FAI...New Manager Hunt continues

[NetNitrate]

Kenny approached Sykes to declare. That might have given him hope, he's paying League 1 so will have a bit to do.
There has been other Northern players in the past who switched, and were never capped by the Republicx like Daniel Kearns

He's no chance of a call-up for forseeable.  From a caeer / money point of view, seems a bad move as he's unlikely to follow same trajectory of Gavin Whyte without having international football to help boost his profile.  As another poster said though, I guess his heart wasn't in it.  Fair enough, but as with Grealish and Rice, just a shame it took him 7 years to work that out and at same time took away potential opportunity for development from someone else.

Must say I don't get the taking away the development of someone else used a lot by NI supporters. Nationalists and those of nationalist backgrounds are entitled to whatever sporting facilities are available to them in NI. They pay tax - in fact latest tax show the nationalist population as the largest tax contributors - and this tax funds much of this. Many sports stars also develop as athletes through the GAA before switching codes to soccer and rugby - and people like Gerry Armstrong have gone this route. Same thing happens in South and that is okay. It's the way of the world. No one is missing out, if they are good enough they will rise to the top.

[Baile Brigín 2]

Kenny approached Sykes to declare. That might have given him hope, he's paying League 1 so will have a bit to do.
There has been other Northern players in the past who switched, and were never capped by the Republicx like Daniel Kearns

Did he?

Seems odd considering he left midfielders like Cullen, Byrne, Knight, Sadlier, Judge, Taylor, Elbouzedi, Coventry and Kilkenny out, all of whom are ahead of him in the pack.

There is zero chance this fella gets a call up

[rodney trotter]

That's what's reported. Ogbene the ex Cork City and limerick player, declared for the Republic recently too. He was eligible for Nigeria.

Kenny probably wants as many options as possible for the next few years and see how they progress. Nonetheless Sykes was named in 3 NI Squads and didn't get on, Republic would have more midfield options so he'll have a bit to do.

Calum O Dowda progressed from Oxford a few years ago

[michaelg]

Kenny approached Sykes to declare. That might have given him hope, he's paying League 1 so will have a bit to do.
There has been other Northern players in the past who switched, and were never capped by the Republicx like Daniel Kearns

He's no chance of a call-up for forseeable.  From a caeer / money point of view, seems a bad move as he's unlikely to follow same trajectory of Gavin Whyte without having international football to help boost his profile.  As another poster said though, I guess his heart wasn't in it.  Fair enough, but as with Grealish and Rice, just a shame it took him 7 years to work that out and at same time took away potential opportunity for development from someone else.

Must say I don't get the taking away the development of someone else used a lot by NI supporters. Nationalists and those of nationalist backgrounds are entitled to whatever sporting facilities are available to them in NI. They pay tax - in fact latest tax show the nationalist population as the largest tax contributors - and this tax funds much of this. Many sports stars also develop as athletes through the GAA before switching codes to soccer and rugby - and people like Gerry Armstrong have gone this route. Same thing happens in South and that is okay. It's the way of the world. No one is missing out, if they are good enough they will rise to the top.

Not really to do with money.  I wouldn't imagine that a huge amount of the money required to run the IFA day to day comes from tax payer's money.
There are a finite number of spaces available in underage football so his place would have been better served going to someone else, particularly given that underage international football is designed to be a vehicle to develop players for the senior international team. 
As for the 'if they are goood enough argument', it's tough going making it in professional football in England.  You could argue that Sykes might not have made it to the dizzy heights of the 3rd tier in English football without the increased profile and additional coaching and experience that he would have gained from playing underage international football.  Arguably another player from with similar ability could have maximised his ability in the same way that Sykes has done.

[6th sam]

Kenny approached Sykes to declare. That might have given him hope, he's paying League 1 so will have a bit to do.
There has been other Northern players in the past who switched, and were never capped by the Republicx like Daniel Kearns

He's no chance of a call-up for forseeable.  From a caeer / money point of view, seems a bad move as he's unlikely to follow same trajectory of Gavin Whyte without having international football to help boost his profile.  As another poster said though, I guess his heart wasn't in it.  Fair enough, but as with Grealish and Rice, just a shame it took him 7 years to work that out and at same time took away potential opportunity for development from someone else.

Must say I don't get the taking away the development of someone else used a lot by NI supporters. Nationalists and those of nationalist backgrounds are entitled to whatever sporting facilities are available to them in NI. They pay tax - in fact latest tax show the nationalist population as the largest tax contributors - and this tax funds much of this. Many sports stars also develop as athletes through the GAA before switching codes to soccer and rugby - and people like Gerry Armstrong have gone this route. Same thing happens in South and that is okay. It's the way of the world. No one is missing out, if they are good enough they will rise to the top.

Not really to do with money.  I wouldn't imagine that a huge amount of the money required to run the IFA day to day comes from tax payer's money.
There are a finite number of spaces available in underage football so his place would have been better served going to someone else, particularly given that underage international football is designed to be a vehicle to develop players for the senior international team. 
As for the 'if they are goood enough argument', it's tough going making it in professional football in England.  You could argue that Sykes might not have made it to the dizzy heights of the 3rd tier in English football without the increased profile and additional coaching and experience that he would have gained from playing underage international football.  Arguably another player from with similar ability could have maximised his ability in the same way that Sykes has done.

Are we going to trot out this old argument again. As part of a professional footballers development he aligns himself to his nearest elite set up. In the case of NI that's the NI international youth set up. It would be a controversial and risky career move for the parents of an aspiring teenager from Lisburn for example to declare for ROI and travel to Dublin/Cork/limerick in the process. Presumably if he did he'd be subject to the abuse afforded by those in NI football set up, for those that declare for ROI, just at an earlier stage .
Many will argue that it's blatantly racist for those in NI to question and deride an Irishman for declaring for Ireland. This is a continued manifestation of the lack of respect for Irish identity in the six counties, despite the principles ingrained in the GFA. The other side of this coin is those that disrespect the right of Rory McIlroy to align as Northern Irish . Wise up, surely it's not too much to ask that we respect anyone's right to choose their national allegiance .

[Jim_Murphy_74]

Many will argue that it's blatantly racist for those in NI to question and deride an Irishman for declaring for Ireland. This is a continued manifestation of the lack of respect for Irish identity in the six counties, despite the principles ingrained in the GFA.

Equally many will also argue that the intent of the GFA was that anyone could be British or Irish in a Northern Ireland context.  If all Nationalists skip off to play for the Republic then the Northern Ireland becomes a de facto British team.  Hence you can see what those Northern Ireland supporters that want it to be a cross-community team become disillusioned when someone does this. 

I think a young lad going with the local youth setup is understandable, but they don't need to be in their twenties before they realize their dream nationality.  Frankly I thought the same about McClean.   Caps, even at U21 level, are handy bargaining chips for agents.  So it Mark Sykes dreamted of playing for the Republic he played with fire going into Northern Ireland squads for Euro qualifiers.  30seconds on the pitch and his fate would have been linked to the Northern Ireland.  So he was happy enough to stick with them until something better came along? 

Naturally fans will be annoyed with that, and not for "racist" reasons either.

That said it's not like Republic fans got in lather about Declan Rice or Jack Grealish..........

/Jim

[6th sam]

Many will argue that it's blatantly racist for those in NI to question and deride an Irishman for declaring for Ireland. This is a continued manifestation of the lack of respect for Irish identity in the six counties, despite the principles ingrained in the GFA.

Equally many will also argue that the intent of the GFA was that anyone could be British or Irish in a Northern Ireland context.  If all Nationalists skip off to play for the Republic then the Northern Ireland becomes a de facto British team.  Hence you can see what those Northern Ireland supporters that want it to be a cross-community team become disillusioned when someone does this. 

I think a young lad going with the local youth setup is understandable, but they don't need to be in their twenties before they realize their dream nationality.  Frankly I thought the same about McClean.   Caps, even at U21 level, are handy bargaining chips for agents.  So it Mark Sykes dreamted of playing for the Republic he played with fire going into Northern Ireland squads for Euro qualifiers.  30seconds on the pitch and his fate would have been linked to the Northern Ireland.  So he was happy enough to stick with them until something better came along? 

Naturally fans will be annoyed with that, and not for "racist" reasons either.

That said it's not like Republic fans got in lather about Declan Rice or Jack Grealish..........

/Jim

If Declan rice and jack Grealish feel they want to play for England , good luck to them. I respect their right to choose , regardless of their choice of international youth development pathway. The anti-English racism from some ROI followers is equally appalling.

Regarding the GFA, it accepted the NI state through the consent principle , and many of us were that happy to see the end of the conflict that we didn't perhaps appreciate that many actually envisaged the continuance of  NI state as a long term solution. 22 years on NI state as we know it is "a dead man walking" , as unionist politic missed their opportunity to show equal respect for Irish identity.

The lack of empathy and respect for NI citizens wanting to play for ROI is a clear indication of this blind spot.

Does the IFA and NI supporters not get this: a sizeable proportion of the citizens of the NI state have absolutely no affinity to the NI football team, and never will. No matter what the IFA and NI supporters do, and they are trying hard, that won't change.

The equivalent would be of footballers in the Balkan states being forced to play for the country they happened to reside in at the time of the carve up
Of the former Yugoslavia  , in spite of their ethnicity and patriotic leanings .

[GiveItToTheShooters]

Fair play to Mark Sykes. Well within his rights to do what he has done, no issue here. Looking forward to seeing him in an Ireland jersey once his transfer goes through.

[Jim_Murphy_74]

If Declan rice and jack Grealish feel they want to play for England , good luck to them. I respect their right to choose , regardless of their choice of international youth development pathway. The anti-English racism from some ROI followers is equally appalling.

Regarding the GFA, it accepted the NI state through the consent principle , and many of us were that happy to see the end of the conflict that we didn't perhaps appreciate that many actually envisaged the continuance of  NI state as a long term solution. 22 years on NI state as we know it is "a dead man walking" , as unionist politic missed their opportunity to show equal respect for Irish identity.

The lack of empathy and respect for NI citizens wanting to play for ROI is a clear indication of this blind spot.

Does the IFA and NI supporters not get this: a sizeable proportion of the citizens of the NI state have absolutely no affinity to the NI football team, and never will. No matter what the IFA and NI supporters do, and they are trying hard, that won't change.

The equivalent would be of footballers in the Balkan states being forced to play for the country they happened to reside in at the time of the carve up
Of the former Yugoslavia  , in spite of their ethnicity and patriotic leanings .

I can see all above points but I don't think the emotive aspect is a high in Sykes' case.   People are ignoring the fact that he went along in Euro qualifier squads.  One injury and he could have played and be fully committed to Northern Ireland. 

So it's not a case of a young lad only having access to local development training, it's not a case of someone who could not bring himself to play for Northern Ireland but actually someone who was happy to until something better came along.

That has to grate for genuine Northern Ireland fans.

/Jim.

[michaelg]

Many will argue that it's blatantly racist for those in NI to question and deride an Irishman for declaring for Ireland. This is a continued manifestation of the lack of respect for Irish identity in the six counties, despite the principles ingrained in the GFA.

Equally many will also argue that the intent of the GFA was that anyone could be British or Irish in a Northern Ireland context.  If all Nationalists skip off to play for the Republic then the Northern Ireland becomes a de facto British team.  Hence you can see what those Northern Ireland supporters that want it to be a cross-community team become disillusioned when someone does this. 

I think a young lad going with the local youth setup is understandable, but they don't need to be in their twenties before they realize their dream nationality.  Frankly I thought the same about McClean.   Caps, even at U21 level, are handy bargaining chips for agents.  So it Mark Sykes dreamted of playing for the Republic he played with fire going into Northern Ireland squads for Euro qualifiers.  30seconds on the pitch and his fate would have been linked to the Northern Ireland.  So he was happy enough to stick with them until something better came along? 

Naturally fans will be annoyed with that, and not for "racist" reasons either.

That said it's not like Republic fans got in lather about Declan Rice or Jack Grealish..........

/Jim

If Declan rice and jack Grealish feel they want to play for England , good luck to them. I respect their right to choose , regardless of their choice of international youth development pathway. The anti-English racism from some ROI followers is equally appalling.

Regarding the GFA, it accepted the NI state through the consent principle , and many of us were that happy to see the end of the conflict that we didn't perhaps appreciate that many actually envisaged the continuance of  NI state as a long term solution. 22 years on NI state as we know it is "a dead man walking" , as unionist politic missed their opportunity to show equal respect for Irish identity.

The lack of empathy and respect for NI citizens wanting to play for ROI is a clear indication of this blind spot.

Does the IFA and NI supporters not get this: a sizeable proportion of the citizens of the NI state have absolutely no affinity to the NI football team, and never will. No matter what the IFA and NI supporters do, and they are trying hard, that won't change.

The equivalent would be of footballers in the Balkan states being forced to play for the country they happened to reside in at the time of the carve up
Of the former Yugoslavia  , in spite of their ethnicity and patriotic leanings .

Of course they get it.  The issue is the timing of his declaration and move to the Republic.  Also, presumably Sykes is one of the sizeable proportion that you talk about with no affinity to the NI football team.  Just a bit strange that it took him until he was 23 to come to that conclusion.

[red hander]

He wouldn't have taken to 23 to make decision if FAI  had youth set-up structures in North to cater for young hopefuls, but look at the sectarian whingeing whenever such a scenario is mooted.

[GiveItToTheShooters]

He wouldn't have taken to 23 to make decision if FAI  had youth set-up structures in North to cater for young hopefuls, but look at the sectarian whingeing whenever such a scenario is mooted.

Exactly.
He always knew he wanted to play for Ireland. He just waited until he was established enough to make the switch.

[michaelg]

If Declan rice and jack Grealish feel they want to play for England , good luck to them. I respect their right to choose , regardless of their choice of international youth development pathway. The anti-English racism from some ROI followers is equally appalling.

Regarding the GFA, it accepted the NI state through the consent principle , and many of us were that happy to see the end of the conflict that we didn't perhaps appreciate that many actually envisaged the continuance of  NI state as a long term solution. 22 years on NI state as we know it is "a dead man walking" , as unionist politic missed their opportunity to show equal respect for Irish identity.

The lack of empathy and respect for NI citizens wanting to play for ROI is a clear indication of this blind spot.

Does the IFA and NI supporters not get this: a sizeable proportion of the citizens of the NI state have absolutely no affinity to the NI football team, and never will. No matter what the IFA and NI supporters do, and they are trying hard, that won't change.

The equivalent would be of footballers in the Balkan states being forced to play for the country they happened to reside in at the time of the carve up
Of the former Yugoslavia  , in spite of their ethnicity and patriotic leanings .

I can see all above points but I don't think the emotive aspect is a high in Sykes' case.   People are ignoring the fact that he went along in Euro qualifier squads.  One injury and he could have played and be fully committed to Northern Ireland. 

So it's not a case of a young lad only having access to local development training, it's not a case of someone who could not bring himself to play for Northern Ireland but actually someone who was happy to until something better came along.

That has to grate for genuine Northern Ireland fans.

/Jim.

To be fair, I think he went to Euros to gain experience / help with training and small sided games etc.  He was in 3 senior squads though and would have been tied to NI if he played even a couple of mins.

[macdanger2]

Once a player gets to say 20/21, they should have to decide one way or the other and that's it. It'd save a lot of messing

[rodney trotter]

It is should be earlier, 17 or 18. At 20 or 21 they would be playing first team football and getting more attention.
England weren't begging Declan Rice at 17 or 18. He was playing under age with Ireland. As was Grealish.