Where did it all go wrong after last season. Obviously Premier League clubs worked out how to play against the Sheffield Utd way. This is where the manager need stop come up with another way to play.
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Where did it all go wrong after last season. Obviously Premier League clubs worked out how to play against the Sheffield Utd way. This is where the manager need stop come up with another way to play.
I think the keeper is also a big factor. Henderson is significantly better than Ramsdale. A good keeper can be worth so many points across a season... Henderson was probably one of the 5 best keepers in the league last season, whereas Ramsdale has probably been about 18th or 19th this season
last season they started very well and built some momentum. this season they have looked a bit jaded from the off, got off to a dreadful start and have not been able to recover. saw a little of the spurs game and they just didn't seem anywhere near as intense as they did last season. it was all very sloppy and half hearted
The injury to O’Connell was also massive. Himself and Egan were excellent last season
We should really sit on mcgoldrick and ask him to come out retirement . Who can link the play like him at the moment
The guy is brilliant. Why wasn't he playing for us ten years ago?
Didn't get his passport until 2014
We had better strikers 10 years ago. It’s pretty established at this point that McGoldrick was a late bloomer. Easy to say he would have made a difference had we brought him in sooner but it doesn’t really line up with what McGoldrick was doing in his club career at the time.
I would give MON a pass for not utilizing him. For some unknown and bizarre reason David Mcgoldrick jogged around the pitch when he came on v Austria away.
I think McGoldrick himself is to blame as much as anyone. Clearly he has always been an incredibly talented player but for whatever reason didn't apply himself fully until the later years of his career. Could have played at a much higher level for longer and possibly been an important player for us at Euro 2016 if he had done.
He was brilliant V USA in a friendly. Set up a goal for Pilkington with an exquisite Hoolahanesque pass and both were barely seen again under O'Neill. Also set up a goal for Brady that night I think
He was slow to buy in to playing for Ireland and didn’t hang around for too long after getting a taste of it = = All of his choices as it goes !
Yeah, sure, but MON was famous for giving players no instruction, not telling them what position etc etc. The moment Mick arrived, he was a different player. I hold MON accountable for not being able to give McGoldrick the instruction he needed...
I could be wrong but that’s my belief
I don’t think that’s true. He was unaware he qualified. As far as I remember, it was something like: he was adopted or his mother was adopted and the adoptive family were irish and he spend time here and felt irish. But he thought he was ineligible because it was adoptive rather than biological. Then later, he was able to research and found out about his biological grandparents and that they were irish as well, which made it clear he qualified... and he went and got a passport then
Something along those lines.
Was also eligible for Scotland - who chased him before us but he rejected them
He didn’t hang around too long after he eventually did start playing regularly. Again his own decision.
The timing of his exit is questionable to me also, we have a clutch of young forwards who might come to something and might not but we needed this guy for the coming couple of years and he walked. And without any convincing reason also you could argue.
I guess the argument is that he’ll be 35 when the World Cup is on. I’d be interested comparing his age of retirement/age of next tournament to the likes of Keane, Doyle, Murphy, Long and Walters to see if he’s much of an outlier.
And in the 2 squads under Kenny he was involved in, he got injured in both of them and lost his place in the Sheffield team to Rhian Brewster who they spent £24m on. Obviously things looked differently in November to now. He regained his place and has looked Sheffield’s best player.
Huge loss for us though. He offers qualities which none of the young lads have... I’d definitely love if he decided to unretire
Walters - nearly 35; Murphy - Nearly 34; Doyle - 34; Keane - 36. I guess the fact that he has reached the Premier League for the last couple of years of his career and wants to make that as good as it can be is a major factor, plus as Elatedscum said, he will be 35 when the World Cup actually takes place
He would have played in euro 2021 if we had qualified which is in june. The qualification for the WC starts in March. I would be keen to know if kenny will try to coax him back.
that ship has sailed away, folks!!! Adieu
If we are in the mood of the "experience forward up front role" we still have some other options around: James Collins, Shane Long, Cillian Sheridan, Scott Hogan, Joe Mason are all better options in that particular role than Callum Robinson, Aaron Connolly, Troy Parrott, Adam Idah, Sean Maguire. That's a fact.
Even we could use James McClean as a forward, but I dont know.
As for David, I think he doesnt fit in Kenny's vision as a 9. Could play as the attacking midfielder in the 4-3-3 but his legs are gone for that role. He needs a 4-4-1-1 to do his thing or the 3-5-2 for the blades
It did seem a soft decision by McGoldrick to retire at a time when he was still first team material
After a 2020 play-off defeat, Iceland's 38 year old central defender Kari was asked the retirement question post match, he replied 'even if it was blatantly obvious that it was over for him he still couldn't go to that place where he would have to consider that it was all over, it's an intolerably painful feeling that you will never play for your country again'.
He also our best player
I think people believe it to be Coleman or Doherty, its not its McGoldrick
The problem with McGoldrick is he doesnt fit in for Kenny's formation, he needs freedom to play his thing,
Is McGoldrick what happens when a player doesn't really feel Irish? Was good for his career to play international football when he was a Championship player but now that he's in Premiership it doesn't matter as much?
I'm not a fan of him in general and I don't really care that he's retired. In the short term he would probably be 1st choice but he's a journeyman footballer whos had a nice end to his career. He has talent so I would question his attitude that it took him so long to make it as a Premiership footballer.
His goal record for us isn't exactly going to be hard to replace. Connolly, Idah, Parrott or even Scully could hopefully bypass his record in a couple of years
Its very possible in this scenario yes I feel. If you're in his position in team, at this stage of its evolution bringing vital experience in a key area while playing a high level club ball, while others find their feet you don't walk away as he did if you feel truly Irish.
Quoting the retirement ages of Keane ( who played till he dropped ) Walters & Doyle were finished by injuries while wanting to play on and Murphy was a squad guy, is neither here nor there in comparison to this McGoldrick situation IMO.
There was a bit of work to do, no glory to be had so McGoldrick didn't fancy it basically, isn't that quite possible here ?
Im firmly of the opinion that Kenny should start the campaign with a team that suits the structure that he wants to move forward with. Ive said in other threads that I believe that this would in some cases mean bringing in a young player to replace a more experienced player who doesnt necessarily suit how Kenny wants to play. Kelleher for Randolph and O'Shea for Duffy are most obvious examples.
In McGoldricks case he was talked about as man of the match in the playoff against Slovakia when I thought he was actually terrible. He was in every position on the pitch except the one he was actually supposed to be playing in. Its all well and good running around the pitch like a mad man making it look like he was working hard. He was getting on the ball in areas that werent hurting the Slovaks and not giving us the outlet we needed up front. Theres a reason he only has 1 goal in 14 games for us.
My point being, that like the other examples, even if McGoldrick hadnt retired I would still rather pick one of the younger strikers that might suit his system better as the point of the attack and let them develop into the role, instead of sticking with McGoldrick who doesnt have the discipline to lead the line like Kenny wants.
El Bambino Pons the uruguayan official commentator on espn is creaming his pants on McGoldrick labelled him as a player of great category of flair!!
Egan is playing really well today, a Baresi kind of performance as a libero in a back 3
There are some videos of El Bambino Pons on youtube as how this crazy as a horse uruguayan sings and narrates the matches live, there is a video of Thierry Henry on him, that Van Nistelrooy sent him when at Man U.The guy sings songs from the beatles and the stones or u 2 when somebody scores crazy stuff, this guy is a character!!
McGoldrick is the one player who is ideal for Kenny's formation.
Yeah, where? I see him as the attacking midfielder only for Kenny, Kenny's tactic requires a real number 9, McGoldrick is a drifter, good player, flair player, too slow for the attacking sides,
I actually agree with Biesla for once
Probably unfair. I am sure we have had some green blooded Irishmen who also retired early (scratches his head to think of any). I doubt if it's anything to do with him being an Anglo. Perhaps one last chance to earn big money in the PL which may well have eluded him throughout his career. I don't know but it's a leap to saw it's because he is one of the Anglo players I think.