Republic of Ireland Versus Greece info.

CCCP^

Republic of Ireland versus Greece - Wednesday, 20th November, 9.00 pm(7.00 pm Irish time) Athens, Greece.

There is no mention on
RTE's web-siteof the match to be be shown live or otherwise. Mailed RTE, but they have yet to reply back. TV3likewise on both accounts. Failing this, match should be heard live on Radio 1(88-89 FM)

Stinkah

It's on sky sports. Ads on for the game all week

Bateman

Although it has meant the inclusion of two of the eircom League's better players, I am dissapointed at the amount of withdrawals from the squad. Its as if professional footballers today think they are above international friendlies. Don't tell me they are all injured.

Kone

I am disappointed too but to be honest most of the players that pulled out don't have anything to prove, at least it gives some of the younger players a chance before the new manager takes charge.

ciano

Considering the amount of injuries we have for the game on Wednesday, why hasnt Alan Lee of Rotherham been called up??

Glen Crowe gets a call up, but someone who has scored 11 goals in the 1st division has been overlooked yet again! :mad:

TwoShedsJackson

And clearly that world class striker David Connolly has decided to spit his dummy out and not join the squad :rolleyes:

Waylander

Hopefully he will retire from international football so the muppet.

johnnynolegs

ah now come on i mean why should he go to the squad when he was overlooked in the first place even though he had scored 9 in 4 games???????

Mr. Fancypants

I can see where Connolly is coming from alright. There is now way he should of been left out of the original squad. Now, Alan Lee is left out for a League of Ireland player. How long has Don Givens been our Under 21 Manager? He doesnt seem the best now does he?

TwoShedsJackson

Originally posted by johnnynolegs
ah now come on i mean why should he go to the squad when he was overlooked in the first place even though he had scored 9 in 4 games???????

He should go because he's been asked - aren't people supposed to be proud to play for their country or something?? Or maybe playing in front of six fans all the time has left him afraid of big crowds.

johnnynolegs

haha very funny - but he must be a little miffed about it seeing as how he has scored more this season than any of our other strikers..................plus i don't think it matters cos when the new manager comes in i think he mite be in the squad as one of our four strikers...........

peeve

The plot thickens....

http://www.teamtalk.com/teamtalk/Top_Stories/0,1569,,00.html#553877

If he did snub Givens for not being in the original squad then I cant blame him. I'm not connollys biggest fan and i think he has yet to prove himself as an international player but he's on form at the moment so why leave him out? We're not exactly blessed with goalscorers...

johnnynolegs

very interesting indeed ah well another thing that we may never know the full details about...........

peeve

Why is everything that involves the Irish football team shrouded in controversy???

johnnynolegs

three letters

FAI

Bateman

I'd say it was clear that Givens knew he was going to get a few withdrawals (although not as many as it turned out).

Although Connolly blames it on stiches in his heel (why teh **** would he have played at all?), I think he would have been in the original squad straight away given the chance.

And apart from scoring over 60 goals in 2 seasons, Glen Crowe has scored in UEFA Cup ties against Aberdeen and Kaiserslautern (who reached semi final), I think thats better than 11 goals for a mediocre team in the English Nationwide First.

I think Crowe and Givens should both be judged on Wednesday though, nothing more.

ciano

Originally posted by Bateman

And apart from scoring over 60 goals in 2 seasons, Glen Crowe has scored in UEFA Cup ties against Aberdeen and Kaiserslautern (who reached semi final), I think thats better than 11 goals for a mediocre team in the English Nationwide First.

Alan Lee may well play for a mediocre team, but that doesnt mean that the teams he scores against are mediocre. Glen Crowe's scoring record is impressive, but at the end of the day hes scoring against League Of Ireland clubs, whereas Lee is scoring in the English First Division. People may disagree with me, and quote me good results of LOI teams against English teams, but there is a wide gulf in the standard of football between the two leagues (in my opinion).

KdjaCL

I hope Crowe gets on and does himself justice.

Tho he may find it hard as he wont be getting much support shame he couldnt be stuck into a decent ireland team .
Cos you know if the midfield plays badly and Crowe is up front its all his fault couldnt be the Premiership players its the bad manager for picking an LOI player.

Damn Media

kdja

Bateman

>>>there is a wide gulf in the standard of football between the two leagues (in my opinion).

---

You are stating the obvious there pal. Give me the list of teams that Lee has scored against, if they are mostly top teams then fair enough, but I doubt it.

You still don't accept the point that Crowe has scored against decent opposition in the UEFA Cup though, suggesting that your Engerlish blinkers are still firmly on.

ciano

Well for what its worth , heres the teams hes scored against this season:

Norwich City 1
Sheff Wed 1
Derby Co. 2
Walsall 2
Brighton 1
Portsmouth 1
Stoke 1
Wimbeldon 2

Either way, in the squad at the moment we have two front men. So why cant Lee be called up?

Waylander

As are your anti-engerlish league blinkers Bateman. Lets face it you are not the most objective person on this topic. You are currently knocking the Premiership and other English leagues in most of the active threads.

soma

It's shocking that Alan Lee isn't in the squad, I mean what on earth does the poor guy have to do? He's top Irish scorer in div 1 and yet there's a compete dearth of media coverage about the guy, at this stage he must think he's paying for crimes commited in a previous life..

An an EL fan (shelbourne) it's great to see two EL lads in the squad. I'm thrilled for Crowe getting a start but honestly it should be Lee. Hopefully Glenn can put it in a good performance and a goal would almost be too good to be true (and the bookies are being INRECDIBLY stingy with the odds, crowe is 6-4 to score the first goal).

Hopefully shelbourne's houilhan will get a run out, maybe the last 10-15 mins on either wing. Givens had a very interesting point that he thought Wesley would be "lost" playing in the lower english divisions where defenders would just kick lumps out of an under-protected winger like himself.

I'm sure alot of you armchair-sky-sports fans will laugh at the thought of wingers being allowed to play in the EL - but shelbourne's wingers (baker, cahill. houlihan) can be an absolute joy to watch at times.

CCCP^

http://www.fai.ie/FAI/News/Welcome+to+the+FAI%21.htm

This is a feeble effort by the FAI to compensate us, but at least it's an effort. To those of you who arent going to the pub, you can catch the game minute by minute. For the many hundreds who dont have access to the net...*ts*

=/

Tellox

Greece 0 - 0 Ireland , and one of the worst ref's I've ever seen.

Bateman

Lee has scored against top and bottom teams, the sign of a good striker. However, Crowe has scored in European ties, I think Kaiserslautern are better than any team in Division One.

thegills

Bateman - your talking about a one-off game against a very poor Kaiserslautern. I saw the game and Bohs were blessed. I suppose Dave Barry should have been in the USA94 squad as he scored against Bayern Munich. Alan Lee hasn't had a chance to score against these sides as unfortunately the English 1st division isn't handed a few token European spots.

I don't know the chap that well or have I seen him play but he helped his team get promoted from the 2nd division and is now scoring well in the 1st division. If Connolly and Morrison both were given chances whilst in the 1st division then so should Lee.

And another point - how have the cream of Irish soccer performed across the water recently - I'll say one thing which I'm sure KDJA has heard on numerous occasions - 'Hawkins for Ireland'

As far as I recall, Crowe spent a few seasons in England and didn't exactly set the place on fire.

Bateman

>Bateman - your talking about a one-off game against a very poor Kaiserslautern. I saw the game and Bohs were blessed. I suppose Dave Barry should have been in the USA94 squad as he scored against Bayern Munich. Alan Lee hasn't had a chance to score against these sides as unfortunately the English 1st division isn't handed a few token European spots.

Bóllocks. Crowe actually had another goal disallowed for offside (it was clearly ON) in the away game to Kaiserslautern, and they had their full team out that included Djorkaeff and Basler.
Kaiserslautern also reached the semi-final of the same competition, eventually losing to a dodgy penalty against Liverpool who of course eventually won it. So your point about them being "poor" is completely ridiculous.

Yes, Crowe spent a period in England, and yes, he was poor. he was very poor for us for his first season as well though, and maybe you are of the opnion that players cannot improve. They can though. It takes effort and dedication though, something that few of our current internationals would know anything about.

Waylander

Which current internationals ?

Bateman

Robbie Keane, for example, who I think has performed poorly for Ireland in his recent games. He has not been watching the offside line, and has shown bad vision when in possession of the ball. He feigned injury for Werdnesday's friendly, and was able to score a cracker for his club yesterday. He knows who pays his wages.

Im not disputing that hes a guy of tremendous ability, but I am just saying that some fans hold these people up as heroes when they could do with a little constructive criticism to keep them on their toes.