Irish Independent - Gerry McDermott

[bandage]

This guy cracks me up. Under the byline 'Gerry McDermott has spent the season keeping tabs on the Irish abroad and now reveals the top 50 Irish performers over the 2005-06 season' our hero puts Robbie Keane as #1 on his list in the Indo today.

This is the same guy that launched a media campaign last September and October to have our skipper dropped for the final, crucial qualifying games. I particularly remember a disgraceful article a week or two before the Swiss game where he rounded on Robbie, called him unprofessional, questioned his attitude and commitment and rated him the 5th best striker in Ireland after Morrisson, Doyle, Elliott and Connolly! Then that charlatan Kerr bowed to the pressure built up by the likes of this idiot and took our one real hope off against the Swiss (see my article about Kerr on the main website - my blood is boiling now).

I actually wanted to email him then to get a few things off my mind but he left no address under his piece. I checked the paper each day for about a month afterwards to try get an address but nothing. Lo and behold there's an address today where he seeks feedback on his selection, I'm gonna batter the fook - it's [e-mail] if you wanna join me.

It's not just the Robbie thing though - he is generally incredibly inept and blatantly doesn't have a clue about football. He's so bad he makes Roy Curtis and Cathal Dervan appear knowledgable and perceptive (I might use this last line in my email!).

[eamo]

I saw that yesterday alright. It sums that dude up. 'Will you be watching any videos of Al Pacino in Any Given Sunday in order to motivate your players?' he once said to Brian Kerr. Nuff Said.

[lyonsee]

1 Robbie Keane (Tottenham)
For half the season the Dubliner looked to be on his way out of White Hart Lane but he dug deep to produce his best season ever as a professional footballer and earn a new contract. His leadership and 16 goals have propelled Tottenham to the verge of Champions League qualification and he was voted fans Player of the Year.

2 Kevin Doyle (Reading)
Twelve months ago he was valued at £85,000, now he is a £3m striker and his value will treble if he bangs in the goals in the Premiership next season. The former Cork City striker netted 18 league goals and was a key reason why Reading ran away with the Championship. The awards he has been picking up are thoroughly justified.

3 Shay Given (Newcastle)
Has just turned 30 and is now very much in his prime. Selected on the Premiership Team of the Season. He has kept 18 clean sheets and was their best player in the dark days as Graeme Souness headed for the sack. Deservedly handed the captain's armband for the final weeks of the season.

4 Steven Reid (Blackburn)
The decision to switch him into central midfield has yielded rich dividends for Blackburn who are chasing a European place. The 25-year-old has developed into a physically strong midfielder with electric pace and one of the fiercest shots in the Premiership as evidenced by his stunning goals.

5 Steve Finnan (Liverpool)
Has blossomed since Rafa Benitez took over at Liverpool and, having seen off all his rivals at right back, is now Mr Consistency at Anfield. He is solid defensively and also gets forward on the overlap. Has helped Liverpool reach the FA Cup Final and third place in the Premiership.

6 John O'Shea (Manchester United)
The most versatile player in the Premiership continues to defy the critics and was a key performer in Manchester United's impressive 11-game unbeaten run where he was mainly deployed as the holding player in midfield. A new four-year contract tells its own story.

7 Graham Kavanagh (Wigan Athletic)
He may be 31 but he was the cornerstone of a Wigan team that exceeded all expectations by not only reaching the Carling Cup Final but also spending most of the season in the top half of the table.

8 Joey O'Brien (Bolton Wanderers)
This midfielder was pressed into first team duty as an emergency right back and succeeded in nailing down the place for himself after a series of impressive performances in the Premiership and UEFA Cup. With a cool head and a cultured right foot he has made a big impression.

9 Damien Duff (Chelsea)
He's just won a second successive Premiership medal but this has been a disappointing season for Duff. Injury didn't help and neither did the tactical strait jacket which Jose Mourinho strapped him into it. Three league goals is his lowest return in five seasons.

10 Stephen Ireland (Manchester City)
The 18-year-old made his first team debut in September and hasn't looked back. Although small in stature he makes up for lack of inches with a gritty determination and an ability to make the killer pass. Has the drive and determination to become a major player in the years ahead.

11 Kevin Foley (Luton Town)
The 21-year-old right-back stepped up a level when Luton were promoted to the Championship but did so well that he is now been touted as a possible Premiership transfer target this summer. A very steady player.

12 Paddy Kenny (Sheffield United)
Will be playing in the Premiership next season after helping the Blades win promotion and on the evidence of this season he won't look out of place. He's been an ever-present for United on their march to the Premiership and kept 18 clean sheets.

13 Richard Dunne (Manchester City)
Manchester City's season may have run out of steam but one of the bright spots has been Richard Dunne's performances at centre-half where he has used his pace and strength to great effect. His rehabilitation was completed when Stuart Pearce handed him the captaincy in Sylvain Distin's absence and the fans voted him as their Player of the Year.

14 Owen Garvan (Ipswich Town)
Grandson of Con Martin and nephew of Mick Martin, his footballing pedigree is impeccable and the 18-year-old showed his potential by becoming a first team regular at Ipswich. He is a sublime passer of the ball. Named Player of the Year by the Ipswich fans.

15 Dean Kiely (Portsmouth)
Injury cost him his place at Charlton Athletic and he was twiddling his thumbs on the bench when Harry Redknapp swooped for him in January. It's proved to be an astute signing and Kiely's performances in the final 14 league games inspired Portsmouth to a remarkable Premiership escape act.

16 Shane Long (Reading)
The £40,000 Reading paid Cork City for the former Tipperary Minor hurler could turn out to be a bigger bargain than Kevin Doyle's deal. Having started in the reserves Long was soon promoted to the first team and became a scorer of vital goals while coming off the bench. His massive potential is making them giddy at the Madejski Stadium.

17 Richie Foran (Motherwell)
The former Shelbourne player has established himself as one of the top strikers in the Scottish Premier League with 12 goals this season. He has added discipline to his game and has managed to go through the season without collecting a red card, something that would have been unthinkable a few years ago.

18 Liam Miller (Leeds United)
His loan move from Manchester United has worked out very well. Regular first team football has allowed him to show his ability and he has played a major role in Leeds United's march to the play-offs. If Leeds win promotion Kevin Blackwell is likely to move heaven and earth to make Miller's move permanent.

19 Michael Doyle (Coventry)
This tenacious midfielder was recently rewarded with a new contract after another excellent season and he must surely be on the verge of a call to the international squad. This battling midfielder started 48 times for Coventry this season as the Sky Blues finished eighth in the Championship.

20 Liam Lawrence (Sunderland)
It's not been a season to remember at the Stadium of Light but the performances of this 24-year-old midfielder have caught the eye and he is now part of Steve Staunton's international squad.

21 Peter Murphy (Carlisle)
Now one of the longest serving players at Carlisle, Murphy has been on a roller coaster ride at Brunton Park over the past few seasons. Promotion from the Conference has been followed this term by more success this season with promotion to League Two and the League Three title within touching distance. Murphy has missed only one game along the way and has been influential whether used in defence or midfield.

22 Shane Supple (Ipswich Town)
Has graduated impressively from Ipswich's FA Youth Cup winning side of last season. He started the season on the bench and finished it as first choice keeper having ousted Welsh international Les Price. Only 18, he could be Shay Given's long term successor if he keeps this rate of progress up.

23 Gary Kelly (Leeds United)
He may not wear the captain's armband at Elland Road but he is the player everybody looks up to and his selection on the Championship team of the season was a just reward for his level of consistency this season. The 31-year-old defender also managed a rare goal.

24 Clinton Morrison (Crystal Palace)
Steve Bruce has admitted that selling Morrison is one of the mistakes that caused Birmingham City's relegation and 13 goals for Palace reinforces that view. Palace are heading to the play-offs and Morrison's partnership with Andy Johnson could get them to the Premiership at the expense of their old club.

25 Garreth O'Connor (Burnley)
The former Bohemians player has had an excellent first season at Turf Moor having jumped a division from League One. An attacking midfielder, who likes to get forward, he has scored eight goals and quickly established himself as a key player in Steve Cotterill's side.

26 Michael Reddy (Grimsby)
His gazelle-like speed has caused havoc among defences and earned the Kilkenny man selection for the League Two team of the season. His 14 goals have propelled Grimsby into the play-offs and they still have an outside chance of automatic promotion.

27 Aiden McGeady (Celtic)
Injury has limited McGeady's appearances this season but he has still played a role in Celtic's title success. Found himself surplus to requirements earlier in the season but knuckled down and added increased work rate and a defensive dimension to his game which greatly pleased manager Gordon Strachan. Four goals in 20 appearances was a decent return too.

28 Jonathon Douglas (Leeds United)
Now 25 this has been the Clonesman's best season as a professional as his loan move from Blackburn has worked wonders. He has established himself as a first choice central midfielder in a promotion chasing side and scored five goals as well.

29 Mark Yeates (Colchester)
Joined Colchester on a season long loan move from Tottenham and has been a vital player in their drive towards promotion to The Championship. The left winger has been an automatic first choice all season and has scored five goals but it was his performance against Chelsea in the FA Cup that suggests he still has plenty to offer at a higher level.

30 Andy O'Brien (Portsmouth)
Jumped out of the frying pan into the fire when he left Newcastle for Portsmouth and was part of a leaky defence before Harry Redknapp arrived. His improvement since Redknapp took over was tremendous and it was a big blow for Pompey when a hamstring injury ruled him out of the final weeks of the season.

31 Andy Keogh (S****horpe)
A natural goalscorer 19-year-old Keogh has shown why S****horpe bought him from Bury by scoring 15 goals in 43 appearances. His goal in the FA Cup defeat against Manchester City suggests he can do it a higher level and he could move up a division this summer.

32 Ian Harte (Levante)
Relegation from La Liga didn't bode well for Harte and he has been anxious to return to England. When all potential deals fell through he got on with the job in hand and has helped Levante move to within touching distance of promotion with a series of steady displays and a few cracking goals.

33 Gary Doherty (Norwich)
Has finally established himself as a centre-half after years of switching between the back and the front. Doherty has excellent technique for a central defender and has established himself in the Canaries side after beginning the season in the reserves.

34 Roy Keane (Celtic)
Missed a large chunk of the season through injury and hit the headlines when Manchester United released him early from his contract. This has probably been his least influential season since he burst on the scene in 1990 but he has still looked a class act in the Hoops shirt.

35 Graham Coughlan (Sheffield Wednesday)
Possibly the best Irish player never to be capped and at 31 his chance may be gone. This teak tough centre half was a legend at former club Plymouth and quickly won over the fans at Hillsborough with his no-nonsense style. Awarded the Owls' Player of the Year after an excellent season.

36 Wayne Henderson (Brighton)
A loan spell persuaded Brighton to buy him from Aston Villa in the January transfer window and although he couldn't keep Albion in the Championship his displays earned him his senior international debut. From a famous goalkeeping family he is an excellent shot-stopper.

37 Paul Heffernan (Doncaster Rovers)
The 24-year-Wicklow man is a goal machine and 14 goals from 28 appearances is an excellent return as he took his overall career total in the English League past the 50 mark.

38 Paddy McCarthy (Leicester)
Both Craig Levein and his successor Rob Kelly are big fans of McCarthy who, although only 22, has worn the captain's armband on occasion this season. Tall and strong he doesn't shirk in the tackle but 10 yellow and two red cards suggests he needs to temper his style a tad.

39 Stephen Elliott (Sunderland)
His season has been dogged with injury but in one golden spell in October he answered all the questions about his ability to perform at the highest level. He scored two cracking goals against Manchester United and Newcastle and his lengthy absence was one of the reasons Sunderland were relegated and Mick McCarthy got fired.

40 Paul McShane (Brighton)
A season long loan from Manchester United has given the 20-year-old from Wicklow valuable first team experience and he will be hoping to make an impact at Old Trafford next season. He made mistakes along the way but his four goals from centre-half helped make up for those errors.

41 James O'Connor (Burnley)
An ever-present this season for a Burnley side with a phenomenal 49 starts. Has curbed his disciplinary problems by picking up just three yellow cards and one red this season. A busy player who can pass as well as he can tackle.

42 Alan Maybury (Leicester City)
Craig Levein went back to his former club Hearts for Maybury and the Dubliner has proved a shrewd signing. He can play right back but Leicester use him on the left and he's been an automatic first choice all season.

43 Dominic Foley (Gent)
Signed from Bohemians after impressing in the Inter Toto Cup, Foley has impressed in Belgium although his goal haul is a somewhat disappointing six goals. However, Manager George Leekens has singled him out for praise as Gent chase fourth place and a European place.

44 Stephen McPhail (Barnsley)
It's only a few years since McPhail was wowing them in the Premiership and Champions League and this season has shown plenty of evidence that he should be operating at a higher level than League One.

45 Matt Holland (Charlton)
It's been a stop start season for Mr Consistency as the injuries he so successfully avoided for most of his career have finally caught up with him. Has only started 24 games this season but he's still Mr Dependable. The departure of Alan Curbishley could spell the end of the 32-year-old's sojourn at The Valley.

46 Damien Delaney (Hull City)
The Cork defender has been an ever present this season for a Hull City side that found the Championship a big step up after successive promotions. This left-footer can also play in midfield and he hasn't looked out of place having jumped two divisions in successive seasons.

47 Stephen Hunt (Reading)
Reading's title run meant he had to settle for a place on the bench most weeks but 35 substitute appearances is surely some sort of record. He's proved to be a useful player to spring from the bench having chipped in with three goals and six assists during Reading's title run.

48 Mark Kennedy (Wolves)
Wolves were many people's tip for promotion but they even missed the play-offs. However, skipper Kennedy was one of their most consistent performers operating down the left hand side and scoring twice from 40 appearances.

49 Colin Healy (Livingston)
Two broken legs meant he hadn't played a first team game since 2003 but the Corkman returned to action in March and showed that he is back to his best with a series of impressive performances. An earlier return might have kept Livingstone in the Scottish Premier League but Healy's going to have no problems when his short-term contract expires.

50 Kevin Thornton (Coventry)
The 19-year-old midfielder has just signed a new two-year-old contract with the Sky Blues and is definitely one for the future although Mickey Adams insists he has a lot to learn. A brother of Sean, the Drogheda youngster has broken into the first team and is exciting when on the ball.
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[therock67]

Why no Eircom League players? Was it just players playing abroad? It seems silly to recognise the achievements of Dominic Foley and not mention Byrne or O'Flynn or any of those lads.

Kevin Doyle has had an excellent season but no way should he be ahead of Given in the rankings. Given has been outstanding for Newcastle.

What sort of a fool puts Robbie at #1 having written this in October:

FOUR and a half years since he was dropped by Mick McCarthy in Estonia, goal-shy Robbie Keane is again facing the chop.

But will Brian Kerr have the nerve to whirl the axe on his long-time buddy ahead of Wednesday's Swiss showdown at Lansdowne Road - Ireland's biggest match since the Dutch rode into town in 2001?

The 25-year-old Spurs striker faces an anxious wait as Kerr ponders if the time has come to put the boot into Keane for the first time since he became Ireland manager in January 2003.

Ireland's inept performance against Cyprus on Saturday night in Nicosia has raised questions over the future of a number of players, ageing skipper Kenny Cunningham, Graham Kavanagh, John O'Shea and Kevin Kilbane among them.

But, unquestionably, Keane is the biggest name under threat.

Kerr and Keane are mates having soldiered together with Ireland's under-age sides and the Tallaght man featured on Ireland's European U18 Championship winning side in 1998.

With Kerr battling to steer a path to next summer's World Cup Finals in Germany and justify a new contract from the FAI, there will be no room for sentiment when he picks his team for the must-win game against Switzerland on Wednesday.

FIRST CHOICE


Barring that blip away to Estonia under McCarthy, Keane has been first choice for Ireland since he made his debut as a 17-year-old in 1998 against the Czech Republic.

To date, he has won 63 caps and established a new all-time Irish scoring record of 25 goals.

But Keane finds his place under threat because of the return from suspension of Clinton Morrison and a sparkling performance by rookie Sunderland striker Stephen Elliott against Cyprus on Saturday night.

The 21-year-old, winning only his fifth cap, scored Ireland's winner and did enough to suggest he should retain his place against the Swiss.

Rather pointedly, Kerr chose to replace Keane rather than Elliott when he introduced David Connolly near the end of the game in Nicosia.

Like Keane, Morrison has started every game in the current campaign when available and his partnership with Elliott when Ireland played in the Faroe Islands in June showed promise.

In addition, Morrison has scored from play against Cyprus, Switzerland and Israel while Keane's four goals in the group, against Cyprus, Faroe Islands and Israel includes two penalties.

Also, Keane has only scored once in six games for Ireland this year making it his worst goalscoring return since 2001 when he scored once in seven and was dropped by McCarthy.

Wednesday will be the fourth time Ireland have faced Switzerland in a competitive game over the past three years and despite Keane playing every minute, he has failed to score while Morrison scored in Basle 12 months ago.

Keane hit the headlines for all the wrong reasons before Ireland's game against France last month when he indulged in three nights of socialising leading up to the game which Ireland lost 1-0.

Keane is also struggling at Spurs where he has had to play second fiddle to England striker Jermaine Defoe and has had to fill the role of an impact sub, twice being sprung from the bench to score vital goals against Aston Villa and Charlton.

He has scored two goals in seven appearances for Spurs but only started twice, including the embarrassing Carling Cup exit to lowly Grimsby after which he was criticised by manager Martin Jol.

While Jol has stated Keane has a future at the London club, speculation continues that the Dubliner could be on the move when the January transfer window opens.

Kerr may decided to persist with the Tallaght tyro on Wednesday night but it appears his days of being regarded as an automatic choice are drawing to a close as the goals dry up. Perhaps a run as Irish impact sub might give Keane the gee-up he needs

[whyohwhy]

He doesn't mention Terry Dixon, the new fella in the squad (then again maybe he's never heard of him either, like meself)

[lyonsee]

I was impressed by Kevin Foley (11th) the Luton right-back when they played Liverpool in the FA Cup this season. Surprised he's not in the squad. Wish Stephen Carr had stayed gone, tubby little b:tch that he is. Foley at right-back (and Finnan left) could perhaps free up Joey O'Brien to play his more natural central midfield role instead of the not-so-tough-tackling O'Shea. I suppose this is more of a long-term thought as Joey won't be ready to play there for the start of the coming qualifying campaign.

[bandage]

Yes I do have insomnia - this is what I sent to that idiot in the Indo minus the copied article again of course:

I read with interest your list of the top 50 Irish players plying their trade abroad in the Independent on Monday and the word 'hypocrite' immediately came to mind - I've copied and pasted an article you wrote prior to the critical Swiss game below to illustrate my point. I have no qualms in stating that I don't think you actually have a clue about football so in reality I probably shouldn't get irritated by your misinformed and inane ramblings, however I'm afraid to say that I did around last September and October time in particular. I suppose it emanated from your campaign to try to get Robbie Keane dropped for the crucial, final qualifying game that aggrieved me most. When I read the below article again today - 7 months after it was written - it literally made me laugh out loud such was its preposterous nature. Staking the claims of a rookie like Stephen Elliott ahead of our record goalscorer! A player who has scored game affecting goals against Germany, Spain, Turkey, The Netherlands and more all at the ripe old age of 25 and you wanted a barely tried kid in ahead of him! Just because he failed to score against the Swiss on three previous occasions you wanted him out, you totally disregarded the other 25 odd goals he's scored for Ireland. If I recall correctly the article was decorated with some photos of what you considered to be Ireland's best 5 strikers - you had Robbie Keane at #5. Now that was hilarious - it also smacked of a personal issue against Robbie.

Just because prior to his taking the captaincy Robbie didn't make himself available to give soundbites to the Irish media I feel that you let this cloud your judgement - instead you saw this as an opportunity to put one over on our best player. All I saw were journalists bemoaning how aloof and arrogant Robbie had become as his career progressed and how he largely ignored requests for interviews. His job is to score goals, not to give interviews.

Anyway, I digress. At the time you lambasted him for his 2 goals in 7 appearances for Spurs - hardly a hanging offence is it? You are incorrect to single him out for alleged criticism from Jol because at the time the Spurs manager broadly stated he expected more from the front two as a pair and didn't single out Robbie for individual criticism with regard to either attitude, commitment or indeed form. In fact he was at pains to emphasise that Keane had an important role to play at Spurs as has since been found to be the case. However, the Irish manager at the time was hardly in the same league as a sharp operator like Jol. Indeed Kerr bowed to the pressure built up by the likes of yourself and took off our one real hope against the Swiss. He probably thought Robbie would become the scapegoat, thus allowing him to keep his job. Unfortunately for Kerr the Irish football public are far more perceptive than the journalists who were calling for Keane's exclusion - Robbie will always be appreciated by all true Irish supporters - and for once the FAI were too.

When really you should have been concentrating on questioning Brian Kerr for his cautious, stifling, negative and conservative football that seriously affected the impact of our flair players, Duff and Keane, you instead sought the head of our leading light on a plate in the days leading up to the game. Duff has since admitted he was unhappy with his performances in the qualifying campaign and this was primarily down to the sterile 'style' implemented by Kerr - a charlatan who was completely out of his depth. When you could have been asking him how he intended to bring Duff and Keane more into the game you instead asked, 'Will you be watching any videos of Al Pacino in Any Given Sunday in order to motivate your players?' Enough said. It seemed all the journalists were loathe to criticise Kerr - maybe you were just all too friendly with him from the days in the trenches in the Eircom League with you guys reporting and him on the sideline. Only when he was gone did any of you really have any sort of courage to say what a shambles the team had become and how inept the manager was. And it was much easier to do so when he was gone.

What is actually more pathetic than your disgraceful attack on Robbie Keane at the time has been your slimy and sneaky attempts to get back into his good books. I presume you're worried that now with a new regime and Robbie as captain you won't get yourself any decent copy if you isolate yourself and compose further nasty and bitter attacks on Keane. A few regular positive pieces over the past few months have now been complemented by Robbie Keane becoming Gerry McDermott's Irish Player of the Season 2005/06.

Something Robbie will cherish long after he hangs up his boots no doubt.

[therock67]

Smashing effort baendage - let us know if he bothers to reply.

[humbug]

great work bandage

[stickywithoutjam]

FYI

(On the Brian Kerr ineptitude theme)

It has come to my attention that the (former)leading light of Irish Soccer has been reduced to hosting a table quiz in the Vaults, IFSC, this coming Tuesday 19th May 2006 .

All are welcome btw.

How the mighty have fallen.