Quotehttp://www.football365.com/f365-feat...8/Transfers365
A few good stats to demonstrate how good he was last season.
Gone off with a knee injury early on at WHL. You'd have to think he'll miss the FA Cup semi final at Wembley next weekend, major blow for him if so.
Last edited by DeLorean; 11/04/2015 at 2:33 PM.
http://www.football365.com/f365-feat...8/Transfers365
A few good stats to demonstrate how good he was last season.
To be offered a new contract if one can believe The Mirror
Originally Posted by DeLorean
I've said this elsewhere but I think it's time he took O'Sheas place in the side
Bring Back Belfast Celtic F.C.
As good as Clark has been for much of this season, O'Shea was immense against Scotland. Can't imagine a team without him at the moment. Clark and O'Shea is a short-term partnership but may be our best, as opposed to Wilson and O'Shea, when all are fit.
We'll have to agree to disagree about O'Shea vs Scotland.
But he's still 34. Mother Nature & Father Time are coming for him one way or the other. Gibraltar (a) and Georgia (h) are the perfect fixtures to hand the baton on.
Bring Back Belfast Celtic F.C.
He is the top ranked player in the stats for both Ireland and Villa.
our natural successor to o shea but think O Shea has been really good this campaign and was excellent against scotland absolutely owned fletcher. Clark will add more incisive passing ability but then everyone will freak out when he gives a few balls away. wilsons ambidextrous ability(he is naturally right footed isnt he?) is a major bonus cause Clark certainly isnt.
I agree with you about O'Shea. He wasn't anything like "immense" as described by Ole Ole. O'Shea remains among the worst defenders ever to wear the green of Ireland.
Completely disagree. He has always shown up for his country and always put in an honest and effective performance. Far from the best defender to have worn the green but very, very far from the worst.
O'Shea was very solid against Scotland by the way.
That's a ridiculous statement to make. He's one of the best defenders ever to wear the green of Ireland - his only misfortune is to have rarely been able to line out with players of his own calibre.
Ah come on! He helped win a european championship for us under 16 in '98 and has had a very good career since. We were solid as a rock at the back against scotland he did'nt give them one half chance, Its not his fault whelan and hendrick feel asleep for a routine one two. the deflection was pure fluke.
No blame on him for the goal at all.
I haven't watched the game back, so I'm not going to get involved in dissecting his performance against Scotland. But every time the ball goes near him I'm terrified about him giving away a penalty. He is very fond of a bit of holding on and shirt pulling.
Bring Back Belfast Celtic F.C.
He's a penalty waiting to happen that boy.
It was an unlucky deflection for the goal and aside from that he cleared everything that came near him in the air and dealt comfortably with everything on the ground. Completely nullified the threat of Fletcher.
Ludicrous statement, I think ("among the worst defenders..."). And there are many who will argue that he was something like "immense".
Can I ask how you think Whelan played? I bet you'll tell me he was poor too.
Clark has spent a good portion of his development in the middle of the park and it shows. He has a willingness to try more incisive passes and, of course, these passes are more punishable when they go awry deeper in his own half.
25 is young enough for a centre half though and I think he has a bright future ahead of him in the green jersey.
Anyone fancy Clark and O'Shea in the centre, Wilson at left back and Brady further up the field? Issue is that I think O'Neill prefers McClean, Walters and McGeady on his wings meaning that Brady's deliveries lead to him being accommodated at left back (no insult intended by using the word "accommodate", I just think he's clearly one of the most technically-gifted attacking footballers we've managed to produce in the last 5 years).
Wilson's a very good centre half but a fairly rubbish full back. Ward is miles better despite the fashion being to pan him. I'd be happy with either Wilson or Clark alongside O'Shea. We need a gnarly old head at the back, so O'Shea has to play, but behind him Clark, Wilson and Keogh are all more comfortable with the ball than without.
Wilson is 27 now. He is coming up on 25 caps. He is the gnarly old head.
It's Clark and Wilson for me, with Duffy not far away if he gets over his injury.
On the statement that O'Shea is "among the worst defenders ever to wear the green of Ireland", it depends what you mean by play. If you are comparing him to the guys who got a significant number of caps, the like of Dunne, Moran, McCarthy and O'Leary, he probably is. If you include Paul Butler he definitely isn't.
Bring Back Belfast Celtic F.C.
It's just a ridiculous statement that doesn't deserve further analysis really.
Posting Permissions
Bookmarks