Quote:
Originally Posted by Qwerty
Totally agree about the Steven Reid comment, but saying that he's only played for us out of position so i'm still willing to be proven wrong.
Agree on Finnan, don't think his loss will really affect us that much.
Not so much on Andy Reid though...
Thanking you.Quote:
Originally Posted by paul_oshea
For anyone who is interested, the current issue of fourfourtwo, while continuing the slide from decent footie mag, to deplorable rag, has a good article on Barca's academy, and while it may not compare with anything that could be done in this country its still a good article.
In my opinion and while I wouldn't have the time to commit to doing something about it currently, the schoolboy soccer situation in the country is depressing. Utterly depressing. Bar the loi teams that now field schoolboy teams
I don't think its a case of any of our players being over rated its more a case fo the team on a whole under achieving
They're all good players, some could be considered to be great players, if they weren;t they wouldn't be getting paid the fortunes they get
Richard Dunne aside there's not a single player who consistently plays to his potential when he pulls on the jersey Ireland
Stephen Hunt isn't over rated either, he's over hyped, everyone knows he's a limited player but he gets lauded for running around like a headless chicken and running his stupid mouth off
Shay Given is the best Goalkeeper in the worldQuote:
Originally Posted by Wangball
Thats such a harsh comment on Phil Neville. He's playing great stuff with EvertonQuote:
Originally Posted by RivaldoBabb
He has no ability - reminds me a bit of Kaorl Proborsky - like a blinkered racehorse - identifies the corner flag and runs for it. Commanded a team? Blind leading the blind more like. Finnan, Given, Murphy all are playing great stuff with their respective clubs.Quote:
Originally Posted by Ciaran
More often than not he's one of our best performers. More often than not he's one of his clubs best performers. Bar his time at Spurs really.Quote:
Originally Posted by Dr. Ogba
I couldn't disagree more with that comment. Finnan is the best full back we've had since Denis Irwin was in his prime and now we have a Birmingham right full with no sense of positioning to replace him. Ya we won't miss him at all.....................Quote:
Originally Posted by Dr. Ogba
Kelly will be in the chamionship next season whether Birmingham get relegated or not. McLeish will get rid of him if they stay up
What makes you think that? The fans rate Kelly as one of their better players. He's played more games than any Birmingham player this season. He did well at centre half against Arsenal too.Quote:
Originally Posted by lionelhutz
Finnan is a much better player than Kelly - no question about that. But I don't think Kelly is an automatic choice for us in that position following Finnan's retirement. Joey O'Brien and JOSH are better options for right full back than Stephen Kelly IMO.
Nah I'd rather Kelly over O'Brien for right full. O'Brien isn't a right full. O'Shea did well enough there under Stan though.
Joey O'Brien played centre midfield for Bolton again last night, I don't think he's played right full in some time now
I've seen him a few times this season and granted he seems to be paying well at the moment. But I believe he's just having a good run of form which will end sooner rather than later. I don't think he has the reading of the game - which is essential for a full back - to permanently play at a high levelQuote:
Originally Posted by eirebhoy
Aye but he can play there. And so can Paul McShane. The good thing about that position is that we have a number of options if Finnan doesn't come back. We unfortunately don't have that many options for the centre half position so getting Andy O'Brien back is a priority.Quote:
Originally Posted by tetsujin1979
We will have options if Andy O'brien returns to the flock I think. His return would free up , in my opinion, John O'Shea for one of the full back positions. I would prefer Kilbane to O'Shea at left back while I'd have O'Shea over Kelly at right back.
Quote:
Originally Posted by eirebhoy
Absolute nonsense. S Kelly is a walking liability. He is not international class. Thank god he made contact with the ball when he tackled Robino in the box (2nd half v Brazil) because if he didn't there would have been a serious injury. He gave away 3 penalties in the first half of the season and was lucky not to give away 3 or 4 more. Not to mention his shocking performances at LB last September. EB I thought you were the sage of this site? O Shea, Mc Shane, O Brien all before Kelly.
couldnt you say that about any tackle? making a tackle is about winning the ball, he did so whats the problem exactly?Quote:
Originally Posted by BigmanCas
and you acuse others of talking nonsense
Are you complaining that he made a decent tackle?Quote:
Originally Posted by BigmanCas
So a right fullback, who can't play the ball with his left foot, plays badly at left full? Big shock there. If anyone was at fault for that, it was Stan for playing him there in the first place.Quote:
Originally Posted by BigmanCas
When was the last time O'Shea played right full, for club or country? McShane has only played there a handful of times this season for Sunderland, and doesn't have the pace to be a full back. O'Brien is now playing regularly in central midfield, where he's on record stating it's where he's most comfortable.Quote:
Originally Posted by BigmanCas
duff- by some considerable margin
keane- never really shows enogh goal threat
Kevin Doyle?
He works hard and had a superb season for Reading last year but has never really done the business for Ireland on a consistent basis.
5 goals in 15 games is consistent enough for any striker.Quote:
Originally Posted by Over the post
If he didn't show a "goal threat", he'd never scoreQuote:
Originally Posted by placid casual
Shane Long and Stephen Ireland both have better goals per game ratios.Quote:
Originally Posted by tetsujin1979
I'm not saying he's not a good striker but there was a time a lot of people were arguing he was a better option than Keane who, for all his faults, is still the most gifted striker available to us.
What's nonsense? The only part of that short post where I gave my opinion was in saying he played well at centre half against Arsenal.Quote:
Originally Posted by BigmanCas
was disagreeing with his comment that Andy Reid is overrated. I, personally, think he's the best thing since sliced bread (sliced bread not being around any more since Andy ate all of it....)Quote:
Originally Posted by eirebhoy
Quote:
Originally Posted by lionelhutz
Finnan was brilliant around the time of the WC in 2002 but since then has flattered to deceive. Granted he was played out of position quite a bit but I honestly cant remember a game since then that he has impressed for Ireland...
Never thought much of Finnans performances for Ireland. Average at best. Was in Russia for game after the World Cup and he didn't even look like a footballer, he was awful, that performance is my abiding memory of him. I can't recall any performance in which he excelled in a green shirt. He may play well for Liverpool but it ends there.
Agree with this. He deffo has talent. Lacks concentration and aggressiveness.Quote:
Originally Posted by jbyrne
Great postQuote:
Originally Posted by Kingdom
I think there is a snob factor amongst some fans when it comes to Hunt. They feel they know soooo much about football and appreciate the nuances of a fine player more than your average Joe. So it drives them mad when Hunt just comes on and gets on with the job in hand getting a good reaction from the crowd in the process. Hunt has doen well for us. If only are more talented players had some of his attitude. Maybe that will change under Trapp. Anyways the title of this thread sums up everything thats wrong with the Irish football fan imo. We seem to wallow in negativity.Quote:
Originally Posted by Ciaran
No its not bill, someone else mentioned it before, but the youth setup at arsenal is savage, and a player could never develop as quickly our as good at an EL setup as he could at the likes of Arsenal, even if he gets shipped on.....
castaways at big clubs will always get picked up by other clubs ( solely on the name of there they have come from a lot of the time it seems ), whereas someone in the EL at 21 or 22 would have to be immense to get plucked by an English club, bar a few exceptions.
Well I suppose you have to make the leap of faith that if more of our above average players stay in the league then the higher the standard with the knock on effect that the standout players ar eof a higher calibre? Therefore Premier League or European teams would be looking in the league for good players.
kilbane... the easy target for so many on here. rated fairly imo. never outstanding but always solid. would be missed from current Irish squadQuote:
Originally Posted by Ciaran
S. Reid. how many times has reid even played for us never mind played in carsleys position? jury out on him big time. his debut v croatia was up there with butlers v czech rep as the worst ive ever seen. did a bit as an impact sub in wc 02 but little or nothing since. i hear so much about steven reid being the solution to some of our midfield problems that i wonder was i in a coma for a few years and missed some outstanding irish performances from him!
Bill this is a fair point, but its not what I am getting at, well not in the way I meant it to. I was saying that I think a player of 15, 16, 17 would learn a lot more with the structure they have in place at Arsenal, than an EL club. I would be all for the idea, that the EL clubs come to an agreement that if a player who has been with an EL club for a few years up until 15 or 16 and then a club like arsenal came in for that player, after 2 years at there youth structured get loaned back to EL clubs for a couple of years. This benefits the league ( good players staying around for longer, and there benefiting the skill level of the EL, i know there is an issue around well what about the players who have stayed at home i.e. werent seen as good enough having their place taken by someone who went abroad) and the players, and probably the premiership club, becuase they might not be quite ready at 18 or so.....I cant ever see something like this happening unfortunately, but I definitely think there are ideas like this that would be brilliant if put into place, while we dont have a clairefontaine or such like.Quote:
Originally Posted by Billsthoughts
Reid has played 8 games for us in the last 4 years so we're hardly judging him on his Ireland performances.
Good thing you're so positive soQuote:
Originally Posted by Billsthoughts
where have I been negative?Quote:
Originally Posted by tetsujin1979
Pessimists are rarely disappointed.
:D :DQuote:
Originally Posted by tetsujin1979
maybe he is just a depressed optimist?!
Maybe the little clique on the Ireland forum dont like any other point of view than their own...
who are in the clique bill?! Looking forward to this :D
BMC must be the leader.....