Glenn Whelan

[Kingdom]

Reading a forum like that makes me appreciate foot even more.

[theworm2345]

Reading a forum like that makes me appreciate foot even more.

In fairness to the Oatcake there are some obvious idiots but quite a few people with their heads on straight. Any forum will get knee-jerk reactions and a club forum especially considering they play more matches.

[Supreme feet]

Wilson's receiving an awful lot of stick on there too.

http://oatcakefanzine.proboards.com/...&thread=177850

He just looks out of his depth.

I know one thing: I have had enough of his inept defending

He is a liability at full back. At centre back his team were badly relegated. His opportunities in midfield were an utter joke with the guy unable to pass, tackle or track back... I know his best position - at a lower league club!

The truth can't be hidden - his signing was a mistake, he has been given ample time to prove himself.

The worse mistake would be continuing to play him

Seems a bit harsh, but I haven't been watching Stoke recently. Seems to contradict the common assumption that Trap is 'out of order' for omitting him.

[drummerboy]

Glenn Whelan just signed a new 3 and a half year contract with Stoke. Tony Pulis was singing his praises, saying he has really stepped up to the plate over the last 12 months.

[SwanVsDalton]

Glenn Whelan just signed a new 3 and a half year contract with Stoke. Tony Pulis was singing his praises, saying he has really stepped up to the plate over the last 12 months.

Same action as Andy Reid, opposite outcome.

[Murfinator]

Its interesting one as Pulis was believed to have wanted Whelan out in the summer, with Palacios in it appeared Whelans days at Stoke were numbered. But a bit of fortune with injuries to Palacios gave him another oppurtunity and he's taken it. As Pulis himself said he was proven wrong.

[Kingdom]

Its interesting one as Pulis was believed to have wanted Whelan out in the summer, with Palacios in it appeared Whelans days at Stoke were numbered. But a bit of fortune with injuries to Palacios gave him another oppurtunity and he's taken it. As Pulis himself said he was proven wrong.

Where did Pulis say this?

[geysir]

Pulis just said "He has had a fantastic time these past 12 months, and he's shown that he's a player who thrives on being challenged to step up to the next level."That's probably the Celtic blood in him and a steely determination to prove people wrong, which has included even myself on occasions."

Pulis didn't mention the details of what those occasions were about, could have been a bet that Glen couldn't do the 100m inside 20 seconds and Glen's steely determination saw him succeed.

[EAFC_rdfl]

Whelan finally spoke out about being over-run in midfield in almost every match he has played under Trap, but said he would end up out of the team if he said anything. Fair play to him, I wonder does he see the idea of Hoolahan behind a loan striker as a step in the right direction, or does he want 3 out and out midfielders starting

[geysir]

Whelan finally spoke out about being over-run in midfield in almost every match he has played under Trap, but said he would end up out of the team if he said anything. Fair play to him, I wonder does he see the idea of Hoolahan behind a loan striker as a step in the right direction, or does he want 3 out and out midfielders starting

He said he would end up out of the team if he said anything?
He is quoted as saying "He’s the manager now and if I’m told to do something I’ll try and do it."
The only implication there, is that he's asked to do things that he's a hard time doing.

I was wondering what he meant in answer to this question

Q From your point of view, were you happy to see him stay?

A “From my point of view, yeah, well, either or

either or? I know it's dubenglish but was he saying he would be happy either way, Trap in or Trap out?

Whelan outs Trap

[Crosby87]

After reading that whole interview in the other thread i wonder if the players are going to dump the Greece game on purpose.

[PatJR]

I think what he means is that he not going to concern himself with things he cannot change just get on with whatever job he is asked to do. Pretty simple, straight forward and professional attitude. I do feel sorry for Whelan, he has become probably the main target for stick and he is 100% right about the 2 versus 3 in midfield. Always looks a much better and effective player for Stoke. A regular midfielder for a few seasons in a mid table EPL team, not many Irish players fall into that category yet he's the worst there has ever been.

[dr_peepee]

Listened to him on OTB last night. He spoke of his record in recent years and how it stands up to scrutiny. Which to be fair it does on paper. I wonder does he attribute any of it to playing under Trap and what he's learned? Basically when i hear Didi Hamman giving Trap credit for how he brought him on as a central midfielder at Bayern I've oftern wondered has Whelan benefitted in the same manner and would he acknowledge as much....

[EAFC_rdfl]

He said he would end up out of the team if he said anything?
He is quoted as saying "He’s the manager now and if I’m told to do something I’ll try and do it."
The only implication there, is that he's asked to do things that he's a hard time doing.

I was wondering what he meant in answer to this question

Q From your point of view, were you happy to see him stay?

A “From my point of view, yeah, well, either or

either or? I know it's dubenglish but was he saying he would be happy either way, Trap in or Trap out?

Whelan outs Trap

Ok maybe I need to be even clearer - if he said anything....about being over run in midfield. hows that?
I listened back to him speaking on todayfm sport from 8:30 this morning - his exact quote was "...you do what he says, cause if you don't you're not going to get picked".

[geysir]

Listened to him on OTB last night. He spoke of his record in recent years and how it stands up to scrutiny. Which to be fair it does on paper. I wonder does he attribute any of it to playing under Trap and what he's learned? Basically when i hear Didi Hamman giving Trap credit for how he brought him on as a central midfielder at Bayern I've oftern wondered has Whelan benefitted in the same manner and would he acknowledge as much....

Didi Hamman had more ability for Trap to uncover
Hard to say whether Whelan would or would not be the same player for Stoke if Trap had not adopted him all those years ago. It certainly did him no harm. He's the type of player with the attitude that garnered respect from coaches and he learned from them.

[geysir]

Ok maybe I need to be even clearer - if he said anything....about being over run in midfield. hows that?
I listened back to him speaking on todayfm sport from 8:30 this morning - his exact quote was "...you do what he says, cause if you don't you're not going to get picked".

And what manger would tolerate a player not following his orders?
You have to admit that it's quite different to what you first thought Glenn said.
He did say that it's not for him to go and tell the manager that he's not going to play that role.
There are two things, he's not happy with the criticism being leveled at our midfield which means he personally has (unfairly) taken the brunt of some of the criticism directed and he's not happy with the way the midfield is set up from a competitive point of view.
He's shoved the responsibility entirely back onto Trap for the way midfield are set up to play.
I think at this stage this is not shocking news as the issue of Trap's intransigence has dominated discussions around the team since before we went to the Euro Finals.

[paul_oshea]

Well before we had qualified for the Euros too, I might add.

Still its fairly damning saying "if you don't do what he says you don't get picked". I think they, the players, know given what's gone on in the past few months, they are shielded from being dropped by Trap because there is a witchhunt being conducted by the media, rightfully so to an extent. They would never have come out and said this before, even though they felt it. He clearly blames the system for how badly the midfield has performed, with him in that midfield. If any salt to what you say, then assuming its changed to a 3 man midfield, with him in that 3 man midfield, and his performances are still pretty abject, then we can judge Whelan fairly(and fully).

[geysir]

...He clearly blames the system for how badly the midfield has performed, with him in that midfield. If any salt to what you say, then assuming its changed to a 3 man midfield, with him in that 3 man midfield, and his performances are still pretty abject, then we can judge Whelan fairly(and fully).

I think by now (after 5 years?) we know what Whelan is about as a player.
The issue is more to do with our midfield as unit, how it performs with the ball at their feet instead of hoofing it upfront or knocking it back to the goalie and how it competes against other midfields.

[Stuttgart88]

And what manger would tolerate a player not following his orders?
You have to admit that it's quite different to what you first thought Glenn said.
He did say that it's not for him to go and tell the manager that he's not going to play that role.
There are two things, he's not happy with the criticism being leveled at our midfield which means he personally has (unfairly) taken the brunt of some of the criticism directed and he's not happy with the way the midfield is set up from a competitive point of view.
He's shoved the responsibility entirely back onto Trap for the way midfield are set up to play.
I think at this stage this is not shocking news as the issue of Trap's intransigence has dominated discussions around the team since before we went to the Euro Finals.

Nor is it news - Whelan has commented on this in the past.

[paul_oshea]

Ah he hasn't been as outright just that he had mentioned that he preferred 2 in the middle. He has clearly come out and said "you do what he says or you dont play", which could be taken as, he doesn't really listen to anyone else, including tardelli, and the consequences are not good for those who dont "play ball", as we have seen in the past.