Irish Wolves and Opposition Irish

Wilson is not a great at the left back position and not as good as Ward there. And that was obvious in that game against Stoke.
Everybody and their dog noted Ward's poor distribution in his first competitive internationals for us.

Anyway, judging a full back by his ability to whip in crosses is just another version of hoof football. It's nice if a full back can do a 40m inswinger, but more important in an attacking sense, is his play with the ball on the ground, his ability to beat a player with the ball, hold onto possession, pass the ball to feet and sending the ball into the box from outside the box.

Originally Posted by drummerboy

Don't know how you could justify someone like Cunningham playing ahead of Ward.

Trapattoni had no problem overlooking Ward for Cunningham in the past.

Originally Posted by drummerboy

The young lad is playing for a struggling team at the bottom of the championship, and is hardly pulling up trees.

What was he doing when he was first capped?

Originally Posted by drummerboy

Ward is also a work in progress,

Evidently.

Originally Posted by drummerboy

but is a further up the ladder than Cunningham.

He is playing at a higher level than Cunningham at the moment. Doesn't necessarily mean he is the better option now and the better long term option.

Originally Posted by drummerboy

As regards Wilson; he is paying for his lack of interest last summer and rightly so.

Shame the same standards aren't applied to the other players that went missing then. Or does Wilson deserve to be singled out for special treatment.

Originally Posted by geysir

Wilson is not a great at the left back position and not as good as Ward there. And that was obvious in that game against Stoke.

Well you are entitled to your opinion. I disagree.

Originally Posted by geysir

Everybody and their dog noted Ward's poor distribution in his first competitive internationals for us.

Yes and it should be noted his positioning was (very) poor as well. Still is.

Originally Posted by geysir

Anyway, judging a full back by his ability to whip in crosses

I used his crossing ability to highlight that it was an area of his game that wasn't particularly good. This was in response to your comment about his ability to get forward and support. A full back that gets forward and offers support should excel in to overlapping and putting in (good quality) crosses. Ward's crossing ability has been poor in the internationals he has played.

Originally Posted by geysir

is just another version of hoof football.

That is our gameplan.

Originally Posted by geysir

It's nice if a full back can do a 40m inswinger,

I'd be happy with less.

Originally Posted by geysir

but more important in an attacking sense, is his play with the ball on the ground, his ability to beat a player with the ball, hold onto possession, pass the ball to feet and sending the ball into the box from outside the box.

Better not let fantasy get the better of you. Trapattoni doesn't encourage his full backs to beat players, hold onto possession or pass to feet. Ward doesn't do this anyways.

Ward was booked for diving in the box - this is the most adventurous thing a full back has ever done under Trapattoni. He's not Philip Lahm but he does get forward and try to link up with his winger more than Kilbane or O'Shea ever did.

ifk101, I'm sorry but criticising Ward for poor positioning and advocating Wilson hardly makes any sense. Wilson is not a natural left-back and gets caught in the wrong position many a time. Pulis even said recently that he doesn't expect Wilson to play there long-term. He's simply filling in there at the moment because he's a good, versatile defensive player and they haven't had a better option there.

ifk101, Trap blooded Cunningham in a friendly, and rightly so. The lad is unlikely to be ready for competitive internationals for a couple of years yet. I reckon Wilson would be an asset to the squad because of his versatility. However I think Trap is within his rights to leave him out of the squad until the player realises what commitment is expected of him to play for the ROI. McCarthy seems to have convinced Trap, that he is committed.

Originally Posted by drummerboy

ifk101, Trap blooded Cunningham in a friendly, and rightly so. The lad is unlikely to be ready for competitive internationals for a couple of years yet. I reckon Wilson would be an asset to the squad because of his versatility. However I think Trap is within his rights to leave him out of the squad until the player realises what commitment is expected of him to play for the ROI. McCarthy seems to have convinced Trap, that he is committed.

At the time of Cunningham's first cap, Ward was more deserving of getting his game ahead of Cunningham. But Trapattoni went with Cunningham. When the opportunity came to try out somebody else at LB, Trapattoni went with Clark ahead of Ward. Even in the game Ward made his debut, Wilson was selected ahead of him to start. I don't think Ward at LB has been a total failure but he hasn't convinced that he is the best option. I believe other players not currently in the team (Wilson and Cunningham) are better options than Ward. Trapattoni's unwillingness to try out Ward before this summer suggests to me that he is of similar mind but that circumstances pushed him into selecting Ward and sticking with him.

Originally Posted by Irwin3

ifk101, I'm sorry but criticising Ward for poor positioning and advocating Wilson hardly makes any sense. Wilson is not a natural left-back and gets caught in the wrong position many a time. Pulis even said recently that he doesn't expect Wilson to play there long-term. He's simply filling in there at the moment because he's a good, versatile defensive player and they haven't had a better option there.

You don't need to be sorry. Ward doesn't have good positioning and yes Wilson isn't great in that regard either. (Ward isn't a full back by trade btw.) But overall I think Wilson or Cunningham are better options at LB than Ward.

At the very least Ward or Tierney should be played in a friendly match to check / ensure we have adequate cover. If this results in one of them leap frogging Ward into the starting line up
then so be it. If its for the good of the team that's great

Has anyone seen Cunningham play since his return to football?

Wilson is not a first choice left back for us, anybody who thinks so should observe him at LB in a game, his positioning is one of his lesser faults, he does not bring anything more to the FB position other than acceptable conservative functionality.
He has the look of a centre half or maybe at a stretch - centre midfield. I'd like to see him get a chance in a friendly.

Originally Posted by geysir

Has anyone seen Cunningham play since his return to football?

Wilson is not a first choice left back for us, anybody who thinks so should observe him at LB in a game, his positioning is one of his lesser faults, he does not bring anything more to the FB position other than acceptable conservative functionality.
He has the look of a centre half or maybe at a stretch - centre midfield. I'd like to see him get a chance in a friendly.

In fairness, Stoke are a team of centre halfs

In fairness wilson is right footed who is really a centre midfielder and has simply covered left full cause higgonbottom done his cruciate.Hopefully he gets his chance as a defensive midfielder he is no centre half lacks the physical ability and marking ability

Long was VERY good tonight against Newcastle, although he missed a very easy chance. He seems to be prone to missing some easy ones.

With the dip in form of Doyle, surely Long has to move up the pecking order for the Ireland team?

Well it's over two months until the next game so it's kind of irrelevant at the moment.

Originally Posted by MeathDrog

Long was VERY good tonight against Newcastle, although he missed a very easy chance. He seems to be prone to missing some easy ones.

With the dip in form of Doyle, surely Long has to move up the pecking order for the Ireland team?

It certainly merits consideration.

Originally Posted by MeathDrog

With the dip in form of Doyle, surely Long has to move up the pecking order for the Ireland team?

Long and Walters should be ahead of Doyle now. To me Doyle should be our 4th choice striker on current form.

Originally Posted by TrapAPony

Long and Walters should be ahead of Doyle now. To me Doyle should be our 4th choice striker on current form.

Yeah, he should be. But you've got to bear in mind that the number two striker is going to be the best man to partner no.1 pick Robbie Keane. Is Long or Doyle or Walters that man? I'd like to think Long though.

This is a really critical time for Mick McCarthy, Wolves and Doyle's career and he seems unable to produce the goods. It's all somewhat disappointing. One would hope that he can find his form in time for Poland and to pull Wolves out of their current position.

Originally Posted by Olé Olé

Yeah, he should be. But you've got to bear in mind that the number two striker is going to be the best man to partner no.1 pick Robbie Keane. Is Long or Doyle or Walters that man? I'd like to think Long though.

Walters for me

Hard to tell with Hunt, but I think he's down to play at cm today.

he is ye, i've been watching with interest, done ok so far, tidy every time he has the ball and been harrying when they don't which is most of the time

1-1. A deflected Hunt shot from a corner goes to Fletcher and his header trickles into the corner. Forde playing OK - needs to show a bit more in attack though considering that's where most of Wolves chances come from.

Goal for Wolves, made by …. Hunt.

Wolves odds slashed from 100/1 to 20/1