Steven Reid Out For The Season

Quick recap on central midfield options

Whelan - very limited but competent. Only looked the part when he had S.Reid playing along side him.

Miller - lightweight, ineffectual and never going to improve at this stage

A.Reid - creative, but lacks the physical and defensive attributes to play in the Trap system.

Gibson - Doesn't look ready for international football, needs to be playing regularly somewhere if he is to come on.

Carsley - dependable but not a like for like with Reid, a better option than Whelan to fill the holding role

Potter - a minor miracle that he has ever played international football. Should never make a squad again.

Andrews - a journeyman who has been plucked from obscurity by a manager who seems to be regretting his flawed judgement and is now leaving him on the bench

Ireland - our best all round midfielder, creative, busy and able to tackle, but alas not available (maybe this is the moment to entice him back as our national saviour?)

O'Brein - has not played enough football in midfield to make a real judgement. slipped down the order at Bolton which is a bit discouraging.


I think that we have three (maybe 4)midfielders who are currently untried in international football but our outstanding performers for thier Championship clubs,; O'Toole, Garvan and McCann (maybe Stephen Quinn). THe first three should all have been in the B squad and should all get a chance against Poland. I honestly dont think any of them could be worse that the available options.

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Originally Posted by third policeman

Quick recap on central midfield options

Whelan - very limited but competent. Only looked the part when he had S.Reid playing along side him.

Miller - lightweight, ineffectual and never going to improve at this stage

A.Reid - creative, but lacks the physical and defensive attributes to play in the Trap system.

Gibson - Doesn't look ready for international football, needs to be playing regularly somewhere if he is to come on.

Carsley - dependable but not a like for like with Reid, a better option than Whelan to fill the holding role

Potter - a minor miracle that he has ever played international football. Should never make a squad again.

Andrews - a journeyman who has been plucked from obscurity by a manager who seems to be regretting his flawed judgement and is now leaving him on the bench

Ireland - our best all round midfielder, creative, busy and able to tackle, but alas not available (maybe this is the moment to entice him back as our national saviour?)

O'Brein - has not played enough football in midfield to make a real judgement. slipped down the order at Bolton which is a bit discouraging.


I think that we have three (maybe 4)midfielders who are currently untried in international football but our outstanding performers for thier Championship clubs,; O'Toole, Garvan and McCann (maybe Stephen Quinn). THe first three should all have been in the B squad and should all get a chance against Poland. I honestly dont think any of them could be worse that the available options.

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Unfair comment and groundless. He's had 4 games, came on for the second half time in one, got a starting place for the next 2 and did okay especially in the second game, dropped to the bench for the game against Man U but still got a run out for the last quarter. That doesn't look to me like the manager is regretting his flawed judgement.

Jury still out for the moment.

Awful news. Reid was the stand out player in our first two qualification games.

And the idea of Carsley returning to the fold is enough to make me jump off the cliffs of Moher. After we thought the two lads on wednesday night were negative and unable to make an impact...

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Originally Posted by Drumcondra 69er

Unfair comment and groundless. He's had 4 games, came on for the second half time in one, got a starting place for the next 2 and did okay especially in the second game, dropped to the bench for the game against Man U but still got a run out for the last quarter. That doesn't look to me like the manager is regretting his flawed judgement.

Jury still out for the moment.

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Maybe a little harsh, but I am willing to stick my neck out and predict that Andrews will not be a regular starter for Blackburn this season and will probably get no more than a dozen starts even with Reid out. If it comes to a choice between Premiership benchwarmers like Andrews, Miller, Whelan and younger Championship players who are giving outstanding performances week in week out I would be looking to build a team around the latter. But then again I am nor Trap and have not just got us off to our best qualification start in recent times.

This news bloody ruined my day. We really need a playmaker in midfield for this team to be able to string 20 passes together. So far the central midfielders that played under Trap are more worried about doing their job in his system than anything else. Reid has the intelligence to know when and where to move without worrying about upsetting the system.

Terrible news and I hope he get better sooner than predicted. Trap obviously sees something in Gibson and I hope he gives him a chance in the Poland game to show us his potential. He is only twenty years old and stuck to the instruction’s given to him by Trap on Wednesday.It will not do his confidence any good whatsoever not to be given another opportunity.

I would also like for O’Toole, Garvan and McCarthy to be considered.

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Originally Posted by eirebhoy

This news bloody ruined my day. We really need a playmaker in midfield for this team to be able to string 20 passes together. So far the central midfielders that played under Trap are more worried about doing their job in his system than anything else. Reid has the intelligence to know when and where to move without worrying about upsetting the system.

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excellent post, that sums up reid to a T, and his importance to our team. I do feel sorry for Ireland but I feel even more sorry for him.

Yeah it's bad news but not exactly a suprise. Trapp has the Poland game to focus on this area, again like Charlton he focuses on the team not individuals. He builds a team based on structure and tasks not a team based around individuals. Better to know now than 2 days before our next competitive game. It could be worse, we could have lost Dunne. Always look on the bright side...

Had Carsley been fit and available, he would have started all three qualifiers so far. Steven Reid is done but Carsley should slot into his position no problem.

Was he not fit and available for the first 2 games.

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Originally Posted by NeilMcD

Was he not fit and available for the first 2 games.

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No, he was injured. Trappatoni made a point of this during his press conference. He said, "You cannot forget about Lee Carsley. He is a very, very, good player."

Carsley was definitely fit for the first two qualifiers- I remember McLeish saying that while on a personal level he wanted Carsley to get to play for his country, as a manager he couldn't help but be happy that he was being left for Birmingham.

For this game, it seems that Trap or the FAI contacted Birmingham when it was determined that Reid wouldn't be able to play, and there was a message sent back that Carsley needed surgery.

Perhaps it was a misdiagnosis, or maybe it wasn't a surgery issue but just that he was carrying a knock, but it looks like he's willing to play in the Poland friendly if Trap wishes, so that's a good sign.

Midfielder round up from today's Independent: http://www.independent.ie/sport/socc...y-1502970.html

Carsley started today for Birmingham. Very interesting.

Sure he said during the week he was fit and McLeish said he was fit, that was said this week. I expected him to start today after saying that.

So Trappatoni intentionally chose to have Gibon start in central midfield and left Carsley out of the squad altogether? Unreal. Am I the only one who thinks that Carsley is our best available central midfielder with Steven Reid out and Stephen Ireland unavailable?

Andrews was introduced from the bench on 74 minutes for Robbie Fowler, of all people

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Originally Posted by Colbert Report

So Trappatoni intentionally chose to have Gibon start in central midfield and left Carsley out of the squad altogether? Unreal. Am I the only one who thinks that Carsley is our best available central midfielder with Steven Reid out and Stephen Ireland unavailable?

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We do not know that, it seems there was a mix up. According to Trap he called Birmingham and they said he was injured and that he may need an operation. It now seems that he does not need an operation and he played today so he could have been ok for Wed night.

Don't be jumping to conclusions yet.

Reid alas reminds me of Keith O'Neill. 1 step forward, 2 steps back due to injury. Shame but to be honest no surprise. Some people are just cursed when it comes to injuries.

Reid in America for operation on his knee

http://www.rovers.premiumtv.co.uk/pa...446927,00.html