Now you're talking! good man.Quote:
Originally Posted by NeilMcD
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Now you're talking! good man.Quote:
Originally Posted by NeilMcD
Were you drunk when you typed that :D ?Quote:
Originally Posted by NeilMcD
Harte lacks the pace and positional sense to be a top full back. His mistakes cost us dearly in Japan/Korea. Mick Mc obviously likes him so Wolves is a possibility. Not sure why people are suggesting Sunderland.
Think Neil was attempting humour after billsthoughts pointed out a couple of things...
Anyway harte received a nice settlement from levante but if anyone thinks he's premiership standard, they're kidding themselves
Humour, I dont believe in it. I am a dull gay boy.
How oxymoronic...Quote:
Originally Posted by NeilMcD
"Do that good mischief which may make this island thine own forever..."
Someone 'phone matron urgently........Neil is in desperate need of his medication!:DQuote:
Originally Posted by NeilMcD
Quote:
Originally Posted by NeilMcD
has that stuff worn off yet?
Its the tempest by Shakespeare.
...............and?:confused:Quote:
Originally Posted by NeilMcD
Its a well known case of an oxymoron in English literature.
wow. quite impressive. (unless you did it for your leaving or something)Quote:
Originally Posted by NeilMcD
Nah Macbeth for me and then Hamlet.
was he not injured in Japan / Korea?Quote:
Originally Posted by OwlsFan
hes not terrible by any stretch of the imagination. but yeah he does lack the positional sense but he might be better now.
He was playing in Japan and Korea.Quote:
Originally Posted by Billsthoughts
He was brutal.
True, but I think Bill was pointing out he was playing while injured, a trapped nerve in his foot I think.Quote:
Originally Posted by Torn-Ado
I know he was playing in Japan / Korea(its not like we are in soooo many WC's its hard to distinguish em all)
But he had a trapped nerve in his foot or something. he shouldnt have been playing.
Harte was derided by many from the moment he first played for Ireland, a little known teenager played at CB by Mick. Given the circumstances I think he did OK early on. There are always players that get a disproportionate amount of criticism and Harte is one of those. We have no divine right to a quality left back.
He was a decent enough left back in his "prime" in 2001/2, but the reality was that Kevin Kilbane provided a lot of defensive cover for him. They worked well as a unit though, each dovetailing & covering for the other.
Of course one can't underestimate the importance of Keane in that team's "success" but equally I don't think you can underestimate the importance of balance in a team. I think that team was the best-balanced team we've ever put out, the absolute classic 4-4-2. A right footed right back who could get forward, a left footed left back who could get forward, an aggressive centre back and a ball playing centre back, an energetic left midfielder, a classic central midfield pairing, a good wide midfielder and a classic forward pairing. Duff playing out of position was probably the only "square peg".
Harte was an important part of this balanced unit, and his dead ball delivery was also something that made the team greater than the sum of its parts.
He was probably the only player who performed well against Switzerland at home.
I wonder if Stan's opinion of him was permanently formed having witnessed his performances from close proximity in WC02.
I'm not fussed about Harte anymore. I think we've better players, but I do wish a natural left footer would come along & make the psition his own.
I think part of the problem with Harte was that he was far more assured offensively than his sometimes suspect defensive ability.
There were occasions it seemed his area of the pitch was targeted by the opposition as a weak link in the team and they sought to expose the space he often left. His distribution wasn't the greatest at times either.
I'm writing in the past tense and yet he could still figure. The free kick option can't be discounted I suppose. If only it was NFL.
Wasn't there a season in the EPL when they were all fawning over Beckham and his free kick goal count, meanwhile Harte matched him all the way.