Whelan is a better option that Miller. You are right in that he is conservative, but it is his 2nd game for Ireland, many players say it takes up to 15 games to get to grips with international football and esp for a young footballer in the defensive midfield role, if he can break up attacks and keep possession I would be happy.
The whole point of Whelans inclusion is to retain possession and protect the back 4 - particularly away from home, when its envisaged we'll be under pressure. Its undoubtedly a conservative approach but something we could be seeing a lot of - hopefully which results in a dramatically impoved away record.Quote:
Originally Posted by Ciaran
I wouldn't call his performance "thrash". I obviously saw a lot of Whelan when he played for Wednesday (let go by Man City). For every good 3 good passes, he'll give away 1 or two rather sloppily. He's not a bad player and he's definitely a good Championship player but he's NOT the solution to our midfield problem. He'll do a fair job but I am not sure that's enough at the level we're looking at. Perhaps Trap can bring more out of him which would be great.Quote:
Originally Posted by Ciaran
Perhaps I should have said: good in the air rather than for his height. Kilbane competes well in the air (he even set up the Norwegian goal from a set piece ;)). I haven't seen enough of Delaney to ascertain whether he's good in the air. Is he?Quote:
Originally Posted by NeilMcD
i dont see why he cant play steven reid as the defensive midfielder with andy reid getting forward. makes sense to me.
They were saying good things on Sky Sports for the record. 'Ireland's European(:rolleyes:) stye play couldn't cope with the conditions'
Whelan was nice to watch last night, definetly looks better on the ball than Carsley. Ciaran is being unfair on him. He didn't lose the ball that much, I'd say over 80% of his passes were accurate...definetly.
He compliments S.Reid well. Andy Reid is interesting though. I wish we had one more friendly to try him behind Keane. I liked Doye last night but he doesn't seem hungary enough to score.
I think Trap hinted in his interviews that he wants a more defensively solid midfield away from home and gainst the better teams at home, but we'd use more attacking options against the lesser teams at home.
If three of your midfield are Duff, McGeady and A Reid, that doesn't give a lot of cover at the back.
He was no let go by Man City, he refused the offer of a new contract.Quote:
Originally Posted by OwlsFan
As I posted yesterday, he has been mandated a particular role by the management and has impressed in his application to those instructions. (I am of course biased)
This is a team being built,a group who will work for and with each other, not a bunch of outstanding individuals.
What does he think of the setup soccerc? There seems to be a fair bit of harmony in the camp.Quote:
Originally Posted by soccerc
Whelan's a decent Championship player but he's not good enough to make a mark in the Premiership and consequently International football imo. I think we'll struggle against decent opposition with him in midfield.
Hopefully Joey O'Brien, Darron Gibson or Owen Garvan become more attractive alternatives for the defensive midfield role within the early stages of the campaign.
He's a better option than Miller or Carsley though.
I thought Whelan was very good last night
I can't say either, but he played regularly at CB for Hull as far as I know, so I'd imagine he's no slouch in that department.Quote:
Originally Posted by OwlsFan
I agree with this and almost every word of your initial match assessment earlier in this thread (wouldn't quite have gone as far as "over the moon"). It was refreshingly pleasing to see a pattern and purpose to our play, at least an attempt to play conventional football. It was as if they'd been made to watch and study Euro 2008.Quote:
Originally Posted by Razors left peg
Nail on the head.Quote:
Originally Posted by Stuttgart88
With regard to Whelan, he's not that much different to Mark Kinsella who thrived alongside Keane. He's the kind of player that doesn't figure that much in English football anymore, an old fashioned central midfielder who just keeps the ball moving and has a good - but at times careless - range of passing.
I like him but prefer Andy Reid. I don't see my prediction from 3 years ago that he's a future Ireland captain coming true, but I expect we'll see more of him.
I'd be curious to see how he and Delap, and Lawrence of course, cope this year.
I didn't realise that Stoke are in the EPL now.
How did that happen?
That should bring Lawrence and Delap more into the limelight.
Doesn't Whelan play for them?
He does but at least he has the eye of Trap whereas the other 2 have dropped out of the squad altogether.
I like the look of the sytem... 4-2-3-1 / 4-4-2. We had lots of good movement off the ball.
I'm still confused by Andy's absence. This season Sunderland are using the same 4-2-3-1 and Andy is pivotal as one of the 2 holding midfielders. He works hard and does a good defensive job, but (when the time is right) he can spread the ball and open up the game.
Personally, I think that is even more important in a tough away fixture. We are likely to be pinned back for long periods and a long precise pass from deep can allow our 4 fast attacking players to grab vital counter-attack goals. This is especially true against better teams who are likely to throw more players forward.
We saw what precise long passing can do to open up teams whenever we played Russia and Switzerland in recent years, they tore us apart with them.
I was hoping that would bet ignored. :( That rating would not change no matter what performance Whelan put in. Don't bite.Quote:
Originally Posted by carloz
Quote:
Originally Posted by Stuttgart88
Stutts I love you. I couldn't put my finger on who he reminded of. Kinsella. Thats him in a nutshell. Now for Steven reid to morph into a level headed Roy Keane and we're set!
I haven't seen too much of David Dunn in recent years but I wouldn't put him down as a player who's great defensively. It was Dunn and Reid in midfield for Blackburn for the 2nd half of last season with 2 attacking wide players in Bentley and Pedersen. I think Reid-Reid is fine defensively. Positional sense is a lot more important than the ability to tackle.Quote:
Originally Posted by DotTV
You might think so, and I'd tend to agree, but Trap is known for keeping things tight.Quote:
Originally Posted by eirebhoy
Trap seems to think that in this system that Whelan / Reid is better defensivly than Reid/ Reid. Basically he appears to be fixed on having "wingers" on both sides and a solid middle.
The worrying thing is that in S Reids absence he would go for Miller, if reports were to be believed. I don't understand that one. Maybe he has seen something that we haven't.
Not long back from Oslo. ****ing rain, dire match and to top it off, I missed Keanes goal because I was having a slash. Good oul craic though.
Jack Charlton certainly made Ireland hard to beat(his first priority).After 6 years with little or no sucess we may have to accept a more pragmatic approach.We have been giving up late goals(goals generally) too easily.This is like having a soft underbelly which opposition teams know that they can exploit if they persevere.If we want sucess we may have to except a no frills style of play.Mind you I am not convinced that 0`Shea will make a secure centre back with the amount of game time he gets in that position.St ledger or Delaney might be worth a go but that will probably down to circumstances at this stage.
What are you on you blethering idiot:rolleyes:, McGeady was absolute crap,Quote:
Originally Posted by Ciaran
did nothing right the whole game...
Ageed, that's the really strange & very worrying one.Quote:
Originally Posted by geysir
I hope by hook or by crook we get off to a good start. A lot of the season will have passed before the spring games and the likes of Garvan, Gibson, O'Brien may have progressed sufficiently to overtake Miller. I suppose for a competitive game there's always Carsley and my long shot for a cap this campaign is Delap, who I've long felt has the attributes to provide cover at CB if required, and as far as I can recall, has played full back on both sides.
Kingdom, calm down mate :)
He had a shot from the left corner of the penalty area that whistled just wide, and crossed for Doyle from the right wing. He didn't have a bad game, certainly no worse than Duff.Quote:
Originally Posted by Condex
Trap also mentioned Potter in his list of central midfielders. I just think he doesn't see Reid as a central midfielder at all. He's also not a typical wide player so the only chance of him playing is in a 4-5-1 unless he proves himself there with Sunderland.Quote:
Originally Posted by Stuttgart88
/looks like it's being covered in the other thread...
Anyone have an idea when the next squad will be named?
I guess its just a formality really, unless Mooney scores 10 next week.
Probably immediately before or just after next weekend's fixtures.Quote:
Originally Posted by irishultra
Might start a thread on that :)Quote:
Originally Posted by tetsujin1979
http://www.examiner.ie/irishexaminer...492-qqqx=1.asp
Very good article
Andy Reid started on the wing for Sunderland on Saturday and its worth considering having him and Duff on the wings-perhaps at this stage McGeady
would be better considered an impact sub.
Personally I think Delaps complete absence of technique renders him a non option for Int football...but I've been wrong before.
No doubt about it, Andy O Briens and S Irelands decision has left us perilously short of viable options, esp if we pick up a few injuries.
Doyler needs a goal so badly, hope gets it before we play these qualifiers.
Is Joey O Brien an option at CB?Of course I only say this because of his performance against the Germans. Good to see an Irish player who appears to have nailed down his place with a Premier club.
We need people to emerge...fast.
Andy Reid was by no means playing on either wing against Tottenham. He was floating across the entire park in a free role. He played really well too in my opinion. Murphy was good too, great cross for Cisse's goal, and he won a lot of headers. Which is something I have seen people on here say he cannot do :rolleyes:Quote:
Originally Posted by cheifo
Agreed about Delap though, not good enough for the squad.
S. Ireland proved yesterday what a loss he is.
Looks like we might have to put up with O'Shea and an out of form Doyle for the first qualifier or too and just hope they can raise their game. I'd put Whelan in that category too if he is in the 1st eleven.
Post match interviews and discussion from Setanta: http://www.megaupload.com/?d=O2HTM82E
I really do like the way Robinson discussed the game afterwards. The more I see Dolan, the less respect I have for him. It's not even funny how bad he is.
Yeah Michael Robinson was good but Dolan is really a rubbish punding. Setanta should really get him off the TV for all games.
I really cant believe that Dolan gets paid to have a colum in the paper and talk his crap on tv, he's a total spooferQuote:
Originally Posted by tetsujin1979
Yep word of Robinson's punditry in Spain reached Setanta's ears.Quote:
Originally Posted by NeilMcD
Dolan is Setanta's Dunphy: shoot your mouth off, be controversial and many punters love it.
Is that a cross between a pundit and a pudding ? :confused:;)Quote:
Originally Posted by NeilMcD