Andy O'Brien

[irishfan86]

Always thought he was mobile for a tall guy myself.

[ArdeeBhoy]

O'Brien's OK, but a stopgap measure at best. Bruce also, though less so.

Clark should be cultivated to play C/B, initially along Dunne or St.Ledger. With hopefully O'Dea & Duffy in reserve. The latter has to get back to full fitness for next season and hopefully first team football, if not at Everton, then at loan a division below.
Delaney at Ipswich could also be worth a shout, but doubtful he'd ever be PL status?

[seanfhear]

Always thought he was mobile for a tall guy myself.
I have watched him against fast players and he actually appeared to be running backwards.

Even at that I would say that he is deceptive in that he is slower than he looks (to steal the Tommy Doherty quote about Leighton James from way back then)

[backstothewall]

O'Brien's OK, but a stopgap measure at best. Bruce also, though less so.

Clark should be cultivated to play C/B, initially along Dunne or St.Ledger. With hopefully O'Dea & Duffy in reserve. The latter has to get back to full fitness for next season and hopefully first team football, if not at Everton, then at loan a division below.
Delaney at Ipswich could also be worth a shout, but doubtful he'd ever be PL status?

Can agree with most of that. Clark and Duffy are probably our default centre back partnership for this decade (I thought the same about Dunne & O'Brien after the 2002 WC). Unfortunately O'Brien has missed what should have been the best the years of his international career. I'm not talking about his being in the first 11, but as an option in the squad I think he is certainly better than McShane, O'Dea, Bruce, Delaney etc.

He hasn't really had much luck since Bobby Robson got sacked by Newcastle. Looked a real prospect with Bradford in the Premier League, and was fulfilling his potential with Newcastle, as one half of a cracking partnership with Jonathan Woodgate. But then Souness came in to St. James Park and didn't really fancy him, then off to Portsmouth, only for Harry Redknapp to come in and not really fancy him, then off to Bolton and Gary Megson, only for Coyle to come in and not really fancy him.

[ArdeeBhoy]

Better than McShane, but a different sort of player. The point is he's barely PL quality at best, whereas O'Dea still could be and as St.Ledger/Duffy will also prove by next season.

Amazed no-one's come in for St.L, but maybe his stock has fallen like AO'B's??

[SwanVsDalton]

He hasn't really had much luck since Bobby Robson got sacked by Newcastle. Looked a real prospect with Bradford in the Premier League, and was fulfilling his potential with Newcastle, as one half of a cracking partnership with Jonathan Woodgate. But then Souness came in to St. James Park and didn't really fancy him, then off to Portsmouth, only for Harry Redknapp to come in and not really fancy him, then off to Bolton and Gary Megson, only for Coyle to come in and not really fancy him.

Three top flight mangers not picking you isn't bad luck.

[ArdeeBhoy]

See above re. being 'PL quality', sadly.

[backstothewall]

Three top flight mangers not picking you isn't bad luck.

Robson picked him, every week. I'd take a fit Bobby Robson, god rest his soul, over any of the three that didn't like the look of him.

[SwanVsDalton]

Robson picked him, every week. I'd take a fit Bobby Robson, god rest his soul, over any of the three that didn't like the look of him.

Hardly matters. O'Brien had plenty of top flight chances and never really established himself but it wasn't because of bad fortune.

[Drumcondra 69er]

Better than McShane, but a different sort of player. The point is he's barely PL quality at best, whereas O'Dea still could be and as St.Ledger/Duffy will also prove by next season.

Amazed no-one's come in for St.L, but maybe his stock has fallen like AO'B's??

O'Dea will ever have half the career O'Brien had, mark my words, he's played in the region of 300 games in the Premier League, O'Dea didn't make it in the SPL....

[gastric]

Can agree with most of that. Clark and Duffy are probably our default centre back partnership for this decade (I thought the same about Dunne & O'Brien after the 2002 WC). Unfortunately O'Brien has missed what should have been the best the years of his international career. I'm not talking about his being in the first 11, but as an option in the squad I think he is certainly better than McShane, O'Dea, Bruce, Delaney etc.

He hasn't really had much luck since Bobby Robson got sacked by Newcastle. Looked a real prospect with Bradford in the Premier League, and was fulfilling his potential with Newcastle, as one half of a cracking partnership with Jonathan Woodgate. But then Souness came in to St. James Park and didn't really fancy him, then off to Portsmouth, only for Harry Redknapp to come in and not really fancy him, then off to Bolton and Gary Megson, only for Coyle to come in and not really fancy him.
Maybe they didn't fancy him because he has a big nose!

[Jicked]

Just looking at Leeds first half against Arsenal. The two goals they conceded reminded me so much of goals that we give away against better sides like Leeds are up against. One a rubbish clearance that's punished, the other giving the ball away in midfield not reacting quickly and allowing the opposition run at an exposed defence.

[irishfan86]

Andy O'Brien has just come off with an injury at the 65th minute with the score 2-1, looks like a muscle pull or cramp. The fans gave him a pretty good ovation going off.

[tetsujin1979]

Grayson: "O'Brien won't play for this football club again as long as I am here": http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/19112011/63/o-brien-won-t-play-leeds-grayson.html?utm_medium=twitter&utm_source=twitterfeed

[theworm2345]

Interesting he won't even let him go on loan, must really be ****ed
http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,12876_7316434,00.html

[El-Pietro]

Interesting he won't even let him go on loan, must really be ****ed
http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,12876_7316434,00.html
that story is from before the match - Graysons comments came afterwards.

[Charlie Darwin]

Yeah, he wouldn't let him go on loan when he was a substitute. Grayson is a decent bloke - he'd be delighted to get rid of him now. Reflects very badly on O'Brien.

[Drumcondra 69er]

Yeah, he wouldn't let him go on loan when he was a substitute. Grayson is a decent bloke - he'd be delighted to get rid of him now. Reflects very badly on O'Brien.

O'Brien got stick earlier in the season from a section of the Leeds support. He was playing sh1t in fairness but wasn't fully fit at the time and probably shouldn't have been put in by Grayson. However, he really seems to have been affected by the criticism he took. He played before the international break and played very well v Leicester but was asked on Friday to play yesterday and apparently refused. It refelcts very badly on his mental strength and to me explains why he quit for us after taking criticism (unfairly in my book) after the 5-2 debacle away to Cyprus. Always liked AOB myself but he's coming very badly out of this...

http://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/sport/leeds-united/latest-whites-news/leeds_united_promotion_is_within_reach_o_brien_int erview_1_3981411

What followed was a display reminiscent of the form which led Grayson to sign O’Brien permanently from Bolton Wanderers last January. “To say it was important was an understatement,” he said. “Everyone can make mistakes and I could have made a mistake in the Leicester game. Would that have been detrimental to the rest of my career at Leeds? Who knows. Fortunately the day worked out well.”

It is not certain that Rachubka has played his last game for United but the club’s move to offer Maik Taylor a trial last week suggested the defeat to Blackpool left no way back from him. It was an open warning, not only to O’Brien, about the consequences of performances which come at a cost and undermine the faith of the crowd around you.

O’Brien accepted that he was under scrutiny before the match at Leicester, a game in which Grayson turned to him with Darren O’Dea injured and Tom Lees suspended. Even with that creditable display to his name, he is cautious about his situation at Elland Road.

“I’ve got to be a bit guarded because of what happened (to Rachubka),” O’Brien said. “I played at Leicester and there were question marks over me from certain angles. It’s something I was well aware of.

“Had I made a mistake or a couple of mistakes, were the circumstances going to be the same for me? I’ve played nearly 500 games in my career and it’s something you’re going to think about.

“I didn’t give myself the best opportunity to perform on the first day of the season and I was disappointed with the reaction I got in the Bradford game, but I’ve played professional football for 16 years and I’d like to think of this as one of my qualities – that when things aren’t going the way I’d like them to, I still come back.

“When you get to 32 people start to have more of an opinion on you, but there’ve always been adverse opinions about me throughout my career. If I believed everything people said then I should probably think of myself as the luckiest footballer who ever existed.”

[Paddy Garcia]

Apparently has been suffering from depression. Has had treatment and is back in the team/squad. Planned tribunal seems to have been binned.

[Olé Olé]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/16821139.stm

Interesting to note that the club don't offer an apology in this statement for their part in the misunderstanding, although I'm not sure whether it is due or not.

One of the most recent posts sees a quote in which Andy O'Brien acknowledges that he has had his fair share of critics through his career. Given his clearly sensitive disposition as a depression-sufferer, this matter serves to highlight how footballers may react to negative reaction from supporters and the media. Andy's reception in his next game back would be an interesting one in this regard, especially in light of how the Leeds supporters honoured Gary Speed with a prolonged chant.

[Lionel Ritchie]

Not sure how it'll go for Andy hereafter but Leeds have just sacked Simon Grayson. Wish them both well. http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/16839801

[Kingdom]

Three top flight mangers not picking you isn't bad luck.

Souness and Megson aren't top flight managers.

Always liked Andy O'B. His career didn't pan out as it should have. He took unfair flack in Cyprus (just like Paddy Kenny).
Hope he gets back to full health.

[dr_peepee]

I actually think he got as much out of his career as he could have hoped for given his ability.. Good player and had a good campaign beside Cunningham under Kerr.

[seanfhear]

I actually think he got as much out of his career as he could have hoped for given his ability.. Good player and had a good campaign beside Cunningham under Kerr.In comparison to most people that attempt to become a professional footballer Andy O'Brien has had a very good career. Good luck to the lad and best wishes in the future.

[SwanVsDalton]

Souness and Megson aren't top flight managers.

Top-flight in the sense they actually managed in at the top level at the time. He couldn't get a regular game with any of them which, regardless on opinion of the managers, is telling.

No harm to him, just agree with most here saying that he did what he could with the ability he had. Hopes he gets back and has a few more years left in him.

[tetsujin1979]

Signed for Vancouver Whitecaps: http://www.whitecapsfc.com/news/2012/08/wfc-add-o%E2%80%99brien

[Stuttgart88]

Congrats to Andy on his Olymppic time trial gold medal today, though I'm not sure the sideburns suit him.

[irishfan86]

Well, guess I'll be seeing him a lot then....

[Colbert Report]

I saw him play for the Whitecaps yesterday. Lovely stadium and Vancouver is a wonderful city, I can see why he'd want to give up his career in England and play there instead. The standard of football is poor, so despite coming on about five minutes before half for the injured Jay DeMerit, he didn't break a sweat in the second half. Played some good balls and looked composed though. I hope the move works out for him, my heart went out to him the day that Israeli goalkeeper got him sent off.

[gastric]

According to today's Daily Mirror, O'Brien is considering joining Ipswich or Huddersfield in the MLS off season.

[Grafter]

Bit of a trip down memory lane seeing O'Brien up against Keane last night in Vancouver-Galaxy match. If I'm not mistaken he wanted to be reconsidered for international duty last I heard a while back... Shame he retired for a years at only 28.... though opened the door for Sledge...