I’ve said it once, I’ve said it a thousand times, Ireland wont win a major tournament without the diminutive Corkman on board. Trap will do the right thing here, I have no doubt of it.
Don’t see Trap having any interest in calling him in at this stage, no matter how repentant he is. And I doubt he’s diplomatic enough to go through the proper channels anyway - what sort of arsehole uses his deranged girlfriend to try and get back into the international scene?
Spot on mate. Fuck the begrudgers .
Easy there champ it’s only recently that he arrested a major career slide and telling McLeish to go fuck himself wasn’t the smartest move.
Linking very well with Keane it must be said at the moment but his limitations without the ball won’t endear him to Trap.
Lee Carsley believes Giovanni Trapattoni has to consider Stephen Ireland in his European Championships plans.
And the former Ireland international insists none of his old team mates will complain if the controversial Aston Villa midfielder is included.
Ireland has not played international football since September 2007’s infamous ‘grannygate’ incident and he has never shown a strong desire to return, despite recent comments from wife Jessica that he is interested in making the trip to Poland in June.
Trapattoni is unlikely to name Ireland in his squad tomorrow for this month’s friendly with Czech Republic, but Carsley still believes his former teammate has too much talent to ignore.
“I was watching Robbie Keane play last week and noticed Stephen Ireland is going really well at Aston Villa,” said 39-times capped Carsley.
“It’d be very interesting to see him in the Ireland team in this form. People talk about some lads not having him back, but I can’t see one player kicking up a fuss if he comes back into the team. He’s a quality player and a good lad. When I was in the squad, the papers tried to make out that he was bullied or shunned but he was a right laugh. He was playing well at Man City at the time, and he’d sit in the dressing room and have some craic. Maybe there was more than he let on going on off pitch, but with him on it he’d be more than capable to help us against Spain and Italy.”
Ireland won just six caps during his short international career, but such was his impact in those games — scoring four goals — his absence remains a constant source of debate.
“When he’s played for Ireland he’s been outstanding,” argued Carsley, who started in midfield alongside Ireland in the infamous 2-1 victory over San Marino in 2007 and the first soccer international at Croke Park against Wales.
"Look back to that Wales game at Croke Park, Stephen was head and shoulders our best player on the pitch, and he scored a great goal.
“He also got us out of the mire in San Marino, I’ll never forget that goal either.”
Carsley also believes Trapattoni should make room for James McClean in tomorrow’s squad — but believes the Sunderland winger needs to play more Premier League football before he secures a place on the plane to Euro 2012.
“Well, playing Damien Duff and Aiden McGeady is a no-brainer, they’re going to be there, but it does the squad no harm to have someone there with no expectations, no pre-conceived ideas — just throw him in. He’s certainly an option, if you’re looking to the bench and need to get up the pitch, take some pressure off. He has a fair bit of pace, that would be a great asset. I’d like to see him play a few more games in the Premier League first, though. It’s important you earn your call up and while he’s impressed, he needs to show that ability over a longer period.”
Nevermind
Nevermind
Here Larry, that looks a bit arseways - Glenn Whelan 7/4 and Keith Fahy 7/2 to make the squad? Anthony Stokes 1/100?! :lol:
Think your formatting got a bit messed up!
Squad odds here
http://www.paddypower.com/football/football-specials/euro-2012-specials-betting?ev_oc_grp_ids=503682
A shocking piece of internetting by larryduff.
Shouldnt Larry be educating at this time of the day?
Ireland squad for Czech Republic game named. No place for McClean
Republic of Ireland Squad
Name
Club
Date of birth
Caps
Goals
Shay Given [indent=1]Aston Villa FC[/indent] [indent=1]20/04/1976[/indent] [right]120[/right] [right]0[/right]
Keiren Westwood [indent=1]Sunderland AFC[/indent] [indent=1]23/10/1984[/indent] [right]8[/right] [right]0[/right]
David Forde [indent=1]Millwall FC[/indent] [indent=1]20/10/1979[/indent] [right]2[/right] [right]0[/right]
John O’Shea [indent=1]Sunderland AFC[/indent] [indent=1]30/04/1981[/indent] [right]74[/right] [right]1[/right]
Stephen Kelly [indent=1]Fulham FC[/indent] [indent=1]06/09/1983[/indent] [right]29[/right] [right]0[/right]
Stephen Ward [indent=1]Wolverhampton Wanderers FC[/indent] [indent=1]20/08/1985[/indent] [right]9[/right] [right]2[/right]
Richard Dunne [indent=1]Aston Villa FC[/indent] [indent=1]21/09/1979[/indent] [right]71[/right] [right]8[/right]
Sean St. Ledger [indent=1]Leicester City FC[/indent] [indent=1]28/12/1984[/indent] [right]24[/right] [right]2[/right]
Darren O’Dea [indent=1]Leeds Utd[/indent] [indent=1]04/02/1987[/indent] [right]12[/right] [right]0[/right]
Kevin Foley [indent=1]Wolverhampton Wanderers FC[/indent] [indent=1]01/11/1984[/indent] [right]8[/right] [right]0[/right]
Glenn Whelan [indent=1]Stoke City FC[/indent] [indent=1]13/01/1984[/indent] [right]36[/right] [right]2[/right]
James McCarthy [indent=1]Wigan Athletic FC[/indent] [indent=1]12/11/1990[/indent] [right]3[/right] [right]0[/right]
Seamus Coleman [indent=1]Everton FC[/indent] [indent=1]08/10/1988[/indent] [right]4[/right] [right]0[/right]
Keith Andrews [indent=1]West Bromwich Albion[/indent] [indent=1]13/09/1980[/indent] [right]26[/right] [right]3[/right]
Keith Fahey [indent=1]Birmingham City FC[/indent] [indent=1]15/01/1983[/indent] [right]15[/right] [right]3[/right]
Darron Gibson [indent=1]Everton FC[/indent] [indent=1]25/10/1987[/indent] [right]17[/right] [right]1[/right]
Damien Duff [indent=1]Fulham FC[/indent] [indent=1]02/03/1979[/indent] [right]94[/right] [right]8[/right]
Aiden McGeady [indent=1]Spartak Moscow FC[/indent] [indent=1]04/04/1986[/indent] [right]46[/right] [right]2[/right]
Stephen Hunt [indent=1]Wolverhampton Wanderers FC[/indent] [indent=1]01/08/1981[/indent] [right]37[/right] [right]1[/right]
Robbie Keane [indent=1]Aston Villa FC[/indent] [indent=1]08/07/1980[/indent] [right]114[/right] [indent=1]53[/indent]
Kevin Doyle
Wolverhampton Wanderers FC [indent=1]18/09/1983[/indent] [right]46[/right] [right]10[/right]
Shane Long [indent=1]West Bromwich Albion[/indent] [indent=1]22/01/1987[/indent] [right]23[/right] [right]6[/right]
Simon Cox [indent=1]West Bromwich Albion[/indent] [indent=1]28/04/1987[/indent] [right]10[/right] [right]2[/right]
Jon Walters [indent=1]Stoke City FC[/indent] [indent=1]20/09/1983[/indent] [right]4[/right] [right]1[/right]
No Paul McShane or Andy Keogh
Feel a bit for McShane all the same, but such is life.
[b]
Goalkeepers:[/b] Shay Given (Aston Villa), Keiren Westwood (Sunderland), David Forde (Millwall).
Defenders: John O’Shea (Sunderland), Stephen Kelly (Fulham), Stephen Ward (Wolves), Richard Dunne (Aston Villa), Sean St Ledger (Leicester City), Darren O’Dea (Leeds United).
Midfielders: Kevin Foley (Wolves), Glenn Whelan (Stoke City), James McCarthy (Wigan Athletic), Seamus Coleman (Everton), Keith Andrews (West Brom), Keith Fahey (Birmingham City), Darron Gibson (Everton), Damien Duff (Fulham), Aiden McGeady (Spartak Moscow), Stephen Hunt (Wolves).
Forwards: Robbie Keane (Aston Villa), Kevin Doyle (Wolves), Shane Long (West Brom), Simon Cox (West Brom), Jon Walters (Stoke City)
Disappointed not to see McClean in there but understandable that Trap would want to keep the same squad. No Liam Lawrence either.
God bless you Trap
THE LATEST FIFA rankings have seen the Republic of Ireland move up to 20th in the world.
Giovanni Trapattoni’s team have yet to play in this calendar year as the upcoming friendly with the Czech Republic will be their first action, but nevertheless, have jumped three places since last month according to the world football governing body.
It is their highest position since August 2005, when Brian Kerr’s reign was nearing an end.
One of Ireland’s opponents in Euro 2012, Spain, remain top and are closely followed by Germany and the Netherlands. England are fifth, while Wales move to 42nd, Scotland stay at 48th, and Northern Ireland climb one place to 86th.
New AFCON champions Zambia, meanwhile, leap 28 places up to 43rd.
Great to see Pilkington flouting his nationality, really hope he gets to wear the shirt
http://www.balls.ie/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/20120219-063656.jpg
Paul Rowan had interview with Liam Lawrence in Sunday Times today. Lawrence said he didn’t receive any word he was going to be excluded from squad to face Czechs and was disappointed by this. Also he seemed to suggest that there was some disappointment that bonus hadn’t been sorted for their qualification as yet. Can’t help but think that Rowan likes to stir things a little and tries to paint him in a bad light so hard to know what to make of either issue.
Aw this should just be fantastic
Niall Breslin, Danny O’Reilly, Damian Dempsey and the Dubliners will record Ireland’s official Euro2012 song, ‘Rocky Road to Poland.’
Yeah I think Rowan goes digging for stories that aren’t there. I didn’t get a call from Trap either and I think I’m playing better than Lawrence at the moment.