Staunton & FAI insult to eL players

**Dr.Nightdub** · 08/10/2006, 11:45 AM

Kdjac, it's not simply a matter of picking like for like in particular positions and fielding a LofI XI on principle..

A midfield of Duff and McGeady on the wings with any two out of Ciaran Martyn / Stuey Byrne / Joe Gamble would have been a better option than what Stanton went with. He had no "recognised" box-to-box centre midfielders so he went with an aging winger playing out of position and another young attacking midfielder. The result was the defence was exposed and torn to shreds.

Jason Byrne could well have contributed more than Morrison up front. Don't forget Morrison was only picked cos Doyle was injured and Doyle, in turn, is only a year and a bit out of the LofI. So it's not axiomatic that LofI players aren't good enough.

I've no solution for what to do about left back where O'Shea was, once again, poison. Out of pure despair, I'd probably just circumvent the problem by playing 3-5-2.

**Peadar** · 08/10/2006, 11:52 AM

It was a good job that no eircom League player was involved in that debacle last night. Cork City have already proved that they know how to get a result in Nicosia, in hotter weather. We don't have to prove anything to people like Staunton.

**Niall** · 08/10/2006, 12:00 PM

Originally Posted by Billy Lord

What goes around, comes around. Tonight's result was the culmination of 30-odd years hoping that British clubs would provide us with internationals while Irish football just curled up and died.
Maybe someone, somewhere, with a brain and some imagination will realise that we need to develop the game at home to provide the national team with any hope of a sustainable future rather than hoping for a few decent players to grow from the weeds here at home and get plucked by British clubs.

Arguably the most sensible comment ever made on this board

**Raheny Red** · 08/10/2006, 12:00 PM

Originally Posted by R�iteoir

If only Kevin Hunt would declare for Ireland

But he wont as he has stated in the past - he wouldn't want to deprive an Irish born player of a chance of a call up

Fair play to him.

**Soper** · 08/10/2006, 1:12 PM

Originally Posted by kdjaC

Yes all these EL players who play in the EL for a pittance are better than the players playing last night on 20k a week more in some cases.

EL players play in the EL for a reason, last night Ireland had a decent 11 out. There were some good players there, fact remains they hadnt a ****ing clue what to do.

Looking at Aston Villa as an example of how a team can change with a decent manager in charge. It doesnt matter what 11 is out EL or PL based if they dont ****ing play for Ireland or have a manager who has a ****ing clue about how to manage, your fairly ****ed from the word go.

It's funny cause you're wrong.

**Magicme** · 08/10/2006, 1:26 PM

DFX cant believe u never heard of our wee Johnny! Yeah he played at Mons then went over the water and spent sometime at Blackburn & Leeds on loan last season. He did so well at Leeds last year and was happy there that he transfered to them this year. That was his 3 or 4th full cap now and he had played in 1-2 friendlies prior to that.

Funny little bit of trivia for ya, his girlfriend's little sister has just made the Rep of Irl under 17's squad.

**lofty9** · 08/10/2006, 2:51 PM

Time for the FAI to spend heavily on youth development in the eircom league. English football is fixated with foreigners that its own national team will be as bad as ours in a few years. We need to keep all our youngsters here and educate them as well as develop them. Millions should be spent on it, as the kids are not being developed in England now. Kevin Doyle, Ronnie Whelan, Paul McGrath, Roy Keane were all developed here - the eircom league should be a viable option. However, the likes of Niall Quinn putting all his energies into Sunderland is bad for us all. We need a high profile name to get on board and help promote the game here and challenge those 'Irish' people who are mentally challenged and disturbed by supporting teams playing in a league which does Ireland no good at all.

**oriel** · 08/10/2006, 3:11 PM

He`s full of cliche's, thats all he ever speaks of, so out of his depth its actually now worse than embarrasing, we are nothing less than a laughing stock, 100% down to staunton and delaney

Look at his back up - kevin macdonald (one good season of a sub for liverpool mid 80`s) and Pat Devlin (got bray promoted last year) Alan Kelly (what is there to say about him)

Enough said - sack the whole mgt team and admit they made a mistake.

**Mr A** · 08/10/2006, 3:26 PM

I honestly don't think that last night had anything to do with whether EL players arepicked or not and everything to do with an atrocious management appointment.

I honestly don't think that there's an EL player that should have been in the starting 11, maybe on the bench perhaps as I'd no idea who most of those guys were but in general I agree with kdjaC on this.

**sfc red** · 08/10/2006, 3:32 PM

Devine

Heary Dunne Bennett Finnan

Hoolahan C.Martyn Gamble Duff

R.Keane J.Byrne

**osarusan** · 08/10/2006, 3:35 PM

Originally Posted by Sheridan

I'd feel more represented by a team including Kevin Hunt than one composed of journeyman pros from mediocre British clubs who have never contributed anything to Irish football.

Who do you include in that blanket statement? Robbie Keane? Duff? Everybody?

Originally Posted by pete

Of course several eL players would have done better than many of those internationals last night. A whole team of eL players would not have lost by 3 goals to Cyprus. I know international football is a step up but the eL style of play as improved a lot in recent years with top players getting 6 games in europe every year.

Given that the best eircom league players invariably leave the el for leagues of a higher level, namely the English leagues (usually), How can you back up that statement? Quoting a club game is not a relevant factor in this caseas you have just said that international football is a step up.

Like you, I am annoyed that the el is overlooked by so many people, it deserves more attention and recent european results show great improvements in the quality, but lets not kid ourselves into thinking it is better than it is.

**pete** · 08/10/2006, 3:44 PM

Originally Posted by osarusan

Given that the best eircom league players invariably leave the el for leagues of a higher level, namely the English leagues (usually), How can you back up that statement? Quoting a club game is not a relevant factor in this caseas you have just said that international football is a step up.

Kevin Doyle.

**osarusan** · 08/10/2006, 3:47 PM

What about him?

He left the el for a league of a higher level.

**pete** · 08/10/2006, 3:53 PM

Originally Posted by osarusan

He left the el for a league of a higher level.

Did he become that much better overnight?

Based on your logic the top 22 players based on the english league pyramid would be picked for squads.

**mypost** · 08/10/2006, 4:02 PM

Originally Posted by osarusan

He left the el for a league of a higher level.

The English Championship is a higher level?

News to me.

He left the NL so he would be qualified to play international football.

**osarusan** · 08/10/2006, 4:12 PM

Originally Posted by pete

Did he become that much better overnight?

Based on your logic the top 22 players based on the english league pyramid would be picked for squads.

Not overnight, but gradually it became clear that he could play at a higher level, and he transferred.

By my logic, we would pick the best 22 players we have in any league. I dont think there would be any from the el.

Originally Posted by mypost

The English Championship is a higher level?

News to me.

Glad I could help to educate you.

**OneRedArmy** · 08/10/2006, 5:16 PM

This

Originally Posted by osarusan

Not overnight, but gradually it became clear that he could play at a higher level, and he transferred.

does not agree with this

Originally Posted by osarusan

By my logic, we would pick the best 22 players we have in any league. I dont think there would be any from the el.

unless you subscribe to the theory that Doyle suddenly became Roy of the Rovers on the plane over to Reading.

**osarusan** · 08/10/2006, 5:34 PM

The time between Doyle leaving Cork (June 2005), and making his debut for Ireland (March 2006) is 9 months. I think it isnt unreasonable to think that in those 9 months he learned things about the game which helped him improve. I am pretty confident he has a higher level of fitness also.

Dont get me wrong. I am a supporter of the eircom league. I dont like the way a player needs to be abroad before he can be considered for the squad, except for token gestures.

But I dont subscribe to the notion that a team of eircom league players would have performed better that the players did last night.

Now I've been in Japan for 5 years, and consequently didnt see the game last night, but I've kept up pretty well through internet and this forum, and I know the standard has been raised in that time. But I dont think it has reached the standard that eircom league players can competently replace premiership / championship players.

**mypost** · 08/10/2006, 5:39 PM

Originally Posted by osarusan

The time between Doyle leaving Cork (June 2005), and making his debut for Ireland (March 2006) is 9 months. I think it isnt unreasonable to think that in those 9 months he learned things about the game which helped him improve.

He got into the squad after 4 months, half of which were in the English off-season. Every player in every league, improves after 9 months.

I am pretty confident he has a higher level of fitness also.

The full-time fitness programmes at Reading are different to the ones at Cork in what way?

**pete** · 08/10/2006, 5:43 PM

Originally Posted by mypost

He got into the squad after 4 months, half of which were in the English off-season. Every player in every league, improves after 9 months.

Exactly, sure he improved each year he was at Cork City anyway as that tends to happen with quality young players. Even Doyle himself said he hadn't improved from his eL days.

He is possibly Irelands greatest potential player at the moment too. He shows maturity that most the irish squad never had at his ages or never will which is all down to his eL experience.