I can see Harte getting back into the Levante team though once his fitness is back .Originally Posted by SuperDave
Those stats are extremely selective. What about the 2 previous games? I know he hasn't played that much this season for Utd. but you're slightly twisted the stats to suit your agenda.Only reason to drop McShane would be injury but then why in the squad...
O'Shea has played very little this season & very few minutes at centre back.
His league games this year he has played 11, 90, 0, 11 and 0 minutes.
Initially I thought this was a staggering decision to play o shea at CB but I suppose if mcshane has a yellow then its not a bad call. I would be worried though that stan will continue to accommodate a player who has proven he has no drive or hunger to actually perform when he is picked, though again O’shea can’t continue to be blamed for actually being picked-its up to the manager to seek out the turds and drop them.
I am a big fan of kilbane ( had a muck second half against SM last time but did deliver 2 pinpoint crosses for 2 goals and lets be fair always gives 100%) but I feel that on form Hunt should have gotten the nod for a game like this-hunt has played consitently well for reading since xmas and kilbane has been having a miserable time at wigan and has been dropped from their first 11.
Good to see harte back, shame he didn’t play in the 1-0 defeat of real Madrid-would have really given him a boost.
Long deserves a shot after grabbing his chance by the horns at reading as a result of doyle’s injury.
Again though-O’shea MUST be dropped for the big games. He was the worst Irish player on the pitch against SM last time out-completing 2 yard passes was proving a problem for him
I
I'm reluctantly accepting this injury/booking explanation for McShane's omission(and by the way, he's clearly been playing regularly for WBA for the last ages) but having O'Shea there is just so fear inducing. His capacity for a mistake or critical lapse of concentation is just so palpable. McShane has already given us some sense of a security! Absolute joke that Kilbane is starting ahead of Hunt, particularly in a game like this. What more does Hunt have to do?! He's playing at an absolue peak at the moment. Delighted for Shane Long, he deserves it and I can't wait to see him out there. His pace will cause them serious problems, and I I think it could work well if Robbie plays a bit deeper and creates more.Like the idea for Stokes and Long to finish together.
I'm with Bazmo*, those stats are very selective, the only defenders to have played more than O'Shea this season are the 1st choice players: Ferdinand, Neville, Vidic, EvraOnly reason to drop McShane would be injury but then why in the squad...
O'Shea has played very little this season & very few minutes at centre back.
His league games this year he has played 11, 90, 0, 11 and 0 minutes.
Heinze was player of the season 2 years ago, and O'Shea has played way more than him.
As far as I recall, Harte at left back usually means Kilbane at left mid to help him out with the defending. Great to see Harte back, he's had a hard auld time of it with the injuries. After such a long lay-off he's still not up to speed; he was caught out badly a couple of times against Sevilla but on the other hand sent in the corner and free kick that led to Levante's goals. He didn't play against Madrid 'cos Levante's game plan was to defend with eleven players and that's not Harte's forte. Mind you, the way Madrid played I reckon even he could have kept them at bay.
In view of McShane's cards/injury I suppose the squad chosen is good. I would like to see Hunt get at least 45 mins though and the brothers Quinn and Stokes should feature too.
Greece 1 - 0 Germany
Socrates (89)
I cannot believe he's playing O'Shea. Since McShane's on a yellow why oh why was O'Dea not called up? The lad's getting rave reviews in Scotland and can score goals as well. The rest of the teams alright, I'm not happy about Kilbane starting but I'd don't know if Stephen Quinn can play in RMF (mind you - can Kilbane?)
-Liam
Not too unhappy with this team. Harte can score goals. I can understand why Stan picked O'Shea ahead of McShane. I really believe for the first time in a while that we now have some excellent players on the bench who can change games such as Hunt(WIMO should be starting). I am actually starting to believe we can get out of this group and that Stan might improve greatly. And no I'm not off my meds or on the gargle!
Kilbane is Kibane, lots of running and effort but this is international football we are talking about here not a Sunday league team. Whilst Hunt has been playing well all season the Wigan fans are questioning why Zinedine Kilbane was ever bought because of his performances this season! He needs to be a sub at the very most, same for O'Shea. Hunt needed to start and I'd rather have O'Dea at the back than bloody O'Shea. San Marino or not he is still a liability.
"If God had meant football to be played in the air, he'd have put grass in the sky." Brian Clough.
You'll NEVER beat the Irish.......you'll just draw with us instead!!!
But we are playing San Marino. If Harte has any defending to do i will be shocked. This was a game to bring Hunt in and get him prepared for international football against a gang of candle stick makers, but as usual Staunton ****ed up. What can be learned by playing Kilbane?? The Wigan fans have recently been on his back and he was dropped at the weekend. His selection makes me slightly angry.As far as I recall, Harte at left back usually means Kilbane at left mid to help him out with the defending.
I believe it's written somewhere in the UEFA constitution that Killer has to play in every competitive game. John O'Shea seems to have a similar loophole and now he's shown he can play in goal expect him to end up there eventually.
Playing in Scotland is only marginally more beneficial to a player's international prospects that playing in Ireland it seems. McCarthy, O'Brien and Breen have all been banished from international football, Staunton lives quite near Coventry - is a possible call-up for Colin Hawkins, about 8 years after he was actually good enough to deserve one, on the cards in the not-too-distant future
SIGNATURESCOPE
How does playing against candle stick makers prepare you for international football?...............if that were the case, even I'm prepared.
"Can I have a Kit-Kat, chunky?"
"you mean a big one"
"No a normal kit-kat you fat bitch"
Indeed he did play the full 90 minutes in the previous two games but looked like others given a break over christmas period.
O'Shea is sh!te. I don't need facts to prove that. Aside from Manchester United bench he'd be lucky to get game with any other Premiership team.
Manchester United premiership games (can't count league cup as 15 year old kids get games in that):
- 26 games in total
- 10 games started including the first 5 of the season August-Sept
- 13 sub appearances averaging 13 minutes per appearance off the bench. My impression is he comes off the bench when the game already won so as to give others a rest.
O'Shea is the only player I can think of who has consistently....I mean always and without exception played badly for us when selected.
"Can I have a Kit-Kat, chunky?"
"you mean a big one"
"No a normal kit-kat you fat bitch"
in a nutshell, correct. He still keeps getting picked though. But even at united early this season and last season when he was awful, he was getting picked regularly-theres no explanation for it really.
Mindboggling.
I
it's offical JoS is alex ferguson, brian kerr & steve staunton's love child
Every team needs it's token ga..., I mean sh!t player. To deflect some of the critisim from the manager when the team plays badly.
oh and kilbane is the love child of mick mccarthy, brian kerr & stan.
it really is strange. you often see managers seem to have players who they rate higher than most observers - down to many reasons training, create a good atmosphere in dressing room ... whatever. but these lads seem to have a never ending stream of admiring managers while most supporters simply don't rate them highly at all.
that said with the squad selected JoS's inclusion was always a possibility but this Kilbane fetish - he should of been overlooked for this one. personally i think we should move on as a footballing nation without them
baseless allegations!
I am very frustrated with Kilbane's continued playing time. That said, it's a decent, balanced side.
No complaints here.
There is no such thing as a miracle cure, a free lunch or a humble opinion.
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