[Albion] Ferguson out of Ireland squad (Injury)

[Mental Lental]

So what's the news on the actual injury then? I don't wanna have to sift through all of this binfestery to find it plz.

 

[Joey Jo Jo Jr. Shabadoo]

So what's the news on the actual injury then? I don't wanna have to sift through all of this binfestery to find it plz.

Back in Brighton being assessed, not thought to be serious but could keep him out of next PL game.

 

[Horses Arse]

England have a lot of good young players coming through - and I think they have the potential to do well over the next ten years. I do think that the English national team need to abandon the whole 'it's coming home' stuff - it reeks of entitlement and that has a tendency to blow up in your face.

The Irish team have a lot of good kids coming through as well - we are in a better position now than at any time since the success of the Brian Kerr managed U-16s, U-18s and U-20s teams with the likes of John O'Shea, Damien Duff, Richard Dunne, Stephen McPhail, Richie Sadlier, Stephen Kelly, Roy Keane (who played for Cobh Ramblers at the time), Paul McCarthy, Glenn Whelan, Kevin Doyle, Stephen Elliot, Ritchie Partridge, and Evan Ferguson's father Barry.

Evan Ferguson will have as big an impact on the Irish team, that George Best did for the North when he was at his best. We have goalkeepers, lots of defenders and a couple of decent strikers - we just need to find some midfield players to help Evan and the rest of the team - so here is hoping for good things from Andrew Moran, Joe Hodge, Harry Vaughan, Tony Springett, Zak Gilsenan, Rocco Vata (Rudi Vata's son), Kevin Zefi, Tom Bloxham and James McManus over the next couple of years.

England have always had good players, they always get hopes up then bomb.

I used to get so excited at watching England matches but they've cured me. Joke managers, prima donna players that aren't fussed - only in it for the cash and that comes from their clubs.

May also be something to do with my team now being better than the national side I guess, in the old days it was almost like another sport, the gap was so large.

I've always enjoyed watching Eire, NI, Wales, Scotland sides though. They get it. They care.

I really don't know why we go through the motions to be honest.

 

[Milano]

Back in Brighton being assessed, not thought to be serious but could keep him out of next PL game.

Bearing in mind 50% of the Irish support ManU was he bashed in the knee with a trolley in baggage reclaim?

 

[Joey Jo Jo Jr. Shabadoo]

Bearing in mind 50% of the Irish support ManU was he bashed in the knee with a trolley in baggage reclaim?

They’d have probably been better off going and standing on Harry Maguires toes or something.

 

[Nobby Cybergoat]

Ireland has a large diaspora - the product of centuries of colonialism. Scotland and, particularly, Wales have also had a large number of internationals who were born in England (for similar reasons).

Unlike the foreign-born Irish (and Scottish and Welsh) players who had a family connection to the country - most of the prominent foreign-born English players have zero connection with England apart from ending up in the country as immigrants (the English team were lucky Priti Patel didn't have her Rwanda gig set up at the time).

Seriously - English fans need to get over the fact that not everyone born in England actually wants to play for their international team - and some players end up playing for England because of agents, clubs and money (something that doesn't happen with Ireland, Scotland or Wales - Northern Ireland is a slightly different kettle of fish).

I personally can't think of a single instance of a player born in England, bought up in England and clearly good enough to play for England who has decided to play for another nation.

Not being little Englander, but in the example where there's dual nationality issues, the commercial deals available to players and the knowledge that we'll probably get to most tournaments (and mostly progress to the knockout phases and sometimes the business end, even, France, Italy, Holland don't always qualify!) seals the decision.

Like others, I don't want non English people playing for England. To me the point about international competition is that it's players from that country. Sure in the modern world, more and more people have more than one country and that's fine, they can make a decision. But the suggestion that the pull of playing for England isn't strong, is nonsense.

 

[Springal]

Well - the 'it's coming home' country has failed to qualify for a stack load of tournaments over the years - 1972 Euros - 1974 WC - 1976 Euros - 1978 WC - 1994 WC - indeed the only thing that has assured England qualification since is the fact that the tournaments were massively expanded.

I think young Evan might have a few busy summers over his career - and we might even give England a chance to beat us in a major tournament finals - something that has never happened.

The last World Cup we didn’t qualify for, Evan wasn’t even born for another 10 years

And you’re right, because you’re barely at tournaments

 

[Green Cross Code Man]

I personally can't think of a single instance of a player born in England, bought up in England and clearly good enough to play for England who has decided to play for another nation.

Not being little Englander, but in the example where there's dual nationality issues, the commercial deals available to players and the knowledge that we'll probably get to most tournaments (and mostly progress to the knockout phases and sometimes the business end, even, France, Italy, Holland don't always qualify!) seals the decision.

Like others, I don't want non English people playing for England. To me the point about international competition is that it's players from that country. Sure in the modern world, more and more people have more than one country and that's fine, they can make a decision. But the suggestion that the pull of playing for England isn't strong, is nonsense.

Ryan Giggs. Although born in Wales, was English in other respects.

 

[SeagullinExile]

Hehe. Don’t take offense! I was only being a pedant pointing out 3 competitive appearances out of 6!

Not sure why people are even contemplating Ev changing nations tbh He’s as Irish as a pint of Guinness, and proud of it.

 

[nwgull]

England have always had good players, they always get hopes up then bomb.

I used to get so excited at watching England matches but they've cured me. Joke managers, prima donna players that aren't fussed - only in it for the cash and that comes from their clubs.

May also be something to do with my team now being better than the national side I guess, in the old days it was almost like another sport, the gap was so large.

I've always enjoyed watching Eire, NI, Wales, Scotland sides though. They get it. They care.

I really don't know why we go through the motions to be honest.

I disagree with this. Whilst many disagree with some of Southgate's selections and tactics, something that he has been able to do is get a team spirit amongst the current crop of England players and have them really playing for the badge. There's no arguing with the recent record of 3 tournaments being semis, final and QFs.

If they were only in it for the cash then they wouldn't bother seeing as they donate all their match fees to chairty anyway.

 

[Jolly Red Giant]

Come on. If you knew the first thing about England, you'd know "it's coming home" is very much tongue in cheek.

As for the foreign-born players with England caps, who are we talking about? Sterling and Guehi? They moved to the UK at 5 and 1, respectively. What makes you think agents and money is the reason they play for England rather than Jamaica and the Ivory Coast?

There is a long list - but the money stuff comes from Rice and Grealish - both switched because agents (and the English FA) pushed them to over the fact that they would double their transfer value and potentially their wages by switching to England (Grealish's father - after talking about how proud he was of his son playing for Ireland - also got a lucrative job as an agent after Grealish switched to England).

Now - if you read what I post here - I don't have a problem with kids switching allegiance - they are kids and most don't know how to wipe their nose, never mind make a decision about which country to align to. I do think the rules about full internationals switching should be scrapped - and its exists because the big countries want to be able to poach good players from smaller, poorer countries - mostly ex-colonies - the French and Dutch are particularly notorious for it.

I also have a problem with football associations, no matter what country, approaching players and trying to pressure them to switch. Bad and all as an organisation that they are - the FAI has never done that - they have always asked kids if they would be interested in playing for Ireland at underage level and leave it up to the kid - Eoin hand made sure this was put in place when he was career guidance officer for the FAI. However, most of the English born players who played for Ireland over the past 40 years were never on England's radar - in fact most never appeared at underage level for Ireland. Ireland have offered to select some English born players who were not part of the English squad who turned Ireland down - Patrick Bamford, Nathan Redmond, Mark Noble, Curtis Davis, David Kitson, Jamie O'Hara (who later said it was a big regret that he turned down Liam Brady who had approached him) - but once these players said NO that was the end of it - no getting agents to arrange meetings with the manager, etc.

Associations are far more conscious about underage players over the last 5-10 years - so there will be some switch over with English born players these days.

Grealish was named in an English U-17 squad but he told them he was playing for Ireland, end of - they began actively perusing him when he was in the Irish U-19 team (having already played at U-17 and U-18). And they kept it up for two years while he was with the Irish U-21s. As late as March 2015 Grealish said he was committed to playing for Ireland. At that stage it was clear that Grealish (if he could sort the off-field stuff) was going to be an outstanding player - and agents, the English FA and Roy Hodgson got involved.

Rice played U16, U-17, U-19, U-21 and 3 full internationals for Ireland. It was August 2018 that agents, the English FA and Southgate got after Rice. I have already posted a video of an interview with Rice after the last game he played for Ireland where he said that he was an Irish player.

We are going to see more of this with agents and the English FA pressuring players to switch - it has already started with Tom Cannon - it will happen with Jack Henry-Francis at Arsenal - with Alex Gilbert at Brentford - with Ben Greenwood at Bournemouth - Ollie O'Neill at Fulham - Cian Coleman at Leeds - Joe Hodge at Wolves - and others - if any of them start showing promise as PL players. Fortunately - one player that England thought they could get is a no-hoper for them - Trent Kone-Doherty - who is a very exciting prospect at Liverpool.

 

[Joey Jo Jo Jr. Shabadoo]

Ryan Giggs. Although born in Wales, was English in other respects.

But was never eligible to play international football for England.

 

[pb21]

Ryan Giggs.

He was born and grew up in Cardiff, I think?

 

[Green Cross Code Man]

Why

But was never eligible to play international football for England.

Why? I thought he chose Wales due to liking one of his parents better.

 

[Green Cross Code Man]

He was born and grew up in Cardiff, I think?

Why has he got a Manchester accent then and always did even when 16?

 

[Joey Jo Jo Jr. Shabadoo]

Why

Why? I thought he chose Wales due to liking one of his parents better.

His parents are both Welsh. He was never eligible to play for England as he had no English parents or grandparents.

 

[Green Cross Code Man]

His parents are both Welsh.

Oh, my bad. Certainly not what I read back in the day.

 

[pb21]

Why has he got a Manchester accent then and always did even when 16?

I've just looked, apparently moved to Manc when he was 6. Still born and did the first bit of growing up in Wales though.

 

[Joey Jo Jo Jr. Shabadoo]

Oh, my bad. Certainly not what I read back in the day.

He did choose Wales over Sierra Leone though as he had a grandparent from there.

 

[Green Cross Code Man]

I've just looked, apparently moved to Manc when he was 6. Still born and did the first bit of growing up in Wales though.

Yeah and I just read an interview saying how annoyed he was that journalists kept saying he chose Wales. He wasn't eligible for England although he'd captained us at schoolboy level.