Ireland squad vs Holland

**Slash/ED** · 08/08/2006, 4:47 PM

Originally Posted by eirebhoy

Whether Jason Byrne got that cap against Chile or not, Shels fans would still be reacting like this to the squad. The "token gesture" thing is just a bit more ammo. The probably reason Stan gave him the cap against Chile was so he didn't come across as someone who ignores the Eircom League because he seen the stick Kerr and Givens got. He doesn't think Jason Byrne is good enough, end of story. Again, forget the Chile cap, you'd still be moaning if he had never been called up since that Poland game.

I'd be questioning his judgement, yes, as Byrne is better than some who are ahead of him. But I wouldn't be so disullusioned by yet another clown in charge were it not for his token gestureing. It's patronising and an insult by someone typically ignorant of his own domestic league.

If he gave him a cap as a PR exercise, and well there's no if about it, he's a tool. I wish nothing but failure on him, how dare he use one of our own leagues top players and treat him as nothing but a PR tool to be thrown away right after? This is Byrnes reward for turning down moves to Brighton and Djurgardens where Staunton would probably be begging him to be in this squad just by virtue of the fact he plays for one of those teams. I hope there's an injury crisis up front before one of our games and Byrne tells him to go f*ck himself (after he's finished scouring the English lower league U12 sides for potential internationals of course).

If he simply doesn't think Byrne is good enough, say so, and don't cap him in the first place. He is of course wrong however, when 'good enough' consists of a proven failure and someone who is barely considered a reserve player in England. However, that would be his judgement.

Instead, embarassing the player by calling him up, have him come on in a game and be one of our best players who were it not for poor finishing would have had one or two assists in what, 30 minutes of football? Then throwing him away as he'd served his PR exercise. That's pathetic.

**Slash/ED** · 08/08/2006, 4:49 PM

Originally Posted by colster

Staunton gave him a few minutes. Kerr brought him on for the last 30 seconds. Still Staunton can't win. Staunton is looking for a target man. Byrne is not a target man. Lee is. He wants to give Lee a shot.
As for Dixon and O'Brien well Staunton has said he wants to familiarise young players with the Ireland squad. I think he's right. These guys are the future. Byrne if he is going to do anything with Ireland should be doing it now.

Staunton can easily win. He can treat Jason Byrne like a footballer, not a f*cking PR rep.

And as has been said before whats the point in an underage setup if we're calling these people up to the squad with ('d imagine) NO intention of blooding them for at least a couple of years.

**theworm2345** · 08/08/2006, 4:50 PM

Originally Posted by Roverstillidie

a farce of a squad from a farce of a management team.

Agreed, how bout we all band together, and get all of the guys left out, play Ireland with that team, and once we beat them, actually make a good combined squad. The sad thing is, we could do it (if we got the guys)

The "other team" that we would make (because of lack of extra defenders I can think of off the top of my head, well add another midfielder)

Someone from this forum who plays keeper (who helped round up the team

)
Colin Doyle
Dean Kiely

Kevin O'Connor (the Brentford one)
Paul McShane
Gary Breen (he told EPL.com Connolly and Cunningham are his best friends in football, they could convince him to come back)
Joey O’Brien
Gary Doherty (can double as a forward, we would be lacking in defenders, we need someone, dont slag me for this)
Paddy McCarthy

Alan Mahon
Mark Kennedy
Kevin O'Connor (Wolves)
Michael Doyle
Willo Flood
Stephen McPhail
Sean Thornton
Liam Lawrence
Rory Delap

Daryl Murphy
Jason Byrne
Steve Hunt
Shane Long
Colin Larkin
David Connolly

**colster** · 08/08/2006, 4:53 PM

Originally Posted by Roverstillidie

so why bother with an underage set up if we are going to blood 16 year olds at senior level?

Staunton said when he was picking the squad for the summer training camp that he wanted to reward the top performers at each of the under age levels. As far as I remember the other under age teams were involved in qualifiying campaigns so it turned out that Dixon was the only one available.
I think it's a good idea to give good young players a chance to train with the senior players. It's another incentive for them to do well at youth level. It could also help them in progressing their careers.

**colster** · 08/08/2006, 5:03 PM

Originally Posted by Slash/ED

Staunton can easily win. He can treat Jason Byrne like a footballer, not a f*cking PR rep.

And as has been said before whats the point in an underage setup if we're calling these people up to the squad with ('d imagine) NO intention of blooding them for at least a couple of years.

As far as I can see he did treat him like a footballer. He brought him away on a weeks training camp and gave him 30 minutes of football. Thats a lot more than Kerr gave him. If Byrne were playing with Brighton or Djurgardens (as you referenced in another comment) there would be no problems with not selecting him in this squad.

**colster** · 08/08/2006, 5:04 PM

Originally Posted by thew0rm2345

Agreed, how bout we all band together, and get all of the guys left out, play Ireland with that team, and once we beat them, actually make a good combined squad. The sad thing is, we could do it (if we got the guys)

No chance.

**youngirish** · 08/08/2006, 5:05 PM

I think the fuss regarding Byrne is pointless. Byrne, Lee or Dixon are not going to be worth a boll** against the decent international defenders in our group. If we need to call on any of the above in any meaningful match we are f**ked and any suggestion otherwise is dellusional.

Long would have been a better option at least he has time on his side and the potential to be decent (in the near future).

I'm more worried about defence anyway we have far better striking options than Jason Byrne thank f**k.

**pete** · 08/08/2006, 5:10 PM

This game is too close to the qualifiers so Staunton should be playing strongest team that he feels he will play in Germany.

Any ideas what that will be?

**colster** · 08/08/2006, 5:12 PM

Originally Posted by pete

This game is too close to the qualifiers so Staunton should be playing strongest team that he feels he will play in Germany.

Any ideas what that will be?

From the make up of the squad I would not be surprised with the following

Given

Carr Dunne O'Brien Harte

Finnan Reid O'Shea Duff

Doyle Keane

**John83** · 08/08/2006, 5:16 PM

Originally Posted by Roverstillidie

so why bother with an underage set up if we are going to blood 16 year olds at senior level?

Robbie Keane's early success didn't see any calls for disbanding the U21 team, did it?

Roy Keane was mediocre at 16, but developed later into a top player.

Different players, different rates of development, different treatment, different setup.

**pete** · 08/08/2006, 5:21 PM

I think Stan just picks Dixon as needs a ballboy for squad training sessions.

**gustavo** · 08/08/2006, 5:22 PM

Originally Posted by youngirish

I think the fuss regarding Byrne is pointless. Byrne, Lee or Dixon are not going to be worth a boll** against the decent international defenders in our group. If we need to call on any of the above in any meaningful match we are f**ked and any suggestion otherwise is dellusional.

Long would have been a better option at least he has time on his side and the potential to be decent (in the near future).

I'm more worried about defence anyway we have far better striking options than Jason Byrne thank f**k.

Apart from Robbie Keane i dont think we have any strikers that are "far" better than Byrne

**colster** · 08/08/2006, 5:24 PM

Originally Posted by totalfootball

Firstly, I have to say that I disagree with this. In my opinion, the only reason for these friendlies should be to prepare for the upcoming competitive games. Ireland is not a club, we are an international team and only have a very small number of days to prepare. Full focus should be on the upcoming games. We don't have time to waste with making some young children welcome in the squad.

Secondly, Dixon has already trained with the big boys. He doesn't need to meet them all again, and become their friends again. If making him feel welcome is the big idea, well it is already done. Can we get on with the football?

Thirdly, Shane Long will probably be playing in the English Premiership in a few weeks, you know the Best League in the World and all that. He is young, has pace, scores goals, and is bang on form. Also, he hasn't met all the lads in the squad, and apparently that is very important. So why is he not in the squad? As far as I can see, the answer is, he is Irish-born and his parents are Irish. There is already a de-facto ban on anyone playing football in Ireland being chosen to play competitively for Ireland. Now it seems that even if you play in the Best League in the World, you are at a disadvantage if you happen to be 100% Irish.

Firstly, it's a 24 man squad. The normal squad is 23 so there is room for a young player. If A.Reid were fit then I doubt Alan O'Brien would have been picked.
Is Long any better than Dixon? I don't know. I've seen neither of them play. Staunton has looked at both of them and he's picked Dixon. Long will get his chance. Is it beyond the bounds of possibility that Staunton was impressed with Dixon during the training camp and feels he deserves to be picked again?

**Slash/ED** · 08/08/2006, 5:27 PM

Originally Posted by John83

Robbie Keane's early success didn't see any calls for disbanding the U21 team, did it?

You're comparing Robbie Keane to Terry Dixon!?!?

Robbie Keane was a regular in his club side and would soon be in the premiership and a regular, argubley a star, when he was called up. He was ready for international football by virtue of being better than what we had at the moment of his call up, ergo he was in the squad on merit, he did not need to be in the U21 squad.

Terry Dixon is someone who is, afaik, not a regular in his sides reserve team. He is not ready for international football by virtue of being worse than numerous players in his position. He is not in the squad on merit. He needs the underage setup. If he doesn't, and it is deemed beneath him, there is no point in having one. It's there for players like him, players who in a few years maybe international worthy but are currently not.

**John83** · 08/08/2006, 5:28 PM

Originally Posted by colster

Is it beyond the bounds of possibility that Staunton was impressed with Dixon during the training camp and feels he deserves to be picked again?

No. It's all a conspiracy to screw over the eircom League.

**geysir** · 08/08/2006, 5:40 PM

It's a 23 player squad, yet so much focus on the 24th, an invited player from the youth set up.

**FootballsKing** · 08/08/2006, 5:50 PM

Originally Posted by colster

If A.Reid were fit then I doubt Alan O'Brien would have been picked.

not likely!

and with referance to that starting 11 I would pick Stephen Elliot ahead of Doyle any tday of the week, wait till Elliot gets more games and we will be crying out for him. I agree that Dixon is a joke since he is unproven at any sort of level and it would be far more sensible to 'waste' the suppposed space on someone like O'dea, Long, Stokes, Gibson- would Dixon even make the Under 21 squad that players like this dominate. I personally dont think he would get a game. And as for players like Byrne- he will never play a role for Ireland so why even bother. So in short, Dixon over Byrne, but no point in either

**tricky_colour** · 08/08/2006, 6:01 PM

Regarding Alan O'Brien, he came on in the last 15 minutes for Newcastle
(for Duff) when they were 3:1 down.
I believe he forced the two corners which resulted in the two goals
to bring it back to 3:3.
That alone seems a fairly good reason for inclusion in the squad for me
He got the same rating as Duff (6) here:-
http://www.newcastle-online.com/news...rt_from=&ucat=

Always nice to add to our vast collection of left wingers though, maybe
we will have 11 left wingers starting a match one day?

**shakermaker1982** · 08/08/2006, 6:22 PM

christ you'd think Staunton just assassinated the whole of our 1990 World cup squad going by some of the reactions on here!!!

He must have seen something in Byrne that he didn't rate and so hasn't bothered to give him the nod this time. Hopefully Byrne can prove the man wrong by taking the next chance he is given with both hands when wearing the green jersey.

**joema** · 08/08/2006, 6:30 PM

Surely it would make more sense to include Dixon and O'Brien as non-playing members of the squad. How the hell is Dixon in the squad ahead of Byrne - he was great when he came on against Chilie - what more does he have to do ffs ?

Also, Shane Long, Daryl Murphy - (I know he has only scored 1 or 2 goals for Sunderland so far but he definitly has potential and looks to be an important player for Sunderland this season - number 11 jersey, started at weekend, scored and a new 5 year contract) deserve to be included ahead of someone who has never played reserve for Tottenham.

Also O'Brien failed to make the last 3 u21 squads iirc.

Only two recognised CB in the squad - 3 if you count O'Shea - why the hell was McCarthy - the captain of Leicester left out?

Total joke IMO

EDIT: Alan Bennett is definitly worthy of a place. Im sure if he moves to Bolton/ Ipswich hel be in the squad after a reserve game