FAI...June 2024 Friendlies v Hungary and Portugal

[Capt Pat]

Puyol out. Knee surgery. We'll take anything we get!

Pujol is over the hill at this stage.

[Main Street]

Puyol, recently recovered from long injury to  resume his captaincy (with panache) of the European champions Barcelona and in all probability would have been Spain's captain at the Euros. Not bad for a player who some regard as over the hill.
He must have had some prime

[ziggy90]

I think Marc Wilson should have been in the squad.
Consistent performer in the Premier League and his versatility is a massive bonus.

Wilson, Paddy Kenny & Hoolahan have been regulars for their premiership clubs while Clark & Pilkington have also had a fair number of games at that level.
I still don't get the Kenny thing - full premiership season for QPR as against Westwood who is now 3rd choice at Sunderland and Forde who can't get in the Milwall team.

In the Championship the immense talent of Jeff Hendrick has gone unnoticed - he played over 10 games more than Green in the Derby midfield - while Noel Hunt has had a much better season than his brother.

So here is a team of "in form" absentee friends to ponder:

Paddy Kenny (QPR)
Damien Delaney (Ipswich), Colin Clark (A Villa), Shane Duffy (Everton), Marc Wilson (Stoke)
Wes Hoolahan (Norwich), Anthony Pilkington (Norwich), Jeff Hendrick (Derby), Noel Hunt (Reading)
Anthony Stokes (Celtic), Adam Rooney (Birmingham)

I believ Clark, Duffy, Hendrick & McClean will be the backbone of the Irish team in the coming seasons.

If Stokes is there surely Jon Daly should be in with a shout? Duffy only played a few games for Everton albeit played well in them. Hendrick does look like a good player, won Derby player of the year for what that is worth.

No! No! No!

But he's played some games for Birmingham City. And I see from some stats site on the internet that he has scored a couple of goals. I've never actually seen him play a game, but I reckon it's a disgrace that Trapattoni hasn't called him up!

Brother? Cousin? Lover? They're the only 3 reasons I can see for you advocating him for the squad. Oh and insanity.

[ziggy90]

If he does the stuff for us tonight I'll join you at his altar. If he doesn't, well........

[stew]

OWCers are not one bit happy. Are there many northern fans here who dislike the NI team the same way they dislike/hate the ROI team? Always seems to be a lot of hostility but I like to see local players do well, however rare that may be.

For some reason the OWCers seem to think the Ireland team are their main rivals, whereas the Irish supporters are mostly ambivilant or actually like to see them do well. Probably a bit like the Ireland-England soccer relationship.

OWC are partially right in this situation (can't believe I am saying this) insofar as they do spend a lot of time, money and effort on some players who then, at the first sniff of a senior cap for the republic, feck off and play for them, after representing the north for a few years.

I know the rules state that once you play senior football you have made your decision but I can see how it would get under the skin of Norn Iron fans, especially as every defector (bar one)  is a chuckie.

[trileacman]

OWCers are not one bit happy. Are there many northern fans here who dislike the NI team the same way they dislike/hate the ROI team? Always seems to be a lot of hostility but I like to see local players do well, however rare that may be.

For some reason the OWCers seem to think the Ireland team are their main rivals, whereas the Irish supporters are mostly ambivilant or actually like to see them do well. Probably a bit like the Ireland-England soccer relationship.

I know the rules state that once you play senior football you have made your decision but I can see how it would get under the skin of Norn Iron fans, especially as every defector (bar one)  is a chuckie.

Forgive my ignorance but who is the "bar one"? Don't get that.

OWC are partially right in this situation (can't believe I am saying this) insofar as they do spend a lot of time, money and effort on some players who then, at the first sniff of a senior cap for the republic, feck off and play for them, after representing the north for a few years.

I'm by no means a die-hard republican but i'd like to say fcuk them. If they didn't spend half their time upholding sectarian bigotry and ostracizing nationalists then they'd have a few more decent taig players.

[Leo]

As a nationalist I have to say that we ostracised ourselves.
There was one football association before partition but the Freestaters decided they wanted their own Wee gravy train and broke away - leaving the IFA 9as it was and still is) the first registered football association in Ireland - so the OWCers you deride are actually ther true heirs of  the Irish football tradition.

[ballinaman]

Great story told by Jason McAteer about USA '94

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S5Fgemz7Pjg

[Declan]

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/sport/2012/0511/1224315908715.html

Some interesting comments from McClean on the NI/Rep issue

[thewobbler]

McClean should stop digging holes for himself.

I respect honesty, but it's something he should save for the end of his career. Right now, he should keep quiet and build that career.


On a side note, if Ballyholland kept producing players up to under 21 level, who then transferred to Burren, i'd be somewhere between annoyed and heartbroken. While the Twitter mouthpieces don't help the situation by playing up the political angle, I generally understand the frustration. If McClean was still at Derry City he would have happily stood for GSTQ, just to play international football.

[ballinaman]

  Sound Hardstation!

[AQMP]

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/sport/2012/0511/1224315908715.html

Some interesting comments from McClean on the NI/Rep issue

At least it makes a change from the usual bland shite we get from soccer players!  The boy will be disappointed he didn't do better with his comments there.  Mind you, some of them were "Triffic"

[ballinaman]

Sound Hardstation!

Bastid.

Ah ya know me....

[Nally Stand]

McClean should stop digging holes for himself.
I respect honesty, but it's something he should save for the end of his career. Right now, he should keep quiet and build that career.

Fcek that, he has every right to say what he feels when the topic arises. For nationalists, there are serious issues surrounding sectarianism and identity attached to the six county team so more power to him for having the balls to say what others might be too afraid to say.

On a side note, if Ballyholland kept producing players up to under 21 level, who then transferred to Burren, i'd be somewhere between annoyed and heartbroken. While the Twitter mouthpieces don't help the situation by playing up the political angle, I generally understand the frustration. If McClean was still at Derry City he would have happily stood for GSTQ, just to play international football.

Not exactly a like for like comparison. His local allegiance might be questioned but hardly his very national identity.

If McClean was still at Derry City he would have happily stood for GSTQ, just to play international football.

Happily stood for GSTQ? In his own words..."You don't really feel at home. I think any Catholic would be lying if they said they did feel at home, seeing all those flags and hearing the songs and chants. For me, personally, I didn't feel part of it."

[Applesisapples]

McClean should stop digging holes for himself.

I respect honesty, but it's something he should save for the end of his career. Right now, he should keep quiet and build that career.


On a side note, if Ballyholland kept producing players up to under 21 level, who then transferred to Burren, i'd be somewhere between annoyed and heartbroken. While the Twitter mouthpieces don't help the situation by playing up the political angle, I generally understand the frustration. If McClean was still at Derry City he would have happily stood for GSTQ, just to play international football.

You are wrong there McClean made the decision and announced it well before he burst into the first team in Sunderland. It's actually refreshing to see players like McClean, Marc Wilson etc actually calling it as it is.