Was there any reason as to why he was below average against Wales in the last game.
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Not having a pop at Reid over his weight but I'd love to see how he'd perform if Juande Ramos' fitness coach got his hands on him. Robbie is fitter and leaner than I've ever seen him. Soccerc, about 2-3 years ago, used to cite Robbie's lack of conditioning as the reason why he was stuck in a rut . Spurs are fitter and lighter than I've ever seen them, catching up with United and Arsenal in that regard, and I honestly think that Reid with the same attention would improve markedly in a short time. Robbie has. I read in the Evening Standard that under Jol the Spurs canteen at the training ground still served fried food and that was one of the first things that changed. Livehead, can you see the difference in Huddlestone? It was beyond belief that Robinson could be England's no. 1 in his shape.
I do triathlon recreationally (as well as drinking daily and eating kebabs recreationally) but can clearly notice the performance difference only a few pounds can make.
I think the comparison is fair.
Both Reid and McShane have shown flashes of brilliance at the highest levels, but neither have consistently proven this in my view.
Andy Reid has been impressive most of the times I've seen him, and I think if he can stay healthy he can be a key player for Sunderland.
But, injuries are a factor in judging a player, and if he's constantly injured or playing when not fully fit, it will affect his ability to perform.
In addition, I find the writing off of McShane at such an early age disappointing. He's very young for a Premiership centrehalf, and if he's given more of a rotation role at Sunderland as he seems to be now I think it will be better for him.
He's shown so far that he cannot consistently be the leader back there for Sunderland just yet.
But I think he's going to be a very good player for us in the future when he develops a bit of consistency, and that will come with experience over time.
the pressure is off keane a little bit with defoe going, hope it wont make him complacent?
Keane shrugged off the "pressure" from Defoe a long long time ago in my opinion. I think Keane is smart enough to realise that having seen off one tyro that it doesn't mean Ramos can't identify someone else to come in in an instant.
Noely, I agree, Duff at Spurs would be a Godsend for us. What an ill-advised response from Duff saying he couldn't go from Chelsea to Spurs, who wanted him, because they were London rivals. Devlin's influence was far from positive in this instance.
With Defoe gone, it's a chance for 16.5 million pound signing Darren Bent to prove his worth. Remember, he was the top scoring English player in the Premiership last season, and has barely featured for Spurs this season, so instead of playing well to keep Defoe out of the team, Robbie has to keep playing well to keep Bent out of the team.
People think Ramos isnt a fan of Bent but the reality is half of them dont even realise he's been injured almost since he arrived. Cant help but think Bent will flourish now with Defoe gone, particularly after seeing the counter attacking style they used in the second half against Arsenal.
Was it just my that though Duff was dropping big hints during the week when interviewed - when asked if he was happy with his move to Newcastle said the only two team out of the top4 he would join were Newcastle and Tottenham.
But will he like it up there in Sunderland???
Is there a Burger King? ;)
There is now!!
Very harsh on McShane to say the least..
McShane played very well at the start of the season... Acknowledged by more than just the green tinted views of Irish fans. I also think that when things haven't gone his way they've been Isolated mishaps in between solid performances, sometimes even just plain bad luck. Unfortunate ricochets, even Kevin Nolans blatant nudge on him when they conceeded against Bolton. He's been a victim of the lack of depth at Sunderland. At that age too much exposure can be counter productive. When things started to go wrongs he should have been taken out of the firing line to minimise impact on confidence, but they'd no alternatives at the back and he was left in. He's only 21 and still has allot to offer with the right partner.
A bit like Andrew Ridgeley
:D :D Quality...
Jayzus lads... Wham? And Stutts bringing up Spandau Ballet on another thread? If someone references Bronski Beat I'm outta here...
Reid was man of the match against Chelsea in the fantasy football. One report said Sunderland players weren't as comfortable on the ball as Chelsea players with the exception of Reid.
Keane has been criticised for his transfer dealings, but you have to applaud his recruitment of Andy Reid.
The former Charlton midfielder might be one of the fattest men in football, but he's not short on skill.
Sunderland have been crying out for someone with the ability to open up defences and Reid has this in abundance.
He found gaps in a tight midfield and was the beating, flabby heart of everything that Sunderland did.
With Carlos Edwards also looking quite sprightly on his return from injury, there is hope for this team yet.
http://newpaper.asia1.com.sg/sports/...159418,00.html
Sorry to stray from the point slightly: but there's a definite bias sneaking into the BBC match reports, it's getting very snide: just look at this from tonight:
Chelsea's players - led with an air of inevitability by England captain John Terry under the watchful eye of coach Fabio Capello
I know it's pretty true, but I always use the BBC for reporting of the facts and not to resort to petty jibes...
Carry on...
No, the live text is quite funny, and it's much better than the "24:13, attacking throw in by Quinn (Sheffield Wednesday) resulting in open play" that they used to (or possibly still do) have. This was from the match report.
Keane believes Republic of Ireland international Reid, a £4m signing from Charlton in January, will have a major say in Sunderland’s relegation escape bid.
He said: “Since he’s come to the club, anything good that has come through our team has come through Reidy.
“We saw his quality on the training pitch last week and we’re seeing it in games because he’s getting fitter, stronger and sharper. Reidy will have a big part to play. At this level, sometimes it’s down to a set-piece. We lost a game last weekend and all it took was one quality ball in.
“Hopefully, the likes of Reidy, Carlos Edwards or Roy O’Donovan, who have come back into the team, can provide that.”
From the examiner.ie