Glenn Whelan

[Stuttgart88]

Several well paid managers and his teammates all rate his contributions. Telly watchers and internet posters don't.

[Kingdom]

In Quinn's defence, he doesn't appear to be getting any communications from Wilson behind him to stand his ground, rather than backing off. Now I can't say whether this is something that goes on at the highest level (I suspect it should) and I reckon it probably relates then to Whelan's prowess at gabbing. Stephen QUinn doesn't look like a gabber.

Also that's a couple of good articles now by that Fennessy fella.

[Stuttgart88]

I'm not even sure he backed off as such. Kroos had space to attack so had Quinn committed to close him down Kroos could have gone past him easily enough. Nor did he turn his back as the pundits said. It looked to me like he was anticipating acurled shot to the other post and committed himself to block that side. The mistake was not being tight enough to Kroos when he received the ball in the first place.

[tricky_colour]

It is weird watching the Kroos goal it appears Quinn is trying to avoid the shot hitting him!
He can see him lining the shot up and Quinn appear to get out of the way!!!

[TheOneWhoKnocks]

Whelan substituted at half-time, 23 minutes after coming on as a substitute, as the revolving door of injuries continue to afflict Irish players.

[TheOneWhoKnocks]

http://www.stokesentinel.co.uk/Stoke-City-want-Peter-Crouch-Glenn-Whelan-says/story-25734470-detail/story.html

Whelan out of contract in the summer. Stoke are offering a 12 month extension. Whelan wants a two year contract. Swansea, Sunderland and Crystal Palace are interested according to reports.

[OwlsFan]

http://www.stokesentinel.co.uk/Stoke-City-want-Peter-Crouch-Glenn-Whelan-says/story-25734470-detail/story.html

Whelan out of contract in the summer. Stoke are offering a 12 month extension. Whelan wants a two year contract. Swansea, Sunderland and Crystal Palace are interested according to reports.

And yet you (and others) think he's rubbish.

[TheOneWhoKnocks]

Do I? I thought I said his form for Ireland was bordering on rubbish and that he makes far too many errors for someone who is an automatic starter which I think is fair enough comment.

If you are only going to pass the ball backwards or sideways and you aren't going to cross the half way line, fair enough, you better be really good at screening the defence, but he is overrated even in this regard; and then you have him getting outpaced by 37 year old Allsvenskan players.

I'm talking about his Intl. form here. If St Ledger replicated his Intl. form at club level, he would probably have earned a move to a PL team by now.

[1fortheTeam]

Hunt wasn't very good going forward, but he made some crucial tackles in our half. His tracking back was tremendous that game.

As for Whelan, I was very doubtful about his inclusion from the beginning, but he really has been one of the stars in our two games so far. Obviously his goal was a bit lucky, but in fairness he had the courage to shoot from there and based on his two performances, getting a goal is fair.

Hopefully Whelan can get some game time with Stoke or on loan so that he can stay match fit for our game next month.he is the worst player on the planet end of how can anyone rate him ..as for wes ..has to start.

[DannyInvincible]

Do I? I thought I said his form for Ireland was bordering on rubbish and that he makes far too many errors for someone who is an automatic starter which I think is fair enough comment.

Positional errors or stuff like giving the ball away?

[TheOneWhoKnocks]

http://hereisthecity.com/en-gb/2015/01/11/stoke-city-fans-react-on-twitter-to-glenn-whelans-performance-du/

That's our Whelan!

[Charlie Darwin]

Didn't see the game to comment, but that website really is the dregs of the internet. "Here are some fairly mild comments some people on the internet said about someone."

[tricky_colour]

Not his worst game according to the stats, he has had two slightly worse, his worst game
was at home to Arsenal but they won that one so unlikely to get slated there.

I'm sure he will bounce back, afterall Alan Partridge did :)

[Charlie Darwin]

Held out and got the two years he asked for. Fair play.

[paul_oshea]

perfect example of the problem with whelan there, from a throw he is picked out and instead of turning and opening the other side of the pitch he gets scared cos he is crap and doesn't control it and then puts shawcross in serious bother who has to hit it out for a throw. Hughes didn't even seem to bat an eyelid

[paul_oshea]

Another example of what people think whelan does but not obvious which in fact he doesn't is sit in the hole in front of the defence, he offers nothing in attack, Stoke lose it in midfield the ball is played in front of Willian or cuadrado in acres of space in the middle of the pitch and no sign of whelan. trodding back and nowhere near the ball or players.

[Charlie Darwin]

I thought he looked quite good playing deep before Stoke had to start committing more men forward. Thought he did a lot of good things he doesn't do enough for Ireland, coming short as the first option for the ball, filling in at centre half to let Wilson commit forward, playing first time passes around the corner. He looked good against a superior team.

[DeLorean]

Got some nice recognition from the Soccer Saturday crew there. Stoke's most improved player the last two years, a fan favourite, the one who's always there, what he does allows the others (flair players) to play, 272 Stoke appearances, an integral part of their setup, committed and ready, 500k from Sheffield Wednesday, pretty good value!

[Stuttgart88]

Heard that. You beat me to the keyboard!

[geysir]

DeLorean doesn't use a keyboard.

[DeLorean]

Where we're going, we don't need keyboards

[tricky_colour]

1st assist of the season for Glenn, I was going to comment he should create more, Walters got the goal and the credit is his really flicked up
Walters pass and hit it onto the cross bar and in IIRC.

[Charlie Darwin]

Has had a terrific game as Stoke are beating Manchester City 2-0. Walters just on for the final five minutes.

[seanfhear]

Has had a terrific game as Stoke are beating Manchester City 2-0. Walters just on for the final five minutes.Contrary to popular opinion the boy has got something (ability and not something dodgy)!

[osarusan]

Trevor Sinclair singing Whelan's praises on MOTM2, especially his awareness and his selflessness.

[Olé Olé]

He's been ever-present so far this season. He has 22 starts- joint most with Jack Butland and Erik Pieters. All the transfer target discussion across F365 and the Guardian has been to the effect that Stoke are fine in attack but need someone to sit beside Whelan. It's been Afellay in recent weeks and that's not his position.

There's talk of Wilson to Villa for 4.5m on the Stoke forum. Sunderland had been linked earlier in the window.

[Yard of Pace]

That's grand and all lads, but unfortunately Stoke City FC aren't our representatives in Euro 2016 and that plodding waste of space will be passing the ball out of play with his usual elan come June. Just wait and see.

[Charlie Darwin]

That's grand and all lads, but unfortunately Stoke City FC aren't our representatives in Euro 2016 and that plodding waste of space will be passing the ball out of play with his usual elan come June. Just wait and see.
Thanks for the considered analysis, Eamon.

[DannyInvincible]

Trevor Sinclair singing Whelan's praises on MOTM2, especially his awareness and his selflessness.

Video here:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NXqGIc364Fs

Super analysis.

[Yard of Pace]

Thanks for the considered analysis, Eamon.

No problemo, baby.

[DeLorean]

Are all holding midfielders selfless by default?

[tricky_colour]

Good analysis on that video, I was making a post on it myself but fortunately the browser crashed. :p

You do need someone (or two) to do the less glamorous stuff but is is vital to the teams performance
so it is not a job for the showboaters, it might not be notice by some but a good manager/player appreciates it.

I think Martin O Neil played in a similar position for Forest.

Found this quote from Clough on O'Neill



31. When Martin O’Neill asked why he’d been dropped: "Because you’re too good for the first team."

Anyhow the combined experience of O'Neill and Keane can't have done Whelan's game any harm.

[DeLorean]

There's no doubt he played well and was effective on Sunday, not being smart but I wouldn't have needed Trevor Sinclair's analysis to realise that. I'm only pointing this out because I don't think his performance the other day isn't a totally accurate representation of his performances generally, certainly not for us anyway. I remembered most of Sinclair's clips from watching it live, it was very noticeable that he was having a good game. I wouldn't be as harsh as YOP above, and I don't think there's any need for that sort of wording anyway. Whether he's good or bad I'm sure he always does his best for us. He's playing better for Stoke than I've ever seen him and has had decent outings for us over the past year also, and some not decent outings it has to be said. He wasn't as big a loss as some would have assumed against Germany, the so called invisible work still got done.

I think it's brilliant that he's getting recognition and I think much of it is deserved, but I also think he's playing better now, definitely at club level. The 'selfless' talk kind of grates on me though, even though I know it's meant in the way Tricky has described above. It might not be the most glamorous job on a football field, but it's his job, and he's not capable of doing the more glamorous stuff anyway. Therefore, he's made a career out of doing his best at his job, the same way strikers have made a career out of scoring goals or goalkeepers making saves. The best way of getting recognition is by doing your own job well, so I don't see how it's selfless really. There's nothing being sacrificed I don't think.

[Yard of Pace]

Here, listen, I was ridiculed for saying that I didn't think Jack Grealish would walk into the Ireland squad if he had chosen us in September.
I'll speak my mind, and if you want a highlights reel of Whelan being utterly useless for Ireland I'll take a few days off work, actually maybe a couple of weeks will be needed, and I'll do one up.

I don't even like the chap. The early, ridiculous praise from Trap went to his head. 69 caps. Unbelievable.

The giddy consensus was McCarthy had his best game for us recently when Whelan wasn't playing. He plays well for Stoke though and it's as if that actually means something. It doesn't.

If he's brilliant in France, I'll happily do a Werner Herzog and literally eat my hat. But I have my opinion and I'm sticking with it.

[DeLorean]

We're not miles apart when it comes to Whelan to be honest, I just think your view would appear more constructive without phrases like "waste of space", etc. That's your call though, maybe it's no harm having an Eamo in the ranks :)

I wouldn't know (or care) enough about his personality really, I'd only tend to use that kind of stuff against guys who have let it effect their professionalism to our detriment e.g. Gibson, Ireland, etc. Whelan's been a model pro in that regard.

I don't need the highlights (lowlights?!) reel, I've sat through enough of it. I agree about McCarthy and would sight various occasions when we appeared better in Whelan's absence.

[Yard of Pace]

*sigh* I don't mean to be crass but when constructive criticism doesn't work, public consensus doesn't work, when the crowd jeer when he gets the ball in midfield and seems to spend 5 minutes deciding what to do with it before a German takes it back from him in a candy/baby kind of a way and he's still in the team, well, I just...have to write like that. Sorry. It's the passion wot causes it.

[Charlie Darwin]

The crowd are morons though.

[Crosby87]

The morons are the crowd!

[tricky_colour]

Isn't that the same thing?

[tricky_colour]

Funnily enough whenever I go to a game there is a moron in the crowd!!

[Charlie Darwin]

Funnily enough whenever I go to a game there is a moron in the crowd!!
Oh Tricky.

[SkStu]

Kevin Moron?

[harry crumb]

Glenn Whelan is a bang average midfield stopper and nothing more.

Is it ok that i say that on this forum?

[DeLorean]

Don't flatter yourself Crumbo, you might be the Donald Trump of the ladies thread, but Yard Of Pace dictates the controversy levels around here pal.

[Yard of Pace]

Don't flatter yourself Crumbo, you might be the Donald Trump of the ladies thread, but Yard Of Pace dictates the controversy levels around here pal.

Is what I say about Whelan controversial? I feel like the fella who was trying to convince people the world isn't flat and you won't fall off the edge if you ever reached it......a bit like a Glenn Whelan pass sailing aimlessly over the sideline for an opposition throw.

[geysir]

Is what I say about Whelan controversial? I feel like the fella who was trying to convince people the world isn't flat and you won't fall off the edge if you ever reached it......a bit like a Glenn Whelan pass sailing aimlessly over the sideline for an opposition throw.
The points in your case against Whelan are not controversial but have been over-egged and round here folks like their eggs sunny side up when the occasion calls for it.

[Yard of Pace]

http://www.theguardian.com/music/2016/jan/25/bob-rapper-flat-earth-twitter

I can't win

[tricky_colour]

Stoke currently 1-0, Arnautovic 45', in the league cup semi final v Liverpool.
Whelan and Walther playing.

Also Whelan is the Stoke captain, which says something, ie he is captain. :p

[Charlie Darwin]

Whelan's been rock solid again. There was one instance in the second half where he moved across expecting Firmino to cut in but he shot to the near post, but other than that done everything right.

[Stuttgart88]

If Glenn was a 24 y/o uncapped or fringe player what would people here be saying about him?