Eddie Nolan

A special mention for Eddie Nolan, for his great performances at PNE, the lad has come in and despite playing mainly out of position, he has aquitted himself well.

Every credit to the lad, and a reminder to those on here, that we do have some quality coming through the ranks.

Just need a manager brave enough to drop the rubbish in his squad and pick them!

Nolan was called into the squad VS Georgia, and had to pull out with a knock he picked up in training. Played well against Spain in the U-21's, and there's no real need for him to be wasted on the bench with the senior team at the moment.

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Originally Posted by tetsujin1979

Nolan was called into the squad VS Georgia, and had to pull out with a knock he picked up in training. Played well against Spain in the U-21's, and there's no real need for him to be wasted on the bench with the senior team at the moment.

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I take your point, But on their club performances,there's no real need or justification for McShane or Bruce to be in the senior squad either, but their in it!

well then you have to ask yourself - what is better for Nolan now, captaining the U-21's or warming the bench (if that) for the senior team?

I think of Bruce and McShane signed for a northwest team like Preston North End, the doc would be on here saying how good they are.

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Originally Posted by NeilMcD

I think of Bruce and McShane signed for a northwest team like Preston North End, the doc would be on here saying how good they are.

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They wouldn't get into the PNE 1st team!

Don't think he did himself any favours with a couple of mistakes that lead to goals on one of his last games for the u21s.

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Originally Posted by the doc

Every credit to the lad, and a reminder to those on here, that we do have some quality coming through the ranks.

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A couple of months ago you described Eddie Nolan as being nothing more than a "cover" player for your beloved mickey mouse team. But now you see him as "quality coming through the ranks" at said beloved mickey mouse team. What's changed in the meantime? - said player has gotten a run of first team games in said beloved mickey mouse team.

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Originally Posted by NeilMcD

I think of Bruce and McShane signed for a northwest team like Preston North End, the doc would be on here saying how good they are.

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How true.

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Originally Posted by ifk101

A couple of months ago you described Eddie Nolan as being nothing more than a "cover" player for your beloved mickey mouse team. But now you see him as "quality coming through the ranks" at said beloved mickey mouse team. What's changed in the meantime? - said player has gotten a run of first team games in said beloved mickey mouse team.

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Bit harsh. Preston are a good Championship team.

Maybe, just possibly, Nolan has improved in the past few months after getting some regular game time. After all he is only 20.

I know the doc gets a hard time on here but it's hard for anyone sane to argue that St Ledger isn't a far better prospect (I'm using the word prospect as he's untested at the top level thus far) than both Bruce and the terrible McShane.

He seems to pick up an awful lot of unfair flak for stating what appears to me at least, this very obvious fact. Perhaps he overstates it.

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Originally Posted by youngirish

Perhaps he overstates it.

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;) - to the point of spamming.

"A good Championship team" is hardly a solid recommendation for international football.

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Originally Posted by youngirish

Bit harsh. Preston are a good Championship team.

Maybe, just possibly, Nolan has improved in the past few months after getting some regular game time. After all he is only 20.

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If he's that inconsistent, and still learning to such a degree, it's little surprise that he's not yet an international, but is captaining the U-21s.

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I know the doc gets a hard time on here but it's hard for anyone sane to argue that St Ledger isn't a far better prospect (I'm using the word prospect as he's untested at the top level thus far) than both Bruce and the terrible McShane.

He seems to pick up an awful lot of unfair flak for stating what appears to me at least, this very obvious fact. Perhaps he overstates it.

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He certainly does overstate it, but his arguments are also ridiculous, his attacks on the team's players and management are unnecessary, ill-informed and incredibly petty.

We've had literally hundreds of posts, and calls to sack the entire management team, all because we choose one average centre back who isn't close to getting a game in a competitive match (Bruce) to warm the bench instead of another average centre back wouldn't be close to getting a game in a competitive match (St Ledger)

The calls to replace McShane as the back up utility defender I also don't agree with, because whilst he is far from great, he is quite experienced and if deployed rightly (as in the second half v Italy) he needn't be a huge liability, as opposed to chucking in a championship player who while he may look good at that level has never even played a Premier League game in his life, let alone a European or International game. I think that's a fact worth remembering when people propose players in-form for mid table Championship clubs.

St. Ledger is a very good player, at least as good as Mancienne who got rave reviews at Wolves and is deemed good enough to be near the Chelsea first team. Lescott and Jagielka both made the step up from Championship to Premiership successfully & quickly and I think St. Ledger has what it takes to follow suit if he got the opportunity.

However, having The Doc making his case is like Dunphy making the case for Givens to be sacked as U21 coach. Both are probably right but talk so much shyte that they're hard to take seriously.

Now if only we had a Manc Irish Prestonian or a Crafty Toe Poke from up there...

Alan Irvine is doing a great job at Preston and its good to have Irish players working with such a manager.
Owen Coyle(an up and coming Irish manager) is also doing a great job at Burnley and if I were a premiership chairman or a relelgated premiership chairman I would certainly be looking at these two if/when I am looking for a new manager

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Originally Posted by Jicked

If he's that inconsistent, and still learning to such a degree, it's little surprise that he's not yet an international, but is captaining the U-21s.



He certainly does overstate it, but his arguments are also ridiculous, his attacks on the team's players and management are unnecessary, ill-informed and incredibly petty.

We've had literally hundreds of posts, and calls to sack the entire management team, all because we choose one average centre back who isn't close to getting a game in a competitive match (Bruce) to warm the bench instead of another average centre back wouldn't be close to getting a game in a competitive match (St Ledger)

The calls to replace McShane as the back up utility defender I also don't agree with, because whilst he is far from great, he is quite experienced and if deployed rightly (as in the second half v Italy) he needn't be a huge liability, as opposed to chucking in a championship player who while he may look good at that level has never even played a Premier League game in his life, let alone a European or International game. I think that's a fact worth remembering when people propose players in-form for mid table Championship clubs.

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And how many live games have you seen any of these players play? To give a valid an opinion.

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Originally Posted by stuttgart88

st. Ledger is a very good player, at least as good as mancienne who got rave reviews at wolves and is deemed good enough to be near the chelsea first team. Lescott and jagielka both made the step up from championship to premiership successfully & quickly and i think st. Ledger has what it takes to follow suit if he got the opportunity.

However, having the doc making his case is like dunphy making the case for givens to be sacked as u21 coach. Both are probably right but talk so much shyte that they're hard to take seriously.

Now if only we had a manc irish prestonian or a crafty toe poke from up there...

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gpwm!

Huh??

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Originally Posted by Stuttgart88

Huh??

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Good point, well made.
http://acronyms.thefreedictionary.com/GPWM.

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Originally Posted by Jicked

The calls to replace McShane as the back up utility defender I also don't agree with, because whilst he is far from great, he is quite experienced and if deployed rightly (as in the second half v Italy) he needn't be a huge liability, as opposed to chucking in a championship player who while he may look good at that level has never even played a Premier League game in his life, let alone a European or International game. I think that's a fact worth remembering when people propose players in-form for mid table Championship clubs.

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Most international managers would take a player playing in the Championship over a player not playing at all.

Playing football is a very important criteria for consideration when calling up international players. Not only the Doc then who has to state the obvious.

2 players in top 7 or 8 in Championship versus 5 players from Israel league, like Bulgaria have?

A good player is a good player is a good player. St. Ledger can play and should be in our squad IMHO.

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Originally Posted by Jicked

If he's that inconsistent, and still learning to such a degree, it's little surprise that he's not yet an international, but is captaining the U-21s.



He certainly does overstate it, but his arguments are also ridiculous, his attacks on the team's players and management are unnecessary, ill-informed and incredibly petty.

We've had literally hundreds of posts, and calls to sack the entire management team, all because we choose one average centre back who isn't close to getting a game in a competitive match (Bruce) to warm the bench instead of another average centre back wouldn't be close to getting a game in a competitive match (St Ledger)

The calls to replace McShane as the back up utility defender I also don't agree with, because whilst he is far from great, he is quite experienced and if deployed rightly (as in the second half v Italy) he needn't be a huge liability, as opposed to chucking in a championship player who while he may look good at that level has never even played a Premier League game in his life, let alone a European or International game. I think that's a fact worth remembering when people propose players in-form for mid table Championship clubs.

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I would agree with most of what you say regarding St Ledger. I wouldn't chuck him into a competitive game at present either.

I do believe it's a mistake on Trapatonni's part, however, that he still hasn't looked at him in a friendly game as there's no doubt defence is one of our weakest areas when it comes to reliable cover. The great man is not infallible and while tactically he seems as astute as ever some of his player selections still appear to be occasionally baffling though obviously not comparable to Stan "du gaffur".

Picture a McShane, Bruce centre back pairing in a competitive game if Dunne gets suspended and O'Shea injured. It's the stuff of nightmares.

St Ledger will soon get a chance in the Premiership. He may not be brilliant (we know how big a step up it is from the Championship) but I would be reasonably confident that even if this is the case he'll be better than McShane who always looks extremely dodgy against decent opposition. The sad thing is I believe that if St Ledger got a move to a Premiership club tomorrow (ignore the fact the transfer window is closed for the moment) I'd be fairly confident he'd be immediately in the squad and probably in the team.

On another note I'd also like to see O'Dea given some game time against Nigeria though he's not as far out of the picture as St Ledger.