QuoteNO!!! It's not. Around 30 is generally when players reach their peak. There more experienced and stronger. Just think of a few, Bergkamp, Keane, Maldini, Cafu, etc etc. Its never 26, at the earlier its around 28.Originally Posted by Jerry The Saint
It's hard to say as he hasn't at a lot of defending to do and I haven't seen him live yet. He's a very good passer. Not the fastest player in the world but I wouldn't say he's slow either. Good organisor and even leads the line when Balde is playing. McManus has been in the team constantly under Strachan and he's a bit of an Andy O'Brien or Phil Babb. He'll (McManus) never have the football brain to really be able to lead the line. O'Dea does already. We'll have to see him against Milan but playing with McManus doesn't suit him. Both left footers and McManus is awkward playing as the right centre half.
Last edited by eirebhoy; 07/02/2007 at 11:59 AM.
NO!!! It's not. Around 30 is generally when players reach their peak. There more experienced and stronger. Just think of a few, Bergkamp, Keane, Maldini, Cafu, etc etc. Its never 26, at the earlier its around 28.
great last line
apparently his Dublin v Kerry book is the business, havent read it yet
I am interested in that too. Did he consult Martin Jol and ask him was Terry Dixon ready for international football. He's a cnut I can't stand him and the mockery he is making of international football.
Here they come! It’s the charge of the “Thanks” Brigade!
It is a great book about Dublin and some other team that he prefers not to talk about. It is not a good book about dublin v kerry.
Here they come! It’s the charge of the “Thanks” Brigade!
Cheers
ha! sorry tom, but we already do: we play like england.
zombie/thread killer..
Lazy joke
Of our first 11 only Carsley, Kilbane and perhaps McGeady are not Irish born
Strachan only says O'Dea isn't ready for international duty because if he got injured(like everybody does on Ireland duty these days..."the curse of Stan") Celtic would be absolutely screwed, as they've very little defensive cover at the moment. O'Dea is seemingly crucial to Strachan's current plans. I'm sure Stantook no for an answer immediately and then skulked off. To me, O'Dea seems ready to start tonight, let alone be just in the squad. Thus, the fact that Stan claims that he couldn't pick him because he "wasn't ready" makes us realise what a farcical joke the Dixon thing was.
Just for that I'm going to throw some statistics at you.
I realise that Italy broke the sequence last year by having an older than usual average age but it's still a good bit short of 30.http://fifaworldcup.yahoo.com/06/en/060605/1/74dr.html
Over 28 and out of the Cup
6 June 2006
by FIFAworldcup.com
Those who believe in the power of statistics combined with the value of youth can strike from their list of potential 2006 FIFA World Cup Germany™ winners the following teams: Brazil, France, Italy, Czech Republic, Sweden, Portugal, Serbia and Montenegro, USA, Australia, Croatia, and Trinidad and Tobago.
The reason? In none of the last ten FIFA World Cup competitions have the winners possessed a squad with an average age of more than 28 – the 'weakness' of all those teams listed above.
You have to go all the way back to Brazil's champions of 44 years ago to find a winning squad with an average age of more than 28. At Chile 1962 the Seleção weighed in at an average of 30 years and one month, a staggering 17 months older on average than the next oldest squad.
Since then the average age of the winning squads has been: England (27/01); Brazil (25/02); Germany (27/03); Argentina (26/03); Italy (27/04); Argentina (26/10); Germany (27/09); Brazil (27/11); France (27/04) and Brazil (26/09).
Interestingly the average age of those ten winners comes out at 26/11 which is exactly the average of the Germany squad – and no other team - this time. It is also worth noting that the losing finalists are normally not too far away from the winners in terms of average ages. The last three defeated teams show: Germany (28/02); Brazil (27/11); Italy (28).
In this competition Ghana have the youngest squad at 25/02 while fellow newcomers Trinidad and Tobago are the 'old men' of the party. Their squad registers a creaky 29/05.
The youngest player is England rookie Theo Walcott who will be just 17 years and 85 days old when the tournament begins on 9 June. If he hits the back of the net the Arsenal striker will become the youngest-ever goalscorer at a FIFA World Cup.
The oldest participant is Tunisia goalkeeper Ali Boumnijel who was born three months before England lifted the Jules Rimet trophy in 1966 and stands fifth in the all-time list of oldest players to take part in a FIFA World Cup, following in the footsteps of such greats as Roger Milla (Cameroon), Pat Jennings (Northern Ireland), Peter Shilton (England) and Dino Zoff (Italy).
The overall average age of the players taking part in the Germany showpiece is 27/05. Remarkably that figure has scarcely changed over recent tournaments. Four years ago it was 27/06 as it was in 1998. In 1994 it was just one month less at 27/05.
The Japan squad this time feature the smallest gap between their youngest and oldest players – just eight years and two months. England have the largest age gap (18 years and seven months), perhaps no surprise given the Walcott factor and the presence of David James who turns 36 on 1 August.
Picking out 4 players who played at a high-level in their 30s doesn't really convince me of your argument. Individual players will peak at different times and anyway you could put an argument that Maldini was at this "peak" from 92 - 96, Roy Keane was 27 when Man Utd won the treble, etc. We would have to be very lucky to have Keane, Duff, Dunne, John O'Shea et al all hitting the best form of their careers three - five years from now.
SIGNATURESCOPE
Italy had the absolute perfect aged squad. Every single player was at their peak bar Gilardino who still has a few years.
sorry, you totally missed it. nothing to do with actual nationality, more that our 'stars' are overpaid primadonnas sucking on the premiership teat and have thus sold their green, white, and orange souls to becoming something more akin to PR men for giant corporations. perhaps still a lazy one, but not the one you thought...
zombie/thread killer..
he had an excellent game at ctre back against the chech rep.
the constant abuse of oshea on this site is a complete bore. our options in all positions are limited and we have to make best with what we have. what are the other options?? mc shane (on yellow and has a knock), mccarthy (untried and dubious temperment), o'brien (lack of form and match time), o'dea (no experience even at club level)
He had a good game but it was his doziness that awarded the Czechs their goal. No centre half in the world should place the ball for the opposition to take a free, turn his back and stroll off.
thats a bit of an exaggeration to be fair
I can't remember 100% but he either placed it or through it to the Czech player to take it. This was on the half way line so he was nowhere near in position. He then strolled back. Even if he ran at full pace he probably wouldn't have got to Koller as they broke so quickly. It was a stupid thing to do and it left McShane one on one with Koller. I wouldn't be a fan of Alex McLeish but he's still a Scottish legend and an ex-central defender. He gave O'Shea stick for it on Sky Sports highlights after it.
http://img267.imageshack.us/img267/7...echfreeze1.jpg
Looks like the 4 year plan is coming to a premature end.
Stan the mans master plan !!
The SFAI are the governing body for grassroots football in Ireland, not the FAI. Its success or the lack of is all down to them.
Afraid to say I dont think a draw gets him sacked
Match Stats:
(San Marino - Ireland)
Goals: SMR 0 - 0 IRL
Total Shots: SMR 0 - 11 IRL
Shots on Target: SMR 0 - 4 IRL
Shots Wide: SMR 0 - 6 IRL
Blocked Shots: SMR 0 - 1 IRL
Fouls Committed: SMR 6 - 4 IRL
Corners: SMR 0 - 5 IRL
Possession; SMR 54% - 46% IRL
Kom Igen, FCK...
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