Who do you think are the most overrated members of the Irish squad?

**tetsujin1979** · 07/03/2008, 12:18 PM

Originally Posted by Over the post

Kevin Doyle?

He works hard and had a superb season for Reading last year but has never really done the business for Ireland on a consistent basis.

5 goals in 15 games is consistent enough for any striker.

**tetsujin1979** · 07/03/2008, 12:18 PM

Originally Posted by placid casual

keane- never really shows enogh goal threat

If he didn't show a "goal threat", he'd never score

**Over the post** · 07/03/2008, 12:36 PM

Originally Posted by tetsujin1979

5 goals in 15 games is consistent enough for any striker.

Shane Long and Stephen Ireland both have better goals per game ratios.

I'm not saying he's not a good striker but there was a time a lot of people were arguing he was a better option than Keane who, for all his faults, is still the most gifted striker available to us.

**eirebhoy** · 07/03/2008, 12:52 PM

Originally Posted by BigmanCas

Absolute nonsense.

What's nonsense? The only part of that short post where I gave my opinion was in saying he played well at centre half against Arsenal.

**Dr. Ogba** · 07/03/2008, 1:04 PM

Originally Posted by eirebhoy

More often than not he's one of our best performers. More often than not he's one of his clubs best performers. Bar his time at Spurs really.

was disagreeing with his comment that Andy Reid is overrated. I, personally, think he's the best thing since sliced bread (sliced bread not being around any more since Andy ate all of it....)

**Dr. Ogba** · 07/03/2008, 1:05 PM

Originally Posted by lionelhutz

I couldn't disagree more with that comment. Finnan is the best full back we've had since Denis Irwin was in his prime and now we have a Birmingham right full with no sense of positioning to replace him. Ya we won't miss him at all.....................

Kelly will be in the chamionship next season whether Birmingham get relegated or not. McLeish will get rid of him if they stay up

Finnan was brilliant around the time of the WC in 2002 but since then has flattered to deceive. Granted he was played out of position quite a bit but I honestly cant remember a game since then that he has impressed for Ireland...

**lofty9** · 07/03/2008, 1:12 PM

Never thought much of Finnans performances for Ireland. Average at best. Was in Russia for game after the World Cup and he didn't even look like a footballer, he was awful, that performance is my abiding memory of him. I can't recall any performance in which he excelled in a green shirt. He may play well for Liverpool but it ends there.

**Billsthoughts** · 07/03/2008, 2:12 PM

Originally Posted by jbyrne

i can see oshea playing ctre half for us under the new management and i reckon with the right guidance he'll do ok there. gets too much critisism from some on here imo

Agree with this. He deffo has talent. Lacks concentration and aggressiveness.

Originally Posted by Kingdom

I wouldn't worry about the future of the Senior team. More and more promising youngsters are coming through. Paramount to this is the continued improvement in the domestic league. I've come round to this way of thinking. Truth be told I'd actively discourage young fellas joining the likes of United Arsenal and Liverpool unless they are truely exceptional. I'm talking Messi exceptional as opposed to Stokes exceptional here! thinking back to when i was a schoolboy and the amount of genuinely regular players who went to England, its not funny.

Great post

Originally Posted by Ciaran

This board seems to be very anti-Hunt which is odd. At international level he's done fine. Some average performances, some great performances. I don't think he's underrated.

I think there is a snob factor amongst some fans when it comes to Hunt. They feel they know soooo much about football and appreciate the nuances of a fine player more than your average Joe. So it drives them mad when Hunt just comes on and gets on with the job in hand getting a good reaction from the crowd in the process. Hunt has doen well for us. If only are more talented players had some of his attitude. Maybe that will change under Trapp. Anyways the title of this thread sums up everything thats wrong with the Irish football fan imo. We seem to wallow in negativity.

**paul_oshea** · 07/03/2008, 2:32 PM

No its not bill, someone else mentioned it before, but the youth setup at arsenal is savage, and a player could never develop as quickly our as good at an EL setup as he could at the likes of Arsenal, even if he gets shipped on.....

castaways at big clubs will always get picked up by other clubs ( solely on the name of there they have come from a lot of the time it seems ), whereas someone in the EL at 21 or 22 would have to be immense to get plucked by an English club, bar a few exceptions.

**Billsthoughts** · 07/03/2008, 2:40 PM

Well I suppose you have to make the leap of faith that if more of our above average players stay in the league then the higher the standard with the knock on effect that the standout players ar eof a higher calibre? Therefore Premier League or European teams would be looking in the league for good players.

**jbyrne** · 07/03/2008, 2:44 PM

Originally Posted by Ciaran

Kilbane - Overrated. I don't think he adds anything. Can't pass, can't control play, can't tackle. Best he can do is unsettle people (or just crack open Schweinstiegers head).

Carsley - Fairly rated. He does a job that until S.Reid came back was unfillable by anyone else.

kilbane... the easy target for so many on here. rated fairly imo. never outstanding but always solid. would be missed from current Irish squad

S. Reid. how many times has reid even played for us never mind played in carsleys position? jury out on him big time. his debut v croatia was up there with butlers v czech rep as the worst ive ever seen. did a bit as an impact sub in wc 02 but little or nothing since. i hear so much about steven reid being the solution to some of our midfield problems that i wonder was i in a coma for a few years and missed some outstanding irish performances from him!

**paul_oshea** · 07/03/2008, 3:06 PM

Originally Posted by Billsthoughts

Well I suppose you have to make the leap of faith that if more of our above average players stay in the league then the higher the standard with the knock on effect that the standout players ar eof a higher calibre? Therefore Premier League or European teams would be looking in the league for good players.

Bill this is a fair point, but its not what I am getting at, well not in the way I meant it to. I was saying that I think a player of 15, 16, 17 would learn a lot more with the structure they have in place at Arsenal, than an EL club. I would be all for the idea, that the EL clubs come to an agreement that if a player who has been with an EL club for a few years up until 15 or 16 and then a club like arsenal came in for that player, after 2 years at there youth structured get loaned back to EL clubs for a couple of years. This benefits the league ( good players staying around for longer, and there benefiting the skill level of the EL, i know there is an issue around well what about the players who have stayed at home i.e. werent seen as good enough having their place taken by someone who went abroad) and the players, and probably the premiership club, becuase they might not be quite ready at 18 or so.....I cant ever see something like this happening unfortunately, but I definitely think there are ideas like this that would be brilliant if put into place, while we dont have a clairefontaine or such like.