Also always worth going to the bottom of the page to see related threads. In this instance, you'll see 5 threads about Mick, including a very strange Ode which is 16 years old.Quote:
Originally Posted by Stuttgart88
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Also always worth going to the bottom of the page to see related threads. In this instance, you'll see 5 threads about Mick, including a very strange Ode which is 16 years old.Quote:
Originally Posted by Stuttgart88
See Hurst got sack today. He certainly has not been helpful to the Irish lads there
Ha! Numbskulls.Quote:
Originally Posted by liamoo11
Mick was the last Irish manager whose team played a passing game, particularly when Quinn wasn't available. Would possibly be cheaper than O'Neill and has shown he can get the most out of what he has got. I also feel he might get a kick out of showing Roy how to manage successfully!
and i read recently that some ipswich fans still think they did the right thing getting rid of Mick. lets see how they enjoy league 1!Quote:
Originally Posted by liamoo11
the delusion of some football fans never fails to baffle me
Its the kind of job Martin O Neill could show how good he is in . At least he would be able to buy some players if the chairperson coughs up the dough .
Money seems in short supply. Hurst brought in from league 1 and 2. He seemed to take serious dislike to cotter drinan and McLoughlin who all were involved at first team level last season and not a sniff so far this season. Drinan does not appear to be lighting it up at SuttonQuote:
Originally Posted by seanfhear
A bad job to take . Pretty obvious Ipswich needed to buy some quality players . Some of these jobs should be turned down but thats a tricky decision for managers trying to work their way up the Club ladder thingy .Quote:
Originally Posted by liamoo11
If we're hoping for a job that might see MON as a realistic candidate - Nottm Forest might be our best bet. A poor run of results could see that job become available.Quote:
Originally Posted by seanfhear
I wonder if the Stoke job came up again, would they come back in for O'Neill?
Yes, unbelievable, Jeff. Mick took them over when they were bottom of the league, shortly after a 0-3 home drubbing by Sheffield Wednesday (which shows how bad they were), and with a minus investment brought them each year within shouting distance of the play offs. It's as if they expect Ipswich to be entitled to be in the play offs despite a minus investment. In the land of the blind, the one-eyed is king.Quote:
Originally Posted by jbyrne
Given he's looking extremely likely to be back in charge of us, what can we expect from Mick in terms of squad choices.
You'd imagine that David McGoldrick will be a consideration again. You would think that the embarrassing situation of the 2g and 3g players become a lot easier to manage given his own background.
So Liam Kelly, Dan Crowley and Ricer back on board? Is there any possibility now that LOI lads such as Sadlier, Duffy or Hoban get a run? probably not.
Are we looking at a big man/little man combo? If so, what are the big man options? Conor Sammon; Aiden O'Brien; Mr. Sherry?
Given his fondness for wingers, does it mean Daryl Horgan and Callum O'Dowda become more valuable? Mick always liked a goal threat from midfield - will Conor Hourihane or Alan Browne get a proper platform to push on.
Given he signed him for Wolves, is it a likely return for Stephen Ward at left-full?
It's nice to think of the possibilities....
I wouldn't rule out LOI players at some point but there are no near term opportunities for "run outs".
I think McGoldrick and Kelly are likely to be straight back in. I'm optimistic Rice may be back.
I'd like to think Stevens gets the nod over Ward despite the prior relationship. I'd like to see a rejuvenated Hendrick alongside McCarthy but as you say, Hourihane and Browne may be involved. Rice back would change everything
I can see 4411, with 2 of Coleman/ Doherty / Christie on one side and Stevens / Brady on the other with Horgan/McClean/O'Dowda as bench options. I can see McGoldrick playing 10 with Robinson in front. I'd like to think Shane Long gets a new lease of life, and not just chasing lost causes.
I've thought all along we've got OK players. We need to play them in roles that suit them. Mick usually put out well-balanced teams. He also made some odd decisions at times too. But the type of player he'll be able to choose from is exactly the type of player he has done well with at club level.
Mick took Ward from Bohs and started him more or less straight away in the Championship, which is where half our squad play, so I doubt he'd have many qualms about picking a player from the league. Duffy looks like a player Mick would seriously consider, McEleney not so much. Other than those, the standout players in LOI have already left.
Have to say I'm delighted Big Mick is back. I think he's the right man for the job and I wouldn't be at all surprised if the handover to Stephen Kenny doesn't happen in 2 years time.
Mick also turned Ward from a striker into a LB
He signed Matt Doherty too at Wolves. Their public personas seem to me as more compatible than Doherty's was with the previous regime.
Didn't he give a young Irish kid a debut last year? And sign a kid from Templeogue? The name Kinsella jumps to mind but I'm not sure.
Barry Cotter? Signed him from Limerick FC, think he's actually from Ennis.Quote:
Originally Posted by Stuttgart88
He was part of the reason Mick decided to leave the Ipswich job. Cotter had been playing well in Mick's final game, but was clearly tiring and had been beaten a few times so Mick substituted him. The crowd started booing this decision, "you don't know what you're doing", etc, which is why he decided to give his notice at Ipswich.
Yes, thats him. Thanks. And the Templeogue fella? Or is that a figment of my imagination?
Edit: Stephen Kinsella. Everton, not Ipswich, bought him from Templeogue United. Right colours I suppose! I think he went on loan to Dundalk.
Think Everton released him earlier this year
Kinsella is back with their u18s afaik.
It's going to be tight for Mick (and staff) with the qualifiers starting in March. The timing of the appointment just compounds the error of not appointing a new manager before the UNL.
It's the vision geysir. Vision. You wouldn't understand. You're not on 360k/year.
The options available to Mick McCarthy
Goalkeeper
Darren Randolph
Rob Elliott
Kieren Westwood
Stephen Henderson
Colin Doyle
Ian Lawlor
Sean McDermott
Kieran O'Hara
Caoimhin Kelleher
A year ago he might have felt under pressure but to my mind Randolph is pretty secure in the #1 shirt. Elliott and Westwood have both lost their place at club level and Randolph has been performing for club and country. Mick coming in will presumably mean Henderson is out of the doghouse if he can get fit and playing football somewhere. Kelleher made the senior squad recently but I’d assume Kenny will want him for the U21 squad. Potentially the first tug of war between him and Mick
Right-Back
Seamus Coleman
Matt Doherty
Cyrus Christie
Mick has 3 good options available to him, but very little else. One of the challenges he will obviously have is keeping the 3 of them happy.
Centre-Back
Shane Duffy
John Egan
Kevin Long
Ciaran Clark
Richard Keogh
Darragh Lenihan
Jimmy Dunne
Alex Pearce
Tommy Hoban
Lee O’Connor
Ryan Nolan
Conor Masterson
We have decent strength here. Duffy is one of the first names on the teamsheet and there are plenty of options to play beside him. And a couple of decent looking prospects in the pipeline. It would be good to get a long term partnership established and MMcC will understand the value of that as well as anybody. And of course Declan Rice may potentially come back into the mix.
Left-Back
Greg Cunningham
Stephen Ward
Enda Stevens
Derrick Williams
It isn’t great. Playing Brady there is another option, particularly if MMcC continues with 3 at the back. But I’d guess Robbie Keane could be putting in a lot of motorway miles trying to dig up other options.
Right-Wing
Daryl Horgan
Aiden McGeady
Jonny Hayes
Sean Scannell
Jake Mulraney
The right wing isn’t a lot better than left-back. McGeady is a has-been and the others never will be. O’Dowda has played there in the past and has impressed me in that role and Callum McManaman is still eligible afaik. If he could be brought on board it might help a bit
Central Midfield
Harry Arter
Jeff Hendrick
James McCarthy
Conor Hourihane
Alan Browne
David Meyler
Alan Judge
Shaun Williams
Dan Crowley
Josh Cullen
Connor Ronan
Richie Towell
Ryan Manning
Hendrick looks lost, and there are obviously doubts over the future of McCarthy. It’s a little depressing but Browne and Hourihane are both playing well in the Championship and Liam Kelly could possibly come back into the mix. MmcC will possibly start playing to the strengths of the likes of Arter/Hendrick rather than whatever has been going on for the last 18 months. For me the biggest positive is that I’m probably never going to see Cyrus Christie playing in central midfield ever again.
Left-Wing
Robbie Brady
James McClean
Callum O’Dowda
Callum Robinson
Aiden O’Brien
Ronan Curtis
Anthony Pilkington
Olamide Shodipo
A pity Robinson has picked up an injury. Fingers and everything else crossed that he comes back as strong as he has looked for us so far. His introduction has been one of the few highlights of a **** year. McClean seems to have gone back a step. The chaos he brings to a game is perhaps a better option from the bench
Forwards
Shane Long
Scott Hogan
Michael Obafemi
Graham Burke
Joe Mason
Will Keane
David McGoldrick
Sean Maguire
We have a lot of depth but not a lot of strength here. Perhaps Obafemi can really kick on at Southampton. In a dream world he and Jonathan Afolobi will get a run together and rack up 20 goals between them to keep Southampton up. It might not sound terribly plausible but the next most likely option to solve our striker issue is for Shane Long to recover his form so it’s either hope for the 2 young lads to make the breakthrough or get on to Saint Jude about Shane. I agree with the idea that McGoldrick is likely to return the squad given his previous relationship with MmcC. Patrick Bamford isn’t exactly Gabriel Batistuta but if he can be brought in he might be a good option for the next campaign. Adam Idah and Aaron Connolly maybe offer some hope just beyond the horizon.
Great post.
I have a feeling if Doherty continues his good form he will play right back and that mick will play coleman in right wing.
I'd like to see us try a 3-4-3 with Coleman in a back 3. I've mentioned before I'd envision him playing a similar role to that Kyle Walker has for England.
------------ Randolph ---------
---- Coleman Duffy Egan -----
Doherty Arter Hendrick Brady
-- O'Dowda ------ Robinson --
----------- Maguire ------------
The big danger of playing a back 3 is having your centre backs dragged out towards the touchline where they aren't comfortable and getting into trouble against the opposition winger. But Egan plays on the left of a 3 for his club, and Coleman obviously wouldn't mind ending up in the full back position. I'm not sure how likely it is that McCarthy would play a back 3 though. Off the top of my head I can't remember him trying it for any club he's been at.
No matter what system we play it would look a lot better with even a middle of the road premier league striker leading the line.
Clarke played left of a three tonight for Newcastle I think.
Just wanted to comment on this. Many are lamenting the absences of Dunne, Duff, Kilbane, Given, etc etc yet we have a guy with almost 100 caps aged just 32 and he's a write-off, end of story?Quote:
Originally Posted by backstothewall
I went digging and here's the most recent thread on Aiden from Sunderland fans. I think it seems very balanced. I really don't think we should be dismissing anyone, especially not someone who played 7 times for us in 2017 and with Robbie on board now who played so often with Aiden, (and while I'm at it. what about Gibson??)...I could see him being important again. I could also see him never playing again, but I am realistic. I thiink the former has more possible success.
https://www.readytogo.net/smb/threads/mcgeady.1452845/
Just wanted to throw that in there.
Just on the full back point, Cunningham apparently did well at the weekend for Cardiff. We have 4 full backs starting in the PL and Ends Stevens was bright against NI so there are so many options there. 2 excellent PL right backs countered by a dearth of options at right midfield is worrying. Whilst I hope Nathan Collins and Oisin McEntee and Lee O'Connor make a breakthrough, how very badly we need the likes of Parrott and Idah and Connolly to follow Obafemi. Kenny's comment yesterday suggest he will be open to fast-tracking those lads into his under 21 side.
How many of them are still eligible for the under 19s? Depending on the draw, we could have two underage teams at a tournament next year
With Kenny being the next senior manager, at least on paper, I like the idea of hot-housing a generation of talent under him.
I think he may play Doherty left back. He's played there before for Wolves.Quote:
Originally Posted by Diggs246
I thought he might play Doherty right mid! A bit like Gary Kelly back in the 2000s? A bit like what backstothewall had above with a slight shift:Quote:
Originally Posted by Drumcondra 69er
------------ Randolph ---------
Coleman Duffy Egan Brady
Doherty Arter Hendrick O'Dowda
-----------Robinson -----------
----------- Maguire ------------
If Rice declares, I'd like to see it more like this:
------------ Randolph ---------
Coleman Duffy Egan Brady
-------------Rice ---------------
Doherty Arter Hendrick Robinson
----------- Maguire ------------
Though I'm not sure Maguire is the number 1 front man, can Robinson do that role? Also see the 2nd CB spot as any one of 3 or 4 really but left Egan there for now.
I think he indicated it's unlikely in the press conference and suggested the game has moved on from 4-4-2 also.Quote:
Originally Posted by backstothewall
I was wondering about that too. What kind of formation was he using at Ipswich? 4-5-1 / 4-3-3?Quote:
Originally Posted by DeLorean
edit: seems he was going 3-5-2 quite a bit:
https://www.ipswichstar.co.uk/sport/...lash-1-4933057
That's interesting. With the players we have 3 at the back makes the most sense to me.Quote:
Originally Posted by zero
Two midfielders left out of backstothewall list - Ryan Manning & Richie Towell would be ahead of Connor Ronan in the pecking order.
I wonder if Patrick Bamford will be approached. I seem to remember him scoring a couple of goals against Mick's Ipswich live on Sky a few years back, the season he pipped Daryl Murphy to the player of the year award I think.
Yes. Oversight by me. I knew I'd miss the odd one. I'll update my listQuote:
Originally Posted by IsMiseSean
Same applies to Lukas Jutkiewicz. Digging up a striker from somewhere has to be a priority.Quote:
Originally Posted by DeLorean
Kind of. Actually turned him into a left winger. Ward was asked to play left back because he was the only fit 'left footed' player available one match day and he reluctantly agreed.The rest is history.Quote:
Originally Posted by Fixer82