John O'Shea

[Stuttgart88]

O'Shea's problem is that the quality of his passing from left-back has been suspect, but in my mind he's a very dependable defender. At the Croatia game I was practically at pitch level and it was obvious he struggled with his accuracy when put under pressure by his opponent.

I think he's looked far more accomplished and confident at right-back and now he's beginning to show signs he can do a job in central midfield.

JOS has loads of ability but suffers by being our best left-back by default. Hopefully Reid can make RHM his own, with Finnan playing left back. JOS can then battle it out for RB (though Carr's injuries may hand him this role), CB or even as an extra central midfielder as he was used last night.

Despite his poor game in Basle '03 I'd have faith in him were to move to CB in due course. KC can't go on forever. I hope Ferguson keeps faith in him as he still has plenty to do to become the player he can be.

[Slash/ED]

in fairness hte lads the only reason he finished so well was because he thought he was offisde and therefore not under pressure, i can gurantee you if he "had" to score that goal and thought himself that he was onside then he wouldnt have finished so well.

Like against Boro when he finished equally well?

[eirebhoy]

he hasnt the same positional sense as keane and wehn playing in midfield he always seems to play very far forward,

That's the job Fergie gives him. Keane does the holding role while O'Shea gets forward. I wouldn't trust O'Shea in the holding role just yet though.

[cullenswood]

But heck, that's even happened to Diego Forlan...

Forlan has scored 13 goals in La Liga this season!!

[ken foree]

I think that's O'Shea's biggest problem. He looks so awkward on the ball and as a result he comes in for a lot of stick as a clumsy unskilful player.
B.

i shoulda clarified, by 'lumbering' i meant without the ball - he got done on a cole 1-2 and keane had to bail him out, looked short of pace over the short distance. on the ball i actually think he looks very natural and comfortable, even when he's giving it away from LB for ire.

[John83]

i shoulda clarified, by 'lumbering' i meant without the ball - he got done on a cole 1-2 and keane had to bail him out, looked short of pace over the short distance. on the ball i actually think he looks very natural and comfortable, even when he's giving it away from LB for ire.

I'd agree. My biggest problem with him is his tendancy to play left back so laid back he's nearly horizontal. He doesn't work hard enough there, and it's compounded by poor positioning and his having the agility of an asparagus. On the ball in almost any other position, he looks fine.

I think there's still a big question of whether he's a great player who's had some bad spells or a decent player who's had some excellent spells. He just hasn't been playing long enough to tell.

[1MickCollins]

I'd agree. My biggest problem with him is his tendancy to play left back so laid back he's nearly horizontal. He doesn't work hard enough there, and it's compounded by poor positioning and his having the agility of an asparagus. On the ball in almost any other position, he looks fine.

I think there's still a big question of whether he's a great player who's had some bad spells or a decent player who's had some excellent spells. He just hasn't been playing long enough to tell.

I don't mind you belittling JOS or David Connolly but leave the asparagus alone please.

[Kevin77]

in fairness hte lads the only reason he finished so well was because he thought he was offisde and therefore not under pressure, i can gurantee you if he "had" to score that goal and thought himself that he was onside then he wouldnt have finished so well.

..

You can guarantee that? I'm impressed. How come you aren't managing a top club?

[tricky_colour]

I don't think there are any management vacancies in the
Premiership at the moment.

O'Shea took his previous goal just as well when he was onside and
under pressure.
He just seems to have grown in confidence.

[Cowboy]

I thought it was a superb finish and i'm an Arsenal fan

[TheJamaicanP.M.]

Don't go hogging the whole bowl, TP. You'd better make sure there's some left over for everyone's favourite Caribbean politician.

PP

No thanks PP. Im very rarely forced to eat humble pie. Certainly not in this case anyway. Ive never criticised John O'Shea. Ive always been a big fan of his.
Us Jamaicans are known for being laid-back. By saying that, I dont mean we're unemployed, just relaxed.

[Plastic Paddy]

No thanks PP. Im very rarely forced to eat humble pie.

Don't worry PM, I'll eat your slice... (see thread elsewhere)

PP

[Donal81]

The power of the bandwagon should never be underestimated! O'Shea showed class and was held in high regard. He's had a few stinkers, sure, and hasn't produced the kind of form for Ireland that he has done for Man U but he never turned into a brutal player overnight, as some seemed to think. As much fun as shooting one's mouth of is, maybe it's better to take a more reasoned approach.

If and when Ian Harte returns to the fold to play a Platini/Beckenbauer role and drives us to glory in Germany, I am f*cked.

[Donal81]

A few stinkers? I'd say he's had a few good games.

No, he did it over the space of a couple of seasons.

I'd like to see O'Shea improve, for the national team's sake, but he has been pretty poor for 18 months now and I'm not going to get happy clappy because he's had a good fortnight or even month...

I'm not getting happy clappy Conor but O'Shea isn't a brutal player and recent performances prove that. They don't prove that he'll never play poorly again or that he's a brilliant player but they do show what he's capable of.

[NeilMcD]

Friendly has more spice than normal
Mark Lawrenson Soccer analyst



Let's be honest, everyone really just wants to fast forward to March and the World Cup qualifier away to Israel; but if you're going to have a friendly, have it against a good team - which is what Portugal are. It just puts a little bit more of an edge on the game, as much as you can possibly have when it's not a competitive match.

Most of the time the February friendly fixture is a waste of time: the players don't really want to play and nobody is particularly interested. But with Israel coming up so soon it makes this game a little more important. That's why there have been so few withdrawals from the squad: everyone wants to stay involved, everyone wants to stake their claim for a place.

It's a condensed squad, but there's quality in there so there's healthy competition for places. Andy O'Brien's in and out of the team at Newcastle, so he's looking at how well Richard Dunne is doing at Manchester City. Stephen Carr is only just back with Newcastle, Steve Finnan is in and out, in terms of injury, for Liverpool, John O'Shea's suddenly come back with a bang.

There are, then, a few places to fight for.

It's been a good couple of weeks for O'Shea, after a frustrating spell. He's had the same experience so many young players have at big clubs: they probably get a little too much attention when they play well and too much attention when they don't play so well. Somewhere in the middle is usually right.

Along the way it will be decided for him whether he's a midfield player, a left back or a centre back, but the more positions he plays in the more experience he will get. It will stand to him, his awareness will develop.

He's had a rough spell, there were times he wasn't even making the bench at Manchester United. But he's got on with it, he's kept his head down, and that's a good sign of him.

He'll be fine, we know he's a good player.

If he plays at left back tonight and comes up against Ronaldo, I think it'll be like a Mexican stand-off on the right wing. Alex Ferguson will have had a word with them, he'll have told O'Shea not to going flying past Ronaldo so he doesn't have to run back; and he'll have told Ronaldo "no stupid tricks in case you get lumped up in the air".

Ronaldo has a trick too many, but on his day he can run people ragged. He'll get rid of the tricks eventually, he's young, but he'll probably never get rid of the stepover.

I was pleased to see Andy Reid move to Tottenham, I think it's a good move for him. They've been after him a long time, they don't have anyone who's better than he is in wide positions, so I don't think he'll have any problems there, he'll be in the team so he'll get the Premiership football he wants to lift himself to the next level.

He's one who's going to get better, I have no doubt. It's the classic situation: when he plays with better players he'll become a better player himself. He's a good player already, he's got loads of ability, and he's a rarity these days: he plays with his head up.

These are good times, too, for another of the midfield, Kevin Kilbane. We've had one or two players over the years who the crowd really haven't taken to and Kilbane certainly has been one of them. But he's won everyone around, and winning the Irish Player of the Year award has capped it all.

At Sunderland, at times, he was booed on to the pitch - how difficult is that? But everyone will tell you he's a great lad, a great trainer, a real top professional, he's just got on with it and played to his strengths.

He's a very, very good athlete, very strong, and he must have a real tough mental strength, because he hasn't let the abuse beat him. If people see a player who tries like a dog, week in, week out, they will forgive weaknesses.

As for tonight's game? Well, I think all Brian Kerr will want is a nice team shape, to come away feeling everyone played well, passed it well, kept it well, defended well, that's all you want.

Then it's heads down for Israel. And fingers crossed that nothing happens to Damien Duff and the two Keanes, Roy and Robbie, our three key players. We can't afford to be without them in what could be the most significant fixture for us in the group

[Kowalski]

I agree with his point on Ronaldo & O'Shea, I reckon we could spend the evening watching the pair of them trying to nutmeg one another.

[Donal81]

He's had a rough spell, there were times he wasn't even making the bench at Manchester United. But he's got on with it, he's kept his head down, and that's a good sign of him.

Have a read, Ian Harte.

Good article.

[Fergie's Son]

Anyway to follow the game over the 'net?

[Seanie]

Hopefully RTE Radio One will cover the game. Dont know for sure.

http://www.rte.ie/smiltest/radio_new.smil

[Stuttgart88]

If anyone can paste anything from today's Irish Times here I'd really appreciate it.

I can only get the Irish Times a day late where I live.

If you were to depend on SKY Sports and the Irish Indo for information you'd think the 3 points away to Israel were already in the bag.