eL assets

[De Town]

After the eL losing great young talent in Kevin Doyle and Daryl Murphy to English clubs, we can surely hardly afford to lose more of the young, rising Irish stars of the League. Heres who I think we (the League) must hold onto if we want to progress:

LONGFORD
Stephen Paisley
Sean Dillon

CORK
Liam Kearney
John O'Flynn (when fully fit)
Roy O'Donavan
George O'Callaghan

PATS
Keith Fahey

BOHS
John Paul Kelly

ROVERS
Pat McCourt

SHELS
Wes Houlihan

I know it would be hard for clubs to refuse offers for such players, but if we want to progress as a League, we MUST hold onto players such as these instead of letting them go to England.

PLEASE FEEL FREE TO ADD MORE PLAYERS TO THE ONE'S I HAVE ALREADY MENTIONED

[balls]

steven ward from bohs eamon zayed and mchugh from harps

[De Town]

steven ward from bohs eamon zayed and mchugh from harps

Good calls. And your man from Bohs, Rice, the Right Full

[Speranza]

It's easy for supporters to go and spout half of their up-and-coming players as ones who would "make it" in the British leagues but realistically would all of those players cut it. Even current flavour of the week Pat "turncoat" Mc Court failed albeit reportedly because of a preferance of a social life over his footie.

Even though our side this year is a very young one with most of the players in their young 20's I would say the only one who would cut it would be Mark Farren.

I totally agree though that we need to stop accepting our fate as a good scouting area for cheap talent if we wish to progress. Angers me to see young players like Darren Kelly a few years ago and Doyle for Cork go to England.

[Cosmo]

I'd say we'll be fairly safe de town - cant see many more being begged to go to half decent team in england. Doyle was the exception in my opinion - no offence to any of the above mentioned names

[Cosmo]

Forgot about that UCD keeper - he's good (only 18 or something aswel isnt he?). Haven't seen enough of him to judge if he'd be good enough for england

[Anto McC]

Ger Rowe of Shels,currently on loan at St Pats

[Macy]

McCourt will be gone - he only signed a short term contract in the first place.

Can't really see it for anyone else on the list tbh, unless Dolan's up to more tricks with some of the Cork lads.

[Terry]

We have a young keeper David Ryan who looks like he is heading over to coventry city in july.

[monutdfc]

A couple of points:
1) In my opinion, it is not right for a club to deny a player a chance to make a good living out of the game and the opportunity to play at a higher level in England, Spain or wherever if the opportunity arises.
I'd say the longest contract any player in this country has is 3 years, most would only have a year or so left so can wait until they are out of contract anyway (if they're good enough the opportunity wil present itself again).
2) To that end, and I'm just floating an idea here, could the FAI do something like the IRFU do and supplement the wages of the top players to keep them here? Obviously, the FAI could never pay/partially pay the wages of a Roy Keane of Damian Duff, but the next level down? The IRFU do this at a huge loss every year, but the competitiveness of the provinces and the crowds they attract has been a huge boost to the game here, and I'd say (but I don't claim to be a rugby expert) it is well worth it for the IRFU in the long run (afaik, Wales have copied the Irish set-up). Obviously, the rugby structure with provinces and clubs is totally different (and admittedly the clubs are struggling now like never before).
Just throwing that one out for debate, ideas etc

[patsh]

2) To that end, and I'm just floating an idea here, could the FAI do something like the IRFU do and supplement the wages of the top players to keep them here?

But wouldn't that divert money away from junkets for the Blazers to visit their favourite team in the Premiersh*te?

[ThatGuy]

That is the way it works in football unfortunatley.

For what its worth IMO Ken Oman is the best young player in the league.

[patsh]

For what its worth.IMO Ken Oman is the best young player in the league.

Oh no he's not!......

[superfrank]

They were saying last night that John Paul Kelly had been at Liverpool and wanted to come back to Ireland.

I don't know if this is all true but he was definitely at Liverpool.

[ThatGuy]

They were saying last night that John Paul Kelly had been at Liverpool and wanted to come back to Ireland.

I don't know if this is all true but he was definitely at Liverpool.

The story that has been in the media etc, and whether or not this is true I don't know, is that Liverpool never wanted him to go and rated him extremely highly, so much so that he was a key player in their reserves at 16, but he was homesick. Apparently there is a condition in his sale to Bohs that the club can't sell him to another English club or something like that.

He is a hugely exciting talent, to be honest I haven't seen anyone like him in the league before.

[pete]

I think UK clubs are slow to sign eL players that previously "failed" in the UK. IMO this is why so many clubs queueing up for Doyle as well as bargain price.

I also don't think can add to that list. How can anyone suggest a reserve Drogs keeper is an eL star when no one has heard of him.

I see no problem with eL clubs selling their best players but it MUST be for fair price so can invest in next player coming up by providing them with professional contracts.

I still can't believe eL fans have the "can't stand in their way" mentality. IMO if an eL club is providing a player with a fulltime wage contract then no duty to sell a player unless in its interests to do so. If some young guy is being paid €100 a week part-time then its a differenent matter.

Shels have done it already with some players but i'd like to see Cork City signing players from within the league on pro contracts.

[ThatGuy]

To be honest with you Pete, I think that footballers, as like any employee, should be allowed to play for whoever they want. The whole idea of transfer fees is grossly unfair in my opinion.

If you were offered a job with a better company with better money you should be allowed to take it.

[Slash/ED]

I know it would be hard for clubs to refuse offers for such players, but if we want to progress as a League, we MUST hold onto players such as these instead of letting them go to England.

Shels have refused many offers for Wes Hoolahan. Doyle was the exception, thanks to a few things, one of them being big and round. There was a clause in his contract that should never have been there, SOMEHOW Reading knew about it and moved in for a pathetically cheap purchase.

And your man from Bohs, Rice, the Right Full

Taking the píss, surely? Bohs had to search high and low to find a more inept right back than the departing Lynch, but they got their man and then some when they signed this eejit on a decent contract.

[KR's Post]

Eamonn Zayed and Chris O' Conner!!

[De Town]

Taking the píss, surely? Bohs had to search high and low to find a more inept right back than the departing Lynch, but they got their man and then some when they signed this eejit on a decent contract.

I havent seen him that much TBF, but every time I have seen him he has done OK.