QuoteNo he was not even on the pitch when we failed.Originally Posted by NeilMcD
Well given a lack of skill in the team we'll settle for energy and honesty of effort as Johnny Giles might say.
No he was not even on the pitch when we failed.
I think you're being very unfair. Even Petr Cech (hardly Hunt's greatest admirer) spoke publicly about how he felt Hunt had been hard done by getting a red card. It was a heavy tackle but it wasnt dangerous. He didnt come over the ball, nor did he come two footed showing studs. He got the ball with his outsretched leg, then tripped the Czech lad with his shin while following through. It warranted a booking and a severe warning, but not more.
We shouldnt muddy the waters regarding our failure in the recent games by looking to make a scapegoat of Hunt, or any other player for that matter. The blame is solely attributable to Staunton, and the FAI muppet(s) who hired him. They are the individuals who have let all of us down
You don't win games by standing still and waiting for someone to give you the ball.
I don't see him as our saviour...I'm just baffled that he doesn't get into the starting 11. He does more than 'just mindless running around'. Have you even seen him play for Reading? He is the best crosser in the Premiership, yet even when he's on the pitch for Ireland he doesn't take the corners etc,
...oh and it wasn't even close to being a red card. It was the first hard tackle of the game - because our midfield had inexplicably stood off the Czechs before that. The crowd went bananas and the ref couldn't wait to appease them. It was a shocking decision. And then you had some nobody in a suit charging from the Czech bench confronting him as he left the pitch. I was at the game behind the dugouts and it still leaves a bitter taste in the mouth what happened.
Thats bulls-hit as far as im concerned.
Mindless running around = McGeady, Robbie Keane
On the other hand, Hunt is a class act. He is hungry, aggressive and direct. Exactly what you need in a winger. He is a handful for any defender to deal with. Should have started both games. He's the hero of the mob (as you put it) because he showed, during his 30 cameo, everything the Irish team lacked in the rest of the two games.
Hunt is one of the last people I'd blame for our failure, yes he was a bit too enthusiastic with that tackle but it was never a red, if every player had his energy and attitude we would be a very tough team to beat, when you see players pull out of international duty because of a little gash and play 2 & half days later for their club, then its refreshing to see that there are still some players who play with passion for their country
Hunts connection with the Irish fans, reminds me of the buzz between the support and Dave Langan.Both players giving 110% for the cause, creating an audible sense of expectation with the ball at their feet.Neither player could claim the skill of Duff or Keane, but raw passion and effort goes a long way
Lets face it, before Hunt came on nobody thought we had a hope in hell of
getting anything out of the match, we were hopeless. he lifted the whole moribund team, and that endured even after he was taken off.
It wasnt a red but in fairness in an European away match and with a dopey ref and a hostile crowd you cant jump into tackles like that. The crowd and the Czech bench didnt help either.
I thought it was a shocking challenge at the time.He went right through their player and under the circumstances wasn't all that surprised he got red. But thats under the circumstances - normally I think a yellow would have been shown but its not unusual for the circumstances of a game to affect a ref's judgement.
I think if he had kept the head (it was a needless challenge he'd won the ball)we might have got something from the game as he lifted it when so many around him were inept. So yes, he did let us down.
The dude abides....
It was never a red and he was a hero to the "mob" because he came on and gave everything he had, changed the game around and was getting booed everytime he touched the ball.
Of course we chanted his name, just a pity that it seemingly couldn't be heard on the tv, as it was loud enough there!
As has been noted elsewhere, the Czech bench did nothing - didn't even call for a free. Their manager has said he was as surprised as anyone to see the red.
Long live the "mob" then! Never a red card. No mention of the antics of some of the Czech players who hounded the ref into sending Hunt off. Now thats a mob.
All 3 protaginists have their blame.
I´d agree with Stan that he is an impact player
It´s just that we needed to be impacted after 2 minutes.
And there are times when we can´t afford to have such an impact "weapon" on the bench.
I would love to take all these refs who get fooled by a player's antics onto a practical demonstration of what happens to a player when he well and truly clobbered. I´d have the refs play a football game and have a few notorious tacklers inflict studs up from behind tackles on each and every one of them just to impress that the last thing you do, or even want to do, is leap in the air or roll around the floor.
I didn't think it was a red. It probably deserved a yellow as he followed through with agression without need. No way did he let the country down. Don't agree with the mob attitude but he looked like he cared...
If I spent the rest of my life trying to figure out how your comment related in any way to my post I don't I would have anymore idea then than I do now.
Please enlighten me.
You must have an IQ several thousand times greater then mine, which is technically, impossilbe
Last edited by tricky_colour; 18/09/2007 at 5:21 AM. Reason: I just felt like it - OK?
hes better known by his first name as gaeilge, Pol.
I like high energy football. A little bit rock and roll. Many finishes instead of waiting for the perfect one.
let his country down? no way. he did us proud if you ask me. Thats like saying did david beckham let down england in 98 when he got sent off. evidently not, as he eventually became their captain. i don't think hunt deserved a red, but unfortunately, these things hapen sometimes, hes young and hes brash, and maybe alittle rash, but he didnt let his country down at all. he played with passion and heart, as did the majority of the lads i think, skill limitations aside. As usual its easy to find a scapegoat, but the bigger picture is there is no one person to blame. we're a comparatively small country, and we have a limited talent pool to choose from by international standards, a talent pool marginalised further by the lack of a credible domestic league, or an organised effecient governing body for teh sport in the country, a sport might i add which is far from the national sport in ireland. when coupled with having a young team, and a relatively inexperienced manager, and some bad luck with the health of one of the original members of the managerial team, in Bobby Robson, we're doing better than expected.
illiteracy and alphabet soup hmm?
Studs showing and he went through the Czech player, as soon as I seen it I though it would be red. Possibly would have got away with it in the premiership it Mike Riley was not the ref. I agree he is a Dave Langan type character and I certainly would like him in the team for his energy alone.
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