Stephen Reid on the way back [Archive]

back of the net

22/09/2007, 10:08 PM

it finally looks like he is on the mend and about to return - our centre midfield needs a boost

Blackburn midfielder on the mend

Blackburn manager Mark Hughes is hoping to see an even better player as Stephen Reid returns from a 12 injury nightmare. Reid injured himself in Irelands game against Germany and has never fully recovered since then. It is like buying a new player for the Blackburn boss as he tries to take the club into Europe again this season despite losing away in the UEFA cup on Thursday.

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Hughes said of Reid

"We are really hopeful this time round. He's done a fantastic amount of work and once we do get him back, touch wood, he'll be bigger, faster and stronger because of the amount of preparation that he has had to do just to build himself up to get him back to the level he's at now.

"Once he starts playing and once he gets games under his belt, he is going to be a great player for us."

carloz

23/09/2007, 9:17 AM

Thats good news indeed. Joey O'Brien came on for Bolton in Europe during the week. Interestingly he came on for Nicky Hunt so they will probably keep using him as a full back

Colbert Report

24/09/2007, 3:14 AM

No Reid today, anyone know when he's expected to make a first team appearance?

back of the net

24/09/2007, 12:22 PM

yeah colbert - he is back in training - i think they expect him to make his first team return over the next few wks - hope he is back for germany - but doubt it

they wanna ease him due to the long lay off he has had

drinkfeckarse

24/09/2007, 12:42 PM

Stuttgart88

24/09/2007, 12:48 PM

Good enough to be in our starting eleven but I'm not getting worked up about his return.Fair summary, I think he'll need time for Ireland to grow into the role and to have a chance of showing the form he showed for a while at Blackburn. You just can't be confident he'll stay injury free for long enough or play to his potential often enough to get excited.

Still, having Reid, O'Brien & Garvan all available for us as midfielders ought to improve our existing options. Darren Potter, who's only on the bench at Wolves, looked decent in the friendlies.

carloz

24/09/2007, 4:21 PM

Are people over-hyping Reids return ala Carsley? I rate him but he has never reproduced club form for us even when he has been played in his right position.

Good enough to be in our starting eleven but I'm not getting worked up about his return.

How many Irish players have we that were being courted by Alex Ferguson. None in my opinion bar S. Reid. Plus he has rarely played in his proper position and has never had a significant run in the team. His physicality and box to box running is something we are so lacking now. i have had enough of seeing complete lightweights like ireland in central midfield.

DmanDmythDledge

24/09/2007, 8:28 PM

Are people over-hyping Reids return ala Carsley? I rate him but he has never reproduced club form for us even when he has been played in his right position.
I only remember him playing centre mid once against Sweden and was very good.

Colbert Report

25/09/2007, 6:29 AM

drinkfeckarse

25/09/2007, 7:58 AM

How many Irish players have we that were being courted by Alex Ferguson.

Oh well better put him straight in the side then....

tetsujin1979

25/09/2007, 9:17 AM

How many Irish players have we that were being courted by Alex Ferguson. None in my opinion bar S. Reid.
Liam Miller?

drummerboy

25/09/2007, 9:19 AM

Potter lost his place through injury, he will get back in and hopefully continue to develop.

Dr. Ogba

25/09/2007, 9:28 AM

Are people over-hyping Reids return ala Carsley? I rate him but he has never reproduced club form for us even when he has been played in his right position.

Good enough to be in our starting eleven but I'm not getting worked up about his return.

I'd agree with all of that alright...while Reid has shown glimpses of his potential at times for Ireland and definitely has the physical attributes to succeed, I haven't seen enough from him to be hailing him as the next big thing for us. A crucial aspect of a CM role (apart from the physical presence) is the ability to be constantly available for the ball and use it effectively and I just haven't seen that yet from Reid. If anything, he seems to shy away from the ball which isn't exactly what you want from your CM!

Time will tell whether he'll mature in to the role I suppose...

back of the net

25/09/2007, 10:39 AM

Are people over-hyping Reids return ala Carsley? I rate him but he has never reproduced club form for us even when he has been played in his right position.

Good enough to be in our starting eleven but I'm not getting worked up about his return.

thats a fair comment - but the reason for my original post was more due to our lack of resources and physical presence in the centre of the field - i do rate him and do believe we have yet to see the best of him - and if what mark hughes says is correct then - its only a good thing for ireland

drinkfeckarse

25/09/2007, 11:45 AM

but the reason for my original post was more due to our lack of resources and physical presence in the centre of the field - i do rate him and do believe we have yet to see the best of him - and if what mark hughes says is correct then - its only a good thing for ireland

Very true. IF he can reproduce his club form for us then it will be a big benefit to the team, no doubt about that.

back of the net

25/09/2007, 11:48 AM

Very true. IF he can reproduce his club form for us then it will be a big benefit to the team, no doubt about that.

100% agreed

carloz

25/09/2007, 12:30 PM

Oh well better put him straight in the side then....

because our options are that damn good in midfield arent they:rolleyes:

drinkfeckarse

25/09/2007, 1:07 PM

I never said that although they are certainly not as bad as you suggest. You are the one who came out with the "but Fergie was looking at him" line. Hardly a valid reason to include him in the team when it has also been widely accepted that he has yet to perform for us as he has done for Blackburn....

Lets just hope he can get back to the form that he showed for Blackburn before his injury and then lets hope he can transfer that to a green jersey.

Wolfie

25/09/2007, 1:18 PM

Stephen Reid on the way back.........

I'd have said he's a couple of weeks too late to make any difference to the short term.

Hopefully he'll continue to develop and hopefully be fit in two years time if we're hopefully still in the running for the 2010 world cup. Hopefully.

back of the net

25/09/2007, 1:43 PM

because our options are that damn good in midfield arent they:rolleyes:

well they are better than stans (-:

lionelhutz

26/09/2007, 9:35 AM

I love Carsley but he's 33 and it's time to move on. Steven Reid is far younger and let's face it, we don't have that many central midfield players who have a shout at starting for a Premiership club. Stephen Ireland is the only one I can think of and I'm not sure his head is in the right place right now.

Potter really isn't starting at Wolves? I'm suprised, he was hyped as the next Steven Gerrard when he was at Liverpool and he looked nothing short of brilliant in the US tour.

?????????

Carsley's an awful, pathetic excuse for a midfielder. Have ye ever seen him show for a ball and then distribute it wisely - like any half decent midfielder would?? NO because he's afraid of the ball as he has no talent.

He just wants the opposition to have the ball so he can try and kick them - and he doesn't even succeed cause he's too slow. He's like the invisible man when playing for ireland.

He's a poor mans robbie savage

jmurphyc

26/09/2007, 12:30 PM

?????????

Carsley's an awful, pathetic excuse for a midfielder. Have ye ever seen him show for a ball and then distribute it wisely - like any half decent midfielder would?? NO because he's afraid of the ball as he has no talent.

He just wants the opposition to have the ball so he can try and kick them - and he doesn't even succeed cause he's too slow. He's like the invisible man when playing for ireland.

He's a poor mans robbie savage

I think that's a bit much, but he has certainly been completely off the pace for the last few games, especially against the Slovaks. He was ALWAYS in the wrong position and was defending too high up the pitch. It almost seemed like he was instructed to do so. He needs to be dropped again in my opinion. However, there wasn't really anyone else at the time who could take his place - S. Reid was injured, as was Garvan (I think). However, I reckon Stan will keep faith in him in the final 3 games.

NeilMcD

26/09/2007, 2:22 PM

Carsley shoudl play against Germany but if we dont win or if the Czechs beat the Slovaks that night we should then not play him for the rest of the campaign and try Gibson Potter, Joey O Brien in that position.

carloz

26/09/2007, 4:22 PM

I may be a little off here but didnt Carsley and Graveson play almost continously in midfield the year Everton qualified for the Champions League. And wasnt Carsley out injured for most of the following season where Everton nearly got relegated. Carsley is a very very important player for Everton and has done his job admirably in central midfield for us, perhaps with the exception of Slovakia away. Then again his midfield partner for that game was Ireland who i feel should never be let near central midfield

NeilMcD

26/09/2007, 4:25 PM

I was at the game in Slovakia and I thought Carsley did well considering he was trying to plug the gaps left by Ireland vacating the midfield.

carloz

26/09/2007, 4:32 PM

I was at the game in Slovakia and I thought Carsley did well considering he was trying to plug the gaps left by Ireland vacating the midfield.
Thats essentially what i was trying to get across. Some people said he had a poor game in Slovakia but he was actually doing the work of 2 men as other than the goal Ireland was non existent

billybunter

26/09/2007, 4:33 PM

i thought carlsey was actually pretty good in both games to be honest (after a sober re-run of course).

jmurphyc

26/09/2007, 4:41 PM

i'll have to rewatch the game but it looked to me as though he was playing too far up the field but perhaps it was because of him having to do the work of two players, as you say, due to ireland being in the midfield. I have to agree on that though - ireland is far too lightweight to be used in central midfield, at least away from home anyway. he should only play if he is playing in a more advanced role in a 3 man central midfield. the game often passes him by despite the fact that he was a good scoring record. i personally feel he's still to raw to be given a starting position for us when everyone is back fit.

backstothewall

29/09/2007, 8:42 PM

Joey O'Brien has come back to fitness at exactly the right time. I would like to see him and stephen reid or gibson as a midfield for the rest of the campaign

We need to look forard now, and Carsley is getting no younger. I am glad he has come back the way he has in the last year. He has been a star man, and i think he has finally cast off the shadow of that penalty that had dogged his international career (wrongly in my opinion) ever since.

tetsujin1979

29/09/2007, 8:47 PM

Joey O'Brien has come back to fitness at exactly the right time. I would like to see him and stephen reid or gibson as a midfield for the rest of the campaign
I would too, but if (and only if) all 3 (or even 2 of them) were fit and playing regularly for their club in central midfield.

We need to look forard now, and Carsley is getting no younger. I am glad he has come back the way he has in the last year. He has been a star man, and i think he has finally cast off the shadow of that penalty that had dogged his international career (wrongly in my opinion) ever since.
He's getting no younger, but we're weak in that position, and until someone comes through we're going to need someone experienced at the wheel in central midfield, so I reckon he'll play through the next campaign, and retire then.

NeilMcD

29/09/2007, 10:01 PM

I would play him against Germany with Andy Reid but if we dont win or if we are out of the campaign by the time we play Cyprus on the Wed I would not play Carsley or Robbie Keane in that game.

shakermaker1982

03/10/2007, 11:29 AM

I would play him against Germany with Andy Reid but if we dont win or if we are out of the campaign by the time we play Cyprus on the Wed I would not play Carsley or Robbie Keane in that game.

Who would you put up top? I wouldn't mind seeing Keogh getting a start against Cyprus.