This is apparently a misunderstanding. He went golfing with the team's chairman the other day and his putter broke.Quote:
Originally Posted by Colbert Report
This is apparently a misunderstanding. He went golfing with the team's chairman the other day and his putter broke.Quote:
Originally Posted by Colbert Report
Dreadful game but O'Neill continues to make some interesting selections both good and bad. The good was Long,what a brave choice to put him into this game.he did well defensively and can't be blamed for Ward's shocking performance.Randolph was also, of course,the right choice.maybe the Westwood cheerleading squad will put away their pom poms for a little while.Whelan was fine,nothing more but Arter again was clearly below the standard required at this level,he continues to worry me I'm really not sure that he's up to it despite wishing that he was,hopefully he'll improve.The omission of Wes was criminal.You're at home against a severely weakened opponent and playing one up front,...he plays.At least O'Neill is willing to make wholesale changes to attempt to rectify errors.better than the dogged stubbornness under Trap.
That's a bit much. Both Randolph and Westwood have their supporters, and there's not much between them at the moment. Westwood finished the season in the Football League team of the season, Randolph finished it on the bench at West Ham, but is in possession of the jersey. Westwood played well last week, including one excellent save at 1-1. Randolph did fine today, including one save late on to keep them on a single goal. I didn't blame him for the goal either, The late highlights on RTE 2 showed Ward left his man get a step on him to finish, and the entire defence was caught out by the double stepovers. There's been an ongoing debate for some time over who should get the nod in goals, to claim that Westwood has a cheerleading squad, armed with pom-poms, does it a disservice.Quote:
Originally Posted by Fizzer
Me either, Whelan did well today. Kilbane on radio commentary was very complimentary. Christie was straight down from me in the first half, and wasn't great, but I thought he looked better in the second half, albeit he was on the opposite side of the pitch to me. Hendrick was the biggest disappointment for me, we really needed him to put his stamp on the game as the link between midfield and lone striker and he just didn't work out.Quote:
Originally Posted by Colbert Report
That's in today's Independent today as well, but I haven't seen anything official - http://www.independent.ie/sport/socc...-35812800.htmlQuote:
Originally Posted by Colbert Report
Quote:
He did score five goals for the Geordies, some of them vital, on their quick exit from the Championship but he only played 14 games for Rafa Benitez, who last week told Murphy he can quit St James' Park.
Any specific examples of errors or moments where he put a foot wrong? I can't recall any really besides the booking, which was admittedly careless. Otherwise, I'm surprised you've singled him out. I thought he played alright; he certainly wasn't "the big culprit", which is a very unfair review of his performance.Quote:
Originally Posted by Colbert Report
He spoke a bit about his impending departure here: http://www.shieldsgazette.com/sport/...mmer-1-8589268Quote:
The commentator on the feed I was watching mentioned that Murphy has been told to find a new club. I thought he was one of the top goal scorers in the Championship last season? I know he's old but it seems strange.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Daryl Murphy
It's true. Whelan can do anything it seems and there is no baromoter for him. And I am his chief critic it seems. Look you say: "Whelan was a great player for us today."Quote:
Originally Posted by TrapAPony
You're entitled to your opinion, but if you saw Joe Allen or Aaron Ramsey tonight for Wales you'd have a vastly different opinion. Allen is everything a good midfielder should be.
He is always available for his team mates to pass to, is always playing one twos and creating for his team. He is a focal point for Wales.
Whelan is none of that. He's supposed to be our main man, making things happen for us. He just doesn't have it. Honest lad, but not even close to what we need.
Agree with you on John Walters. He didn't stop running all day and he would have netted the winner if Duffy left him alone to contest the ball with the smaller Austrian defender.Quote:
Originally Posted by Colbert Report
I think you're confusing Glenn Whelan with Wes Hoolahan.Quote:
Originally Posted by mark12345
Here's an excellent analysis of Whelan's actual role and general contribution when he plays by a former team-mate of his, Trevor Sinclair, on 'MOTD' last year:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NXqGIc364Fs
Anyone else getting flashbacks to the 2006 World Cup qualifying campaign?
Four teams, with little between them, battling it out for an automatic qualification spot, and a play off. All taking points off each other, but one victory could change the complexion of the group.
Two minnows, that you would expect the other four to beat easily, but can still cause an upset.
On the subject of flashbacks I an hoping we won't be having them of Wes coming on criminally late in this game for years to come.
Series of awful confidence sapping decisions from MON this time out. Selection, substitutions, tactics and reacting to the unfolding consequences of those all badly out of tune today.
What was people's opinion on Brady's performance? I thought he was carrying an injury of some sort he was so lethargic?
Our midfield was completely overrun yesterday - McCarthy is vital to our chances of qualifying.
Player reviews
Randolph – O’Neill’s ploy to use sunlight bouncing off Randolph’s shiny dome to blind the Austrians was thwarted by showers (rain, the shower in front of him) but the WHam backing vocalist woke us up before we went went with a top drawer save late on.
Christie – his claim to be the best full back in the Championship might have shown him to be a natural gas, but he’ll do just fine while we wait for the coal man to knock.
Duffy – his passing came as a relief to Theresa May who realised that it’s not just the Tories who lack direction, and the DUP haven’t produced the worst headers after all.
Long – never before did the Irish nation pray as fervently: ‘Long to watch over us’. Not yet royalty, but he’s emerged somewhere in line to the throne.
Ward – given the number of hospital passes played by Ireland access to a ward was no bad thing, though there was a distinctly HSE rather than Mater Private feel to his performance.
Whelan – confounded expectations and the evidence of 80 caps with a lung-bursting first half forward run. Nobody man-marks space better: a backhanded compliment, but a compliment all the same.
Arter – a long way short of being a main artery for our creative force, he toiled in vain.
Brady – unable to attend in person, Brady conjured up a passably credible astral projection from a beach somewhere in the south of France.
Hendrick – stayed on for the full 90 by being so anonymous that O’Neill forgot he was even in Dublin.
McClean – the diehard winger played with his usual yippee ki-yay m**********r gusto that reminds me of somebody, but I can’t think who.
Walters – pulled back his foot for that shot and thought fleetingly ‘this is for you, Towk – I’ll make you believe in me’ but had to make do with just another goal for Ireland instead.
Subs
Hoolahan – if the come and get me call of a brunette is ‘have all them blondes gone home yet?’ then Wessi’s has to be ‘have all them defensive midfield sloggers that can’t pass, and have no vision or movement died out like the dinosaurs yet?’
Murphy – looking for a club, and had he found one would have been well advised to use it on the time-wasting Austrian keeper (this season’s nominee for the Dudu Awat Award for Sportsmanship).
McGeady – one of those subversive, creative types: not to be trusted for more than 20 minutes.
Coach watch
O’Neill played it so safe he’s a shoo-in to front the next ‘Johnny’s got you covered’ ad campaign. Two points dropped - but the penny still hasn’t as far as creativity goes.
Ref watch
Funny how ‘Spanish ref’ is code for ‘useless cono riding us rock solid’. Will do better back at his natural level reffing u-12s 7-a-sides. If only we had somebody high up in UEFA with a bit of clout we might be able to avoid refs whose ‘Laws of the Game’ is printed in braille.
Overall
Collectively Ireland played as if they’d just emerged blinking into the light after 20 years captivity in Josef Fritzl’s cellar, and wanted to get as far away from all things Austrian as possible. As evidenced by the first half marking, it was mission accomplished on that score.
I was listening to the Newstalk commentary at the game and it's available on listen back here: http://www.newstalk.com/listen_back/...e_Ball_Part_4/
Part 5 and Part 6 of Off The Ball have the rest of the commentary.
Kilbane was really impressed with Arter, in contrast with some of the opinions on here
<EDIT>
I don't like having to keep the newstalk site open to listen to the service, so the download links are here
build up: https://cdn.radiocms.net/media/001/a...lA9qjAMpm0.mp3
first half, and half time analysis: https://cdn.radiocms.net/media/001/a...nvWdCpjaTj.mp3
second half: https://cdn.radiocms.net/media/001/a...sfML3uhpwm.mp3 (goal is on 39:00)
Cant really fault Arters effort but his positional sense and passing were very poor yesterday. 4/10 for meQuote:
Originally Posted by tetsujin1979
Liam Brady when he was involved in Trap's coaching team was notorious for choosing the creative option, of course.Quote:
Originally Posted by mark12345
Did you write that yourself?Quote:
Originally Posted by Eminence Grise
Yup. All my own work - waaay too much time on my hands.
Who in the name of God said he's supposed to be our main man? I thought he was very good. His positioning was always on point and his distribution was sound. I would direct any disdain at our midfield performance at Hendrick. I thought Jeff was anonymous. It reminded me of the Belarus match last year. Fair enough he's not a 10 but he could have become involved as an 8.Quote:
Originally Posted by mark12345
I thought Long was really assured. Went back to Randolph a couple of times too many but I attritbute to nerves and that's understandable. I can see why Burnley have held onto him through thick and thin.
Christie was so dodgy. MON needs to re-assess who he puts his faith in for that spot.
Walters... Animal.
I think TrapaPony was talking about Hendrick who, it seems, is undroppable.Quote:
Originally Posted by mark12345
Whelan, however, has been dropped previously by O'Neill
Bang on the money!Quote:
Originally Posted by Olé Olé
Hendrick was very bad. No argument here. Whelan could have played out of his skin (theoretically) and made up for Hendrick's poor performance, but he didn't. You are never going to get a world class performance from Glenn Whelan (l know I'm being picky given that very few of our lads are capable of same) yet he is the longest serving midfielder we have. If he's not our main man, or playmaker, or something close to it, then why the heck has he been picked in the position for ten years?Quote:
Originally Posted by Olé Olé
I know I'm being harder on him than perhaps any other player, but nothing changes year in year out with the selection of Glenn Whelan in our midfield. And here we are again facing a dogfight to qualify when it could have been so much easier.