The wife had just awoken from her post dinner slumberhangover and the start of that program was on. She sat silently for a minute or two, then asked who the w*nker on the tele was. She's not that clued into football, but I thought she showed incredible insight on the matter.Quote:
Originally Posted by geysir
All of the media are like "Wilson and McCarthy in doubt for Ireland." What are they basing that on. They could be fine.
Doubt occupies the space between 'they could be fine' and 'they are fine'.Quote:
Originally Posted by Crosby87
Wilson def out - hamstring is gone - saw the way he pull up in the spurs game!
If it was a tear with McCarthy, he would surely have known right away by virtue of the pain, no? If it's merely fatigue, is it more than likely he'll be available?
Yeah that's what I was assuming myself while watching the dodgy link. He looked in slight discomfort more than serious pain. He was only faking it anyway of course, planting the seeds of doubt, as Roberto looked on with pride.
http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/...z_2556216b.jpg
in light of the recent comments by Strachan about it being acceptable to boo McGeady and McCarthy, as long as it wasn't sectarian (??) and McQueen's comments this morning - http://www.independent.ie/sport/socc...-30731771.html - does anyone else remember the ok2boo campaign?
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showt...hreadid=110917
http://foot.ie/threads/9376-On-OK2bo...-the-following
Wee Gordy can be a pain at times then a really nice bloke, he's like a little Jekyll and Hyde, must be the Ginger Hair!Quote:
Originally Posted by tetsujin1979
No doubt Tetsa will want pictures and written evidence of that too!
I've not really heard much out of McQueen before, thankfully. He sounds like a bit of a buffoon.Quote:
Originally Posted by tetsujin1979
He says:
Ignoring McQueen's seeming wish make assumptions and speak for others when it comes to their personal identity, an Irish team-mate of McGeady and McCarthy might say: "I play alongside the likes of McGeady and McCarthy, who were born in Scotland but they always considered themselves Irish. That’s all I want. If you feel Irish then you’re Irish."Quote:
Originally Posted by Gordon McQueen
What's the difference?
Like Anfield was packed with Scotland fans in 1977, Celtic Park will be bouncing with over ten thousand Ireland fans everywhere you look on Friday night. We won't be intimidated. Many (including our management and quite a few players) will feel very much at home in the surroundings. The Celtic Park staff won't even have to remove the tricolour from above the North Stand.Quote:
Originally Posted by Gordon McQueen
It's just the usual sh*t-stirring/'mind games' beforehand, must be a slow news day for their media?
It's been summed up fairly well by quite a few people (including Tom English, an Irishman working with BBC Scotland) but the hostile reception that McGeady and McCarthy will be subject to in Celtic Park isn't likely to be as bad as what they've faced in Ibrox.
Furthemore, something I haven't heard mentioned, wee James and Aiden haven't played in Scotland in 5 and 4 years, respectively, at which stage they would have been 18 and 24. If McCarthy could withstand it then, I'm sure he's more than capable now. McGeady played for about 7 seasons with Celtic so I'm sure he coped with enough of it over his time there. Not to mention his time in Moscow, I'm sure the fans of CSKA and Lokomotiv weren't rushing to roll out a red carpet for him either.
The level of conviction shown in their decisions to play with Ireland their entire footballing careers demonstrates this shouldn't be an issue for them. Such cracking footballers, it's easy to admire their decision and talent.
In fact, I bet it's not even a big deal for them. It's more of a deal for the media needing to fill column inches and us supporters looking to put a spin on the game as we wait giddy in anticipation and try to predict some facet of the whole occasion that could prove completely unpredictable.
How about James gets a right (fair) cruncher in on Darren Fletcher? Let him know that it's not one bit acceptable for a Scottish-born, PL player of Irish descent to play for the Tartan Army!
They've put up with plenty of ribbing and abuse (of an anti-Irish and sectarian nature) before for their decisions and they've taken it on the chin. Friday night won't be anything new or worse for them. They're relishing Friday night. It'll be a massively proud night for their families and the wider Irish community in Glagow.Quote:
Originally Posted by Olé Olé
its a pity this article didn't appear ten years agoQuote:
Originally Posted by tetsujin1979
http://www.irishtimes.com/sport/aide...park-1.1994140
Strachan give a rallying cry and permission to the type of people who had been throwing bile to at McCarthy and McGeady for all those years when they played in Scotland, to renew their activities. The type of bile managers O'Neill and Lennon took great exception to and most always sought to marginalise.
McQueen just directly, with all the subtlety of a sledgehammer, insults the ethnic identity of Scots/Irish tradition in Scotland.
All that piece needed to qualify as an arch bigot/racist rant, was add on 'why don't they all go home'.
I thought Strachan's comments were alright, McQueen stupid.
Strachan's flippant comments are just as ignorant as McQueens. Try telling the typical rabid scottish bigot that it's okay to renew your anti irish abuse against McGeady and McCarthy, but just keep a lid on it this time, it's for a good cause. 'As if 'you can send them blanks instead of bullets, it never did me any harm'.
For another view from Scotland, Alex Neil (current Hamilton player-manager and former team-mate of James) with some more enlightened and magnanimous comments: http://sport.stv.tv/football/clubs/h...t-by-boo-boys/
Quote:
Originally Posted by STV
Strachan was playing down the significance of it and I think he was right to deal with it that way. The more of a fuss that's made of it, the bigger a reaction there will be. Strachan said they're only going to boo them because they know they're good, can't get any fairer than that imo.