It just shows you how **** Cunningham is
Did anyone truthfully ever see that coming? Hourihane is our most creative midfielder and a goal threat I would have thought we needed to give him more time to feel confident in midfield and to impose himself in that position. Surely at this point in time mcclean who has played left full for stoke would be much more likely to play there against Georgia than conor?
It’s pretty amusing. He’s left legged, so he must be okay at left back. Mick trying to make a Stephen Ward out of him.
Let’s hope Mick comes to his senses by the time the competitive game comes by. Coleman, Doherty, Manning, probably Cunningham are better options at left back in absence of Stevens. Christ I’d even trust O’Connor or Leahy more than I would Hourihane at left back.
The ball had scarcely left Hourihane's foot and although on a most favourable trajectory, had yet to find the Georgian net. But Mick's inspiration exists independent of time as we know it and in those precious milliseconds, pregnant with possibility, an ulterior prospect exited the birth canal of his dilated mind. It spread quickly to his heart, which warmed intensely at the notion. His tummy, usually inhospitable to emotions or wildlife of any kind, allowed the presence of a lone butterfly for a fleeting instant.
“I've f**king done it” his synapses sparkled.
...
“I've found the new Hartey.”
It shows that he was speaking nonsense before in relation to not promoting the lads from the u21s. I think he said he wouldn't learn anything of note from a friendly against Bulgaria. Yet he is using it now as a full dress rehearsal for Conor to play at LB against Georgia.
I dion't think he is. In The Indo he is quoted as saying that he hopes Doherty will be fit again. He also says very specifically that if the U21s didn't have an important match he'd call some of them up.
I like this Hourihane idea. It's a shot to nothing. If it works great. If not it's no loss.
Playing well at left-back against Bulgaria is not going to be evidence enough of an ability to cope there against better opposition.
I'd be much happier putting a round peg in a round hole. It has worked before, Meyler at right-back being a notable example, but on the whole I don't see this as being a worthwhile experiment, particularly given the near certainty of him playing in midfield in the qualifiers going forward.
I'm not a fan myself. If new midfielders and forwards are to be tried I'd prefer if they were played with their likely partners in a real game. That way a forward like Hogan for example and Hourihane can get to learn each other's movements and get on the same wavelength. That said, I do want to see Browne and Byrne playing, probably also Cullen and O'Dowda could do with another outing. So if that requires Hourihane making way that's fine. We'll at least have his set pieces still, and it may even be a revelation - though I agree with livehead about pegs and holes.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/amp/world...mpression=true
I know it's mid afternoon on matchday but is there way we can show support for this woman at tonights game? We have minutes silence for every Tom, Dick or Harry who ever sat on a county committee. Someone who has sacrificed her life for the right to watch football seems somewhat more deserving.
Shocking that this sort of thing is going on yet as I type this (literally) Iran are playing in a World Cup qualifier against Hong Kong as if they are any other normal country (they are 2-0 up after 59 mins).
Confirmed that Egan will captain. I guess that means that Coleman Duffy and McClean won’t start. You’d imagine Keogh and Randolph and Hendrick would captain be ahead of him...
So maybe:
Travers
Christie
Egan
Long
Hourihane
Cullen
Browne
Byrne
Judge
O’Dowda
Hogan / Collins
Ye UCD lads must be awful embarrassed now, eh? Eh?
And now it's a B international... the one thing we all didn't want it to be... Ah Mick, I think you're great, but seriously... is this the best use of a single friendly in the middle of some vital qualifiers, when your main team is still pretty makeshift? Watch now, Travers will save a penalty, Long and Egan will be rocks in defence, Hourihane will be a revelation, Browne and Cullen will dominate midfield, O'Dowda will torment the Bulgarian defence and Hogan will get a brace in a 3-0 win
Time for a 4th!
Great debut for Byrne here. Seriously impressive, even if it is a poor Bulgarian team with a wojus keeper
Bookmarks