John O'Shea [Archive] - Page 7

Saint Tom

13/10/2005, 2:27 PM

tetsujin1979

13/10/2005, 2:36 PM

heard a vicious rumour today..

apparently Jo'S complete collapse of confidence and form has been due to the fact that he may be gay and is scared ****less of it becoming public knowledge.

Maybe just the usual malicious and begrudging crap, but I would be sickened if in this day in age, a young lad (and still potentially a top class player) felt so disturbed by something he cant help, that he wasted his talent.

I heard this from numerous sources and don't intend this post to be slanderous in any way. Just a possibility. I mean John wouldn't be the first and won't be the last.
Their was an article in the Sunday Indepdent just after the start of last season, the journalist (a woman) had met him and some friends in a bar on holidays. The 2 of them had hit it off and got on very well, she wasn't into soccer so she didn't know who he was. Anyway a few weeks later she contacted him for his permission to write an article about it, which he gave. There was no mention of sex, but she didn't give the impression she thought he was gay

OwlsFan

19/10/2005, 12:53 PM

I never cease to be amazed at some of the theories that are put forward here :eek :rolleyes: :

What amuses me (well it doesn't really) is that Mick Mc was crucified for not picking O'Shea as often as many fans thought he should be. Same with McGeady - remember the storm when Kerr didn't pick him. There is a perception that once you're in the Celtic or Man U side = automatic place on the Irish team.

Perhaps sometimes the Irish managers know better than Celtic or Man U supporters.

youngirish

19/10/2005, 1:02 PM

There is a perception that once you're in the Celtic or Man U side = automatic place on the Irish team.

Perhaps sometimes the Irish managers know better than Celtic or Man U supporters.
I agree. Though I do believe that if you are a regular in the United or Celtic team then you deserve to get a chance in the Ireland team but if you're not performing you should be f**ked out. Unfortunately Kerr never had the balls to do this when it came to O'Shea because he was a United player.

TheBoss

19/10/2005, 10:49 PM

As a Utd follower, he has been very poor this season and for Ireland even worse, the hype about him is false as he has done nothing since that season in 2003.

joeSoap

20/10/2005, 9:44 AM

He had one of the worst games ever against Lille the other night....frightfully bad.

Superhoops

03/11/2005, 7:27 AM

He had one of the worst games ever against Lille the other night....frightfully bad.
And again last night in the away game. Caught out of position several times, including for the Lille goal. Does what he always does when playing FB for us, gets sucked in the centre and leaves room on the wing for the cross. Every team that MU or Ireland play have sussed him out and set up to exploit this tendency he has to drift infield.

As I have posted several times before. O'Shea cannot simply defend so no point in playing him at full back or centre defence.

I dont know if he is still involved in football or not, but MU could do worse than have Denis Irwin employed as JOS personal mentor to coach him in the skills of a FB and defending for six months. If he cant learn in that time then JOS, MU and Ireland should abandon any thoughts they have about him ever being a top class defender.

joeSoap

07/11/2005, 1:44 PM

He did a decent job yesterday against the mighty Chelski I suppose...

Green Army Girl

08/11/2005, 11:37 AM

Im sure great defenders like Pallister & Bruce etc wouldnt have been happy if they just had a decent game once in a blue moon. I stand by my opinion he is s*it.

joeSoap

09/11/2005, 10:20 AM

Im sure great defenders like Pallister & Bruce etc wouldnt have been happy if they just had a decent game once in a blue moon. I stand by my opinion he is s*it.The same thing was quite often said about another United defensive legend, Phil Neville. He constantly got barracked, booed and abused over his performances, yet looking back now, I reckon Fergie is kicking himself because he sold him. He's a star man at Everton now...not much of a claim to fame I know, but its totally rejuvenated the man. I don't believe that O'Shea is sh1t, as you put it, but I do believe he needs away from the major spotlight that is Old Trafford, and he should play with a lesser supported club like Liverpool or Aston Villa (both big-ish clubs but not carrying the same pressure as a United or Chelsea), or perhaps go to Celtic and be a big player in the small pond that is the SPL.

Superhoops

22/11/2005, 8:35 PM

As one of JOS biggest critics on this and other threads, it was encouraging to see him play well for MU tonight in the CL, not only to see him play well, but to defend well.:)

Maybe there is hope after all!!!. But fair play, credit where credit is due:ball:

livehead1

23/11/2005, 1:41 AM

o'shea was excellent tonight, stood out like a sore thumb. he put his foot in where needed and his passing and crossin was superb. i just went on sky sports and he got a 6...well they were watching a different game as he was very good tonight, i think he may keep that spot with the defence being nevilled silvestre ferdinand oshea , lets hope

Dotsy

23/11/2005, 8:35 AM

Yes have to agree. I am not a fan of his but he was definitely one of their best players last night. Showed composure on the ball, defended well and passed better than I have seen him do for a long time. His last gasp tackle in the box on the Villareal player (who then stayed down disgracefully while his team mates insisted Manu kick the ball out of play) was first class. Hopefully he can keep it up and it won't be just a false dawn.

tricky_colour

23/11/2005, 11:06 PM

Yep from what I saw he had a good game and it's not often I say that.
I wonder if the departure of Roy Keane had anything to do with that?
Perhaps he will step into Roys boots?

" There's only one Shea'O " :p

Irish_Praha

28/11/2005, 9:39 AM

He made it into soccernet's team-of-the-week :eek:
http://soccernet.espn.go.com/feature?id=350494&cc=5739
Did he play well again or could this just have been because he scored?

BTW Shay and Robbie are there too.

bawn79

28/11/2005, 2:57 PM

Whats David Moyes doing upfront hed never last 90 minutes!

tricky_colour

28/11/2005, 7:29 PM

He has made Opta's team of the week too :eek:
Looks like Robbie is back on the bench though :p
I must say O'Shea looks more 'with it', more alert and determined
rather than his usual 'lolling around'.

http://home.skysports.com/list.asp?hlid=329262&clid=&channel=premiership&title=Opta+Team+of+the+Week

Irish_Praha

28/11/2005, 8:17 PM

He started the season off well at RB for Manure but then when he was switched to LB he started playing sh!te again. He's now had 2 or 3 good games on the trot at LB we will have to see if he holds his form but it does appear that it takes him a few games to adapt to a change of position, which is understandable I suppose.

Stuttgart88

30/11/2005, 9:00 AM

I wonder if he's going to blossom in Keane's absence? I always do better at work when my boss is away!

He must have been listening to Gordon McQueen who criticised him recently for not attacking the ball in the air. He took no prisoners for his goal on Sunday.

joeSoap

01/12/2005, 9:25 AM

He's in some vein of form at the moment....

OwlsFan

24/01/2006, 3:41 PM

First cry off for Stan. Apparently he has a couple of injured ribs and will be out for a few weeks.

Eire06

24/01/2006, 3:43 PM

No Loss

ollie

24/01/2006, 3:48 PM

No Loss

agreed.anyway we know what he's like and it would be good to see someone new in there.

Roo69

24/01/2006, 3:50 PM

Out for 4-6 weeks

Dublin12

24/01/2006, 3:55 PM

No Loss

Disagree,it's important to have all our players available and present at friendlies,especially as it's the first one under a new manager and we won't have that many before the serious stuff starts in Sept,and like it or not, O'Shea is gonna play a part in the next campaign,so it would be good if he was there to see what the set up is gonna be like.

shakermaker1982

24/01/2006, 3:57 PM

Stuttgart88

24/01/2006, 3:59 PM

I agree O'Shea will be involved going forward & I've no problem with that at all.

In a way it's good news though because at least it'll force Staunton to try something new at left-back.

as_i_say

24/01/2006, 4:04 PM

he's been muck for eire but it doesnt help when your manager (kerr) keeps playing you when you have been playing like a pudding. he still has something to offer, though NOT at left back i might add.

bring back irelands 2nd greatest left back-ian harte.

shakermaker1982

24/01/2006, 4:16 PM

Ian Harte CANNOT defend though.

He's great at taking free kicks but we need somebody who knows how to track back and mark his man.

eirebhoy

24/01/2006, 5:32 PM

God there is so many John O'Shea haters on here it's beyond belief. If we had Terry, Ferdinand and Cambell amongst our ranks I'd understand but we don't. Who else can we have at LB? Harte and Kilbane?
Steve Finnan is proven there. O'Shea is not a left back and now United have Evra and Heize, I think he's played his last games there for them at least. We should be looking to get someone else for left back.

geysir

24/01/2006, 7:10 PM

Kelly played LB for Spurs but did not seem be at home there. It's an important game for Stan. He won't take too many risks with the back 4, therefore he'll probably go for...... Harte. Some may say I have contradicted myself:)

thejollyrodger

24/01/2006, 7:52 PM

No loss. A bit of luck even

onenilgameover

25/01/2006, 2:37 AM

No loss. A bit of luck even

My sentiments exactly!

Dotsy

25/01/2006, 8:08 AM

God there is so many John O'Shea haters on here it's beyond belief. If we had Terry, Ferdinand and Cambell amongst our ranks I'd understand but we don't. Who else can we have at LB? Harte and Kilbane?

Harte might not be a great defender but he is as good as JOS. He also a better passer of the ball and a danger at free kicks.

Stuttgart88

25/01/2006, 8:18 AM

Dotsy

25/01/2006, 8:28 AM

Early missed header excepted, Harte played very well & looked very comfortable at left-back against Switzerland.

I'd like to see Staunton look at the likes of Kennedy, Kilbane, Clarke, Doyle, maybe Kevin Foley in due course at left back.

I accept that Finnan is a quality left-back as well but aren't we just transferring the problem to the other side if we put him there? I suppose O'Shea, Kelly, Foley, Gary Kelly if he un-retires are options.

I would prefer to see Finnan play at right back regardless of the options (or lack thereof) at left back. IMO you play your best players in their best positions. A good manager will organise the team to compensate for weakness in other positions.

eirebhoy

25/01/2006, 10:07 AM

I just feel we are so weak at left back yet have a lot of options for right back. Finnan is equally good on either side. He might not be able to rip up the wing and get a cross in but he has Duff to do that.

geysir

25/01/2006, 11:51 AM

S�C

25/01/2006, 12:54 PM

Time to call up Danny Murphy

eirebhoy

25/01/2006, 1:26 PM

I don't think we have so many options at RB available to us for this game.
In Stan's first game I wonder if he would start it with S.Kelly at RB.Would you not think he needs more first team starts with Spurs in the meantime.
O'Shea and Kilbane may be getting match time but not at left back. The only use that is to us (if we're to play them at left back) is match fitness. Finnan and Kelly are playing full back week in week out at whatever level. Kelly isn't stupid, he knows he's at the age where he has to be playing and I'm sure he'll be a regular with a club by the time the qualifiers come around. Therefore I'd have him start his first game for Ireland asap as in the long term Finnan-Kelly will be our best option imo. The only player we have playing regularly at left back is Ian Harte and Marcos Painter is probably coming up against better right wingers than him at premiership reserve level.

This is a friendly purely for experimenting and playing Harte-Finnan is not experimenting. We can play Harte in the first qualifier if we don't find anyone else for left back by then. For me its either Finnan-Kelly or Murphy-Finnan. Even Finnan-Heary. O'Shea is not an option unless he starts playing at left back for his club again. Left back at Man Utd was the stop gap position for the utility player and now O'Shea seems to be moving past the utility stage.

Dotsy

25/01/2006, 3:55 PM

O'Shea and Kilbane may be getting match time but not at left back. The only use that is to us (if we're to play them at left back) is match fitness. Finnan and Kelly are playing full back week in week out at whatever level. Kelly isn't stupid, he knows he's at the age where he has to be playing and I'm sure he'll be a regular with a club by the time the qualifiers come around. Therefore I'd have him start his first game for Ireland asap as in the long term Finnan-Kelly will be our best option imo. The only player we have playing regularly at left back is Ian Harte and Marcos Painter is probably coming up against better right wingers than him at premiership reserve level.

This is a friendly purely for experimenting and playing Harte-Finnan is not experimenting. We can play Harte in the first qualifier if we don't find anyone else for left back by then. For me its either Finnan-Kelly or Murphy-Finnan. Even Finnan-Heary. O'Shea is not an option unless he starts playing at left back for his club again. Left back at Man Utd was the stop gap position for the utility player and now O'Shea seems to be moving past the utility stage.

I agree that we should be giving experience at full back in the friendlies to players other than Finnan or Harte. Staunton is going to learn anything about those two that he doesn't already know.

as_i_say

26/01/2006, 8:09 AM

that foley lad is a right back though isnt he?

ian harte for president.

Fergie's Son

09/04/2006, 7:25 PM

O'Shea had another good game today against Arsenal. It certainly helped that Giggs had an amazing game but O'Shea played well.

David Pleat (who loves all things Irish) was ebulient is his praise for O'Shea.

Does O'Shea have a future as our central midfielder for the European Qualifiers?

Superhoops

09/04/2006, 8:03 PM

...Does O'Shea have a future as our central midfielder for the European Qualifiers?
Only if he plays well in both the Chile and Holland games in that position.

Adrianovic

09/04/2006, 8:08 PM

We should definitely play him there in both games, probably alongside Steven Reid.

What's the chances of him keeping his place there in the Man U team next season? I presume Fergie will invest?

Ade

CraftyToePoke

09/04/2006, 8:17 PM

We should definitely play him there in both games, probably alongside Steven Reid.

What's the chances of him keeping his place there in the Man U team next season? I presume Fergie will invest?

Ade

thats it exactly, he is doing very well and making a few people eat their words but will he still be in the united midfield this time next year after a multi-million midfield signing or two? i hope so but i doubt it.

and if he goes back to being a utility player at man u, would Staunton persist with him in the middle on the strength of what he has shown recently for his club.

livehead1

09/04/2006, 8:28 PM

i think your looking at it from the wrong perspective. What is happening with O'Shea at the moment is nothing short of sensational. He has gone from being a player lambasted by many on this board to one who has just kept one of the on form midfielders in Europe (Fabregas), quiet. Roy Keane made some good comments a couple of weeks ago where he mentioned that he feels jos can become a top central midfielder but needs to find that extra bite, that extra bit to make him feared in the upper echelons of football. Today he was quick into the tackle, very composed on the ball, always looking for it, and his passing was superb.

Now to my main point. With regards to the apparent investment that united intend to inject into a transfer budge in the summer. Alex Ferguson is a great manager, thats well reknowned. Having O'Shea develop into a top midfielder, which is something that im sure we would all agree, seems to be happening, would be like having a new player for him. Therefore, if his current form continues, the likelihood of him replacing jos in the middle is unlikely. what is more likely is that another player is brought in to play alongside him. This would allow giggs to be rested more often and to play on the left wing, where united are still short. It would be stupid of ferguson, who must see the progress o'shea is making, to replace him with a player and attempt to integrate that player into the united system and team, a system and team that has saw them create a record for the last 5years of consecutive wins.

TheJamaicanP.M.

09/04/2006, 8:52 PM

Good thread. I think it is time to reassess John O'Shea. He has had a good run of games in the one position, a position that he actually seems suited to. Prior to the friendly against Sweden, Graham Kavanagh would have been my first choice midfielder. However, now he is behind Reid and O'Shea in the pecking order. I was very impressed by the partnership of Reid and O'Shea that night. When one player went forward, the other was quick to cover. They complimented each other very well. Ireland completely bossed the midfield against Sweden that night, something I haven't seen them do in a while. Reid and O'Shea give us a physical presence we haven't had in a long time. I often felt during the Kinsella/Holland years that our midfield was slow in supporting the front pair. However, against Sweden, the midfield was very quick in pressing the opposition and getting forward when a long ball was played. When Kavanagh came on for the second half, it was actually noticeable how the tempo of our game dropped, although this may have been a result of the various changes made.

I know we shouldn't judge the O'Shea- Reid partnership on one game, but I think it offers great potential. They provide us with a great physical presence and athleticism in midfield, as well as being quite young. I think this is Staunton's first choice pairing and I expect him to persist with them.

O'Shea has put in some good performances for United recently. I still expect Ferguson to buy a big-name midfielder this season, but at least he now knows what O'Shea is capable of playing in the midfield. For that reason, he may now consider O'Shea as a midfield player, as opposed to a utility player.