Matt Holland

I've always had a sneaking suspicion about Holland . I think he lacks committment and ambition.
I think the fact that he never gets injuries is because he doesn't commit himself 100% to a match. He playes within himself.
His performances for Ireland haven't been very good over the last few months.
I think Kinsella is a more committed and dependable player.

I also have a suspicion about his ambition.
Maybe it's due to loyalty but he's had chances to leave Ipswich for Premiership clubs this season and hasn't because Sunderland + Aston Villa were too far away.

So what do you think??

Apparently Harry Redknapp is trying to bring him
to Portsmouth for £1 million

Never looks like getting stuck into a tackle

Well portsmouth have had a 750,000 bid accepted for him so i think he's gonna have to go now, cos Ipswich are seriously broke.
Dont rate Holland much myself, not much of a tackler, had a sweet strike though which as we all know has got us a few important goals the lst few years.
Having said that he prob is one of our best midfielders at the moment, doesnt say much about our options

He might not be much of a tackler, but he's a good distributer. Ipswich went down when teams started double-marking Holland.

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Originally posted by colster
he's had chances to leave Ipswich for Premiership clubs this season and hasn't because Sunderland + Aston Villa were too far away.

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Maybe in hindsight he was right, given those two teams. He wouldn't have made any difference at sunderland, and could have ended up in villa reserves too.

at least if he goes to portsmouth, he'll probably be guaranteed a game.

He's been complete rubbish since the World Cup. Healy should be playing instead of him even though he's didn't play many club games he is still a better player.
Even Carsley would be an improvement -at least he gets involved in the game ( how may times did you hear Hollands name called out by George Hamilton on Saturday? ).

Colin Healy is not the answer. Lee Carsley or Rory Delap yes. But not Healy. If Holland does move to Portsmouth then maybe I'd give him a stay of execution but at the moment I'd pick 2 from Kinsella (might benefit from Dave O'Leary at Villa), Carsley and Delap.

apparently holland didn't want to move too far from ipswich because his family is settled there, it's all well and good to talk about ambition but outside factors influence these descisions too. i do think since ipswich were relegated that he's lost most of his competitiveness (at least for ireland) and i'd throw carsley in there. i'd have delap as the first off the bench too, i think he's a little underrated, he can bring a lot to a team going forward.

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Originally posted by tiktok
apparently holland didn't want to move too far from ipswich because his family is settled there,

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His wife runs an equestrian centre apparently.

What's all this rubbish about Mattie Holland?

It's seems to be flavour of the month to slag him off since the albania game away. I disagree about him being a poor tackler. He is a fine all round player. The real problem in Ireland's midfield is a lack of creativity and that is down to the fact that Kinsella and Holland are both too similar. But come on Holland or Carsley ?do me a favour!

I have to say that any team with Carsley in it, is a poorer side.
As for Holland, does anyone reckon that his heart may not be in it to the same extent as when McCarthy was there?
(I'm not trying to say that he doesn't want to play for Kerr, but maybe the different setup does not suit him as well?)

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Originally posted by sadloserkid
Colin Healy is not the answer. Lee Carsley or Rory Delap yes. But not Healy.

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I know its a bit rich to post this after the game but I always felt Healy has played very well for Ireland and can actually pass the pass more than 30 yards, unlike Carsley, Holland, Kinsella. He gets stuck in as well. I'm still amazed he could'nt get ahead of Lennon and Lambert for Celtic. Hes a Premiership player.


All of those others are too slow and around the 30 mark. Healy will cement his place in the Irish side for future years and become the new Roy Keane :D

i said i wouldn't have started healy, he proved me wrong (although i thought carsley did well too)

healy played very very well, he always gives his all when he plays for ireland which is good to see. having said that the boy needs to get out of celtic as soon as possible, he's flogging a dead horse there, i don't think he will ever form part of o'neill's plans (for whatever reason). mccarthy wants to bring him to sunderland, but i'm hoping that everton renew their interest in him, we need our promising players to be playing in bigger clubs at the highest level. i have loads of time for david moyes as a manager, i think he really brings the best out of his players.

Healy was very impressive. Absolutely vital he is p[laying first team football in the premiership by September.

I'l be the first to admit that Colin Healy did very well last night. However Colin Healy (like Gary Breen last summer) is putting himself in the shop window at the moment. If he could play like that all year round he wouldn't have been rotting in the reserves for Celtic. I came around on Healy to a degree last night but I'm still not 100% convinced by him.

Also Rory Delap is nowhere near 30, I think he's 26. Small point I know but still.

As for Holland, the cause of this thread after all, last night I thought he was invisible in the first half and did pretty well in the second.

Healy doesn't get on with O'Neill. A celtic fan I know has given a plausible reason (nothing to do with football) which I couldn't post on a bulletin board. However glasgow is always full of rumours and many of them are false.

In football terms he has been very impressive every time for Ireland. He badly needs a new club and first team football. He looks head and shoulders above any of the current Celtic midfield.

I agree it may be too early to judge but hopefully we'll know soon.

I think Delap is a fine player who needs to find a regular position - unlucky to be injured this time round.

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Originally posted by sadloserkid

Also Rory Delap is nowhere near 30, I think he's 26. Small point I know but still.

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I did'nt mean Delap, just the other wasters Kinsella, Holland and Carsley.

So Holland ends up signing for Alan Cirbishley's Charlton for 750000stg. Apparently Curbishley had also tabled a bid for Chelsea's Jody Morris should Holland's personal terms be unrealistic.

is he worthy more than this, does he think he's worth more than this. why does this transfer look like it's not going to favour any of the parties involved?

It's not so long since Charlton let Kinsella go to Villa for what at the time looked like a steal, and now with David O'Leary at the helm at that club and 'deadly' doug ellis controlling the purse strings it looks like he's going to have to chase free signings, specifically colin healy.

would that be a good move for Healy, has O'Leary improved any of the players that have played for him, or is Healy better off at the other clubs interested, everton (with david moyes) or with Mick McCarthy at sunderland?

From what I've seen Delap is our best central mid fielder, he's finally settled in that position and watching him this year for Southampton a bit, he's been class for them every time. Healy not getting his game was a pain but has nothing to do with his ability, he showed against Georgia he has more skill in his little toe then Lennons ever shown on a pitch, and hopefully the Villa move comes off, that will be one class central mid field pairing, with Carsley and the emerging Thornton standing by. Maybe Hollands move to Charlton will cause his form to improve too.

There's a lot of hoping in there....

Personally, i think our midfield is screwed for a year or two...

Come back Roy, all is forgiven........... NOT!