Glenn Whelan

[Snapshot]

I wasn't agonising at all to be fair but the guy had already "retired" from international football to preserve himself. He knew it himself before he made himself available for a few more run outs. He never let us down but there were moments in his last two campaigns where, on the turnover, he was beaten before the race had started.

He never retired. I'm not sure why you use inverted commas. O'Neill told him he wouldn't select him again except for a farewell game against Northern Ireland. When McCarthy contacted him Whelan said he was always available. Your terming of the Euro 2020 qualifiers, in which Whelan vindicated his selection, as a "few more run outs" is interesting.

[SkStu]

Chill out lad. I used inverted commas because it became a bit of a running joke about whether he retired or was retired… my recollection/understanding was that when McCarthy came in he made himself available again if he was needed.

He made 9 (maybe more/less?) appearances after he came back - I think - either way it was just a figure of speech. You’re reading waayyy to much into my posts, remember my initial post was very complimentary to him and that he didn’t get enough credit - so not sure what you’re trying to achieve here…

[Snapshot]

Chill out lad. I used inverted commas because it became a bit of a running joke about whether he retired or was retired… my recollection/understanding was that when McCarthy came in he made himself available again if he was needed.

He made 9 (maybe more/less?) appearances after he came back - I think - either way it was just a figure of speech. You’re reading waayyy to much into my posts, remember my initial post was very complimentary to him and that he didn’t get enough credit - so not sure what you’re trying to achieve here…

There was no need to declare himself available again - he hadn't retired. Running jokes, figures of speech, assumptions and chill-outs aside, where did you see he retired "to preserve himself"? Just for the record.

[JR89]

Might be remembering it wrong but did MON have Whelan do one of the press conferences during that window and said something himself about Whelan will captain the team for NI because it's his last game. Which left Whelan puzzled because it was obviously news to him that he was "retiring".

[Fixer82]

Yes MON made a big deal of him retiring. Essentially MON was retiring him but then he lost his job and Whelan was selected again

[seanfhear]

Yes MON made a big deal of him retiring. Essentially MON was retiring him but then he lost his job and Whelan was selected again

So Glenn actually saw Martin O'Neill retired from the Irish job !

[SkStu]

There was no need to declare himself available again - he hadn't retired. Running jokes, figures of speech, assumptions and chill-outs aside, where did you see he retired "to preserve himself"? Just for the record.

I didn’t see it anywhere. It’s how I remembered it. That some of the Irish squad would laugh about whether he retired or was retired (by MON). Happy to be corrected if I’m wrong on any of my recollection because it’s actually not that important. You are getting yourself all worked up and needlessly cranky about my interpretation of events. It’s a bit weird. He was a good servant, a good player and deserved more love. That’s all I was really saying in the first place.

[Snapshot]

I didn’t see it anywhere. It’s how I remembered it. That some of the Irish squad would laugh about whether he retired or was retired (by MON). Happy to be corrected if I’m wrong on any of my recollection because it’s actually not that important. You are getting yourself all worked up and needlessly cranky about my interpretation of events. It’s a bit weird. He was a good servant, a good player and deserved more love. That’s all I was really saying in the first place.

All worked up and needlessly cranky? Weird? Check out the Puns thread. Your masterclass lives there.

[Snapshot]

Might be remembering it wrong but did MON have Whelan do one of the press conferences during that window and said something himself about Whelan will captain the team for NI because it's his last game. Which left Whelan puzzled because it was obviously news to him that he was "retiring".

Not the report I remember but I think this explains it. It's The S*n but contains direct quotes.

https://www.thesun.ie/sport/football...-2020-denmark/

[tetsujin1979]

Interviewed in the times today
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/g...-now-nq8k5bn6d

[seanfhear]

Looking back at it ~ And Stephen Kenny's time ~ And even now ~ You wonder why we didn't over-load midfield in comparison to the opposition considering that we were and are, lacking that bit of quality in our midfielders.

Whelan says that often when we were playing, that they were often playing 2 against 3 in midfield ~ Surely that is not good tactics considering our midfielders weren't exactly world beaters at international level ! !

[Fixer82]

I recall Andrews speaking on Euro 2012 saying something like ‘it was Xavi, Iniesta and Alonso in the middle against me and Whelo!’

[Eirambler]

At least under Trap there was a kind of logic to it. His call was to play two sitting midfielders, two wingers and two centre forwards. We were effectively playing six defenders (four at the back and the two holding midfielders), four forwards (two wingers and two strikers) and basically conceding midfield out of possession and playing it direct in possession, because we knew we wouldn't win midfield anyway. It almost got us to the World Cup and did get us to the Euros, but came unstuck badly against the likes of Spain, who just lorded it over us in terms of possession and basically walked the ball in at will.

Whereas there were times under Kenny where we actually tried to play through the middle but still under resourced ourselves in there. It was bad enough trying to play through in a technical style when we so obviously didn't have the midfielders to do it, but to try to do it with only two in there against some of the lower seeds was just asking for trouble.

[Fixer82]

At least under Trap there was a kind of logic to it. His call was to play two sitting midfielders, two wingers and two centre forwards. We were effectively playing six defenders (four at the back and the two holding midfielders), four forwards (two wingers and two strikers) and basically conceding midfield out of possession and playing it direct in possession, because we knew we wouldn't win midfield anyway. It almost got us to the World Cup and did get us to the Euros, but came unstuck badly against the likes of Spain, who just lorded it over us in terms of possession and basically walked the ball in at will.

Whereas there were times under Kenny where we actually tried to play through the middle but still under resourced ourselves in there. It was bad enough trying to play through in a technical style when we so obviously didn't have the midfielders to do it, but to try to do it with only two in there against some of the lower seeds was just asking for trouble.

I do recall Andrews and Whelan both being magnificent in Paris in that Henry game