Sean St. Ledger

I think Treacy's a real talent, never seems to get the credit though when you consider the hype guys like Stokes get. If you ever watch the under-21's (not usually reccomended) he always seems to stand out as a dangerous player which is a good sign he could make it at international level. As for Doran he seems to be doing nicely in the Blackburn reserves side but like Treacey probably would benefit from first team football somewhere

As this is the St Ledger thread, I've seen him half a dozen times on tv at club level and he actually look somewhat less accomplished than Irish centrebacks at championship level such as Mccarthy and Byrne but maybe he'll find his level again if Preston get relegated. He gets his ass licked a lot the Sledge, but a Premiership footballer he is not

To be fair to him, he has done well for us even when Dunne's not been there. Maybe he's just one of those "occasion" players. From seeing him play in the Championship, he doesn't look good enough to make the step up, but sometimes managers see things in players that aren't obvious to everyone else.

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Originally Posted by Stuttgart88

I agree. You just never know when a player is going to kick-on and up his game. I saw him live 14 months ago and thought he looked ordinary, but had a superb delivery and was physically strong.

Any word on Aaron Doran these days?

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Haven't heard anything of Doran. I's a pity Judge, Treacy's ex teammate at Blackburn seems to be stagnating a bit. He's on loan again, this time to Notts County. He looked good at Plymouth a few years ago and I thought he was potentially the more talented of the two but he's gone backwards if anything since then.

I think Sledge has hit a bit of a wall in his development. Sometimes it happens to young players, they get a couple of years of non-stop praise and ascent and then a crisis of confidence develops (in Sledge's case going anywhere near Middlesbrough). I still think he's got the ability to play top flight if he gets his head right, as a CB he's got loads of time.

Short term his form is worrying though, particularly since Dunney is currently in relatively poor form as well.

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Originally Posted by youngirish

Haven't heard anything of Doran. I's a pity Judge, Treacy's ex teammate at Blackburn seems to be stagnating a bit. He's on loan again, this time to Notts County. He looked good at Plymouth a few years ago and I thought he was potentially the more talented of the two but he's gone backwards if anything since then.

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I think Judge made the bench a couple of times earlier in the season so perhaps Sam is just loaning him out to keep him sharp. Doran scored for Blackburn reserves in mid-week, a game in which Sunderland's David Meyler also scored an own goal.

http://www.safc.com/news/20101109/re...256213_2213182

Text commentary from tonights game suggested he was injured. Coincidentally my preferent back 4 for the norway game would be coleman/dunne/oshea/cunningham.

Sledge was an unused substitute yesterday. Preston had their second clean sheet in his absence. Is the writing on the wall for his career at Preston.

Treacy made an appearance as a 66th minute sub.

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Originally Posted by drummerboy

Sledge was an unused substitute yesterday. Preston had their second clean sheet in his absence. Is the writing on the wall for his career at Preston.

Treacy made an appearance as a 66th minute sub.

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Both being messed about by DF the PNE manager, for joining up with the recent Ireland squad against his wishes!

To think, some of ye were saying that Aston Villa or Liverpool were going to come in with an offer of four million pounds for this joker. He's a Championship player at best, I've never been impressed with him on international duty.

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Originally Posted by Colbert Report

To think, some of ye were saying that Aston Villa or Liverpool were going to come in with an offer of four million pounds for this joker. He's a Championship player at best, I've never been impressed with him on international duty.

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I've always thought he looked good for Ireland. Kilbane has been the weak link defensively during Trap's reign (or McShane when he's been on the pitch) but Dunne, O'Shea and St Ledger have generally looked solid.

i think it would be fair to say his international form has (until recently maybe) far outweighed his overall club form. I think he needs to get away from PNE at the end of the season.

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Originally Posted by drummerboy

Sledge was an unused substitute yesterday. Preston had their second clean sheet in his absence. Is the writing on the wall for his career at Preston.

Treacy made an appearance as a 66th minute sub.

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Maybe his recent injury has been giving him problems.

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Originally Posted by Colbert Report

To think, some of ye were saying that Aston Villa or Liverpool were going to come in with an offer of four million pounds for this joker. He's a Championship player at best, I've never been impressed with him on international duty.

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Even when he scored against Italy?

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Originally Posted by tetsujin1979

Even when he scored against Italy?

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Simple header, my granny could have scored from there.

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Originally Posted by Colbert Report

Simple header, my granny could have scored from there.

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This kind of comment really annoys me, if the finish in question really was that simple, surely at least every other goal would be like it?

Go back and watch it again: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jzsdfQghqUo&NR=1

It's the kind of chance you see a defender get under, rather than behind, from a corner every weekend of the season, and the chance goes into the stands.

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Originally Posted by Colbert Report

Simple header, my granny could have scored from there.

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A brilliantly timed run followed by a brave and well executed diving header? Simple? No. Yer granny must be decent, give the FAI shout, we could still use a physical presence up top.

Regardless of goals his international performances have largely been very good.

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Originally Posted by tetsujin1979

Even when he scored against Italy?

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And Slovakia!

His performances against France in the WC play offs were pretty good too for as Colbert Retard says from an Championship player at best!

The fact that he holds his own at International level and can play with and against better players suggests to me that he can make the step up to the Premiership or abroad.

Lads, if he was good enough, a Premiership team would have come in for him by now. The France play off was over a year ago now.

I don't see the point in ripping into St. Ledger. At worst he is very useful cover (if you are of the mindset Foley/Coleman/Kelly should be brought into right full and O'Shea moved centrally), and at best he's a good ball playing centre half who's a big upgrade on McShane, Andy O'Brien, and some of the others we've had over the years.

I don't think many people on here apart from the doc go over the top when describing him, I think most fans on here are happy we have him, while admitting he isn't the full package.

My evaluation of him is that he is talented on the ball, is a useful attacking player on set piece plays, but sometimes makes poor decisions which could lead to scoring chances for the opposition. I think those poor decisions are linked to his desire to play football on the ground -- overall I'd rather him give the ball away a couple of times and try to maintain possession than just hoof it though, and that's why I like to have him in the team.

It's important to point out that at international level, St Ledger has two defensive midfielders sitting in front of him and Dunne by his side guiding him through games, yet his defensive fralities and lapses in concentration have been exposed. It is very much arguable that Kilbane is the weakest link in the back line, but there is an honesty in effort from Kilbane and willing to accept responsibility that St Ledger sorely lacks. It'd be of much more benefit to St Ledger if he was willing to accept his limitations, work on these limitations, stop inventing these fanciful January club moves, and lose the ego.

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Originally Posted by the doc

Both being messed about by DF the PNE manager, for joining up with the recent Ireland squad against his wishes!

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Dear Sean,

You were badly exposed for both goals against Hull. And you gifted Barnsley a win. Is DF really to blame?