Adam Barton

[Not Brazil]

The surreal atmosphere will surely resemble the reserve team atmosphere your players are used to :)

On the plus side, 9 of our starting 11 are playing regularly in the Premiership/Championship/SPL - the exceptions being Jonny Evans and young Gorman.

[ifk101]

Extremely odd comments from Worthlesston in relation to the team selection for Serbia. Suggests all is not well in the dressing room.

[EalingGreen]

I think EG's going to Flanders actually. Most of us missed out on Serbia because we hadn't booked travel etc. when the game was declared closed.Sadly Belgian trip is now cancelled.

Oh well.

[Predator]

Aren't we all?Touché.

[Stuttgart88]

Flanders' loss is our gain

[Charlie Darwin]

Watching Barton now against Portugal U21s (he is a football player, remember?) and he looks like an awkward, lanky lump.

[Predator]

Not worth the fuss, you reckon?

[Charlie Darwin]

No idea on this showing but he hasn't really shown any great attributes beyond his ability to foul people. He doesn't seem to be playing regular football so I guess that's a mitigating circumstance.

[ifk101]

I think he's doing okay. One of "our" (:))better players tbh - him and Towell in the middle.

[boovidge]

tbf it's a big step up in level from the NI team.

[TrapAPony]

I think he's doing okay. One of "our" (:))better players tbh - him and Towell in the middle.

I'd go along with that.

[Noelys Guitar]

That should have been a sending off. Terrible tackle.

[ArdeeBhoy]

No answers to the BK eligibility issue??

Surely worth a few threads of it own and a national holiday for all the countries concerned??

[awec]

Extremely odd comments from Worthlesston in relation to the team selection for Serbia. Suggests all is not well in the dressing room.
Worthington is clueless. Never has a plan B.

The sooner we get rid the better.

[ifk101]

I wouldn't be too harsh on Worthlesston based purely on the Serbia game.

Serbia were not necessarily the better team on the night but it was quite apparent they had the better players. Serbia were able to make substitutions that changed the game - Tosic (sp?) ran the show in the second half. Worthlesston doesn't have options like that available to him - a couple of injuries and NI are exposed as out of their depth at this level.

[Gather round]

Serbia were not necessarily the better team on the night but it was quite apparent they had the better players

Their better players totally dominated the second half, so I think they were probably the better team on the night.


Serbia were able to make substitutions that changed the game - Tosic (sp?) ran the show in the second half

Tosic started the game. Ninkovic was the second-half sub man of the match. We should really have man-marked him with Baird.


Worthlesston doesn't have options like that available to him - a couple of injuries and NI are exposed as out of their depth at this level

Most of our bench players are either kids or past their best, it's true.

But...they lost one game by one goal, after beating Slovenia and drawing with Italy. Hardly out of depth, unless you think the Serbs were similarly so being thrashed at home by Estonia and barely scraping a draw with the Slovenes.

It's fair to blame him for, variously

a) starting a schoolboy who should be in the U-19 squad at best

b) persisting with the clearly unfit and uninterested Healy

c) only allowing Mccourtadona five minutes at the end.

[ifk101]

Their better players totally dominated the second half, so I think they were probably the better team on the night.

NI put in a strong collective, team effort on the night throughout the game. Serbia's team didn't play in total harmony for 90 minutes.


Tosic started the game. Ninkovic was the second-half sub man of the match. We should really have man-marked him with Baird.

They were better in every position during the second half. As you say yourself, they totally dominated. Questionable what benefit man-marking one player would have made.


Most of our bench players are either kids or past their best, it's true.

But...they lost one game by one goal, after beating Slovenia and drawing with Italy. Hardly out of depth, unless you think the Serbs were similarly so being thrashed at home by Estonia and barely scraping a draw with the Slovenes.

It's fair to blame him for, variously

a) starting a schoolboy who should be in the U-19 squad at best

b) persisting with the clearly unfit and uninterested Healy

c) only allowing Mccourtadona five minutes at the end.

You lost by one goal but Serbia's second half performance was a class above what NI could respond with. NI were out of their depth.

The game is a team sport. If there isn't a collective effort, the most talented team won't always win the game.

I'm sure Healy is interested in playing for NI. Silly to suggest otherwise. Whether he is fit or not is another issue but it's apparent however he can't play as a lone striker. Feeney was the other option on the bench but he is a League One player i.e. there isn't any real strength or depth available to Worthlesston.

I can agree that the decision to play a school boy in a competitive game is questionable. In hindsight to how Serbia played in the first half, McCourt could have caused havoc if played ahead of Gorman. But as Worthlesston says himself, the kids listen to what their told.

[awec]

The thing that we are most irked about is that it was clear the Serbs had changed tactics second half and that those tactics were clearly trumping ours. Any idiot could have seen that we needed to make a change early second half as their goals were coming.

Paddy McCourt is probably our most gifted player in terms of technical ability and should be starting every game in all honesty, but to just give him 5 minutes at the end is a joke.

[Gather round]

NI put in a strong collective, team effort on the night throughout the game

Disagree. They sat back far too negatively in the second half, repeatedly gave the ball away and failed to support each other when we (rarely) had it.


Questionable what benefit man-marking one player would have made

With less time on the ball, he might not have set up two goals?


You lost by one goal but Serbia's second half performance was a class above what NI could respond with. NI were out of their depth


NI were poor. I understand your argument that the Serbs were likely to dominate once in harmony, regardless of how strong, or collective our less talented guys were; but it's contradicted by previous games in the series.


The game is a team sport. If there isn't a collective effort, the most talented team won't always win the game

Agreed.


I'm sure Healy is interested in playing for NI. Silly to suggest otherwise

Moving at walking pace, constantly arguing with the officials and picking up a pointless booking suggest otherwise. Why are you so sure? Do you ghost-write his column? Be honest, he isn't up to it any more and isn't prepared to make the extra effort to compensate for that.


Whether he is fit or not is another issue

Sorry, that should have said match-fit. He's barely played in club football since Euro 08, it's hardly a surprise.


but it's apparent however he can't play as a lone striker. Feeney was the other option on the bench but he is a League One player i.e. there isn't any real strength or depth available to Worthlesston

I recognise the lack of depth. Feeney obviously lacks Healy's past record but at least moves his arse a bit more.

If we lose to the Slovenes, it's time for a new coach and to promote some U-21 and fringe players. They just might get better, Sir David and Itsy-Bitsy won't.


I can agree that the decision to play a school boy in a competitive game is questionable

Not just questionable, crazy. He has never played professional footballer. He's an A-level student who goes to Wolves third team part-time.


In hindsight to how Serbia played in the first half, McCourt could have caused havoc if played ahead of Gorman

In hindsight- or even with foresight- you'd think that an international side would have been able to cope. I imagine they've seen Paddy's wonder-goals against Saint Mirren reserves and the like ;)


But as Worthlesston says himself, the kids listen to what their told

Aye, a bit snide that. If he wants to slag off the older players, he should resign first.

[awec]

Healy's done. He has been done for quite a while now. Spent far too long sitting in the reserves in the premier league collecting a wage and now he's useless.

He should have taken a step down and moved to some team like Rangers after he left Fulham.

[ArdeeBhoy]

The point about Paddy McCourt is that he's not really 'a ninety-minute player' and more of an impact sub to seal a result when a team is cruising to victory.

So on that basis, occasionally for Celtic and very rarely elsewhere.

[awec]

The point about Paddy McCourt is that he's not really 'a ninety-minute player' and more of an impact sub to seal a result when a team is cruising to victory.

So on that basis, occasionally for Celtic and very rarely elsewhere.
He deserves a prolonged run in our team. It's not as if he's done anything wrong when he has played!

[seanfhear]

Healy's done. He has been done for quite a while now. Spent far too long sitting in the reserves in the premier league collecting a wage and now he's useless.

He should have taken a step down and moved to some team like Rangers after he left Fulham.
Healy has had to put it mildly a weird club career. Has he ever been successful at a club (maybe Preston, was it Preston) but he had one hell of a purple patch for NI. Was that mostly under Sanchez.Was Healy one of those players that does well playing off a big striker. That kind of play is gone out of fashion but I think our own Robbie Keane likes to play off a big striker too.

[TrapAPony]

17 pages in and hardly a word on how good or bad Adam Barton is.

[boovidge]

he is quite good at football

[gastric]

Rumours in The Daily Star today that Liverpool and Wolves want 'our Adam.' I have only seen him play once and he was okay. There is a hell of a lot of hype around Barton and has been for a while. Can anyone tell me if this is justified or just a beat up?

[tetsujin1979]

Sounds like a regurgitation of an old rumour, Liverpool have been linked with him for some time

[geysir]

Surely his transfer and contract value has gone up a few notches since his prestigious cap for us, not to mention the interest from the top clubs

[TrapAPony]

Rumours in The Daily Star today that Liverpool and Wolves want 'our Adam.' I have only seen him play once and he was okay. There is a hell of a lot of hype around Barton and has been for a while. Can anyone tell me if this is justified or just a beat up?

http://www.expressandstar.com/sport/wolverhampton-wanderers-fc/2011/04/09/wolves-eye-adam-barton-swoop-from-preston/

[tetsujin1979]

Stoke City linked with a move for Barton. £1.5 million is the figure quoted, and some reports refer to him as a "Northern Ireland international".

[AlaskaFox]

Technically, that is correct.

[gastric]

Barton linking himself with Bournemouth which would a shock move considering his career seems to be in free fall. Will be very interesting to see what occurs.

http://www.coventrycity-mad.co.uk/news/tmnw/barton_set_for_bournemouth_move_837263/index.shtml

[DannyInvincible]

Barton linking himself with Bournemouth which would a shock move considering his career seems to be in free fall. Will be very interesting to see what occurs.

http://www.coventrycity-mad.co.uk/news/tmnw/barton_set_for_bournemouth_move_837263/index.shtml

Football supporters are making for official transfer news sources nowadays? Crikey!

[gastric]

Football supporters are making for official transfer news sources nowadays? Crikey!

Fair point Danny. You can get all sort of unsubstantiated rubbish from football fans on the internet. Read recently about a football fan claiming to have spoken to Andy Lonergan's brother on the phone, and God bless us, he posted it. I am sure it was all rubbish, but you never know! ;)

[DannyInvincible]

Ha, I wasn't directing my bewilderment towards you, gastric. I was just surprised at seeing a website, presumably purporting to be a serious news outlet, writing a story based solely on the word of two fans.

[gastric]

Ha, I wasn't directing my bewilderment towards you, gastric. I was just surprised at seeing a website, presumably purporting to be a serious news outlet, writing a story based solely on the word of two fans.

Danny, I was just messing around, I hope no offence was caused!

[DannyInvincible]

None caused whatsoever.

I'd heard that Lonergan yarn too; apparently, some poor fools even believed it! :p

[tetsujin1979]

Signed for Portsmouth, two year contract: http://www.portsmouthfc.co.uk/news/article/pompey-sign-former-coventry-city-midfielder-adam-barton-2505934.aspx