QuoteWho knows?
Owen Garvan if all goes well for him.
Is there another Roy Keane in the pipeline out there? For years we have been blessed with a continual flow of top class players. You know the kind? They break into the first team at top clubs early and are almost undroppable from the time they make the senior side. Think Liam Brady, Roy Keane, Damien Duff, Shay Given and arguably Robbie Keane.
Do we have any outstanding player under the age of 23 that most teams in the world would love to have in their side? Is there one on the way through?
The players we are talking about at the moment for the future are players like Kevin Doyle who is now 22 and has only ever done it a Championship level, Stephen Ireland who broke into the first team at City, but is now out of the side again, ditto Joey O’Brien and even he was played at right back and not his supposed first choice at central midfield.
Where are our Wayne Rooney or Ashley Cole equivelants? I know these are rare and special players, but really we need to be producing one of these type of players every five or so years. Have we got a player that is going to come through the ranks and make people sit up and take notice. The whole world, not just us desperado’s that trawl the lower divisions squad lists for 26 year old journeymen that might have an Irish surname.
So in summary.
Are there any?
Who are they?
Tell me why?
Who knows?
Owen Garvan if all goes well for him.
McGeady has huge potential to be the most skillful player ever seen in our national side. He is capable of pulling out Ronaldinho-esque tricks. He'll need to be given time to develop though as he has yet to put it to lethal effect. He's certainly imporved since he first came on the scene at Celtic.
This is what I’m on about. If McGeady was that good, he would be undroppable. But he has had two seasons in the first team at Celtic and this season he has only started 10 games. It doesn’t make me think he’s going to go on and have the impact a Roy Keane or Liam Brady had in their career.Originally Posted by Poor Student
Is it the case that maybe we might not have any really top class players coming through and might have to make do with decent Premiership players in the future, but no real stars.
That’s the thing isn’t it. With Roy Keane, Damien Duff and Robbie Keane, we all knew within a few games of them making their debut that they would make it right to the top.
There doesn’t seem to be that buzz about any of the current crop or anyone for a while.
Maybe I’m asking too much…I don’t know.
My thoughts were Garvan too, but the only clubs I’ve heard that are meant to be interested are teams like West Ham, Charlton and maybe Everton. If he is going to reach the very top you might expect a Man Utd, Arsenal, Liverpool, Tottehham or God help us, Chelsea to be sniffing around. Not to say he won’t reach the top, but where are the young players we can really buzz about?
There has been plenty in terms of quantity, but where is the genuine quality the past 5 or so years? The most recent batch are all in their mid twenties now (Robbie Keane, Richard Dunne, Stephen Reid, John O’Shea).
What would our under 23 team look like at the moment?
It's harder to break into the Old Firm than most clubs as the demand for success is instant and managers are reluctant to blood youngsters. Shaun Maloney who is an excellent player has only finally nailed down a first team place after appearing on the scene 5 years ago. McGeady was doing well this season but got injured. He could figure heavily next season.
mcgeady has been pretty unlucky with injuries
I
Mac Geady needs to build himself up a bit. Thats the problem with wingers. they are always doing their hamstrings in then they go off the boil. I wouldnt be looking to a winger for the next superstar.
That was "back then" though. Back then you could lose half a dozen games a year & still win the PL at a canter. Back then it was far less common to spend £25mm on an Essien or Diarra. In fact this type of trade was almost unheard of then, and I'm not just talking about the fee. Footballers are a global commodity now. Back then the financial difference between the top 3 & the rest wasn't as big as it is today. Would Man United or Chelsea today buy the Chamionship's best young midfielder & throw him straight into the side? Look at SWP for example.
I think our next crop of stars will have to take a far different route to the top, unless they just happen to be at a big club already.
Next Roy Keane...?
Is it one of those guys?
Since when has Ashley Cole been so good? Arsenal have been their most solid in years since him and Campbell have been dropped/injured. Says it all really. He's s***e defensively, can't cross the ball, can't pass, never scores in a team that's rampant and runs around a lot like a headless chicken. We have one of them already at left back - John O'Shea.
Cole is very average at best IMO. Check Arsenal's defensive stats since him and Campbell were out of the team compared to when they were in it and it shows. I never understand how much these players can get so hyped up because they are English Internationals. Saying that he's better than Ian Harte.
In answer to your question Ireland and O'Brien have massive potential if they are already playing regularly in the Premiership at 19. Cole wasn't playing regularly for Arsenal when he was 19 it was Silvinho wasn't it? Garvan looks good also though he needs to be playing in the Premiership to reallly get an idea of how good he can be. Not too impressed with McGeady I agree with the comment that if he's not a first team player for Celtic at 20 then that doesn't say much.
Last edited by youngirish; 26/04/2006 at 9:38 AM.
Firstly 3 of those players you mention are still actually playing for Ireland and still have years left in them. Given is perhaps the best keeper we have ever had. Duff is the best winger I've seen play for Ireland and Robbie Keane is our top scorer and is only coming into his prime.
Remember the likes of McGrath, Keane, Moran all went to England late and still had great careers so the likes of Kevin Doyle and other EL players could do the same.
Also, just because a player who breaks into the first team at a youn age and doesn't stay there doesn't mean he won't be an excellent player. The likes of Duff, Keane and Rooney all broke into first team football early but went through periods of being on the bench.
There's a two-word answer to that. "Sky Sports".
PP
Semper in faecibus sole profundum variat
IIRC Roy Keane only moved to Forest at 19. What age is McGeady? Duff broke into the Blackburn side early yet wasn't a regular for a couple of seasons. It also took him a while to become a regular for Ireland.
I have being asking myself the same questions now for long while Kevin 77.Of all the players who you mention Roy Keane rarely had a bad game for club or Country. I find it very difficult to understand why there is no Irishman out there who can play like he could. Look at the GAA, there are always outstanding individuals in every counties team, those who stand miles out from the rest and they continue to come through.Why can't this happen in Football.
What made/makes Roy Keane different than the others? Look at the likes of Lampard and Gerrard in the English squad. Why can't we breed a human who can play football like them.Instead we look to beg second rate Englishmen? I really can't comment on Garvan as I have not seen him play but when we have to dig deep in order to find our next Keane/Brady it’s a little scary.
McGeady turned 20 a few weeks ago. He's played in the Champions League against AC Milan and performed well. Injuries and players ahead of him in the pecking order have lead him to have limited opportunities. O'Neill's style was to blood youngsters slowly and not let them burn out.
Shay Given????
If we knew that Duff would make it at the top after a few games then we certainly know that McGeady will. He has been unfortunate this season with injuries but people are underestimating how hard it is for a young winger to break into the Celtic team atm. Maloney and Nakamura are absolutely outstanding players. McGeady will be a star, there's no doubt about that.
Put it this way, if McGeady was released tomorrow there'd be no shortage of world class teams snapping him up. His potential is enormous. I don't think Ireland have ever had a player as naturally talented as him. He just doesn't have the football brain of a Messi or Rooney which is unfortunate so tends to take the wrong option a lot of the time.
Strachan is the man to get the best out of McGeady. He'll have to sort out a system to fit him in as Maloney and Nakamura are too good to be dropped. Next season is a big season for him and it'll give us much more of an idea of how he's progressing.
You have to remember, Duffer was hardly setting Division 1 alight at the age of 20/21 and it was only at the world cup that he actually cemented his place in the Ireland first team. McGeady has lots of time.
Chris McCann has had a pretty good first season at Burnley and is one to keep an eye out for aswell as the obvious players:
http://www.eleven-a-side.com/acrosst...p?newsid=22225
Brady and before him Giles had world class senior debuts at an early age.
Its a rarity that a 17 or 18 y.o. hits the international stage with such an impact that you know "He has come".
Wenger says that usually its about age 19 that you know if a player has the neccessary mental toughness to make it to the next stage.
After watching the RTE sports files last week of our wc 2002 game against Germany. Duff was simply outstanding, with his back to the defender turning right or left with electric pace and skill. I know this one has been well discussed before but there is a definite feeling that a lot of that skill has been put to sleep.
Duff was excellent against Sweden in the last game.
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