Declan Rice

Fact is it shouldn't have got to this. O Neill f*cked up when you only had see him play once to know he would be a star. He had the chance to make it a non issue and didn't take it and now we are dealing with the aftermath. 

It will sicken me to see him pull on an England jersey in the next few months but I'm also dreading the abuse he will receive from the hoards of 'fans' online when he does. No-one should have to endure that.

I don't agree at all that this is in any way MON's fault. He promoted him form the 21s when he was showing form. He gave him 3 senior caps FFS. Think about that again. HE was a SENIOR Ireland footballer at 18. He was fast tracked to the senior squad. That's the reality.

The absolute facts of the matter are that Declan was kissing the badge amd singing the anthem six months ago. I was at the 21s game in Tallaght last year where he was giving it large at the end. If you'd have asked me then that he was going to switch I'd have said no chance at all. This is the part i have trouble squaring in this saga. 

It's money and pragmatism that will have won the day if he switches. Nothing else. Not because of MON, or Keane, not  eventhe FAI (for once!). A t**ser of an owner at club level who has his own agenda and a new agent that has seen the dollar signs look like they have won the day. It sounds like, from the outside, that the fathers decency and acknowledgment of the work the FAI has done to get Declan to where he is, have delayed the announcement.

I don't agree at all that this is in any way MON's fault. He promoted him form the 21s when he was showing form. He gave him 3 senior caps FFS. Think about that again. HE was a SENIOR Ireland footballer at 18. He was fast tracked to the senior squad. That's the reality.

The absolute facts of the matter are that Declan was kissing the badge amd singing the anthem six months ago. I was at the 21s game in Tallaght last year where he was giving it large at the end. If you'd have asked me then that he was going to switch I'd have said no chance at all. This is the part i have trouble squaring in this saga. 

It's money and pragmatism that will have won the day if he switches. Nothing else. Not because of MON, or Keane, not  eventhe FAI (for once!). A t**ser of an owner at club level who has his own agenda and a new agent that has seen the dollar signs look like they have won the day. It sounds like, from the outside, that the fathers decency and acknowledgment of the work the FAI has done to get Declan to where he is, have delayed the announcement.

Absolutely!! Is it all down to money and his agent etc but the fact is that this was obviously not your run of the mill 18 year old that we were talking about. When a guy is this talented they are there on merit and not 'fast tracked'. Players like Rooney or Robbie Keane etc are examples of 'if you are good enough you're old enough'. He didn't play him against Moldova in October 2017 but started and was our man of the match against Turkey in March 2018. Why didn't O'Neill have the same thinking just 5 months earlier?? I for one was watching that match thinking 'f*ck, we gotta tie this boy down asap'.

True, the badge kissing would have lead you to believe he was 'ours' but this was all AFTER O Neill didn't play him in the competitive match so that can't be used as an excuse either for O Neill to think he wouldn't switch.

Anyone saying 'Well, I didn't hear the fans moaning when he didn't play against Moldova' miss the point. It was his (well paid) job to know all the facts and he feel asleep at the wheel.

The proof that he knew he messed up was when he threw Obafemai on for the last 10 mins against Denmark. It was an admittance that you can't let these things fester in case 6 months down the line the English realise what the could have and the media get involved. Buck stops with O Neill for letting it become the circus it has.

Alright Clinton Baptiste !