QuoteHopefully he'll play on Saturday against a certain Scottish team whose name is banned on this forum. I'm going & will have my talent scouting cap on.Originally Posted by Qwerty
Timlin scored for Fulham against Schalke - the noises out of Fulham about this kid are all very positive, he could get some games this coming season, particularly as the Fulham squad seems to get a bit thinner each passing year.
Hopefully he'll play on Saturday against a certain Scottish team whose name is banned on this forum. I'm going & will have my talent scouting cap on.
Get fulham match report here
Trimlin gets a couple of mentions for a crunching tackle and a tidy finish into the corner of the net when fulham were 3-0 down
Pearce mentions Flood while talking about the importance of the city reserves for developing players for the 1st team.
"Players like Willo Flood have got to do a job in the reserves and Steve Wigley (Reserve Coach) has to teach them the game the way we wanted it played." - Stuart Pearce
Link to full story here
As a city fan I've heard that Flood is highly rated by the club and by Pearce, however the suspicion is that he needs to strengthen up a bit more. Another youngster Lee Croft has jumped ahead of him in the pecking as cover for SWP. I thought he was always a right winger (can anyone confirm this?) but I think he's been playing centrally for the reserves to build up that strength.
Can only hope for a break through towards the end of the season i reckon, barring injuries (or sales!) that is
Potter played for Liverpool against TNS last night. I thought he played okay but didn't do anything to suggest that he might break into Benitez's first 11 on a regular basis. I'd prefer to see him getting a few games in the centre of midfield instead of on the right. He looks a bit too gangly for a wide player.
Match report here:
http://www.liverpoolfc.tv/news/drill...50714-1135.htm
Aye, he's certainly not the type of player you play on the right, he's much better in a central role.
Elliot and Murphy were both in action yesterday as Sunderland took on British Columbia All Stars in their first pre-season friendly. It finished 1 - 0. Elliot isn't mentioned in the report but Murphy apparently missed a glorious chance to open his account.
Report here:
http://www.safc.com/news/?page_id=7472
Last edited by youngirish; 15/07/2005 at 12:30 PM.
Was at The Arsenal - Barnet game today.
Anthony Stokes came on at half time in what was a basically a reserve team for the second half. He played on the right side of midfield with Lupoli playing up front with David Bentley playing behind him. Stokes didn't do an awful lot in the game and spurned a good chance from about 5 yards out on one occasion. On the plus side he didn't give the ball away much and made some good darting runs at pace, looks like an intelligent footballer.
Nicklas Bendter, came on about 15 minutes into the second half and immediately went up front alongside Lupoli with Bently remaining in behind in a front 3. Stokes continued to play as right sided midfielder for the duration of the game. Bendter looked useful up front. Quick for a big man and good in the air
It appears that Mr. Wenger sees Stokes as a midfielder more than a striker with his choice of playing the other 3 in that position. Perhaps he may try him out up front in an other game but as I suspected there appears to be others in front of him in the forward positions.
Lupoli looked sharp up front but sometimes his touch let him down in front of goal. His movement was impressive.
Bentley's touches were sublime and looked like the more senior player in this group. He'll be there or there abouts this year I reckon.
Overall, great to see Stokes get a game and was very impressed with his touch and he's bigger and more physical than I remember. Definetly one for the future but perhaps not just yet. Definetly rated by Wenger however and as I said on a previous post, he is younger than the rest of the boys.
on a side note, Alexander Hleb was impressive, great touch, control and excellent pace. Scoring 2 minutes into your debut usually helps settle you in nicely too.
Last edited by Karlos; 18/07/2005 at 8:47 AM.
Foot.ie - NFL Fantasy Football Champion, 2006!
Stephen Ireland was in action for City against both Tranmere and Macclesfield at the weekend. Flood and Bermingham played a half each in the second match.
Match Report from city's site for Tranmere game:
City arrived at Prenton Park with a buzz surrounding Shaun Wright-Phillips following Chelsea's failed bid for the winger. On the field though, his brother came closest to giving the 1,000 or so City faithful in the crowd a buzz.
City fielded Qatar trialist Yassa Hussain for their first summer outing and both he and the team made a bright start. Blues first real chance came after 10 minutes.
Ireland's ball over the top sent Bradley Wright-Phillips clear, and despite a neat finish past the on-rushing Achterberg, Ian Sharps was there to clear the ball off the line. It fell again to the young striker but this time his fierce drive struck the left hand post.
City kept the pressure on and moments later Ishmael Miller glanced a header wide after a cross from the alert Hussain. Despite the game labelled a 'friendly', the tackles flying in suggested it was anything but. Tranmere went for power up front with Eugene Dadi hoping to cause City skipper Richard Dunne a few problems.
But it was City who were asking the questions. And after a few scrappy attempts to clear by Rovers, Wright-Phillips drove a shot in on goal, only to see Achterberg parry to safety after 35 minutes. The chances kept coming and following a Hussain corner from the left Wright-Phillips flashed a header over from four yards out.
The host's first decent chance came just before half time and fell to Jason McAteer after a dangerous corner. But City came back again and the Tranmere stopper produced a great save to prevent Wright-Phillips the goal he deserved. Plenty of opportunities for City, but they just haven't managed to claim the vital opener.
teams for tonight...
Tranmere Rovers
Acherberg; Linwood, Roberts, Jackson, Sharps; McAteer (c), Aiston, Rankine, Tremarco; Zola, Dadi
Manchester City
de Vilieger; Warrander, Thatcher, Sommeil, Dunne (c); Reyna, Sinclair, Hussain, Ireland; Miller, B. Wright-Phillips
Match Report from city's site for Macclesfield game:
Macclesfield v City
Robbie Fowler, Trevor Sinclair and Joey barton were all unavailable for City's second pre-season warm up game through injury. Shaun Wright-Phillips was a late withdrawal having felt unwell when he arrived at the Moss Rose Ground.
The home side took a shock early lead within three minutes when Jon Parkin slotted the ball past De Vlieger after breaking free between Sylvain Distin and David Sommeil.
The Blues struck back within five minutes when they levelled the scores with a crisply taken finish by trialist Yasser Hussain. The midfielder stroked the ball home from close range after Stephen Ireland's shot was parried by Fetis.
City could have taken the lead as both Sylvain Distin and Willo Flood had shots saved by the Macclesfield stopper.
A neat one two crisp passing move between Willo Flood and Danny Warrender cracked open the home defence but a last ditch tackle by Kevin Sandwith denied the City defender who had signed a new one year deal last month.
Minutes later Bradley Wright-Phillips missed a great opportunity at the far post just failing to get power behind his header after Willo Flood had got the cross in from the right as City began to dominate.
Just short of the half hour mark City were again denied the lead when Claudio Reyna eight yard shot rebounded off the upright following a corner from the left.
City continued to control the first half with Claudio Reyna hammering in a well struck drive only to see Alan Fetis again deny him and the Blues went in at the break on level terms
Richard Dunne, Stephen Jordan and Danny Mills were among the replacements for the second forty five minutes with Kasper Schmeichel going between the posts in place of Geert De Vlieger.
Lee Croft, playing in an out and out striker's role casued a few problems with his trickery in the home defence and trialist Hussein continued to impress.
But City failed to create any real goal scoring chances and were rarely tested in defence by the home side.
Teams:
Macclesfield: Fettis, Bailey, Sandwith, Morley, Swailes, Bullock, Harsley, Parkin, Miles, Beresford, McIntyre
City: De Vlieger,(Schmeichel) Warrender,(Mills) Sommeil,(Dunne) Distin,(Richards) Thatcher,(Jordan) Flood,(Bradley Wright-Phillips) Ireland, Reyna,(D'Laryea) Hussain, Bradley Wright-Phillips,(Croft) Bermingham.(Miller).
i thought dunne was recovering from not one but two operations.. or did he not have them?
He did and it's going to cost his place on the Ireland squad unfortunately.
2 operations, one on each ankle, he had it done with about 3 weeks to go to the end of last season.
I doubt it'll cost him his place in the squad, but very possibly his starting place, I expect the centre halves in the next squad to be Dunne, Cunningham, Breen, O'Brien, all hopefully first choice for their club sides
It certainly won't. It may cost him a place in the 1st 11, but if anything were to happen to o'brien or kenny, he'd be in straight away.
I reckon the big man should be starting with Kenny if O'Brien doesn't pull his socks up a bit this season. Being a City fan I really rate him. Don't think I'm alone in that opinion either...
Here's what some of the city fans have been saying in the wake of SWP's departure:
Who's your favorite city player now?
Ireland, Bermingham and Flood have all been included in Man City's 21 man squad for Asia Cup trip. Check out the link here:
http://www.mcfc.co.uk/default.sps?pageid=115&pagegid={DBD12D53-8346-431D-A04F-5D0F8664DE80}&newsid=200991&siteid=&pageno=&newsca tegory=1051&frommonth=5&fromyear=2005&tomonth=7&to year=2005
Good news for the coming season, I know Ireland in particular is rated very highly and he seemed to do well in the other pre-season games.
Anyone know anything about Bermingham? Surprised he's in the squad as he wasn't even a regular starter in the reserves last season though he must be half decent if Pearce has included him.
Willo needs a few good workouts in the gym if he wants to take up where SWP left off last season.
Birmingham was a regular scorer for the reserves last season up until Christmas when Miller was promoted from the academy side, he even knocked 4 in against United in a Manchester Senior Cup game. He is highly rated, but I think Miller might have jumped ahead of him in the queue. As it stands Man City have 2 recognised senior strikers - Fowler and Bradley Wright-Phillips - with Cole to join. I'd imagine Bermingham and Miller are on the trip to gain experience at senior level, so they can be called upon if injuries or suspensions need it, and they (Miller and Bermingham) will be the 2 first choice strikers for the reserve side this season.
Incidentally, if you check the squad pages on Man City's newly designed webpage - here - Stephen Ireland is down as a striker, even though he plays in midfield!
It also says he's only 16. I'm sure I seen an article on him earlier in the year saying he turned eighteen. Is that DOB correct?
Paddy McCarthy is starting for Leicester against ****** just now. Maybury and McGeady also starting. I'll let you know how they got on for those that don't have Setanta/****** TV/Channel 67.
A match synopsis would be appreciated. I didn't see any of it.
Darren Potter played last night & won the penalty for Liverpool's first goal according to BBC.
McGeady was very quiet. He gave the ball away a few times and didn't really do too much on it.
Maybury was solid. He was marking McGeady. McGeady did beat him once or twice but thats about it.
McCarthy was the best of the Irish. Absolute rock. Leicester held a really high line and McCarthy and the other centre half were rarely caught out. Looks like he'll start the season in the Leicester first 11.
Last edited by eirebhoy; 20/07/2005 at 8:27 AM.
Posting Permissions
Bookmarks