold O Hora to Brighton and took on a bit extra in add ons.
Obviously if Doherty leaves Wolves we get 10% and without getting into a slagging match with Rathfarnham hoop and others it's without question something that even the top clubs will have an eye on. That is a player will always be sold across if the fee is decent. The more technical and experienced the player and contracted , the bigger fee we can demand. And there is nothing wrong in that

[outspoken]

Conor Sammon and Dave McMillan released by Hearts and St Johnstone respectively.

Wonder will either return home now?

McMillan was unlucky with injuries after joining St Johnstone, but it's still disappointing that he didn't make more of an impact in the SPL. It seems that more LoI players going abroad are misses rather than hits lately. Maguire's done alright but no better (a difficult second season with just three goals), and Curtis has a couple of caps and a double-figure goal tally, but the likes of Andy Boyle, Pat Hoban, Kevin O'Connor, Graham Burke and McMillan have all unfortunately not made an impact, while others like Forrester, Towell and Horgan have earned a decent career but never really lived up to their perceived potential, and Sadlier and O'Malley are bit-part players in the third tier in England.

Probably fair to say that any Ireland team for the foreseeable future with 8 LoI players in the squad (like we had at Euro 2016) is going to be a fairly poor team. And that in an era when we're getting used to some fairly poor international teams too.

Fair to say theyl be a poor side if they play caveman football like the lower leagues in England, hence why so many of our players fail over there. Hopefully it will be a different story when King Kenny takes over

[pineapple stu]

I don't think there's any evidence whatsoever to suggest that LoI players failing in England is because the technical standard in England isn't good enough.

[pineapple stu]

It would be an interesting excercise to tally up the amount of players from U19/senior LOI squads that have moved abroad and the value of the transfers.

Yup. The PCA document back in the day had a chart of the fees (though the very nature of transfer fees meant it was an estimate). There was also a comparison with transfer fees earned by similar size leagues. We did not fare well at all.

[outspoken]

I don't think there's any evidence whatsoever to suggest that LoI players failing in England is because the technical standard in England isn't good enough.

Ah cmon now, take a player like McEleney for example, goes from a free flowing Dundalk side that create chance after chance to an Oldham side who are in a dog fight so have to resort to hitting the corners and winning second balls, it's a battle.

[pineapple stu]

Easy to create chance after chance against sides like Harps, UCD, Bray and Limerick in fairness. Not so easy when put in a fully professional league.

(I didn't include McEleney in my list above because he left Oldham due to unpaid wages, but he could easily have gone on the list of flops)

[RathfarnhamHoop]

I don't think there's any evidence whatsoever to suggest that LoI players failing in England is because the technical standard in England isn't good enough.

There's not really any statistical evidence of anything like that but just watching league 1&2 it's pretty clear that for the most part technical players that can't get involved in a physical battle suffer. When you're brought in for your one touch, quick 1-2s and your put on a sand pit or mud bath every second week with your centre back lumping it 80 yards whenever they get the ball and everyone else in the team doing similar you're going to suffer.

[pineapple stu]

I can believe that - certainly any lower league game I've seen, the two things that stand out for me have been increased physicality less evident technical ability. I also haven't seen many sandpits or mudbaths; I think those days are to a large extent gone, even in the lower leagues.

But I don't think it follows that it's dragging LoI players down. I think the top players here shine because they're in a part-time league, and many just aren't good enough when they move up a level to League 1 or the SPL.

[RathfarnhamHoop]

I can believe that - certainly any lower league game I've seen, the two things that stand out for me have been increased physicality less evident technical ability. I also haven't seen many sandpits or mudbaths; I think those days are to a large extent gone, even in the lower leagues.

But I don't think it follows that it's dragging LoI players down. I think the top players here shine because they're in a part-time league, and many just aren't good enough when they move up a level to League 1 or the SPL.

I don't watch a tonne of lower league football mostly just the highlights show but Blackpool and Coventry tend to consistently have pretty poor pitches from what I've seen/can remember.

The top players here don't just shine domestically though they shine in Europe too which for the most part is against professional clubs. I'd say it really does drag them down, you're asking players who've been signed because they're good at one thing to do another then not giving them time to adapt which is hard on them.

[pineapple stu]

Europe is maybe a fair comment, although there's been plenty of games where they haven't shone. Dundalk getting battered by Larnaka. Derry shipping double figures against Midtylland. St Pat's scraping past a poor (i.e. not Dudelange) Luxembourg team on away goals. Cork pretty much any time in the past 3 years.

And the Europe comparison is hard because there's extra focus on those games - league games cancelled, etc - and players are probably really up for them. If they're lucky, they get a team out of season. Playing in England is, by comparison, the "Can he do it on a cold rainy night in Stoke?" question - and by and large, they can't.

They can be more technical, sure, but physicality won out over technique years ago in the modern game I think (obviously if you have both, then great)

I don't think it's a coincidence that the 8 ex-LoI players at Euro 2016 all played when the LoI was largely a full-time league, before the bubble popped. Since then (around 2010/11) the league has provided almost nothing at national level.

[Shearer]

Thomas Byrne to be released by Drogs is the rumour.

[ToberonaTornado]

Thomas Byrne to be released by Drogs is the rumour.

his face all the f*cking time.
Angry man.

[Olé Olé]

AFC Wimbledon came in for Byrne in January when they sighed Dylan Connolly from Dundalk. Drogs agreed with Byrne that it would be best if he stayed for the first half of the season to really put himself in the shop window, such was the form that he was showing going into the season. Not sure where he goes from here. Such a waste.

[DFCForever]

Just saw on Twitter that Scunthorpe United are apparently after Hoban. Deal could reach 500k plus add-ons. Not sure how reliable the source is but I hope it doesn't happen, wouldn't be the right deal for the club or for the player.