Oman for Stoke City?

[lofty9]

Getting back on topic.

Oman off to PlunderIreland for a trial now.

Do you know what happened at the Stoke trial? Was talking to someone who said he had an awful time there.

[Cymro]

Mea culpa - you said our clubs'd finish alongside those teams. My argument still holds.

You also said our clubs'd hold our heads above water and finish above three teams. I'll go through the entire Division One and show that that's not true if you want.



Fair enough - you can believe what you want obviously. But people believed the earth was flat for centuries despite being an equally implausible argument with equally strong circumstantial evidence against.

I was talking to our club CPO last night, who was talking to Danny Murphy recently. Murphy is the lad who left Cork to join Motherwell last season. Was one of the highest regarded defenders in the eL, but has now been shipped out to Dunfermline in Division One. Murphy was saying that every game in the SPL - even against Gretna or St Mirren - is far tougher than in the eL. Players are simply that bit bigger, that bit stronger, that bit faster than here, and it makes a massive difference.

That mightn't come across as obviously when you watch Norwich once or twice, but it is the reason why no eL club would survive in Division One. I recall Derry going to Paris last year (after an admittedly excellent home result) and getting shoved off it entirely - PSG comfortably won 2-0, could have been more, and that's what'd happen mostentimes if eL sides were in Division One. They'd get a few good results (like the 0-0), but more often it'd be comfortable defeats.

As an aside, where are all the players who made the jump over last season?

Jason Byrne - eL top scorer the past four (?) seasons - scored on his debut for Cardiff, gradually dropped out of view, nowhere near the team now.
Pat Kavanagh - never made it near the Birmingham first team; back with Bray
Danny Murphy - Out of the SPL
Bobby Ryan - ditto
Trevor Molloy - ditto (is he with Airdrie or someone now?)
Paul Keegan - ditto
George O'Callaghan - left Ipswich; is he getting his game for Brighton now? Are they back in Division Two now?

I'm sure there's more. There's some players who do well (Doyle and Long obviously), but more who don't. Again, on the basis that a squad is about 20 players, no eL team would have a hope of surviving in Division One.

Also, look at the players we sign. Joe Gamble came from Barnet when they were in the Conference and became an eL star. Danny Murphy came from non-league and did the same. John O'Flynn came from Peterboro reserves and did the same. There's many more of those.

There's a reason our top players don't make it in the SPL/Premiership/Division One more often than not. There's a reason our top imports come from English non league. We're going to have to face up to the fact that our league is not as good as the English Division One, or the SPL.

I would say top eL teams would be mid table in Division Three. Lower eL teams would be Conference standard.

O'Callaghan is a fairly regular starter/substitute for Brighton, and yes they are in League One.

I agree totally with what you're saying, but comparing it to the earth being flat is a bit extreme.

[Mad Moose]

An O'Callaghan has been pretty much a star on loan at the Sussex club this season.

That division might be his limit too.

[Raheny Red]

Do you know what happened at the Stoke trial? Was talking to someone who said he had an awful time there.

Yeah read that myself, anyone know what happened exactly?

[SunderlandBohs]

Oman starting a week trial with us at the AOL today. It's kind of Keane's policy to have a look of players who are out of contract like Kiki Mustampa, John Pelter & Samuel Kuffour. There is certainly players in the League good enough for the championship more so League 1. The success rate of players making in England & Scotland is the best its every been. I'm not sure the likes of Bohs, Drogs, Pat's would be good enough to stay in the Championship, maybe hanging around the bottom six, but the standard of the League is just as good as League 1 or the SPL. I'd be more than confident those three could hold there own or even be challenging the for the play-offs.

[Aaron]

Yeah read that myself, anyone know what happened exactly?

Apparently in training they used him as a striker so he decided to sack it and return to Derry

[CollegeTillIDie]

Most of George O'Callaghan's difficulties are his bad attitude. In terms of talent and ability he is up there. Seems to thrive where he is one of the big fish in a relatively smaller pond!