Kenny obviously doesn't rate Clark - one of those now rare Irish species, a regular EPL performer over a number of seasons. The experienced Clark would have been the obvious replacement for O'Shea. As it was, young Omobamidele did well but IMO (numerous replays, camera angles) he was all over the place for the second goal. Again, I'm unashamedly pushing Clark's case here, his ridiculous omission cost Ireland a draw at least.
I think for balance it's fair to point out that Ciaran has been a bit-part EPL performer in a pretty shyte Newcastle team for the past 2/3 seasons, regularly dropping out when the squad has fully-fit status, and coming back with injury or form dictates. that would be my perception anyway. But bit-part performer is still ahead of promising but no-part performer.
On your last line, Ciaran has been rash a few times in his own right - Belgium in Euro 2016 in a run and lunge that should be meme-tastic (that act definitely cost Ireland the chance of a draw), and if memory serves me right, he was criticised for his role in either the second (the lob) or the third goal in Belgrade.
I was wondering if Clark was the player who hasn't been vaccinated (https://www.independent.ie/sport/soc...-40790591.html) , but a search online shows that he is (https://www.newcastle.gov.uk/citylif...united-matches)
Here they come! It’s the charge of the “Thanks” Brigade!
Dan McDonnell in this morning's Indo (Online) is stating that Robinson is back in contention for the Azeri and Serbian games, and that Doherty is fine and likely to be in contention to play. Wonder did he have a touch of the Linekars?
Alan Browne less likely to be involved as he was carrying a knock while a close contact.
If Robinson is fit, then he's a great chance of starting. Personally, i'd play Himself, Parrott and Connolly behind Idah, with McGrath and Cullen behind.
Here they come! It’s the charge of the “Thanks” Brigade!
This mornings Mirror saying that Shamrock Rovers are picking up a six figure fee from Manchester City for every appearance by Bazunu up to an additional 1 million.
Good to see some money coming into the league, he deserves to keep his place based on the Portugal game.
If Robinson is fit its a no brainer he starts, we have zero chance of qualifying at this stage but we need to back up a decent performance against Portugal with a win Saturday, Beat Serbia and you would start to think maybe we are going somewhere
The Belgium lunge has been a versatile rod for his back ever since. Egan, Duffy, O'Shea, Doherty and even Coleman have had their lapses too. Kenny has effectively told Clark to retire. This is a player with 274 EPL, Cup plus C'ship (34) games. I watched from Holte End in his early Villa days, delighted when he declared for us. Terrific bloke, friendly, approachable and proud of his Irish heritage. So OK, I'm a fan and biased, but no matter which way I look at it he's better than fifth, sixth or seventh choice CB. I'll end it there - with respect for the alternative views aired above.
Alluded to this on another chat, cant say definitively but the subs were poor, molumby couldnt judge the tempo of the game, with 10 mins to go and not looking remotely interested in attacking(everytime we got the ball we messed about up top like 2 mins were left)brining on another defender to sit in in front of the defence seemed like the sensible option and to just hold on to what we had, im sure with time everyone will see how poor portgual were on the night and how desperate they became that a draw was the least we should have achieved. Certainly I also believe having Clark in there would have made a difference too, Andrew was playing the hoofball which is funny how everyone ignores that because it suits the agenda of young blood coming in and building for a "future" campaign - that said his general defending was good.
I'm a bloke,I'm an ocker
And I really love your knockers,I'm a labourer by day,
I **** up all me pay,Watching footy on TV,
Just feed me more VB,Just pour my beer,And get my smokes, And go away
I like Clark too but just think it’s wildly speculative that we’d have held out if he’d come on instead of Omobamidele. As said before, every goal can be picked to pieces.
As for the claim Portugal were poor. Yeah they were. So what? A poor Portugal is still miles better than most teams we’ll play. What a miserable way to look at a game.
(Edit: Sorry just saw snapshot’s “I’ll end it there”. I’m typing while travelling so I should have left it too).
Not to bang on but...: D What happens if duffy or egan get injured? I don't rate scales. We're very light in the centre now, doherty was great the last day i dont want to see him play in a makeshift back 3.
"Defenders Dara O'Shea and Nathan Collins have both been ruled out of the next two games through injury, the former having to be helped off the pitch after a collision half an hour into Ireland's game against Portugal in Faro on Wednesday night."
Was it too late to call up Clark? Surely his inclusion is more merited than Scales?
I'm a bloke,I'm an ocker
And I really love your knockers,I'm a labourer by day,
I **** up all me pay,Watching footy on TV,
Just feed me more VB,Just pour my beer,And get my smokes, And go away
It certainly is, but I thought he was a bit of a passenger next to Egan and Duffy. No shame in that - they gave big performances - but it's not unreasonable to speculate either. Backs to the wall defending is far from unfamiliar to a Newcastle defender too! I hope to see more of Omobamidele, and Collins too, but Portugal away wasn't the best match to be introducing a young player. O'Shea has been given time to bed in and has been very good, and the others should get that too.
You can't spell failure without FAI
Robinson could be a good enhancement. Could we sacrifice McGrath for Robinson and have a front 3 i.e. 3-4-3? Or do we remove Connolly for Robinson? Omobamidele for O'Shea should be an obvious one. I hope there aren't wholesale changes as a little momentum would be nice after a decent performance.
I've offered up Connolly and McGrath as sacrificial lambs for Robinson but I don't know which I'd prefer to see play. Connolly needs minutes and games. And a goal. I think he has a lot to offer us going forward and could be worth the investment. McGrath doesn't need minutes and games but he probably does need them at international level and I'd like to see him become a part of the side or a starting option for the side based on how he fared the other night. Looks to have much more guile than Browne in that role.
I really don't know!
I tend to agree alright. It seems like Kenny is happier working with players he's coached at underage level. Which makes sense to an extent - there was a fear at the start of Kenny's reign that players wouldn't respond to a low-profile manager like Kenny, but Portugal away dispelled that - but when you've Darragh Lenihan starting for Blackburn every match, then I hope we're not cutting off our nose to spite our face. We've lost a centre-half through injury and while Scales can play there, he's got his transfer on the basis of being a left wingback.
Against that, it may be an indication we don't plan on going 3-5-2 for the remaining two games, so we don't mind being down a centre-half.
Obviously as a UCD fan I'm delighted for Scales, particularly given the way he was messed around on his transfer in 2019.
Robinson in for O'Shea - the forwards provide width rather than the wing-backs, who play a little further back - is the minimalist approach. I'd like to see what the new and improved Idah can do now to bring the wide forwards into play against a weaker team. McGrath, too, could have a little more liberty against players no better than he plays every week. He's a very productive attacking mid in Scotland, so those two factors might be enough to start to see evidence of an Irish attack worth a damn again.
Someone suggested Parrott in for a midfielder too, which feels maybe too incautious to me. He could be very dangerous as a late sub though, as Azerbaijan should have to work hard against us and will tire.
You can't spell failure without FAI
It's funny seeing Clark being elevated to an Irish version of Virgil Van Dijk in here.
When MON & McCarthy kept picking the "old guard" a lot of people were complaining the youngster were being ignored.
When Kenny finally drops Hendrick, I wonder how long it will take before the calls for his inclusion start?
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