QuoteSo Stauntons just as bad as the rest. Meah, I can't say I care eitherway about this team anymore. A joke of a selection.
Long and Byrne should have been chosen ahead of Dixon and Lee. Joey O'Brien should have been picked ahead of Alan O'Brien. I'd like to see O'Shea given a chance at centre-half. Whoever said it's not his natural position must be joking. Kelly or Finnan will probably considered for LB as there is hardly any need for 3 right-backs. Incidentally Dixon was listed as a midfielder on Sky Sports News- I presume that was a mistake?
So Stauntons just as bad as the rest. Meah, I can't say I care eitherway about this team anymore. A joke of a selection.
Is Stephen Kelly an option at centre back? He doesn't need anymore right backs in that squad. So, either Finnan is really a midfielder in staunton's eyes or Kelly is a centre back! Staunton is acting the clown at the wrong time. I'd say Michael Ballack is really quaking in his boats looking at that squad.
Stan saw both Byrne and Dixon at first hand and obviously likes the look of Dixon.Originally Posted by Dr. Ogba
For me he's not even an option (yet anyway) at right back, never mind centre half.
I'm surprised Joey has been omitted from the squad, he can play at full back and midfield. If Nolan was ever gonna be in the squad then this would be the time - I think that puts the final nail into that coffin (we all knew he was ineligible anyway so no major shock). My main concern is our defence and the centre of midfield, I hope he starts with Ireland and S Reid and keeps O'Shea warming the bench. If he plays John we will be overrun before you can say Ruud Gullit.
I'd agree with you. He needs to buck his ideas up this season at Brum.
Yet chose to cap Byrne?
Stan is nothing but a token capping tosser like his predecessor. He brings an out of form Byrne into the squad, caps him, he sets up two chances and is one of our best players when he plays. He then goes back to his club and hits the form of his life. He's then left out, and in his place are proven utter no marks (Lee) or players lucky to be in reserve teams (Dixon).
It's typical of the joke set up and attitudes within the Irish camp. How can he justify leaving him out and including these players? Why did he cap him in the first place?
The more things change the more they stay the same. It's a joke.
I don't see that much wrong with the squad. There are a few surprises but not major ones.
Dixon obviously impressed Staunton during the Summer training camp. It's obvious that he doesn't consider Byrne as an international player. No real surprise there. Shane Long has been played well for Reading but I read on their MB that he's picked up a knock.
A. O'Brien is a good call. With Reid out we haven't that many options on the wing. From what I've heard he's had a great pre-season and did well for Newcastle towards the end of last season.
Center Half is a worry but there are very few alternatives. McCarthy at Leicester is probably the only viable alternative.
I'm surprised that J.O'Brien hasn't been selected at either senior or U21 level. Maybe he's injured.
Stephen Carr brinngs some more experience to the squad and will provide good cover/competition for Finnan.
All of the debatable selections will not really effect the first team.
Does anyone know if the FAI website is working? Can't seem to access it.
Murphy, Connolly, Long, Hunt, and Byrne all deserve to be there over Lee, Dixon, and Alan O'Brien, they're all on hot form right now, theres no question in my mind there with those 5 > the the other 3
I got a bad feeling that Sweden was all luck, Chile was real, and Bobby Robson is too old to help out Stan, who might maybe be the one who finally lets Cyprus beat Ireland. Perhaps we should bring back Brian Kerr
Last edited by theworm2345; 08/08/2006 at 4:12 PM.
As far as I see it, he gave Byrne a chance and wasn't impressed. Lee is a different type of player. He's a better target man. Something that we may need and someone to take a look at. He was injured for the last squad. Before that he had a very good spell with Ipswich. As for Dixon, Staunton is obviously impressed with him and made a judgement call. Thats his perogative. The non selection of Byrne is hardly going to damage our prospects of qualifying. If Byrne wasn't playing in EL there would be no fuss what so ever.
It strikes me as far as the EL is concerned any Irish manager is damned if he does and damned if he doesn't.
He 'wasn't impressed'? How? If he wasn't impressed in training, why did he cap him? If he wasn't impressed by what he saw when he did cap him, he's an idiot.
Alan Lee isn't a better anything than Jason Byrne.
As for Dixon, why is he in the squads? He wont play any part in this team for years if at all. What's the point in having youth squads if you're going to put people like him in the senior panel?
The non selection of Byrne wont damage our qualifying prospects, but it shows Staunton is as big a patronising token gestureing clown as the last manager. Not that it matters a jot to anyone, but this team can forget about having my support for it ever again. It's just a fecking insult to one of our own to treat him like this. He never had an intention to do anything other than cap him in one friendly and discard him, he could be an Irish Ronaldinho or an even worse version of Gary Doherty, Staunton just wanted to get his little token gesture out of the way and move onto the 'real' players like Dixon, Lee and O'Brien. That's an insult. If he didn't want to view him as a proper squad member, just leave him out entirely (I'd disagree with his judgement in doing so, but that would be about it), don't treat him like some kind of special case who you will then ignore when the proper matches come around in favour of some utter no marks having done him the favour of granting him a cap in a friendly when you'd no intention of ever judging him on his own merits.
Last edited by Slash/ED; 08/08/2006 at 4:25 PM.
a farce of a squad from a farce of a management team.
They're all valid points but so what if he's giving him a few token gesture caps? One things for sure, Byrne wouldn't say no to a cap in a friendly as much as the next Irishman. Fenlon said Byrne was as high as a kite when he came back from the Poland friendly and that was certainly a token gesture.
If you felt Byrne was good enough for the squad than argue that point but I don't see anything wrong with capping a player if he's in the squad. I haven't been impressed with Byrne in Europe and I don't think he's up to international standards.
My guess is, as you say, Stan called Byrne up to please the Eircom league fans after the stick other managers of senior and underage Ireland teams have took. He can't win really.
Last edited by eirebhoy; 08/08/2006 at 4:36 PM.
Luckily we've a load of international class proven players like Dixon and Lee to step in though...
Believe it or not, people don't like being treated like idiots just because they play in the EL, if you don't believe me just ask Jason Byrne what he thinks of Brian Kerr. He was probably high as a kite as he didn't think that'd be the last time he ever got near a squad under Kerr, he certainly is no fan of our former manager, that's for sure. Why not hand out token gesture caps? Because it's a f*cking insult, that's why not.
How so?
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 at all under Stan.
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.
so why bother with an underage set up if we are going to blood 16 year olds at senior level?
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