Joe Mason (F MK Dons b.1991)

[Stuttgart88]

I'd say there are some truths in there, obfuscated by some exaggerations.

I heard O'Neill say that he doesn't feel Keane can do any of the required donkey work up front, for want of a much better phrase. I think he felt we'd have more of the ball in Georgia. I can't believe he'd be so blind as to insist on doing the same thing again.

But while Long doesn't deserve the criticism in that article it's not fair to say he has shown in the friendly games he can score goals, not reliably anyway. The friendly games have shown that he needs several clear cut chances to score. But as we all know, it's not his goals that are his best attribute, he has a strong case for selection for other reasons.

Joe Mason has been the topic of discussion here long before TOWK joined the forum. His career has had fits and starts and no consistency to date. Finally he now has a chance to shift his career up a gear and he's in a good run of form. He's definitely one of those outside the squad with a chance of playing himself in, but I wouldn't go as far as saying that he was warranted a call up before now (or even now).

[TheOneWhoKnocks]

Russell Slade wants to build Cardiff's strikeforce around Joe Mason and another - as yet, unsigned - striker.

http://www.walesonline.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/russell-slade-hints-cardiff-city-9728593

Bad news for Eoin Doyle's chances then.

Which player would you pair with Joe Mason in Cardiff City's attack?



Eoin Doyle - 49%
Kenwyne Jones - 42%
Federico Macheda - 7%
Alex Revell - 2%

[Stuttgart88]

Good news for Mason though. You know, just for a bit of balance to the interpretation of that story.

[samhaydenjr]

Off the mark for the season: http://www.bbc.com/sport/0/football/33857729 - hopefully he can build on this, become a more consistent goalscorer and put himself into the picture for next autumn's qualifiers.

[tricky_colour]

2nd of the season today so 2 from 5 games. Cardiff up to 5th

[samhaydenjr]

Mason scores again to secure win for Cardiff after Anthony Pilkington opened the scoring - let's hope that this time he manages to turn a streak into consistent long-term goalscoring

[samhaydenjr]

Fourth goal of the season for Mason today as Cardiff move into the playoff positions

[tricky_colour]

Seems like he is building a solid career brick my brick at Cardiff.

[tricky_colour]

Just looked at his stats!!

He has a 90% pass completion rate!!

Pretty good for a forward, mind you a few other forwards have high rates too.

I guess maybe it is that if they are not 100% sure of making a pass they have a shot instead :)

[samhaydenjr]

...and fifth of the season for Mason - keep your fingers crossed everybody - looking like he could become an option next year and we're going to need younger forward options soon.

[SkStu]

He should've been called up two years ago in my opinion. Ultimate goal poacher.

[colonelwest]

Thought he might have got a shout for the extended squad for Gibraltar/ Georgia at the time, definitely worth a call up come the spring friendlies if he stays fit.

[Crosby87]

Danny Invincibles foray Into YBIG is not going well.

[Stuttgart88]

What's happening?

[tricky_colour]

Bet the German were bricking it thinking Mason would be called up to the squad, they must be relieved now.

[tricky_colour]

What's happening?

Dunno but it sounds funny.

[tricky_colour]

I think Mason could be the foundation of our future strike force.

[Crosby87]

One longtime ybig poster called Danny "A troll." And insinuated he is thought of as that by the population at large. I was going to jump in and defend M'Lady but then I thought it would just make things worse. At any rate Danny, you may be a man without a country soon.

[tricky_colour]

One longtime ybig poster called Danny "A troll." And insinuated he is thought of as that by the population at large. I was going to jump in and defend M'Lady but then I thought it would just make things worse. At any rate Danny, you may be a man without a country soon.

Didn't see that, but there is always some idiot on forums calling people trolls.

[tricky_colour]

That reminds me, TOWKS? has been AWOL for a while?

[samhaydenjr]

That reminds me, TOWKS? has been AWOL for a while?

I know - I expected him to show up on the newly moved Jack Grealish site with a big, fat "I Told You So", which, in fairness, he would be entitled to.

[Stuttgart88]

Really? All TOWK did was to cast a value judgment on Grealish. He was hardly revolutionary pointing out his non commitment. Grealish did that all by himself.

[OwlsFan]

That reminds me, TOWKS? has been AWOL for a while?

TOWKS left in a fit of pique having been told off by the power that be (DAHAMSTA) in some thread or other.

[paul_oshea]

Where is Murfinator? That guy really drove me soft hadn't a clue and everyone on here thanking his posts and making out he had some great foresight especially re trap.

As soon as he was found out after Trap, he never returned.

Towk called the grealish one right. You sat on the fence stutts.

[OwlsFan]

Where is Murfinator? That guy really drove me soft hadn't a clue and everyone on here thanking his posts and making out he had some great foresight especially re trap.

As soon as he was found out after Trap, he never returned.

What was he saying about Trap ? That he was an abject failure having got us to one championship and a play-off in another? Sheesshh. It's no wonder he disappeared in embarrassment.

[Charlie Darwin]

He should've been called up two years ago in my opinion. Ultimate goal poacher.
Mason was barely playing two years ago, was he?

[SkStu]

Mason was barely playing two years ago, was he?

Absolutely. He's been scoring goals since 2010 and for Cardiff and Bolton since 2011.

[Charlie Darwin]

Absolutely. He's been scoring goals since 2010 and for Cardiff and Bolton since 2011.
Hmm, I could have sworn he had a couple of years where he didn't get many games, but it seems you're right!

[samhaydenjr]

Absolutely. He's been scoring goals since 2010 and for Cardiff and Bolton since 2011.

His career has still been a bit stop-start up to present - about 35% of his appearances have been as a substitute and two years ago he was coming off a season when he scored six goals in 29 appearances, which probably wouldn't have been enough to justify appearing in a Irish squad that contained Keane, Long, Walters and Doyle. The following season he had 6 in 19, although it did include a good streak of 5 goals in eight appearances. Last season he got 5 in 21, including one hat-trick. With that said, there are likely to be openings in our frontline next season with Keano very likely to retire, to be possibly joined by Doyle, Walters and/or Murphy. So if Mason keeps up his current form and ends up with 15-20 goals for the season, he will certainly have positioned himself as a strong candidate for a squad place for next Autumn's qualifiers (if he gets more than 20 and we do sneak into the Euros, it might even be worth our while taking him to France).

[CraftyToePoke]

Is now a Wolves player

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/35420471

[Murph 1]

Hope the move to Wolves works for him, His career to date has been a little stop-start to say the least, A consistinent run of form Will def see him in the Republic senior squad.

[Olé Olé]

Mason with a goal on his debut for Wolves.

[CraftyToePoke]

Brought on at HT in Zenga's first match, started both games since and scored in each.

[CraftyToePoke]

And notches again today, equaliser in a 3-1 away win at Birmingham. Should be in the shake up for the next squad surely ?

[SkStu]

And notches again today, equaliser in a 3-1 away win at Birmingham. Should be in the shake up for the next squad surely ?

I've been hoping for that for at least 4 years. The guy regularly scores goals at a good level. Has deserved a look in before now. Wonder is Hogan going to join up? Could be a few decent options behind Long if these guys are brought on board.

[CraftyToePoke]

Well there were a few squads he might have been in but you could never really argue he was shunned either. His best, I think, is 12 in 46 in 11/12, not sure how many of those were starts but I think it was between 25 & 30. This run he has 2 in the league from 8 attempts with 5 of those on the target & one LC goal also. He does need to hold his place though you feel this time round and deliver a complete season, which with a new manager, funds available after a takeover etc at Wolves will probably be the making of him if he does it.

This squad is a low pressure one, there's space to look at a few and I think we will, but if it was Hogan or Mason, which would you prefer to see in ?

[SkStu]

Agreed. I don't think he was shunned either and I also agree that it would be nice to see him hold a spot down and score regularly over a full season but I think we could say that about most Irish strikers over the last 10-15 years. So not something to hold against him really. As I said he has deserved a look in a squad over the last few years. Some doubts about his commitment maybe as well as Hogan. Hard to pick one - they both carry the same risk really. Hogan probably the more dynamic of the two from the highlights I've seen so he'd probably get the nod if I could only pick one. We should look at both if they are committed to us.

[TheOneWhoKnocks]

After the problems he has had with serious injury, Hogan’s preference for resting up through the international breaks is not all that unreasonable but it certainly makes plain where his priorities lie and from his point of view O’Neill having to hang around for a mid-table Championship striker is slightly embarrassing although he must be getting accustomed to the feeling for the manager has suggested that Joe Mason at Wolves is similarly inclined to kick a potential call-up down the line.

http://www.irishtimes.com/sport/soccer/international/republic-of-ireland-require-new-blood-to-avoid-strike-out-1.2863132

[DeLorean]

Yes, O'Neill must be mortified. :rolleyes:

[CraftyToePoke]

Moved out to Burton Albion till January

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/41025510

[samhaydenjr]

Moved out to Burton Albion till January

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/41025510

Off the mark today, scoring 31 seconds after coming on. He has had a tendency over the last couple of years of scoring a few goals early in the season before fading so let's hope this time he can get a more consistent long-term run going

[liamoo11]

Is this lad on board or not? He has been at a decent level for quite a while and has never even made a 39 man friendly squad.

[samhaydenjr]

Is this lad on board or not? He has been at a decent level for quite a while and has never even made a 39 man friendly squad.

He's played at most underage levels for us and there's no reason to believe he'd turn down a call-up from the senior squad. And while he has been at a decent level, he hasn't been quite consistent enough to get a squad place, when you consider that our forward places have been locked down by Keane, Walters, Long, Doyle, Cox (for a while) and Murphy (later on as a result of his surge in form in the last few years of his career) with McGoldrick, Rooney and Hunt ahead of him in the fringe players' race. You could make the argument, certainly, for a call-up for Mason to a large provisional squad, certainly given Sean Maguire's call-up with only a couple of Championship games under his belt, and I think MON and Keano should keep an eye on his form over the season and not just bring in players because of media and fan clamour or because they've invested time recruiting them. We will likely need up to three new strikers for the Euro 2020 qualifiers and they have the opportunity to compare six of them fairly directly as they will all probably be playing regular Championship football this season: McGoldrick, Maguire, Hogan, Mason, Aiden O'Brien and Will Keane (when he returns from injury). They should pick the players with the best form from that group over the next year (while also keeping an eye on Cillian Sheridan and Adam Rooney). So if Mason becomes Burton's main striker and bangs in 15-20 goals this season, a call-up would surely be merited.

[CraftyToePoke]

Is this lad on board or not? He has been at a decent level for quite a while and has never even made a 39 man friendly squad.

I seem to remember MON casting doubt on his commitment one time, but then again he said something similar about the likelihood of Hogan joining up also. This guy needs to make it stick, he has moved for decent money at times, he can get in the side but cant stay in, he can score at the level but not consistently over a season.

[KrisLetang]

His Bio claims he would be one of those brick layer guys if football doesn't work out.

[tetsujin1979]

Scored Colorado's second last night in a 2-2 draw against sporting Kansas city
Goal here on 0:50
sJAh7SiK4ik

[tetsujin1979]

Off the bench to score at the weekend
1010716729566085120

[Bielsa´s irish]

former irish wonderkid Joe Mason has scored today. An injury plagued forward.

[Bielsa´s irish]

now a hat-trick, impressive!!

[samhaydenjr]

former irish wonderkid Joe Mason has scored today. An injury plagued forward.


now a hat-trick, impressive!!

I was going to scoff at you referring to Mason as a wonderkid, but then checked his record - 3 Championship goals at the age of 18, two decent seasons at Cardiff before turning 22, with 18 goals and a Championship winner's medal - if Troy Parrott did that over the next four years we'd still consider him to have great potential. Mason just never seemed to develop beyond that.