Cyrus Christie D Swansea City b.1992

[TrapAPony]

Excellent debut. Very impressed with him. If he can play just as good at LB then we are sorted.

[mark12345]

Excellent debut. Very impressed with him. If he can play just as good at LB then we are sorted.

Really like the look of this lad. He was brilliant in possession, unruffled throughout and not only stopped many an attack but turned it into an attacking opportunity for us.
While we have Coleman at right back, I would like to see MON use Christie as a center back, given our lack of talent there.
A back four containing Coleman at right back, JOS and Christie in the middle and my new favorite for the left back position (despite a brilliant performance there by R Brady) being James McLean. Something to get excited about ahead of the long winter months.

[backstothewall]

All right lads. He's had one cap. Lets get him to 10 at his natural position before trying him here, there or anywhere else.

He was impressive tonight but confidence is important for a young lad getting his first taste of the big time. A good start but he still has silly mistakes to make.

[tetsujin1979]

Paul hasn't even compared him to a GAA player yet, or pointed out how he will one day soon give away a penalty

[Charlie Darwin]

All right lads. He's had one cap. Lets get him to 10 at his natural position before trying him here, there or anywhere else.

He was impressive tonight but confidence is important for a young lad getting his first taste of the big time. A good start but he still has silly mistakes to make.
Disagree. We should play him in a different position in every game. And then when he's played in all of them we should invent new formations.

[gastric]

Disagree. We should play him in a different position in every game. And then when he's played in all of them we should invent new formations.

No pressure then Charlie! :D

[PatJR]

Christie right back, Coleman right midfield. I'd like to see that tried out. Get Coleman up where he can be a real goal threat with a (hopefully) solid right back behind him.

[TrapAPony]

Would love to see him tried out at left back. Then we could have Coleman RB, Christie LB, McGeady RW and Brady LW. Excellent attacking threat there.

[paul_oshea]

Really like the look of this lad. He was brilliant in possession, unruffled throughout and not only stopped many an attack but turned it into an attacking opportunity for us.
While we have Coleman at right back, I would like to see MON use Christie as a center back, given our lack of talent there.
A back four containing Coleman at right back, JOS and Christie in the middle and my new favorite for the left back position (despite a brilliant performance there by R Brady) being James McLean. Something to get excited about ahead of the long winter months.

You really mustn't watch many Ireland games, and there is no excuse for not watching the ones in America in the summer!

A bit of perspective please. Christie looked good but it's very early days, way too many examples of great white hopes in the past. McClean is nowhere near good enough for LB, what he does best is puts his head down and runs at people, a bit headless, thats exactly what you dont want in a LB.

[mark12345]

You really mustn't watch many Ireland games, and there is no excuse for not watching the ones in America in the summer!

A bit of perspective please. Christie looked good but it's very early days, way too many examples of great white hopes in the past. McClean is nowhere near good enough for LB, what he does best is puts his head down and runs at people, a bit headless, thats exactly what you dont want in a LB.

Don't watch many Ireland games??
My first 'watched' game was in 1972. First attended game was a year later. Missed perhaps two since then.
McLean has all the attributes for a decent left back, admittedly it would take some adjusting on his part, but he is head and shoulders above Ward for the position. McLean has pace, an eye for a tackle and he can put his head down and run as you say. Hopefully that would be as an overlapping left back. He has far more about him than Stephen Ward. Having said that, Brady had an excellent game in that position yesterday, but he has far more to offer in a forward role.

[OwlsFan]

I have often wondered why players who fail to make it as wingers don't covert to full back. Physicality is not required and what is needed is pace, positional sense and ability to turn quickly. Any half decent winger should be able to play as a full back or wing back. Big Jack even had Ronnie Whelan playing full back and he did ok there.

McLean's club career has stalled a bit. Should be an option to consider.

[Stuttgart88]

I femember Howard Wilkinson saying they worked with Gary Kelly initially as a winger but they felt he was more reactive than proactive so put him at full back.

O'Neill has said he doesn't think full backs should play RHM. I'm not sure. I think Kelly played RHM a few times with Finnan behind him, and sometimes Finnan at RHM if we were playing more defensively.

I think we have good wide options without playing Coleman further forward.

Wing back in a 352 could be very interesting for both Coleman and McClean.

[tricky_colour]

I have often wondered why players who fail to make it as wingers don't covert to full back. Physicality is not required and what is needed is pace, positional sense and ability to turn quickly. Any half decent winger should be able to play as a full back or wing back. Big Jack even had Ronnie Whelan playing full back and he did ok there.

McLean's club career has stalled a bit. Should be an option to consider.

Cyrus started out as a striker/right winger, as was pretty apparent from his performance v the USA

[DannyInvincible]

The truth of his mercenary motives were already shamefully exposed by his own foolhardiness, but listen now to Christie's desperate attempts at damage limitation (http://www.thescore.ie/cyrus-christie-ireland-us-1788000-Nov2014/)!:


I've come and made my debut and it’s a fantastic achievement for me and a dream come true. It’s something you dream of as a kid. To put on the Ireland jersey was fantastic.


Delighted to have made my ROI debut last night was a real honour to put on the jersey and was a dream come true and was a great result

First he has the audacity to pull on the green jersey just to get an international game of football - for any team would have done! - and now to try and cover his selfish motives behind a facade of false national sentiment... Too late, Christie. How very dare you![/TOWK]

[TheOneWhoKnocks]

What did you expect him to say?

"It was a sh*te experience. I don't want to be here. I would rather be anywhere else. I'm never playing for your country again"?

:confused:

[DannyInvincible]

Why can't you just take people at face value sometimes? Why is it so hard for you to imagine that he might actually have felt some pride and honour in it?

I mean, is that concocted quote there what you believe he really thinks behind the words, or something along those lines; that he'd rather not have been there, only for the fact he was getting a bit of international exposure for the sole and selfish benefit of his career?

[TheOneWhoKnocks]

I'm sure he is proud and thinks it is an honour to be given the chance to play Intl. football. Did I say otherwise?

[DannyInvincible]

Erm, well, you've been going on about being so sure that there was no sentiment for his Irish heritage in his decision to declare for us. You were simply in no position to say.

[TheOneWhoKnocks]

On the bench this evening.

[DannyInvincible]

'Cyrus Christie & Rovers': http://www.shamrockrovers.ie/news/latest-news/3837-cyrus-christie-rovers


At 6’ 2” Cyrus Christie is an imposing figure amongst the back four of English Championship promotion-chasing side Derby County. In November 2014 the Coventry-born defender made his debut for the Republic of Ireland when the USA provided the opposition in a friendly international at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin.

Christie qualified to play for the Republic of Ireland through his grandmother whose own grandfather was ‘Doc’ Malone. John or Patrick (as he was also known) Malone was himself a full back and gave many years of service to Shamrock Rovers. He was on the same team as the famous ‘Four ‘F’s’ and played a major role in the winning of the League, FAI Cup and Shield in the 1924/25 season.

‘Doc’ Malone came from the north inner city of Dublin. He is referred to in several mentions in old match programmes as ‘Doctor’ Malone which gives credence to the belief of the family that he was given the nickname of ‘Doc’ on account of him always been known to carry a case similar to what a doctor would have had. It wasn’t medical equipment that our ‘Doc’ was carrying around in his briefcase – it was his lunch. Like a great number of men on either side of the River Liffey he was employed on the docks.

Cyrus’ grandmother, Mary Parrott, has many happy memories of her grandfather. One story she had been told though was that he had been forced to pawn his precious medals but she is not sure just how true this tale might be. There was a lot of poverty in Dublin in those early years of the foundation of the state and throughout the War years (or The Emergency as it was in Ireland) and the story could certainly be true.

When Cyrus made his debut for the Republic against the USA in November his extended family turned out in big numbers at the Aviva Stadium. They are proud of their Irish roots and were equally proud of the moment he ran out onto the pitch in Dublin.

[Fixer82]

So his great great grandfather played for Rovers? Am I right?
At the time he made his debut I really felt in interviews that he was playing for Ireland as a career move. He didn't seem too proud or excited.
Because of that I was surprised to read he has family in Ireland he's still in touch with (or maybe he's not.)

Either way, he had a great debut and is a great option for us

[Stuttgart88]

I think you were influenced by TOWK. Christie said when the call came that it was a no brainer and that behind Coleman there wasn't much competition in his position. What he didn't say was taken as "proof" that it was a career move. If he had come out with lots of fluffy nice stuff about his Irish roots he'd have had all that forensically analysed too, a bit like McGoldrick. I think declarants need PR advisors to carefully craft and word their statements to the media, and probably provide DNA samples too.

[Fixer82]

No I wasn't influenced by TOWK. I'm not regular enough on here to really know the other posters.
Although if you look back over this thread you'll probably find me saying something after viewing his interview with FAI TV where I felt he didn't seem too arsed about Ireland. It's probably just his natural demeanour. Anyway, I'll reserve judggement until the next few games but, as I've said before, if he does the business on the pitch nothing else really matters

[DeLorean]

Reserve judgement? He committed fully when approached at the age of 22, with his whole career ahead of him. I'm sure he has enough belief in his own ability that he envisages a career as a PL right back for many years, and therefore in the England reckoning at some point, if he keeps his head down. He also knows that Seamus Coleman is better than anything England have at right back at the moment so he could be biding his time on the bench for a long time. We're taking gut tests to new depths if we can't feel okay about a guy like him.

Unfortunately he doesn't seem to be playing too well of late for Derby. A lot of the Derby fans feel safer with Shotton at right back at the moment, and seem to think that Keogh also plays better when this is the case. Christie got the nod last night again though in a crunch game with Bournemouth, so McClaren must have plenty confidence in him.

[tetsujin1979]

No I wasn't influenced by TOWK. I'm not regular enough on here to really know the other posters.
Although if you look back over this thread you'll probably find me saying something after viewing his interview with FAI TV where I felt he didn't seem too arsed about Ireland. It's probably just his natural demeanour. Anyway, I'll reserve judggement until the next few games but, as I've said before, if he does the business on the pitch nothing else really mattersit's equally likely he couldn't be arsed with the interview with FAI TV!

[Fixer82]

it's equally likely he couldn't be arsed with the interview with FAI TV!

Very true. And yes indeed, in response to Delorean, I will reserve judgement on a player's commitment and use to the squad until at least a couple of games. I think it would be unwise to get too excited based on one game

[DeLorean]

Well yeah, fair enough to reserve judgement on his ability and attitude, but he's obviously committed to playing for us. That's all I'd hope for at this stage.

[TheOneWhoKnocks]

http://www.football365.com/transfer-gossip/9747707/The-Admin-On-Admin-Gossip

A move to West Ham rumored.

[tetsujin1979]

announced as young player of the season at Derby's awards tonight: https://twitter.com/dcfcofficial/status/724700237915414529

[DeLorean]

He would have had practically no competition really but great to see after a poor finish to last season. The only others I can think of that would definitely be eligible would be Jamie Hanson & Will Hughes, the former only playing sporadically and the latter only returning recently from a cruciate injury. I'm not sure if George Thorne would qualify at 23, but he's missed a lot of games through injury also.

[DannyInvincible]

Piece here on Christie, his uncles Errol and Lloyd (former boxers) and the racism each have endured: http://www.irishtimes.com/sport/soccer/international/cyrus-christie-no-stranger-to-racist-abuse-in-young-career-1.2674805

[paul_oshea]

Can i Do the my friends cousin thing here?

[DannyInvincible]

Ha, by "each", I meant all three of them. Christie talked about racism he personally experiences as well (although not from Ireland fans, I don't think).

[paul_oshea]

You mean you hope not :P

[tetsujin1979]

Three month injury layoff with a fractured foot: http://www.dcfc.co.uk/news/article/2016-17/christie-set-for-spell-out-due-to-injury-3404498.aspx

[Stuttgart88]

Doherty will surely make the cut now with Ward and Christie out?

[Charlie Darwin]

Doherty will surely make the cut now with Ward and Christie out?
Nope.

[tetsujin1979]

Back in training at Derby : http://www.dcfc.co.uk//news/article/2016-17/christie-set-for-training-return-3515060.aspx

[TheOneWhoKnocks]

After coming back from an injury to one ankle he injured the other one.

Has been playing through the pain barrier in recent weeks.

*Mirror

[DannyInvincible]

Christie went to visit Séamus Coleman in hospital before the Iceland game and clearly has a good rapport with his captain: http://www.independent.ie/sport/soccer/international-soccer/injured-coleman-gave-replacement-christie-a-pep-talk-ahead-of-iceland-task-35574403.html


I went in and saw him at the hospital yesterday. He has his family around him, his daughter was there and he's in good spirits. They're keeping him happy and keeping him going. He's a great character and has a great mentality, he just wants to get on the road to recovery.

He spoke to me as I left. He told me there was no better man to fill his boots and that was great to hear from him. That sums the kind of guy he is up. For me that's a great compliment and it gives me a great amount of confidence because I look up to him.

He's our leader, he's a great player and is one of the best full-backs in Europe.

[TheOneWhoKnocks]

Christie has been out of the Derby team in recent weeks.

Meyler is persona non grata at Hull.

If the situation persists, MON needs to take a look at Doherty - even if he is playing at LB ATM.

[CraftyToePoke]

Meyler is persona non grata at Hull.

Is that really fair - http://www.soccerbase.com/players/player.sd?player_id=50157 he seems to have a fair amount of apps for a side presently outside the relegation zone. Do you feel the new manager is moving away from him lately maybe ?

[TheOneWhoKnocks]

Is that really fair - http://www.soccerbase.com/players/player.sd?player_id=50157 he seems to have a fair amount of apps for a side presently outside the relegation zone. Do you feel the new manager is moving away from him lately maybe ?

He hasn't started a league game since Marco Silva came in.

And has been left rooted to the bench in recent weeks.

[CraftyToePoke]

He hasn't started a league game since Marco Silva came in

But was he a solid starter prior to that change ?

[mark12345]

But was he a solid starter prior to that change ?

Hasn't started a league game since the days of Marco Polo, but in all honesty I don't think he's the proper option for MON at right back.
It's turning into a conundrum. Maybe Matt Doherty, but that's hardly going to happen given that he hasn't even been capped yet.
Perhaps Andy Boyle?

[backstothewall]

I really can't imagine Martin O'Neill will care about what is happening at Derby. Christie has never let us down when called upon. He'll play if fit. Doherty has been in a few squads now so he'll get an opportunity in a few friendlies while Coleman is out.

[Charlie Darwin]

I think it's pretty clear Christie is MON's preferred RB option regardless. With Seamus's injury you'd imagine he will prioritise giving time to the next in line in the summer friendlies, but Cyrus is the man for Austria.

[Olé Olé]

I think it's pretty clear Christie is MON's preferred RB option regardless. With Seamus's injury you'd imagine he will prioritise giving time to the next in line in the summer friendlies, but Cyrus is the man for Austria.

Agree with this. Hope Doherty gets a chance soon as I think he might actually be a more balanced full back than Cyrus is. But Cyrus is nailed on for Austria.

Ward looked good the weekend against Boro so at least the other flank is brighter.

[seanfhear]

Doherty deserves a chance to audition in some friendlies . Lets have look at him .

[TheOneWhoKnocks]

Very interesting article about Christie.

http://www.independent.ie/sport/soccer/international-soccer/emotion-hangs-over-christies-vital-summer-of-opportunity-35780560.html