No eL players in latest Ireland squad

**sullanefc** · 09/08/2006, 12:58 AM

Originally Posted by Poor Student

You do know he has 8 Irish caps already don't you?

Well QED for me then. The Irish management (Kerr & Stan) are both persisting with him. And he obviously never made an impression as I didn't even notice him

edit: by the way, I find that really unfair that this guy has 8 caps and Byrne has only 2/3. Preference obviously for English based players

Originally Posted by Poor Student

We'll just have to agree to disagree on Byrne.

Fair enough.

**LukeO** · 09/08/2006, 1:54 AM

Guess what fat pimp brought Alan O'Brien over to England??

Yep... Devlin...

I smell a rat...

**joema** · 09/08/2006, 2:25 AM

Originally Posted by 4tothefloor

Alan Lee was injured for the Chile game. So Staunton had a look at Byrne. Now Lee is fit again, so Staunton is having a look at him this time instead. It's as simple as that. Byrne is no better than Lee, so what are ye moaning about? Just because Byrne's an EL player

Lee was actually playing some decent stuff for Ipswich when he got injured last season. Hes'a tall player who also has ariel presence, so any one who is pushing Byrne ahead of him on that basis is talking rubbish. Staunton had to drop Byrne to have a look at Lee - he was hardly going to drop any of the other strikers. As for Terry Dixon, he's a hot prospect for the future and it's fantastic that he's making the squads at this early stage. Reality check lads....

Sorry but that is a load of bull. Byrne was great against Chilie and has a lot to offer Ireland - surely there is room for both of them and bring Dixon along as a non playing member of the squad - btw if Dixon is so highly rated why hasnt he played reserve yet???????? Maybe its you who needs a reality check

**mypost** · 09/08/2006, 2:27 AM

Dixon is the Theo Walcott of the Irish squad.

**joema** · 09/08/2006, 2:30 AM

Originally Posted by Poor Student

I think we need a reality check here. I've seen players performing out of their skin in the Slovenian league and they weren't up to par when it came to the Slovenian international team. Our league is on relatively the same level and our national team better. I think Alan Lee is in the squad by virtue of the fact that he offers something different i.e. an aerial presence. It's the same reason Gary Doherty ever got in. They may not be great players but they offer you a different option if needed. Dixon is believed to be a hot prospect who is also believed to be sought after by England. There's no harm at all having him in the squad. There's no point in Byrne being there. He's not good enough and he is too old to benefit from the experience of a token inclusion. You may want to make a case for a specific player but I think you're losing scope if you register real anger and shock at the lack of inclusion of an eL player in the squad.

Surely Dixon should be a non playing squad member. And what do you mean Byrne isnt good enough? He was great against Chilie - correct me if Im wrong here but arent Chilie an international side and wasnt that game an international match???

**superfrank** · 09/08/2006, 10:50 AM

Originally Posted by BohsBohsBohs

Do we want EL players in as token gestures? If so then continue to kick up a storm.

It's not a token gesture, he deserves to be in the team.

**Jerry The Saint** · 09/08/2006, 11:21 AM

There's a bit of a Newcastle influence on the squad isn't there - OK, Shay and Duffer obviously but Al O'Brien and Carr in as well. An O'Brien has also spent time up there. A reflection of Bobby and Devlin's input into Staunton's decisions...?

Originally Posted by The Gaffer

�The reports from my senior players there about Alan are very good and my �B� team Manager (Pat Devlin) was at the game. He had chat with the coaching staff there and they�ve been very impressed with him.�

**Dodge** · 09/08/2006, 11:27 AM

The Alan O'Brien is very very strange. Read his wikipedia profile (not definitive I know) and see if this guy seems like he's a better player than Joe Gamble (for example)

**Poor Student** · 09/08/2006, 11:46 AM

Someone on this board said that Devlin is O'Brien's 'advisor' or whatever that role is he ambiguously performs.

**Dodge** · 09/08/2006, 11:55 AM

Yeah, about 6 posts before yours...

**Poor Student** · 09/08/2006, 11:56 AM

Originally Posted by Dodge

Yeah, about 6 posts before yours...

Ah, my mistake.

**4tothefloor** · 11/08/2006, 12:46 AM

Originally Posted by joema

Byrne was great against Chilie and has a lot to offer Ireland - surely there is room for both of them and bring Dixon along as a non playing member of the squad - btw if Dixon is so highly rated why hasnt he played reserve yet????????

Can you please explain to me what was so 'great' about Byrne against Chile? He went up for a few headers and caused a few aeriel problems for Chile but that was basically it. I saw nothing great about it, and to me Byrne was a bit unfit.

Secondly, having Dixon as a non-playing member of the squad would be a waste of time. The whole point is the engulf him in the whole Irish international setup/experience, and that includes having him on the bench with the chance of making his debut and wetting his appetite, not just bringing him along to training sessions. Staunton is treating him now like a young Wayne Rooney and wants him playing for Ireland. Nothing wrong with that and far better to me than having Jason Byrne in when he's clearly not good enough. Why hasn't he played reserve yet? Why did Theo Walcott go to the World Cup?

**mypost** · 11/08/2006, 1:37 AM

Originally Posted by 4tothefloor

Can you please explain to me what was so 'great' about Byrne against Chile? He went up for a few headers and caused a few aeriel problems for Chile but that was basically it. I saw nothing great about it, and to me Byrne was a bit unfit.

After that load of bs, I think we'll have to officially grant 4tothefloor, "Barstooler" status.

He was the best player out there for the 25 minutes he came on, made good runs, won his headers, and set up chances for his team-mates. What more do you want/expect him to do? Score a hat-trick before we can play him again??

**Soper** · 11/08/2006, 8:55 AM

4tothefloor - he showed more passion, commitment and energy in his brief cameo (as well as playing very well) than the rest of the team put together.He looked like he wanted to be there, and I'd rather that than some spoilt brats who can't be bothered trying in matches.

**4tothefloor** · 12/08/2006, 6:00 PM

Originally Posted by Soper

4tothefloor - he showed more passion, commitment and energy in his brief cameo (as well as playing very well) than the rest of the team put together.He looked like he wanted to be there, and I'd rather that than some spoilt brats who can't be bothered trying in matches.

He did, but that's not my idea of 'great'. Let's keep it in context. He came on in a dull, meaningless, end of season friendly and worked hard. Byrne was in season, rest of the squad were at the end of theirs and it looked, to a man, that they could have done without it as there was no zest or energy to our performance. And that was every player, bar Shay Given. Byrne did ok, not great. If Gary Doherty came on and did what Byrne did, we wouldn't be praising him as 'great'. And he often did that in his cameo appearances.

As I said above, Staunton is having a look at Lee this time round and I see nothing wrong with that. Maybe Lee will do well, maybe he won't. If Byrne is good enough he'll be called up again, however we know Bobby Robson wasn't too impressed with Byrne and I assume Staunton was the same seeing that he has omitted him this time round. Lee/Byrne is much of a muchness to me. Neither would start anyway.

**mypost** · 13/08/2006, 5:56 AM

Originally Posted by 4tothefloor

Byrne did ok, not great. If Gary Doherty came on and did what Byrne did, we wouldn't be praising him as 'great'.

How many chances has Gary Doherty had??

we know Bobby Robson wasn't too impressed with Byrne.

What's it got to do with him? There was I under the mad impression that Steve Staunton and Kevin McDonald decide who is selected for the national team, not Robson.

**sligoman** · 13/08/2006, 5:04 PM

The injured quartet of Robbie Keane, Terry Dixon, Richard Dunne and Alan Lee have withdrawn from the Republic of Ireland squad for next Wednesday's match against the Netherlands.

Manager Stephen Staunton has called up Jonathan Douglas (Leeds United) and Daryl Murphy (Sunderland) into the squad.
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Byrne still not called up

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**BohsFans** · 13/08/2006, 5:12 PM

Originally Posted by sligoman

The injured quartet of Robbie Keane, Terry Dixon, Richard Dunne and Alan Lee have withdrawn from the Republic of Ireland squad for next Wednesday's match against the Netherlands.

Manager Stephen Staunton has called up Jonathan Douglas (Leeds United) and Daryl Murphy (Sunderland) into the squad.
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Byrne still not called up

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http://www.shelbournefc.com/news.php?id=450