Would Ireland be a great addition to the squad, yes without question.
But Ireland imo acted like a complete brat and shouldn't be allowed walk back into the squad just because he's changed his mind. He acted like a brat, for whatever reasons, you don't just walk away freely and not look back with no excuse, no apology, nothing. You don't act the way he did, and after an age, after he turned his back on his country, his teammates, and let them do all the hard work, he shouldn't be able to change his mind like that. If Ireland qualify for the world cup, (please God) there will be a few people who'll raise an eyebrow or so.
He's not your typical Irish player though, he doesn't have that attitude. Every player on the pitch tonight showed great character and heart and commitment, they faught hard and give it their all. Can I say that I know that Ireland will give 100% for the team..no.
Irish players, the majority of them, are sound, great characters.
Ireland doesn't seem to fit into that type of people that they are. He's a different attitude, he's the flashy personalised cars, a limelight seeker, most Irish players aren't, all of them aren't.
One thing that was so rare about the Irish team is that all the players wanted to play for their country, which can't be said about a lot of modern day players who couldn't be bothered playing for their country, these players love playing for Ireland and see it as an honour, they give everything.
Ireland just gives the impression that he thinks he's better then us, that it's almost an embarasment to play in the team. I mean last time I checked, we're not that bad. We don't go to World Cups (if we qualify) hoping to win them, or expecting to, we take it step by and step, and give it our all and ya, we're guilty of having that give it a lash attitude. But I mean Roy Keane was 10 times the player Ireland is, was United's captain, he didn't think he was better then this team. He got himself sent home trying to get improvements for this team at the WC, but he came back because it was an honour to play for the country.
If Ireland was to come back, would people be annoyed..maybe for a microsecond, because he's that good, but if he was going to come back, changed his mind and gave a half assed go on the pitch, then he shouldn't bother at all.
Once he gives 110% no one will care, but that's all we expect here, we're not deluded like the English..(no offense) we don't think that we'll win the WC or whatever, we take it game by game, wanting everyone to give 110% and if we go on, great, if we don't, there's nothing more we could really have asked for them. The last time Ireland were in any sort of campaign was the WC in 2002 and it was the highlight of a lot of these lads careers, how Ireland doesn't want to be a part of that is beyond me.
But everytime the RTE (Irish) panel talk about the WC and can Ireland qualify, it always comes down to someone saying that for the sake of Given, Dunne..etc, great players who haven't a lot of time left, should get another chance to show how good they are on the world stage and would hope and love if we do.
That and we had the best time there, mighty craic.
Ireland seems to have the attitude of a typical Premiership superstar.
Like here's an account from one of Given's brother,
<a class="postlink" href="http://www.castlebar.ie/board/0302/48526.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.castlebar.ie/board/0302/48526.htm</a>
5th paragraph down describes how most of the players and friends of the players and families and a bucket load of Irish fans, ended up in this Irish pub in Korea (because they are everywhere) after the Spanish game that knocked us out, and it tells basically of all the craic they had, and there's a line there where he said can you imagine the English players doing the same..Ireland fits into that group. He's more one of them, those superstar players, then one of the Irish lads.
Look do I want Ireland to come back, yes. More then anything, but we will not beg..well we might be desperate enough to do so, but in principle anyway, we wont beg.
