best irish 11

thebaz

With international football returning, and the prospects and outlook poor for the present boys in green, to cheer myself up , this would be my best Irish 11 , over the past 20 years :-

Stapleton Keane

Duff Houghton

Brady Keane


McGrath Moran

Irwin Finnan

Given

Subs :-

Bonner
Quinn
Lawrenson

cournioni

Replace Finnan with Carr. Carr has done alot more for Ireland than Finnan has even though Carr has been very poor in recent times. Kelly wouldn't be a bad choice either.

Apart from that I agree with your team.

The Muppet

Wot No John Aldridge ???


He would be in there ahead of Keane for me.

woodyg

My 11 would be

Given

Finnan McGrath Lawrensson Irwin

Houghton Keane Giles Brady

Stapelton Robbie Keane

thebaz

woodyg wrote:

My 11 would be

Given

Finnan McGrath Lawrensson Irwin

Houghton Keane Giles Brady

Stapelton Robbie Keane

Giles is too old, wasn't around in '86 , that way you can get Roy in there !!
also No Duff ??

thebaz

PORNAPSTER wrote:

Replace Finnan with Carr. Carr has done alot more for Ireland than Finnan has even though Carr has been very poor in recent times. Kelly wouldn't be a bad choice either.

Apart from that I agree with your team.

Funnily eneogh right full back was my toughest call -- and as you say Carr has been rubbish recently , Kelly's form also dipped after a very promising early career , the curse of the "3 Amigos" i think .

The Rooster

No way I'd put Carr, Finnan or Kelly in that team - assuming everyone is at their peak. The second full back would be either Lawrenson or Whelan, or perhaps McGrath with Lawro at centre half. I'd probably go Irwin at RB and Whelan at LB.

TheMonster

Given

Irwin
McGrath
Moran
Lawrenson

Keane
Brady
Houghton
Duff
Whelan

Stapleton

Subs
O'Leary
Sheedy
Aldridge

Couldn't leave any of the midfielders out so 4-5-1. Defenders can sort out their own positions;)

Nalz

***********Bonner*************

*Staunton* McGrath* Moran** Irwin

*Houghton** Keane**Whelan**Brady

******Stapelton** Aldridge******

gustavo

---

Given

---

Finnan---McGrath--McCarthy----Irwin

Hougton---Keane---Brady---Duff

---

Aldridge

---

Keane

---

tdv

---

Given

---

Macater

---

Mcgrath---Moran

---

Irwin

Houghton---- Keanne-Townsend

---

Duff

---

Aldridge--Keanne

---

Subs:
Bonner
Quinn
Brady

gustavo

Did MacAteer ever play RB for us???
Townsend ahead of Brady?

TheMonster

gustavo wrote:

Townsend ahead of Brady?

are you serious?

tdv

gustavo wrote:

Did MacAteer ever play RB for us???
Townsend ahead of Brady?

Well taking about the past 20 years Townsend would be ahead of Brady
And Macateer will just have to get use to my make belive team

Johnny_the_fox

***********Bonner*************

*Irwin* McGrath* Moran**Staunton

*Houghton**Sheridan**Whelan**Duff

******Keane** Aldridge******

p.pete

Bonner
Finnan
Babb
Lawrence
Staunton
Heighway
Houghton
Whelan
McAteer
Aldridge
Robinson

Subs: Keane Brady Giles Duff McGrath

Seaneh

************Given**************

Irwin**McCarthy**O'Leary**Staunton

Duff****Keane***McGrath****Brady

*******Keane***Quinn**********

Subs:
Townsand
Phelan
A.Kelly(in goal)

Nalz

p.pete wrote:

Bonner
Finnan
Babb
Lawrence
Staunton
Heighway
Houghton
Whelan
McAteer
Aldridge
Robinson

Subs: Keane Brady Giles Duff McGrath

Your having a laugh!

Leaving out Irwin, McGrath and Roy Keane. ABU by any chance?

Pigman II

Team pretty much picks itself (I would have put Brady, O'Leary and Stapleton in there too but you said best XI of the past 20 rather than all time and they had already had their best days for us by then)

           Given

Irwin McGrath McCarthy Staunton

Houghton Townsend Keane Duff
 
       Aldridge R.Keane

Nalz

I think Ray Houghton and Kevin Sheedy have done more for Ireland over the last 20 years than Damien Duff. Brady played up until 89 (I think) so i'd put any of those 3 out on the left ahead of Duffer.

Hopefully when we ask this question again in 5 years we'll be able to put Duff there without a doubt.

Mad Dog

GK: Given

RB: Irwin
CB: McGrath
CB: Lawrenson
LB: Staunton

RM: Houghton
CM: Keane
CM: Whelan
LM: Duff

CF: Aldridge
CF: Quinn

Subs:

Keane
Townsend
Moran
McAteer
Bonner

thebaz

p.pete wrote:

Bonner
Finnan
Babb
Lawrence
Staunton
Heighway
Houghton
Whelan
McAteer
Aldridge
Robinson

Subs: Keane Brady Giles Duff McGrath

I'd say the current team would beat that selection !

Babb better than McGrath ?
McAteer better than Roy ?
even
Robinson better than Stapleton and Bonner better than Given ?

youthacademy

Dean Kiely

Phill Babb Richard Dunne
McAteer Ian Harte

Alan Quinn Healy
Kilbane Carsely

David Connolly Morrison

I think these are the four most solid backs ever to grace the emerald isle, that combined with the flowing samba-esque style of our 2 attacking wingers, and the forward prowess of david connolly,the highest paid player in dutch football, how'd we not win a WC, i mean qualify

p.pete

Trilla wrote:

Your having a laugh!

Leaving out Irwin, McGrath and Roy Keane. ABU by any chance?

I've included McGrath and Keane, take that back...

thebaz

youthacademy wrote:

Dean Kiely

Phill Babb Richard Dunne
McAteer Ian Harte

Alan Quinn Healy
Kilbane Carsely

David Connolly Morrison

I think these are the four most solid backs ever to grace the emerald isle, that combined with the flowing samba-esque style of our 2 attacking wingers, and the forward prowess of david connolly,the highest paid player in dutch football, how'd we not win a WC, i mean qualify

you left out keith o'neil, alan kernaghan and graham kavanagh .

youthacademy

thebaz wrote:

you left out keith o'neil, alan kernaghan and graham kavanagh .

had them alright, but they jus couldn't cut it, there on the training panel for now

AthAnRi

For Me Lawrenson is no longer considered an Irish man. He really gets on my tits that lad. Constantly refers to England* as Us and EIRE(In his words) as them. He also made a big joke about how he qualified for passing as Irish.

Anyways here is mine. I'm going on the players I have actually witnessed playing as apposed to players that are considered great.

Given (GK)
Irwin(RB)
Moran(CB)
McGrath(CB)
Staunton(LB)
Houghton(RM)(For those two goals alone)
Whelan(CM)
Keane(CM)(CAPT)
Duff(LM)
Keane(ST)
Stapleton(ST)

Subs
Bonner
McCarthy
Hughton
Aldridge
Sheedy

*Not that i have a problem with england but when you were an irish international for god sake man.

AthAnRi

Slightly off topic but an interesting question

Who was Irelands 3rd choice Goal Keeper at the 1990 world cup? Answers on a postcard please.

AthAnRi

Trilla wrote:

Your having a laugh!

Leaving out Irwin, McGrath and Roy Keane. ABU by any chance?

I think he was trying to include as many Pool heads as possible. Pro Liverpool as apposed to ABU. Also did you know that there tide has swung? Aparently Utd are no longer the most hated team in the premiership. In fact in a poll where premiership supporters had to vote on their second team i.e. the team they would support in the premiership if their own team was relegated Utd actually finished in the top half of the table. (Liverpool finished top) Arsenal were last and Chelsea were 3rd last. Couldn't believe that.

_blank_

AthAnRi wrote:

Slightly off topic but an interesting question

Who was Irelands 3rd choice Goal Keeper at the 1990 world cup? Answers on a postcard please.

There probably wasn't one. Not a recognised goalkeeper anyway. The World Cup squads in 1990 were restricted to 22 players, I think it was 2004 that the introduction of the 23 man squad was introduced, facilitating the third goalkeeping option.

Gerry Peyton was Ireland's second 'keeper as far as I remember.

AthAnRi

seansouth wrote:

There probably wasn't one. Not a recognised goalkeeper anyway. The World Cup squads in 1990 were restricted to 22 players, I think it was 2004 that the introduction of the 23 man squad was introduced, facilitating the third goalkeeping option.

Gerry Peyton was Ireland's second 'keeper as far as I remember.

Close but no cigar.

Pigman II

AthAnRi wrote:

Slightly off topic but an interesting question

Who was Irelands 3rd choice Goal Keeper at the 1990 world cup? Answers on a postcard please.

Why that would be our own Mr. Versatile (player, chairman, manager, coach and allround nice guy) Niall Quinn.

AthAnRi

Pigman II wrote:

Why that would be our own Mr. Versatile (player, chairman, manager, coach and allround nice guy) Niall Quinn.

Correctamundo

Rikand

---

Given

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Finnan - - McGrath - - O'Leary - - Irwin ---
Houghton - Keane - - Kilbane- - - Duff ----

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Keane - - Cascarino

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what team could be complete without Zinedine Kilbane and the only confirmed, definite 100% englishman to play for ireland