Owen Garvan

[DeLorean]

Yeah United played Anderson out the left against Burnley, presumably just because he's left footed. Made no sense to me.

Ronaldo is excellent with both feet but obviously right footed. Nani, for all his faults, seems pretty cofortable off both as well.

[EalingGreen]

For some reason, and this isn't gospel, left footed players generally seem to be much weaker on their right than right footed players on their left.

There is absolutely no inherent/physiological reason why that should be, so I suspect it may be because left-footed players are simply more visible than right footers.
And even if it should be at least partially correct, I'm sure that is down to conditioning/lazy coaching.
That is, left-footed players are so valued that they are allowed to get away with not practising with their weaker foot.
Speaking personally, I often got picked on the left for teams where I wouldn't normally have been good enough to play in the centre or down the right. This was because being left-handed, people incorrectly assumed I was also left-footed (I'm left-handed/right footed, an unusual but by no means unique combination).
Anyhow, being left-handed, I was never scared of trying to kick with my "wrong" (left) foot, so that eventually I became near equally proficient/useless with both!
Consequently, if I was coaching young kids, I would actually ban them from using their "good" foot until their weaker foot improved.

[Stuttgart88]

We actually just had a "2 footedness" (ambipedalicness?) debate on the Aiden McGeady thread EG.

Arshavin is a current example of excellent 2 footedness. A player of similar talent and physique is Modric, but he's remarkably one footed I'm sure you'll agree. My club bias has nothing to do with this observation.

[tetsujin1979]

I do think the lack of left-footers in the game means they do tend to get shunted out to the left wing, rather than have their natural talent "wasted" in the centre of the pitch, where a right footer could do as well a job

[Manblue]

Cant see garvan even on the bench, did i miss something? injured or just cut

[Colbert Report]

Obviously he's one of the players that Keane was talking about when he said that he had players that wouldn't play for him again. Garvan is as good as gone tomorrow I'd say.

[Crosby87]

Keane says he had a good chat with Trigs who never heard of Garvan either, so they decided to cut this mysterious lad. Luton is looking into Garvan according to Trigs.

[tetsujin1979]

given the fans' reaction to the sale of Rhodes, and his impact at his new club, how do you feel they'll react to the sale of Garvan?

[Manc Irish Wolf]

Got a mate at work, who's an Ipswich fan who reckons that Garvan's pace and workrate are the biggest stumbling block to his future development.

Appears that Burnley are in for him in a £1million deal - if anyone can get the best out of him Coyle can, so hopefully it'll come off:

http://www.ipswichtown-mad.co.uk/new...TMNW&id=460521

Seems like Ipswich fans have mixed views:

http://www.thefootballnetwork.net/main/s78/st148590.htm

[tetsujin1979]

Garvan linked with Cardiff in the Mirror: http://www.mirrorfootball.co.uk/inco...cle218387.html
With McPhail out until the end of the year with a muscle injury, he'd be a good fit in the side.

[ifk101]

Garvan linked with Cardiff in the Mirror: http://www.mirrorfootball.co.uk/inco...cle218387.html
With McPhail out until the end of the year with a muscle injury, he'd be a good fit in the side.

Hope he gets to move away from Ipswich asap. Needs to be playing first team football and there's zero chance of that happening with Keane in charge.

[drummerboy]

Agree, I think Owen needs to get away from Keane asap. The man just doesn't rate Garvan and can be spiteful to boot. Bottom of the table all season and he hasnt really given the lad a proper run in the team.

[Ozymandias]

Agree, I think Owen needs to get away from Keane asap. The man just doesn't rate Garvan and can be spiteful to boot. Bottom of the table all season and he hasnt really given the lad a proper run in the team.

was in london last week went to reading game...I was talking to a few ipswich fans and they all to a man said garvans attitude is way off and that at the moment he is not good enough..they all said that he was their great hope when he broke through a coupl;e of years ago but he hasn't kicked on...none of them said he should be starting......interesting to get a fans viewpoint

[third policeman]

Interesting view, but I think Garvan's decline is not unconnected to Keane's arrival and his preferance for a more physical / box to box style of midfield play. Watched him play for the U21's and he still seems blessed with all the attributes to be a top player. Sometimes its actually more difficult for technically talented players to make it, because they will always be perceived in the English game as luxuries. There is therefore additional pressure on them to perform and when they do slip up its sometimes seems more conspicuous and engenders less sympathy that if a grafter loses possesion or his control lets him down. There have been too many instances of talented Irish players not fulfilling their potential in the English game, it's just a shame that there is where they inevitable end up when they may actually be better suited to European football.

[Stuttgart88]

Already a far better player than some of the donkeys Celtic seem to have in their midfield this season. I was impressed by him in the Swiss U21 game too.

[Junior]

Already a far better player than some of the donkeys Celtic seem to have in their midfield this season. I was impressed by him in the Swiss U21 game too.

A bit random there Stutts?

McGeady, Maloney, Nguemo, Brown, Robson, Crosas, McCourt, McGinn and Zhen Zhi are the main midfielders who have featured for us this year.

I like the look of Garvan but have only seen a handful of U21 performances. Celtic have been playing $hite this season, no doubt but I think your statement is a tad extreme.

I think you're views are still heavily influenced by the high qualities displayed by Donati at The Emirates

[Colbert Report]

A bit random there Stutts?

McGeady, Maloney, Nguemo, Brown, Robson, Crosas, McCourt, McGinn and Zhen Zhi are the main midfielders who have featured for us this year.

I like the look of Garvan but have only seen a handful of U21 performances. Celtic have been playing $hite this season, no doubt but I think your statement is a tad extreme.

I think you're views are still heavily influenced by the high qualities displayed by Donati at The Emirates

Why do players like McGeady and Brown (certainly head and shoulders above the rest of those names you list) stay at Celtic? Wouldn't they earn far more money playing in England? I wonder about player's motivations. If I was as good as these two, I wouldn't waste my time playing such a low standard of football, I'd rather play for a team like Bolton or Everton.

[irishfan86]

Why do players like McGeady and Brown (certainly head and shoulders above the rest of those names you list) stay at Celtic? Wouldn't they earn far more money playing in England? I wonder about player's motivations. If I was as good as these two, I wouldn't waste my time playing such a low standard of football, I'd rather play for a team like Bolton or Everton.

Well, there are other factors that come into play:

-a chance to win trophies
-European football
-playing in your home nation
-playing in front of one of the largest crowds in Britain
-in McGeady's case, playing for his childhood team

And it's not as if they're on pennies a week- those two are probably among the higher paid players in the league.

[Junior]

ColbertReport,

I had a go at answering that question for you before but seemed to have overlooked it or not taken the points on board.

http://foot.ie/forums/showthread.php...99#post1265899

Not too different to irishfan86's response below.

Well, there are other factors that come into play:

-a chance to win trophies
-European football
-playing in your home nation
-playing in front of one of the largest crowds in Britain
-in McGeady's case, playing for his childhood team

And it's not as if they're on pennies a week- those two are probably among the higher paid players in the league.

You say "I wonder about a players motivations" but in both recent posts you've made on this subject you only refer to earning more money - That might say alot about your motivations.

[Colbert Report]

ColbertReport,

I had a go at answering that question for you before but seemed to have overlooked it or not taken the points on board.

http://foot.ie/forums/showthread.php...99#post1265899

Not too different to irishfan86's response below.



You say "I wonder about a players motivations" but in both recent posts you've made on this subject you only refer to earning more money - That might say alot about your motivations.

I might have been able to buy this argument back when Celtic were getting into the Champions League group stages year after year. Now, they struggle to get out of the Europa League group stages.

As for winning trophies, what would you rather do? Play for a mid-table club in League 2 over in England or win the Dublin beer league championship? That is about the difference in standard between the SPL and the EPL.