He has a MUCH better chance of getting spotted at Shels than 'playing with a European cup winner(that should lure him to a **** teamOriginally Posted by higgins
)' at Livingston.
PS ... you are normally spot on so i'm not going to wade in here, but in all fairness fella ... you are wide of the mark here. I have seen the top half of SPL (never seen Sell-Thick or Rangers i'll admit) a fair bit and you're wrong. Stadia, media, sponsorship fair enough but i am telling you, YOU are deluded ... SPL is not what you are making it out to be. Livingston aint a step up.
The SFAI are the governing body for grassroots football in Ireland, not the FAI. Its success or the lack of is all down to them.
The story in today's Glasgow Herald has Hoolahan moving for £100k. Shels are holding out, but I can't see Livi paying more than about £125k... it'll be a few more weeks yet before we see the first £1m eL player, no?
http://www.theherald.co.uk/sport/53082.html
PP
Semper in faecibus sole profundum variat
SPL is a better league but Livingston are sh!te, he'd be better off staying at Shels.
I dont even know if Livingston is a decent "Shop Window". The last player Livingston sold to a club with a better chance of success was David Fernandez to Celtic for £1,000,000 in 2002.
Compare that to a team like their rivals Motherwell, where James McFadden, Stephen Pearson, Lee McCullogh, Ged Brannan,Steve McMillan and Stuart Elliot have all moved for hefty fees in that period.
But he's played a load of European games (and played very well IMO) in the last 2 seasons with Shels and obviously hasn't been spotted, or at least hasn't impressed anybody enough to make Shels a decent offer.He has a MUCH better chance of getting spotted at Shels than 'playing with a European cup winner(that should lure him to a **** team
He probably thinks that he will have a higher profile in SPL even at a terrible team like Livi and has a better chance of a move. Whether he's right or not is another matter.
Noel Hunt, Richie Byrne, Demspey and Richie Foran probably hoped they'd be in the shop window when they went to the SPL but that hasn't happened.
I'm what? I'm ants at a picnic?
The 4th placed team in the SPL is currently in the last 16 of the European Cup (albeit with a big slice of luck) and people want to dispute what league is better? Tenderloins, the last Livingston player to take a step up and make it is Marvin Andrews off the top of my head. If Hoolihan is as good as he is made out to be then he will set the world alight at Livingston and get a move. The reason why Hunt, Byrne, Dempsey and Byrne have never moved on is that they have proved to be distinctly average players in the SPL.
Have to agree. Most of the SPL are bigger clubs than any of the eL teams ( just look at their stadiums and attendances ). Also look at some games on TV before you make up your mind.
Good point, good examples, although Foran would be the best of these and was better than a lot of other eL strikers when he was here ( though this wouldn't be the case now as Jason Byrne would be much much better as well as a few others -Steve O'Flynn, Neale Fenn, and even Glen Crowe
In fairness, they're only the fourth-placed team in Scotland because their form in the league is at an all-time record poor level. No other club - bar Celtic - would be able to qualify. The current third placed team in Scotland got knocked out in the First Round of the UEFA Cup - same as Cork. The league leaders lost in the second qualiying round of the CL - same as Shels. Once-offs can prove a lot of things.
The SPL is better than the eL, but I honestly think only because of Celtic and Rangers (and maybe Hearts now they're getting bankrolled). Shels are a better side than Livi. Shels play European football regularly (everyone of the last 12 seasons or so), Livi don't. The eL is now getting a lot more TV coverage, which I would imagine would make it easier for UK clubs to spot players. It's also getting a lot more interest from around Europe - Djurgarden and Heerenveen (and Fribourg!) among the European teams to be in the hunt for players from eL clubs. In short, the eL is moving forward, while the SPL isn't. If Hoolahan does want to get a move to the UK, playing against Gretna and Morton next season won't achieve it. I still think it's a strange move. Still, E200k would make it one of the highest transfer values of recent years, so it's nice to see something's going in the right direction.
Think the eL has to be careful that it doesn't start going backwards because its best players get bought in big-money deals. Shels (and Cork) would want to ensure that part of their transfer fees are put into getting better replacements to keep the league moving forward.
I am not reccomending the move for Hoolihan but I don't think people should come out all guns blazing making it sound like utter insanity and getting almost condescending towards better leagues. Yes Shels play regular European football but regular preliminary rounds, and sometimes only one. You're only likely to be spotted by your opposition that way.
You can't exclude the Old Firm when deciding the quality of the SPL as Higgins said, it's like removing Cork and Derry out of the equation for the eL. If you then say Hearts are only any use due to being bankrolled then you could remove Drogheda too. By the way, Hearts were only a result away from the UEFA Cup 3rd round last season. Hoolahan would be testing himself against better teams on a more regular basis even if he wasn't playing European preliminary round football regularly. Might not be the move I'd go for but lets try to get things in conext here and not talk up the league to a level it isn't and villify players who have the audacity to actually move to what they perceive to be a step up.
Very similar to the Scottish teams then!
I think the point is more that Livi aren't a better team than Shels and that, in itself, it's a move down. Most of Livi's games - say v Dunfermline, Dundee, Killie, etc. - wouldn't be overly much above eL games; it's only the one in three games against Hearts, Celtic and Rangers which would be noticeably better. The only way to really compare the teams is through European results, and most European results which don't involve Hearts, Celtic or Rangers and the rest of the SPL in last few years hasn't shown itself to be noticeable above the eL.
I'd love to!
Must find a Livi forum and see what they're saying.
IMO you all need a reality check if you think Rangers and Celtic aside the league here is the same as it is there. Cork and Shels aside (and maybe Derry), the rest of the teams here are diabolical.
Most European results which don't involve Celtic, Rangers or Hearts? So we'll just exclude the European results of lets say Shels, Cork and Bohs over the last 10 years and base the strength of the league on European results on the likes of Longford over the last two seasons will we? This sort of thing happens in terms of the EPL and SPL too. Players leaving the Old Firm to join smaller poorer performing clubs in the lower half of the EPL table to move to a higher standard of league. The top 4 of the SPL are better than all eL clubs. Kilmarnock, Motherwell and Inverness are possibly just as good too, obviously it is impossible to work these things out.
Here's a story from the Scottish tabloid the Daily Record which contains the Hoolahan rumour. Seems Livingston want to play hardball too. Hopefully Shels won't be held to ransom.
Here is whay the Livi fans have to say
http://www.livilions.co.uk/boards/sh...ad.php?t=16694
They seem to be looking forward to him!!
Who Cares?!
Not really. They seem to be more concerned over Pearson and Agathe. Any excitement is based purely on the opinion they got off the Shels forum. See that's what I am saying about context. One of the worst clubs in the SPL is apparently near signing one of the eL's top prospects and it is barely noticed and their fans reaction is tame. That's how well known Hoolahan is from an outside perspective.
Last edited by Poor Student; 23/12/2005 at 4:16 PM.
Yes they are mainly talking about Pearson and Agathe but at least there is some interest in weso
Who Cares?!
Reading fans never heard of Keith Doyle until recently either. It's how well known he is among scouts that matters, not fans.
Doubt many know who he is now either
Obviously the SPL as a whole is better than the eL. However Shels or Cork City would beat Livingston 9 time sout of 10. SPL is useless outsdie of the top 10 & top eL sides would meatch easily.
Kilmarnock sold player to Rangers for 500k this week to put some perspective in there.
I would be surprised if Livingstone improved Hoolahan in terms of training & coaching. IMO playing european football is of huge benefit to eL players as gives great tactical insight.
I don't think Fenlon has a place in his team for Hoolahan which is why he will sell if price is right (figures mentioned are low). Hoolahan is not a winger & no place in central midfield?
Wes is a winger... and a great one at that.
The sports team from my area is superior to the sports team from your area.
Posting Permissions
Quote
Bookmarks