James McClean M Wrexham b.1989

[DeLorean]

I understand that one of the reasons Trap called McClean into the squad early is to try him out on the right and see how he can cut inside onto his left and cut up play. Trap envisages McClean as someone who can play on either side; not just the left.

Yeah I think Trap definitely recognises that McGeady is much better on the left too. Duff won't be around for too much longer in any case, certainly the most likely retirement after the Euros I feel, so it will be important that McClean can do well on the right as I don't feel that McGeady will ever be as effective on that side.

[Stuttgart88]

I think McClean will be capable of drawing his fair share of free kicks, which will be important for us. I don't know about his touch, but if it's decent he'll be a great out ball because, let's face it, we're going to be under pressure in possession. Duff is great at buying time and giving others a chance to get back into shape.

[ArdeeBhoy]

I haven't been impressed by Alan O'Brien in a long time either.

And yer point is, still?

[Predator]

James would be brilliant on the counter. Kind of like McGeady but with a bit more end-product (less running into trouble).

[DannyInvincible]

James would be brilliant on the counter. Kind of like McGeady but with a bit more end-product (less running into trouble).

Lucky you added that clarifying clause. I thought you were going to slag off his crossing abilities! :p

[DeLorean]

James would be brilliant on the counter. Kind of like McGeady but with a bit more end-product (less running into trouble).

I think McClean loses the ball nearly as much as McGeady. His direct style guarantees this. McGeady probably loses possession in a more frustrating way as you can clearly see he is taking on that one man too much. I think the way McClean loses the ball leaves you more vulnerable to the counter attack though, but we don't have to worry about that as we'll have a minimum of nine players 30-40 yards deeper than him anticipating that he will lose it!

[DannyInvincible]

but we don't have to worry about that as we'll have a minimum of nine players 30-40 yards deeper than him

It might have worked in the qualifiers, but this is the finals now. I really can't envisage us being so gung-ho.

[DeLorean]

It might have worked in the qualifiers, but this is the finals now. I really can't envisage us being so gung-ho.

Haha I know, I only said 30-40 yards because that's where I pictured Kevin Doyle being positioned

[Predator]

I think McClean loses the ball nearly as much as McGeady. His direct style guarantees this. McGeady probably loses possession in a more frustrating way as you can clearly see he is taking on that one man too much. I think the way McClean loses the ball leaves you more vulnerable to the counter attack though, but we don't have to worry about that as we'll have a minimum of nine players 30-40 yards deeper than him anticipating that he will lose it!
Interesting point about the manner in which McGeady wastes possession. I think that his tendency to dally is the only complaint I have about him. I absolutely hate that in football. Can't wait for him to score a Maradona now.

[jbyrne]

McGeady probably loses possession in a more frustrating way as you can clearly see he is taking on that one man too much.

i know people claim mcgeady is two footed but to me he seems more comfortable on the right. Trap usually plays him on the left and that inevitably leads to him being less inclined to whip the ball accross and instead take on that extra player to try and gain better position

[ArdeeBhoy]

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=430492923636126&set=a.242684135750340.68027.239295259422561&type=1&theater

[Crosby87]

http://espnfc.com/uk/en/news/1073831/window-shopping.html

James named in list of ten players who could earn a transfer with a good Euro showing, according to this article.

[IsMiseSean]

One for the Northern boys.

Is James' surname pronounced as its spelt Mac Clean or is it pronounced Mac Clane (as in Bruce Willis Die Hard)?
Two mates of mine were having this argument last night in the pub and I didn't know myself.... It's not a surname we get in Connacht :)

[Charlie Darwin]

The latter, confirmed by the man himself.

[DannyInvincible]

The pronunciation is derived from the Scots Gaelic 'Mac Gille Eathain'.

[IsMiseSean]

Cheers lads :)

[LFCSixty/Eighty]

I've penned a few songs for the Euros and included a James McClean song...

There is the radio version which goes like this....

He wouldn't sing god save the queen
McClean McClean
So he told the north they could keep their team
McClean McClean
But now he plays for the Boys in Green
He always chants Amhrán na bhFiann
Jame McClean..Derrys Golden Boy

The non radio version is on this link...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=oModUb-NbdI

I've never know a football crowd not to enjoy the odd curse word so I hope people are not easily offended!

My only reason for writing them is so we are not singing (as much as I like it) 'Come on You Boys in Green' for the whole tournament!

See what ye think and......Come on Ireland!!!

[BonnieShels]

I've penned a few songs for the Euros and included a James McClean song...

There is the radio version which goes like this....

He wouldn't sing god save the queen
McClean McClean
So he told the north they could keep their team
McClean McClean
But now he plays for the Boys in Green
He always chants Amhrán na bhFiann
Jame McClean..Derrys Golden Boy

The non radio version is on this link...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=oModUb-NbdI

I've never know a football crowd not to enjoy the odd curse word so I hope people are not easily offended!

My only reason for writing them is so we are not singing (as much as I like it) 'Come on You Boys in Green' for the whole tournament!

See what ye think and......Come on Ireland!!!

It's a shame McClean doesn't rhyme with any of those words though. :P

Unless you sing it in a Belfast accent... Maybe...

[John83]

It's a shame McClean doesn't rhyme with any of those words though. :P

Unless you sing it in a Belfast accent... Maybe...
Some of the rougher Dublin accents too.

[tricky_colour]

78.00 Mins McClean cleverly cuts out a Spanish pass, yes!!!
A pass from a Spaniard who was under no pressure is cut out by McClean!!
So why didn't he start?

[SkStu]

Should *have* started.

[tricky_colour]

80.12 McClean forces a classy Spanish player into making a pass back to the goal keeper.
Yes, for a few minutes I wonder had the teams swapped shirts because The Spanish were looking
like the Irish and the Irish (one of) were looking like the Spanish!!

[tricky_colour]

Should *have* started.

Yes he definitely should of - glad someone agrees with me!!

[tricky_colour]

82.26 Spain have a corner, 6 Irish player in the box, and 1 (unmarked!!) Spanish player, the Irish seem to me marking the penalty spot.

3 Irish player in view outside the penalty box, and 2 Spanish, only one Spanish players, one marked the other isn't.

Corner is made to the unmarked Spanish player in the box who says thank you very much and hammers it into the back of the net.

So there you have it, schoolboy defending you might say but I have never seen a team of schoolboys defend that badly.

I thinks some said that on RTE that Paul Green was culpable for that goal but of course basically the whole team was.

How we managed to keep it to 4 is a miracle!!

Just ridiculous. Again the fundamental problem is we do not mark players, no, we appear to have a far more sophisticated system then that!!

It really is quite staggering!!

[Serb]

It was ridiculous the first time you suggested this and it's still ridiculous. There is no combination of Ireland's 23 man squad that could have dealt with that Spanish team. McClean would have fared no better than Duff or McGeady, and, most likely, would have fared worse. Duff in particular was making tackles back in his own box.

[tricky_colour]

It was ridiculous the first time you suggested this and it's still ridiculous. There is no combination of Ireland's 23 man squad that could have dealt with that Spanish team. McClean would have fared no better than Duff or McGeady, and, most likely, would have fared worse. Duff in particular was making tackles back in his own box.

Yes there is!!!

IF I were in the team we would be better for a start!!

I would have said to the other 6 Irish defender, "Look mind if I go and mark that Spanish guy over there while you have a chin wag?", even if they said no I would have marked him anyway.

I would have stood between him and the goal, when he started running toward the corner I would have gone with him, that might have stopped the attempted pass, if it didn't he would at least be under pressure and the chances of him turning, slim to none existent (even now).
In my younger days I would have got to the ball first!! :D

Then after that the commentator says "Green doesn't react near post", well of course if he had been marking the guy, as *someone of the six* should have been, it would not have
been a case if reacting, you are already in the right place.

It was not ridiculous the first time I said it, it was bang on correct, as it was every time I said it. What is ridiculous is your apparent belief in a system of defence which is totally ineffective against any team with half a brain.

Even totally unfit people who had never played football before could have made a better job of it. Our defence revolves around parking the bus and anyone with half a brain can see it is
easy to go round the bus.

Even as the player makes his run one or two players point to him as if to say he is unmarked!! I guess they would not see him until l he started moving or something like that!!

Have you even looked at the goal I referred to?

[tricky_colour]

Here it is

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IeGLnJBnVzY



Pause on 7 seconds. Look at the "marking" or rather lack thereof. It really is bazarre!!

[NeverFeltBetter]

That's utterly shocking.

[tricky_colour]

85.14 McClean wins the ball by getting where he should be, between the player and the goal.
He then goes past 2 players before hoofing it up-field. Spain get the ball but try another attack but have to regroup
as he has driven their players away from our goal!!
They end up kicking it around their half like a bunch of eejits!!
86.22 again he get's the ball, under pressure from to Spanish, but he does not back pass, he carefully hoofs it up the field and
out of play, putting to an end and hopes Spain have of getting another scoring chance.
Throw in is taken but Spain have been pushed back, they try their luck the other side, by now weary of McClean but they had
so many player tied up by McClean it comes to nowt.

[tricky_colour]

That's utterly shocking.

It is isn't it? I player basically beats the whole team single handedly because nobody even notices him before the ball is basically in the back of the net.

Sure you wouldn't even see that (wait for it)...in the League of Ireland!!

[Colbert Report]

Come on lads, we could have had Pele at his peak in the team tonight and we still would have been trounced.

[osarusan]

What I saw of McClean was him receiving the ball twice, gathering pace and running at a Spanish player, only to be easily dispossessed both times.

he did some decent defensive stuff though.

[dancinpants]

What I saw of McClean was him receiving the ball twice, gathering pace and running at a Spanish player, only to be easily dispossessed both times.

he did some decent defensive stuff though.

I noticed a distinct reluctance to pass him aswell.

[Colbert Report]

I noticed a distinct reluctance to pass him aswell.

I noticed a distinct inability to complete more than one or two passes in a row the entire match, from the entire team. I highly doubt the rest of the team were refusing to pass to him.

[Junior]

Come on lads, we could have had Pele at his peak in the team tonight and we still would have been trounced.

Were Spain really that good tonight though? Yes they played well but basically we gifted them the goals and possession all night so I am struggling to really evaluate how good they were.


What I saw of McClean was him receiving the ball twice, gathering pace and running at a Spanish player, only to be easily dispossessed both times.

he did some decent defensive stuff though.

Agreed. He had 10 minutes 'fresh' alongside team mates who had ran their legs off for 80 minutes already and against opposition who were strolling it. He had a couple of runs basically down blind alleys from all I can remember

Im too emotinally drained to try and evaluate those two performances now and where we go from here. Just gonna try and enjoy the last game and a bit of craic with the fans and worry about it before the WCQ's begin......

[geysir]

What I saw of McClean was him receiving the ball twice, gathering pace and running at a Spanish player, only to be easily dispossessed both times.

he did some decent defensive stuff though.
What I saw was McClean receiving the ball from McGeady (?), ran into a couple of Spanish players, blatantly failing to do what he should have done - pass the ball back to McGeady (?) who was waiting to receive it in a good position. The second time was similar, from Ward I think.
He has the capacity to learn - I hope.

[Macy]

I'm not sure what's worse, Trap springing him 76 minutes gone in our second game, or people actually judging him and/or justifying leaving him off for so long, under such circumstances.

[geysir]

It remains to be seen what positives come from McClean and what positives come from being put into that game which was totally lost at that stage.

Duff was thrown in as sub into the cauldron against Turkey in the play-off at Bursa. Afair, he did everything very tidy, it was not difficult to see that he would make the transition which came gradual over the course of the subsequent campaign.

[Murfinator]

What I saw of McClean was him receiving the ball twice, gathering pace and running at a Spanish player, only to be easily dispossessed both times.


This is basically McClean in a nutshell, he almost gave away a penalty as well.

[Charlie Darwin]

He's tied to us now. Hands off our boys IFA!!!

[tricky_colour]

What I saw of McClean was him receiving the ball twice, gathering pace and running at a Spanish player, only to be easily dispossessed both times.

he did some decent defensive stuff though.


He only had 10 minutes, he had to give it a go, he did go past 2 players taking the ball out of defence. He didn't have much
space when he was up front to get a good run at them.

[Not Brazil]

He's tied to us now. Hands off our boys IFA!!!

You are more than welcome to him.

[DannyInvincible]

James McClean dubs his Euros experience a "shambles":

http://i218.photobucket.com/albums/cc12/poguemahone85/AwKGcAQCIAIW_sD.jpg

[Charlie Darwin]

And no other journalist heard this? And he kept it to himself for 6 days?

[BonnieShels]

And no other journalist heard this? And he kept it to himself for 6 days?

They were my thoughts after reading it in the Gibson thread. Utterly bizarre.

[tricky_colour]

James McClean dubs his Euros experience a "shambles":

http://i218.photobucket.com/albums/cc12/poguemahone85/AwKGcAQCIAIW_sD.jpg


Do you have page 65?

[DannyInvincible]

Do you have page 65?

Don't, sorry. As I said in the Gibson thread, I got the scan off Twitter.

[tricky_colour]

Don't, sorry. As I said in the Gibson thread, I got the scan off Twitter.

Did you notice the Duff: "I can't walk away" at the top?


Also there is a bit more on his blog "Stephen Hunt angry & in tears as he storms out after Italy defeat, Darron Gibson considers future."

Not surprised Hunt was upset, he never got a run out at all.

I have a feeling trap will have to go.

[Soko]

Did you notice the Duff: "I can't walk away" at the top?


Also there is a bit more on his blog "Stephen Hunt angry & in tears as he storms out after Italy defeat, Darron Gibson considers future."

Not surprised Hunt was upset, he never got a run out at all.

I have a feeling trap will have to go.


We had a chat with Hunt in Sopot before the Italy game and he told us he was promised that he would get a run. I'm sure there were several other similar cases.

Trappatoni made an absolute balls of this tournament. It's such a pity because I'd love to have seen us have a right go. Only 16 players used and we are getting hammered? You are having a laugh Trap.

[SkStu]

Although the article is a bit strange in terms of timing etc, the contents are believable. If this does lead to more withdrawals or omissions then I think Traps position will have become untenable. I personally believe it already is untenable.