Rory Delap

[Rambling Along]

Guesss who did it AGAIN, and AGAIN with Ricardo Fuller

In fairness Shawcross flicked on for Olofinjana for the 2nd goal.

[superfrank]

Guesss who did it AGAIN, and AGAIN with Ricardo Fuller
Anybody found Ricardo's Irish grandmother yet?

[theworm2345]

In fairness Shawcross flicked on for Olofinjana for the 2nd goal.
I meant he did it again, and this again it was with Fuller (like at the midweek)


Anybody found Ricardo's Irish grandmother yet?
It wouldn't matter anyway, he's played many many times for Jamaica, scored against Mexico in a huge WCQ a month ago as well :)

[finnpark]

Delap's ability to throw long ball would be largely ineffective for Ireland since the 2 Irish strikers are very small. Also, there is no way that Delap would get on down the wings so he would have to play as one of the 2 holding midfielders.

I think its about time that Trap recognised the long range and aerial ability of Darly Murphy.

On the long throw thing there is nothing stopping other players developing this technique, I guess its important to be tall have strong arms. :D

[theworm2345]

Who the bloody hell is Darly Murphy, Daryl's sister? ;)

[seanfhear]

We would have been world champions if Jack Charlton had the services of Rory Delaps throw ins.Niall Quin and Tony Cascarino and our central defenders from those days would have had a field day.
Mind you after a while the novelty of watching it might wear a bit thin.

[Blue-Army]

Delap should definately get called up for the Poland game...

Maybe shouldn't start, but I would definately consider him for the Italy away game. The long throw-ins would definately be a big threat against them.

[Stuttgart88]

He's actually a decent enough "holding" midfielder in his own right.

[Stuttgart88]

We would have been world champions if Jack Charlton had the services of Rory Delaps throw ins.Niall Quin and Tony Cascarino and our central defenders from those days would have had a field day.
Mind you after a while the novelty of watching it might wear a bit thin.Mick McCarthy had a mean throw on him.

[tetsujin1979]

Mick McCarthy had a mean throw on him.
Just ask Ronnie Whelan!

[Wolfie]

Just ask Ronnie Whelan!

"A goal to grace any footballing occasion"

[Metrostars]

I can see it now - "Delap with what is maybe Ireland's last chance, here comes the throw... Folan gets to it and he's done it! Would you believe it? The two substitutes combine to put Ireland in front!"

[paul_oshea]

...and Ireland beat georgia 1 - 0 at home....

[Dr. Ogba]

...and Ireland beat georgia 1 - 0 at home....

...i'd take it!

[shaneker]

If anyone else had as many assists as he does in the Premier League, he'd be a shoe-in. Must, must be in the squad for Poland.

[irishfan86]

Ironically enough, I think he deserves his place more on merit as a player than as a throw-in specialist.

There's no way Whelan should be ahead of him in the pecking order for us as a holding midfielder, but as a throw-in specialist Delap will be almost worthless with our group of midgets.

[FarBeag]

I wouldn’t exactly call O' Shea, Dunne, Doyle, Stephen Reid or even Kevin Kilbane midgets. All are good headers of the ball and Delap would certainly be an asset to the Irish team.

[irishfan86]

I wouldn’t exactly call O' Shea, Dunne, Doyle, Stephen Reid or even Kevin Kilbane midgets. All are good headers of the ball and Delap would certainly be an asset to the Irish team.

Stephen Reid is a non-factor for this season, and in any event is only 5'11- I don't recall him dominating in the air in an offensive capacity at any point.

Doyle, while he has a good leap, is only 5'11.

Kilbane, Dunne, and O'Shea will not be brought up for each throw.

An aggressive manager might send up to two of them from the back, but then say if Kilbane and Dunne go up, and O'Shea stays back, we've got:

Doyle, 5'11
Kilbane, 6'0
O'Shea, 6'3

A lot of sides in Europe now have an average height of about 5'11 or 6'0, whereas our tallest players are around that height.

If you wish to ignore that reality, so be it, but Delap will not give us a significant advantage unless we play with more tall and athletic players (I am not necessarily advocating this strategy).

[Fergie's Son]

We simply do not have the type of players who can capitalize from this sort of attack. Beyond that, he's a fairly limited player.

[tricky_colour]

I don't think height matters so much with a throw as it is different from a corner. Rory can virtually drop the ball on someones head so a tall defender cant block it as much as a corner. I think he is well worth a call up then you can try things out in training and see how effective it it.

If you can drop the ball 6 yards in front of goal conistantly it will cause problems, there are two driections the ball can go in, forwards or backwards.
Forwards often means a goal.

[richieos]

Ironically enough, I think he deserves his place more on merit as a player than as a throw-in specialist.

There's no way Whelan should be ahead of him in the pecking order for us as a holding midfielder, but as a throw-in specialist Delap will be almost worthless with our group of midgets.

i agree, with the whole throw in thing, nobody has taken the time to notice that delap gets his tackles in, is a neat passer of the ball, and also takes stokes free kicks and corners. hes very involved in the game all round its just that the focus is put on those rocket throw ins

[tricky_colour]

i agree, with the whole throw in thing, nobody has taken the time to notice that delap gets his tackles in, is a neat passer of the ball, and also takes stokes free kicks and corners. hes very involved in the game all round its just that the focus is put on those rocket throw ins

Isn't he also our top Premiership goal scorer this season, and with top number of assists?

You would think he would be the first name on the team sheet on that basis.

[Qwerty]

I have never seen anyone throw the ball like Delap, when did he start throwing it like most guys kick it? It is unbelievable, I presume coaches all around the country and trying to emulate this?? He has transformed the throw-in. :eek:

[irishfan86]

I have a guy on my team who can throw it as far.

If you want to vastly increase your throwing distance, exhale at the moment you release the ball.

Arm-strength and technique play a part too, but this is the key difference between an average throw and a long throw.

The guy on my team screams as he releases the ball, it's hilarious.

[Stuttgart88]

Ironically enough, I think he deserves his place more on merit as a player than as a throw-in specialist.

as a throw-in specialist Delap will be almost worthless with our group of midgets.

I agree with the top part - he's no world beater but he's no slouch either. He's been underrated by the Irish set up for years.

Regarding his throw & our lack of real height - you don't need height to win near post flicks and these are desperately hard to defend.

[Wolfie]

I'd resist the temptation to play him solely on the long throwing ability alone. It would have to be someone who can do a competent job with the added bonus of a long throw. Not the other way around!!!

This isn't water polo and its a bit of an insult to the player also.

He could be instrumental in causing some organised chaos if introduced for the final 10 mins of a game but again, there would have to be confidence in his footballing ability in open play, first and foremost.

[Stuttgart88]

there would have to be confidence in his footballing ability in open play, first and foremost.I have that confidence. At least I think he deserves a look - even if it's only in training.

In my view:

He has played central mid before at club level. When he played there for Southampton I think it co-incided with their best run of form for years, albeit around 2003
He's an athlete - we have few enough of those, esp now Reid is out for the year
He's versatile

Past performances for Ireland don't really reflect on his ability - he has never been played in position.

After Keane's initial retirement I thought he was the obvious choice to come in as he was playing defesive midfield for Southampton at the time.

I think the answer to our problems is more likely to lie with Garvan & O'Toole though.

[Wolfie]

I have that confidence. At least I think he deserves a look - even if it's only in training.

In my view:

He has played central mid before at club level. When he played there for Southampton I think it co-incided with their best run of form for years, albeit around 2003
He's an athlete - we have few enough of those, esp now Reid is out for the year
He's versatile

Past performances for Ireland don't really reflect on his ability - he has never been played in position.

After Keane's initial retirement I thought he was the obvious choice to come in as he was playing defesive midfield for Southampton at the time.

I think the answer to our problems is more likely to lie with Garvan & O'Toole though.

True - no harm can come of seeing what he can offer the team in the short term.

I've also a mild curiousity as to exactly how much mayhem those oft mentioned throws could cause towards the end of a game :D

[Dr. Ogba]

I have that confidence. At least I think he deserves a look - even if it's only in training.

In my view:

He has played central mid before at club level. When he played there for Southampton I think it co-incided with their best run of form for years, albeit around 2003
He's an athlete - we have few enough of those, esp now Reid is out for the year
He's versatile

Past performances for Ireland don't really reflect on his ability - he has never been played in position.

After Keane's initial retirement I thought he was the obvious choice to come in as he was playing defesive midfield for Southampton at the time.

I think the answer to our problems is more likely to lie with Garvan & O'Toole though.

funnily enough i've always thought that Delap had something to offer back in the days when we were plodding along with Kinsella and Matt Holland in the middle of the park and I still do now. He's a big lad and he's also quite a handy tidy player in the centre of the park. If he's good enough in the eyes of his club manager to keep Whelan out of the team then surely he merits a place in the squad at least....

[Rambling Along]

Isn't he also our top Premiership goal scorer this season, and with top number of assists?

You would think he would be the first name on the team sheet on that basis.

He's been involved in 13 Stoke goals this season. 11 assists and 2 goals scored............i think!

[theworm2345]

He's been involved in 13 Stoke goals this season. 11 assists and 2 goals scored............i think!
Only has 1 goal this year, don't know about assists

[irishfan86]

eleven-a-side are reporting that Bolton are interested in swooping in for him in January.

Wonder how much he'd go for?

[seanfhear]

How big of a bang on the head would the stoke chairman or manager have to get for them to decide to sell their best asset.

[elroy]

Mark "Grab all" Lawro on today fm on mon night didnt see any merit in calling delap up to the irish team. Said that international teams would be much wiser to it, gave the example of wimbledon years ago, that when playing for liverpool against them, they would sooner give the ball back to them than give away a throw in in their own half or a set piece.

I know one team in the premiership this season (cant remember who) employed the tactic of putting a player standing in front of delap as he took the throw and it seemed to work, surprised more havent done the same.

[Stuttgart88]

Was his thinking entirely related to his throwing though? That'd be an added bonus, but the real issue is shoring up a midfield that looked desperately light in Steven Reid's absence.

[third policeman]

Really dont think that playing him centre mid would be a progressive move. I think we should be looking to bring on the likes of Garvan, McCann, O'Toole and McCarthy. I said before that his best position for us might be at left back. He has played at right full and on the left side of midfield and I think that he could be a more effective all round defender than KK. And before somone says that KK "played all last season at left full for Wigan" - he didn't. Most of his appearances were in midfield and most of his appearances at the minute are on the subs bench.

[ifk101]

Trapattoni doesn't demand much from his central midfielders - it's basically sit in front of the back four and protect them. I don't see why Delap can't come in and adequately perform this role. His throw-ins are amazing and they would cause havoc for our opponents. I think given that Trapattoni wants our central pairing to be more destructive than creative, and with his throw-ins, Delap is arguably the best option in the absence of Steven Reid.

[eirebhoy]

I know one team in the premiership this season (cant remember who) employed the tactic of putting a player standing in front of delap as he took the throw and it seemed to work, surprised more havent done the same.
You have to be at least 2 yards away from the throw taker.

7 of Stoke's 13 goals have come from the throw.

[geysir]

i agree, with the whole throw in thing, nobody has taken the time to notice that delap gets his tackles in, is a neat passer of the ball, and also takes stokes free kicks and corners. hes very involved in the game all round its just that the focus is put on those rocket throw ins
Not many would admit to actually watching a whole 90 minutes of a Stoke game.
The only thing I saw on brief highlights were his 2 throw ins and an awful tackle from behind which caused an opposition to be carried off.
And now Delap is a name on Wenger's lips

[richieos]

Not many would admit to actually watching a whole 90 minutes of a Stoke game.
The only thing I saw on brief highlights were his 2 throw ins and an awful tackle from behind which caused an opposition to be carried off.
And now Delap is a name on Wenger's lips

well i watched the full 90 mins of their matches against arsenal, liverpool, and sunderland and delap is quite impressive, quietly effective in open play, and dangerous from set pieces

[dr_peepee]

Didn't he win a peno too recently after being tripped following a neat drag back in the box???

Even excluding his throws he warrants a place in the squad. He's a player playing regularly for a premiershi[p club in a position we have little or no depth in...

[elroy]

You have to be at least 2 yards away from the throw taker.

7 of Stoke's 13 goals have come from the throw.

Yes i know but still, you would imagine that it would at least put him off somewhat. I think thats how teams eventually countered that guy that was at Tranmere a few years back who had a similar throw.

[sadloserkid]

And now Delap is a name on Wenger's lips

So what?

[Oink]

Trapattoni doesn't demand much from his central midfielders - it's basically sit in front of the back four and protect them. I don't see why Delap can't come in and adequately perform this role. His throw-ins are amazing and they would cause havoc for our opponents. I think given that Trapattoni wants our central pairing to be more destructive than creative, and with his throw-ins, Delap is arguably the best option in the absence of Steven Reid.

Talk about underestimating the qualities needed to fill that role..... I take it a central midfielder does not need positional sense, an ability to read the game or be able to collect and distribute the ball from defence to attack??

Delap is used by stoke for his freak throw to grind out results as they can't match most of the teams they play against in footballing ability otherwise. He is not an international standard player. Yes they have got a few good results from it but in the long run Stoke will finish in the bottom 5..........

We have better players, we want to qualify... we don't want to become a team which tries to sneak results by scoring from a long throw. We have to concentrate on beating teams by playing better football in all areas of the pitch.

[L37Ultra]

We have better players, we want to qualify... we don't want to become a team which tries to sneak results by scoring from a long throw. We have to concentrate on beating teams by playing better football in all areas of the pitch.


Exactly, the long throw tatic may work for Stoke against footballing sides like Aresnal but it doesn't against tough teams down around the bottom who will defend them with ease.

Thats tactic with Ireland will not work against the likes of Cyprus and Bulgaria who like to get men behind the ball.

Stoke's luck with this tactic will run out and they will end up struggling this season. There are better Irish midfielders than Delap.

[Razors left peg]

Does anyone know when he started using this long throw, I didnt watch much of him in the Championship in last couple of years but it not something I rememeber him having when he played for us in the past

[tricky_colour]

Does anyone know when he started using this long throw, I didnt watch much of him in the Championship in last couple of years but it not something I rememeber him having when he played for us in the past

I would imagine he has always done them, I think I read somewhere he used to be a javlin thrower?

[antrimgreen]

D'ont care what S Ireland has said and done, we badly need him, we are bound to have the personal skills to get him back, he is one of the premerships best players and was best player on display last night in City's 3-2 win, him delap Carsley are all much better players than the current midfield jokers we had playing against Cyprus (fish out of water sprung to mind after watching them 2 last time). We need S Ireland big time!!!!

[tetsujin1979]

but it not something I rememeber him having when he played for us in the past
he threw the ball straight into the net against the Czech Republic when we won 2-1. Other than that, I don't think he got many opportunities under Kerr

[carloz]

D'ont care what S Ireland has said and done, we badly need him, we are bound to have the personal skills to get him back, he is one of the premerships best players and was best player on display last night in City's 3-2 win, him delap Carsley are all much better players than the current midfield jokers we had playing against Cyprus (fish out of water sprung to mind after watching them 2 last time). We need S Ireland big time!!!!

Jokers that w had in mifield against Cyprus!! We had Glenn Whealan in there, who was man of the match in our first two games, cut him a bit of slack for an average performance.
Its quite obvious at this stage that Trap prefers playing two very defensive central midfielders with 2 quite offensive wingers. Now i rate S. Ireland as high as the next person but i still feel that Trap wouldnt be able to accomidate him in the team. We have to realise that we have had an excellent start to this campaign without Ireland. He has shown that he doesnt give two ****s about his country so we will have to forget about him