Fair play to Doyle...

[tiktok]

Are you his stalker? How do you know this?

Every Cork fan knows this, the only reason he was down in Cork on that one occasion was because he was lauching some FAI gig at the Rochestown Park Hotel, so he wandered across to the cross and proceeded to prove he couldn't give a toss about our league by wishing us luck against the Icelandic opposition we were about to play in the UEFA cup, funnily enough they were playing the home leg in Lithuania

[GK for the Town]

Does anyone know if Doyles call up has triggered something in his contract for a Cork payday ?

[kingcolers]

In fairness to Kerr or any other Irish manager, picking an eL player for a competitive game would be a huge gamble. Not because they arent good enough but more likely because they aren't proven in a high-quality competitive league. Even though we love it, the eL is a sub-standard league and anybody who thinks differently should read the latest Genesis report.

If Kerr had played an eL player during either of those games against Israel he would have been absolutely slaughtered had the results been the same (and they might have been worse!). The last manager to try it was Eoin Hand in one of his last games in charge, against Denmark I think (cant remember the player but he was a central midfielder from Shamrock Rovers). Ireland were beaten 4-1, Hand was crucified and that was the end of that.

Blame the league for being rubbish; but dont blame Kerr for not picking anybody from it.

[Ozymandias]

Pat Byrne was the player..well wotrth his [place at the time

that Danish side were a superb team..Preben elkjaer got a hatrick and had one of the best goal per game ratios in world football

Pat byrne is one of the few genuine caps given to EL players...it wasn't tokenistic like Jason byrne and etc

[JDB]

Even though we love it, the eL is a sub-standard league and anybody who thinks differently should read the latest Genesis report.
Blame the league for being rubbish; but dont blame Kerr for not picking anybody from it.

I think Doyle has disproven the notion that this is a substandard league [massive room for infrastructural improvement nothwithstanding]. He didn't become so much better in the space of his 2 1/2 months with Reading that all of sudden he merits selection on the Irish squad. He came through the eL and the ranks of underage Irish teams and performed really well at these levels so his form doesn't exactly come as a surprise. Going forward what this might do is give future Irish managers the confidence to select eL players, especially those who have international experience at junior levels, and give young players the confidence to stay in Ireland and ply their trade here. If they're good enough to merit a big monetary move then clubs will come knocking on their door as Reading did for Doyle; if not they can continue to enjoy their playing careers in Ireland rather than langusihing with the likes of Peterborough, Port Vale or Cambridge since the age of 16 and then returning home tail between legs. The days when English clubs raid young players from Ireland and dump them when surplus to requirements are coming to an end. We should start to see eL clubs making decent money from transfers unlike when Reading pillaged City for Doyle - daylight robbery - and that money can in turn be used to build up clubs even more from which more interest will be generated etc etc..

[kingcolers]

doyle was far and away the best player in the league but managers couldnt be sure how good he actually was until he was playing against more quality opposition. i agree with all your points, except that the eL is not where we hope it can be just yet, and until it is i wouldnt expect national manager to take the risk.

[Hecko]

Even as a City fan I don't think Doyle was "far and away the best player in the league." Heary and J Byrne would give a good shout and probably a good few others. Doyle was the best, but I woudln't put him that much above them

[sullanefc]

does anyone honestly think that he's deliberately picking less-talented players than what's available here purely because he hates the league so much he doesn't care if it costs him his job

I don't think anyone is saying that he is deliberately picking less talented players. But the fact that he couldn't spot that Doyle was a quality player at Cork would suggest to me that he couldn't spot talent when it was staring him in the face. The fact that the Reading boss had to sign Doyle to make Kerr pick him would suggest to me that it isn't Kerrs judge of players that picks the squads, it's all the managers accross the water doing his job for him.

If that's the case then anyone could pick an Ireland squad. All you have to do is look at the league tables accross the water, start at the top and work your way down until you have found 24 Irish players.

Kerr has gone way down in my estimation on this.

Fair play to the Doyler though.

[JDB]

But the fact that he couldn't spot that Doyle was a quality player at Cork would suggest to me that he couldn't spot talent when it was staring him in the face.

Couldn't agree more - hopefully Doyle's case may change future perceptions of the top eL players.