QuoteI'm not too sure. The SPL is a different kettle of fish than even the Championship, nevermind the Premiership.Originally Posted by FootballsKing
People seem to forget that Stokes has scored 18 goals season, not the 2 that some are suggesting. Play him striker and he will get you goals and im convinced we will see that next season in the premiership
I'm not too sure. The SPL is a different kettle of fish than even the Championship, nevermind the Premiership.
Connolly was "full of confidence" before when he played for us and was very average. Stan said he knows what he can do (really means knows what he can't do) so whom should he have left behind to accommodate Connolly? He obviously doesn't feature in his plans and I'd be inclined to agree with him on that one. He can look at the other guys in training even if they're only going to get a half each in the games.
What Colgan is doing going, however, I have no idea.
Forget about the performance or entertainment. It's only the result that matters.
David Connolly has had a very good season. He nearly always has a good season when playing at championship level as that is his standard. He has consistently struggled when moved up to a higher level. On this basis I don't have a problem with him being omitted from the squad. Staunton knows what he can and can't do and on this basis he does not see him as being a part of his plans.
I feel a bit of sympathy for Morrisson as while he's no World beater he's done a decent enough job when called upon and has scored crucial goals for us against the likes of Israel and Switzerland. For a man of his size he puts himself about and holds up the ball pretty well so I'd probably have him in the squad.
Alan Lee hasn't been given a proper chance yet but he should definitely be in this squad, probably instead of Folan. He's had a very good season and looks, size wise, to be the kind of centre forward that Staunton likes to have around as an option.
It's quite remarkable alright.
The only thing I can think of is that he wants an older head among the goalie squad, but that's stretching it. Alan Kelly can be the senior "character" for these lads. Supple, Murphy or Randolph should be there in my opinion.
Regarding Glenn Whelan, the only thing I can think of is that Stan reads foot.ie. I reckon OwlsFan probably turned him off him. He probably has a note in his files "good Championship player but not international quality".
Daryl Murphy has the size but also has more mobility and more skill. Lee has nuisance vale for sure, but Stan's earlier description of Folan seems to imply that that's exactly why he is selected - this time.
The Irish squad used to be a formaility, especially upfront. We've options in abundance now, most still much work-in-progress, so just because some players are playing well in the middle ranks of the Championship by no means entitles them to a squad place.
i think you have to merit the goals he scored in the SPL as at least as high as goals scored in the championship. look at henri camara, he couldn't buy a goal in scotland but scored freely for both southampton and wigan when he came back to england.
the standard of the championship is over inflated in a big way. fair enough there may be 5 or 6 good sides but as i've said before there is a fair amount of useless teams also. teams like hull, barnsley and southend are inferior to most spl sides. the better eL sides are on a par with the lower half of the championship.
If O'Donovan is as good as the EL heads claim then he should be in the squad even if this means missing a game or two for Cork. It would improve his marketability no end if he did well as it appears that a transfer to an English side is imminent in the summer anyway. Any extra money generated from the transfer would benefit Cork no end.
Still can't figure out what he was thinking bringing Alan O'Brien and Caleb Folan. It really looks to me that Staunton has a very blinkered outlook on players and will happily pick Premiership dross over Championship class. Presumably he does only watch MOTD.
Nicky Colgan's inclusion amazes me also, possibly one of the poorest keepers in the Championship.
Can't have seen much of O'Brien on MOTD.
I think both of these are being looked as as Stan thinks they offer something different - O'rien has pace and Folan height. Both of these are useful attributes in International football.
Stan would be damned if he did pick EL players and damned if he didnt. But it's a good example of his poor media skills that he didnt say - 'I'm not picking any domestic players because they are in teh middle of a season."
I was thinking the same in that any of the more contoversial additions / ommissions should have been explained. Then I thought about it further and I'd actually place the blame on the media for not actually asking these questions. Can you imagine a politician not having his policy scrutinised at a Press Conference?
But we all know the Irish media - print and TV - is totally focused on English footall and the only Irish angle they see worthy of comment is Keane at Sunderland. The only copy given to Stan's selection this week was "Stan only gets texts from Keane". So fcuking what?
In my opinion it defied belief that Best (2), Walters (2), Murphy (2), Stokes, Connolly, Keogh, Tabb & Rowlands all scoring in the Championship in one afternoon didn't warrant a mention in an Irish paper on Monday.
If ever there was an opportunity to report the signs of emerging Irish talent this was it. That's why you have people like Frank Stapleton perpetually moaning that there's nothing coming through.
I've got both but Stan doesn't seem to think I'd be an asset to the squad; I think footballing ability comes into it somewhere
Greece 1 - 0 Germany
Socrates (89)
It was stupid of Stan to even mention the texting issue. Why introduce it to the media at all - unlikely to produce anything positive!
as it was stupid of keane to talk of the irish squad selection publicly last time around.
if keane doesn't take his calls then why shouldn't he mention it. was he was asked if he had sopken to keane? and if so why cover up after having made the effort to do so? perhaps stan was just showing us that indeed he had made an effort to talk to him even after the public critism last time around. and showing us the rebuttal he got in return. thats what i see as the gain in saying it. the positive being a show of maturity on his behalf.
perhaps this view of keane being the messiah held by many in this country needs to be tarnished a little. ffs if keane says that it is good to sh1t in a blazing fire there are any many muppets in this country who will do just that!
Last edited by galwayhoop; 10/05/2007 at 11:17 AM.
More unhelpful than stupid I'd suggest. Managers often make such comments about their players. It seems to be a motivational tool & is used very regularly. Not really a great risk for Keane with the benefits outweighing the drawbacks.
The greater risk for Stan is any suggestion that he is not getting along with managers (Irish or otherwise) who have Irish players. International managers would have a strong vested interest in resolving this type of thing behind closed doors & playing it down.
I've said it 100 times to you but the few players that scored like Stokes did in the SPL are well proven strikers. You're more stubborn than me.
Plus he's still the 3rd highest scorer in the league with only 16 games played.
Last edited by eirebhoy; 10/05/2007 at 11:40 AM.
If an 18 year old scored 14 goals in half a season for a struggling side in the eL it'd be remarkable. Even in eL Division 1 it'd be quite an achievement.
So belittling the achievement because it was the SPL is facile.
Stokes deserves his place, no question in my mind.
yes but if stan is asked if he has spoken to R.Keane recently what does he do.
lie - "yes we spoke recently" - this will surely backfire when keane is asked and he says i haven't spoken to him for ages
truth - "i have tried to ring him on numerous times but he just texts back and i got sick of that"
what does stan have to resolve behind closed doors or otherwise?? he has apparantely tried to contact a club manager - who won't speak to him - so he says he deals with others at the club! he doesn't seem that bothered, either does keane so what is the big rig-marole?
I'm not questioning it. I also think he deserves his place but scoring in the SPL counts for very little IMO. He's playing the majority of the games against substandard opposition well inferior to what Ireland generally face. It doesn't give any indication whatsoever whether he can do it at a higher level or not. I think his Championship form is more of an indicator and in that respect he has been found sadly lacking so far.
As for the SPL being better than the Championship that unfortunately just isn't true as I've said many times before. The majority of the SPL teams would be relegated from the Championship. Just compare some of the players the crap teams in the Championship have compared to even some of the apparently decent teams in the SPL. Current and ex internationals and up and coming young talent from all nationalities (much of it on loan from the Premiership) while the SPL teams (minus the old Firm) have generally poor Scottish, Irish and Latvian (Lithuanian?) players. All powers of world football I know. Richie Foran, legend at Southend. Look at the gates and money most Championship teams have compared to the SPL teams.
The jury is still out on Stokes, for me Long looks the better player at present. Leon Best and Keogh have also been far more impressive in the last couple of months in the same League.
Stokes as with McGeady before him (and Barrett, Partridge, Kennedy etc) is all hype and no substance at present though I do think Stokes can improve and become a good player for Ireland as he has time on his side. McGeady for me is going backwards and needs a big year next season.
Last edited by youngirish; 10/05/2007 at 12:16 PM.
This is hardly worth discussing.
For once, Stan appears to have done something right. He's picked players with genuine potential to give them a run and see if they can make the step up. They may not be the finished article but they have been progressing fast and have more to give.
Connolly and Morrison are mature players, have probably peaked in their abilities and have shown that they can't make it at either the top club level or at international level. They have both been given enough opportunities and plainly aren't good enough.
Seriously, do some of you have very short memories?
Why not? It's as easy for me to spot a good player in the SPL as it is in any other league.
The jury's not out on Stokes for me. Seriously. I think he's a guaranteed success from what I saw of him at Falkirk. Well, as long as he avoids serious injury and keeps out of trouble.
Posting Permissions
Bookmarks