I posted this over on reddit, but I feel like there's usually more chatter over here: I have been thinking about this for awhile, and ran it past some friends of mine who frequent Revolution games: Why don't the Revs try to pick off players from the Airtricity League in Ireland? I understand that MLS is a much higher quality than the Irish league, but I have also noticed that top players from the league have moved on to greener pastures. For example, Daryl Horgan moved from Preston North End recently after a crazy-good run of form for Dundalk. I've seen him play and would take him over Bunbury yesterday. It seems that MLS teams as a whole tend to try and pick up good South American players from their respective domestic leagues - and lord knows I think the Revs should do the same - but I think there could be a distinct advantage to going out and getting some quality from the Irish league for bargain-basement prices. It seems to me that someone from that league could move to and enjoy the Boston area - especially if you consider the deep Irish roots and feel to the area. I can also see Irish-American fans taking to an Irish player, if indeed he can carry on in MLS. And it's not like the Revs can't do the math on a player's quality from an obscure league (See: Delamea) I see guys over there like Brandon Miele and Sean Maguire and think to myself: Why the hell not? It wouldn't break the bank, and the players have to know that MLS is a step up. Anyway, I know it's random, but those are my thoughts.
Ah, how quickly they forget Ryan Guy! But if you look at league coefficients, Ireland is way, way down there -- below Cyprus, below Kazakhstan, below Liechtenstein. The short answer to your question is just that there are lots of better places to look.
That makes total sense, but I guess that leads me to another question. How do the Revs even find a guy like Delamea? I can't imagine they have a particularly large scouting staff. At that level - Slovenia, Finland, Ireland - is it all just word of mouth and hours watching film?
I could see them doing this around 1996, but not now. As others have said, the quality of the league overall is nowhere near as high as MLS. Look around the league and you'll see similar examples--Minnesota has some guys from Scandinavian leagues (which is also soooo 1996), but those guys are clearly a step below what they need from a foreign signing. Now there are good Irish players, but most of them play in England for much better wages than what the Revs could offer. I wish the Revs would look in Argentina, but Burns is prolly a-skeert that he'd fall off the earth, because everything is upside-down in the Southern Hemisphere.
My favorite memory is what Steve Nicol said about him. Something along the lines of: "He only signed with us because he had a bird in Boston." Ah, the things we do for love...
I also think he was indirectly responsible for the TV broadcasts to do away with the coach interviews while the game is still going on. One time they were interviewing Nicol, and he was clearly just giving them some stupid cliches so they'd hurry up and go away, while paying attention to the game. "Ehhhh, weh gut tae make sure we doan looose are shape enn tha meddell of the paark..." Just then Baker took the ball down deep in the corner and attempted a cross. He shanked it off the side of his foot and it went out for a GK. "...track back an ge' be-haynd tha baw an'... JAAAAYZUS CHRUUUYST!!!! ...Uh, sorry abooot thaaa..." "OK Steve, we'll let you get back to the game." "Ta."
I agree with the OP. The Irish league would be a good place to mine for players, even if it's just for reserves. Surely there must be many Irish players who are above the standard in the Irish league but not good enough for the EPL. Why should they go to the Championship/League One instead of Boston?
Because they can make a lot more money there, plan in a more familiar environment closer to home. And if they are no better than American collge players, why should we use foreign slots on a player who shouldn't be making mroe than $100,000?
Marketing to whom? Do you really think Irish immigrants are going to come out to watch anyone other than Keane? Aren't we past pandering to specific ethnic demographics, or are we still stuck in MLS 1.0?
I think Irish immigrants would come out and watch anyone on the Irish national team, possibly including U20 players. Obviously not as many, but hey - we have empty roster spots, why not use them on a player like this? Also it's not like we're in the Bundesliga where there are only a limited number of players that can play at this level. Many players can play at MLS' level, so why not focus on players that might also provide a marketing bump? I also think that a 15 second promo spot done by a Revs player with an Irish accent would get fans like my wife more interested...
We had 11k for a midweek game against Celtic. I had an argument with a Celtic fan who after saying he'd like to come to more Revs games, proceeded to tell me that he couldn't get to Gillette. While standing at Gillette. No thanks, to pandering...
But these aren't Irish NT players. Those guys are playing in England and would be DPs if they came here. Sure, Keane would have been a coup for attracting local Irish immigrants (and other Premo-philes), and in hindsight it's a shame that they blew it. But the guys you are talking about are more at the Richie Baker level. If they were a lot better, they'd be getting $250-300k a year in England. I don't know if the guys in the Irish League are up to MLS level Anecdotal to be sure, but lots of the Revs conversations I had back in the day with Irish guys was along the lines of them thinking it wasn't worth their while to watch "college players." The dirty little secret is that in Ireland itself, more people are fans of Englsh Premiership teams (often those with Irish players) than they are of Sligo Rovers and Bray Wanderers. You can look at it this way: Would people in, say New Jersey rather go see the Trenton Thunder play live or watch the Yankees, Mets, or Phillies on TV? Same thing here. There is a difference between TV fans and live fans. Now if somehow the Revs could sign an Irish NT player who was willing to play within the Revs' budget "guidelines" and he was in the top-third in the league at his position, I'd be all for it. It would be an extra bonus if some local Irish folk jumped on the bandwagon, but if the same level player was from anywhere else, I'd want to sign him too, regardless of his ethnic appeal (or lack of it).
It's true. My company has an office in Waterford, Ireland. I don't know anyone there that follows Waterford United, but there are plenty that follow the EPL.
True - but all the guys that end up in the EPL (and in the Championship etc) start in Ireland. I'd like to grab them before they hop on a ferry.