Sean St. Ledger

[Charlie Darwin]

Sol Bamba is off to Trabzonspor. Good news for the Doc.

[CraftyToePoke]

Sol Bamba is off to Trabzonspor. Good news for the Doc.

Indeed, and Mat Mills, club captain and £5 million plus, signing of a year ago looks to be Bolton bound, but the Doc remains. Signings imminent also though if you believe all that's written.

[seanfhear]

Indeed, and Mat Mills, club captain and £5 million plus, signing of a year ago looks to be Bolton bound, but the Doc remains. Signings imminent also though if you believe all that's written.He needs to be getting game time at was high a level as possible. I think Dunne and O'Shea could be the centre backs from now on. Are John O'shea's days as a fullback over.

[BonnieShels]

Yes. He hasn't really performed too well there for a long while.

[the bear]

Yes. He hasn't really performed too well there for a long while.

Thats very true, but defo not a reason to move him into CB.

[BonnieShels]

Should that be a reason to move him to CB but it's not a reason to drop the doc.

[the bear]

he's bee equally poor for us at CB. the doc has been one of our best players over the last 4 years.

[ifk101]

he's bee equally poor for us at CB. the doc has been one of our best players over the last 4 years.

Let's not get carried away with ourselves. He has established himself as an automatic player under Trapattoni's leadership but he is far from a key player for us. His place in the team is more a reflection of our shortage of options at CB rather than his on field performances.

[BonnieShels]

Mills gone to Bolton.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/18503575

[jbyrne]

Let's not get carried away with ourselves. He has established himself as an automatic player under Trapattoni's leadership but he is far from a key player for us. His place in the team is more a reflection of our shortage of options at CB rather than his on field performances.

but doesnt the fact that we have limited cb options make him a key player? always plays when available so i think that makes him a key player. rarely lets us down and has popped up with at least 3 important goals

[the doc]

but doesnt the fact that we have limited cb options make him a key player? always plays when available so i think that makes him a key player. rarely lets us down and has popped up with at least 3 important goals

Good point well made.

I think the media and many fans are over reacting after the Euros.
We are not a bad team, we lost to the 2 finalists, yes we didn't perform to our normal levels but the teams we played never allowed us to.

As for the many players being touted to come in well are they any better than what we have? I doubt it!

The grass isnt always greener, (no Paul Green jokes please!)as we all know.

I honestly believe we have a strong enough squad to be challenging for the runners up spot in our WC qualifying group.

Realistically Germany should win it with us, Sweden and Austria pushing for runners up.

If we could nick a point off the Germans them who knows.

In Trapp I trust and do should you.

[Charlie Darwin]

Why is Austria pushing for second place realistic? They have a young talented team but they have been nowhere close to qualifying for years and even slipped down a pot in this year's draw. We showed with Armenia we are capable of taking 6 points from sides like that, and I would expect us to do so again.

[ifk101]

but doesnt the fact that we have limited cb options make him a key player? always plays when available so i think that makes him a key player. rarely lets us down and has popped up with at least 3 important goals

Set plays are important to us and we regularly use our defenders as the focal point for these set plays. The goals the doc has scored for us are all very similar, scored at the back post. Another example of this is Stephen Ward. If you look at the two goals Stephen Ward has scored for us they are basically identical. The point is that is you replace the doc in the team with say Darren O'Dea it would be Darren O'Dea popping up at the back post to score those goals.

Yes we don't have many options at CB but there's a couple of players coming through and hopefully Dunne will stick around for a while more.

[jbyrne]

Set plays are important to us and we regularly use our defenders as the focal point for these set plays. The goals the doc has scored for us are all very similar, scored at the back post. Another example of this is Stephen Ward. If you look at the two goals Stephen Ward has scored for us they are basically identical. The point is that is you replace the doc in the team with say Darren O'Dea it would be Darren O'Dea popping up at the back post to score those goals.

Yes we don't have many options at CB but there's a couple of players coming through and hopefully Dunne will stick around for a while more.

i only added on the 3 goals as an add-on. my main point is that he is a regular for us and therefore one of our key players. his standrad or otherwise is a separate issue

[Stuttgart88]

I actually have every confidence in St. Ledger and think he can play at a higher level than Leicester. At the Croatia game I was impressed by how he won his early battles, whereas Dunne lost his.

Just for what it's worth I think Sledge's goals would not be simply replaced by someone like O'Dea. I think he has a good instinct in attacking areas, like John Terry has. Some CBs have it, some don't - and I'd tend to include Dunne in the latter despite his Bulgaria and Armenia goals. Maybe my opinion is tainted by that very late chance he missed in Stuttgart in 2006, but I think Dunne has a fair few similar misses at club level too. The only classic CB type goal I can recall from O'Dea was against rangers in a Scottish League Cup Final. Moran and McGrath were good at scoring important goals from CB too.

[geysir]

He's scored more important goals for us than Keith Andrews.

[the bear]

Good point well made.

I think the media and many fans are over reacting after the Euros.
We are not a bad team, we lost to the 2 finalists, yes we didn't perform to our normal levels but the teams we played never allowed us to.

As for the many players being touted to come in well are they any better than what we have? I doubt it!

The grass isnt always greener, (no Paul Green jokes please!)as we all know.

I honestly believe we have a strong enough squad to be challenging for the runners up spot in our WC qualifying group.

Realistically Germany should win it with us, Sweden and Austria pushing for runners up.

If we could nick a point off the Germans them who knows.

In Trapp I trust and do should you.

The teams we played never allowed us to. Thats the whole point. We were absoloutley outclassed. By playing in that system and surrendering possesion so easily we will continue to be completly overun any time we meet a good technical side. Even not so good technical sides like Armenia and Macedonia gave us the run around for spells.

Whats the point in sticking with a flawed system when we could try and better ourselves and yes there are quite clearly better technical players available then what has been picked in the past.

Yes obviously Germany will be strong favourites for the group and even if we keep faith with Traps system we will stand a could chance with competing with Sweden and the rest but we will once again be completly outclassed by real footballing teams so why not adapt and try and improve ourselves.


Set plays are important to us and we regularly use our defenders as the focal point for these set plays. The goals the doc has scored for us are all very similar, scored at the back post. Another example of this is Stephen Ward. If you look at the two goals Stephen Ward has scored for us they are basically identical. The point is that is you replace the doc in the team with say Darren O'Dea it would be Darren O'Dea popping up at the back post to score those goals.

Yes we don't have many options at CB but there's a couple of players coming through and hopefully Dunne will stick around for a while more.

Saying that another CB would of scored the Docs goals in his place is crazy. If we had of played David Connolly in evry match Keane played would he now have 50 odd goals?

That goal against croatia was very well taken, the way he muscled the defender out of the way and got around the other side of the ball as it was whipped in. Very few defenders show that sort of anticipation and desire to get on the end of a cross.

i would defo say he is one of our most important players of the last 4 years. can you name 5 players who have been better than him in the last 2 campaigns? I can't

[CraftyToePoke]

As for the many players being touted to come in well are they any better than what we have? I doubt it!


Serious ? I realize your spot is precious and all the eleven will want things to remain, that's the nature of the game, nobody ever wants to be dropped. Or carry the can. But are you offering that there is no role for people like, Wilson, McCarthy, Gibson, McClean and Long for example, all guys playing regularly at a high level already with their best years ahead and improvement still to come you would also expect.

No integration of the players who will most likely represent the core of the side in the future. Great stuff Doc. Insightful.

[the doc]

SSL went off injured after a heavy tackle tonight early reports bad knee injury.

[the doc]

SSL went off injured after a heavy tackle tonight early reports bad knee injury.

Now confirmed on the LCFC official site

Our Future Captain out for 6-8 weeks!

[IsMiseSean]

Looks like Sledge will be getting some game time tomorrow night.
https://twitter.com/seanstledger12/status/240086829200732160

[ifk101]

St Ledger played the full game against Burton, a game Leicester lost 4-2. St Ledger gave away the free kick that lead to the opening goal. He also gave away the penalty that made it 3-1 to Burton.

[Manblue]

St Ledger played the full game against Burton, a game Leicester lost 4-2. St Ledger gave away the free kick that lead to the opening goal. He also gave away the penalty that made it 3-1 to Burton.

Disaster waiting to happen in a green jersey

[Stuttgart88]

Some people been waiting a long time for a SSL disaster and it's yet to happen.

And at least he bothers to wear the green jersey.

[ifk101]

It is likely St Ledger will be a squad player for his club again this season, a mid-table Championship club. If he's not getting his game at club level, he is coming into internationals lacking match sharpness. Some people dismiss this as sure he's always done it for us in the green (a gross generalisation btw). Others see it as a potential weak spot in the team.

[Charlie Darwin]

The way Leicester have been defending so far this season, he's as likely as anyone to earn a starting place.

[SwanVsDalton]

It is likely St Ledger will be a squad player for his club again this season, a mid-table Championship club. If he's not getting his game at club level, he is coming into internationals lacking match sharpness. Some people dismiss this as sure he's always done it for us in the green (a gross generalisation btw). Others see it as a potential weak spot in the team.

Don't think anybody has dismissed it. Everyone would like Irish players to be starters for their team, naturally. But people have been throwing poo at the wall re St Ledger since cap zero and it's natural people would start to roll their eyes if, after 30 fairly distinguished caps, hardly any of it has stuck.

Likewise when he does make a make a mistake, the 'I told you so' crowing should be greeted with the derision it deserves. I'm fairly sickened by the indefatigable patience of some Irish fans when it comes to waiting for a player to fail. This is considerably different, and considerably more poisonous, than spotting a 'potential weak spot in the team'.

If people simply took club form into account we'd be kicking Dunne out of the squad for good instead of begging him to come back.

Taking club form, international reputation, squad familiarity and alternatives into account, St Ledger is rightly a starter for now. Personally I think he should come under pressure from O'Shea, because I'd rather not have JOS at RB ever again.

[ifk101]

The way Leicester have been defending so far this season, he's as likely as anyone to earn a starting place.

It's too early in the season to be drawing conclusion about the quality of Leicester's defending so far this season but Leicester conceded 4 goals (at home) against League Two opposition (with St Ledger in the team) and they've conceded 4 goals in their 3 league games to date (without St Ledger in the team). 4 goals in 3 league games ranks them in mid-table on the goals conceded list so far. Pretty consistent with a team expected to mid-table come the season's end and nothing extraordinarily bad or poor. With their manager saying that last night's performance wasn't good enough, and also saying players didn't take their chance to impress, it is likely he is going to make changes to his team for the next league game. As St Ledger was "at fault" for two of the Burton goals last night, his position in the team is more likely to be at risk.

[Charlie Darwin]

Leicester were one of the favourites for promotion I thought?

[ifk101]

With Leicester fans anyways.

[the doc]

It's too early in the season to be drawing conclusion about the quality of Leicester's defending so far this season but Leicester conceded 4 goals (at home) against League Two opposition (with St Ledger in the team) and they've conceded 4 goals in their 3 league games to date (without St Ledger in the team). 4 goals in 3 league games ranks them in mid-table on the goals conceded list so far. Pretty consistent with a team expected to mid-table come the season's end and nothing extraordinarily bad or poor. With their manager saying that last night's performance wasn't good enough, and also saying players didn't take their chance to impress, it is likely he is going to make changes to his team for the next league game. As St Ledger was "at fault" for two of the Burton goals last night, his position in the team is more likely to be at risk.

How sad are you?

Let's get the facts straight here, SSL played his first 90 mind of the season having just come back from Injury.

SSL never gave away the pen, the ball hit the button players hand and the ref said it had come off SSLs hand. Kasper also confirmed this on the post match interview.

As for the so called foul which led to the free kick, SSL out jumped the 6'4" Zola to win the ball, the ref deemed it a foul.
The Button player shot and the free kick deflected off a Leic player.

On a side note how come you blame SSL when a goal is conceded from a set piece but then also criticise SSL when he scores from set pieces for Ireland?

30 caps now and consistent performances, like the another poster alluded to how sad is it that someone such as you are just waiting for a mistake or below par performance just do you can at last say I told you so!


We don't want or need fans like you supporting Ireland.

[Colbert Report]

We need all the fans we can get. Ruby and GAA are all the rage nowadays.

[youngirish]

While I'm failry sure the doc is the Sledge I'm starting to believe due to the way ifk101 is obsessed with trying to highlight his mistakes (of which I've personally seen very few few in an Ireland jersey) he must be either Darren O'Dea or Paul McShane neither of which I'd prefer to see near the Ireland team at the doc's expense. Also JOS has been a liability in an Ireland jersey in all the positions he has been employed (RB, LB, CD and CM) so I don't see the point in pushing for his inclusion either, though I will admit he's slightly better in the centre of defence than in any of the other positions. Hopefully Shane Duffy or Mark O'Brien will progress over the next couple of seasons to give us some viable alternatives.

[the bear]

We need all the fans we can get. Ruby and GAA are all the rage nowadays.

Hard to compete with Ruby, he's a great ride

[Crosby87]

I think he might be a she.

And Doc, if you really ARE Sledge as YI proposes, let me ask you, who do you think is the best poster on here? And what did you have for breakfast today?

And YI as you age, like for example you joined in 2005 but now its almost 2013, aren't you going to have to change your moniker to "Old Irish" Or at least "Middle Aged Irish"?

[tricky_colour]

Not if he joined when he was 5 ;)

[ifk101]

While I'm failry sure the doc is the Sledge I'm starting to believe due to the way ifk101 is obsessed with trying to highlight his mistakes (of which I've personally seen very few few in an Ireland jersey) he must be either Darren O'Dea or Paul McShane neither of which I'd prefer to see near the Ireland team at the doc's expense. Also JOS has been a liability in an Ireland jersey in all the positions he has been employed (RB, LB, CD and CM) so I don't see the point in pushing for his inclusion either, though I will admit he's slightly better in the centre of defence than in any of the other positions. Hopefully Shane Duffy or Mark O'Brien will progress over the next couple of seasons to give us some viable alternatives.


Player threads are regularly updated when player X scores a goal or when player Y makes a start. The Ciaran Clark thread got a fair bit of mileage after his poor game against Everton. Ireland's number 1 supporter since St Ledger became Irish was quick to to stick the boot in. I updated this thread to say St Ledger played 90 minutes for Leicester and was behind two of goals Leicester conceded against Burton of League Two. In truth St Ledger was completely outmuscled by a League Two striker in the game (isn't that right doc? :)), but I lefted that out so as not to hurt sensitivities.

Burton had a young Irish centre-half (on loan from Blackburn) playing for them. Duffy and O'Brien both look like good prospects. I wouldn't rule out Clark either just because he had a bad game. O'Shea and Stephen Kelly can be played centrally. There are options currently available and there are players coming through. Trapattoni believes St Ledger is the best option to partner Dunne at the moment, I disagree. There's nothing more to it than that.

[the bear]

Ipswich interested

http://www.football365.com/championship/8034332/Ipswich-eye-St-Ledger

[tetsujin1979]

they have released Damien Delaney, so are in the market for a replacement defender

[tetsujin1979]

It's too early in the season to be drawing conclusion about the quality of Leicester's defending so far this season but Leicester conceded 4 goals (at home) against League Two opposition (with St Ledger in the team) and they've conceded 4 goals in their 3 league games to date (without St Ledger in the team). 4 goals in 3 league games ranks them in mid-table on the goals conceded list so far. Pretty consistent with a team expected to mid-table come the season's end and nothing extraordinarily bad or poor. With their manager saying that last night's performance wasn't good enough, and also saying players didn't take their chance to impress, it is likely he is going to make changes to his team for the next league game. As St Ledger was "at fault" for two of the Burton goals last night, his position in the team is more likely to be at risk.presumably the clean sheet tonight was unrelated to St Ledger starting for Leicester

[youngirish]

I think he might be a she.

And Doc, if you really ARE Sledge as YI proposes, let me ask you, who do you think is the best poster on here? And what did you have for breakfast today?

And YI as you age, like for example you joined in 2005 but now its almost 2013, aren't you going to have to change your moniker to "Old Irish" Or at least "Middle Aged Irish"?
I wasn't even young in 2005 so I reckon I can eke out a few more years using it.

[ifk101]

presumably the clean sheet tonight was unrelated to St Ledger starting for Leicester

I'm sure St Ledger had as much to do with the clean sheet as Darren O'Dea had to do with the clean sheet in Moscow. ;-)

[the doc]

St Ledger has just pulled up with what looks like a bad hamstring injury today!

[liamoo11]

Will that force o shea centre half and maybe now that coleman has played 4 games right back this season he might start against germans?

[TrapAPony]

Will that force o shea centre half and maybe now that coleman has played 4 games right back this season he might start against germans?
It probably means game time for Paul McShane:rolleyes:

[the bear]

Huge loss for us

[drummerboy]

Stephen Kelly will probaly get a start at right full.

[Stuttgart88]

Kelly has barely played trhis season. It has to be Coleman for me.

[the doc]

Wouldn't bet against St Ledger declaring himself fit for the Germany game.
Tough b*****d who would walk through a brick wall for Ireland.

[Charlie Darwin]

Wouldn't bet against St Ledger declaring himself fit for the Germany game.
Tough b*****d who would walk through a brick wall for Ireland.
I hear he's hung like a horse too. Any comment?