Opinion is the elixir of sport. The wheels of discussion that form the backbone of every sporting occasion are turned by the thoughts, usually expressed with great verbosity, of those who hold genuine passion for their sport.
Without this verbal tête-à-tête the impact of even the great sporting occasions would be bereft of the gloss that lingers long after the event itself.
Hence, those who hold passion for the eircom League of Ireland could quite understandably be casting opinions on the relative merits of the new Republic of Ireland manager's selection of the 40-man panel for the two forthcoming International games.
In particular, the lack of any representation whatsoever from the domestic game could provoke the not-so-idle thought of 'What's the story, Trapattoni?'
l know that the boul' Trap would not know his Healy and Gambles from his Proctor and Gambles, nor would he be able to differentiate between Stephen Kenny and Letterkenny. And why should he?
Indeed, if Trapattini possesses the manipulability to successfully steer the Republic of Ireland through the minefield of qualification and into the 2010 World Cup finals, we will give him Proctor and Gamble all for himself, and he could do whatsoever his likes with Letterkenny.
I'm sure the people of Letterkenny would not mind moving to Stranorlar or Ballybofey were it to ensure Ireland's qualification for South Africa. They wouldn't, would they? I mean, it's not as if we were asking them to move to Longford or somewhere like that is it? Ask not what your country and all that.
Anyway, is it natural and fair for eircom League fans to ponder the possibility of whether any home-based player or players are good enough to attain entry to the top 40 Irish professional footballers plying their trade at this moment in time? Well, of course it is.
If the game is all about opinion then how can anyone's opinion be denigrated or disregarded irrespective of how or why it is formulated once it is not based on malice?
Well, my opinion has no base of malice and I know you well enough to fully vouch for your own complete and utter absence of malice, so therefore what eircom League of Ireland player, in your honest opinion, is good enough to make it into Ireland's top 40?
Well, Healy and Gamble clean up absolutely everything in midfield for Cork City (I like a good pun), Keith Fahey and Paddy McCourt open up opposing defences for fun, while Mark Quigley is showing genuine promise.
However, at the risk of being accused of bias, I believe only Healy, and perhaps McCourt, would not be out of place in Ireland's top 40, with Gamble perhaps not far behind.
I am unsure of McCourt's eligibility for the Republic but if we can contemplate depopulating Letterkenny then we can bestow Paddy Mc with a green cap, although he may have to have some serious tonsorial adjustments to allow it be placed on his head.
In truth, while eircom League of Ireland football has progressed substantially there is still some way to go. During my playing days, League of Ireland international players were common.
As an 18-year-old I joined a dressing room at Shamrock Rovers that housed five or six current international players. Mick Leech, Mick Lawler and I added to that number over the next few years, and there were others like us around the league.
Unfortunately from the late 80s up to recent times there have been very few domestic players considered good enough to follow that trend, but things are getting better.
Thankfully the advent of full-time football and the cathartic move to summer soccer has hastened an enormous adjustability which has quickly improved the image of the league and the performers contained therein.
I also accept that the most welcome progression in European competitions over the past three or four years has increased the confidence of all concerned, and raised the profile considerably.
However, the reality is that professional football is a hard business and those performing in England are more used to the harsh mental and physical demands coming on a weekly basis.
It is ultimately the mental demands that matter most in any footballer's progression onto the international stage.
I was always struck by the immense levels of concentration that top players possess. The difference between the best and those coming behind is rarely down to talent. It is essentially an innate belief in one's ability boosted greatly by the mental capacity to ensure nothing gets in the way of success.
That, in a nutshell, is why I believe that the advent of the ten-club eircom League next season is vital. It will guarantee hard, demanding tests week-in, week-out.
The ensuing mental toughness that will accrue will elevate the performance levels substantially and this should manifest itself in Europe where the most important credibility still lies.
I accept fully that you will have an informed opinion on this matter. I also understand that you may prefer a weekend away in the Hilton Hotel in Letterkenny rather than trek all the way to South Africa for a game of ball. But don't have a go at me. It was Trapattoni who started all this.
