Coventry & Ipswich

Watch these two teams this year in the Championship. Both will be pushing for promotion and Tabb, Best, Garvan and Lee have all been very impressive in these early days.

Tabb in particular has been in exceptional form in the first two games, laying on 3 goals in the process. On the Coventry forums they have been comparing him to Koumas in the Championship last season and perhaps less realistically Ronaldo but without the poncey look and the earring. High praise indeed. All are agreed it seems that thus far he has been their best player by a distance. If he stays fit (he's been quite injury prone in recent seasons) then he could easily force himself into the Ireland frame in the not too distant future.

If Best plays regularly I can see him scoring a hatfull in the Championship so I think he's worth keeping a close eye on also.

I don't think Wolves will improve much this season over last year but should still be pushing for a play-off place. Foley should prove to be a good signing for them though. I still don't rate Potter irrespective of his performances for Ireland in the States and Andy Keogh really needs to add more goals to his game to become a valuable option upfront for Ireland. Of all Wolves Irish players I rate Elliot as potentially the best from an International perspective but he needs an injury free season playing week in, week out at centre forward (and not on the right) before being considered for Ireland.

Anyway watch Coventry and Ipswich they also have Thornton, Doyle, Clarke, Walters, Supple and Synott in their ranks in addition to those mentioned above.

I'd have 100 quid with you right now that neither side will be "pushing for promotion" this season. Not enough strength in depth and a lack of money to purchase in January when injuries kick in.

There are much, much stronger sides in that league than them two.

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Originally Posted by livehead1

I'd have 100 quid with you right now that neither side will be "pushing for promotion" this season. Not enough strength in depth and a lack of money to purchase in January when injuries kick in.

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You mean like Derby and Wolves last year? Reading and Watford the year before?

Coventry have brought in bucketloads of new players under Dowie. They aren't short of a few bob. Anyway your opinion is noted. Get back to us next May. I would be surprised if one of the above isn't in the playoff places at the very least at that stage. I expect both to be there or thereabouts though.

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Originally Posted by livehead1

There are much, much stronger sides in that league than them two.

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Yeah like who? Other than possibly Sheffield United who are being managed by Bryan Robson who doesn't have a breeze what he's doing. Charlton have made some fairly dodgy signings and lost some of their best players while Watford have signed no-one of note. If Marlon King gets injured they are bunched.

God, you wouldn't want to be offering opinions around this forum today. Sod that. I'm just going to start stating everythig as apparent fact / black versus white.

Anyway: Elliott did well for Wolves on Saturday in a poor Wolves performance. Fact. Nobody had better disagree with me or I'll be beligerent back.

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Originally Posted by youngirish

Tabb, Best, Garvan and Lee have all been very impressive in these early days.

Anyway watch Coventry and Ipswich they also have Thornton, Doyle, Clarke, Walters, Supple and Synott in their ranks in addition to those mentioned above.

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Hawkins not expected to feature:confused: Thought he did reasonably well last season and played last night.

What about O'Callaghan? He seems to be out of the Ipswich squad at the moment.

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Originally Posted by Jerry The Saint

Hawkins not expected to feature:confused: Thought he did reasonably well last season and played last night.

What about O'Callaghan? He seems to be out of the Ipswich squad at the moment.

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Forgot about Hawkins okay. O' Callaghan hasn't featured this season for Ipswich thus far. Not sure he'll get much of a look-in.

I've tipped Coventry for promotion this season. Strange new territory agreeing with YI on something.

Less confident about Ipswich.

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Originally Posted by Stuttgart88

God, you wouldn't want to be offering opinions around this forum today. Sod that. I'm just going to start stating everythig as apparent fact / black versus white.

Anyway: Elliott did well for Wolves on Saturday in a poor Wolves performance. Fact. Nobody had better disagree with me or I'll be beligerent back.

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I have never seen you belligerent Stutts.
Your opinion on Elliot is obviously xxxxt, how could you stay awake so long:)

I must add "belligerent" to the list of words I have difficulty spelling.

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or I'll be beligerent back.

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while yer at the spelling list how about doing a list of phrases as well.

Jay Tabb was supposedly excellent at the weekend for Coventry again. He got MOTM in the Sun (is their higher praise in the land?). He also scored. Watch Tabb this year as I stated earlier as Coventry will push for promotion. No sign of Best though. I wonder is he injured?

Think O'Callaghan may be off to Sheff. Wed

Where has Tabb been playing recently? I rate him highly but not as a forward where Givens played him for Ireland. Like Andy Keogh, he's a hell of a player but not a great goalscorer. Keogh is definitely a forward though, whereas I think Tabb is best deployed in midfield (loose description).

Tabb is another good example of people expecting too much too soon. So what if he was playing at Brentford aged 20, whereas Rooney was scoring goals in Euro finals aged 7? There's nothing wrong with players developing into their 20s.

Tabb's goal here: http://www.football.virginmedia.com/...099693,00.html
About half way through the highlights.

Incidentally, if the highlights are indicative of the game as a whole, then Cardiff were robbed for at least a point!

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Originally Posted by Stuttgart88

Where has Tabb been playing recently? I rate him highly but not as a forward where Givens played him for Ireland. Like Andy Keogh, he's a hell of a player but not a great goalscorer. Keogh is definitely a forward though, whereas I think Tabb is best deployed in midfield (loose description).

Tabb is another good example of people expecting too much too soon. So what if he was playing at Brentford aged 20, whereas Rooney was scoring goals in Euro finals aged 7? There's nothing wrong with players developing into their 20s.

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He's playing in midfield for Coventry. Think wide on the right. Tabb reminds me a bit of Andy Reid.

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Originally Posted by youngirish

He's playing in midfield for Coventry. Think wide on the right. Tabb reminds me a bit of Andy Reid.

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Oh no!.......not another "pie-eater":eek:

Youngirish,

I will bet you that neither of those sides makes even a playoff spot. both skint, both have a decent 11 but not much more and aspirations to match those circumstances from both clubs.

that said, Lee has started well, and Garvan also, Walters also looked decent at the weekend, and Tabb I like the look of, but would not compare him to Andy Reid, when I last watched coventry, Tabb played just behind the front 2 and made some lovely late runs into the box on occasion, but was never found by teammates, whereas Reid tends to do his work from a slightly deeper position on the field. generally speaking.

but like I said above..... neither of these sides will be in the mix at the business end.

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Originally Posted by CraftyToePoke

but like I said above..... neither of these sides will be in the mix at the business end.

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Both looking good so far. I tipped themn at the start of the season so we'll see how things go. The teams I mentioned earlier in the thread have all had thin squads and done better than most expected. There are always a couple of surprises in the Championship and I'd bet it could be either Ipswich or Coventry this year.

I think Reid and Tabb are similar as they both are very creative, free-scoring midfield players that can play wide or through the middle.

Apparently Ipswich are looking for O'Halloran to join them on loan. Good move for him if it goes through:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/foot...rs/6977316.stm

For some reason Ipswich always struck me as a good club.With the Irish lads on board would like to see them do well.

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Originally Posted by cheifo

For some reason Ipswich always struck me as a good club.With the Irish lads on board would like to see them do well.

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Offered very little up front on saturday against Watford....good passers of the ball without any threat...too easy to defend against.....fortunately!;)

Anyone see Ipswich & Coventry play each other on TV on Saturday?

Owen Garvan oozed class, some errors like overrunning the ball excepted, but he is always looking for the ball, has a great range of passing and takes excellent set pieces with his left. He covers ground effortlessly. He was the heartbeat of a very good Ipswich performance. The first goal came from a floated free from Garvan which was headed in at the back post, though the 'keeper could probably have come for it. His corners were superb.

Alan Lee played well and probably deserved a goal. Jon Walters, Stephen Elliott's former strike partner for our U21s, plays wide right for Ipswich these days after losing his way in the last couple of years. He doesn't look an overly effective wide player but he is an excellent attacking header of a ball. He scored one good headed goal and had a couple of other good efforts.

Alex Bruce, apart from one howler - a weak, uncommitted headed back pass followed by a tumbling rugby tackle trying to recover! - actually looked good, a centre back who looks calm on the ball.

Michael Doyle was overrun in Coventry's midfield and Tabb didn't see much of the ball. Leon Best saw plenty of it and tried hard but it wasn't his day. He looks a sulky, moody individual and one late effort at winning a penalty was such a pathetic attempt at a dive it was shameful. I'm not sure he's the kind of guy who'd boost morale at the Irish camp.

Yep, saw it and pretty much agree with your summary, apart from Bruce. He's an accident waiting to happen and he played on loan at Wednesday for a while and was very average. Garvan is the only one of the Irish lads on display who might make it. Lee, if for some reason we revert to the Big Jack game and need a target man, would do ok as most of the rest of our forwards are midgets.

let's hope Stan realises Garvan is Irish.

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Originally Posted by shakermaker1982

let's hope Stan realises Garvan is Irish.

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I think he knows, Garvan played for the U-21s against Portugal less than a month ago

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Originally Posted by tetsujin1979

I think he knows, Garvan played for the U-21s against Portugal less than a month ago

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Are you confident Stan checks up on the u21s??? :D:D maybe I'm being harsh but this is a guy who still hasn't worked out that Steve Finnan is a RB and O'Shea/Kilbane are not good enough to play centre MF!!!!

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Originally Posted by OwlsFan

Lee, if for some reason we revert to the Big Jack game and need a target man, would do ok as most of the rest of our forwards are midgets.

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That reason being our total lack of creativity in midfield and our insistence in defence on booting high balls forward. Lets face it, we need a targetman to compliment either Keane or Doyle because having the two up front together is futile with our players.

Jon Walters hat trick on Saturday, with Garvan, Lee & Clarke all heavily involved.

Great to see a guy resurrect a promising career after it was seemingly drifting into oblivion.

Extracts from The Guardian's write up on the above match:

There was such precision on the field... Jonathan Walters started it with his left foot and finished it with his right to complete a hat-trick. The former Bolton midfielder, wide right here, was called up for Republic of Ireland B last week. "Today opened up for me," he said. City certainly did. Owen Garvan, selected for the senior squad, was twice provider and once dummy runner for him but left early with a knee niggle that makes him doubtful. Most good things flowed through him but there was deft work from Pablo Counago too, wickedly for his goal, and sweet, firm movement of the ball in all areas. They even had to adjust to Alan Lee's departure for a shorter target man in Danny Haynes but not before Lee's persistence had laid on the second goal for David Wright's incursion.

Man of the match Owen Garvan

To score a hat-trick and not be man of the match says something for the man who was. Garvan was the fulcrum of this fantasy football

Best moment

His receipt of Billy Clarke's ball from deep and his pass on to Walters for his second goal

I think Garvan is the most promising Irish player for a long time.

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Originally Posted by Stuttgart88

selected for the senior squad,

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Where did they get that from?

I highlighted it as I thought it looked wrong. I think he's in the U21s.

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Originally Posted by Stuttgart88

I highlighted it as I thought it looked wrong. I think he's in the U21s.

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You underlined it.

I highlighted it by underlining it!

You could have put a question mark

I could have done a lot of things.

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Originally Posted by youngirish

Coventry have brought in bucketloads of new players under Dowie. They aren't short of a few bob.

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i think Coventry are in huge financial trouble (debts of £28m +) and are currently banned from bringing in players due to the non payment of a transfer fee to southampton. id say its more likely they will have to sell in january than buy

They are as skint as a bint!

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Originally Posted by jbyrne

i think Coventry are in huge financial trouble (debts of £28m +) and are currently banned from bringing in players due to the non payment of a transfer fee to southampton. id say its more likely they will have to sell in january than buy

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They are still going well. If they win their game tonight they will jump to 4th.

If Ipswich can improve on their dreadful away form they can be one of the best teams in the Championship. We'll see. They threw a 2 goal lead away last weekend against a very poor Norwich side.

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Originally Posted by Stuttgart88

Extracts from The Guardian's write up on the above match:

There was such precision on the field... Jonathan Walters started it with his left foot and finished it with his right to complete a hat-trick. The former Bolton midfielder, wide right here, was called up for Republic of Ireland B last week. "Today opened up for me," he said. City certainly did. Owen Garvan, selected for the senior squad, was twice provider and once dummy runner for him but left early with a knee niggle that makes him doubtful. Most good things flowed through him but there was deft work from Pablo Counago too, wickedly for his goal, and sweet, firm movement of the ball in all areas. They even had to adjust to Alan Lee's departure for a shorter target man in Danny Haynes but not before Lee's persistence had laid on the second goal for David Wright's incursion.

Man of the match Owen Garvan

To score a hat-trick and not be man of the match says something for the man who was. Garvan was the fulcrum of this fantasy football

Best moment

His receipt of Billy Clarke's ball from deep and his pass on to Walters for his second goal

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Sounds promising. Every time they went to Charlie Nicholas on Sky Sports on Saturday he just had to mention the beautiful football Ipswich were playing. Ireland U21s played fantastic football against England in the first half too. He's a pure playmaker and there's no doubt in my mind he'll be a big player for us in the future. He was the captain of an FA youth cup winning team and you could go back through all winning teams from the previous years and find at least one player that had a good career.