Conor Sammon F Alloa Athletic b.1986

[Charlie Darwin]

Lou Macari also reckoned Spurs were nailed-on to win the shoot out as Friedel was "really up for it". I think both Lou and Adebayor will be looking to forget this one ASAP.

[Crosby87]

http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQWdqHxnPhRDkcuUFEtjmvZOcstLMnyW q0DRD51FWIDIeAcMdVL

"Watch yerselves lads, me can still swing em."

[tricky_colour]

That actually makes a lot of sense. Unfortunately for me I was terrible at taking corners. A master at cutting them though :)

Well I figured it was more accurate to aim for something about 40 yards away so even if you missed by 2 yards it's only a 5% error which would probably guarantee hitting the target in a penalty. Might be wishful thinking or a rose tinted memory but I can't recall putting a bad one corner, which makes me wonder how those premiership professionals screw them up. I'd always get them dropping in around the penalty spot.
I could also score fairly easily from a corner by swinging one in from the in-swinger side (assuming no goal keeper!) but that was helped somewhat by wonky goal posts on the school pitch. During my school years I developed from being useless to half decent, but never really play much after that. Played one game for the school team and scored an own goal in it! (but did get an assist :))
My classes 6 a side team also won a knock-out competition between the classes and went on to loose to the cheating staff side with a bent ref (in more ways than one I suspect!!).

I wish I had taken it more seriously now, on the few occasions I played after that I did pretty well but I never really took it seriously being more academically inclined (or so I thought lol).

Ahh...what might have been.....rather than me slagging player off on here people could have been slagging me off instead :)

[pineapple stu]

Spurs-Basle
Random bug-bear of mine, but it's Basel, not Basle! It's a German-speaking city.

[DeLorean]

There is a mythology that has built up around Huddlestone that he is a lovely technical player in spite of the fact four successive Spurs managers have deemed him unworthy of a regular starting spot. He is the sort of player who hits the ball well once in the entire match and it will be the one highlight everybody remembers from the game. Craig Gardner is another Youtube hero.

I agree about Gardner but completely disagree about Huddlestone. I think he's a lovely passer of the ball, not the most mobile obviously but breaks the mold for typical English midfielders. He looked pretty comfortable at centre back actually as well under difficult circumstances, although his headed clearances could have done with more purchase! He was playing pretty regularly under Redknapp as well but was out for most of last season and Sandro went from strength to strength. With the signing of Dembele now though he's hard to see him breaking his way back in, Dembele is very good technically but far more mobile and an aggressive enough tackler as well. It's a very good squad Spurs have assembled really with everybody fit, Parker and Huddlestone will probably be back-ups to Sandro and Dembele. If they could buy a real striker, possibly the Brazilian Leandro that they missed out on in January (although I have no idea how good he is) and get rid of dead wood like Gallas and Defoe they would be going places.


The evidence remains that more technically-adept players tend to win shoot-outs :)

I don't think that was ever in question.


Maybe this should be moved out from here? When the shoot-out ended my first though was to see if there was any new post in the Conor Sammon thread!! Maybe mods could set up a thread 'Penalties' in world football and I would suggest transferring all the posts here from #320?

[paul_oshea]

Yes, but Brad Friedel is one of the goalkeepers and Brad (God help him) looks as mobile as a tree trunk.

I was thinking the same, but he used to be mobile, he is nearly 42 now though so what do you expect? I looked at it thinking he looks very old. He looks more than his age.

2 of their penalties were pretty much straight down the middle, would they have done that if friedel had waited for them to shoot?

[DeLorean]

Open to correction here but I don't think he was every too great at saving penalties. I predicted before the shoot-out that he wouldn't save any, ye'll just have to take my word for that one or contact my girlfriend on 087******* !!!

[Stuttgart88]

I think most of us already have her number. :)

[DeLorean]

A bit too easy* Stutts but I don't want to look put out so I'll give you a thanks! :D

Adebayor (http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/features/4884590/emmanuel-adebayor-penalty-miss-virals.html) getting a bit of a slagging over his penalty. Am I going mad by thinking it may have clipped the bar though? (I think I probably am)



*Warning- serious obvious joke risk

[geysir]

I was thinking the same, but he used to be mobile, he is nearly 42 now though so what do you expect? I looked at it thinking he looks very old. He looks more than his age.
It's not a question of what do I expect, just an obvious observation made in reply to another post.
But next time I'll be more positive, as in 'he's sprightly considering his age' :)

[geysir]

Adebayor (http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/features/4884590/emmanuel-adebayor-penalty-miss-virals.html) getting a bit of a slagging over his penalty. Am I going mad by thinking it may have clipped the bar though? (I think I probably am)

The goalie was in danger of getting a cric in his neck looking at the flight of the ball.

[DeLorean]

Because it elevated after clipping the bar? :o

[geysir]

The last straw left before 2pm (GMT).

[Fixer82]

http://foot.ie/webkit-fake-url://ED9B69D0-5B93-49BA-9F50-897F180C8A80/149233_270384663097225_900451498_n.jpg
YES!!!

[Fixer82]

Ah balls. I can't attach the image properly.
How does one do this?

[geysir]

Ah balls. I can't attach the image properly.
How does one do this?

It has to be said that the path (of the righteous) to get your image in a post is not at all clear.
Assuming you are selecting an image from a website and assuming you have copied the url of the image

select the image icon
select from url
paste in the url of the image
unselect Retrieve remote file and reference locally

Your image should now show in the post.

[Fixer82]

That doesnt seem to work.
Ah well not that big a deal.

here's the photo

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=270384663097225&set=a.207401579395534.52915.207391976063161&type=1&theater

[tricky_colour]

https://fbcdn-sphotos-e-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-prn1/149233_270384663097225_900451498_n.jpg

Do it like this

Anyway if you quote my post and look at it you will see the address of the picture is between "" and ""

so just click on the image and select "copy image url" (if using firefox) or similar, if using another browser, and then but the "" and "" things around it.

That is what geysirs advice should have done.

[geysir]

That doesnt seem to work.
Ah well not that big a deal.

here's the photo

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=270384663097225&set=a.207401579395534.52915.207391976063161&type=1&theater

That's the link to the page with the photo.
What you need is the link to the photo itself.

Right click the photo and open up in a new window - copy that url.
or right click the image and copy image address (url)



In your reply
Select the image icon
Select from url
Paste in the url of the image.
unselect Retrieve remote file and reference locally

[tricky_colour]

Actually I just noticed that if you right click on the photograph and drag it into the test box it puts the address there, like this:-
https://fbcdn-sphotos-e-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-prn1/149233_270384663097225_900451498_n.jpg

It's a pity it did not put the [img] things around it as well as that would make it even easier.

You can also drag a picture straight to your desktop, if yo did not already know that.

[Charlie Darwin]

Sammon happy to learn from the master Keane: http://www.irishtimes.com/sport/soccer/conor-sammon-is-happy-to-learn-from-the-master-robbie-keane-1.1423761

[Stuttgart88]

I've been very critical of Sammon. I thought he did nothing against Poland and was awful against Austria, but credit where it's due. He linked well with Keane in the two recent home games. I've yet to see last night's game but am glad to hear he did well enough and I'm pleased that he seems to have played his way into the squad as a regular member.

However, I can't find Charlie D's quote from earlier right now (it's in the Spain match thread I think) where he said Sammon is not a target man and his clubs haven't used him that way. That may well be true, but Trap did use him as a target man against Austria and he won much less in the air than he should have. He even failed to read the flight of the ball at times and gave his marker a free jump. It was a tactical blunder by Trap in my opinion and one that was very costly.

[Drumcondra 69er]

Bit of a curate's egg, does something decent such as picking Pique's pocket but his touch coming in on goal with his left foot was awful, narrowed his own angle by moving inside instead of cutting across the goal to open his angle up. Did okay in general but never looks like scoring.

[paul_oshea]

I'd agree with that pretty much, but he did very little, I think his touch is a consequence of luck as much as anything else cos he doesn't do it consistently enough, perhaps its something he is still working on.

Stutts I agree with that also, I think when you watch the match you will agree with most of what I said, assuming he doesn't do anything too significant after 65 mins :D

He must feel good about having 19 pages on the Ireland forum though.

[Stuttgart88]

There's a picture on the Irish Times website of the team lining up before last night's game. Sammon isn't that tall compared to some teammates. It surprised me, although having hair maybe adds an inch!

[shakermaker1982]

His lack of height might explain why he didn't win that many headers against the Spanish the other night. For a so called target man it was a painful watch.

[Charlie Darwin]

There's a picture on the Irish Times website of the team lining up before last night's game. Sammon isn't that tall compared to some teammates. It surprised me, although having hair maybe adds an inch!
This one?

http://www.irishtimes.com/polopoly_fs/1.1425785.1371033341!/image/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/box_940/image.jpg

He looks like he has his head slightly bowed whereas the others are standing upright. It's fairly clear watching him in action that he's taller than everybody except Forde. His lack of ability in the air is just that, a lack of ability, probably due to the fact he's generally played for clubs where he's required to play the ball on the ground rather than be a target man.

[Stuttgart88]

Who cares whether he's an inch taller or shorter than O'Dea or whoever? He's cr@p in the air and shouldn't be used as the focal point for a long ball game. His lack of ability in the air is probably innate, not because he plays / played for Barcelona copycats like Kilmarnock.

That photo seems to show that he's no Tony Cascarino and even if he has bowed his head (even though is right arm is arched upwards just to get around O'Dea's shoulder - or maybe his elbow is bent, but who cares?) he's not as tall as I thought he was. You have no idea how tall I thought he was! Argue that...:)

[Charlie Darwin]

I wouldn't say he's far off Cas. It looks fairly obvious O'Dea is pushing his neck slightly forward but I don't really want to argue about a picture.

There's no such thing as innate aerial ability. It's one of the most practicable skills in football, hence why there are so many target men around who don't show much innate footballing ability elsewhere. I'd say his lack of aerial ability is down to the fact he's come through at clubs like Cherry Orchard and UCD where playing the ball on the ground is taken for granted. Wigan are the same. I'd say it's stupid to use him as a target too.

[pineapple stu]

I'd say his lack of aerial ability is down to the fact he's come through at clubs like Cherry Orchard and UCD where playing the ball on the ground is taken for granted.
I dunno; Paul Byrne came the same route and was quite good in the air, I think. He just doesn't have the knack for it. He's improved (some very nice, Quinn-esque, knock-downs in recent games), but it's just a weak area in his game. He makes up for it elsewhere obviously.

No point reading too much into it.

[Stuttgart88]

I don't really want to argue about a picture.

There's no such thing as innate aerial ability.The fact that you have already argued quite a bit about a picture clearly showing Sammon to be around the same height as some teammates just shows how innately argumentative you are. Or was it an acquired skill nurtured by an argumentative environment? :)

There absolutely is such thing as innate aerial ability. Just because some players had it without having great skills with their feet doesn't mean it's not an innate ability. Nor does that mean it can't be worked on so I partially accept your point that he could conceivably get better at it.

[paul_oshea]

I'd agree with that, in Gaelic particularly so, you either have it or not, take Willie Joe Padden in Gaelic, only about 5'10 but serious ability and strength in the air. Some guys have it some don't.

[Charlie Darwin]

The fact that you have already argued quite a bit about a picture clearly showing Sammon to be around the same height as some teammates just shows how innately argumentative you are. Or was it an acquired skill nurtured by an argumentative environment?

There absolutely is such thing as innate aerial ability. Just because some players had it without having great skills with their feet doesn't mean it's not an innate ability. Nor does that mean it can't be worked on so I partially accept your point that he could conceivably get better at it.
It's a learned skill :) I meant if we continued down the road we were going it would very quickly have become an argument in which we are both losers.

There are aspects that are innate like balance and awareness, but mostly it's down to upper body strength and height, and most importantly practice.

[gastric]

Hull supposedly interested in Sammon and Carlton Cole.

http://www.newsfiber.com/p/s/h?v=E%2BEEsghlGXoA%3D+hxx140%2FoJr8%3D

[Olé Olé]

Between that and offering McShane a new contract, Bruce really is making up for not lining out for us all those years ago; a tremendous servant to Irish football.

[Grafter]

Watching The IT Crowd as I write this.... is it just me (it is!) but why is Chris O' Dowd so popular?

Anyways onto more pressing matters. The "Sammon Spain Opportunity".... so he tried to curl the shot with his right foot around Valdes from what I could see....
and missed....

Technically was he right to attempt it? What would Gabriel Batistuta have done? Delayed and cut it back to Keane?
It's a miss that really gnaws at ya!:rolleyes:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VuW_zReqRI4

[Eminence Grise]

why is Chris O' Dowd so popular?

He's a Rossie. Popularity is something that's just unavoidable for us.

[Charlie Darwin]

Watching The IT Crowd as I write this.... is it just me (it is!) but why is Chris O' Dowd so popular?

Anyways onto more pressing matters. The "Sammon Spain Opportunity".... so he tried to curl the shot with his right foot around Valdes from what I could see....
and missed....

Technically was he right to attempt it? What would Gabriel Batistuta have done? Delayed and cut it back to Keane?
It's a miss that really gnaws at ya!:rolleyes:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VuW_zReqRI4
His second touch took him way too wide. If he'd taken it inside he'd have had a much simpler chance.

[Sullivinho]

What would Gabriel Batistuta have done?

Laugh, shake his head and wonder if the bald guy was one of them football-mad dictators who put themselves in the team.

[dong]

Between that and offering McShane a new contract, Bruce really is making up for not lining out for us all those years ago; a tremendous servant to Irish football.

Either that or he's trying to get them out of sight for relegation by Christmas.

[Olé Olé]

All we need now is Martin Keown to take over at Crystal Palace and sign Paul Green.

[ArdeeBhoy]

McShane and Sammon in the same team.

Oh dear...

[Fixer82]

Between that and offering McShane a new contract, Bruce really is making up for not lining out for us all those years ago; a tremendous servant to Irish football.

Could Bruce really have played for us? His mother was from the North so surely, at that time, he wouldve only been eligible to play for them no?

[geysir]

Could Bruce really have played for us? His mother was from the North so surely, at that time, he wouldve only been eligible to play for them no?
Born in England to a NI born mother? Then young Bruce was entitled to be Irish citizen when he was born, or take it up any time in his life. The 1956 nationality act decreed that all northern natives were entitled to Irish citizenship. Bruce would have been entitled to play for the FAI as a naturalised citizen, according to the FIFA rules before 2003.

These days (post GFA), that Irish citzenship is conferred automatically to Nordies.

[Olé Olé]

Hmmm. I always had presumed he was eligible on the basis of grandparent. Maybe I dreamt that up.

Just noticed that Alex Bruce got 32 games under Pops last season. Norn Iron's latest Premiership superstar.

[Crosby87]

Sammon has found the net. (no pun intended.)
http://www.thisisderbyshire.co.uk/PICTURES-Chris-Martin-Conor-Sammon-strike-Rams/story-19557717-detail/story.html#axzz2a3iEnd3z

[pineapple stu]

Scored tonight in the League Cup against Brentford.

Don't think he's been starting in the league, so that's a nice reminder for Clough.

[pineapple stu]

Another in the second half. 4-0 now.

[DeLorean]

Early signs (http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/24360853) may not be great for Sammon under new boss Steve McClaren.

[Crosby87]

Sammon must seize chance to start week in week out asserts the Derby press.
http://www.derbytelegraph.co.uk/Conor-Sammon-determined-Derby-County-chance/story-19984137-detail/story.html