Alan O'Brien

**cavan_fan** · 06/12/2006, 3:21 PM

Newcastle (from): Given, Srnicek, Carr, Solano, Taylor, Ramage, Huntington, Babayaro, Butt, Emre, N'Zogbia, Milner, Pattison, Troisi, Gate, Edgar, Martins, Sibierski, Luque, Rossi, Carroll.

Newcastle manager Glenn Roeder:
"None of us at the club have ever been involved in an injury-hit squad as bad as this.
"Honestly, most managers when they talk about bare bones, they are talking about being down to the last 16.

"I have not said anything yet and we are basically down to 10 senior players. The team picks itself for the match against Reading."

And yet still no room for O'Brien. How many injuries would it take before he did get called up?

By the way surprised we didnt have a thread about him already!

**AustinoAsprilla** · 06/12/2006, 5:06 PM

Probably another 21 or else a change of managment... Bring in someone like Stan the man and he could well be stupid enough to pick O'Brien... Fastest way to get away from the Relegation Zone!

**lim abroad** · 06/12/2006, 5:47 PM

He probably has a race meet that weekend for the newcastle harriers,he's very fast you know

**republicofwhite** · 07/12/2006, 3:40 PM

Clearly not making any impact whastoever. Apparently he made no impact for Carlisle when he went there on loan. Roeder playing it safe so...

**pete** · 08/12/2006, 1:21 PM

Staunton clearly listens to his advisers too much. O'Brien i think now has maybe 5 international caps but will be lucky to get in the irish U21 team next year...

**republicofwhite** · 12/12/2006, 5:32 PM

Apparently Alan O'Brien is actually injured att the moment...So If this is true maybe we've been harsh on saying "oh he still can't get near the team even with a mountain of injuries"

**Irish_Praha** · 13/12/2006, 6:25 PM

He's on the bench for Newcastle tonight alongside the 9.5m Luque.
Maybe he'll get 10 mins at the end to run around like a headless chicken. Or myabe he'll be a super sub and prove us all wrong!

**carloz** · 13/12/2006, 7:37 PM

Charles N'Zogbia 9who was playing left wing) gets a bad injury just before half time, the perfect opportunity for O'Brien you would think. But no, Matthew Pattison, some south African i have not heard about instead replaces him

**republicofwhite** · 13/12/2006, 8:17 PM

I have a feeling Pattison is a defender aswell...

**cavan_fan** · 13/12/2006, 8:29 PM

No he's a left winger

**republicofwhite** · 13/12/2006, 8:55 PM

Thanks..Mixing him up with your man Huntington I think...

**pete** · 14/12/2006, 11:53 AM

At least O'Brien got some big game bench experience.

**gustavo** · 14/12/2006, 11:56 AM

The poor guy is a walking embodiement of Stan's incompetence

**Irish_Praha** · 02/01/2007, 2:08 PM

He was still only warming the bench last night and Newcastle have about 10 players injured. He should be nowhere near the Irish squad. IMO he needs to change club or go out on loan and get a few competitive games under his belt first before being recalled.

**youngirish** · 02/01/2007, 2:45 PM

Stokes, Garvan, Long, Clarke, Mc Shane, Mc Cann, Tabb, Keogh, Foley - Staunton recognised potential talent in the young Alan O'Brien before any of the aforemention players when he brought him on as a sub against the Dutch and the Germans (granted Mc Shane now has a cap but he didn't then).

Isn't this fact alone a bit frightening and speaks volumes for his (lack of) judgement?

On the subject for our next match against San Marino he should draft Garvan and Stokes into the squad.

**4tothefloor** · 02/01/2007, 6:48 PM

Originally Posted by youngirish

On the subject for our next match against San Marino he should draft Garvan and Stokes into the squad.

He will if Bobby Robson tells him to

**Qwerty** · 02/01/2007, 10:06 PM

What's frightening is he picked him for a squad without ever seeing him play - after all how could he?

O'Brien has pace to burn but very unsure about his vision and passing/crossing ability. The only use I can see for him would be away from home where we would expect to be under a lot of pressure, he could run around and make a general nuisance of himself and we might be able to use his speed on the counter attack in open space, this is one area of our play which is pretty much non-existant right now and for quite a few years.

If I were the Ireland coach I would be putting a lot of work into counter-attacking. It is something we never seemto do.

**dodgycanadian** · 06/01/2007, 8:21 PM

O'brien played a half today against birmingham, anyone see how he did?

**dr_peepee** · 07/01/2007, 6:50 AM

Whiley Coyote left a pile of bird seed around the penalty area with an anvil hanging above it. O'Brien ran over bent down and took a nibble before speeding off.... Whiley went to inspect said bird seed and the anvil promptly fell on his head..