O'Shea

[carnstien]

O'Shea seems to be getting a slating over the Isreal game but I was just wondering to myself that if the penalty, which anyone who has ever watched a game of football will know would not have been awarded 999 times out of 1000, had not been given, would anyone have bothered to comment on his performace at all?

OK he wasn't exactly magnificent but apart from that penalty I find it hard to see that he did a great deal wrong. He wasn't really even in the game, niether were any of our back four as most of the play was up the other end!

It seems amazing to me that O'Shea gets slated for what wasn't even a mistake and the likes of Holland and Kilbane get away with putting in two of the most shocking performaces I have ever seen from an Irish player. Even Duff had a poor game but not a word on him either...

And no I'm not a Man U fan.

[NeilMcD]

I think the reason is as I an see from you posts is that you like a player that can pass the ball (nothing wrong with that). O Shea has the potential to be a good passer but his confidence is shot at the moment. What he does not have and Kilbane and Holland do have,is fight. Holland is limited but on Sat he put his foot in a few times. So did Kilbane. This sort of thing makes them liked by supporters. O shea is going to have a hard time cause he does not dominate his man and for the size of him he is easily pushed off the ball. Anyway I think the basic reason is that Kilbane and HOlland put their foot in and thats the reason they dont get slated for their lack of ability.

[JimmyP]

Aside from the penalty, I thought he had a complete nightmare.
I'd be posing the complete opposite of your question: how is it he consistently gets away with murder and still makes it in to everyone's preferred line-up selections?
The sooner Man Utd. drop him, the better for Ireland, in my opinion. I honestly wish we were able to forget about this guy...

[eirebhoy]

O'Shea was woeful on Saturday. He wasn't just doing his usual passing to the opposition, this time he decided to take the throw in's straight to the opposition.

[stojkovic]

Aside from the penalty, I thought he had a complete nightmare.
I'd be posing the complete opposite of your question: how is it he consistently gets away with murder and still makes it in to everyone's preferred line-up selections?
The sooner Man Utd. drop him, the better for Ireland, in my opinion. I honestly wish we were able to forget about this guy...

I totally agree.
I did not know at the time why the peno was given and who was at fault so it did not cloud my judgement of O'Shea's performance - he was muck as usual. Only found out he gave away the peno when I got back to the pub.
O'Shea gave away the ball almost every time he got it.
We cant afford to carry a player who lacks confidence, let him get that with his club, not with us. I wonder if Keano is maybe picking the team nowadays.

[Green Army Girl]

I think John O'Shea is one of the worst players we have ever had he reminds me of a taller Terry Phelan. He does not play to his strenghts which are his height and his pace. When the team your playing has about three or so shots on goal and they put 2 of them away there is a problem with your defence and i remember the majority of those shots were coming from the wing. He ialways seem to be getting caught out.

I believe in giving everyone a chance but i think John O'Shea has had enough
of them.

[anto1208]

i dont know how many times instead of playing an easy ball to reid or duff on his wing , he tried to play a long cross feild ball to the other side , which arrived at head height and was normally knocked down to no one or intercepted .

[swinfordfc]

Harte even better than him ...enough say!!!!!!!!

[Kingdom]

Let's be honest about O'Shea. All this criticism isn't new. This has been consistent on his part. When he was playing on the left he's been dire. When he has played in the middle he has been dire. And last Saturday? Yep dire. A centre half (that is what he is) should be a strong in the tackle and strong in the air, and if he is a great passer its a bonus.

It's obvious he will play against the Faroes but it will probably be at centre half as Carr surely has to come back into the team and will Kerr drop Harte (he was as good/bad as anybody else against Israel) .

O'Shea needs a slap of a wet kipper in the face, a box in the back of the head or bloody something to stir a bit of aggression in him. He acts like a fcuking child sometimes. To me there never seems to be any urgency about O'Shea. Certainly his performances don't warrent selection currently.

He reminds me of a lad I was in school with. This guy was a giant 6'4" as an U14, massive kick but such a baby on a football field, zero aggression in him.

[ken foree]

wants to be rio??

[Anto McC]

He was absolutely ****e on Saturday and it's the only consistant part of his game.

[TerryPhelan]

I think John O'Shea is one of the worst players we have ever had he reminds me of a taller Terry Phelan.

I have never been so offended in my life. I've had some stick in my time, but never have my good name been dragged down so far as it was by this comment. Compared to John O'Shea. It's right up there with being jeered against Scotland in 2000 by my home fans. Ouch.

[FarBeag]

I have always said O'Shea is a liability, blaming a loss in confidence is only a diversion away from how bad he really is.i can honestly say that i have never seen him have a good game no matter where on the team he plays.He reminds me of a young child running away from you while you do the shopping and is then unable to find his way back.I really can't believe that he gets a run in the Man U team and i really hope he goes as i cant see him playing anywhere in another team long enough before they realise he is muck.There is no way you can compare him to the others who without question will have the odd bad game but not every fcuking match the play unlike the donkey himself.

[McCanada]

Having just read this thread, it seems that EVERYONE thinks O'Shea is overrated. I'm no exception of course...To look at him, he has all the physical tools you need - probably moreso than any other Irish player. However, to me he lacks that footballing brain first and foremost, and yes, he does appear lazy as can be at times.

If he wasn't a ManU player, I highly doubt he would be one of Kerr's fixtures in the team. I just wish he signed with a smaller club when he moved to England, a Southhampton or Sunderland instead of United. I think he would have been made a striker as a youngster, and we may have a pretty good striker in our team now given those tools, instead of a defender or 'midfielder'. God help us all if he ever plays in midfield for Ireland.