http://www.irishtimes.com/sport/socc...road-1.2153414
Was wanted by Celtic, Hull and Derby but stayed loyal to Wigan. Hopefully Hull and Derby renew their interest in the summer.
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http://www.irishtimes.com/sport/socc...road-1.2153414
Was wanted by Celtic, Hull and Derby but stayed loyal to Wigan. Hopefully Hull and Derby renew their interest in the summer.
Celtic would be a backward step I think. A good move to a Championship club even should see him aiming to return to the Premier League.
I think McClean's name carries enough cachet to get a move to a lower bottom half Premier League team at the very least.
I see kyle Minogue has taken time away from pop world to have a dig at our national team in the comments section. why cant kyle and all the other rugger bandwagoners just enjoy their success without having to use it to have a pop at our football team?Quote:
Originally Posted by TheOneWhoKnocks
at least our football team generally perform beyond their abilities at world cups unlike the rugby teams over the years
The football lot remind Kyle that there is a bigger world out there beyond these isles. Kyle doesn't like that because it makes him feel small.Quote:
Originally Posted by jbyrne
Somewhere else there was one comment from Kyle that I liked "Irish and Polish have many links – but who has the best potatoes?"Quote:
Originally Posted by jbyrne
I enjoy the rugby success as much as anyone but are there more than about 8 rugby countries that you can actually take seriously?Quote:
Originally Posted by DannyInvincible
next we'll have the GAA compromise rules heads slagging us when they beat Australia in a one off match!
Aul Kyle really doesn't deserve this discussion.
We should be so lucky - lucky, lucky, lucky.Quote:
Originally Posted by jbyrne
http://www.independent.ie/sport/socc...-31099317.html
That was a beautiful open letter that James composed. I know people said that someone else probably composed it for him but I have faith in the boy.
<MOD EDIT>
Nothing in that article calls Dave Whelan's character into question
http://www.independent.ie/sport/socc...-31101070.html
Hot off the presses.
That's really interesting. I love the final quote :)
James is one of our team's real personalities. I've always been a big fan of the guy and been impressed by his conviction, determination and athletic discipline, but I think he has truly matured over the past few years. Great lad, great character, great spirit. I'm proud he's Irish and to have him in our team. :o
Seems like Celtic will be a no brainer for him should they come knocking again.
Not that I wouldn't like to see him at Celtic Park, and playing in Europe, but you'd have to imagine he'd be subject to the same abuse that Neil Lennon got there, possibly even worse given his views on wearing the poppy, and the ever-growing ostentatious displays on Remembrance Sunday from Rangers fans
The quotes in that article are bloody brilliant. His passion and determination are quite inspirational to anyone in any walk of life. He comes across as eloquent and mature in that article (I'm sure some in this article have questioned his intelligence in this thread). His move to Sunderland and the subsequent combination of success and tribulations are demonstrative of the normal human ups and downs in moving to a new setting and the difficulty in adapting to such a new setting. And he puts that across very, very well.
I think everyone can relate a bit to McClean's story. He has opinions. He has beliefs. He makes and has made mistakes. He loves his football. He's proud of where he has come from. He really is just a normal person but with football ability and an immeasurable work-rate and desire to make the most of his football ability and life. For all this, I wish him the height of success. And I know that if he is picked to start for us, he'll do all he can to fashion a win because it means as much to him as it does for the fans- he's a fan living out his dream.
Hung out to dry?! No James it was your terrible attitude and disrespect to Sunderland fans. The fact that you got yourself into trouble off the pitch and your lack of commintment on it was the reason we took a disliking to you!
No one at SAFC forced you to post pro-IRA slogans and song on your Twitter feed. No one at SAFC made you miss a meet and greet with local school kids. No one at SAFC forced you abuse your coach Giovanni Trappatoni on Twitter. He knew the clubs stance on the Poppy appeal and the club let him do what he feels was right by him. There's a reason you are playing at a team on the way to League One!
They've kinda proven their point(Newcastle and Sunderland I Know) in that article "The Northern Irishman claimed the press office at Sunderland mishandled the situation which led to him receiving death threats."
Just watched the poland game again. James was class when he came on second half. His crunching tackle on milik turned things round. After that the crowd got up and there was a lot more intensity in our play.
Anyone got any highlights, i missed the recording on sky sports :(
I've watch the goals but id like a good 15 minute highlights or else the whole second half again.
Is he a certain starter or an impact sub to shake things up?
the latter but bring him on around 65. I did count some awful messing and time wasting between 70 and 80 minutes so we werent getting his full contribution, some of that was down to how slow we were at our set pieces.
Im glad the ref agreed that there was no use crying over split milik.Quote:
Originally Posted by Littlest Hobo
Did he actually leave all Sunderland fans feeling this way and in what way did he disrespect the club and its fans exactly? I'm not necessarily disputing what you've said as I didn't follow the minute details of his time at Sunderland, but in what way do you feel he lacked commitment? He always struck me as committed and dedicated; certainly athletically-speaking anyway. Why did he miss the meet-and-greet?Quote:
Originally Posted by GypsyBlackCat
Isn't it true though that the club brought unnecessary attention to his opting out of the poppy circus and then muzzled him from explaining his position after the reactionary media went ape-sh*t?
Ask any Sunderland and they'll tell you the same. There is a thread about McClean on Ready To Go in which no one has a good word to say about him. He missed the meet and greet to go and see Man Utd v Real Madrid. The senior plays in the squad felt MON was too soft on him and he got away not put in the effort in (that was when MON turned up to training). The club did preotect him during all his off field troubles like all the pro-IRA stuff on Twitter which resulted in the backlash from fans over the Poppy. SAFC are masters at PR blunders and they might have been wrong to put out a statement AFTER the Everton. That was to cool the heated responses on social media and the PR dept where wrong to think it would blow over but McClean brought most of it on himself with his Tweets. The club were always supportive of him. He hung himself out to dry!Quote:
Originally Posted by DannyInvincible
The whole Poppy thing is a red herring. We were sick of hearing about McClean in the papers and having to hire bodyguards (the club provided them btw) and the fact that he was found out at the top level and his attitude towards training. Also his antics around Sunderland and Newcastle night spots.
SAFC were nothing but supportive of McClean, even PDC was! This whole thing is spitting in the face of the club. Yes we made a pig's ear of the Poppy thing but McClean has to take the lions share of the blame and put his hands up that his exit was down to his poor performences and attitude.
James wouldn't even touch a single drink, to the best of my knowledge. What is he supposed to have gotten up to there and you sure it's not just unsubstantiated gossip about someone who had become an unpopular villain in the local area?Quote:
Originally Posted by GypsyBlackCat
Yep, regardless of his social media excursions and his firm political beliefs, I was under the impression that he is a clean living guy whose attitude to training is exemplary. That's what I always heard.
Always heard the story of how McClean used to ask Eugene Ferry to stay behind with him after training for an hour so he could practice shooting.
Also, heard many times how he doesn't drink and lives a very clean lifestyle too.
As I said his Twitters about the IRA and Bobby Sands etc, the fact that he was seen as MON golden boy and the rumours that he got special treatment. His attitude in training and how he looked after himself off the pitch. He seemed to only my an effort in when he wanted. The negative press he brought to the club. Even his own team mates where compaining about him. He went from a £8million player linked with Arsenal and Man Utd to being £1.3million player sold to Wigan in the space of 9 months. He became an unpopular villian on his own back. Most of us didn't care about the Poppy but surely you must see that his pro-IRA stance and refusel to wear the made things worse for himself? If he put the effort in he would have won the fans over just look at Phil Bardsley. He was a villian at the start of last season but managed to win the fans over by the end.Quote:
Originally Posted by DannyInvincible
My memory may be acting up, but the "pro-IRA tweets" amounted to him singing a rebel song?
Not a huge deal of substance in this. Is it all rumour? What was he supposed to have been getting up to at popular local night-spots? The guy didn't touch alcohol as a matter of principle when he was at Derry and I don't imagine he ever started after moving to Sunderland.Quote:
Originally Posted by GypsyBlackCat
And what was the "pro-IRA stance" exactly? Let's have some perspective before assuming what he was doing was automatically transgressive just because you've stated it. Bobby Sands was an elected MP and remains a widely-respected figure of revolt and disobedience around the world. As Charlie says, James listened to rebel songs and had a photo (or was it a model or something) of Free Derry Corner on his Twitter account? That's nothing too unusual for a young fella from Derry, never mind Creggan or the Bogside. Free Derry Corner is a local historical landmark, and, similarly, was representative of a community in action and defiance. The Derry City Council maintained it before handing it over to the Department of the Environment's Heritage Service a few years ago with the full support of Sinn Féin and the SDLP on the city council. Sight-seeing groups run tours featuring it. It's a symbol of tremendous local pride.
I fully supported his refusal to wear the poppy. I still do. There's no obligation upon anyone to do so and I think the real problem is the social expectation in Britain that public figures, no matter what their background, ought to conform and wear it. His opting out didn't have to be perceived as an act of disrespect at all. He was simply doing nothing - carrying on as usual - like so many millions of others around the UK weren't wearing a poppy at the same time. Were you wearing a poppy? It was Sunderland, or whoever tries to force this thing annually, who imposed an uncomfortable/unreasonable situation and decision upon him. For James, wearing the poppy would be disrespecting his community and spitting on the graves of those killed by the British Army in Ireland. I greatly admired him for having the guts to do what so many in the public spotlight don't round that time of the year.
Best move James ever made was getting out that black hole.
I mean Sunderland not Creggan :)
This is the same mob that used ridicule Kevin Kilbane for not living up to their high expectations. :rolleyes:Quote:
Originally Posted by GypsyBlackCat
Quote:
Originally Posted by geysir
I was about to agree with you until I read the second part.
He's out for a month. And I thought he was miliking it at the time :oQuote:
Originally Posted by SkStu
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CBcteb0WwAAW8Db.jpg
"What doesn't kill me makes me stronger!!!" - Arkadiusz Milik Twitter
Despite the reference in the article, Milik has actually signed for Ajax permanently.
And the polish press are milking the brutal Irish tag for all it's worth.
McClean is .....Hunt with horns.
other brutality against Milik related image doing the rounds
http://ocdn.eu/images/pulscms/MTE7MD...ff4c94c8ce.jpg
Good god, and I thought we were bitter about Henry.
The same mob who call Charlie Hurley 'The King' and is loved by supporters young and old.Quote:
Originally Posted by DeLorean
The same mob who called worship the ground Sir Niall Quinn walks on. Who even want to name a stand after and want a statue of him in the city centre.
Damn those anti-Irish Mackems for refusing to adore the silky skills of Kevin Kilbane.:rolleyes:
I wasn't inferring that they are anti-Irish, far from it.
The point I was making is that they don't exactly need measured reasoning to turn on a player. Kilbane is about as honest a player as you can get and they still treated him like sh!t. We didn't adore his silky skills either, but we appreciated that he was doing his best, as did the Everton fans amongst others.