Irish players : Current form

[Condex]

Watched a few games in the last few days.

Kilbane - On the bench against Leeds
Given - Played well aginst Arsenal
O'Brien - - Played OK aginst Arsenal
Keane - Very poor aginst Man city (kept giving the ball away)
Carr - Played well against Man city
Connolly - Played well and scored agsint Milwall
Finnan - Played well against Charlton
Holland - Played well against Liverpool

[NigeSausagepump]

And on the basis of Sunderland-Reading....

Breen - Excellent game. Really commanding & great distribution

Healy - Quietly effective. Didn't do anything wrong, neat and tidy but no real impact

Butler - Excellent. Had a big hand in both goals, really had the defence on the rack

Thornton - Came on in 2nd half. A few promising touches but nothing to write home about

[Ozymandias]

Andy reid ..quality again

[tiktok]

only saw highlights of forest, but watched the sunderland game (delayed coverage) and neither Andy Reid nor Butler can be far from Kerr's plans now. Connolly looks our best striker at the moment.

[Condex]

John O'Shea was substituted against Stutgart tonight. Its not that
he played too bad, Ferdinand, Ronaldo were crap.

[carnstein]

Originally posted by Condex
Keane - Very poor aginst Man city (kept giving the ball away)

Keane was poor for a reason against Man City. Every Irish fan knows Keane loves to drift around and into midfield and he loves a partner to play off.

Against Man City it was obvious that Keane was instructed to act as the main striker and not to drift. Kanoute played off Keane, a role that Keane is not used to and is certainly not good at.

If David Pleat wants to get the most out of Keane and Kanoute, he must play Keane off Kanoute, not the other way round. Keane has not become a bad player overnight, he is just being mishandled by a manager who obviously doesn't know his players well enough.

[John83]

I would have thought that Kanoute was a natural candidate for the lone striker, while even my granny would know better than to make Robbie try to play there.

[gspain]

I watched the City game in full and tottenham were rubbish - no service to the front 2 and they just rode their luck. Keane did nearly score in the last minute.

I wouldn't worry too much about his form. He'll be buzzing once he is back in green. We need him fully fit though - so it's a big weekend for us with a lot of players - can't afford to lose Keane, Duff, O'Shea, Given etc.

[thecorner]

time to call up liam miller
he cant be any worst then any of the other midfield


id go one further
start him against the swiss

at least he is playing champions league football not like some of the rest of our midfield playing with either first div.clubs or else bad prem.sides

[Condex]

Steve Finnan didn't look to hot in the tackling department against Arsenal same at Charlton last week.

Liam Miller played the whole game for Celtic against Rangers.

[Barna Bee]

Was at the game today ...Robbie K was pure class, he looks trim and very sharp.

He scored the third and should have got one earlier.

Carr too was excellent, he captained the team

I am getting confident.

This Hakan guy looks ******ed for the game too.....just the bit of luck the team needs.

[brine2]

Kavanagh got a goal today.

[TheRealRovers]

I wouldn't know much about the english game don't follow or care about it. How is robbie keane playing with spurs how many goals has he got this season? How's Morisson playing or is he?

[Condex]

Go back to the pub!!

[brine2]

Two assists from the Duffer today...

[Acres of space]

Good enough stuff from the Irish lads this weekend in England, especially Duff and Keane. And no injury worries, thank God.

[Condex]

Extract from todays Times in England

Sheffield Utd vs Sunderland
... while for Sunderland, after a promising start, Colin Healey
faded alarmingly.

And he got a 4 out of 10 in the team ratings.

*************************************************

[John83]

Originally posted by TheRealRovers
I wouldn't know much about the english game don't follow or care about it. How is robbie keane playing with spurs how many goals has he got this season? How's Morisson playing or is he?

Despite being injured a couple of times, Robbinho's clocked up 5 appearances for Spurs and two league goals. (By contrast, Steve Carr has nine appearances, and three bookings)

Morrisson has started only a single league cup game, and gotten three Premiership sub appearances. No goals.

[Slash/ED]

Originally posted by Condex
Extract from todays Times in England

Sheffield Utd vs Sunderland
... while for Sunderland, after a promising start, Colin Healey
faded alarmingly.

And he got a 4 out of 10 in the team ratings.

*************************************************

Odd that, I heard he started poorly then really came into the game, by someone who gave him man of the match, and they weren't even Irish, game of opinions and all that.

[NigeSausagepump]

A few snippets picked up from a mate who watched the team train at Malahide yesterday...

Apparently Kavanagh was the most impressive central midfielder on display - really bossed the 11 a-side game.

Kerr was ordering the players to give & go, he kept shouting out "high tempo, high tempo". Nobody was shirking any challenges and it was real hell for leather stuff.

Duff played up front on one team with Connolly, Robbie up front with Clinto on the other.

O'Brien partnered O'Shea at centre half on one team, not sure who partnered Breen at centre half on the other.

Reid & Carsley were at right midfield for either side.

No real pointers as to who'll start where, but some interesting observations.