Republic of Ireland V Lithuania - Tuesday, 29th March 2022 - Friendly

**seanfhear** · 31/03/2022, 4:18 PM

Just the odd quick look at Ryan Manning there with the beard and his size ( not so much his style of play ) reminded me of the Great Tony Grealish. What a Great Player Tony Grealish was for us.

**third policeman** · 31/03/2022, 5:36 PM

Indeed he was. Thought I was the only person here old enough to remember him playing. Pity Jack turned out to be such a disappointment. Somehow when he first emerged I wondered whether Tony was his old man in the same way I thought Eddie might be David's father.

**Olé Olé** · 31/03/2022, 8:16 PM

Originally Posted by third policeman

Indeed he was. Thought I was the only person here old enough to remember him playing. Pity Jack turned out to be such a disappointment. Somehow when he first emerged I wondered whether Tony was his old man in the same way I thought Eddie might be David's father.

His nephew was Example. A fairly run of the mill pop act that had lots of hits in the 2010s.

**Insidetherock** · 31/03/2022, 10:05 PM

Originally Posted by third policeman

Indeed he was. Thought I was the only person here old enough to remember him playing. Pity Jack turned out to be such a disappointment. Somehow when he first emerged I wondered whether Tony was his old man in the same way I thought Eddie might be David's father.

I remember Grealish too.. loved him.. he was one of those players that always seemed to be running around more than everyone else.. big Bjorn Borg head on him

**seanfhear** · 31/03/2022, 10:06 PM

Originally Posted by Insidetherock

I remember Grealish too.. loved him.. he was one of those players that always seemed to be running around more than everyone else.. big Bjorn Borg head on him

Good passer of the ball too. We’d be lucky to have a Tony Grealish now.

**mark12345** · 01/04/2022, 12:03 AM

Originally Posted by seanfhear

Good passer of the ball too. We’d be lucky to have a Tony Grealish now.

Remember Grealish well. He was a pivotal player in Ireland's emergence from the wilderness years. I believe he is (or was) related to Jack Greaslish. Both from the Birmingham area of Irish lineage.

**jbyrne** · 01/04/2022, 6:39 AM

Originally Posted by Insidetherock

I remember Grealish too.. loved him.. he was one of those players that always seemed to be running around more than everyone else.. big Bjorn Borg head on him

we played england in wembley not long after his passing in 2013 and they played a very nice tribute to him in the stadium at half time.
nice touch from the english FA for an away team player.

**Snapshot** · 01/04/2022, 7:15 AM

My concern is that Keane will be discarded on the basis of this messy game. He'll probably be in the Championship next season, the standard of many in the squad. He's our only prolific club scorer and if it continues at that level he should be a factor.

**jbyrne** · 01/04/2022, 7:20 AM

Originally Posted by Snapshot

My concern is that Keane will be discarded on the basis of this messy game. He'll probably be in the Championship next season, the standard of many in the squad. He's our only prolific club scorer and if it continues at that level he should be a factor.

we absolutely cannot discard him and i don't think SK will.
the tempo of the first 60 mins was very slow, crosses were coming in from way too deep and I am not sure he received a decent pass anywhere near the box all night. it would be very unfair to judge him on last tuesdays game which was after all only his first start

**paul_oshea** · 01/04/2022, 10:47 AM

Originally Posted by mark12345

Remember Grealish well. He was a pivotal player in Ireland's emergence from the wilderness years. I believe he is (or was) related to Jack Greaslish. Both from the Birmingham area of Irish lineage.

No they're not. He grew up in West London. The only connection is Galway

**EAFC_rdfl** · 01/04/2022, 4:07 PM

Originally Posted by Olé Olé

Amazing the swings and roundabouts this can take. I thought the forwards (Obafemi, Connolly, Parrott and Idah) would be the surest things. These 3 young centre halves and 3 young goalkeepers have come up from behind them and all 6 lads look like they will be high level Championship or Premiership level footballers for the majority of their careers which means they'll be in the frame for us unless we have a drastic uptick in quality overall. The forwards have been a mixed bag and Obafemi and Idah have had really bright patches at Championship and Premiership level respectively of late. And our front 3 looks like it will be Knight, Ogbene and Robinson for the next while unless one of those guys sustains some really good club form.

I agree on midfield and left back. Coventry, Kilkenny and Johansson are 3 of the lads I think need big seasons next season and need to pick their moves wisely (assuming all of them will be on the move). Johansson I'm including because he has looked quality when I have seen him but it hasn't happened for him this season in Holland.

Hopefully we get an Ogbene-like bolter into the mix if none of those guys press on. Maybe Mark Sykes or Daniel Crowley (who I believe is playing deeper for Willem II than the 10 spot he normally occupied). Ronan is probably a player for the front line options if he does keep going.

As I type this, it is becoming clear to me that our squad has become much stronger recently.

Good post, I suppose it goes back to one of Giles's one liners, the hardest part of football is putting the ball in the net.

**third policeman** · 01/04/2022, 5:04 PM

Originally Posted by paul_oshea

No they're not. He grew up in West London. The only connection is Galway

He started out at Orient before Giles brought him to West Brom along with Irish internationals Mick Martin, Paddy Mulligan and Ray Treacy. Treacy started his career at West Brom but only played a couple of games before being sold. He scored a couple of goals in his first few games after Giles signed him ten years after he left. He jokingly said he was due a testimonial as he was averaging a goal a game for the Baggies over a 10 year period.

**geysir** · 01/04/2022, 5:38 PM

Originally Posted by Insidetherock

I remember Grealish too.. loved him.. he was one of those players that always seemed to be running around more than everyone else.. big Bjorn Borg head on him

He was iconic, more our version of a Grizzly Adams graced with the legs of Cú Chulainn, ploughed on straight through tackles and himself could tackle like a combine harvester.

**ontheotherhand** · 01/04/2022, 7:31 PM

Originally Posted by Snapshot

My concern is that Keane will be discarded on the basis of this messy game. He'll probably be in the Championship next season, the standard of many in the squad. He's our only prolific club scorer and if it continues at that level he should be a factor.

Wouldn't be too concerned. Kenny seems to like him and spent some time defending his performance in the press conference afterwards. He'll get more chances unless better players emerge.

**Razors left peg** · 01/04/2022, 7:41 PM

Originally Posted by ontheotherhand

Wouldn't be too concerned. Kenny seems to like him and spent some time defending his performance in the press conference afterwards. He'll get more chances unless better players emerge.

He wouldnt be the first fella to look poor on his 1st start and go on to do better. I thought that he looked like a L1 player the other day, but I think I said after the game that because of his goal record this season hes probably worth another look. I dont think he'll ever be 1st choice for us but hes a better player than James Collins to have as back up

**third policeman** · 01/04/2022, 8:41 PM

[QUOTE=third policeman;2106840]He started out at Orient before Giles brought him to West Brom along with Irish internationals Mick Martin, Paddy Mulligan and Ray Treacy. Treacy started his career at West Brom but only played a couple of games before being sold. He scored a couple of goals in his first few games after Giles signed him ten years after he left. He jokingly said he was due a testimonial as he was averaging a goal a game for the Baggies over a 10 year period.[/QUOTE

Memory playing tricks there. He went to West Brom after Giles moved on.

**ontheotherhand** · 01/04/2022, 8:59 PM

Originally Posted by Razors left peg

He wouldnt be the first fella to look poor on his 1st start and go on to do better. I thought that he looked like a L1 player the other day, but I think I said after the game that because of his goal record this season hes probably worth another look. I dont think he'll ever be 1st choice for us but hes a better player than James Collins to have as back up

Im not sure the lead striker is his best position? Thought he was better when he came on against Belgium than he was leading the line. He has plenty of time anyway. Can't be writing off anyone after a bad performance or two. We aren't spoiled for choice. Up front and in midfield anyways. Embarrassing riches further back of course.

**TonyD** · 01/04/2022, 9:56 PM

[QUOTE=third policeman;2106859]

Originally Posted by third policeman

He started out at Orient before Giles brought him to West Brom along with Irish internationals Mick Martin, Paddy Mulligan and Ray Treacy. Treacy started his career at West Brom but only played a couple of games before being sold. He scored a couple of goals in his first few games after Giles signed him ten years after he left. He jokingly said he was due a testimonial as he was averaging a goal a game for the Baggies over a 10 year period.[/QUOTE

Memory playing tricks there. He went to West Brom after Giles moved on.

You sure about that ? I would have said Giles signed him for West Brom. I know Giles brought him back to Shamrock Rovers When he was manager there.

**third policeman** · 02/04/2022, 7:30 AM

[QUOTE=TonyD;2106878]

Originally Posted by third policeman

You sure about that ? I would have said Giles signed him for West Brom. I know Giles brought him back to Shamrock Rovers When he was manager there.

He signed Treacy, but not Grealish. Greyish was signed by Atkinson. You are right about Treacy going to Rovers. Never understood why Giles favoured Treacy over Terry Conroy when he was Ireland manager.

**Snapshot** · 02/04/2022, 8:57 AM

[QUOTE=TonyD;2106878]

Originally Posted by third policeman

You sure about that ? I would have said Giles signed him for West Brom. I know Giles brought him back to Shamrock Rovers When he was manager there.

Originally Posted by third policeman

Originally Posted by TonyD

He signed Treacy, but not Grealish. Greyish was signed by Atkinson. You are right about Treacy going to Rovers. Never understood why Giles favoured Treacy over Terry Conroy when he was Ireland manager.

He signed Treacy, but not Grealish. Greyish was signed by Atkinson. You are right about Treacy going to Rovers. Never understood why Giles favoured Treacy over Terry Conroy when he was Ireland manager.

Both good players but very different. Conroy was slight and essentially a winger while Treacy a rugged and aggressive striker. He was used as a foil up front alongside Don Givens. Conroy was definitely more skilful and elusive - he went round defenders, Treacy through them. A good touchstone for the era was Ireland's famous 3-0 defeat of USSR at Dalymount in 1974 in a European Nations qualifier where Treacy did the spadework for a Givens hat-trick and 18-year-old Liam Brady made a sensational debut. Conroy didn't play (maybe unplayed 12th man, maybe injured as unfortunately he often was), but it would hardly be a surprise that Giles preferred the no-holds-barred Treacy.

Ireland line-up: Paddy Roche, Jimmy Holmes, Paddy Mulligan, Terry Mancini, Joe Kinnear, Liam Brady, John Giles, Steve Heighway, Mick Martin, Don Givens, Ray Treacy.