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Daily Manchester United - Episode 146 - Denis Irwin Ballon D'Or?!
8 Plays2 hours ago
Niall is joined by Peter to discuss Irish players for United over the years
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Transcript
Irish Influence on Manchester United's European Success
00:00:09
Global Sports Podcast Network
Hello everyone and welcome back to another episode of the daily Manchester United podcast. I'm your host for this evening Niall Hannigan and I'm delighted to be joined by Pete. Pete, how's it going?
00:00:19
Pete
Yeah, Peter Fitzpatrick's a good full name. But yeah, not too bad. And comes a fellow Irishman on.
00:00:27
Global Sports Podcast Network
Absolutely, yeah and you made your debut on yesterday's yesterday's podcast with Kieran and Tom. How'd that go for you?
00:00:34
Pete
Yeah, it was good. The nerves were there, but it came on. Wasn't quite Rashford's day here at Makeda's, but ah happy with the run out and hungry from wars, I say.
00:00:45
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah yeah you just get your first few touches in and then you're fine then like so no i'm glad it went well but yeah we were kind of classic one of these kind of middle middle of the week episodes we were kind of struggling to decide what we were going to have a chat about today a lot of different topics kind of flying about but since uh since we're both irish you're you're new into the team as well we decided to kind of talk about that connection i suppose between
00:00:48
Pete
Yeah. yeah
00:01:09
Global Sports Podcast Network
between Ireland and United. um And you made a ah good point around all of our our European glory when it comes to the the Champions League. There's always been a bit of Irish contingency there as well. like So looks like we're going to have to get another one in.
00:01:24
Pete
Yeah, big time. And as I said before we did the podcast, the main hope at the moment, because I don't really see anyone, far if Evan Ferguson kicks on, obviously, and there's not really anyone on the Irish team that you'd be kind of looking at to buy, but ah Jack Morehouse in the 21s, that is how been following the squad, he's in the squad against Arsenal.
00:01:40
Global Sports Podcast Network
Mm-hmm.
00:01:43
Pete
I think he'll get his debut before the end of season. and I didn't know when I saw him, and and someone said, Ireland under 21 international, and I straight away got onto Wikipedia, and I was like, oh, he is.
00:01:54
Pete
and he got his debut last month. So if Heimer Hall-Grebson is somehow listening to this, just cap him next month, even if not for Ireland, just for United fans, we need one in our squad.
00:02:06
Pete
ah It's United, it Ireland, and ah Scandinavians, and we have actually a lot of Scandinavians in our squad.
00:02:12
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, yeah.
00:02:13
Pete
and So I think we're well stocked there. so I know.
00:02:16
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah Arguably too many Scandinavians at the moment, like...
00:02:18
Pete
I think we'll be losing. and Yeah, we'll lose Ericsson and Lindelof going for ease, and we'll kind of do a swap deal and get an Irish player in and Johnny Evans, we won't forget to Johnny Evans, of course, but, uh, he's off in the summer.
00:02:25
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah. Yeah.
00:02:29
Pete
It seems probably res retiring. So, uh, we need to get the, uh, the green shade back in.
00:02:35
Global Sports Podcast Network
Definitely. and And hopefully Johnny can go back to his his original kind of
Johnny Evans: Past, Present, and Future
00:02:40
Global Sports Podcast Network
ambassadorial role, managerial role within United.
00:02:40
Pete
Yeah. Yeah.
00:02:43
Pete
yeah Sure. His wife, uh, his wife works for MUTV. She's a presenter.
00:02:47
Global Sports Podcast Network
All right.
00:02:47
Pete
So yeah.
00:02:47
Global Sports Podcast Network
Okay.
00:02:48
Pete
Yeah. So there was, he did it. He's all been on the official you United podcasts and, uh, I think they were talking about it was great it's great that he came back because it made their commutes easier and stuff like that.
00:03:01
Pete
I think he was mainly based in Manchester because he played for Leicester in West Brom and it's not that far away.
00:03:06
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:03:06
Pete
So he's like red to the core. i remember he definitely said when he was at West Brom that oh no, he said maybe was at Sunderland Unown, or that either they were he was playing for West Brom and they were like, yeah, we want United to still win, even though you're playing.
00:03:21
Pete
And then I think the Sunderland, he was always playing for Sunderland. They missed one of his games. That was really important. They were like, well, like you know I know we're about to win the league. i think he And I think he said, he's like, I would do the exact same. So there was no hard feelings.
00:03:34
Pete
um But yeah, had a lot love for Johnny Evans. We should never have sold him in the first place. It was one of, ah him and Raphael went in the same summer under Van Gaal. Kind of, I don't know, took a bit of the identity out of the team. And they were the kind of guys who got us, ah the Fergie era that came up to the ranks, obviously.
00:03:50
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, definitely. I mean, ah he did put in some decent performances when he came back. um And that's, don't know if that's an indictment of Johnny Evans or the rest the squad, but he did he did do well when he was in there.
00:04:02
Pete
Yeah, think it's a bit of both.
00:04:02
Global Sports Podcast Network
You know, there was a couple of times he was called upon.
00:04:05
Pete
Yeah, I remember, but well well, he made, he came on, i remember watching, I was actually at a day two of a wedding, and somehow it was, oh, it was an Irish wedding, but it was in Italy, half the same family, and ah for some reason was like, how is there not to know United fans here, of all these Irish people, all Arsenal fans, and we were playing, and we lost, it was the Garnato offside, and that game, Rice, and so on,
00:04:26
Global Sports Podcast Network
um Okay, okay, okay.
00:04:28
Pete
But remember Johnny Evans came on because we had like an injury. Someone came on, think Maguire came on and he got injured. So then Evans came on and was like, we're three games into the season. Johnny Evans is playing. That's centre back.
00:04:38
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:04:38
Pete
I didn't think I'd see you. ah And then he played against Burnley. I think it was getting one of the after Burnley and he got the assist for Bruno, like Cosfield then Bruno put it in. But even this season, like remember Ten Hag, obviously he was fighting for his job, last in Villa away and he put in Evans and Maguire. We played like
00:04:55
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:04:55
Pete
the lowest of low blocks but Johnny Evans is absolutely brilliant and
Van Gaal's Impact on United's Identity
00:05:00
Pete
in like in like an ideal world if we had a 29 year old Johnny Evans he'd be starring for us every week and he'd suit the back three a lot I think so ah I only have yeah lot of respect and time for Johnny Evans and um but in a way I'm like you need to like be poor Matt like you're in your 37 like you can't be playing in this team like it's too chaotic for you
00:05:17
Global Sports Podcast Network
I know. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
00:05:20
Global Sports Podcast Network
It is, yeah. He's probably asking himself the same question, but yeah, I mean, I'm pretty sure that game match the day did a feature on him because of how good he was.
00:05:24
Pete
i
00:05:27
Pete
They did, yeah. like
00:05:28
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:05:29
Pete
He got mad in the match on Sky. And apparently, I was like, the tag's going regardless. We're kind of just delaying the inevitable here. And in a way, you're like, it would be the end of the world if you lost.
00:05:36
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:05:39
Pete
you're like, ah, but Johnny Evans deserves his clean sheet. Like, he's an absolute stormer.
00:05:44
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:05:44
Pete
and And i think as though I think he was on the bench. he on the bench the weekend? He was on the bench for one of recently. I think with the, you're obviously the rope and so on, I'd say John E. Evans will get game time at some point. And he deserves it. You'd like him to get a last game at Old Trafford and quite often at the sunset.
00:06:02
Pete
and I also, like I said, the ambassador role, him and Tom Heaton, I think, ah obviously they both came to the academy. They get it. I
John O'Shea's Versatility and Cultural Contribution
00:06:10
Pete
think they'd be good people to keep on as coaches and like Phil Jones with the 18s. Just kind of keep that like guys who set the example and the standard. So, yeah.
00:06:20
Global Sports Podcast Network
Definitely, yeah. I think Darren Flechter as well is involved with the club quite heavily.
00:06:22
Pete
yeah yeah
00:06:24
Global Sports Podcast Network
And yeah, a lot of those kind of former players have done that. So I think it makes sense. I think he's just, you know, three years late to that. he was expecting to have that straight away, but was called into action.
00:06:31
Pete
yeah
00:06:35
Global Sports Podcast Network
But yeah, absolute legend, I suppose. But ah yeah, it was interesting interesting when you say and we we probably should have kept him because... arguably was he the better centre back with Maguire at Leicester?
00:06:46
Global Sports Podcast Network
um you know Did he make Maguire look even better than what he was or was it all Johnny Evans?
00:06:51
Pete
i
00:06:52
Global Sports Podcast Network
like you know That Leicester team was excellent.
00:06:53
Pete
Yeah, yeah. And, yeah, that Leicester team, butgo like, you think about it, like, McGuire and Evans, is it better than, like, oh, obviously they won the league, like, Robert Huth and Wes Morgan, but Johnny Evans, people were, like, Arsenal were linked to him, and like, when he was leaving West Brom, and there was a lot of, like, talk.
00:07:07
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah. City were linked as well with him.
00:07:09
Pete
and Yeah, I always feel like John Evans' kind of bloke who'd be like, I won't go to United's rivals, like, because he's a proper diehard, or his family wouldn't let him or something. But, you know, he was very much playing, a but like, West Brom, he was playing so below the standard he was at I know Leicester were more like FA Cup and Europa and they should have got to the top four a few times it was more his standard but yeah I think him and Maguire were a good mix because Maguire obviously is probably more physical but Johnny Evans was actually really good in the ball calm and they just kind of worked well together but it's funny Johnny Evans when he left I think we like he's one of those many players if you think about when people always revisionism obviously is big thing in football
00:07:24
Global Sports Podcast Network
Mm-hmm.
00:07:53
Pete
But people always say, oh, Fergie left an awful squad. And I kind of disagree with it. I'm like, okay, yeah, like we won the league by 10 or 11 points. And these players, the people were like thinking, oh, if they're going England squads and whatever happens to the club, Phil Jones, Smalling, Clever Lee, Welbeck, Johnny Evans, obviously North Irish. But then you also had De Gea was there, Raphael, loads of a attackers. They still had some of the old guards.
00:08:19
Pete
And I'm like, yeah, it needed to be added to. And then new managers came in and the whole thing was just an absolute mess. But they really... ah you just I'm kind of like, no, like those players, they're the players who suffered after Fergie left because they, one, had only played under him and they were still quite young and kind of developing.
00:08:35
Pete
Johnny Evans was 25, but he was still wasn't a... fur he wasn't like a like We had four or five centre-backs. ah But it all kind of just went, became a mess. And Van Hal seemed to have very little time for Evans.
00:08:46
Pete
but you're thinking about like Johnny Evans 100% would have been better than like Marcus Rojo or even like guys like Dally Blinn was playing centre back you're kind was Johnny Evans not like the original Dally Blinn left footed, posed but also a bit more physical so yeah I kind of I'm just glad he got back to United to end his career because it was he went out in a kind weird way at the start
00:08:54
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, yeah.
00:09:11
Global Sports Podcast Network
Definitely, especially with a back three as well, with with Ten Hag. As you mentioned before, it would have suited him down to the ground because he actually can play a bit of ball and is physical and can play probably... He is predominantly left footed but could play across all three positions in the back three as well. You'd be happy enough with them centrally. So, um
Irish Players Shaping United's Legacy
00:09:30
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah, a bit of a strange one. Yeah, I'm a bit torn with that that squad that was left. I think there were a few players that were...
00:09:37
Global Sports Podcast Network
that that next season we're going to be over the hill like you know you saw we saw Ferdinand at QPR um but I think yeah there' there was definitely it shouldn't have been as bad as it was um and it should have been looked after better
00:09:40
Pete
Yeah.
00:09:47
Pete
No, I... like Yeah, I do think, like, obviously that squad needed, like, refinement. And also, like, the last four, three or four years of Fergie, like, it's not like he was being given, like, £100 million to spend or anything.
00:09:58
Global Sports Podcast Network
no
00:09:59
Pete
He was working off, like, post-Ralent Tevez, he was working off, like, we've got winners here and we know how to do the job. It was what the United, like, mentality he was getting us by, and him. But yeah, it obviously needed... more than Marlon Fellaini that summer but it was that was the real mess it was like need to get some players in but then Moise like there still was players in that squad it wasn't I just think people kind of what was Moise supposed to do it was like no Moise wasn't good wasn't big enough for the job he didn't like some of the things he said and the way whatever maybe some of the players maybe some of the senior players probably should stepped up a bit more and kind of like you know give them hand I think that like there are two issues at the same time like he wasn't supported but he also wasn't the right guy
00:10:12
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:10:37
Pete
and And then you could say that literally in all the
Post-Ferguson Challenges
00:10:40
Pete
managers that we've had since. So, and yeah. But, yeah, was that was kind that was the end of the Irish. Paddy McNair was there under, um and you kind of forget Paddy McNair, and he was the last player until Evans came back.
00:10:49
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:10:54
Pete
And it was, you remember, I always remember reminding me of when the Galacticos were in their first iteration, like the early 2000s. Perez always said, he was like, the policy was like, Pavon's ease of dance. Because Pavon,
00:11:08
Pete
was like a local lad centre-back the academy.
00:11:11
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah
00:11:11
Pete
So, and I was like, we are doing that. We have Falco, Van Persie, Rooney, Mata, Di Maria up top, and at the back we've got Tyler Blackett and Paddy McNair. was like, this team doesn't make any sense.
00:11:23
Pete
no like It was like the most half-heavy team you'd ever seen at the start of that season. and
00:11:27
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:11:27
Pete
And we went to Arsenal away and we played the two of them and we won. So it it was just very strange.
00:11:33
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, it was classic, we'll just score more than you, and that's it.
00:11:36
Pete
Yeah, we didn't even score how many goals. We just,
00:11:38
Global Sports Podcast Network
We should have...
00:11:38
Pete
kind of just We just got
Dennis Irwin: The Underrated Star
00:11:40
Pete
by. I don't know what it was. ah McNair only played... I think he was gone by... can he was down he definitely didn't play under Mourinho. He was kind of one of those...
00:11:49
Pete
Valhalla did bring through the U, to be fair, and he kind of blended it with like massively expensive flops. It was just a really weird team. But yeah, we waited.
00:11:57
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:12:00
Pete
and It was a long time. It was eight yeah eight years, basically, between having anyone from the 32 counties in the team.
00:12:06
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah. No, definitely. We'll we'll discuss a couple more after this break.
00:13:07
Global Sports Podcast Network
Another man that yeah goes down in this podcast history, he's been mentioned quite a lot, is is that is John O'Shea, the multifunctional player, the the player that nutmegs Vigo. He really does the lot, really. But ah yeah, sum him up for us.
00:13:24
Pete
and what was this nick time it ah say it was night in a brazilian ka was like toba coffee with him i think ah one point maybe the water the water for cafu
00:13:35
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, well, let's go with that.
00:13:35
Pete
ah but yeah we' got water of caro
00:13:36
Global Sports Podcast Network
Let's go with
00:13:38
Pete
ah yeah he was bread lake im he was like he in fact he came in when he first got on the team sales in two thousand and three he again he came in erwin retired he made his day but erwin retired then he came in and it was like this like Bayer belts of Irish lads like oh there's always one or two Roy Keane and friend like Roy Keane needs a friend so we'll give him an Irish guy but he was brilliant in his first season was a brilliant that was season he not like Figo and he was like a marauding left back he was everywhere and he could as he said he could play centre back right back centre mid did the lot and then remember you kind of say like people were like yeah he I don't he made team this season but he was sort like up in the running for a young player and all ah but he then kind of like
00:13:56
Global Sports Podcast Network
that.
00:14:00
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, yeah.
00:14:22
Pete
He didn't probably hit the heights at United that people might have thought at the start. Then he became like such an important part of the squad. He was jack of all trades.
00:14:30
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, yeah.
00:14:30
Pete
He could play everywhere. did play everywhere, even a goal. He had spurs. Kept the clean sheet. ah And ah yeah, he was just... like and the best one that John O'Shea... One, he never let you down, John O'Shea. He'd always put in like a solid 7 out of 10.
00:14:46
Pete
You knew what you were getting, reliable. In the Darren Fretrick on a Wes Brown mode, I think Wes Brown was overall a better player. But their kind of guy, party song, we can rely on you, put you in, do a job.
00:14:56
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah
00:14:57
Pete
And for like like having Ronaldo or someone who's like, you'll do the running. But he always scored big goals. He scored so many big goals for us. He scored that tip against our Arsenal 4-2. He scored against Arsenal in the Champions League semi-final.
00:15:12
Pete
So the last time Arsenal played in the semi-final, they mentioned it when they beat Real. So the last time Arsenal played in the semi-final, John O'Shea scored the winner. And then in the first leg and then he also scored winner at Anfield obviously in in last minute which like basically was like that season it was like the moment everyone was like we're going to win the
Roy Carroll's Memorable Moments
00:15:30
Pete
league which was obviously huge and and yeah he just yeah like see again and left where 2011 went like every United player of at that era just went to Sunday all went to Sunderland Roy Keane started the trend and they all went he just got a
00:15:43
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, yeah, yeah. So Neil Quinn effect. Yeah.
00:15:47
Pete
Yeah, Roy Keane and Niall Quinn just got like their con they got out like their phone book and they're like, right, ex-United, Irish or Celtic. We can't, like no one else.
00:15:56
Global Sports Podcast Network
Exactly, yeah.
00:15:57
Pete
ah Yeah. um But no, he was a great, yeah, can I show you? Like great, you know, he had a fantastic United career. Started the Champions League final for us. Won multiple league titles. Was there. ah Yeah, like he was just a great, like, he's a foot soldier of sorts. Like someone, you know, you can steal the show, but you will just do the job and he popped up at some great moments.
00:16:17
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, no, absolute hero. Like, um You're dead right. You summed it up well. Big goals could could kind of fit into any position, really. Do a job for the team. um And there was a lot of kind of players like that
The Enduring Legacy of Irish Players
00:16:30
Global Sports Podcast Network
that that Ferguson kind of had. You know, they were good footballers, but like you mentioned, they wouldn't be they wouldn't be grabbing any headlines as well. But they were always kind of mainstays within those teams and within those squads and were always called upon. Like, you know, the likes of Flectures. You have the Raphael twins as well that were there. You had...
00:16:49
Global Sports Podcast Network
Darren Gibson for a while, another Irishman we must mention. But ah yeah, you kind of had cleverly, I suppose, towards the end, like Welbeck did a job.
00:16:56
Pete
yeah
00:16:57
Global Sports Podcast Network
All these kind of players that, you know, probably comes down to the man management of it to to really get the best out of these players to kind of surround them with them with superstars.
00:17:07
Pete
I think as well, like Phil and Evel was kind of in that category for a while as well.
00:17:11
Global Sports Podcast Network
Hmm.
00:17:11
Pete
But they were kind of got a lot of, just thinking about it there, like most of those guys, lot them came through the academy. And even like the De Silva twins were at United from 16, 17. And they were obsessed with United.
00:17:22
Pete
So think there was kind of thing that would you rather play
00:17:25
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:17:25
Pete
35-40 games for United, win some trophies, blah, blah, blah, be an important part the squad, or play 50 at Everton or Villa. And I think they all knew, being like, Fergie was obviously brilliant at that. like It's always talked about all the books and the million podcasts that are like the one we're on, but the overlap, basically, they just talk about this every week, of being told, you'll make a difference for me this season, or you'll be playing, in three weeks' time, I will need you.
00:17:42
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:17:46
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah,
00:17:52
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah.
00:17:52
Pete
so it would be like, it was all Yeah, and I think these guys just bought into the culture. They were really important. like They set the culture of these guys. The kind of guys who were always there, were always in the squad.
00:18:05
Pete
As you said, we asked you about and they didn't seal the headlines, but they kind of just like yeah kept the thing taking over.
00:18:10
Global Sports Podcast Network
No, definitely. And we we actually mentioned this, myself and Ciarán, on think was Tuesday night or Monday night. No, actually, um you know, you' I was making the point after the Wolves game that it's it's kind of embarrassing to get up for the big games and then not have the same mentality when it comes to kind of the Premier League games. And you're kind of looking around that dressing room going, who is actually bringing that culture and that mentality and that kind steeliness to every game? And you're you're really kind of struggling to pick out a few players but the players that we've kind of been speaking about were those players that were driving that culture and it wasn't necessarily the star players all the time but you can't really put your finger on a lot of them you know bruno at the moment has been over particularly over the last few months kind of been been carrying it i suppose um but in terms of you know a good strong core within that dressing room i just don't think that's been developed yet and that's not something you can kind of switch on overnight
00:19:06
Pete
Yeah, that's kind of like one of the, yeah, like like yeah almost the intangibles. Like culture is an overused term, obviously.
00:19:12
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah,
00:19:14
Pete
It's more just like you've good people in that dressing room. who Like I do agree with you that they'll get off the big games. It's not hard it' to get up for playing Liverpool or Chuttonby.
00:19:24
Global Sports Podcast Network
Exactly.
00:19:24
Pete
But it's like, yeah, there is that element. I know but maybe we're all guilty at the moment being like, oh, the league doesn't matter and so on. But that's different us saying it. I don't want the players thinking, like, you're playing for United.
00:19:35
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, per like, yeah.
00:19:35
Pete
You have to play well. Every game you play, you have to do well. That's just a prerequisite. And I do think, like, I like... All the young lads coming in seem to have a good mindset, mentality. And a part of has always thought, like, we don't need to have... We don't need, like, Victor Lindelof in the squad on, like, £150,000 a week. And he's, like, sixth choice centre-back.
00:19:55
Pete
So it's good that he's leaving.
00:19:55
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:19:56
Pete
and But you make your fifth and sixth choice guys... young lads, like the Colliers, these fellas, like, there's lots of good lads coming to the academy teams, like Amas has made an impact, Fredrickson, it's hard to know because these, that game against Wolves, like, no, neither team were ready to play for, kind of felt like a dead rubber, but it's hard know, but I do think, like, you both have these guys, the guys come through the United system and the academy and they kind of but bought in, and, like, that's what we've lacked, like, we haven't had a good, like,
00:20:13
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah
00:20:27
Pete
local to like local local they don't have to be local but like you obviously want the irish guys and but you have to have guys who've like bought into like united from a young age and they had to it's hard to come through an academy and get in the first team so they've already they're like they're really they just yeah and and they're like i've had to grind to get here i wasn't just bought for 50 million so yeah i just i think it kind of ties in with we um
00:20:39
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, yeah. They're super hungry, like, yeah, yeah.
00:20:52
Pete
you don't always heart back to like the Fergie days and so on, but there are things you obviously pick up from previous eras. yeah like You surround yourself with good guys. I've always thought good age profiles as well. We've got way too many.
00:21:04
Pete
can't just have all young lads. We need guys who are... said this last night. We need guys who are like Cunha, like 25, 26, that kind of age. Look, hungry, ready to go. ah like the fact that he seems a bit mad. it kind of We need guys like that who are not going to be happy losing games.
00:21:21
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah I'll definitely go through the motions yeah
00:21:21
Pete
um Because it does seem there's a lot of players who are oh like you putting up an it putting up an Instagram post after a game. it's like I don't understand that. I just don't understand that mentality. So we do need... I think that comes from the academy and it comes from yeah just like the standard setters, basically, as we said.
00:21:39
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah no absolutely and We've somehow veered into a bit of ah a culture discussion, but ah yeah, I'm sure we'll we'll bring it back to maybe a couple more Irish players anyway, just after this short break.
00:21:58
Global Sports Podcast Network
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00:22:13
Global Sports Podcast Network
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00:22:28
Global Sports Podcast Network
Going back to that 99 team, Dennis Irwin is a player that is a talked about very, very highly by the players that played with him and a lot of players and his peers at the time. But sometimes it's kind of forgotten about and when it comes to those kind of wider conversations. But just how good was he?
00:22:48
Pete
ah I actually can't remember seeing him much, to be honest. ah ro I started watching football paul primarily from about 2000, but I really got into it. The season after was one of the first seasons, I probably remember things, and that was his final season.
00:23:02
Pete
But again, like everyone's watched the videos, the clips, the season reviews, and again, like you say, the way everyone talks about him. And Fergie said, on my all-time team, he's the first in the team sheet, because he'd always be like 7 out of 10.
00:23:14
Pete
There's no messing with him.
00:23:17
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:23:17
Pete
But yeah, like you're right, he's never put them these to place because I think, yeah, I'm almost sure Neville was like, now Aaron was a better right back than me, but he was also a better left back than the other guy.
00:23:26
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah. Yeah.
00:23:27
Pete
So he was just this like brilliant player and most decorated Irish player of all time. Over 500 caps, 5 against United. and Free kicks, penalties, cross a ball, two-footed, going both ways, and back to the culture thing, he was a guy with that.
00:23:45
Pete
And... I always kind of feel like the guys that Roy Keane loves, like, he must be, like, the perfect person because this guy's, like, he seems not, he seems not like a i lot of the guys he used to play with.
00:23:56
Pete
So I'm kind of like the guys he likes. I'm like, you must be made up the right stuff. But now, Erwin, I think that's almost, that sums him up. As you were saying, like, he's not in these discussions. That's what he was. He was understated.
00:24:07
Global Sports Podcast Network
Mm-hmm.
00:24:08
Pete
But everyone who played with him knows how good he was. and I don't like, den you don't see Dennis, ah he's like an ambassador of United, you never see Dennis Erwin, like, coming out with a claim like, oh, he doesn't talk badly about the current players and he's not there like trying to stay in the limelight.
00:24:22
Pete
I think he's happy just doing his job and yeah, from what everyone said, what a player and it was always brilliant. like I remember so getting into football around that age in in Ireland, obviously, it was mad being like, there's two guys from Cork in this team.
00:24:36
Pete
One of them's the one them de captain, the other guy takes the penalties and it just felt, my thats that's where, I imagine you have the exact same feeling.
00:24:37
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, exactly.
00:24:40
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:24:44
Pete
It always felt like oh, this is like Ireland's team. Like, this is our team. We've got all, like, there's players in the team and all the history.
00:24:49
Global Sports Podcast Network
Mm-hmm.
00:24:52
Pete
And, like, even, like, my, I have a great anecdote, actually. My granddad is still alive. He's 93. And he told me that, like, Munich air disaster, an Irish fella died, Billy Whelan, Liam Whelan, a really good striker.
00:25:06
Global Sports Podcast Network
Mm-hmm.
00:25:06
Pete
And he from Cabra in Dublin, where my granddad's from. There's a bridge down there from there. And he said there was about, like, 100,000 people went to the funeral, know like, the streets were packed. And it was that moment that United became Ireland's team.
00:25:18
Pete
So it's always been like this thing. And then, yeah, so it's weird. It's mad, like the thing that just kind of any part of Ireland, like we're not even from, we're nowhere near each other in our small country, but it does just transcend everywhere.
00:25:31
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah. Yeah.
00:25:33
Pete
Like you go anywhere in Ireland and see a jersey or you see some talking about it. And it's, yeah, but it just, it was mad as a seven year old back in 2001 being like, Those guys are from where I've been on holidays.
00:25:46
Pete
ended up playing for that.
00:25:46
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah
00:25:47
Pete
so It just didn't make any sense.
00:25:49
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, it is mental. Like, um i think the the Urban one, you can only imagine how good he'd be now and how in today's kind of game with attack and fallbacks and the amount of kind of, um I suppose, the amount of profile that's given to those types of players as well.
00:26:01
Pete
Yeah.
00:26:06
Global Sports Podcast Network
Like, could you imagine a two-footed fallback taking penalties and taking free kicks now? Like, you're talking Trent. Like, you know,
00:26:13
Pete
Yeah, you're talking Trent to talk about winning the Ballon d'Or. Try and beat Dennis Irwin first.
00:26:18
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah
00:26:18
Pete
like yeah i'll tell you You're not taking pens over Salah. like He was taking penalties over York and Cole and Beckham. and like like It was Scoles. It was mad.
00:26:28
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:26:28
Pete
ah And yeah, as you said, like the two-footed fullback. left-back who cuts in is the trendiest thing ever now. Irwin would be coming in as extra midfielder. Yeah, like he would.
00:26:40
Pete
That is the weird thing. like Maybe he'd be more appreciated in this era.
00:26:43
Global Sports Podcast Network
Definitely, yeah.
00:26:44
Pete
ah back then it was just like yeah that's just Dennis Erwin he's just pretty good
00:26:49
Global Sports Podcast Network
but What was also scary about it is that, you know, fullbacks back then would have been really just kind of
00:26:56
Pete
defenders yeah I know yeah yeah
00:26:56
Global Sports Podcast Network
prided and kind of talked about their defending so you're telling me he's an unbelievable defender as well as this person that's taking free kicks it's like oh this would be this would be scary like and he'd actually even be better than all those inverted fullbacks because they're inverted fullbacks because they're one footed on the other side he'd be I can I can run the flank mental
00:27:12
Pete
yeah
00:27:15
Pete
Yeah, I think, and, like, just to kind of, like, he played, I just off the top of my head, I think he played, like, 527 games for United, scored 33 goals, and now Gary Neville on the other side has, like, 600-odd United games, he scored seven goals, I'm pretty sure.
00:27:30
Global Sports Podcast Network
Mm-hmm.
00:27:30
Pete
So that's, but it's the only player, like, Gary Neville, he talks to himself bit too much, but I'm like, no, let Dennis Erwin, by all accounts, was the best, like, one of probably United's best, best United full-back of the whole Fergie era, best full-back period of that, like,
00:27:45
Pete
that we've had in that since. Like, Everett was obviously great, but there's no one... Obviously, there's a few that played with both of them, and none of them put Everett in ahead of Erwin. So I think that kind of just adds to, like, the standing of, oh, this guy was a real... just brilliant player.
00:28:00
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, absolutely. And I suppose it's that whole English Premier League versus English League. When was the Premier League started? 90 what? Was it 91 or 92?
00:28:09
Pete
Like, Erwin was...
00:28:09
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, so it's like, oh, well, no football happened before 92.
00:28:12
Pete
irwin was
00:28:13
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, yeah.
00:28:13
Pete
Yeah, Irwin was playing at... Yeah, if you look at Irwin, Irwin was at Leeds in Oldham. Like, he had a serious amount of games before. And then he played another...
00:28:21
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah
00:28:22
Pete
He played the first 10 seasons of the Premier League, won seven league titles, treble, cut three doubles. So, the guy is... Yeah, so he's one more than Keane overall, think.
00:28:35
Pete
yeah Yeah, he's one because he played for United in 1990, I think, as well. ah So, yeah he yeah, he doesn't get When we talk about the best ever Irish football players, he's never really brought up.
00:28:46
Pete
It's always the Keens, McGraths, Brady's, two Keens.
00:28:50
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:28:51
Pete
happy yeah there But we'll put some respect on his name tonight.
00:28:55
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, no, definitely, definitely. Yeah, good to chat about him, actually, because um even when you when you mentioned the overlap, you know, Neville, when you said, ah you know, he's better right back than me, i think he was saying we were lucky we didn't have a left back because that's where everyone had to play and give me bit space in the right.
00:29:10
Global Sports Podcast Network
So, yeah, he could have been couldve ended Gary Neville's career very, very quickly. Yeah.
00:29:16
Pete
Yeah, and but yeah, it was like, we're just off head, even like some funny Irish goalkeepers, just players in general. Like the other Roy, Roy Carroll was always kind of a, kind of I was thinking about him recently, I actually wrote a piece on it of ah so the Onana by Inder situation, and was like, God, it's an awful situation where in when you've got two dodgy goalkeepers, and it was like 20 years ago, we had the exact same thing going into European tie, and it was Roy Carroll and Tim Howard, and Roy Carroll dropped a flanger in the first game,
00:29:26
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:29:33
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:29:46
Global Sports Podcast Network
Mm.
00:29:46
Pete
And it was almost like, how is history repeating itself? and but but there's no e we just need a band of Sarah somehow.
00:29:50
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah
00:29:53
Pete
and But Roy Carroll...
00:29:55
Global Sports Podcast Network
Did you see you see the TNT when they panned to the audience when Ferdinand and Scoles were doing it? And ah he was like, oh you know, it makes me nervous. And panned to Roy Cairn.
00:30:06
Global Sports Podcast Network
He was like, he also made me nervous as well.
00:30:07
Pete
I didn't see it.
00:30:10
Global Sports Podcast Network
He must have read your piece.
00:30:10
Pete
Oh, it's brilliant.
00:30:11
Global Sports Podcast Network
It was brilliant.
00:30:11
Pete
Yeah, God. I feel bad for players like that. Like Roy Carroll... i I looked him up, but he came on, like, bizarrely. Tim Howard started the 0-4 after the final against Millwall.
00:30:22
Pete
I don't remember this. remember watching it. Tim Howard, Rick Howell came on for him with six minutes to go. And it was bit like, I don't know, 3-0 up, but can't be changing the go. it's a bit It was a bit mad.
00:30:32
Global Sports Podcast Network
um Yeah.
00:30:33
Pete
But he was... He kind of was quickly moved to the side, and Roy Carroll. He was never really the first choice United keeper. He was there for Goodwill, though. And he has, like... said you know But he's always he'll always be remembered most for the Pedro Mendes dropping ball in the net.
00:30:48
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:30:48
Pete
And he's like... yeah but So maybe, like, when we think of goal and technology, you should think of Roy Carroll. Because he's probably the one who got it introduced. ah
00:30:58
Global Sports Podcast Network
I'd say when they're doing their PowerPoint deck, he's probably the first slide with like him him and Lampard.
00:31:00
Pete
Oh, they're just like... basic
00:31:02
Global Sports Podcast Network
like Yeah, yeah,
00:31:03
Pete
They must be like, because the best thing is Carroll. Do you know, like, it was so open line that you might be like, it's him. Like, I'm just going to, you know, like, let the ground and swallow it up. He went and pulled back out. And somehow, you know, he kept a clean sheet. But his face, he kind of played it like he didn't do anything wrong.
00:31:20
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah.
00:31:20
Pete
It was unbelievable. and But yeah, he, quite one of those kind of weird, I always think, the the keepers we have between Michael and Flanders are, it was a real, think about Leppelin.
00:31:32
Pete
collection of keepers coming in there there was so many of them um but yeah boy carol there has to be an irish one in there somehow somewhere and we got one in like
00:31:39
Global Sports Podcast Network
Oh, yeah. Yeah, no, definitely. And yeah, i do you do feel sorry for those players because obviously, like, they're at an unbelievable standard. But when you're talking about, you know, from Man United standards, you're just like, oh, he was awful.
00:31:51
Global Sports Podcast Network
But like, he had a great career.
00:31:52
Pete
yeah they're like anywhere they're like any anywhere anywhere else hey he's like you probably have like close to 100 caps for northern ireland and
00:31:54
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah,
00:31:59
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah.
00:32:00
Pete
all your childhood dreams came through, but you're getting mocked. Everyone...
00:32:04
Global Sports Podcast Network
Someone remembers, yeah, that moment. Like, yeah, it's beautiful.
00:32:06
Pete
Yeah, it's tough, like, fun. It's, yeah, but, yeah, it's good for Roy Carroll, you know, like, you you made it, like, we're just we're talking about you. You went and did play for you United.
00:32:17
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, exactly. Exactly. We all wish we were you, Roy Carroll. So it's fine. It's all good. But yeah, I think we'll leave it there. i think we could do another few episodes. When we're back on next, we'll do a few more episodes on these Irish lads because they're just coming out of the woodworks here.
00:32:31
Pete
we could we could even do yeah just a preview for the next you could just do profile on one player and talk through their career and different moments and memories because yeah it was always massive part United's been Ireland no other club outside of the League of Ireland United have had the most Irish players so it's been a huge part out of the club and even things like Busby's first captain to lift the trophy was Irish and like
00:32:32
Global Sports Podcast Network
This is mental.
00:32:58
Pete
that Kevin Moran, first ever, first ever player sent off in FA Cup final was Irish.
00:33:00
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, yeah, exactly.
00:33:04
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:33:04
Pete
Paul McGrath, there's people, like there's, you look at almost every single United, the first captain after Munich have to lift the FA Cup was Irish. and boths that have ethical buyers So there's so many, every kind of like Europe you United has this link and maybe to be good again, we need to get an Irish guy. so That's at Ineos and at Ruben Amarum.
00:33:23
Global Sports Podcast Network
No pressure, Murhouse. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
00:33:27
Pete
Yeah, God, the poor, the we we're we're calling this guy the Messiah, and he hasn't even paid for us yet.
00:33:31
Global Sports Podcast Network
Exactly. yeah We can make the Grealish Rice mistake again. we need to get them We need to get him on the pitch. look so But yeah, Peter, thanks very much for joining me. That was great. And yeah, look forward to the next one.
00:33:42
Pete
Likewise.