A lot of rumours doing the rounds on social media over the weekend, Given will 'definitely' play in Georgia. If true, seriously unhappy;all the signs point to a draw at best.
A lot of rumours doing the rounds on social media over the weekend, Given will 'definitely' play in Georgia. If true, seriously unhappy;all the signs point to a draw at best.
I don't know why McLean is named as he is injured and hasn't played for Wigan yet this season. Team news ahead of their game last Saturday read as follows:
Wigan Athletic Team News:
'Ben Watson, Chris McCann and James McClean are all out long term, no word on Shaun Maloney after the Scotland international missed the past two games through illness'
Why was Stephen Kelly named in the original squad when he last started a league game on New Years Day and is out with a long-term injury? You could question a lot of the decisions Martin and Roy are making.
There is no reason why players like Rob Kiernan, Tommie Hoban, Eunan O'Kane and Matt Doherty shouldn't be given squad places other than laziness, complacency and an unwillingness to take the time to take a closer look at them.
Instead they focus their energies on clandestine meetings with football agents on behalf of mysterious English players.
You know the old hat. When things start going wrong they will start blaming their own inadequacies on lack of players coming through and speak of the need to take more advantage of the eligibility rules; when it has already been proven time and time again that it is a frustrating waste of time.
FFS Poland have a 30 year old Steaua Bucharest player with 6 caps, a 28 year old Serie B journeyman with 1 cap and another unknown 27 year old based in China filling out their squad.
The world isn't going to end if we take a shot on some younger players playing a better level and stop persevering with dead weight like Kelly, Cox and several others.
i tend to agree - they offer nothing to the squad. if we are facing into a qualifier looking at the likes of those starting we are in terrible trouble. surely matt doherty is more worthy of a call up than kelly?Quote:
Originally Posted by TheOneWhoKnocks
it does seem o'neill/roy have been taking a very relaxed approach to things so far. this had better change come sunday.
...especially in a squad of 27. It does sound as if there's a bit of preparing excuses to fail and MON's reputation management going on. But while I agree with you, it's an age-old habit here of getting het up about marginal decisions regarding the fringe places. Our qualification hopes don't depend on the likes of those four being included in this week's squad.
I have to say I don't share AB's view that Given's selection signals tough times and a draw at best. I think too much can be read into Given. Whilst I'm currently favouring Westwood on basis of form and age (being related to sharpness) he hasn't played international football for a while and the last thing we want next week is a keeper being nervous. His time will come, probably sooner rather than later. Given will just fit in seamlessly, unfussed by the job and will be no worse than the other two in doing the nuts and bolts of goalkeeping. He will bring some "presence" to the position. His reluctance to take high balls has always been a weakness and this is my concern.
Elsewhere, the real rub is whether he picks our good enterprising players and has the team pressing, always being busy. As yet O'Neill hasn't really had these guys all available together yet so we don't have any indication as to what he's thinking. Wednesday ought to tell us that.
There are two ways of interpreting Given's likely start.
It could be that O'Neill is just making a bold, shortish term decision to bring some authority to a defence that has made silly errors in 5 of the last 6 friendlies (I'm exempting Italy) and lacked authority.
Alternatively, it could just be an indication that he's being unimaginative across the board and we'll get same old, same old.
I'm hoping it's the former, but am not betting on it. I think McCarthy did a better job of using his first 6 or 7 friendlies than O'Neill has so far.
More likely the latter, knowing our recent 'thinking'. And Weds a limited reflection on Sunday IMO.
i would agree. i would say the same of trap. his first squad contained 7 uncapped players, including whelan , who for all his detractors started out well for us and gave us consistency in the middle of the park alongside andrews (who might also be a trap call up? i dont recall if stan played him).Quote:
Originally Posted by Stuttgart88
if o'neill really felt we needed new recruits, why is that yet to be sorted out? shouldn't they be in and around the squad for the start of a campaign rather than being drafted in, be it in october or otherwise, at the expense of someone else?
it just seems a bit half hearted. o'neill/keane are there 10 months now and have had 7 games to look at the current squad. failure to win in georgia and there will be rumblings of discontent already.
Andrews made his debut at home to Poland under Trap, at least a few months into his tenure.
I suppose it's not O'Neill's fault that Reid and Hendrick are unavailable and that Reid has been unavailable to him for several games. O'Briens inclusion is welcome.
Joey O'Brien returning to west ham to have treatment in his ongoing knee issue. No word yet on a replacement.
What a surprise, why do they even bother...
how many squads is it he has pulled out of now? strange behaviour. you would think he would just retire from international football at this stage.
He came in for a lot of ridicule for not playing in the summer friendlies and for having the nerve to get married, citing his ongoing injury which requires regular treatment. I think Joey was simply terrified of being on the receiving end of another online rollicking, which is why he turned up.
It does indeed seem that the guy has a chronic problem, which is a real shame for both him and us.
With no replacement called up it'd appear that Wilson is being seen as dispensable at CB and is Ward's deputy left back. This elevates Keogh a fraction closer to getting on the pitch and makes the Delaney and McShane omissions look odder, as both can cover at full back too. I know Brady can nominally play left back but I doubt that's in management's thoughts, nor should it be really.
I'd call up Lenihan myself now that he has made the transition from amateur local league player to the best league in the world.
If that's true, then MO'N may be as blinkered as some of his predecessors;Ward is a walking liability IMO. Even McShane is miles better.
I have nothing against marriage in theory, but an ongoing injury doesn't strike me as the best reason to get hitched.Quote:
Originally Posted by Stuttgart88
For continuity it doesnt make sense alright, but I think Mon might be taking the approach that for now its ok. Ward as bad as he is should not be found wanting or exposed as much against Georgia. I am really disappointed about O'Brien.Quote:
Originally Posted by ArdeeBhoy
Unless Wilson is moved to LB, it's hard to argue that Ward, for all his flaws, isn't our best left back or at least it's not surprising that MON thinks he is. Delaney and McShane are hardly LB thoroughbreds, even though both could do it. I'd like to see Delaney there at some stage but maybe he doesn't have the athleticism to get up and down.
Should be Coleman, O'Shea, Delaney, Wilson across the back with McShane/Duffy/Clark/Kelly/Pearce as cover. Plus IF fit, St.Ledger & O'Brien.
The likes of Ward & Keogh are a disaster waiting to happen and inspire minimal confidence IMO. And really should be avoided at all costs.
Wilson has looked more accomplished at CB than LB and MON seems to favour him at CB. Not convinced by Ward at LB but as said above, he is the best option for that position with Wilson at CB. LB has been a problem position for years and this looks like continuing for the time being.
The squad confirms everything that I feared and predicted from MON when he got the job - it is very unimanagative. It is clear that we aren't producing the youngsters that we used to, but there are still guys out there like Matt Doherty who should be in the squad and play tomorrow against Oman. We would get more from seeing Ian Lawlor play Oman than Shay coming back into the squad. Being involved with their country can give the likes of Doherty and Lawlor the boost that their career needs. Mick's tenure in the first few years was a real breath of fresh air in this regard and alot of those lads really kicked on from the experience like Shay Given. People will rightly mention that we don't have time to experiment with our seeding for 2018 currently being so poor, but it could be argued that now more than ever is the time to blood the likes of Doherty, at least in friendlies.
Don't really agree. They've got time. O'Neill needs to put something close to our first XI on the pitch together prior to Georgia. The summer friendlies were more notable for who didn't play than for who did. At least 60 minutes of the Oman game should be a dress rehearsal for Georgia in my opinion.
I don't get why Lawlor is ever brought up. Apart from being a break glass in case of emergency addition to the Manchester City squad, and training with the national side once, he's still somebody who is yet to play a game of senior football in his life. He might turn out to be a great player but what is the case for calling him up over all the other goalkeepers?
he's probably better off against Germany for the U21s than being a squad player for the Oman game anyway.
Coleman is still finding his feet at senior level imo. Better to give him the game time than looking too far into the future with Matt Doherty.
Gibson to start tomorrow night: https://twitter.com/3_News/status/50...224449/photo/1
Quote:
@D_Gibson4 will START tomorrow for @FAIreland, confirms MO'N. It's been a long road back. #3BENCHGUY
Are you saying this is a good thing or a bad thing (for Poland)?Quote:
Originally Posted by TheOneWhoKnocks
some encouraging words from gibson:
Quote:
Gibson described the news that he is set to start against Oman as “a big opportunity,” and said that his long spell on the sidelines recovering from last year’s knee injury had left him with a great deal of time to reflect on his relative lack of progress at this level.
“It made me realise that I’m not getting any younger,” said the 26 year-old. “That it’s now or never. I need to push on and play more games.”
That's an interesting choice. I hope he's fit enough for the challenge and makes it on to the team for Georgia.
I didn't think we could afford Gibson's match day insurance premium.
I can't imagine he has two games in four days in him. Hopefully McCarthy's injury clears up by the weekend.
yeah agreed. he'll play an hour tomorrow i expect and whelan / mccarthy will start in georgia. if mccarthy doesn't recover though, i guess meyler is next in line?Quote:
Originally Posted by Charlie Darwin
i expect he'll be ok, hopefully.
starting to feel a bit excited now, almost in spite of myself. a new campaign, new management. while i've expressed concerns about the build up, the old green tinted optimism is starting to kick in.
Actually, the problem was that he was selecting an International window to get married.Quote:
Originally Posted by Stuttgart88
I really can not see us even finishing third with Ward and Keogh in our back line. The margins are so slim at this level and they are both liabilities. Any time the defence is under pressure Keogh looks nervous. Ward is too impulsive. They would make some double team. I can't envision Keogh having the same reactions as Dunne, St Ledger or O'Shea in a situation where Ward gives the ball to the opposition under any sort of pressure.
We can laugh at the doc all we want but St Ledger is dependable. We are surely going to end up missing him.
Well barring injuries there's no reason they would both be playing. The only way Keogh would be considered is if MON moves Wilson left back instead of Ward.... so that should reduce your fears by 50% straight away.Quote:
Originally Posted by TheOneWhoKnocks
or if mccarthy doesnt recover from his injury and wilson plays centre midfield... with keogh and ward in the defence.Quote:
Originally Posted by DeLorean
the horror.
As likely a scenario as any other in the next week.
Good to see Gibson on the comeback trail, but be amazed if he starts Sunday, but this is is finally the time to pension Whelan off with Gibson/Noble/whoever IMO. Just don't think we can rely on Darron for every game, even if he wants to play!
This appeals to the mathematician in me
from http://babb.telegraph.co.uk/2014/09/...-venn-diagram/
http://d1p3t35jiqtse7.cloudfront.net...ries_venn1.png
It's funny, but not very accurate I'd say. There should also be an over achievers circle.
:rolleyes: looks like we need a CD input/lesson again here. http://math.stackexchange.com/questi...-using-circlesQuote:
Originally Posted by Stuttgart88
I think its somewhat accurate, id have poland in with Austria and Hungary both former european heavyweights but certainly no hopers at the minute. A few others I would move about also.
RTE not the only source suggesting Given is a long way away from being certain to play on Sunday.
http://www.rte.ie/sport/soccer/inter...and-face-oman/
O'Neill has told people already who'll be starting on Sunday.
There's criticism of the opposition but in my mind I think we need to try and get some goals and get a win. There's no point in having a tough game that leads to another defeat. We've had some tough outings already.
Who we play tonight will all be forgotten if we win on Sunday.
I'd nearly give Wilson and O'Shea the night off. They've played every minute this season already and the consequences of them picking up knocks doesn't bear thinking about.
What, and have Ward and Keogh in the same back four?!
Rightly or wrongly, I have kind of accepted that Ward will be our left back in Georgia. I'd be surprised if he isn't. If Keogh and Pearce can't handle Oman, then it's a quick fire way of finding out that they are nowhere near the level required and it'll be a valuable early lesson. Anyway, we only need a draw to stay ahead of them in the rankings :)