QuoteSaw Harte play last night (Levante v Real Madrid), he had an ok game. Took a few free kicks, came close with one, had a dodgy header back to his keeper, all in all hard to say if he's any worse than someone like Carr in terms of defensive lapses.
Yes
No
They showed how good they can play with absolutely quality football against France and Swiss (I'm not saying 90 minutes of it). Psychology is my word of the week and that is the reason they didn't play as well against us or in Paris. If they all went out in Brazil jerseys they'd be a much better team.Originally Posted by Donal81
Saw Harte play last night (Levante v Real Madrid), he had an ok game. Took a few free kicks, came close with one, had a dodgy header back to his keeper, all in all hard to say if he's any worse than someone like Carr in terms of defensive lapses.
Is it just me or are they both rubbish left backs? They are not fit to lace Paolo Maldini's boots
http://www.elevenaside.com/boysingre...p?newsid=17152
Again, the question remains over Maybury. Harte is playing higher level footie (Levante lost 1-0 over the weekend) but when it comes down to it, a defender's job is to defend, and in his performances for Ireland over the past year, Maybury has seemed decent enough on that score.
I wish he'd stop moaning about it. Is he on coke or something, coz he thinks he's way better than he actually is. It'd really pizz me off if he ever got picked for Ireland again.
"I always likened him to a Rolls Royce. You just used him once a week & he'd be flawless"
Townsend on McGrath
Reckon he's not doing his cause any favours by saying things like "whether he (Kerr) stays in the job or not" (not the first time he's said something to that effect).
Personally, I'd be interested to see what he pulls out of the bag to prove himself if he was called up for a friendly.
Maybe it's this attitude that got him booted out in the first place. This 'I deserve to be picked' thing winds me up. It's not like we were a defensive force with an impenetrable left-wing when he was there. In fact, we had quite the opposite. Ian, shut up and get better.
There must be something else to this. I think Harte has had more than enough chances to prove that he's not a ropey defender for Ireland and I fail to see how we miss him, even as cover. That's my view. But why would Kerr get rid of him so obviously?
Maybury was absolutely apalling against China & against Poland.
I think it's pretty obvious Kerr & Harte have fallen out over something.
I'd like to see Kilbane tried at left back. Keane & Kav for CM until 2006.
Your comments on Maybury in these games are a bit harsh. In the China game he was not called on to do much defending but did well when he needed to. His support play to midfield was good and he hit two telling balls, one which almost ended up with Elliot scoring and the second which ended with Morrison scoring the only goal.
Against Poland last year, he only came on in that game for the last 25 minutes and got himself booked after being on for 5 minutes. If his display that night was appaling then there were at least half a dozen others who were equally as bad.
Like you, for some time I have advocated that Kilbane plays left back. He can defend (all those years covering for Harte taught him how!). Our left back position is a problem and other teams are clued up to this. IMHO, Kilbane or Maybury are better defensive options than O'Shea, who simply cannot defend and is too easily dragged out from the FB position. It will be interesting to see how Kerr sees it for the Israel game. Maybury has been playing well for Leicester, O'Shea has not being playing at all.
Honest! I am not a secret Tim nor a closet Sham - I really am a Seagull.
Sorry, don't agree at all! I thought Maybury was brutal against China, his lack of pace getting us caught out badly on at least one occasion.
And giving him an "assist" for Clinton's goal is a bit charitable. It was a bog-standard ball up the line, aimed for Doc but which Clinton was quicker to. Even the 'keeper thought it was for Doc which is why he ended up in no-man's land.
I take the point that he's been doing well at Leicester but I think Maybury would struggle against good quality opposition. But then again, I think he was in the team that won in Holland.
Didn't see the China game and everyone was absolutely dire against Poland. I was thinking more of when I saw him at Lansdowne against the Czechs, when he was called in at the last minute to deputise for Carr and played a very solid game at right back. Since he has started being picked again I think that while he is unspectacular and should not be a first team choice ahead of Carr, Finnan or O'Shea, Kerr has him there on merit as a defender - he is, put simply, a better defender than Ian Harte who, in spite of what he offers at the deadball and even in the air sometimes, has proven time and time again that he cannot defend at international level.
With regard to the Kilbane for left back suggestion, I think that would be a terrible idea for everyone concerned. Kev is in the form of his life at the moment playing in centre mid and up until Israel, acquitted himself very well alongside a (very subdued and disappointing) Keane. He has only played left back for Ireland once or twice (45 mins against Saudi Arabia and in the Scotland debacle in 2000) and never, as far as I am aware, for any club - simply because it is not his natural position. I think a major difference between Kerr and McCarthy is that McCarthy (admittedly, sometimes out of necessity) insisted on playing certain players repeatedly out of position: Duff and Roy Keane being the most obvious candidates. Kerr has tried to eliminate that (with the exception of Stevie Finnan, who should now take over the RB spot from Carr for the rest of the qualifiers if Mahatma Gandhi Reid starts playing well for us at RM). So keep Kev where he is for the moment. Kev and Kav for CM v Israel - and let them scrap it out for the spot alongside Keano when he returns from suspension: even though Keane has been so underwhelming for us since he came back (apart from the Romania game)...
I dont think this is new, I think they are using quotes from Harte before and just re printing them as it is a slow news day. The Herald did a big thing on Harte the other weekend and went to a Levante match but Harte woudl not do an interview with them as he did not want to get himself in trouble again with mis-quotes etc. The Herald ran the piece and used his previous quotes which seem very similar to the ones in this article. I think he should be in the squad but not in the team on playing abilty. However it there is more to it then maybe Kerr is right to leave him out.
In Trap we trust
You could quite easily be talking about Harte here!
Maybury was dodgy against the Chinese and was outpaced plenty of times. Still, he can defend, Harte can't. In a perfect world, we'd have someone better than both of them and someone more suited to left-back than John O'Shea. We don't, though, so O'Shea or Maybury are our best options.
He was and played well as all the team did that night. He also played his first game for four years against the Czech Republic two months before Amsterdam and played well enough.
Yes we are weak at left back and ideally we need someone better but with what we have at the moment, we should be picking the player who can defend the best and that is not John O'Shea. Unless Steve Finnan or Stephen Kelly can adapt to the left back slot, I still prefer Maybury as a defender.
Honest! I am not a secret Tim nor a closet Sham - I really am a Seagull.
Kerr is one to hold grudges, so if Harte upset him ( which he probably did by going to the papers ) then he can forget about playing for Ireland as long as Kerr is in charge. Remember when Kerr left Ronnie O'Brien out of the UEFA U-18 Final after an argument, even though he said that he was one of his best players.
Is Ian Harte good enough for the current squad? I think so.
As an attacking player, YES
As a defender, NO
So NO overall
At a stretch, one could reasonably make a case for his inclusion as cover. I would disagree but the argument is there. However, taking attitude into account and his complete lack of marking, heading or tackling ability, I think that, overall, my answer is no.
better than maybury full stop. this is the same ian harte that was in the premiership team of the season 2 years in a row and is great from dead ball. good enough for a team that can only get a 1-0 win over china? yep
For the squad - yes, I think so. Ahead of Maybury probably. For the team - hard to call. Once we get an any-way decent left-back (i.e. not O'Shea either!) then no.
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