On the plus side, 9 of our starting 11 are playing regularly in the Premiership/Championship/SPL - the exceptions being Jonny Evans and young Gorman.Originally Posted by Stuttgart88
The surreal atmosphere will surely resemble the reserve team atmosphere your players are used to
The Englishmen came over in the year 2005
But little did they know that we'd planned a wee surprise
Sir David scored the winner, and Windsor Park went wild
And this is what we sang...
Extremely odd comments from Worthlesston in relation to the team selection for Serbia. Suggests all is not well in the dressing room.
Sadly Belgian trip is now cancelled.
Oh well.
Touché.
Flanders' loss is our gain
Watching Barton now against Portugal U21s (he is a football player, remember?) and he looks like an awkward, lanky lump.
Not worth the fuss, you reckon?
No idea on this showing but he hasn't really shown any great attributes beyond his ability to foul people. He doesn't seem to be playing regular football so I guess that's a mitigating circumstance.
I think he's doing okay. One of "our" ()better players tbh - him and Towell in the middle.
tbf it's a big step up in level from the NI team.
I'd go along with that.I think he's doing okay. One of "our" (
"We lost because we didn't win"- Ronaldo
That should have been a sending off. Terrible tackle.
No answers to the BK eligibility issue??
Surely worth a few threads of it own and a national holiday for all the countries concerned??
Worthington is clueless. Never has a plan B.
The sooner we get rid the better.
I wouldn't be too harsh on Worthlesston based purely on the Serbia game.
Serbia were not necessarily the better team on the night but it was quite apparent they had the better players. Serbia were able to make substitutions that changed the game - Tosic (sp?) ran the show in the second half. Worthlesston doesn't have options like that available to him - a couple of injuries and NI are exposed as out of their depth at this level.
Their better players totally dominated the second half, so I think they were probably the better team on the night.
Tosic started the game. Ninkovic was the second-half sub man of the match. We should really have man-marked him with Baird.Serbia were able to make substitutions that changed the game - Tosic (sp?) ran the show in the second half
Most of our bench players are either kids or past their best, it's true.Worthlesston doesn't have options like that available to him - a couple of injuries and NI are exposed as out of their depth at this level
But...they lost one game by one goal, after beating Slovenia and drawing with Italy. Hardly out of depth, unless you think the Serbs were similarly so being thrashed at home by Estonia and barely scraping a draw with the Slovenes.
It's fair to blame him for, variously
a) starting a schoolboy who should be in the U-19 squad at best
b) persisting with the clearly unfit and uninterested Healy
c) only allowing Mccourtadona five minutes at the end.
NI put in a strong collective, team effort on the night throughout the game. Serbia's team didn't play in total harmony for 90 minutes.
They were better in every position during the second half. As you say yourself, they totally dominated. Questionable what benefit man-marking one player would have made.
You lost by one goal but Serbia's second half performance was a class above what NI could respond with. NI were out of their depth.
The game is a team sport. If there isn't a collective effort, the most talented team won't always win the game.
I'm sure Healy is interested in playing for NI. Silly to suggest otherwise. Whether he is fit or not is another issue but it's apparent however he can't play as a lone striker. Feeney was the other option on the bench but he is a League One player i.e. there isn't any real strength or depth available to Worthlesston.
I can agree that the decision to play a school boy in a competitive game is questionable. In hindsight to how Serbia played in the first half, McCourt could have caused havoc if played ahead of Gorman. But as Worthlesston says himself, the kids listen to what their told.
The thing that we are most irked about is that it was clear the Serbs had changed tactics second half and that those tactics were clearly trumping ours. Any idiot could have seen that we needed to make a change early second half as their goals were coming.
Paddy McCourt is probably our most gifted player in terms of technical ability and should be starting every game in all honesty, but to just give him 5 minutes at the end is a joke.
Disagree. They sat back far too negatively in the second half, repeatedly gave the ball away and failed to support each other when we (rarely) had it.
With less time on the ball, he might not have set up two goals?Questionable what benefit man-marking one player would have made
You lost by one goal but Serbia's second half performance was a class above what NI could respond with. NI were out of their depth
NI were poor. I understand your argument that the Serbs were likely to dominate once in harmony, regardless of how strong, or collective our less talented guys were; but it's contradicted by previous games in the series.
Agreed.The game is a team sport. If there isn't a collective effort, the most talented team won't always win the game
Moving at walking pace, constantly arguing with the officials and picking up a pointless booking suggest otherwise. Why are you so sure? Do you ghost-write his column? Be honest, he isn't up to it any more and isn't prepared to make the extra effort to compensate for that.I'm sure Healy is interested in playing for NI. Silly to suggest otherwise
Sorry, that should have said match-fit. He's barely played in club football since Euro 08, it's hardly a surprise.Whether he is fit or not is another issue
I recognise the lack of depth. Feeney obviously lacks Healy's past record but at least moves his arse a bit more.but it's apparent however he can't play as a lone striker. Feeney was the other option on the bench but he is a League One player i.e. there isn't any real strength or depth available to Worthlesston
If we lose to the Slovenes, it's time for a new coach and to promote some U-21 and fringe players. They just might get better, Sir David and Itsy-Bitsy won't.
Not just questionable, crazy. He has never played professional footballer. He's an A-level student who goes to Wolves third team part-time.I can agree that the decision to play a school boy in a competitive game is questionable
In hindsight- or even with foresight- you'd think that an international side would have been able to cope. I imagine they've seen Paddy's wonder-goals against Saint Mirren reserves and the likeIn hindsight to how Serbia played in the first half, McCourt could have caused havoc if played ahead of Gorman
Aye, a bit snide that. If he wants to slag off the older players, he should resign first.But as Worthlesston says himself, the kids listen to what their told
Last edited by Gather round; 28/03/2011 at 10:12 AM.
Healy's done. He has been done for quite a while now. Spent far too long sitting in the reserves in the premier league collecting a wage and now he's useless.
He should have taken a step down and moved to some team like Rangers after he left Fulham.
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