[Albion] Ferguson out of Ireland squad (Injury)

[Cian]

I absolutely don't think he'll change either. But hasn't he had 3 competitive caps. That's the differentiator here and why some people are worried...

He can't change - there is no differentiator and hasn't been since the rules changed in 2020. All caps count the same. I've linked to the rules further up this page and a few pages ago.

 

[faoileán]

Definitely? I mean Greece won the Euros so why not Ireland?

Because Greece has over the double the population of the Rep.of Ireland and a serious professional league playing in front of big crowds. Football is the number 1 sport in Greece and 3rd possibly 4th most popular field sport in Ireland after GAA football, hurling, and probably Rugby Union. The closest that the Rep.of Ireland will get to winning a major football tournament is by supplying second generation Irish players to the England team like Kane, Grealish, Rice and Maguire.

 

[Jolly Red Giant]

Ireland ensure they have a go and give it their all, making their nation proud.

England consistently let their nation down. They've done it for my 45 years of following the game.

I'm done with England national team, only good to laugh at. Stick with Eire Fergy!

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.

 

[Jolly Red Giant]

Because Greece has over the double the population of the Rep.of Ireland and a serious professional league playing in front of big crowds. Football is the number 1 sport in Greece and 3rd possibly 4th most popular field sport in Ireland after GAA football, hurling, and probably Rugby Union. The closest that the Rep.of Ireland will get to winning a major football tournament is by supplying second generation Irish players to the England team like Kane, Grealish, Rice and Maguire.

Denmark won the Euros in 1992 - and they didn't even qualify for the finals.

In 2002 WC Ireland could conceivably have got to the final - McCarthy f*cked up against Spain - telling the Irish players in extra time to play for penalties when Spain only had 10 men on the pitch and two of them couldn't run. Going for the jugular over the last 30 minutes and Ireland could have won, instead the players passed the ball around their own half for 30 minutes to the delight of the Spanish. Beat Spain and Ireland were capable of beating South Korea and had already proven they were better than Germany - the two teams in their way to the final. And all of this after McCarthy f*cked up and sent his best player home without kicking a ball.

Yes - soccer has to compete with the GAA and rugby which doesn't help (there are still 250K people playing soccer regularly in Ireland) - but the next 10 -15 years has the potential to be the golden era of Irish football - better than the Charlton era - we just need a new coach who knows what he is doing and some midfielders (with our upcoming goalies and defenders and Evan up front - having Rice and Grealish in the midfield would have seen Ireland become one of the seriously good teams in Europe).

For any good manager who likes to develop young players - the Irish job is a very attractive one as soon as we sack Kenny (which might happen this weekend if things go completely sideways - lose to France and Holland and Ireland have 3 points from 5 games and will be six points away from qualifying with France, Greece and Holland ahead of them and three games to play).

 

[Joey Jo Jo Jr. Shabadoo]

He can't change - there is no differentiator and hasn't been since the rules changed in 2020. All caps count the same. I've linked to the rules further up this page and a few pages ago.

Think the confusion comes from the change in 2020. It used to be a player couldn't change nations if they'd played in a competitive game for a nation, so one appearance in a Euro or World Cup qualifier tied you to that nation for life. Now the rule states no more than 3 grade A internationals. Grade A includes FIFA sanctioned friendlies so with Evan having played 6 games he wouldn't be able to change.

Plus there has to be 3 years between their last appearance and a player changing nations so even if Evan was eligible I can't see him wanting to wait around for 3 years.

 

[Jolly Red Giant]

You’re correct. I know Evan loves his summer holidays. So by choosing Ireland there’s a very good chance he won’t have to go away for tournaments every 2 years

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.

 

[Jolly Red Giant]

Think the confusion comes from the change in 2020. It used to be a player couldn't change nations if they'd played in a competitive game for a nation, so one appearance in a Euro or World Cup qualifier tied you to that nation for life. Now the rule states no more than 3 grade A internationals. Grade A includes FIFA sanctioned friendlies so with Evan having played 6 games he wouldn't be able to change.

Plus there has to be 3 years between their last appearance and a player changing nations so even if Evan was eligible I can't see him wanting to wait around for 3 years.

Again - it's not about whether he can or cannot switch to England - IT WAS NEVER GOING TO HAPPEN - and I told ye this when it first came up last year.

 

[Joey Jo Jo Jr. Shabadoo]

Again - it's not about whether he can or cannot switch to England - IT WAS NEVER GOING TO HAPPEN - and I told ye this when it first came up last year.

YES WE KNOW.

I said it was never going to happen anyway on this very thread as well.

The post was about clarifying the rules (Evan Ferguson isn’t going to be the last player that could change nations, so some of what I was saying was talking hypothetically using him as an example).

 

[Milano]

How the hell can you ‘change’ country? I’ve never understood this. I kind of get it with Rice etc because they are clearly born and bred in England, I won’t hold being talked into U18s caps against him as at that age it probably wasn’t his decision anyway. The likes of Andy Townsend I just couldn’t understand. Evan is Irish and clearly proud of it, as he should be.
What I don’t get is the fans, how can you embrace a player who is clearly not from your country?
Both my parents were Irish but I was born and have lived my whole life in England, I’m English. I sound English, I have a UK passport. I respect Ireland but I have no real knowledge or affinity for it apart from my parents and some nice holidays there. I like going on holiday in France but I’m not French!

 

[Triggaaar]

Nothing to you. I wasn’t commenting on one of your all too frequent posts.

 

[Triggaaar]

The closest that the Rep.of Ireland will get to winning a major football tournament is by supplying second generation Irish players to the England team like Kane

Ireland supplied Kane?

 

[Jolly Red Giant]

Why be so defensive? Ireland have taken loads of English born players into their team/squad over the years.

List of Republic of Ireland international footballers born outside the Republic of Ireland - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

And here's the list of England players who have been born overseas:

List of England international footballers born outside England - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

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).

 

[Jolly Red Giant]

Ireland supplied Kane?

The five most expensive English footballers ever - all have Irish passports.

 

[Triggaaar]

The five most expensive English footballers ever - all have Irish passports.

They still didn't supply him. He's more English than Irish.

 

[Mancgull]

On the question in hand -

Ferguson is back in Brighton and will be assessed by the club's medical staff today. Reports out of Ireland is that there is no indication that it is a long-term injury - but he could miss the next PL game.

Thanks. That’s reassuring.

 

[Bakero]

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.

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?

 

[Joey Jo Jo Jr. Shabadoo]

The five most expensive English footballers ever - all have Irish passports.

And? They were all born in England.

I’ve got Irish heritage and my cousins have played Rugby Union for Ireland. I’m eligible for an Irish passport. It doesn’t make me Irish though.

 

[Garry Nelson's Left Foot]

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).

Christ on a bike.

 

[Javeaseagull]

The five most expensive English footballers ever - all have Irish passports.

That's to get round Brexit. Doesn't make the Irish just lucky bastards.

 

[Questions]

Never trust your brother with your wife?

Or never trust your wife with your brother