Northern Ireland v Rep of Ireland. Best Irish players of all time. Which team wins?

[simplyared]

The Republic wins hands down for me with the following line-up:

GK Shay Given

RB Seamus Coleman
CB David O’Leary
CB Mark Lawrenson
LB Denis Irwin

MF Roy Keane
MF John Giles
MF Ray Houghton

RW Liam Brady
CF Frank Stapleton
LW Damien Duff

Couldn’t find a team to match that quality amongst the Northern Ireland players.

Interesting to see what others can come up with.

 

[Lastwolf]

Pretty sure, Georgie Best uptop on his own after a few nights out, would clobber that shower o' shit on his todd, so he would.

In all honesty, it's one of the arguments against an All Ireland team, is the amount of players from NI that'd get on. It's like 2-3 max, it hard to think of a time where that wasn't the case, maybe the early 80s. There's quite a few political problems that have caused a few people from the North to end up on the Ireland team at the u21 and below but that's probably not that many in the first team over the years that I can think of.

I'll have a go anyway;

Pat Jennings

Mal Donaghy
Jimmy Nicholl
Aaron Hughes
Martin O'Neill

Norman Whiteside
Danny Blanchflower
Sammy McIlroy

Billy Bingham
David Healy
George Best

Way better Goalkeepers on the NI side, Harry Gregg in there as well. Kinda struggled with a decent defense tbh, Pretty sure I'm playing a 4 CB's there. Fixed.

 

[rumac]

I think we need to discuss your best ever Ireland team that doesn't have Paul McGrath or Robbie Keane on it.

 

[Falcow]

You simply cannot have a greatest Republic of ireland team without Paul McGrath. Astonishing omission

 

[BlackShark_80]

Republic of Ireland will win this, just have better squad than Northern Ireland.

 

[harms]

What about Mandela's kid? He was alright.

 

[simplyared]

I think we need to discuss your best ever Ireland team that doesn't have Paul McGrath or Robbie Keane on it.

Robbie Keane is one of those players I've always thought was overrated. Leaving out McGrath I knew would cause a reaction. However Lawrenson and O'Leary get my vote.

 

[simplyared]

You simply cannot have a greatest Republic of ireland team without Paul McGrath. Astonishing omission

How you evaluate players is subjective! However McGrath was a hell of a player. Still think I've chose the strongest CB- pairing.

 

[rumac]

Robbie Keane is one of those players I've always thought was overrated. Leaving out McGrath I knew would cause a reaction. However Lawrenson and O'Leary get my vote.

Fair enough. The was a bit unfair. Apologies........
Stil though no Paul McGrath ........

 

[padzilla]

You simply cannot have a greatest Republic of ireland team without Paul McGrath. Astonishing omission

Didn't Charlton always play McGrath in midfield? Did Ireland ever play a 4-3-3 by the way when those guys were playing?

 

[Lastwolf]

I dunno why I decided Martin O'Neill was a defender.

 

[ClaytonBlackmoorLeftPeg]

Interesting that most of the best players on both sides are United (the club...) players.

Irwin, McGrath, Keane, Whiteside, Best.

 

[Lastwolf]

Interesting that most of the best players on both sides are United (the club...) players.

Irwin, McGrath, Keane, Whiteside, Best.

Makes sense, certainly before the advent of the Premier league, I'd say it'd be United/Liverpool for most supported clubs, followed by the likes of Leeds maybe.

 

[Foxbatt]

Interesting that most of the best players on both sides are United (the club...) players.

Irwin, McGrath, Keane, Whiteside, Best.

Stapleton played for United too.

 

[golden_blunder]

The Republic wins hands down for me with the following line-up:

GK Shay Given

RB Seamus Coleman
CB David O’Leary
CB Mark Lawrenson
LB Denis Irwin

MF Roy Keane
MF John Giles
MF Ray Houghton

RW Liam Brady
CF Frank Stapleton
LW Damien Duff

Couldn’t find a team to match that quality amongst the Northern Ireland players.

Interesting to see what others can come up with.

Jennings

hughes
McGrath
O’Shea
Irwin

Best
Keane
Whiteside
Brady

Keane
Stapleton

 

[BlackShark_80]

Jennings

hughes
McGrath
O’Shea
Irwin

Best
Keane
Whiteside
Brady

Keane
Stapleton

No Blanchflower?

 

[harms]

Fair enough. The was a bit unfair. Apologies........
Stil though no Paul McGrath ........

No it wasn't. Leaving McGrath out of the Ireland team is absolutely mad. The case can be made for him to be the best performing Irish international of all-time, let alone him being a starting CB for their all-time XI (or a midfielder ahead of Houghton for that matter, considering how well he played when Charlton put him there).

 

[harms]

Interesting that most of the best players on both sides are United (the club...) players.

Irwin, McGrath, Keane, Whiteside, Best.

Brady is certainly up there (actually, he should probably replace Whiteside on your list, who never really fulfilled his enormous potential), so that's one Arsenal player.

 

[golden_blunder]

No Blanchflower?

Bit before my time, also Dunne at FB

 

[simplyared]

Jennings

hughes
McGrath
O’Shea
Irwin

Best
Keane
Whiteside
Brady

Keane
Stapleton

That team includes players from both Northern Ireland and Rep of Ireland. Read the OP

 

[diarm]

Leaving Paul McGrath out of an Irish All Time XI to cause a reaction, in much the same way you might cause a reaction by leaving Maradona out of your all time Argentina XI.

 

[TheReligion]

I'm no expert but surely a team without McGrath, Best and Robbie Keane isn't right.

Declan Rice?

 

[diarm]

Neither of your centre backs even make my bench:

GK - Shay Given
RB - Seamus Coleman
CB - Charlie Hurley
CB - Paul McGrath
LB - Denis Irwin
RW - Liam Brady
CM - Roy Keane
CM - John Giles
LW - Damien Duff
CF - Frank Stapleton
CF - Robbie Keane

SGK - Packie Bonner
SFB - Steve Staunton
SCB - Richard Dunne
SMF - Ronnie Whelan
SMF - Ray Houghton
SCF - John Aldridge

 

[Champagne Football]

All time Scotland, Ireland, Wales and North Ireland XI!!

Jennings
Carey Hansen McGrath Irwin
Bale Keane Sounness Giggs
Dalglish Best​

 

[KiD MoYeS]

I would like to have a United Ireland football team à la the egg chasers. Bring the island together in our lack of footballing ability.

 

[Lastwolf]

I would like to have a United Ireland football team à la the egg chasers. Bring the island together in our lack of footballing ability.

Currently, there'd be more English people in the squad than Northern Irish

 

[Steve Bruce]

I would like to have a United Ireland football team à la the egg chasers. Bring the island together in our lack of footballing ability.

No thanks

I'm a Northern Ireland fan & would have no association with an Ireland football team that will inevitably play in Dublin raising the Irish tricolor & with a national anthem that is foreign to me.

Maybe we should have a UK team instead.... That to me would equally be a terrible idea. We all have our identities. I've no intention of changing mine

 

[KiD MoYeS]

No thanks

I'm a Northern Ireland fan & would have no association with an Ireland football team that will inevitably play in Dublin raising the Irish tricolor & with a national anthem that is foreign to me.

Maybe we should have a UK team instead.... That to me would equally be a terrible idea. We all have our identities. I've no intention of changing mine

Who said anything about changing identities?

 

[Steve Bruce]

Who said anything about changing identities?

Changing to all Ireland team changes the identity of the national team I'm supposed to support.

I'm not going to turn this political. So I'll leave it their

 

[KiD MoYeS]

Changing to all Ireland team changes the identity of the national team I'm supposed to support.

I'm not going to turn this political. So I'll leave it their

I get it.

For what it's worth I think it's something worth discussing in bringing our island together and not dividing it.

 

[Steve Bruce]

I get it.

For what it's worth I think it's something worth discussing in bringing our island together and not dividing it.

As I said I'm not getting into a political discussion on a football forum

 

[Chesterlestreet]

Aldridge > R. Keane

McGrath > every other possible alternative

 

[harms]

All time Scotland, Ireland, Wales and North Ireland XI!!

Jennings
Carey Hansen McGrath Irwin
Bale Keane Sounness Giggs
Dalglish Best​

A certain Denis Law should be baffled to find himself on the bench, especially with no real striker on your team (and John Charles may even ask if you have something against strikers in general).

 

[harms]

Aldridge > R. Keane

I’ve got instantly triggered before realizing who you’re talking about

 

[Chesterlestreet]

I’ve got instantly triggered before realizing who you’re talking about

I know - stupid move on my part. I sort of forgot that Keano's first name is...Roy.

 

[Chesterlestreet]

I wouldn't play Brady as a traditional winger - and certainly not on the right.

I'd rather have him in a free role - with Keane and Giles behind him. That's a very good midfield for my money.

You could also play Duff on the right - and open up for, say, Steve Heighway on the left. Then go with Stapleton (or Aldridge - but I'd obviously prefer Stapleton) in the middle.

Spoiler: ROI

 

[BeforeKeanetherewasRobson]

No it wasn't. Leaving McGrath out of the Ireland team is absolutely mad. The case can be made for him to be the best performing Irish international of all-time, let alone him being a starting CB for their all-time XI (or a midfielder ahead of Houghton for that matter, considering how well he played when Charlton put him there).

Absolutely.

When I'm thinking about my AT United XI, I consider him for that, never mind an Ireland XI.

Fair enough, there may be a little rose tinted glasses but not much. Man mountain, quick over 20 yards, comfortable with ball at feet.

O Leary and Lawrenson are both good options but neither is better than McGrath.

(Edit. As much as I like Stapleton, Aldridge for me. Better than a 1 in 2 record over a 20 year career....)

 

[simplyared]

Leaving Paul McGrath out of an Irish All Time XI to cause a reaction, in much the same way you might cause a reaction by leaving Maradona out of your all time Argentina XI.

Ridiculous statement! I didn't leave him out to cause a reaction. Lawrenson won 5 1st div league titles with Liverpool and is a European cup winner. Played 241 times for his club. Him and Hansen probably the best CB pairing in the clubs history. O'Leary made 558 apps for Arsenal winning the 1st div for them in 1989 and 91. World class both of those players!

 

[Chesterlestreet]

A certain Denis Law should be baffled to find himself on the bench, especially with no real striker on your team (and John Charles may even ask if you have something against strikers in general).

Yeah, that's just...no.

There are MANY possible options here, mind you.

But if you want to have both Keane and Souness in there (which is clearly reasonable, as such) - why not a 4-3-3 variation (again):

Blanchflower

Keane ------ Souness

Best ----------- Law ----------- Giggs
​

That'd scare the living shit out of most opponents.

 

[BeforeKeanetherewasRobson]

A certain Denis Law should be baffled to find himself on the bench, especially with no real striker on your team (and John Charles may even ask if you have something against strikers in general).

Or something against great players in general. Dalglish was a very good player, Charles better.

Bremner would be an option over Souness (depending on how you want your midfield) or as well if play 433

Danny McGrain at RB too.