Might be a chance yet...IRELAND boss Giovanni Trapattoni has promised to keep an eye on the performance of Irish clubs competing in European competition this summer.
Last year, eircom League teams played 12 times in Europe but the then senior team boss Steve Staunton failed to attend a single one on his way to a failed Euro 2008 qualification campaign.
But Trapattoni, speaking before a fundraising event for Waterford United yesterday, says that he and his coaching staff will track the European fortunes of Bohemians (Intertoto Cup), Drogheda United (Champions League), Cork City and St Patrick's Athletic (UEFA Cup).
"We plan to go and watch the Irish clubs play in European competition," the Italian legend said.
"We had spoken about it before but the fixtures were only announced on Tuesday, now that we know where the clubs will be playing, I plan to have the games watched.
"Between myself, Marco Tardelli and Liam Brady we will watch those Irish clubs play."
Bohs play Latvian side FK Riga in the second round of the Intertoto Cup next weekend, while St Pats also face Latvian opposition (JFK Olimps) in the UEFA Cup.
I was making the point that even players at Championship level get to play regularly against internation players. Not just one off matches against the mighty champions of Armenia, Liechenstein, Wales or other such footballing strongholds once a year when they somehow manage to get beaten then cry for the rest of the season because the big bad international manager won't give them a chance. I ask again who in the EL (Which by the way I love, I attended almost every LTFC game for the 4 years I lived there home and away) would replace the likes of Given, Mcgeady, Duff, Keane the 2 Reids etc.. The majority of the best players in the EL have already tried and failed in England, would you really feel comfortable cheering for them as they walk out to face Italy????
Help something bit me!!!
Is Fahey the lad at St Pats? If so, they r just on setanta so ill have a butchers,,,,,,,,
I thought you were off the drink Ronnie?
"No, I drink to help me mind my own business....can I get you one? (c) Ronnie Drew
Hey, if that above quote is correct & Trap is true to his word that he will monitor the EL teams, then that's fair enough. So long as we know that the managers are genuinely looking at our native league, I'll be happy even if the answer is a "no". I don't think the answer should be "no", given the depths we dug to make a squad a while back, but that's a different matter altogether. But the previous complete ignoring of the league was bad form, so at least that seems to have gone.
Yeah I did, and he was probably the best player on the park, looked a decent player.
Though that would have to have BIG caviate, in that Finn Harps were absolute muck and didnt put up any opposition, no closing down, plenty of time on the ball, I might even have looked a midfield maestro myself against Finn Harps!!
Though to be fair, you can only play against whats in front of you - and he was the best player on the pitch. Ill try and watch a few more games on Setanta to keep an eye on him and any of the other EL lads that are mentioned as the cream of the crop.....
I thought you were off the drink Ronnie?
"No, I drink to help me mind my own business....can I get you one? (c) Ronnie Drew
Typical the level of debate here from non LOI fans.
I would hope that every player is assessed on their merits and not dismissed just because of who they play for.
How do the LOI bashers square Steve Bull being picked for England with the logic they employ here?
Remember, the same feckers who are down on the LOI missed out on the chance to see Roy Keane, Paul McGrath, Kevin Moran, S Doyle etc (at a knock-down price in their own country) because they couldn't possibly be any good......I mean, if they were, they'd already be playing in Britain......which reveals a lot about their knowledge of football in their own country................
Why are we still giving these people the time of day?
Work's Bogey
You show me a good loser and I'll show you a loser - Vince Lombardi
in all fairness its a disgrace that we dont call up players from our own league to the national team. now i know that most eloi players wont (and shouldnt) make a starting line up against italy, which isnt the point longford. but i think their should be a quota for players playing in our home league. maybe trap should call up 2/3 home based players to every squad. something like that could go a long way to helping the image and p[layers playing here
Nothing more than tokenism and wouldn't help the players, the clubs or the league
if they're good enough they'll be picked
54,321 sold - wws will never die - ***
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New blog if anyone's interested - http://loihistory.wordpress.com/
LOI section on balls.ie - http://balls.ie/league-of-ireland/
A quota of eL players in the senior squad has been mentioned a few times on the board. Most people agree that if they are going to get into the squad, it should be on their own merits and achievements, rather than because they have to be there.
This is a ridiculous argument, its the manager's job to pick the best squad available to him and right now the best Irish squad available doesn't feature any LOI players, I'm not saying this is always gonna be the case but right now there are players in the UK (Jay Tabb/Keith Andrews/Michael Doyle/Patrick Cregg/Paddy McCarthy/Willo Flood/Stephen McPhail for beginners) who are better than LOI standard and they don't get anywhere near the squad, why should a player from the LOI be chosen ahead of them solely on the basis that he plays in Ireland?
You show me a good loser and I'll show you a loser - Vince Lombardi
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