Graham Kavanagh

since graham kavanagh moved to the premiership i've been keeping a keen eye on him as i think hes one of the most underrated irish players around. on saturday he was up against the tottenham midfield with the likes of edgar davids in it. although wigan lost the game he came out with an 8-10 from sky sports, who tend to be quite harsh rating players, with the note that he had "bossed the game" what are peoples views about his place in the irish side, i think hes a nomination to be the next skipper, he's looked very good all season

Agree 100%. Since I first saw him playing for Cardiff bout 3 years ago thought he was good enough. If only we had have got Kevin Nolan. That would be an amazing centre mid partnership.

agree. spent most of his career in the 3rd tier of english football with stoke. similar thing to trundle i think-a player good enough for top flight but never got the move until now-hopefully we can get trundle as well

If I was picking the team he'd be a cert for he holding role. There's no competition for the position and I think he's as good as we could ask.

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Originally Posted by as_i_say

agree. spent most of his career in the 3rd tier of english football with stoke. similar thing to trundle i think-a player good enough for top flight but never got the move until now-hopefully we can get trundle as well

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I saw him a few times for Stoke and he was almost a one-man team: directing play, taking set pieces etc. Always hoped a team in a higher leagues would go for him and he'd get a chance for Ireland. Better late than never. But yes looks like Trundle's on the same path.

agree totally

i believe circumstance can dictate a career as much as ability and if the english game hadnt overflowed with expensive 'foreign' signings through the 90's he would surely have played most of his career at the top level there.

i actually consider it a travesty of the McCarthy reign that this guy was ignored, through his 20's, despite excelling week in week out just because he was outside the top level, when we saw McCarthy persist with far less talented players purely it seemed because they were on the books of, (though not necessarily regularly playing in), prem sides.

Haven't seen any of Wigan's matches this season, so perhaps not qualified to give an opinion, but I think foot.ie's opinion of Kavanagh is way overrated. So many times I've read what a good player he is .. and I don't see it. The comparision with Trundle doesn't hold .. Kavanagh played for Robson at Boro a long time ago, and if he was that good he would have been picked by someone else. He was awful against Cyprus ... although perhaps it was nerves or trying too hard .. or I don't know. Seems like a good bloke though, and if he is playing as well as reports say, then perhaps he is the secret ingredient in Wigans sucess this season. Just don't think he has ever done for ireland.

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Originally Posted by macdermesser

Haven't seen any of Wigan's matches this season, so perhaps not qualified to give an opinion, but I think foot.ie's opinion of Kavanagh is way overrated. So many times I've read what a good player he is .. and I don't see it. The comparision with Trundle doesn't hold .. Kavanagh played for Robson at Boro a long time ago, and if he was that good he would have been picked by someone else. He was awful against Cyprus ... although perhaps it was nerves or trying too hard .. or I don't know. Seems like a good bloke though, and if he is playing as well as reports say, then perhaps he is the secret ingredient in Wigans sucess this season. Just don't think he has ever done for ireland.

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....correct, that would hinder your ability to give a 'qualified' opinion

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Originally Posted by macdermesser

The comparision with Trundle doesn't hold .. Kavanagh played for Robson at Boro a long time ago, and if he was that good he would have been picked by someone else.

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....a bit like trundle really at 29

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Originally Posted by livehead1

....correct, that would hinder your ability to give a 'qualified' opinion ....a bit like trundle really at 29

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Yes, I admitted that myself. Still doesn't explain his woeful performance against Cyprus, and he wasn't much better in any of the other qualifiers either. I am entitled to give an opinion on his performances for Ireland .. most of which i have seen. So you can't dismiss my opinions in one sentence.




Kavanagh is 32 (?) .. and was playing in the big time already when he was younger for Boro. So where is the comparison with Trundle who only became a pro later on and taking his career seriously. Trundle and Ian Wright maybe .. but not trundle and Kavanagh

He only got a handfull of apps for boro in the premiership

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Originally Posted by dr_peepee

He only got a handfull of apps for boro in the premiership

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whereas Trundle did not .. so what is the basis of the comparison? They are both in or around 30 who want to play for Ireland .. okay I know I should let this go! :p

Trundle due to his attitude earlier is a late developer .. I'll give you that .. Kavanagh was just never considered good enough in his earlier years to be taken up by the big teams, although according to some here its a mystery why.

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Originally Posted by macdermesser

Kavanagh was just never considered good enough in his earlier years to be taken up by the big teams, although according to some here its a mystery why.

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He was at Boro at a time when Robson was buying the likes of Ravanelli and Juninho though. And I guess he didn't get too many games to attract the bigger clubs. How many players with great potential have we lost like that? I'm just pleased when the odd one makes it back to the topflight, like him and Connolly.

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Originally Posted by macdermesser

Yes, I admitted that myself. Still doesn't explain his woeful performance against Cyprus, and he wasn't much better in any of the other qualifiers either. I am entitled to give an opinion on his performances for Ireland .. most of which i have seen. So you can't dismiss my opinions in one sentence.

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he has been irelands best player on some occassions and he's playing as well if not better than any other irish central midfielder in the premiership this season, and by that i include steven ireland who has been very good as well. a midfield with kavanagh holding and ireland slightly advanced would, in my opinion, serve us very well. certainly stronger than any other combination that springs to mind.

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Originally Posted by Hither green

He was at Boro at a time when Robson was buying the likes of Ravanelli and Juninho though. And I guess he didn't get too many games to attract the bigger clubs. How many players with great potential have we lost like that? I'm just pleased when the odd one makes it back to the topflight, like him and Connolly.

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The same Boro that got relegated with all those top class midfielders. :rolleyes:
But I suppose he did not get the chance at boro, but still was in the shop window at Stoke and was never snapped up.

But agree that its good to see him in the top flight.

You could argue that he was snapped up by Cardiff. Not exactly a top team but they did spend £1m on him and for a team in that position and at that time it was a hell of a price.

But yes, Boro got relegated :) . Serves them right. I seem to recall there being a few Irish players there at the time that didn’t get a look in. So :D

I think he is now the best midfielder we have

^ agree

I agree with the opinion that circumstances hindered his career. Maybe it was the foreigners that caused him to be overlooked at boro, or maybe he just wasnt that great there. Maybe he only found his best position and style as he got older, I dont know. One thing I do know from keeping an eye on his career after McCarthy stopped picking him was that he was a big fans favourite at Stoke. He was pretty much player of the year every year but once they dropped from the old first to the second division, he was deemed not good enough for international football. I always found it amazing that a first division team didnt snap him up when he was doing so well in the 2nd division. I think he helped them to the play offs a few times at Stoke but they never got promoted while he was there. Cardiff finally took him and he was class for them. Fans player of the year there too I believe, and only sold because of financial problems. Last season Wigan bought him in March and they went from a playoff team to an automatic promotion team. I think he has done very well in the premiership this season. He missed the 2 games in which Wigan didnt score or get any points and then he came back for the 3rd game and they have been class ever since.

I've always felt he had the ability, if you consistently stand out in Div1 and Div 2 you should be able to hack it at the top level and he is doing so. However his performances for Ireland have disappointed me, for a player with such experience and a team captain pretty much wherever he plays he played like a rookie.

I think Kavanagh is a very good midfielder, similar in ability to Thomas Gravesen, though maybe not as energetic. Agree with Crafty - it's unbelievable how McCarthy ignored him. And yes, a definite candidate for skipper too - very good call.

I remember watching the Danes tear a weakened England apart in the second half of a friendly at Old Trafford about 2 or 3 seasons ago, with Gravesen pulling all the strings. I thought at the time (it was pre-Keane's return) that Kavanagh could do exactly the same job for us.

In my view Glenn Whelan is the heir apparent to Kavanagh but Kavanagh should have his position in the team almost uncontested in the next 12 months.

I really think a good manager could make a pretty useful midfield from Kav, Duff, S. Reid., A. Reid, Ireland and others. It's time we stopped thinking that Kilbane has anything to offer at a high level in central mid.