General Football 23/24

[Muddled]

Do we know why Schalke have terminated their contracts?

[Alex]

Not really. Thats whats odd.

[Muddled]

I've just done a quick Google and it comes up with:

Schalke sporting director Horst Heldt announced there would be consequences after Sunday’s defeat away to 1. FC Köln and the first action has been taken: Kevin-Prince Boateng and Sidney Sam have been released with immediate effect. Marco Höger is suspended from training and first-team action up to and including Saturday, 16th May.

I'm reading that people are blaming 'poor performance' but you can't just rip up a contract, surely? I wonder if something will come of this later on. Much like Vincent Tan getting rid of Malky Mackay before it all become public knowledge.

[Alex]

Yeah maybe. Id imagine 'Playing Badly' hardly constitutes breach of contract.

As I said though Sidney Sam should be looked at. If I remember he was doing well at Leverkusen under Hyypia.

[baitman]

Yeah maybe. Id imagine 'Playing Badly' hardly constitutes breach of contract.

we need to get their legal boys to write out a draft contract for us to stick under the noses of our new signings. maybe some of the existing players, tell them its improved terms

[Harv]

**** me

****inell

[Liverpel]

Grealish still hasn't decided if he's Irish or English.


MARTIN O’Neill’s plans to select Jack Grealish were dealt a bitter blow today when the youngster declined to be part of the intended Ireland squad.

There was huge confusion after a senior FAI source today “confirmed” to Independent.ie that the 19-year-old would be selected and Martin O'Neill has confirmed he was in his intended squad.

However, as the press conference was due to kick off at midday, something appeared to have occurred with rumour and speculation that O’Neill had been in contact with Grealish.

What happened during that contact is unclear but it appears that one of the sides had a major change of heart.

"I spoke to both Jack and his father and Jack didn't want to make up his mind at this stage," said O'Neill.

O'Neill did confirm that Grealish was in his intended squad. The Irish manager admitted he is disappointed by the Aston Villa youngster's decision but still thinks "there is a good possibility" he will play for Ireland.

"I spoke to his father and said that I wanted to pick him. I'm sure that he could in the future (choose Ireland).

"He didn't want to make a decision now. I would have liked to have had him training with us for the week ahead of England game, that's a disappointing aspect."


O'Neill insists previous comments made by Roy Keane about Grealish's father did not impact on his decision: "No I don't think that had an affect. It was taken in a jocular fashion," he said.

Asked whether his decision to contact Jack Grealish had now put the ball in the teenager's court, he said: "I don't think it was an attempt to preempt anything. I still think that bringing him into the squad for a week's training to see that the FAI will look after him would have been good.

"He has played well enough at Aston Villa to suggest he can become a senior international player."

Asked whether the delay to his press conference was due to the fact that he was in conversation with Jack Grealish's father, he responded: "Not necessarily."

O'Neill had previously said that the Scotland game would be "too big" for Grealish but he clearly had a change of heart.

"He has played a lot of games since then. Under Tim Sherwood, he has started quite a number of games and in fairness to him, he has made quite a good impression when he's started.

"He's lasting a lot longer in games and doing a lot of good work.

"Of course, the last four or five weeks have made a big difference to Jack's career and my thinking."

Asked to respond to criticism from Eamon Dunphy, that the Irish management was "insulting" and "disrespectful" in the way the had handled the Jack Grealish affair, an unimpressed O'Neill said: "And Eamon said that... That's good enough for me."

http://www.independent.ie/sport/soccer/international-soccer/jack-grealish-decides-not-to-take-up-martin-oneills-ireland-squad-invite-31215083.html

[Liverpel]

Dunphy's comments in full:


Outspoken pundit and former Republic of Ireland international Eamon Dunphy has let rip at Martin O'Neill and Roy Keane over their handling of the Jack Grealish saga.

The Aston Villa star is expected to be named in the Ireland squad for next month's friendly against England and Euro qualifier against Scotland by Martin O'Neill today.

Dunphy has heavily criticised the current Irish management team and Giovanni Trapattoni for their failure to secure the services of top quality players who are Irish-qualified.

“The last two regimes have been hopeless. We could have had Harry Kane,” Dunphy told RTÉ’s Game On. “He was in Tottenham’s reserves this time last year, and if you offered him a cap, he’d have jumped at it — Jack Grealish likewise. He could easily have been capped in the game against Gibraltar.

“He’s actually insulting him — he said the Scotland match would be ‘too big’ for him. And a few days later, Grealish was the most important figure at the FA Cup semi-final at Wembley.”

Dunphy slammed Roy Keane for making comments about Grealish's father Kevin during a press conference.

"Keane also had a go at his father, saying he was high maintenance and all that kind of stuff. It's hugely irresponsible,” he added.

“To be blathering on in press conferences when he's not present shows such disrespect to any player.

“Never mind one who’s been a seminal figure in a Wembley FA Cup semi-final and a relegation fight.

“It’s a disservice to Irish football and it’s absolutely outrageous.”

Dunphy believes that O'Neill should be scrutinised for his handling of the affair and doubts whether Grealish will ever feature in a green jersey due to the mismanagement of the situation.

“I’m going to try and restrain myself here in what I say but if people think that they’re too big to manage the Irish team and that their egos are more important than the job they’re getting a million quid a year to do, then when or if we don’t qualify, I hope they’re judged very harshly.

"He won't tog out for Ireland while Keane is making snide comments about his father.

“I don’t think Jack Grealish will ever play for Ireland and I don’t think what these guys have done has helped.

"We're crying out for good players.

“To say that the Scotland game was too big for him… Scotland are a team full of journeymen, they wouldn’t be too big for me.

“Someone’s getting a million quid a year to manage Ireland, blathering on as if they’re in a bar. This is irresponsible, it does no good to Ireland and most importantly, it does no favours to the Irish fans who are paying top dollar to be going into the Aviva Stadium to support the team and often, to travel away as well."

[McDermotX]

Good keeping


[ame="https://youtu.be/MmiwsTyZY5Y"]WNT vs. Republic of Ireland: Abby Wambach First Goal - May 10, 2015 - YouTube[/ame]

[Paddy]

Women

[Gibbo]

She scored her 179th international goal?!

Did I hear that right.

[shanks69]

She scored her 179th international goal?!

Did I hear that right.

yep

[McDermotX]

Women

Boo !!!

Hiss !!!

Rabble, rabble...... etc etc etc

[rodo]

[ame="https://youtu.be/LKkAL1AEam8"]FHRITP: Reporter confronts men who bombarded her with vulgarity - YouTube[/ame]

[Liverpel]

Cristiano Ronaldo has donated €7m to the Nepal fund.

Which is nice.

Save the Children has denied reports that Real Madrid’s Cristiano Ronaldo made a £5m donation towards its earthquake relief effort in Nepal.

According to the reports in France, the 30-year-old made the donation while also launching an appeal to his 100 million Facebook followers to support the charity’s work.
Nepal's quake-shattered villages: 'there’s nothing to stay for now'
Read more

However, in a statement, the charity clarified: “The global ambassador for Save the Children, Cristiano Ronaldo, has used his voice and his global visibility to raise awareness of the problems faced by the most vulnerable children around the world, including those affected by the earthquake in Nepal.

“The latest information on the donation of Cristiano Ronaldo to the emergency response of Save the Children in Nepal is false. After the second earthquake, which has brought further devastation to the country, the NGO wants to thank Cristiano Ronaldo and other influential people for their support in publicising the situation facing children and families in Nepal.”

The Portugal striker became the charity’s new global ambassador for child hunger and nutrition in 2013, and has worked closely with other charities including Unicef and World Vision. In 2008 he flew to Indonesia having seen a survivor from the tsunami there wearing a shirt with his name on the back.