Ireland squad announced for upcoming fixtures

darkman2

Folan recalled but no room for Hoolahan

Soccer: Republic of Ireland manager Giovanni Trapattoni has called Colorado Rapids striker Caleb Folan into a 33-man squad ahead of the Carling Nations Cup games later this month and June’s Euro 2012 qualifier against Macedonia in Skopje.

The Italian’s assistant Marco Tardelli hinted last month that the former Hull forward was not out of the reckoning but his inclusion is a surprise, nevertheless, considering he has no exactly set the world alight in America.

Wolves utility man Stephen Ward is the only uncapped player named, meaning there is no place for Norwich City midfielder Wes Hoolahan, who was so influential in the Canaries’ promotion to the Premier League this season.

Keith Andrews, Seán St Ledger, Damien Duff, Darren O’Dea and Kevin Doyle are all included, but none of the five are match fit as it stands, though they will be given every chance to return to health before being ruled out.

....

Irish Times


Full Squad


Shay Given

Kieren Westwood

David Forde

Richard Dunne

John O’Shea

Kevin Foley

Damien Delaney

Ciaran Clark

Seamus Coleman

Kevin Kilbane

Stephen Kelly

Paul McShane

James McCarthy

Glenn Whelan

Marc Wilson

Darron Gibson

Aiden McGeady

Keith Fahey

Liam Lawrence

Keith Treacy

Stephen Hunt

Stephen Ward

Andy Keogh

Anthony Stokes

Caleb Folan

Jon Walters

Robbie Keane

Shane Long

The following players have also been called up on a provisional basis subject to fitness

Sean St. Ledger

Damien Duff

Darren O’Dea

Keith Andrews

Kevin Doyle

Chnandler Bong

If that Andy Keogh is called up again and Wes Hoolahan is not then Trappatoni is obviousy clueless


FFS!

Chnandler Bong

Surely there has to be someone better than Paul McShane even in the Airtricity League

TerryTibbs!

Chnandler Bong wrote: »

If that Andy Keogh is called up again and Wes Hoolahan is not then Trappatoni is obviousy clueless


FFS!

He will get his chance. Trap is anything but clueless.

That_Guy

No Hoolahan. Joke.

GavRedKing

Even if Hoolahan doesn't fit into a Trap system, he should at least be in the squad.

Silly decision to leave him out.

OhNoYouDidn't

gavredking wrote: »

Even if Hoolahan doesn't fit into a Trap system, he should at least be in the squad.

Silly decision to leave him out.

Makes no sense. Why bring a player along he won't play.

Biggest scandel is Caleb Folan. Pudding playing in a nothing league. I'd say the LoI strikers must wonder what they have to do to get a look in

starviewadams

No Hoolahan?feck sake!

Chnandler Bong

No Noel Hunt either, can't believe Andy Keogh keeps getting a call up

tallaghtmick

jaysus i thought i had good footie knowledge but can someone tell me who david forde is?

bobbysands81

No Stephen Ireland?

That_Guy

tallaghtmick wrote: »

jaysus i thought i had good footie knowledge but can someone tell me who david forde is?

Milwall goalkeeper.

Chnandler Bong

tallaghtmick wrote: »

jaysus i thought i had good footie knowledge but can someone tell me who david forde is?

Former derry city keeper

Dont be at yourself

No Andy Reid?

grenache

TerryTibbs! wrote: »

Trap is anything but clueless.

He has shown himself to be clueless since the day he took over. Using totally negative tactics in a defensive system, continually selecting sub-standard players (Green, Andrews, Whelan, Keogh, McShane, Folan, Best) while totally ignoring guys like Reid, Hoolahan , Coleman, Miller, McCarthy, Foley, etc.

The golden rule is you put the best players on the pitch. Trap's system clearly isn't working but he's too old and stubborn to change. Any victories we've had have been in spite of his tactics, not because of them.

The sooner he's gone the better. My flatmate is Italian, big Juventus fan and Trappatoni admirer. Even he agrees with me on this!

The_Hustler

NekkidBibleMan wrote: »

No Andy Reid?

No Stephen Ireland?

stiffler123

grenache wrote: »

My flatmate is Italian, big Juventus fan and Trappatoni admirer. Even he agrees with me on this!

Well case closed then. An Italian guy agrees with you. I'll inform Trap of the bad news.

kensutz

Absolute joke not to include Hoolahan but then again no surprise given who we have in charge of the team.

grenache

stiffler123 wrote: »

Well case closed then. An Italian guy agrees with you. I'll inform Trap of the bad news.

if it looks **** and smells like ****, then it must be ****

Fuhrer

OhNoYouDidn't wrote: »

Like the Cleveland Bushwhackers or whatever part time setup he ended up at?

Trapp has stated LoI players don't get picked because the percieved standard is too low. Then he picks a guy playing in the MLS and Kilbane in the third tier of English football. Doesn't compute.

The MLS is a higher standard then the LOI

Joyce Country

Stokes must start in one of the carling nations game, displaying a great all around game currently with celtic and trap should give him the chance to show what he is about.

S.M.B.

grenache wrote: »

He has shown himself to be clueless since the day he took over. Using totally negative tactics in a defensive system, continually selecting sub-standard players (Green, Andrews, Whelan, Keogh, McShane, Folan, Best) while totally ignoring guys like Reid, Hoolahan , Coleman, Miller, McCarthy, Foley, etc.

The golden rule is you put the best players on the pitch. Trap's system clearly isn't working but he's too old and stubborn to change. Any victories we've had have been in spite of his tactics, not because of them.

The sooner he's gone the better. My flatmate is Italian, big Juventus fan and Trappatoni admirer. Even he agrees with me on this!

Where did this magic golden rule come from cause it seems like a pretty stupid rule to me?

OhNoYouDidn't

Fuhrer wrote: »

The MLS is a higher standard then the LOI

I disagree. Its a retirement home for one or two decent players in NY or LA and the rest of the Europeans over there are dross.

Ronnie O'Brien did well over there ffs. After unsuccessful trials at heavyweights Bray and Longford.

premierstone

grenache wrote: »

if it looks **** and smells like ****, then it must be ****

So thats McCarthy, Kerr, Staunton and now Trap all been hounded out, its about time Irish soccer fans got in touch with reality and realised we are a minnow in terms of international football and have punched well above our weight for a number of years and many countries of similar size would give anything to have our relative levels of success.

grenache

S.M.B. wrote: »

Where did this magic golden rule come from cause it seems like a pretty stupid rule to me?

Oat23

OhNoYouDidn't wrote: »

I disagree. Its a retirement home for one or two decent players in NY or LA and the rest of the Europeans over there are dross.

Ronnie O'Brien did well over there ffs. After unsuccessful trials at heavyweights Bray and Longford.

I'm sorry but you're mad if you don't think the MLS is better than the LOI. I would actually rank it better than the SPL.

Coming from a LOI fan. It's laughable that you think the LOI is on Par with the MLS

OhNoYouDidn't

grenache wrote: »

Real Madrid played their 11 best footballers in the Galactacos period and it was a disaster.

Trapp plays a system, and that system is tailored to the fact we have a very limited pool of players. Terribly sorry if that offends the sensibilities of fans of the bestest league in the world (tm) who are used to some of the best players in the world, but we simply haven't the resources to open up and play a 433 against most opponents. Would be nice if we could, but we can't.

stiffler123

grenache wrote: »

if it looks **** and smells like ****, then it must be ****

Haha. I agree with you about him not picking his best squad though, it's annoying. But the man gets results. We were third seeds in the competition and we are sitting pretty in joined first. I think he will get us through.

OhNoYouDidn't

Oatesy23 wrote: »

I'm sorry but you're mad if you don't think the MLS is better than the LOI. I would actually rank it better than the SPL.

Coming from a LOI fan. It's laughable that you think the LOI is on Par with the MLS

I disagree. How many MLS players have moved to bigger and better leagues in the last 10 years? 5?

There are more former LoI players in the current Irish squad.

There are some great players in their twilight over there, but overall its dire stuff with the average player very, very poor. Great facilities, but thats really it.

premierstone

OhNoYouDidn't wrote: »

I disagree. How many MLS players have moved to bigger and better leagues in the last 10 years? 5?

There are more former LoI players in the current Irish squad.

Of course there are, but I would think there are far more MLS players in the US squad, imagine that :rolleyes:

S.M.B.

OhNoYouDidn't wrote: »

I disagree. How many MLS players have moved to bigger and better leagues in the last 10 years? 5?

There are more former LoI players in the current Irish squad.

There are some great players in their twilight over there, but overall its dire stuff with the average player very, very poor. Great facilities, but thats really it.

There are more former LoI players in the current Irish squad than there is Bundesliga players. Does that make it a better league?

TerryTibbs!

OhNoYouDidn't wrote: »

I disagree. Its a retirement home for one or two decent players in NY or LA and the rest of the Europeans over there are dross.

Ronnie O'Brien did well over there ffs. After unsuccessful trials at heavyweights Bray and Longford.

How much of the MLS have you watched?

Het-Field

OhNoYouDidn't wrote: »

I disagree. How many MLS players have moved to bigger and better leagues in the last 10 years? 5?

There are more former LoI players in the current Irish squad.

There are some great players in their twilight over there, but overall its dire stuff with the average player very, very poor. Great facilities, but thats really it.

Take a look at the USA's squad for the 2010 World Cup. A plethora of their players started out in the MLS before progressing to bigger and better things, including the 2010 World Cup.

I would also point out that Ronnie O'Brien moved to Middlesboro at a time when the Boro saw the signing of swaths of young Irish players as the thing to do. McBrien was 17 years, and moved before he ever had a real chance to break into any team. I would also like to request a link substantiating the suggestion that Longford Town turned him down.

I agree the MLS is not great, but is the LOI, in its entirety, any better ?

OhNoYouDidn't

premierstone wrote: »

Of course there are, but I would think there are far more MLS players in the US squad, imagine that :rolleyes:

Not quite what I was getting at. How many MLS players move on to bigger and better things? Very, very few. Take out the half dozen marquee players, the average wage is less than the LoI premier division, why don't they move if they are playing at a higher standard than the SPL?

And there were 4 MLS players in the last US squad, 2 of whom were kids, Landon Donovan (one of the marquee players) and a lad born in Brazil.

Hardly a ringing endorseement.

OhNoYouDidn't

S.M.B. wrote: »

There are more former LoI players in the current Irish squad than there is Bundesliga players. Does that make it a better league?

Of course not, and thats not the point being made.

If the MLS is at a standard higher than the SPL with wages lower than the LoI, European clubs would be mining it for cheap talent. Other than established US internationals like Howard and McBride, none ever make the leap. Square that circle please?

edolan

OhNoYouDidn't wrote: »

I disagree. How many MLS players have moved to bigger and better leagues in the last 10 years? 5?

There are more former LoI players in the current Irish squad.

There are some great players in their twilight over there, but overall its dire stuff with the average player very, very poor. Great facilities, but thats really it.

Clint Dempsey, Landon Donavon(spell at Everton), Brad Friedel, Kasey Keller, Tim Howard, Carlos Bocanegra, Brian McBride and Claudio Renya are the only yanks I can remember while the LOI has produced Kevin Doyle, Keith Fahey, Shane Long, Seamus Coleman, David Forde, Brian Murphy, Wes Holahan, Gary Deegan, Daryl Murphy, Keith Ward and Paul Keegan. I could be missing a few on both sides however.

OhNoYouDidn't

Het-Field wrote: »

Take a look at the USA's squad for the 2010 World Cup. A plethora of their players started out in the MLS before progressing to bigger and better things, including the 2010 World Cup.

But it was the 2010 WC that got them the move, not their playing in the MLS... The MLS is a whose who of moderate European players who are in semi retirement - Jaime Smith, Caleb Folan, Craig Roecastle, Eddie Johnston etc. League 2 players at best.

Het-Field wrote: »

I would also point out that Ronnie O'Brien moved to Middlesboro at a time when the Boro saw the signing of swaths of young Irish players as the thing to do. McBrien was 17 years, and moved before he ever had a real chance to break into any team. I would also like to request a link substantiating the suggestion that Longford Town turned him down.

After his Juve / Switzerland jollies he tried and failed to get a LoI contract. When that fell through, he went to the States. Fair play, don't get me wrong, but the standard is wojus. Certainly not enough to leave players based in Europe out.

Het-Field wrote: »

I agree the MLS is not great, but is the LOI, in its entirety, any better ?

I think so, yes. There are better strikers than Caleb Folan knocking about.

Fuhrer

OhNoYouDidn't wrote: »

I think so, yes. There are better strikers than Caleb Folan knocking about.

Who?

edolan

Fuhrer wrote: »

Who?

In his current form Mark Quigley. At his peak Jason Byrne.

Fuhrer

edolan wrote: »

In his current form Mark Quigley. At his peak Jason Byrne.

Mark Quigley...


Who scored 4 goals in 34 games last year?

edolan

Fuhrer wrote: »

Mark Quigley...


Who scored 4 goals in 34 games last year?

Note how I said in his current form, he has about 10 goals in all competitions so far this season, plus last season he was played on the wing and not up front at all.

premierstone

OhNoYouDidn't wrote: »

After his Juve / Switzerland jollies he tried and failed to get a LoI contract. When that fell through, he went to the States. Fair play, don't get me wrong, but the standard is wojus. Certainly not enough to leave players based in Europe out.



I think so, yes. There are better strikers than Caleb Folan knocking about.

I agree with you re. Folan, he is a terrible player IMO but if you genuinely believe the LOI is on a par with the MLS then you either have a very inflated opinion of the LOI or you are seriously underestimating a leagu I suspect you have seen very little of.

As for using Ronnie O' Brien as an example, you can pick random players like that and argue almost any league is better than the other, e.g. Charlie Adam was pretty average at best in the SPL and is one of the standout players of the season in the EPL, does this mean the SPL is a far higher standard than the SPL?

S.M.B.

The MLS vs LoI debate is moot tbh.

Folan was originally called up for the squad while playing at a high level in England. He has obviously made a good impression on Trap resulting in him staying in contention regardless of where he currently plays.

OhNoYouDidn't

Fuhrer wrote: »

Who?

Quigley
Sheppard
Kilduff
Byrne
McLean
Kearns

And with an Irish wife now making him eligible, I give you Gary Twigg.

Fuhrer

OhNoYouDidn't wrote: »

Quigley
Sheppard
Kilduff
Byrne
McLean
Kearns

And with an Irish wife now making him eligible, I give you Gary Twigg.

Gary Twigg


Who couldnt make it in the Scottish Second division?

OhNoYouDidn't

S.M.B. wrote: »

The MLS vs LoI debate is moot tbh.

Folan was originally called up for the squad while playing at a high level in England. He has obviously made a good impression on Trap resulting in him staying in contention regardless of where he currently plays.

But thats kind of my point. Trapp was impressed with Fahey and Coleman, but wouldn't play them until they were at a higher standard of league.

Yet Folan, playing in a part time league, gets a call up, ditto Kilbane in the third division. Trapp is contradicting his own rules.

OhNoYouDidn't

Fuhrer wrote: »

Mark Quigley...


Who scored 4 goals in 34 games last year?

And Caleb Folan, of course, has been pushing for golden boot?

TheRedDevil10

just realised no Paul Green :D:D

OhNoYouDidn't

Fuhrer wrote: »

Gary Twigg


Who couldnt make it in the Scottish Second division?

Don't be daft.

He was less than a season in the Scottish second division before Rovers nabbed him, and still won the golden boot despite being there just over half the season. If that's 'not making it'...

They guy has played both EPL and SPL and has been top scorer in the LoI two seasons running. He is more worthy of consideration than Folan.

edolan

Fuhrer wrote: »

Gary Twigg


Who couldnt make it in the Scottish Second division?

Keith Fahey came back to Ireland after spells with Arsenal and Aston Villa and has since gone back to England and won the league cup with Birmingham. This may come as a shock to you but players can recover from setbacks in their careers and use their past experiences to improve as a player.

Pro. F

OhNoYouDidn't wrote: »

Real Madrid played their 11 best footballers in the Galactacos period and it was a disaster.

Trapp plays a system, and that system is tailored to the fact we have a very limited pool of players. Terribly sorry if that offends the sensibilities of fans of the bestest league in the world (tm) who are used to some of the best players in the world, but we simply haven't the resources to open up and play a 433 against most opponents. Would be nice if we could, but we can't.

I can support fitting players into a system that is best for the panel overall*, but Trap doesn't even pick the best players for his system. His gross over use of Kilbane and Green is proof of that.

And people who say that Trap gets results are kidding themselves. In the past maybe, but his results with this Irish panel have been nothing special.

* I don't happen to agree that sitting deep and counter attacking with a forward line with a distinct lack of pace is a good idea btw.