Jon Walters

[Noelys Guitar]

Keane just been on BBC Radio and said Ipswich have received a bid from a club other than Stoke (almost certainly Premiership as keane stated earlier in the week that one other Premiership club was also interested in Walters). Considering the original bid from Stoke is said to be 3 million that is some serious money for Walters). My guess is West Brom or Wigan. Will be good to have another Irish player almost certainly starting in the Premiership. And I have always felt Walter's could step up to mid level Premiership. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/eng_div_1/8901724.stm Listen to keane interview at the end.

[Sullivinho]

He's a beast of a player. Big, strong, athletic. Nicks a few goals too.

I didn't think he'd be showing up on premier league radars but I'd take great interest in seeing how he does/would do.

[Noelys Guitar]

4m and not Stoke or West Brom according to Keane. IT could be anyone now. 4m for a championship player is serious money. Incredible situation considering Trap has never given him a look in. And Keane wants shot.

[Sullivinho]

4 million...wow. Someone's obviously seen something they like.

Apparently Keane thinks the guy has been tapped up and whipped the captain's armband off him when Walters told him he wanted to leave.

[ofjames]

According to Keane Walters went ballistic after he told him he was losing the captaincy. He says he'll never play for him again so long as he's manager.

He's a pretty poor disciplinary record. As far as I remember he was sacked by Blackburn after being suspected of stealing from a teammate.

Another premiership starter can only be a good thing. Hopefully he does well wherever he ends up.

[geysir]

Ofjames, unless you have a link to some definite proof, that piece of gossip can only be regarded as malicious. You should remove it.

[Stuttgart88]

It's all over the web Geysir - not exactly as Ofjames put it but substantially.

http://www.thefootballnetwork.net/main/ipswich-town/s78/st161600/keane-walters-will-never-play-for-me-

I saw a quote from Keane somewhere that Walters had totally overreacted, so Keane responded by overreacting!

[Adrock]

Ofjames, unless you have a link to some definite proof, that piece of gossip can only be regarded as malicious. You should remove it.

No its true.......he got caught thieving (http://archive.lancashireeveningtelegraph.co.uk/2002/4/6/624537.html) stuff from teammates on a number of occasions that had been left in the changing room and was fired by the club as a result. It is not just malicious gossip unfortunately. I'm sure he's a reformed character though.

[geysir]

Okay so, that is pretty definite :) though that article just mentions one occasion.
Over eight years ago, we were preparing for the WC Finals then.

[shakermaker1982]

I wonder if the other club is Blackburn? He would be right up Big Sam's street.

[Razors left peg]

hes not a player I have ever paid an awful lot of attention to but would I be right in my impression that he is similar enough to Daryl Murphy?

[tetsujin1979]

I wonder if the other club is Blackburn? He would be right up Big Sam's street.
He started out in the reserves at Blackburn, dunno if he'd go back there

[shakermaker1982]

He started out in the reserves at Blackburn, dunno if he'd go back there

Big Sam would work his magic!

Trying to narrow it down.....

He's too old for Newcastle (they are only after players under 25 now according to the press).
West Ham? Would Grant be aware of him?
I don't think it's Bolton. They have Davies and plenty of wide players.
Wolves could be another possibility. Mick would be pretty clued up on the Championship.

[dr_peepee]

I'd say it's Newcastle or Wigan.

[Noelys Guitar]

Having medical at Stoke. 3.5m. Good move and hope he gets games/scores on a reg.basis.

[Closed Account]

http://www.stokecity-mad.co.uk/news/tmnw/potters_complete_striker_signing_547435/index.shtml
Says the deal is completed here and

It is expected that the former Ipswich skipper will start on the right wing against Tottenham on Saturday.
according to this
http://www.thefootballnetwork.net/main/s626/st161732.htm

[SkStu]

excellent move for Walters. This guy has exceited me for years and im delighted that he is finally getting his chance in the Premiership.

Maybe Lawrence to Celtic will be back on as a result?

[Stuttgart88]

I'm glad he's going to Stoke. BBC gossip column was saying Strachan wanted him at Middlesbrough this morning.

I was half-hoping Kenwynne Jones' injury would be a bit more serious. With Beattie leaving, Walters would have been able to slot straight in to the centre forward's position at Stoke.

With Folan seemingly only turning up when he feels like it and Leon Best not figuring, I'd say Walters has every chance of becoming our number 3 forward if he impresses at Stoke. Hopefully they know he's actually eligible. Was he in the frame for the Forest game at Dalymount?

[tetsujin1979]

Short article on Stoke's site: http://www.stokecityfc.com/page/NewsDetail/0,,10310~2126776,00.html

[tetsujin1979]

Was he in the frame for the Forest game at Dalymount?
He wasn't in the initial squad anyway: http://www.fai.ie/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=3627
He definitely played in the B game against Scotland in 2007: http://www.fai.ie/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2665
Was substituted for David Bell in that game

[Noelys Guitar]

I was half-hoping Kenwynne Jones' injury would be a bit more serious. With Beattie leaving, Walters would have been able to slot straight in to the centre forward's position at Stoke.

I'm sure I read that Pulis said Walters would be starting on the right wing for Stoke with Jones up front. And Pulis seemed to imply that Walters would switch with Fuller depending on how the Fuller, Jones partnership was working. So it might well be Jones, Walters and Fuller in that order. And Stoke are "bustlers" central.

[Stuttgart88]

I'm sure I read that Pulis said Walters would be starting on the right wing for Stoke with Jones up front. Yeah, what I saw trying to say that with Jones out Walters would play centrally which I guess is where most of us would like to see him play. Strange that he'd pick walters RHM over Lawrence though - Lawrence is more accomplished in that position. At least he'll be starting I suppose.

[irishfan86]

Not trying to be pedantic Stutts, but Lawrence has been demoted to second-choice right mid for a while now...behind our friend Rory.

Probably the one thing Lawrence doesn't have that Pulis seems to like (well, what manager doesn't?) is pace. Walters is actually pretty quick when he gets going and is like you have pointed out a vicious header of the ball.

I think Walters's best position is actually on the right of a 4-2-3-1 or the right of a 4-3-3 if you know what I mean. I think he's better running at defenders than running in behind them.

[Stuttgart88]

I knew LL hadn't figured for a while - I'm also surprised that Delap is ahead of LL for the RHM position!

[irishfan86]

I'm pretty sure Pulis picks his three best midfielders/wide players in their natural positions, and then wherever there's a gap, whether that be out wide or in the middle, Delap plays.

Good times.

[drummerboy]

Hats off to Jonathan Walters. I remember him making a few substitute appearances for Bolton in the Premership before being released and playing in he bottom tier of the Football League with Hull. He has persevered and rebuilt his career. Now he is back in the Premiership his efforts would be topped off with an international cap.

[irishfan86]

I think he can definitely give us something a bit different. I think we're fairly confident in our wide options at this stage, but the first sub striker spot is definitely an area where nobody has really staked a claim.

[TrapAPony]

Should be given a chance for us especially when the likes of Cillian Sheridan has.

[tetsujin1979]

Sheridan was given a chance because he could fill a specific role, a central striker as back up to Doyle. He played the same role for the U21's, an the U19s before that. Walters hasn't been involved with the Irish setup since the B game in Scotland, which probably affected his chances of a call up.
Notice how many of the players Trapattoni has called into the squad had been involved with the U21's and U19's in recent years (Green and then-Premiership regular Andrews apart)

[irishfan86]

If Walters breaks into Stoke's starting XI I'd be fairly confident that he'll at least make the squad at some point during the campaign.

Andy Reid is the only Premiership regular that I can think of that Trap has completely left in the wilderness.

EDIT: I suppose Ward might fall under that category as well.

[Brendan 82]

Looks like this is the next guy that people will start whinging and moaning about when he is not called up. A la Keith Fahey, Chris MaCann, Owen Garvan, etc..

[backstothewall]

I can see no reason to call this guy up because he has gone from being one of the better players at Ipswich to one of the squad players at Stoke. If he wasn't good enough last week, and I can't remember too many people shouting his name from the rooftops, what makes him any better now? All he has done is move house

Lets see him play a few games first.

[irishfan86]

In fairness I remember a few of us talking about him for the past couple of seasons. Nobody demanding his inclusion, but simply stating he would provide a good option.

I was one of those and I still would like to see him given a chance. If his moving house helps him get that opportunity, then great.

[Stuttgart88]

In fairness I remember a few of us talking about him for the past couple of seasons. Nobody demanding his inclusion, but simply stating he would provide a good option.

I was one of those and I still would like to see him given a chance. If his moving house helps him get that opportunity, then great.Well said. I was another & like you I'm not demanding anything, but there is absolutely nobody staking a reasonable claim to be back up to Doyle at the moment so I think he's got every chance of getting a call up if he does OK at Stoke.

[backstothewall]

In fairness I remember a few of us talking about him for the past couple of seasons. Nobody demanding his inclusion, but simply stating he would provide a good option.

I was one of those and I still would like to see him given a chance. If his moving house helps him get that opportunity, then great.

and I'm not saying he shouldn't get a chance, just that at the minute he is behind Keane, Doyle, Keogh, Stokes, Sheridan, Best and Folan. If he puts in a few decent performances in the EPL, he will go up that list quickly, all I am saying is that simply getting a transfer to Stoke doesn't demonstrate that he should be in the squad, but it certainly gives him a chance to demonstrate that.

[Closed Account]

Born on the same day as me, I think today is the first day its dawned on me I'm not going to be a professional footballer :(

[Razors left peg]

Born on the same day as me, I think today is the first day its dawned on me I'm not going to be a professional footballer :(

Ya never know, after Man Utd paid 7 million for a fella that played in the homeless world cup anything is possible.... tellin myself that keeps me goin anyway :)

[tetsujin1979]

Ya never know, after Man Utd paid 7 million for a fella that played in the homeless world cup anything is possible.... tellin myself that keeps me goin anyway :)
just on that....from the twitter feed of Daniel Taylor (Guardian journalist): http://twitter.com/DTguardian/status/21596494294

Hearing that Bebe has been decidedly unimpressive in first few MUFC training sessions . .

[SkStu]

1649: Controversy at Stoke. A corner is headed goalwards and after Heurelho Gomes saves underneath his crossbar, Jon Walters heads in from close range. Peter Crouch's frame gets in the way, but A) It looks like it hits his arm and B) It looks like the whole ball is over the line. Been here before...

too bad - a debut goal wouldve been a great start.

[EastTerracer]

too bad - a debut goal wouldve been a great start.

Watching it here in the US it certainly looked over the line but, even then, the ball came back off Crouch's arm so it should have been a penalty at the very least. Tough luck on Stoke and on Walters.

[SkStu]

yeah just saw the highlights of it and i thought it probably was over but hard to say definitively. Bales 2nd goal was class!

[SkStu]

grabs his first goal for Stoke in the Carling Cup tonight against Shrewsbury - header of course.


Headed goal by Jonathan Walters (Stoke) (bottom-right of goal) from left side of penalty area (12 yards).Stoke 1-0 Shrewsbury.

[TheOneWhoKnocks]

http://www.stokesentinel.co.uk/Sunderland-v-Stoke-City-team-news-Walters/story-20521882-detail/story.html

Jon Walters linked with Palace.

[Crosby87]

Left injured today.

[TheOneWhoKnocks]

Walters doesn't miss a penalty, a penalty he also won. It's a miracle.

3 for the season now.

[SkStu]

Jon Walters, penalty king, strikes again.

(Only 3 pages for Walters??!)

[SkStu]

Oh dear...

RED CARD- Norwich 1-1 Stoke - Jon Walters
From hero to zero. Jon Walters is ordered to take an early bath as he clatters into Alexander Tettey - reducing the Norwich midfielder to a heap on the pitch after going in studs up on the Norwegian's knee. Nasty - you can't dress it up any other way.

[TheOneWhoKnocks]

Jon Walters, penalty king, strikes again.

(Only 3 pages for Walters??!)

I know. How can that be???

[Charlie Darwin]

There's a longer Jon Walters thread here: http://foot.ie/threads/141126-Jon-Walters

[TheOneWhoKnocks]

One positive thing I will say about Walters is that he fairly turned his career around after various bouts of indiscipline in his youth, including getting booted out of one of his old clubs for stealing from teammates.