Seems strange that Stephen Ireland didn't get a mention... he showed outstanding promise mid-season last year, but seemed to fade away towards the end of the season, his slight physical built may be a problem for the midfield role he is required to play.. He came on as a sub in a recent pre-season friendly, I think by the end of this season we should know if he is the real deal or just another in the long line of pretenders - i.e Miller, Healy, McPhail etc..
He was injured for the last 6 weeks or so of the season, and only played one half of a reserve game. He's looked good in preseason, laying on the passes for a few goals. I still don't see him starting in central midfield for City, it'll probably be Barton and Hamann, but I do see him coming on as a sub
I've always thought Andy O'Brien to be a bit of a weaklink in the Ireland team (though in fairness he's never done anything terribly wrong to my recollection). We definitely need McShane or McCarthy to do well this season to provide us with decent alternatives in what I see as our weakest position. Mc Shane looks like he could be good for a few goals from that position if he can improve defensively.Originally Posted by Stuttgart88
It's a shame about Reid at Spurs. He has talent but hasn't yet to show it to any great degree in the Premiership and in fairness he's had numerous opportunities (particularly the season before last).
There's also a kid at Norwich who started to break into the team towards the end of last season called Michael Spillane. He's only 17 but he might get a few games again this year.
Oh yes he did
On McPhail, I agree that if (and it's a big if) he performs consistently well at Cardiff then he could be back in the reckoning, but most likely only for a squad place. For example, there's no way Miller can justify being an ever-present if he's not playing but McPhail is playing well.
I have grave doubts about McPhail though. He has all the talent in the world although he is very one-footed. But he totally lacks any physical presence. He gets brushed off the ball so easily at times it's embarassing. I saw him in the play-off final on TV though & he looks stronger and bigger. Maybe Cardiff will toughen him up. As far as I can see Cardiff is definitely a good move for him. They had a very good second half to last season & if they continue that form they'd be one of the better teams in that division.
McPhail, Miller & Stephen Ireland all have a lot of talent but do they have the physical attributes to compete at international level? One of the notable features of the World Cup was that no longer is soccer a game for lightweight short arses. Croatia, Australia, Italy, Germany and others had almost full teams of second row forwards. Maybe Steven Reid's athleticism as a midfield partner is the key to unlocking the skills of this type of player. In reality though, I'd expect the emergence of Joey O'Brien & Owen Garvan to push McPhail further down the order before too long.
Andy Reid as a central midfielder? Definitely, in theory. More likely than any of the above (except Ireland) to be a success here. A fully match fit Andy & Steven Reid on paper could be great. But I just worry about Andy Reid's chances of playing week-in, week-out. In fact, if he doesn't get himself sorted out I even think Mark Kennedy has a chance of playing himself back into squad contention as back-up to Duff, especially if Kilbane (who's having a good pre-season I hear) plays at left-back under Staunton.
eleven-a-side.com says Ipswich want McShane on loan this season.
Last edited by Stuttgart88; 28/07/2006 at 10:31 AM.
On Andy O'Brien: I cringe when I watch him play for his club. When I watch him for Ireland I see a confident, composed, almost continental style centre-back. Without an immense performance from O'Brien in Basle we'd have lost. Only Given performed better than O'Brien for us that night. I think it doesn't help that both Portsmouth & Newcastle were in chaos for much of the last 2-3 seasons, but O'Brien has to be accountable to some degree I suppose. You can't blame everything on Titus Bramble!
But yes, you're right, seeing McCarthy or McShane emerge and soon is very important for us. It's really encouraging that McCarthy is a club captain at 23. Maybe also Painter & Bruce. AFAIK, despite playing for Birmingham & Ireland U21s at left-back, Painter's preferred position is centre-back. When Reading played Birmingham in the FA Cup on TV last season he played CB and earned MOTM for his performance.
I think there's a lot to be positive about but I'd love to be able to defer the start of Euro 2008 qualifying by one year!
Last edited by Stuttgart88; 28/07/2006 at 10:32 AM.
Agreed on most of this (except the Kennedy pointOh yes he did
On McPhail, I agree that if (and it's a big if) he performs consistently well at Cardiff then he could be back in the reckoning., most likely only for a squad place. For example, there's no way Miller can justify being an ever-present if he's not playing but McPhail is playing well.
I have grave doubts about McPhail though. He has all the talent in the world although he is very one-footed. But he totally lacks any physical presence. He gets brushed off the ball so easily at times it's embarassing. I saw him in the play-off final on TV though & he looks stronger and bigger. Maybe Cardiff will toughen him up. As far as I can see Cardiff is definitely a good move for him. They had a very good second half to last season & if they continue that form they'd be one of the better teams in that division.
McPhail, Miller & Stephen Ireland all havea lot of talent but do they have the physical attributes to compete at international level? One of the notable features of the World Cup was that no longer is soccer a game for lightweight short arses. Croatia, Australia, Italy, Germany and others had almost full teams of second row forwards. Maybe Steven Reid's athleticism as a midfielde partner is the key to unlocking the skills of this type of player. In reality though, I'd expect the emergence of Joey O'Brien & Owen Garvan to push McPhail further down the order.
Andy Reid as a central midfielder? Definitely, in theory. More likely than any of the above (except Ireland) to be asuccess here. A fully match fit Andy & Steven Reid on paper could be great. But I just worry about Andy Reid's chances of playing week-in, week-out. In fact, if he doesn't get himself sorted out I even think Mark Kennedy has a chance of playing himself back into squad contention as back-up to Duff, especially if Kilbane (who's having a good pre-season I hear) plays at left-back under Staunton.
eleven-a-side.com says Ipswich want McShane on loan this season.) We don't know how this season will go for the younger players previously mentioned (Garvan, J. O'Brien, Ireland etc...), will they build on their promise from the previous season or will they suffer from the "difficult second season" syndrome? This is why I think McPhail could have a shot as he is playing with (in my opinion) a decent Championship team with a chance of a playoff spot...Why discount the lad?
Teams to keep an eye on in the Championship: Ipswich, Coventry, Cardiff - All with a decent Irish contingent and all in with a shot of a playoff spot (or better)
janey mac, from the guy who thinks McPhail is worth a lookAgreed on most of this (except the Kennedy point
Seriously, take the following scenario:
Andy Reid stays at Spurs and rarely plays, or gets injured.
Kilbane makes the left-back position his own
Kennedy, under Peter Taylor, plays well regularly and Palace do well in the Championship.
OK, so maybe Lawrence will force his way into the team at RHM, meaning McGeady could cover both wings as back-up, or McGeady makes RHM his own with Lawrence his back-up, McGeady backing up Duff if Duff got injured. Kilbane could also play LHM if Duff is injured and Harte LB I suppose.
In this case there'd be no need for Kennedy in the squad.
I just don't think Kennedy should be totally discounted as a squad player if he plays well at Palace. Maybe an U21 like O'Donovan would be a better long-term option though so I accept Kennedy featuring again isn't likely.
Michael Timlin has played in all of Fulham's pre-season games so far and apparently has been quite impressive. Considering the Fulham team's in these friendlies was basically their first team players from last year maybe this is the season he finally breaks through. Hre's what the Fulham coach Ray Lewington said about him:
Lew's View
Tue 25th Jul 2006
Ray Lewington looks back on the win over Luton
When you turn to the man next to you it is always interesting to know their opinion of the team's performance and what better face in the crowd to ask than Ray Lewington, who took up a watching brief as Chris Coleman and the boys got stuck into their second pre-season friendly of the season against Luton Town last Friday.
Having beaten the Championship side 2-1, Whites' Reserve Team Manager Ray Lewington was left suitably impressed by the display of the senior side. "It was a very good performance" said Lewington. "We passed the ball well for 60 minutes. Considering where the lads are in their pre-season preparations I thought their fitness levels looked good.
"Obviously the substitutions disrupted the game and it all slowed down after that but the pace of the game was terrific for an hour."
Pre-season is a difficult time, as the main priority in any Manager's mind is to get the players to a level of peak physical fitness before the new season starts. But many fans would like to get a confidence boost from victories going into the new campaign, a scenario that Ray can empathise with.
"Although it is always nice to win, at the end of the day these pre-season friendlies are used more as a fitness exercise and to put things you've done on the training ground into practice.
"The most important thing is to come out with no injuries. It is also a good way to judge where you are in terms of fitness. I think Chris would be very pleased with what he saw."
The 2006/07 season has seen the inclusion of Strength and Conditioning Coach, Steve Nance, on a full time basis within the Club. Ray Lewington fully appreciates the importance of mixing up the training conditions and thinks that this, ultimately, can only benefit the lads throughout the season.
"They've trained really hard, probably in shorter spurts" Ray revealed. "You always try to do different things and the Management are very conscious of the number of injuries that were picked up last year. Overall pre-season has gone very well so far, the lads are looking fit and there's still plenty of time left to improve."
And it was one of Ray's charges from last season who caught the eye during this fixture; Republic of Ireland Under 21 captain Michael Timlin. It came as no surprise to Lewington either, as he is only too aware of what Timlin is capable of.
"He's a naturally gifted boy" said Ray, "He's very good on the ball, but he knows that there are areas he needs to improve on, for example his positional sense, but he is a hard working lad and only too happy to learn."
It was Timlin's passing game that served him so well, linking up with his team mates as he cut in from the left.
"He found little pockets of space very well, and in that first half he was one of our players that stood out for me; he played very well."
Last edited by youngirish; 28/07/2006 at 12:13 PM.
Found this about Michael Spillane. From the looks of it he should get a chance to impress in the Norwich first team this season.
Worthington makes five pro
By Phil Jackson - Created on 30 Jun 2006
Norwich City have handed professional contracts to five of their academy youngsters, for the coming season.
Republic of Ireland Under-19 captain Michael Spillane has committed to a three-year deal at Carrow Road after impressing as a makeshift right back at the tail end of last season.
He made his senior debut as a substitute in the FA Cup third round against West Ham United and featured against Sheffield Wednesday and Queens Park Rangers in the league.
Boss Nigel Worthington has high hopes that the 17-year-old midfielder will force his way into contention for the first team and was anxious to give him a senior contract, even at such a tender age.
"Michael is still young but we don't want to hold any of our Academy players back and Nigel was very keen that Michael should move across to the first team in time for pre-season," academy manager Ricky Martin told the club's official website.
Scottish Under-18 midfielder Andrew Cave-Brown, Matthew Halliday and Andrew Fisk have all signed one-year deals and joined him in the senior squad.
I thought he was a defender?
I think he's primarily a central defender but can also play midfield.
Bloody hell thats a lot of ifs and buts!!!janey mac, from the guy who thinks McPhail is worth a look
Seriously, take the following scenario:
Andy Reid stays at Spurs and rarely plays, or gets injured.
Kilbane makes the left-back position his own
Kennedy, under Peter Taylor, plays well regularly and Palace do well in the Championship.
OK, so maybe Lawrence will force his way into the team at RHM, meaning McGeady could cover both wings as back-up, or McGeady makes RHM his own with Lawrence his back-up, McGeady backing up Duff if Duff got injured. Kilbane could also play LHM if Duff is injured and Harte LB I suppose.
In this case there'd be no need for Kennedy in the squad.
I just don't think Kennedy should be totally discounted as a squad player if he plays well at Palace. Maybe an U21 like O'Donovan would be a better long-term option though so I accept Kennedy featuring again isn't likely.
Take your point though, but sometimes I think you may have a bit too much free time on your hands to come up with these things!!
I think UEFA football (minimum) should be the bar for people to make a jump into the squad, with drogs/derry and cork now proven at a higher level than most of the non prem irish abroad they have to be seriously looked at by stan if hes doin his job right
also forgotten man Dom Foley scored in the toto this year v Grasshoppers for Gent - quite frankly hes getting goals and its ludicrous to ignore his claims in favour of what are mainly poor players in the uk
You can still be a poor player in Belgium as well as the UK. He's not good enough.
he's scoring goals
I think he's earned a call up tbh
and its an area we arent great in
How does Foley compare to Jason Byrne?
Byrne should be in ahead of him IMO. Foley was no great shakes at Bohs while Byrne was still doing the business.
very favourably
they are two completely different players
the service Byrne got at Shels was a lot different to what Foley
was getting at Bohs
Foley is built different and offers better presence than byrne....or the likes of Doyle, morrison et al
I thought Byrne did well in his first real run out for Ireland.
If you were looking for a player who could replace the Docherty option, come on with 20 minutes to go to support the front 2, aerial strength, bring the ball down to feet, hold off and pass the ball. (not that the Doc managed this) which one of Byrne or Foley would be more suitable?
Robbie Keane plays for Spurs, Spurs will be in the UEFA Cup next year.
I thought Byrne did really well against Chilie - what more could he do? - surely he deserves a place in the Holland squad
Also I think Garvan of Ipswich could do really well again this season
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