The New Official Republic of Ireland Football Thread

Kinsella said:
Screenshot_20240201_083310_Instagram_2024-02-01_08-35-42.jpg
Click to expand...

So, he wore a jersey as a kid and that should determine his decisions as an adult?

It's his choice who he wants to play for, if he ever wanted to play for Ireland, he would have been included in an underage sqaud already. He hasn't and won't ever.
 
Oranges038 said:
He's playing for his country and has done all the way up through underage levels. There's no reason to expect that he would ever have switched.
Click to expand...

Shane Duffy played for Northern Ireland from U16 level up to U21 level, and even for Northern Ireland B.

He ended up playing for Ireland.
 
Oranges038 said:
So, he wore a jersey as a kid and that should determine his decisions as an adult?
Click to expand...
No, but it shows which side he supported as a kid (which isn’t that long ago) and where his nationality lies.

Oranges038 said:
It's his choice who he wants to play for, if he ever wanted to play for Ireland, he would have been included in an underage sqaud already. He hasn't and won't ever.
Click to expand...
I said that above, more or less.

Your use of the word ‘wanted’ comes with a strong caveat. And competition for places would also have influenced his decision.
 
Last edited:
Fallon d'Floor said:
Shane Duffy played for Northern Ireland from U16 level up to U21 level, and even for Northern Ireland B.

He ended up playing for Ireland.
Click to expand...

Kinsella said:
No, but it shows which side he supported as a kid (which isn’t that long ago) and where his nationality lies.


I said that above.
Click to expand...
[/QUOTE]

Jim Crawford tried to get him on board with Ireland u21s nearly 3 years ago and he took a call up to the NI senior squad instead.
 
Why would he go through the hassle of switching at this point when he could be playing for an all Ireland team in years to come?
 
Oranges038 said:
He's playing for his country and has done all the way up through underage levels. There's no reason to expect that he would ever have switched. Being from a GAA background, Good Friday agreement or religious whatever doesn't really come into it.

Ireland have Ebosele and Sam Curtis who just joined Sheffield Utd for right back over the next 10 years. Bradley isn't needed.
Click to expand...
Underage levels doesn’t matter because the FAI aren’t allowed a training centre up here (despite trying) since a large percentage of the population identifying as Irish so a lot of these people play underage for NI since that’s their only option.
He can play for who he wants to play for, I have no problem with that but it is on the FAI to identify these players since the players don’t exactly come to the FAI asking nicely to switch over nor should they. If they offer a cap at 18 we should have done so as well, what the feck are we protecting with our shit run of form?
 
cyberman said:
Underage levels doesn’t matter because the FAI aren’t allowed a training centre up here (despite trying) since a large percentage of the population identifying as Irish so a lot of these people play underage for NI since that’s their only option.
He can play for who he wants to play for, I have no problem with that but it is on the FAI to identify these players since the players don’t exactly come to the FAI asking nicely to switch over nor should they. If they offer a cap at 18 we should have done so as well, what the feck are we protecting with our shit run of form?
Click to expand...

Jim Crawford tried to get him on board with Ireland u21s nearly 3 years ago and he took a call up to the NI senior squad instead.
 
Oranges038 said:
Jim Crawford tried to get him on board with Ireland u21s nearly 3 years ago and he took a call up to the NI senior squad instead.
Click to expand...
He didn’t know back then that his career would have taken the trajectory it has.
 
Oranges038 said:
Jim Crawford tried to get him on board with Ireland u21s nearly 3 years ago and he took a call up to the NI senior squad instead.
Click to expand...

That's my point. Northern Ireland's policy is clever. Wales too.

They offer senior caps to 17/18 years old who have often never played at senior level. That's difficult to turn down. Your stock immediately goes up.

Ireland needed to offer him a senior cap. Not an U21 one.

The FAI are often slack with regards to the eligibility of players. They don't have an active presence up North. They often wait for players to approach them. I know of a player's uncle who had to make them aware of his nephew's eligibility.

It was missed opportunity by Ireland. You can't let players with his background slip through the net.
 
Oranges038 said:
He's playing for his country and has done all the way up through underage levels. There's no reason to expect that he would ever have switched. Being from a GAA background, Good Friday agreement or religious whatever doesn't really come into it.

Ireland have Ebosele and Sam Curtis who just joined Sheffield Utd for right back over the next 10 years. Bradley isn't needed.
Click to expand...

I take the point that he played for them all the way through but so have other Irish players. If he was asked already and made the choice to play for NI, then fair enough. He can do what he likes.

However, quite often all of those things in bold do come into it with decisions like this.
 
Oranges038 said:
Jim Crawford tried to get him on board with Ireland u21s nearly 3 years ago and he took a call up to the NI senior squad instead.
Click to expand...
And that was a massive carrot they dangled that we didn’t offer. That’s on us
 
Fallon d'Floor said:
That's my point. Northern Ireland's policy is clever. Wales too.

They offer senior caps to 17/18 years old who have often never played at senior level. That's difficult to turn down. Your stock immediately goes up.

Ireland needed to offer him a senior cap. Not an U21 one.

The FAI are often slack with regards to the eligibility of players. They don't have an active presence up North. They often wait for players to approach them. I know of a player's uncle who had to make them aware of his nephew's eligibility.

It was missed opportunity by Ireland. You can't let players with his background slip through the net.
Click to expand...

Makes zero sense to offer a kid who's never played underage for you and still hasn't played proper club football a call up to the senior international team. Especially when you have 2 right backs who are playing in the PL.
 
Oranges038 said:
Makes zero sense to offer a kid who's never played underage for you and still hasn't played proper club football a call up to the senior international team. Especially when you have 2 right backs who are playing in the PL.
Click to expand...

It does if you think he has big potential or if there's another country sniffing around. If he's been scouted properly. Due diligence.

Coleman is now 35 and on the way to woodshed. Doherty is now a 32 years old squad player at Wolves. Bradley would have been the perfect successor for either.

Wales called Ampadu up to the senior team at just 16. He was eligible for Wales, England, Ireland and Ghana. He's 23 years old and approaching 50 caps.

You have to plan ahead. Ireland only have Sam Curtis as a potential RB. He might or might not adapt to senior football in England.
 
Fallon d'Floor said:
It does if you think he has big potential or if there's another country sniffing around. If he's been scouted properly. Due diligence.

Coleman is now 35 and on the way to woodshed. Doherty is now a 32 years old squad player at Wolves. Bradley would have been the perfect successor for either.

Wales called Ampadu up to the senior team at just 16. He was eligible for Wales, England, Ireland and Ghana. He's 23 years old and approaching 50 caps.

You have to plan ahead. Ireland only have Sam Curtis as a potential RB. He might or might not adapt to senior football in England.
Click to expand...

But that country is the one he's always played for, he's only played a couple of games for Liverpool, not like he's some world beater already. He might not even make it there.

Ebosele plays regularly for Udinese.

Remains to be seen how well Curtis will adapt, but he's still young and already has 2 seasons of LOI football under his belt.
 
Oranges038 said:
But that country is the one he's always played for, he's only played a couple of games for Liverpool, not like he's some world beater already. He might not even make it there.

Ebosele plays regularly for Udinese.

Remains to be seen how well Curtis will adapt, but he's still young and already has 2 seasons of LOI football under his belt.
Click to expand...
Any player born in NI can play for either of the international sides on the island. NI is obviously negatively impacted by this but that’s just the way it is.
 
Withnail said:
I take the point that he played for them all the way through but so have other Irish players. If he was asked already and made the choice to play for NI, then fair enough. He can do what he likes.

However, quite often all of those things in bold do come into it with decisions like this.
Click to expand...


It's a strange one i know a lot of people he grew up with were shocked and some of his family too but seemingly always been his choice

It's his choice though and hopefully he will have a good career and leave Liverpool for better
 
Still ill said:
Ireland's loss is Aberdeen's gain. Stiff upper lip lads. It just wasn't meant to be.
Click to expand...


I'm not going to celebrate until he takes the job and i can relax knowing he won't be Ireland's manager
 
Sad news on the Lennon front as he hasn't gotten the Aberdeen job so unfortunately he's still in the running for Ireland.

Neil Warnock has beaten him to it and i world certainly have taken Warnock over Lennon for Ireland as well
 
Brophs said:
Click to expand...


This is the lad who stood up in the middle of a pub/club and shouted over at Jimmy White "One Hundered and Eighty!"

And on another occasion when he locked his keys inside his car and his mate told him to get a coat hanger he came back with a wooden one.

Not a chance Carsley would let anything slip to him.
 
Fr. Todd Unctious said:
This is the lad who stood up in the middle of a pub/club and shouted over at Jimmy White "One Hundered and Eighty!"

And on another occasion when he locked his keys inside his car and his mate told him to get a coat hanger he came back with a wooden one.

Not a chance Carsley would let anything slip to him.
Click to expand...

I saw Neil Ruddock telling that story about the coat hanger along with one where they were talking about nicknames and McAteer turns to him and goes 'Do you have a nickname, Razor?'
 
Withnail said:
I saw Neil Ruddock telling that story about the coat hanger along with one where they were talking about nicknames and McAteer turns to him and goes 'Do you have a nickname, Razor?'
Click to expand...

"They asked if I wanted a whole pizza cut into four or eight and I said four because I'd never eat all of it."
 
Eh Idah was pretty awful in that match. 2 penalties doesn't change that. He's a poor natural finisher, misses way too many chances. His goal scoring record is very poor.
 
Ole'sgunnarwin said:
Eh Idah was pretty awful in that match. 2 penalties doesn't change that. He's a poor natural finisher, misses way too many chances. His goal scoring record is very poor.
Click to expand...

Well if his performances continue to be poor in Scotland we won't have much use for him. Or maybe we will. God Irish football is in a bit of depressing place.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.