Glenn Whelan made Wednesday Captain

[TheOwl]

Shows how highly regarded he is at the club. Lee Bullen our usual captain is out injured and Glenn has been named captain despite still only being 21

[soccerc]

Watch out for a great interview with Glenn in the coming days

[eirebhoy]

Excellent news.

[gustavo]

what kind of player is he lads?

[eirebhoy]

what kind of player is he lads?
Holding midfielder. A bit more the Alonso type holder than the Lennon type in that he would get forward every now and again and likes the long pass. I said earlier in the year that I think he'll be our replacement in the holding role for the national team. Slash/Ed doesn't seem to think he'll make it. :)

[gustavo]

thats good we really need that kind of player for the medium to long term

[Stuttgart88]

I said earlier in the year that I think he'll be our replacement in the holding role for the national team. Slash/Ed doesn't seem to think he'll make it. :)
For what it's worth (not much probably!) I fully endorse Eirebhoy's view. I think Whelan is very close to a senior call up. He also has something we're lacking in the senior squad - a central midfielder with an accurate shot from distance. I think our goal output from midfield is poor.

I remember Eirebhoy's excitement before watching a Whelan / Joey O'Brien midfield in a televised SWFC match last winter. It was a disappointing game in the end though.

[OwlsFan]

Too early for an int call up for Whelan. Let's see how he gets on in the Championship first. I was impressed with him in the Play Off game but that was against Hartlepool. It will be a sterner test this season. He's a useful player - the jury is out as yet on whether he's international class.

However, I would also really like to see Partridge make a break through. I think he plays wide right which is where Ireland is weak at the moment. Roll on Stoke this weekend.

[tetsujin1979]

I'm delighted for Glenn, I was mad for him to make the grade at City, and I was secretly happy he got (just) revenge with the opening goal at the weekend. Congrats to him, next up - that first international cap.

[TheOwl]

I saw Whelan 4 or 5 times last year and he always impressed me. Also listened to most of Wednesday's games on the net and he really came into his own in the second-half of the season.

Definitely one of the top 3 most important players on the team (already) and I have no doubt he can cope with the championship. As for the rest of the team......

[Slash/ED]

Slash/Ed doesn't seem to think he'll make it. :)

Yeah yeah yeah

I've since revised my opinion having seen more of him, he's come on alot and he could be an excellent player.

[youngirish]

He's not as good as Joey O'Brien though in central midfield from what I've seen. I reckon he'll defo make a claim for one of our central midfield spots in the near future.

[eirebhoy]

He's not as good as Joey O'Brien though in central midfield from what I've seen. I reckon he'll defo make a claim for one of our central midfield spots in the near future.
2 different types of players though. They're the type of players you'd like playing together, and they did well together. One box to box, the other holding.

[eirebhoy]

Whelan playing well against Brighton and on his way to the man of the match award in my opinion. Long passing spot on and probably 100% passing success rate in the match so far after 50 odd minutes.

[Qwerty]

Ah yes the Eirebhoy-Whelan love-in, I was thinking it was only a matter of time before this came up again. I'm open minded :) on Whelan's ability that is :D

I really haven't seen enough of him but I was concerned about his pace? Problem at higher level? If he's not pacey what about his positional play? His passing is good.

[eirebhoy]

Holding midfielders don't need much pace in fairness. I'm 50/50 whether he'll make it. I just like to promote him a bit more since the media don't know he exists with their Stephen Ireland love-in. ;)

[gustavo]

i'd have whelan over ireland if a squad was named tommorow

[drummerboy]

Watched him against Brighton last night, and he really passes the ball well, never giving it away. Tony Gale was praising him for the ko. Expect to see him in the Premiership in the next season or so.

[as_i_say]

Holding midfielders don't need much pace in fairness. I'm 50/50 whether he'll make it. I just like to promote him a bit more since the media don't know he exists with their Stephen Ireland love-in. ;)

well ireland is now a regular in a top 10 premiership team so only right that he gets good coverage. whelan is playing in one of the poorest sides in the championship. good luck to him though, hope they survive.

[eirebhoy]

well ireland is now a regular in a top 10 premiership team so only right that he gets good coverage. whelan is playing in one of the poorest sides in the championship. good luck to him though, hope they survive.
They're actually not a poor side. They're really missing a striker though and Trundle turned them down.

[tetsujin1979]

They're actually not a poor side. They're really missing a striker though and Trundle turned them down.
Trundle didn't turn them down, Swansea refued their offer, they never even got to talk to Trundle. They approached Nathan Tyson, agreed a fee with his club and then he turned them down flat, never even got as far as discussing terms according to some reports.

[eirebhoy]

Trundle didn't turn them down, Swansea refued their offer, they never even got to talk to Trundle. They approached Nathan Tyson, agreed a fee with his club and then he turned them down flat, never even got as far as discussing terms according to some reports.
I thought that was the case but Sky commentators said he turned them down. You're right though.


Kenny Jackett insists Lee Trundle is better off at Swansea than at Championship side Sheffield Wednesday.

Owls boss Paul Sturrock last week failed in a renewed effort to prise Trundle from the Swans after having a £750,000 bid turned down.

The Owls have been in the market for a striker, with star man Steven MacLean ruled out with injury, and have been tracking the 29-year-old for some time.

The bid, which is the biggest received in the Swans' history, signals the Championship club's intent to bolster their forward line but it was flatly rejected by the League One high-flyers.

And Jackett said: "Perhaps there are some sides at the top of Championship you might consider if they came in for Lee. But I would say it would have to be a Premiership club to get Lee away from Swansea City."
http://www.sportinglife.com/football/nationwide2/news/story_get.cgi?STORY_NAME=nonwire_soccer/05/10/24/manual_220846.html&TEAMHD=nationwide2

[CraftyToePoke]

i thought Whelan did very well last night as with most times ive seen him but much as id like to see him come in and do well and i genuinely think he could step up,i think it is a bit of a lottery when lads from this division first come in as after all,at that level lads like Connolly amd Maybury can really stand out as did Macken at that level some years back and id say we all agree these arent international players.

on the other hand Morrison and Kavanagh played mostly at that level and still have someting to offer our national side.i think he will get his chance though and it will be very interesting to see how he shapes up.

the Pearce era at man city just came a bit too late for Whelan,Elliot,McCarthy and Paisley cos the way he is throwing academy lads into the side there they might have got more of a look in.

[OwlsFan]

Sigh. It's not been a good few months of football. Sometimes I despair. Still in the depths about us not going to Germany next year and I watch the Owls vs Brighton on Sky last night. Poor game but Owls score, miss a number of chances to wrap it up and then into the 3rd minute of injury time, the inevitable happens. Sometimes I wonder why I follow this game. Like the Israel game away - you know when something like that happens you are destined to fail in the long run. Then memories of Macedonia come flooding back - 20 seconds away from qualification. Sigh.

Of the Irish, Coughlan is such a brave and immense centre half. Puts his head where others wouldn't even dare put their boot. Whelan sprays the ball around very well but would prefer to see him dominate a game more a la Roy Keane. Very good though. McShane - sorry, just watching Owls players. Not big enough I think to make a centre half.

Sigh.....:( :(