John O'Shea

**Sullivinho** · 30/06/2011, 8:18 PM

There was me thinking it was the other way around - Gibson eager/O'Shea undecided.

Methinks I'll be watching the odd Sunderland game next season.

**DannyInvincible** · 30/06/2011, 8:52 PM

Plenty of bargains.

**jbyrne** · 01/07/2011, 9:02 AM

being linked with Arsenal now.....

http://www.mirrorfootball.co.uk/tran...cle754696.html

would be a far far better move for him

**BonnieShels** · 01/07/2011, 11:01 AM

That would be a great move. Replacing clichy?

**Stuttgart88** · 01/07/2011, 12:01 PM

Originally Posted by jbyrne

being linked with Arsenal now.....

http://www.mirrorfootball.co.uk/tran...cle754696.html

would be a far far better move for him

I love the patronising put down in the Mirror headline. O'Shea has more medals, and Champions League semi final goals(!) than anyone that'll be at Arsenal in August.

**culloty82** · 01/07/2011, 1:13 PM

Hope he stays, but would be a brilliant move for him to still be guaranteed regular Champions League football (this year at least).

**irishfan86** · 06/07/2011, 5:14 AM

Pleasantly surprised to see a lot of Man Utd fans hoping he'll stay, and fans of other clubs like Sunderland really hoping the deal goes through.

It's a nice change from the early part of his career where he took a lot of abuse from certain sections of Man Utd/Ireland's support.

**DannyInvincible** · 06/07/2011, 9:33 PM

http://www.rte.ie/sport/soccer/2011/...underland.html

Sunderland boss Steve Bruce is continuing his pursuit of Republic of Ireland international John O'Shea from Manchester United.

...

Significant progress has been made with both Brown and O'Shea in recent days, but the Republic of Ireland defender's situation has been complicated by the fact that his wife has given birth in the meantime.

...

But while Brown and O'Shea may be close to joining, question marks remain over Gibson, who has also attracted interest from derby rivals Newcastle, with no agreement yet in place.

Bruce will hope for positive developments over the next 24 hours after a busy summer already, with Ahmed Elmohamady having made his loan move permanent and Connor Wickham, Craig Gardner, Ji Dong-won, Keiren Westwood and Sebastian Larsson having joined the club.

**shakermaker1982** · 07/07/2011, 10:12 AM

http://www.redcafe.net/f6/goodbye-john-oshea-334842/

Tributes from Man Utd fans.

**Kingdom** · 07/07/2011, 10:19 AM

That star spangled banner song is genius.

**paul_oshea** · 07/07/2011, 6:29 PM

Official

http://www.rte.ie/sport/soccer/2011/...underland.html

**boovidge** · 07/07/2011, 8:53 PM

never thought he'd leave United to be honest

**the bear** · 07/07/2011, 10:09 PM

great move from our point of view, hopefully he develops into a leader, so as to take up the honey monsters role when he retires. long john has been a good player for ireland but i feel he has really struggled when he has been the main man in our defence like in the macedonia game

**tricky_colour** · 08/07/2011, 2:46 AM

Copied tribute from redcafe (above)

Goodbye John O'Shea
Though I never knew you at all
You had the grace to keep yourself
When Edwin was subbed off injured
The doubters crawled out of the woodwork
And they whispered into your brain
They showed hargo on the treadmill
And they made you change your game

And it seems to me that you live your life
Like a utility in defense
Never knowing, who to mark with
When the attacks set in

Would've like you to seen you
but I live in another country
Many seasons have gone before
But your still our O'Shea

**jbyrne** · 08/07/2011, 8:00 AM

this transfer saddens me more than any other Irish internationals in the last 10 years. the one player that we had playing regular enough champions league football and he is now with mid table sunderland.

it baffles me from utds point of view also. invaluable squad player at least

**Kingdom** · 08/07/2011, 10:12 AM

Originally Posted by jbyrne

this transfer saddens me more than any other Irish internationals in the last 10 years. the one player that we had playing regular enough champions league football and he is now with mid table sunderland.

it baffles me from utds point of view also. invaluable squad player at least

I'm very surprised that he's letting O'Shea go. If Ferguson had any faith in him at centre half then he'd be a cert to stay, but he doesn't. Still strange given how rash Rafio (bluffing here a bit - I can't tell them apart) is at full back and that they've no-one else for fullback.

Sunderland have potential, but not when Bruce has a revolving door policy (as he's had at every club), there's little stability there. I'd be much more relaxed about it if it was a standalone transfer, but as part of a double (possibly treble) swoop, there is every chance it could go sour (not necessarily that Josh would struggle, but that he'd get tarred with the brush of the other two)/

It will be interesting to see where he is played - centre back or right full. Hopefully for us it's centre back.

Also from the United side, a lad here (Manc in work) reckons that Ferguson has something big lined up at the back. Can't see who myself.

**tetsujin1979** · 08/07/2011, 10:51 AM

With the signing of Jones, it appears that Ferdinand and Vidic are still going to be the starting centre halves when fit, with Smalling and Jones as the long term prospects. It's a similar situation at left full with Evra as the starting player and Fabio as back up. Following the Champions League final, when Rafael started and O'Shea wasn't even on the bench, it does appear that the Brazilian is going to be the starting right full. Based on that O'Shea's best chance of first team football, at least in defence, would be if Rafael was injured or suspended, so, for me at least, the move to Sunderland and a regular start in the first team was welcomed

**jbyrne** · 08/07/2011, 11:33 AM

Originally Posted by tetsujin1979

With the signing of Jones, it appears that Ferdinand and Vidic are still going to be the starting centre halves when fit, with Smalling and Jones as the long term prospects. It's a similar situation at left full with Evra as the starting player and Fabio as back up. Following the Champions League final, when Rafael started and O'Shea wasn't even on the bench, it does appear that the Brazilian is going to be the starting right full. Based on that O'Shea's best chance of first team football, at least in defence, would be if Rafael was injured or suspended, so, for me at least, the move to Sunderland and a regular start in the first team was welcomed

except he has been written off at utd many times before but still kept featuring in big games. wasnt he injured leading up to the champions lge final? i know he was fit by the final but lack of game time probably cost him.
despite injury last season he still played 30 times for utd. sunderland just dont inspire me at all. everton or villa would be better bets for example.

to have a player like oshea in your squad who can play many positions (incl. GK!) is invaluable imo and such a player ends up playing many games each season as a result

**dr_peepee** · 08/07/2011, 12:04 PM

Not sure if it's a factor in his decision to go to Sunderland but don't think he'd have gotten a 4 year deal at any other club at this stage of his career... Certainly not Arsenal if there was ever anything in that story.

They've been shy a right full for a couple of seasons given they've had Hutton then Onuha on loan, so he's probably earmarked for there. But I wouldn't be surpised to see him play both left and right back in equal measure of the course of the season.

**paul_oshea** · 08/07/2011, 12:58 PM

Perhaps O'Shea wanted to actually go. He might have had a word with Ferguson and said to him, realising his chances at first team football at UTD and length of contract were not going to be the same. He has won everything with UTD, bar playing in the CL final when they won, so maybe he wanted a new challenge.