Potentially eligible players thread

**geysir** · 04/12/2013, 10:29 AM

Originally Posted by gastric

Didn't someone on here, who lives in Liverpool, ask one of Flanagan's relations if he was eligible for us and the answer was no? I am sure I even thanked the poster! Can anyone enlighten me on this please?

As soon as a new manager takes office, there is a temporary madness let loose on the land, where every English league player in their right mind would want to become Irish and players with names like Benni McCarthy, John Joe ..... (fill in the blank) become prime suspects for selection.
It's taken for granted that all Flanagans on the planet must be eligible. Who's gonna bust us for fielding a Flanagan?

**Yard of Pace** · 04/12/2013, 1:47 PM

Originally Posted by Charlie Darwin

What did you think of Jake Carroll?

He settled in amazingly quickly, joining the likes of Vaughan and Scannell in a bit of a clique. He was decent in the few games he played and he got good reviews on the message board though most everybody said he's still too raw at this stage. So he was dropped as we have Dixon and Woods. It's to his enormous credit that he was deemed good enough to throw straight in, mind.
My contact in Pats reckons he'll be a solid Championship player and that is perfect for us and from what I have seen, I agree. Seems a great lad too, and kudos for him getting his education before he embarked on football full time. Clever lad.

**DannyInvincible** · 11/12/2013, 5:25 PM

Saw this guy, Ben Halloran, mentioned by a poster on YBIG and I'm assuming he has Irish roots: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ben_Halloran

I wonder if they're recent. Born in Australia, he's represented them at under-20 level and currently plays his club football for Fortuna Düsseldorf in Germany.

Chelsea's George Brady, born in France, is another player allegedly eligible to play for us: http://www.chelseafc.com/academy-art...rticle/3326277

He's the nephew of West Ham's vice-chairwoman, Karren Brady, whose father is Irish businessman, Terry Brady: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/foo...s-Chelsea.html

Given he and Karren Brady share the same surname, wouldn't that make Terry Brady his grandfather?

Meanwhile, Hull's Curtis Davies seems intent on making it into England's World Cup squad this summer: http://www.football365.com/hull-city...orld-Cup-squad

The 28-year-old Hull City centre-back has been in outstanding form for the newly-promoted Tigers this season.

And having previously been called up by Fabio Capello for the friendly international against Germany in 2008, the uncapped former Luton trainee believes he is good enough to make Roy Hodgson's 23-man squad.

"There are very good players playing there for England but nothing, I think, head and shoulders above me," Davies told The Independent.

"It's not like the Rio Ferdinands, John Terrys and Sol Campbells of olds. If, God forbid, there are injuries, he hasn't really looked at anyone else and maybe won't know what they have to offer.

"I've no illusion that I should be picked but I'd like to think that, if my form was allowing me to come close, then I'd like to get a sniff.

"If Tom (Huddlestone) was in a Tottenham shirt, playing like he is now, he'd certainly be in the squad."

**Charlie Darwin** · 11/12/2013, 6:09 PM

That sorts that out so. He's 28 and still looking to play for England. Nothing to see here, folks.

**CraftyToePoke** · 12/12/2013, 2:00 AM

Originally Posted by Charlie Darwin

That sorts that out so. He's 28 and still looking to play for England. Nothing to see here, folks.

Indeed, could only be worse if he were 28 and suddenly looking to play for Ireland. Unless that paperwork the F.A.I. reputedly sent him is in the maybe pile and he is just having a little rattle at England before deciding, of course.

**Charlie Darwin** · 12/12/2013, 2:20 AM

Originally Posted by CraftyToePoke

Indeed, could only be worse if he were 28 and suddenly looking to play for Ireland. Unless that paperwork the F.A.I. reputedly sent him is in the maybe pile and he is just having a little rattle at England before deciding, of course.

I think I'm on the record in this thread saying that if somebody is getting towards the end of their career and they decide 'oh, I'll just play international football for whoever before I retire,' I'd rather they didn't declare for us. Somebody who's reaching that age and still holding out for an England appearance is a step below in my eyes. It trivialises the honour of playing for Ireland and I feel it holds back the development of Irish football. I appreciate international managers need to get results so they'll think differently.

**IsMiseSean** · 12/12/2013, 3:23 PM

I don't want Curtis Davies playing for Ireland. I don't mind us using the 'granny-rule' but something about this lad annoys me.

**geysir** · 12/12/2013, 4:04 PM

I don't see what there is to get annoyed about, as regards the player.
First and foremost you can get annoyed about our management searching out such players.
Why forgive the management or ignore their role, but take it out on the player? The management are representing us in this matter. The player at this moment in time, is happily being English, waiting for the call that he feels he deserves to the English team.

**tetsujin1979** · 12/12/2013, 4:15 PM

I didn't see it myself, but Davies was on the Fantasy Football Club last week, and said his grandmother was Irish, but he has no heart to play for the team.
I might be wrong on this, but I think he said one of her parents was in the army, and was stationed here when she was born, can anyone confirm?

**Charlie Darwin** · 12/12/2013, 4:24 PM

Originally Posted by tetsujin1979

I didn't see it myself, but Davies was on the Fantasy Football Club last week, and said his grandmother was Irish, but he has no heart to play for the team.
I might be wrong on this, but I think he said one of her parents was in the army, and was stationed here when she was born, can anyone confirm?

Good to hear him being honest about his intentions. Hopefully it works out for him and he gets his England caps.

**geysir** · 13/12/2013, 8:39 AM

O'Neill virtually pleads with Davies to declare for Ireland, then virtually with cap in hand he begs Davies to reconsider. At all times Davies says thanks, but no thanks, i'm English. If this is the situation, then the criticism should be about the process, it should be focussed 100% on the management who are dangling carrots in front of English players who had no interest in playing for Ireland.
I don't recall any Irish manager being under pressure to actively recruit average players. If there's any such pressure, it comes from the manager himself. it amounts to laying some type of honey trap to lure a player into declaring for us. Why would that be acceptable or understandable, but a player so lured be regarded a careerist mercenary?

**Bungle** · 13/12/2013, 9:41 AM

Originally Posted by geysir

O'Neill virtually pleads with Davies to declare for Ireland, then virtually with cap in hand he begs Davies to reconsider. At all times Davies says thanks, but no thanks, i'm English. If this is the situation, then the criticism should be about the process, it should be focussed 100% on the management who are dangling carrots in front of English players who had no interest in playing for Ireland.
I don't recall any Irish manager being under pressure to actively recruit average players. If there's any such pressure, it comes from the manager himself. it amounts to laying some type of honey trap to lure a player into declaring for us. Why would that be acceptable or understandable, but a player so lured be regarded a careerist mercenary?

Agree with pretty much all of that. Good luck to Curtis on trying to play for England. He's a good player and would have been a good recruit but if he doesn't have any desire to play for us, then why demeen the shirt by chasing him. While I'm happy with us going after every available player that can better us, we can't lose dignity in doing so.

**Charlie Darwin** · 13/12/2013, 1:50 PM

Originally Posted by geysir

O'Neill virtually pleads with Davies to declare for Ireland, then virtually with cap in hand he begs Davies to reconsider. At all times Davies says thanks, but no thanks, i'm English. If this is the situation, then the criticism should be about the process, it should be focussed 100% on the management who are dangling carrots in front of English players who had no interest in playing for Ireland.
I don't recall any Irish manager being under pressure to actively recruit average players. If there's any such pressure, it comes from the manager himself. it amounts to laying some type of honey trap to lure a player into declaring for us. Why would that be acceptable or understandable, but a player so lured be regarded a careerist mercenary?

I think you're slaying a paper dragon here geysir. Aside from one comment about how something about Davies annoys somebody, nobody's called him a mercenary or anything like it here.

**IsMiseSean** · 13/12/2013, 2:50 PM

'Annoys me' was probably the wrong term.
Davies is 28 and wants to play for England in the WC, move on! Why chase him??

I'd rather see us bringing in Duffy, Mark O'Brien & Hoban (when fit) etc and working on improving them.

**geysir** · 13/12/2013, 7:08 PM

Originally Posted by Charlie Darwin

I think you're slaying a paper dragon here geysir. Aside from one comment about how something about Davies annoys somebody, nobody's called him a mercenary or anything like it here.

Was there not also a comment understanding the pressure on our manager to pursue these type of players?

Just because some fire was withheld doesn't mean it wasn't going to spout or sputter

In general we focus our ire on the so called "mercenary" who is supposedly thinking to declare for us, my point is that's deflecting from the culpability of the management who are 100% responsible for pursuing these type of players. But somehow the "mercenary" becomes the scapegoat. If we have a quota for invites, it's been used up.
Possibly it's a load of newspaper bull, but if O'Neill was supposedly at West Ham to contact Noble (again) and contacting Davies (again) and stating in general that he's looking for extras, then there is something defective with this strategy from the management.

**CraftyToePoke** · 14/12/2013, 4:44 AM

A sixteen year old winger by the name of Connor Mahoney has joined Blackburn Rovers from Accrington Stanley, having already played league football for them, but will initially play in his new clubs development side.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/25366496

Does anyone here know anymore about him ?

**SkStu** · 14/12/2013, 5:13 AM

Originally Posted by CraftyToePoke

A sixteen year old winger by the name of Connor Mahoney has joined Blackburn Rovers from Accrington Stanley, having already played league football for them, but will initially play in his new clubs development side.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/25366496

Does anyone here know anymore about him ?

His parents met at a police training camp in the 80's.