The New Official Republic of Ireland Football Thread

Honest question for those in the know:
Why don't we see the same quality of Irish footballer playing in England now that we were so used to through the 70s to 90s as they were top-notch.
 
Honest question for those in the know:
Why don't we see the same quality of Irish footballer playing in England now that we were so used to through the 70s to 90s as they were top-notch.
Not as many youngsters in the English academies, bloody Johnny Foreigner has taken his place or so I’m told anyway, don’t know if there is truth in that for real.
 
Honest question for those in the know:
Why don't we see the same quality of Irish footballer playing in England now that we were so used to through the 70s to 90s as they were top-notch.
Other countries have caught up or even overtaken Ireland in terms of youth production. These younger players are more likely to be picked up by Premier League academies now. Also, with Brexit it is now not possible for younger players to move over until they're a bit older. The mismanagement in the FAI have put us back twenty years.
 
It kind of doesn’t make sense. The 22-28 year old PL players in their prime all had access to far better facilities and coaching during their formative years in Ireland than the likes of Roy or Robbie Keane, McGrath or Duff.
Yeah but there was a much smaller pool of players to pick from for Premier League sides then too. Brighton had three players playing for Ecuador in the World Cup today, and they all looked very good. Football has grown, the FAI haven't.
 
Stephen Kelly on commentary mentioned he had made over fifty appearances for Tottenham before an Ireland call up. We now start lads on loan from Tottenham to lower league sides.
 
Yeah but there was a much smaller pool of players to pick from for Premier League sides then too. Brighton had three players playing for Ecuador in the World Cup today, and they all looked very good. Football has grown, the FAI haven't.

Yeah but the very best players from previous eras were amongst the best in the Uk top division. They would all play for top teams if they were round now. Even with more competition for places.
 
Can anyone imagine a player like Paul McGrath going over from LOI at 22 and very quickly being around the first team of a top end side in the PL now? It's unthinkable.
 
Stephen Kelly on commentary mentioned he had made over fifty appearances for Tottenham before an Ireland call up. We now start lads on loan from Tottenham to lower league sides.
A player playing with Wigan in League 1 but on
loan in the Scottish PL started tonight …
 
The top league standard in England has moved on hugely, we are now doing it after a huge decline.

The other sports are ridiculously advanced and or wide ranging relative to the 70s and 80s.
 
Can anyone imagine a player like Paul McGrath going over from LOI at 22 and very quickly being around the first team of a top end side in the PL now? It's unthinkable.

Moran too, but no is the answer.
 
Yeah but the very best players from previous eras were amongst the best in the Uk top division. They would all play for top teams if they were round now. Even with more competition for places.
I'm not sure we can say that for certain, outside of some of the obviously top class players like Roy Keane and Paul McGrath. Competition in football is insane nowadays. Midtable clubs have managers like Lopetegui and Emery.
 
You only get League One and lower Championship scouts at League of Ireland games nowadays. Brighton keep an eye on the youth players.
 
Took him a couple of years to establish himself at Everton from memory? And they weren't quite at the top end. But fair point.
Took a couple of seasons but he was up for young player of the year and got in the team of the year the following season (I think)
It is incredibly rare, everybody is scouted to death now so a rare gem shouldn’t theoretically be possible in this day and age
 
I'm not sure we can say that for certain, outside of some of the obviously top class players like Roy Keane and Paul McGrath. Competition in football is insane nowadays. Midtable clubs have managers like Lopetegui and Emery.

Aye, Villa had a French international fullback and bought Coutihno from Barca. The standard is insane.
 
It kind of doesn’t make sense. The 22-28 year old PL players in their prime all had access to far better facilities and coaching during their formative years in Ireland than the likes of Roy or Robbie Keane, McGrath or Duff.

It’s probably the worst generation of Irish footballers in history if you move up the age slightly to peak players for us. We’re still using the likes of Coleman, McClean etc, while the likes of Idah, Parrott have been thrown right into the side but are still very young. The lads in their middle to late 20s now, where you want your team to be made up with to win games in the present are relatively very poor to their peers on any good international side.
 
It’s probably the worst generation of Irish footballers in history if you move up the age slightly to peak players for us. We’re still using the likes of Coleman, McClean etc, while the likes of Idah, Parrott have been thrown right into the side but are still very young. The lads in their middle to late 20s now, where you want your team to be made up with to win games in the present are relatively very poor to their peers on any good international side.

Yeah we went a good while just watching an average team just getting older.
 
I'm glad he went, just to remind us how bad it could have been for the world if we weren't shite at football.
 
Can we get giddy yet about 18 year old Ferguson? Watched him vs Everton and was very impressed. Hopefully doesn't go down the Connolly, Parrot route.
 
So instead of a loan, they’ve just terminated his contract?

How long did he have left?