If we had a fit Stevie Reid and Finnan back for the Italian game Id fancy our chances. Reid has some hope but unfortunately with the run of injuries finnan has had, we may never see him in the green again.
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If we had a fit Stevie Reid and Finnan back for the Italian game Id fancy our chances. Reid has some hope but unfortunately with the run of injuries finnan has had, we may never see him in the green again.
Yikes!
reports that Finnan is back in training, but won't play this weekend against Villa
from http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2...-news-football
Quote:
The Fratton Park club have hamstring victim Steve Finnan back in training but the Irishman is not yet ready for selection.
good news
Great news for the Irish team, he's in for a tough season though methinks.
http://breakingnews.iol.ie/sport/fin...ow-427707.html
Apparently he's available for selection tomorrow. Terrific news because Kilbane needs to be kept away from the pitch for the rest of the campaign.
I'd be suprised if Trap names Finnan TBH, hasnt played at all and still not clear if he will feature on the Weekend. I'd rather he gets fully fit and is availble for play offs should we get there.
I think he'll name hime. Pompey have 2 league games before the Italy game and maybe a reserve game or 2 midweek to sharpen him up. If he's set to name Steven Reid, he'll name Finnan, at least on stand-by.
Finnan is a RB and Kilbane has been slotting in at LB...... unless you mean Finnan's availability allows O'Shea to slot in at LB.Quote:
Originally Posted by gwhite
I think these 2 games have come too early for him. No harm in asking him to attend the squads but I'd be surprised if Finnan is in contention for a place in the match day squad.
[QUOTE=shakermaker1982;1238514]Finnan is a RB and Kilbane has been slotting in at LB...... unless you mean Finnan's availability allows O'Shea to slot in at LB.
Finnan has played left back a few times for Ireland.
[QUOTE=Rafa B;1238518]I noticed Kelly played LB for Fulham in a recent game (think it might have been the Europa Cup?).....Quote:
Originally Posted by shakermaker1982
Finnan much prefers to play right back and though has played at left back would prefer not to.Quote:
Originally Posted by shakermaker1982
O'Shea moving to left back would be the best option in my opinion.
Hopefully St Ledger can develope a good partnership with Dunne in the centre.
I'd be delighted to have Finnan back in the squad, whether its LB or RB or on the bench. I do however think that people are getting their hopes blown out of all proportion regarding his return. In his day I honestly think that Finnan was world class, and could probably have player in any national team.
If the guy had been Italian, he would have been lauded worldwide as a classic defender.
But the brutal facts are that a 33 year old returning coming back after the guts of two years of injury may not be the answer to our problems at LB/RB. Im still delighted hes back, but just a little apprehensive.
agree totallyQuote:
Originally Posted by seanfhear
[QUOTE=Rafa B;1238518]John O'Shea has played in goal for Man Utd but I wouldn't insist he plays there!! :DQuote:
Originally Posted by shakermaker1982
Finnan is a right back. He's versatile but if the Trap is thinking of using him then it will only be at RB for these 2 games.
Finnan playing for the reserves tonight VS West Ham: http://index.php?cms_id=78&qs_articl...&qs_media=html
Liam O'Brien is the sub keeper for Portsmouth, apparently he's from Ruislip. Anyone know if he qualifies for Ireland?
According to some reports, he was with QPR, and Arsenal and Man United were after him before he signed for Pompey
I thought he was really excellent in the Georgia game in Mainz. Even if he's not 100% he's always very reliable, whether it be defending, on the ball, passing, going forward. Something we can't always depend on sadly.Quote:
Originally Posted by Uncle_Joe
Finnan played 85 minutes for the Portsmouth reserves last night against West Ham, and had an assist for one of the goals in a 3-0 win: http://www.portsmouthfc.co.uk/index....&qs_media=html
Finnan close to Pompey debut
http://www.skysports.com/story/0,195...595343,00.html
If he can stay injury free, I think he might be a serious option for the two play-off games.
still the best full back we have with one leg tied behind his back! if we have a chance of progressing i think we will need him and steven reid fit
Finnan played 85 mins last night for the Pompey reserves in a 3-0 win over the Hammers. Hopefully we'll see him in the 1st team against Wolves at the weekend.
Those games are by no means assured and the constant reference to them on many threads is adding to my already extreme nervousness about the outcome of our last 2 games in the group.Quote:
Originally Posted by Colbert Report
Pompey need a fit Finnan as do Ireland,though playing in that club team at the moment wont do him any good in getting back to first team sharpness - confidence at an all time low Id suspect coupled with off the field mayhem!!
Finnan, lacking first team match sharpness, would be a liability for the Italy game.
Well, he's not in the squad, so it probably won't be an issue.Quote:
Originally Posted by geysir
But on the point itself, I'd tend to agree with you at first, but when you look at the options....is a 60% Steve Finnan worse than a 100% Kilbane?
Sadly, I don't think it's an easy decision to make if Finnan comes through a couple of matches for Portsmouth.
Finnan starting VS Wolves today!
Let him get a run of games under his belt before we want hom playing the ItaliansQuote:
Originally Posted by tetsujin1979
Has struggled so far to be honest :(Quote:
Originally Posted by tetsujin1979
He played ninety minutes, Portsmouth win 1-0. How did he play?
Got skinned badly by Jarvis and gave away a free just outside the box in the first half. Improved in the second, although having said that, Wolves were poor and he wasn't under a whole pile of pressure.Quote:
Originally Posted by Colbert Report
His next match will be against Spurs, which will be a real test for him.
How did he do against Spurs today? I saw only the first fifteen minutes or so and he seemed to be doing quite well.
Surely, if fit, he's worth a place in the squad at least given our problems at left back.
Sky Sports ratings gave him a 6, and described him as "solid".Quote:
Originally Posted by Colbert Report
Fan ratings have him at 5.6
http://www.skysports.com/football/us...149814,00.html
Pompey lost full-back Steve Finnan through injury in the 40th minute and he was replaced by Nadir Belhadj.
http://soccernet-assets.espn.go.com/...1&league=ENG.1
Just reading back through the last few pages of this, and how come when Steven Reid gets injured and misses a large period of time he's being lauded like the second coming of Christ, and when Finnan, who has won the Champions League don't forget, is derided as someone that's not fit to lace the boots of Stephen Kelly.
Does Ian Harte rate higher on the radars of some people on here?
Finnan back would be excellent for Ireland. He doesn't do anything flash, but it's rare that he's ever let a team down either. No matter who Benitez tried to sign he kept coming back, and since he's left they've not sorted the position out at all.
He was subbed off at half time with Milan up 3-0.Quote:
Originally Posted by twoenz
Does that mean he only gets half a medal?Quote:
Originally Posted by Colbert Report
Quote:
Originally Posted by Colbert Report
Did Stephen Kelly and Kevin Kilbane come on?
It was a tactical change because Rafa went 3-5-2. Finnan was not at fault for the goals.Quote:
Originally Posted by Colbert Report
He was one of the best full backs in Europe at the time.
Just splitting hairs, but Finnan got a thigh injury in that game and was injured. I was incensed at the time as I thought it was tactical and it was sheer madness that Traore stayed on at Finnan's expense.
Hardly splitting hairs. Paul Tomkins outlines it in detail. Benitez had has tactical plan and had spent five minutes outlining it to the players before the physio came over and told him Finnan wasn't fit to play on. Iirc as a result one player who had been told he was coming on and had got togged out had to be told not to bother. I'm not 100% sure of the details but I think jmurphyc is. Big Liverpool fan.Quote:
Originally Posted by Stuttgart88