Richard Dunne

[OwlsFan]

I was born the year elvis died lads. I could be his reincarnation like stutts is herman gorings. ....

Why Hermann Goering? Does he take drugs and dress up in fancy uniforms?

[BonnieShels]

Why Hermann Goering? Does he take drugs and dress up in fancy uniforms?

You're thinking of Max Mosley

[back of the net]

*cowers* I don't know what kind of impact people expect Keane to have against Germany and Poland. I mean I can picture him scoring goals against Gibraltar and Georgia but it's Scotland, Poland and Germany we are in competition with and if we can't beat the minnows with/without Keane then competing is a moot point.

Glad to be/if proven wrong though!


Keane scored against sweden just last year - not sure why u think he cant do the same against scotland/poland?

[DannyInvincible]

Keane scored against sweden just last year - not sure why u think he cant do the same against scotland/poland?

TOWK thinks Robbie will already have packed international football in in a huff by that time.

[paul_oshea]

Well i wasnt right on the age but a lot closer than DI, and also the player!!!

[Razors left peg]

Do people really think Ian Rush would be known in new york or america generally?not a chance.you'd be living in Cloud Cuckoo Land to think they would :D

I actually did think he would be well known by football fans to be honest, its not like he played for Accrington Stanley .........


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CgYP1d5nN2o

[TheOneWhoKnocks]

I'd imagine that Robbie won't quit the team in a huff because he will most likely be an automatic starter regardless of form, and the whole team will have to be built around accommodating him, and 1 or 2 players decent players will have to settle for bench roles because of it.

Yes. He scored against Sweden. And aside from that goal, he was a marginal presence. Contrast his performance with Ibrahimovic and it was like night and day.

It isn't all black and white though. The decision to bench him would be easier if Stokes could get a run of games and start taking the mantle, if Long could show more consistency in front of goal or if Doyle's career hadn't stagnated but none of those things have happened; though I believe that people are unfairly scrupulous about Long.

I think the bench is the place for Keane in certain games. It would help his case if his performances, or at least his scoring ratio, was better against bigger teams; or at the least, if he would show some leadership from the front, and stop whining at teammates and the referee and lead by example when the going gets.

[Razors left peg]

I'd imagine that Robbie won't quit the team in a huff because he will most likely be an automatic starter regardless of form, and the whole team will have to be built around accommodating him, and 1 or 2 players decent players will have to settle for bench roles because of it.

Yes. He scored against Sweden. And aside from that goal, he was a marginal presence. Contrast his performance with Ibrahimovic and it was like night and day.

It isn't all black and white though. The decision to bench him would be easier if Stokes could get a run of games and start taking the mantle, if Long could show more consistency in front of goal or if Doyle's career hadn't stagnated but none of those things have happened; though I believe that people are unfairly scrupulous about Long.

I think the bench is the place for Keane in certain games. It would help his case if his performances, or at least his scoring ratio, was better against bigger teams; or at the least, if he would show some leadership from the front, and stop whining at teammates and the referee and lead by example when the going gets.

The decision would be easier to bench him if we had another player capable of filling his boots to replace him. We still dont have another goalscorer so we should not be so quick to dump him.

Stokes will never be the player he should have been, Long is great but doesnt score half enough goals, Doyler same as Long and there is no one else really.

[DannyInvincible]

I'd imagine that Robbie won't quit the team in a huff because he will most likely be an automatic starter regardless of form, and the whole team will have to be built around accommodating him, and 1 or 2 players decent players will have to settle for bench roles because of it.

I wasn't being completely serious with my comment - 'twas a wry nod to the previous lengthy discussion we had on Robbie's commitment a few months back - but, as you know, I don't see his staying with the squad as being dependent on whether or not he's an automatic starter. Of course he won't be quitting the set-up through bad blood. Even if he wasn't to be an automatic starter in the upcoming games, he won't be walking out in a huff.


Yes. He scored against Sweden. And aside from that goal, he was a marginal presence. Contrast his performance with Ibrahimovic and it was like night and day.

We were very limited that night and had no back-up plan whatsoever. Robbie was left starved up front, fighting for scraps and chasing non-transpiring long-ball knock-downs as a result. If we can create chances for him, he's undoubtedly our most accomplished and clinical finisher.


I think the bench is the place for Keane in certain games. It would help his case if his performances, or at least his scoring ratio, was better against bigger teams; or at the least, if he would show some leadership from the front, and stop whining at teammates and the referee and lead by example when the going gets.

It would help his case?! Give me patience. What on earth are you talking about? His scoring ratio against the so-called big teams is very much commendable; it's the best record we have! Your bullish intransigence on this issue is both ignorant and infuriating. Out of interest, what ratio have you mustered up? Have you got an actual total/figure or are you just spouting disingenuous nonsense based solely on your anti-Robbie prejudice again? We only ever play big games/top seeds in competitive games very rarely, but when we have, Robbie has frequently done the business. Who else have we got that has been scoring so freely against the high-flyers? Robbie's record has been analysed in great detail and pointed out to you before in the relevant thread, if I remember correctly. He has consistently scored in big games and small.

He has also cut a lot of the whining and arm-waving out of his game. When it does occur, it's mostly towards officials rather than his own team-mates, no? Anyway, we've won every game in which he has scored, bar two (Russia and Sweden; two big teams, it should be noted). He's scored plenty of absolutely crucial goals to get us out of trouble or to drag us through to the next level. I don't quite think he's leader-material in the same sense that, say, Roy was, but he's stepped up to lead the way on plenty of occasions down through the years. Your stubborn vendetta against him is completely unreasonable.

[DannyInvincible]

I went back and found the Robbie stats that had already been pointed out to you (by geysir (http://foot.ie/threads/43943-Robbie-Keane?p=1733214&viewfull=1#post1733214) and samhaydjr (http://foot.ie/threads/43943-Robbie-Keane?p=1733348&viewfull=1#post1733348)) last January:


Robbie has scored about 14/37 competitive goals at World cup, play offs and against top 3 seeded teams in qualifiers. In friendly games, about 50% of his goals were against top 3 seeded teams. Nations Cup, I'd regard as friendly.


Nineteen of his fifty-four goals against European opposition have come against teams that are top three seeds for Euro 2016, or 35%. And to put that into context, Niall Quinn only scored nineteen goals in total against European opposition, John Aldridge got 17, near half of which were against Latvia (before Latvia were decent for a while).

Even then, you tried to dodge, deny and twist the reality whilst accusing others of the type of manipulation of which you, and solely you, were guilty. Your conduct provoked the following responses from geysir:


We can all manipulate?
Robbie started playing and scoring in competitive games in 1999. Why do you start in 2000? Why ignore World Cup Finals and play offs.
Before you claimed that Robbie scored 85% to 90% against 4th 5th and 6th seeds.

He has scored against Yugoslav Turkey Netherlands Iran italy France Russia Estonia Sweden 10 goals
WC finals 3 goals
13 of his 39 competition goals came that way
The point is that you can make an argument about Robbie's worth to the team now, without manipulation of facts or rewriting history. It just betrays a bias and devalues any analysis.


Let's do a quick recall, you made a statement that 85 to 90% of Robbie's international goals were against 4th 5th and 6th seeds.
Then you proceed to deliberately ignore the year 1999, Play Offs and the World Cup Finals, meanwhile bizarrely regarding as an explanation, that Robbie's club record being more relevant to his international goal scoring stats than the goals he scored at the World Cup Finals.
The only nerve that you irritate is the subterfuge alert nerves.

Edit: You're clearly an intelligent guy, TOWK. I do respond (or react, even) to quite a few of your posts, but I don't want you thinking I have it in for you. Why I find some of your arguments so frustrating at times is because you clearly have the capacity for critical and logical thought, but, for whatever reason - be it prejudice (such as that consistently demonstrated against Robbie, Richard Keogh, Jack Grealish...) or something - you instead frequently jump to the worst conclusions possible or choose to regurgitate the same old broken records that have been debunked time and time again. And when you simply ignore counter-arguments in which others have invested a bit of time producing in order to properly discuss the nitty-gritty of an issue with you, it's just downright bad etiquette. Worse, you'll then repeat the same old points again a few days or weeks later, presumably pretending never to have seen the original responses? It's not only myself whose had to endure that manoeuvre with you. You've also done it with others over the past few days in the Richard Keogh thread (http://foot.ie/threads/175292-Richard-Keogh?p=1769679&viewfull=1#post1769679). You've clearly seen DeLorean's post there, but I'll be surprised if you pay him the decency of a response, either offering a credible counter-argument or admitting that you were wrong... You've perfected the ostrich effect as a "debating" technique. I don't want to accuse you of being a wind-up, but it's seriously hard to know sometimes with the way you carry on!

[Stuttgart88]

If anyone had an agenda it'd be really easy for him to come down one way or another against any player in our squad.

Robbie has infuriated me over the years but with age has come wisdom, and the moaning, hand waving and general faffing about has diminished. Whereas early in his career his one one ones were his Achilles heel they are now one of his strengths. His instinct in and around the box is genuine class and his age is not a negative factor in that regard. He's fit and alert still so can't be written off. He has scored 60+ goals and in my opinion this should probably be 70+, but that's being picky. Saying he's not Ibrahimovic is just petty. Ibrahimovic is one of the world's elite.

I love Long, I think he's great and a real live wire. Hes a proper athlete and physical presence. He's even more frustrating than Robbie ever was though because he has so many more goals in him than he actually delivers. Just look at his fantastic goals against Villa. But on the other side of the coin, his inability to pick out Keane with a simple square ball to equalise against Sweden was worthy of the highest degree of ridicule ever heaped on, say, Alan O'Brien. So too was his ballooned effort over the bar away to Sweden and his header straight at the Austrian keeper's head to make it 3-1 in Dublin. His efforts on goal against Georgia and Serbia were Geoff Thomas comical.

Does any of us hold it against Long? Not on your life. He's one of us and one of our best.

Is there a bigger picture, that picking Keane over Long diminishes our ability to scrap and cause bother in the final third? Yeah, there might well be. But to have it in for Keane on the basis that the team is built to suit him is nonsense. We could have me up front or James Rodriguez, but the other ten would still be the same.

We have lots of decent players, some good grafters upfront (but nothing special by international standards) and one proper goalscorer. I don't have the answer to how best to put it all together. I suspect there will be some games where Keane will be best used from the bench and others when he'll be a starter. Maybe even Keane and Long, or others, at times.

It's up to Martin O'Neill to earn his Monday on that issue.

[TheOneWhoKnocks]

OK..... Robbie Keane is 34 years old. He's playing in the MLS. His performances against pedigree International teams - and pedigree club teams before that - have been in decline for several years. I think other personnel are more suited to a change in formation. That forms the basis of my argument that he should be rotated.

I have doubts on if he will play on, if he is rotated, for a couple of reasons; in part due to quotes like this: "I have not really worried or thought about my position with the Ireland team." It is all about now and I've said before if I didn't play for Ireland and someone else came in, I have always said I would walk away." I thought we had agreed to disagree on our interpretations of that comment? And take into account the sanctimonious mocking I had to endure until I provided the numerous sources for those quotes.

There has been little or no manipulation of statistics on my part. Keane scored once against Yugoslavia and didn't score against Croatia in 00 campaign. He scored against Holland and didn't score against Portugal in 02 campaign. He scored a couple in the WC. He didn't score against Russia or Switzerland in 04 campaign. He scored once against Israel and didn't score against Switzerland or France in 06 campaign. He scored once against Wales and didn't score against Slovakia, Germany and Switzerland in 08 campaign. He scored once against Italy (Dubious goals committee) and didn't score against Bulgaria or Montenegro in 10 campaign. He scored in Playoff against France. He scored against Russia with a penalty and didn't score against Slovakia or Armenia in 12 campaign. He didn't score any in Euros. He scored twice against Estonia (one penalty) in Playoff. He scored once against Sweden and didn't score against Germany or Austria in 14 campaign. That's not a magnificent record. And it's important to put into context that the Keane pre 2008 is not the same Keane post 2008. His form has been in decline at club and International level. For example, he was poor in the games he scored against Russia and Sweden. I'm obviously not counting friendly games because they are not competitive.

We have qualified for two tournaments with Keane and I would say neither was in large part due to Keane. He was unable to be influential enough to come up with the goals during his barren spell in the mid noughties, post namesake, to fire Ireland into tournaments.

Who else have we got? Long has probably yet to reach double figures in competitive starts. Stokes has not been given a chance at all. And it's largely beside the point anyways as we cannot rely on Keane anymore and we will have to start planning for life without him, just like Dunne, Duff and Given.

"We were very limited that night and had no back-up plan whatsoever. Robbie was left starved up front, fighting for scraps and chasing non-transpiring long-ball knock-downs as a result." To go back to my original point that he shouldn't be playing in those games. Long or Doyle should be. And it's strange how people aren't so understanding and patient of Long whenever he has an off day - not often.

I do not have a vendetta against Keane whatsoever. He has scored goals against big teams and performed against big teams - largely in the past. He has a magnificent goalscoring record overall that will never be equalled. I even agree with people largely that he is probably our best bet to score; in certain games. And he has an integral part to play off the bench, with his experience, in other games. Do I think he's more likely to score against Poland and Germany on current form? No. And do I think it's worth it relying on him at the expense of the way we set out to play? No.

[DannyInvincible]

I've responded in the Robbie Keane thread as I'd rather not take this thread further off-topic: http://foot.ie/threads/43943-Robbie-Keane?p=1769995&viewfull=1#post1769995

[Charlie Darwin]

Good news from oneill on Dunne.

was it cd who said he didn't see him featuring again under oneill?

Anyway good to see:
“While Richard didn't play for us since I took over, I know all about his ability. I have said this before, I'm in no position to exclude people, especially people like Richard.”

There are*0*comments.*L

- See more at: http://m.independent.ie/sport/soccer/coleman-injury-fearsa-headache-for-oneill-30461273.html#sthash.IA9JrEW4.dpuf
Stick with me, Paul, I know my footie #iknowmyfootie

[paul_oshea]

You did then?! Not quite how you meant it though. I had initially thought you said like me oneill would bring him back in. I stick by that but obviously he doesn't have the choice now. :D

[Charlie Darwin]

I said I suspected we'd seen the last of Dunne in an Irish jersey around the time O'Neill took over. Admittedly, I didn't think he'd ever get back to the level he's playing at now, but I reckoned if he did reach the standard again that O'Neill would still look to younger players. I suppose we'll never know for sure.

[DannyInvincible]

I said I suspected we'd seen the last of Dunne in an Irish jersey around the time O'Neill took over.

I see a lot of Paul O'Shea in you, Charlie.

[Charlie Darwin]

Well played, sir.

[Stuttgart88]

I see a bit of Peter O'Toole in Richard Dunne's eyes.




Spoken in a purely heterosexual way of course.

[TheOneWhoKnocks]

http://backpagefootball.com/dunne-and-dusted-a-look-back-on-the-career-of-richard-dunne/80139/

Tribute to the career of Dunne.

[Fixer82]

http://backpagefootball.com/dunne-and-dusted-a-look-back-on-the-career-of-richard-dunne/80139/

Tribute to the career of Dunne.

Good article. Although it mentions that there hadn't been a prominent international since Kevin Sheedy. Terry Phelan anyone?

Dunne certainly was understimated as a footballer. I remember an amazing ball he hit about 50 yards to Aiden McGeady against Slovakia (I could be wrong on that). McGeady subsequently won a peno and Robbie Keane subsequently missed it

[pineapple stu]

25 games in three years, including a spell out on loan? Probably not prominent enough.

[Fixer82]

25 games in three years, including a spell out on loan? Probably not prominent enough.

touché

Never reached the dizzy heights of this goal (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tBBjWbj0MQU) for Man City

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tBBjWbj0MQU

[pineapple stu]

Never seen that goal before.

Proper old-fashioned celebration at the end too.

[DeLorean]

Gareth Bale-like! The lack of a celebration indicated it must have been a consolation goal so I checked it out. It was an F.A. Cup quarter final that they lost 4-2 and Phelan scored City's second, presumably to make it 2-3 or 2-4.

[TheOneWhoKnocks]

http://www.independent.ie/sport/soccer/premier-league/tilting-the-world-in-his-direction-30531478.html

[the doc]

I said I suspected we'd seen the last of Dunne in an Irish jersey around the time O'Neill took over. Admittedly, I didn't think he'd ever get back to the level he's playing at now, but I reckoned if he did reach the standard again that O'Neill would still look to younger players. I suppose we'll never know for sure.

I think Dunne would of carried on if Mr Trapattoni had still been in charge or Mick had took the job.

[Stuttgart88]

So, there we have it folks. Richard Dunne "walked away". His own words, not mine. He didn't retire gracefully having served his country with honour and dignity and due to a creaking body like most of us assumed. What is it with these Tallaght lads? Were they taught to walk away?

[Stuttgart88]

I think Dunne would of carried on if Mr Trapattoni had still been in charge or Mick had took the job.
Why do I get the impression there's a posh boy behind that keyboard trying to impersonate a footballer?

[TheOneWhoKnocks]

So, there we have it folks. Richard Dunne "walked away". His own words, not mine. He didn't retire gracefully having served his country with honour and dignity and due to a creaking body like most of us assumed. What is it with these Tallaght lads? Were they taught to walk away?

CliffsNotes

Martin O'Neill spends 3/4 of a year praising Richard Dunne to the hilt and pretty much saying that he would be a nailed on starter in the team if he elected to continue playing. Richard Dunne, who spent a year on the sidelines, understandably chooses to focus on club football and the challenge of battling Rio, Caulker, Hill and Onuoha for one of three (probably soon to be 2) places in the QPR backline.

Robbie Keane says, in a huff granted, that if someone took his place in the team he would "walk away".

These two things are somehow reconcilable?

[Stuttgart88]

Absolutely they are.

If the term is good enough for Richard Dunne it should be good enough for Robbie Keane. You just like Richard Dunne more, pure and simple.

Not that I think it's relevant but I thought there was considerable ambiguity over Dunne's likely selection under O'Neill. No less an authority than Charwin, for example, thought until recently that he wouldn't figure, my guess was that he would. That ambiguity wouldn't have arisen if O'Neill had pretty much said he'd be a nailed on starter for the last 9 months as you say.

[geysir]

So, there we have it folks. Richard Dunne "walked away". His own words, not mine. He didn't retire gracefully having served his country with honour and dignity and due to a creaking body like most of us assumed. What is it with these Tallaght lads? Were they taught to walk away?
:)
That would be towking the article.

[TheOneWhoKnocks]

Okay then we'll just have to agree to disagree on whether someone in (likely) his last season, who is playing in the Premier League, who is 35 soon, who is much less likely to be guaranteed first team club football, who has just came back from a year on the sidelines, whose new contract was triggered by a set amount of appearances, who came back to play meaningless competitive and friendly games before deciding to retire, who likely would have had a pivotal role in the upcoming campaign retiring is the same as Robbie Keane's comments about, I quote, walking away if his place in the team was taken.

I think it being a case of me liking Dunne more than Keane is oversimplifying it a bit.

You can reconcile Keane's ego with a fantastic goalscoring record but I don't think you can reconcile those two other things.

I have come to terms with the fact that Keane is captaining us into the Euro 2016 campaign and will be starting. I eagerly anticipate it.

[Stuttgart88]

The way I see it is that one player walks away when he feels it's the right time to end his international career. The other says that he'd do the same when no longer needed or wanted. Both players use the terms walk away and retire interchangeably. I think it's that simple.

[Charlie Darwin]

I have come to terms with the fact that Keane is captaining us into the Euro 2016 campaign
Good grief, you make it sound like his captaincy means he'll be murdering a child before each game or something.

[Closed Account]

The way I see it is that one player walks away when he feels it's the right time to end his international career. The other says that he'd do the same when no longer needed or wanted. Both players use the terms walk away and retire interchangeably. I think it's that simple.
Robbie cleared the whole thing up in an interview in November.


Listen, I want to play as long as I can.
But I'm not daft. I'm 33 years of age, so next time the Euros come around...
Ultimately it's the manager's choice. All I can do is keep playing well and keep scoring goals and if he sees that I can continue doing that, then there's no problem.
But I don't have any problems with people making decisions. If anybody feels that I can help them now until the Euros and there's a situation coming around to the Euros where for some reason my legs are gone, then I'll pack it in.
I’m not stupid. If I feel I can help the country and the manager I’ll do my best because that’s what I’ve done since I was 18 years of age.

- See more at: http://www.independent.ie/sport/robbie-keane-is-not-planning-irish-retirement-as-he-prepares-to-extend-la-stay-29755390.html#sthash.HkL5BigP.dpuf
Pretty much says that he'll leave when he feels his legs are gone, and that he has no problem making decisions, assumingly about being on the bench or not.

[TheOneWhoKnocks]

Vague.

[Closed Account]

Vague.
Thank you. Are these quotes from March 2011 vague?


I will make it clear: I have no intention to retire at all. I want to play as long as I can.
I think you have seen over years, I have always been committed and always wanted to play for my country, and that will never change.

I don’t like to predict what is going to happen in three or four years’ time with injuries and what have you.

I will just take each campaign as it comes, look forward to this campaign and hope we can qualify.

I was just asked the question that if someone came in and the manager felt it was time for me to be pushed aside, I would be fairly happy.

If someone young and fit came in and did a better job than me, I would be happy enough.
http://www.breakingnews.ie/sport/keane-dispels-talk-of-international-retirement-498678.html

Let me guess, they are still too vague, because 3 or 4 interviews (Sep 2012? (http://www.google.ie/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=3&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CDIQFjAC&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dailymail.co.uk%2Fsport%2Ffoo tball%2Farticle-2199488%2FRobbie-Keane-says-quit-Ireland.html&ei=y6z7U-TEK-qL7AaClICYAg&usg=AFQjCNE1S-qr2GD4HAzHpOMN5dGCFabgOQ&sig2=oT97i8noDy6fcxYgyJ9dTw) and Mar 2013 (http://www.google.ie/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=2&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CCoQFjAB&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dailymail.co.uk%2Fsport%2Ffoo tball%2Farticle-2296027%2FRobbie-Keane-Ill-play-long-I-possibly-thanks-MLS.html&ei=y6z7U-TEK-qL7AaClICYAg&usg=AFQjCNGOG3mOaCPhCuU8NL2hDvl_Qx9PbA&sig2=Shhr2np_G1kL-7HFeR5zhA)) are too ambiguous in relation to the clear cut quote you keep referring to: February 2011



I have not really worried or thought about my position with the Ireland team," said Keane, ahead of tonight's trip to Blackpool (http://searchtopics.independent.ie/topic/Blackpool_FC).
"It is all about now and I've said before if I didn't play for Ireland and someone else came in, I have always said I would walk away.
- See more at: http://www.independent.ie/sport/soccer/keane-vows-to-walk-away-if-trapattoni-puts-faith-in-young-guns-26636564.html#sthash.6u0mF5mW.dpuf

Anyway back to Richard Dunne. I can't see QPR sticking with that formation for too long. Dunne rotating with Ferdinand would probably work out for everyone.

[Charlie Darwin]

Looks like he might be off to Burnley, who are also still interested in Richard Keogh.

[tetsujin1979]

Back in the starting XI for QPR today, Rio taking his place on the bench

[TheOneWhoKnocks]

I have a feeling QPR will get mullered today. I foresee at least two Balotelli goals.

[Charlie Darwin]

Always fun when Harry goes with three at the back. Think this'll be another Moscow affair.

[TheOneWhoKnocks]

Dunne is shackling Balotelli. He's having a great game, but he picked up an unnecessary booking right at the end of the half.

[TheOneWhoKnocks]

Dunne own goal.

They're really quick to bring up his own goals record, 11 goals to 10 own goals. I wonder if they would be so quick to bring up Jamie Carragher's own goals record?

At least Richard scored a few at the right end every now and then.

[tricky_colour]

Was gonna say the goal might be a blessing in disguise, bucause QPR got a late equaliser
leaving Liverpool no time to respond, unfortunately Liverpool just score :(
but...as I was typing the in QPR scored again!! What a game!!

[tricky_colour]

OMG 3 - 2 Liverpool!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Yard of Pace]

Dunne own goal.

They're really quick to bring up his own goals record, 11 goals to 10 own goals. I wonder if they would be so quick to bring up Jamie Carragher's own goals record?

At least Richard scored a few at the right end every now and then.

Jamie lags behind with 7. In Spain the record is 6.

[SwanVsDalton]

It's a pretty awesome record in fairness.

[Stuttgart88]

I had to go out at 1-0. He was a bit leaden footed for the OG but it was a certain goal if he had done nothing.

I often pick up on a dislike of the Irish from Martin Tyler. Nothing overt, just subtle stuff, snipes like "the Scotsman, capped X times by the ROI" and regular Little Englander stuff. John Motson must be his role model.

[Stuttgart88]

It's a pretty awesome record in fairness.
It's only about one a season, not excessive from a centre back. He'll always be a legend for me.