David McGoldrick F Notts County b.1987

[Diggs246]

There's room for both I think.

Defo, McGoldrick will play No. 10 for us anyway

[samhaydenjr]

Yet another goal for McGoldrick today: https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/47010995 - he's surely got to be in the squad in March at this point - question is now, should he start?

[Diggs246]

Yet another goal for McGoldrick today: https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/47010995 - he's surely got to be in the squad in March at this point - question is now, should he start?

Yes. At 10. Im not sure anyone else can do that role properly ( Dan crowley can do it too )

[mark12345]

Yes. At 10. Im not sure anyone else can do that role properly ( Dan crowley can do it too )

I would think at this stage McGoldrick has to be in the squad and also start against Gibraltar. Would love to see Crowley brought in also - he appears to be one of the only creative players available to us.

Beyond that, I wonder what Mick's first team talk will be like. Will it be (a) "up and at em lads, hit the ball long to big Goldie (McGoldrick) and pick up the pieces from there" (b) "we need to keep the ball on the ground and maintain possession and win it back at all costs if we lost it. Possession football will keep us in good stead for this campaign" or (c) "I don't care what way you play lads, just get the win"

[samhaydenjr]

I would think at this stage McGoldrick has to be in the squad and also start against Gibraltar. Would love to see Crowley brought in also - he appears to be one of the only creative players available to us.

Beyond that, I wonder what Mick's first team talk will be like. Will it be (a) "up and at em lads, hit the ball long to big Goldie (McGoldrick) and pick up the pieces from there" (b) "we need to keep the ball on the ground and maintain possession and win it back at all costs if we lost it. Possession football will keep us in good stead for this campaign" or (c) "I don't care what way you play lads, just get the win"

Instead of players playing to a manager's philosophy, shouldn't the gameplan be built around the player's strengths? For us right now those would include:

- Pace up front: Our main options up front right now (Long, Obafemi, McGoldrick and Robinson) are all quick and we have speed elsewhere from Coleman, McClean and Christie
- Aerial Power from set-pieces - Duffy, Clark, Long, Doherty, Egan, Lenihan and Keogh have seventeen goals between them this season and have the aerial prowess to cause chaos from attacking corners and free-kicks. Also, McGoldrick at 6'1" and Long at 5'11" are tall enough to win some battles in the air if we go that route, in part.
- Sweet left feet - O'Dowda and Brady
- Goalscoring midfielders - Brady, Browne, McClean, Hourihane and recently O'Dowda
- Some wing trickery - McGeady
- If Jon Walters recovers successfully and still has something left in the tank, it gives us a more physical option up front
- And, of course, hard work, passion and a never-say-die attitude, whatever the formation and game-plan - every player who pulls on the green shirt

In fairness to MON, is is important to have a solid defensive base and after the Wales debacle we seemed to have some success developing that, conceding only twice in five games and shutting out or Danish tormentors of 2017 for 180 minutes. The question is how well will Mick use the attacking attributes of the players above to build on that and ensure victories.

[mark12345]

Instead of players playing to a manager's philosophy, shouldn't the gameplan be built around the player's strengths? For us right now those would include:

- Pace up front: Our main options up front right now (Long, Obafemi, McGoldrick and Robinson) are all quick and we have speed elsewhere from Coleman, McClean and Christie
- Aerial Power from set-pieces - Duffy, Clark, Long, Doherty, Egan, Lenihan and Keogh have seventeen goals between them this season and have the aerial prowess to cause chaos from attacking corners and free-kicks. Also, McGoldrick at 6'1" and Long at 5'11" are tall enough to win some battles in the air if we go that route, in part.
- Sweet left feet - O'Dowda and Brady
- Goalscoring midfielders - Brady, Browne, McClean, Hourihane and recently O'Dowda
- Some wing trickery - McGeady
- If Jon Walters recovers successfully and still has something left in the tank, it gives us a more physical option up front
- And, of course, hard work, passion and a never-say-die attitude, whatever the formation and game-plan - every player who pulls on the green shirt

In fairness to MON, is is important to have a solid defensive base and after the Wales debacle we seemed to have some success developing that, conceding only twice in five games and shutting out or Danish tormentors of 2017 for 180 minutes. The question is how well will Mick use the attacking attributes of the players above to build on that and ensure victories.

Can agree with some of that but not all. Jon Walters - not a hope. Jon served us very very well. But he was losing pace in the last few games and is long past it now. Aerial ability is ok. But make sure it is from corners and set pieces. Aerial ability as in deploying a big man up front is all wrong. We need to forget that type of game. The time is now to change - play it to feet up front, hold the ball up and introduce others into the game. Let the long ball game to the big man be placed where it belongs - in the rearview mirror.
Shane Long - I can't see him ever hitting the heights again. Almost a year without a goal has affected his game miserably. Perhaps a place on the bench, perhaps not

[samhaydenjr]

Can agree with some of that but not all. Jon Walters - not a hope. Jon served us very very well. But he was losing pace in the last few games and is long past it now. Aerial ability is ok. But make sure it is from corners and set pieces. Aerial ability as in deploying a big man up front is all wrong. We need to forget that type of game. The time is now to change - play it to feet up front, hold the ball up and introduce others into the game. Let the long ball game to the big man be placed where it belongs - in the rearview mirror.
Shane Long - I can't see him ever hitting the heights again. Almost a year without a goal has affected his game miserably. Perhaps a place on the bench, perhaps not

I know Jon Walters is a long shot and debated including him as an option - and certainly I've heard that his powers have been fading over the last few internationals. But I wouldn't entirely rule out the possibility of him having an impact and here's why: I read an interview with him a while back and the impression I got of him as a person is of a serious man who always is seeking to better himself. And this can be seen in his career - he probably has the natural talent of a middling Championship striker but due to his hard work, ambition and ability to harness his talents better than others he got into the Premier League at the age of 27 and played seven seasons there as well as scoring fourteen international goals past the age of 28. Plus he almost scored against the US last year with a snapshot from outside the box. So I can envisage a situation where he takes this time off injured as an opportunity to rest and recharge his batteries so that he can come back still with something to offer club and country for a little while longer. So even though I know that time might have caught up with him, I wouldn't rule him out, even if that simply means him coming on for twenty minutes to give us some physicality as we cling on to a single goal lead in Tbilisi.

As for Long, he has gone through a horrific dry patch, but after his recent goal, he was very unlucky not to get at least one more in the next game, forcing a brilliant save and having a great header cleared off the line. At the same time, I will note that instead of focusing on strikers who "make defenders run around a lot" or "hold the ball up well" or "offer us a big target for long balls", perhaps we should look for strikers who are scoring goals i.e. McGoldrick and Robinson

[samhaydenjr]

Wrap him up in bubble-wrap for the next ten days: https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/47450251

[Olé Olé]

https://astonvilla.vitalfootball.co.uk/official-scott-hogan-loan-update/

Less good news given that he came on around half time for Scott Hogan and no report of an injury in the attached.

[liamoo11]

https://www.the42.ie/david-mcgoldrick-2-4549043-Mar2019/ good interview. Nice to see him taking responsibility for his lack of international minuted

[tommy_c12000]

Scored the winner today. Sheff United now in second, 1 point ahead of leeds with 6 games remaining. From an Irish perspective, it would be fantastic if they get promoted with Egan, Stevens and McGoldrick regular starters, and Hogan a squad player

[Diggs246]

Just scored

[samhaydenjr]

Just scored

Ended up with a brace, Stevens got the other, John Egan returned and Scott Hogan played 70 minutes. One more win and they're effectively up. I would really love to see McGoldrick get off the mark for us in the Summer, even if it's just a goal against Gibraltar: https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/47930320

[DeLorean]

McGoldrick won Sheffield United's player of the year award while Egan led the promotion celebrations - https://www.the42.ie/irish-joy-sheffield-united-john-egan-david-mcgoldrick-4610712-Apr2019/

[samhaydenjr]

Just can't seem to buy a Premier League goal - after his VAR-disallowed effort a couple of weeks ago, he powers a header that 99 times out of 100 ripples the net, but De Gea sticks out a paw to keep it out brilliantly - terrific decoy run to clear a path for Mousset's goal. Robinson also came on and got the assist for McBurnie's equaliser

[DCWA]

Good piece on McGoldrick. It simultaneously shows why he will simply never be an effective goalscorer for us and yet why he has to be in the team.

https://www.theguardian.com/football/2020/jan/10/david-mcgoldrick-beloved-blades-lack-cutting-edge

[elatedscum]

Good piece on McGoldrick. It simultaneously shows why he will simply never be an effective goalscorer for us and yet why he has to be in the team.

https://www.theguardian.com/football/2020/jan/10/david-mcgoldrick-beloved-blades-lack-cutting-edge

For me, to get the most out of him, you’d probably need really really pacy wingers on either side, guys who can get in behind and exploit the space he creates and make runs that he has the ability to feed.

You could play Connolly on the left and Robinson on the right, or even shoehorn Shane Long wide right at a bit of a stretch or at a further stretch, Obafemi or Maguire...

O’Dowda also probably has the pace to get in behind but isn’t necessarily as attack minded as the rest...

[DCWA]

He needs someone closer to him than just wide attackers ie he needs a partner to be most effective for us.

[irishfan86]

Really if we just played 4-4-2 with the understanding it would at times be a 4-4-1-1 as McGoldrick dropped deeper, that would suit us without overcomplicating things.

Sheffield United’s system is compelling but I have serious doubts about getting an international team on board with the intricacies over the span of an international break.

[DCWA]

Agreed a 442/4411 with Connolly currently looks the best bet would also like to see a McGoldrick/Long combination in a similar shape.

[Diggs246]

Agreed a 442/4411 with Connolly currently looks the best bet would also like to see a McGoldrick/Long combination in a similar shape.

Let's see how Idah and obafemi get on as well. Unlike troy they will get game time over the next few months

[tetsujin1979]

Extended contract for McGoldrick at Sheffield United: https://www.sufc.co.uk/news/2020/june/mcgoldrick-commits/

[John83]

David McGoldrick breaks duck with brace as Blades bash Chelsea [rte (https://www.rte.ie/sport/soccer/2020/0711/1152732-mcgoldrick-bags-brace-as-blades-bash-chelsea/)]

I don't know if a video like this will stay up long, but here's the highlights
ZgGXx3vkI6Q

Wilder on McGoldrick:

“To play centre-forward for Sheffield United you have to have some ability and to come through this season without goals… but what people think about him and what the fans think – that shows you what he is all about.

“He deserves every reward tonight because it’s been a difficult period so to get two goals tonight we’re delighted for him.”
Source: [football365 (https://www.football365.com/news/wilder-mcgoldrick-deserves-every-reward-sheffield-united)]

[Fixer82]

Has been the subject of racist abuse I believe. Just read a headline so no more info as of yet

[John83]

Has been the subject of racist abuse I believe. Just read a headline so no more info as of yet
Details here:
https://www.football365.com/news/sheffield-united-condemn-racist-abuse-david-mcgoldrick

"It comes a day after West Midlands Police arrested a 12-year-old boy in relation to racist abuse sent to Crystal Palace forward Wilfried Zaha on social media." I am a bit aghast at this. Partly at the neck on the little **** to be sending racist abuse, and partly on the idea that 12 year olds are being arrested for what they say online.

[Fixer82]

James McClean's two cents.

For what it's worth he definitely is a confrontational character that has made some silly mistakes but I do think he's bang on.
Some may say the timing is wrong but I think it's right.

https://www.reddit.com/r/ireland/comments/hqi8da/james_mcclean_statement_on_recent_racist_messages/

[Olé Olé]

A little tangent on that but you could draw a comprison between Colin Kapernick and McClean in that they both adopted an "unconventional" pose in response to national anthems. It earned Kapernick a shed load of abuse but lost him his NFL career. It earned McClean a shed load of abuse too but he has maintained a career and, whilst maybe clubs have steered clear of him as a result of it, it hasn't impacted his club career significantly. He has played at his level since he began receiving attention for his bowed head and lack of a poppy.

Now, Kapernick may have his career rejuvenated by this. There is definitely a tide of broader support with him at present and it has taken the surge in the BLM movement for him to gain this.

I don't ever see the abuse McClean suffers subsiding but there may come a time when the whispers and murmurs of reason amongst the media in England become louder and more widespread. Like Kapernick, though, it may take an extreme event for this to occur and I don't want to imagine what form that extreme event could come in. A United Ireland perhaps is the only thing coming to mind that I would see as being an extreme event and a positive one too.

[seanfhear]

James McClean's two cents.

For what it's worth he definitely is a confrontational character that has made some silly mistakes but I do think he's bang on.
Some may say the timing is wrong but I think it's right.

https://www.reddit.com/r/ireland/comments/hqi8da/james_mcclean_statement_on_recent_racist_messages/
If James Blacked Up that would certainly Bring Some Attention. He is the Wrong Colour and Irish = Not the Correct Credentials ! !

[seanfhear]

A little tangent on that but you could draw a comprison between Colin Kapernick and McClean in that they both adopted an "unconventional" pose in response to national anthems. It earned Kapernick a shed load of abuse but lost him his NFL career. It earned McClean a shed load of abuse too but he has maintained a career and, whilst maybe clubs have steered clear of him as a result of it, it hasn't impacted his club career significantly. He has played at his level since he began receiving attention for his bowed head and lack of a poppy.

Now, Kapernick may have his career rejuvenated by this. There is definitely a tide of broader support with him at present and it has taken the surge in the BLM movement for him to gain this.

I don't ever see the abuse McClean suffers subsiding but there may come a time when the whispers and murmurs of reason amongst the media in England become louder and more widespread. Like Kapernick, though, it may take an extreme event for this to occur and I don't want to imagine what form that extreme event could come in. A United Ireland perhaps is the only thing coming to mind that I would see as being an extreme event and a positive one too.Kaepernick has signed some new contract with a broadcaster / or someone worth absolute Millions. His football days are over , probably because he was not good enough especially after not playing / not been good enough for a couple of years now ! !

Kaepernick had no history of activism in College / anywhere until he got “ benched ‘ for a White Man ! ! !

[geysir]

Initially I would have thought there was a difference of context between the abuses
David is getting it because of skin colour alone. James is getting it primarily because of an ideological stance in regards to the sacred poppy cow.
James being Irish was an addendum, an add on.

But when it is added on, it becomes racist abuse, the same racism.

[Diggs246]

Once Mcclean put on the balaclava "teaching his kids history " he lost any sympathy I had for him. The man is a moron.

[Fixer82]

Once Mcclean put on the balaclava "teaching his kids history " he lost any sympathy I had for him. The man is a moron.

Whether he has your sympathy or not is beside the point.
The sectarian and racial abuse he gets week in, week out is completely unacceptable.
And neither the FA nor English media have taken a strong stand against it.

Because he didn't tow the imperialist line and wear the poppy he is abused at every game.
Because he actually stood up for his beliefs and has a political conscience, unlike most footballers.
A weaker character would have folded by now.

[Diggs246]

Whether he has your sympathy or not is beside the point.
The sectarian and racial abuse he gets week in, week out is completely unacceptable.
And neither the FA nor English media have taken a strong stand against it.

Because he didn't tow the imperialist line and wear the poppy he is abused at every game.
Because he actually stood up for his beliefs and has a political conscience, unlike most footballers.
A weaker character would have folded by now.

And the balaclava incident? Any comment on that.

[Fixer82]

And the balaclava incident? Any comment on that.

It was really stupid.
But it's beside the point. It doesn't justify the abuse he gets.

[Diggs246]

Nothing justifies abuse, but my sympathy for his abuse eroded when he did that. I would love to know why in the name of jesus does he have a balaclava in his gaff

[seanfhear]

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/sportsnews/article-8518369/James-McClean-hits-lack-support-Wilfried-Zaha-David-McGoldrick-racist-abuse.html

I don’t have access to the comments but you can bet your bottom dollar they are horrible ! !

[samhaydenjr]

Disgusted by the abuse received by McGoldrick, but delighted that he finally broke his Premier League duck after ensuring that he also has at least one international goal to his name (hopefully half a dozen more before he retires!) - there's no other player I'd be happier to get a three-yard tap-in!

[DeLorean]

It was really stupid.
But it's beside the point. It doesn't justify the abuse he gets.

I'm not sure it's completely beside the point. The abuse it wrong of course and it has often been swept under the carpet compared to other incidents, but the outpouring of support is obviously going to diminish for an attention seeker who clearly thrives on winding people up. And anyway, the more recent McClean incidents have been reported in the British media and he's been backed by both his clubs (https://www.the42.ie/stoke-city-statement-james-mcclean-january-2020-4961055-Jan2020/) and the PFA (https://www.thepfa.com/news/2020/1/2/pfa-stands-alongside-james-mcclean).

[geysir]

It is completly besides the point when it comes to racist ethnic abuse.
The usual misdirections used to explain the abuse directed against players like McClean /Neil Lennon, 'he goes out of his way to wind us up', 'he's not likable' 'we don't abuse other irish players therefore it's McClean's/Lennon's fault', 'he doesn't help himself, he's just an attention seeker', are all completly besides the point.

After years of obvious and blatant ugly ethnic abuse directed against McClean in football stadiums, finally in 2020 some action of support was taken by football clubs and the PFA, after pressure from 'kick it out' and McClean himself, that the abuse against a person of irish ethnicity was just as serious as other racist abuse such as was directed against McGoldrick. Throw a banana at a black player, the offender is banned for life, abuse McClean and it's okay - he's uppity irish.

One thing is missing from McClean's perspective is that it has taken many more decades for the FA to take on board even the more blatant incidents of racist abuse. One does not have to go back very far when the FA were pathetic in response to the very public racist abuse, eg monkey chants, from hundreds of supporters such as was regularily directed at Mido in the north of England in 2007.

[Charlie Darwin]

McClean was getting abuse for years before he started fighting back and "winding people up"

[Diggs246]

It is completly besides the point when it comes to racist ethnic abuse.
The usual misdirections used to explain the abuse directed against players like McClean /Neil Lennon, 'he goes out of his way to wind us up', 'he's not likable' 'we don't abuse other irish players therefore it's McClean's/Lennon's fault', 'he doesn't help himself, he's just an attention seeker', are all completly besides the point.

After years of obvious and blatant ugly ethnic abuse directed against McClean in football stadiums, finally in 2020 some action of support was taken by football clubs and the PFA, after pressure from 'kick it out' and McClean himself, that the abuse against a person of irish ethnicity was just as serious as other racist abuse such as was directed against McGoldrick. Throw a banana at a black player, the offender is banned for life, abuse McClean and it's okay - he's uppity irish.

One thing is missing from McClean's perspective is that it has taken many more decades for the FA to take on board even the more blatant incidents of racist abuse. One does not have to go back very far when the FA were pathetic in response to the very public racist abuse, eg monkey chants, from hundreds of supporters such as was regularily directed at Mido in the north of England in 2007.

He is abused for 2 reasons his poppy stance, which is wrong. McLean on this front in completely in the right.

He is also abused because he himself looks for trouble. Ie balaclava gate and being a fool on twitter.

He is in no way abused for being irish.. none of our other players get that abuse.

Mcgoldrick is abused for no other reason then the colour of his skin

[DeLorean]

It is completly besides the point when it comes to racist ethnic abuse.
The usual misdirections used to explain the abuse directed against players like McClean /Neil Lennon, 'he goes out of his way to wind us up', 'he's not likable' 'we don't abuse other irish players therefore it's McClean's/Lennon's fault', 'he doesn't help himself, he's just an attention seeker', are all completly besides the point.

I think it's relevant if he's is expecting (the same) sympathy and outrage from a media outlet like TalkSport, which formed the basis of his most recent statement. And instead of having a pop at his teammates for not backing him publicly, maybe he should ask himself why they're so reluctant to do so? The fact that he draws at least some of it on himself has to be in their minds I think.

I admire McClean in a lot of ways but it's pretty obvious he thrives on a lot of this stuff, whether it's self inflicted twitter wars or his own unique way of teaching his kids Irish history. Nobody is condoning the abuse, it's clearly toxic, but maybe he should take some responsibility for media and professional support not being at the levels it could be.

[tetsujin1979]

The other thing is, the majority (but not all) of Irish players in England will not get abuse the way he does. I would say it's the reverse for black players. The majority (and possibly all) will have been abused because of the colour of their skin during their career.

[DeLorean]

McClean was getting abuse for years before he started fighting back and "winding people up"

I'm not too concerned about the chicken/egg aspect, but McClean has had social media issues going all the way back to Sunderland. Being unnecessarily provocative isn't the same thing as 'fighting back'.

[elatedscum]

McClean is abused because he's Irish and because he refuses to wear a poppy. He was abused long before the balaclava thing or anything else. The moment he chose to not to wear a poppy, he became a target for abuse.

Matic, the only other person who has chosen not to wear a poppy, doesn't receive abuse for it ala McClean. It's the fact he's Irish that single's him out.

If I was a Premier League footballer, I wouldn't wear a poppy. Like many in Ireland, I have family members who fought in the first and second world wars and equally my great-grandfather was sent to prison for his role in 1916. For me, if you look at the behaviour of the british army on the island of ireland, if you look at the behaviour of british soldiers during the troubles and if you look how the The British Legion uses their funding - i couldn't in good conscience wear a poppy.

I assume most just don't want the headache and abuse that McClean has had to endure.

[Olé Olé]

I think it's a combination of three things that earns McClean the abuse: his refusal to wear a poppy, his on-field character and his Irishness. On the on-field character factor, he's aggressive and he's in your face. He's a lightning rod for opposition supporters amongst other things.

If we strip out the on-field characteristics and, for example, Seamus Coleman didn't wear the poppy then I don't think he would receive anywhere near as much abuse. I do think, however, he would still gain more of a reaction than Matic did because he is Irish.

I have not referred above to McClean's nationalist leanings. I do believe that this is another contributor but I'm unwilling to build that into my very rough conclusion (I wouldn't know how!). He has expressed support for Sinn Fein and his love for republican songs. Neither things are a crime- I love the republican songs myself and supporting Sinn Fein is very popular these days. However, it doesn't take much for a simple Englishman to take these likes and hastily think "IRA".

On the last point, I'm sure many have seen the case of Margaret Keane. Margaret was an Irishwoman who passed away and her family sought to have a message As Gaeilge on her headstone in a Church of England graveyard in Coventry. The Church of England refused them permission on the basis that: “Given the passions and feelings connected with the use of Irish Gaelic there is a sad risk that the phrase would be regarded as some form of slogan or that its inclusion without translation would of itself be seen as a political statement".

James is Irish. David is black (as well as Irish). Both have been subjected to racist abuse on these grounds- which is wrong. Has James advertently or inadvertently manufactured a position for himself whereby his actions and beliefs are provocative to a portion of English football supporters? Maybe.

Similar to the Church of England, the authorities in England which should know better really don't. The problem is that if James McClean had to win a game of Jenga to earn widespread condemnation of his abuse, you might see a piece with 'Balaclava Joke' etched on it being pulled out a bit too carelessly, causing the whole thing to topple.

[Fixer82]

McClean is abused because he's Irish.
He's the type of Irish the British Media hate. One with a political conscience.

None of the other Irish players probably know a whole lot about or care about the poppy or the history of the British Army in Ireland (which the poppy commemorates by the way - not just WW1, of which I also had family members participate in - Herr Kavanagh and Herr Dunne (that's a joke) )

The British media and, in turn, public have no problem with the good little Paddies who act like they do, but when an Irishman stands up to them they go after him like a pack of wolves. And his nationality is most certainly a part of that.

As I've said before though, he is a confrontational character. It's in his make-up and in his game, like it or dislike it.
I wonder would his game suffer or enhance if he wasn't like this? Hard to know.

If I was his manager I'd want him to stay offline for sure.

But I like the he's not afraid to show some personality. Very few footballers like that these days.

[Stuttgart88]

I'm not sure. I think he's targetted because he is seen as an IRA sympathiser or at the very least a dark green republican. His haters are the Tommy Rbinson fanboy types who stand up for Soldier F, sing No Surrender and FTP at England matches, types who align with NI loyalism. He is a very convenient bogeyman for a certain type of English nationalist.The poppy is a key emblem for these people. It's loved by many others in Britain too, but these mainstream others would respect the choice not to wear it.

Me, I like McClean. I admire his conviction. But when he posted the balaclava image I think he was goading his haters tbh. It doesn't make the haters any less wrong but we was waving a red rag to a John Bull.


Anyway, may this can be moved to McClean's own thread? It's been a while since Didzy has been the topic under discussion.

[seanfhear]

You’d think BLM would Back James McClean ! !

[Fixer82]

You’d think BLM would Back James McClean ! !

Then it would be BLMBJM. Doesn't have a great ring to it