Ireland Vs China Friendly

eirebhoy

thejollyrodger wrote:

The fact that we had to bring on RMK to get a win rang alarm bells. Something is really wrong with Irish soccer if we cant easily beat teams that are ranked 200+ in the FIFA rankings.

China are up there with Israel, Switzerland, Australia, etc.

Really disappointed in Kerr tonight. The game was crying out for McGeady.

How on earth anyone can want to see O'Shea as a central midfielder is beyond belief. I'd say his pass success rate tonight was about 20%.

Anyway, poorest match I've seen in Landsowne in years. Pity Kav didn't get a goal. At least he showed what he can do when he's allowed go forward. He and Keane would be a letal partnership.

_blank_

Said on the radio that Cunningham gave the captains armband to Roy Keane when he went off, but he wouldn't wear it and gave it to Kavanagh.

Strange.

Villain

Crap performance, we didn't look like we wanted to win, Kavangh was excellent though IMO should start ahead of Kilbane and Holland. I was glad Keano handed him the captains armband when he came on.

Why Didn't McGeady get a run out??? Why call him up if your not going to play him??

Without Duffer we are an average side, Andy Reid was very poor, I'd like to see Steven Reid getting a chance again, if only for dead ball situations, out free-kicks and corners were terrible.

Jivin Turkey

Not really a lot of positives to be taken from that, I cant single anyone out for praise really.

Elliott did alright, showed some promise. He will develop a lot if Sunderland get promoted, and hopefully he will mature into a credible option for us. Worked hard, and showed a few nice touches.

I really dont rate Maybury, and I dont understand why he is picked. Its not like he has any potential, he will be 27 this year. His man was running him ragged.

Dunne looked solid, with O'Brien as well which is a plus seeing as at the moment I cant really see anyone challenging them once Cunningham retires.

Would have been nice if Kav got that goal, maybe it would have warranted the MOTM award, but it was such a bad game the miss was good enough to earn the award.

Great goal for Morrison, Ive always been a beliver, I just hope he gets some game time before the end of the season.

China are a useful side, as they showed tonight. Kept the ball well, and were very good technically, but all in all, its been a week to forget for the Irish team.

thejollyrodger

Maybury shouldnt play again. he has been found out at this level and I would rather have hearte playing than him.

Apart from Duff and Given Ireland are a very average side.

Reid did well but all he kept doing was looking for through balls to Keane. Hopefully his games develops a bit more in the next few months.

Great to see morrison scoring. It will do his confidence the world of good.Maybe he can get a run with Birmingham now. He needs to change clubs though

Slash/ED

I agree re: Maybury. But kerr, Doherty on, McGeady left out altogether? What?

Worst match I've ever been to and I went to the Canada match, so that's saying something. I really hate Kerrs attitude towards friendlys.

The_B_Man

Reid thought he was Matt Le Tissier tonight. i like elliotts pace. morrison is startin to earn his place. i do like Kenny but dont think we will ever drop a Donegal man in favour of someone else!
also, it took keane to make us be more physical 2nite. just saw on telly kavo got MOM. why was he only discovered recently?

to be honest, i think kerr is preparing his defence for when everything goes pear shaped. he can say "well ive never lost at home and only lost once away"! rather than being able to say "well i tried to squeeze out as much potential as possible but it backfired once or twice"!

however, we're still unbeaten at home!

PHB

Well tbh I think its time that Kerr stopped letting the **** try and play and let the youngins get a chance. We got lucky with Kavenagh, who is good to have int he squad but never gona be top class or in the top 11, we ain't gona get that 'lucky' again.
Doherty and Maybury should just be dropped, they have no potential to get much better and just waste space tbh.

O'shea played quite poorly tonight, but he did make one decent cross into the box.
The problem is that he has some magic in him and can create attacking chances.
Duff also can do that, and Keane can to a lesser extent, although its not what he is used to.
Thats our entire attack there, and I'm being generous including O'Shea in that obviously.

We have two people who can create goals in the entire goal, Duff and Keano, and the latter doesn't do it that often and isn't expected to.

We have to let Miller/McGeady/Reid/Elliot/ play constantly and try to develop our attacking options.
Bring in some of the U21's if need be, Thorthen/Capper(just for the laugh)/Pooter(or something, the liverpool guy)/Flood
Also isn't there some guy called Dunphy who plays attacking midfield for Celtic reserves or something?
I'd also like to try and steal Richardson since he is half Irish, and has yet to get a proper cap for England, and could be decent in the future

Defense was never really a problem for us, we've always had a good goalie and a decent defense, attack is where we fall down and we have to change that.

LegacyUser

Worse match I have ever seen.

Why didn't McGeady get a run!?

quarryman

Said on the radio that Cunningham gave the captains armband to Roy Keane when he went off, but he wouldn't wear it and gave it to Kavanagh.

Strange.

yeah what was that all about?

[Jackass]

I thought Miller was impressive when he came on, as was O'Brien, Clinto and Roy. I was disapointed with Reid, O'Shea, and to a lesser extent Robbie and Duff (only because expectations are always high from those players ) I think maybury and Kavanagh are compitent at this level, but i would never want them in a starting 11 for a competitive match. I was encuraged by Elliot, had some nice movement, and created space nicely...he still learning his trade at this level, but i felt he was more impressive than Keane tonight. I didn't think Kavanagh featured much, and i don't understand why he was man of the match For me it was the chinese left back...the most creative and best attacking threat on the pitch. If it was an Irish player, i would have given it to Elliot. Lovely finish by Morrison, he's been very good this campaign for Ireland...maybe he needs to move clubs? A few of the lower premiership sides could use him in there regular first 11 next season. I'd like to see Miller and Reid (despite performance) start against Israel, with finnan at RB. Although im sure Kerr will go with Kav ahead of Miller (Conservative/Defence option always) I was also very disapointed to see Doherty come on ahead of McGeady...WTF was that all about? Surely Doherty has no future in international football? And if he does, surely it's at center back, not striker.

Very worrying performance though...we picked up right where we left off against Israel. Very labored and sloppy passing, little or no creativityor penetration, and caught on the break several times. China had 3 clear cut chances, from the left back, and at the end, a nice little cross into the box from a free, inches over the strikers head infront of Kenny, and a certain goal if he got to it. This is a poor patch of form from us, despite doing well in the group, you could argue we should have beten France, Switzerland and Israel away if we had the killer touch, or even just better finishing, and should have beaten the small teams by more. Despite that, we're still in the strongest position in the group, even if we should have won it by now. I just hope Kerr and the team can wake up now, and realise set-pieces, movement and finishing al l need great improvement, and tacticaly, are offensive moves need to be sharper, quicker and more clinical. Defensively, we're not bad, but need midfield to break up sweeping attacks.

s8n

would anyone have a link to a video of the goal??

eirebhoy

thejollyrodger wrote:

Reid did well but all he kept doing was looking for through balls to Keane.

Reid was terrible. The worst I've ever seen him play. His confidence was drained though which is why I wondered why he tried so many difficult balls.

egan007

Robby Keane - **** - all he did good in the game was complain.
Reid - looked like a lazy bast*rd
Kavanagh - not an internation, baffelled how he got man of the match- the crowd should of been given this award for putting up with that trash for so long

RE*AC*TOR

cheesedude wrote:

Worse match I have ever seen.

Why didn't McGeady get a run!?

youy didn't see the israel match then...

Kone

Not impressed at all, a very very poor game!

The Rooster

If Ireland don't qualify for the World Cup, the fans are really going to turn against Kerr. He is definitely from the Gerard Houllier school of management. Professional and analytical are very good qualities, but you can go OTT on analysis and tactics, you have to leave room for flair. He needs to get out of the defensive mindset.

Not bringing on McGeady in a meaningless friendly against what can only be called sh!te opposition, where we can't make a breakthrough, was mindboggling. Especially as McGeady plays against sh!te opposition week in week out

If he's as good as Celtic fans say he is, McGeady would be a great option to bring on in the last 10/15 mins against the likes of Israel/Swiss if we are in need of a goal. I have no idea as to whether McGeady is capable of playing at this level at this stage of his career, and sadly neither does Kerr.

I really hope Kav did enough to warrant a start v Israel ahead of Holland. Kav would give far more to the team.

yop

Brutal match, thought Elliot did well, China could have took it, that left back looks handy. Good to see Keano appear and good to hear the silence on here from the people who continuously complain when he pulls out of friendlies due to injury, not half as quick to mention it when he does play are we?
Pointless match I think, why he played the players who turned out Saturday and not give the young lads a run to see what they are like is beyond me. Still a win is a win, 11 unbeaten now!

eirebhoy

yop wrote:

Pointless match I think, why he played the players who turned out Saturday and not give the young lads a run to see what they are like is beyond me.

We can see what they're like week in week out for their clubs. A mixture of first team and fringe players is the only way to go, otherwise it really makes these types of friendlies pointless.

Pigman II

Kerr, bring back Harte!

Honestly our two fullbacks tonight were complete muck. If Maybury can get a game playing like that then I don't know what Kerr is thinking of. JOS was no better. The guy has been rotting away at Old Trafford ever since Heinze appeared for ManU but just lately it's been creeping into his Ireland performances and that's when I start asking questions.

I know people here joke about it but HAS Harte actually said/done something to Kerr to get himself banished from the squad? I'd really like to know what is going on there!

Midfield was rubbish as expected. Kavanagh is competent but I'd sooner have Holland in there for a 'real game' (ie anyone tougher than Cyprus/Faeroes ... or China) and even given the 2 suspensions for upcoming Israel match I still think AndyReid shouldn't start that game. Time and again now proven to me that he's too slow, too inconsistent and gives the ball away too much. Considering he's playing for a manager who values ball retention over actually trying to do anything positive it's a wonder Andy's even in the squad? He was a passenger against the Swiss and he'll let us down again in June if picked.

At this stage (and esp. after last Saturday) it should be unquestionable that we need either Reid or Harte to start for set pieces and as much as I question Hartes defensive 'capabilities' I'm noticing that Reid just coasts in midfield and when he isn't standing around 'watching the world go by' OR giving the ball away with one of his so-called 'passes' he's too slow to track back effectivly anyway. Plus when I consider Harte is a better player with a dead-ball anyway I reckon its about time Kerr works out how to type '0-0-3-4' into his phone, gives Harte a call and puts whatever issue they may have behind them.

Kerr, please grow some balls and pick this team for Israel ....

                 Given

 Finnan Cunningham O'Brien	Harte

Duff    Holland	  Kavanagh  Kilbane		

            RobbieK Morrison

quarryman wrote:

yeah what was that all about?

Its because the man is delusional. If he had accepted the band it would have been like 'wait a minute, am I not already captain?' It's just like his recent spat with Viera and his exasperated reaction to the 'have me back' question posed to him in the infamous Tommy Gorman interview. In his own mind he believes he's 6'4', believes he's 100% right for what he did in Saipan and on this particular occasion believes he's still de-facto captain of Ireland.

eirebhoy

I wouldn't take too much from Reid's performance last night. He was playing for his place and I've never seen him as low in confidence as he was last night. Although, even though he did play his worst game for Ireland he was still a bigger threat than Finnan. Lovely chip for Elliott's penalty claim. I don't think he's slow at all either.

Harte has only started one game for Levante since January because of injury.

The Rooster

Keane didnt want the armband because he knew there'd be a hullabaloo in the media about it if he was captain again, if only for a few minutes. I'm sure if the person with authority (i.e. Kerr) had asked him he would have accepted without fuss. As it was there was probably no instruction from Kerr to Cunningham so the easy thing to do was to pass it on to somebody who'd been playing the whole game.

As for Harte, is he back playing for Levante? I seem to remember him being injured around Christmas time with a semi-serious knock (i.e 2/3 months out?)

Pigman II

eirebhoy wrote:

I wouldn't take too much from Reid's performance last night. He was playing for his place and I've never seen him as low in confidence as he was last night. Although, even though he did play his worst game for Ireland he was still a bigger threat than Finnan. Lovely chip for Elliott's penalty claim. I don't think he's slow at all either.

No use being a threat if you don't have the ball and aren't gonna make much of an effort to get it back either. Reid is still dining out on his performances against Canada, Holland and Cyprus but it was his Swiss game that convinced me that he can't be depended upon at this level. It was just more of the same from him last night in a game where he should have been busting a gut to stake a claim for the place that place that Kerr will probably just hand him anyway in June. Ironic I know.

eirebhoy wrote:

Harte has only started one game for Levante since January because of injury.

Well if he's back in time I'd take him in a heartbeat (pun not intended). Mainly wishful thinking on my part as I don't see Kerr reinstating him in a million years anyway.

Pigman II

The Rooster wrote:

Keane didnt want the armband because he knew there'd be a hullabaloo in the media about it if he was captain again, if only for a few minutes. I'm sure if the person with authority (i.e. Kerr) had asked him he would have accepted without fuss.

Exactly what I suspect/envisage too (but not for the 'hullaballo' reasons). He wants Kerr himself to give it to him because that is the only scenario that will fit in with the fantasy built in his head that he is still the captain. If he had taken it from Kilbane it would have only enforced the reality of the situation that he's actually just another player in the squad at this particular moment in time.

eirebhoy

Honestly though, Reid confidence was completely fúcked last night. My brother was saying the things you are saying but as soon as I said you could see that his confidence is drained the camera zoomed in on him and you almost felt sorry for him. He really did just want to get off the pitch after an hour because everything he was doing was going wrong. Worst I've ever seen him and hopefully the worst I ever will see him. He has still been the best player on the pitch on about 1/3 - 1/2 of his caps so has the ability.

thejollyrodger

Everyone is blaming Kerr for our 1-1 draw out in Israel. The simple fact is that he put out our strongest team, based on where players play, which is the correct thing to do. I think he handled the accusations in the media well.

Its Andy Reid this Mc Geady that. The truth of the matter is that neither has proven themselves at a decent level. The English premiership is bad enough (apart from the top three clubs). Any league below that is simply not up to the standard for international football.

Regarding Reid vs. Finnan. Until Reid improves his game then he is on the bench (apart from Israel maybe). He does add something in attack but there is still an awful more he can do. Find other players apart from Robbie, hit early balls in, work off the ball, run faster etc. I watched the game again and could see that he does get frustrated a bit. He needs to be patient; Kerr helped him to the premiership so he can’t mouth off. Reid was in a relegation battle not so long ago and has only moved to Spurs a few months. Finnan has been playing in the Champions league. Quite a big difference!.

Miller, Robbie etc were all rushed through the underage setup because of the big demand for players. Both players had so much potential and are only realising a fraction of it. We have too many nearly men. Mc Geady and others can wait a while.

Duffer has gone off the boil for Ireland IMO. He is going through the motions. Mourihno is probably telling him to forget about Ireland, you can win things with Chelsea. It was the same with Roy.

John O Shea plays terribly now IMO. I thought he had improved but he hasnt. He has enough caps at international level to settle in. He gets regular starts by Kerr and there is so much wrong with his game. Last night he was trying 30 yard passes to the doc’ in the air. Neither the doc’ Quinn nor Pele had any chance in hell in getting the ball. The Chinese then broke from that and attacked us.
He gave the ball away outside their penalty area and they nearly scored from that as well.

I agree, he has gone on the rot in the last couple of years for Man Utd. I don’t know if I can see him turning things around. He is an intelligent player but is making zero progress and has absolutely no sense of urgency. He waits to long on the ball, he picks the wrong options and keeps giving the ball away in sometimes very dangerous positions. He gets out of position and looses players he is supposed to be marking. Very poor in general apart from one or two good passes. Reserve football is a waste of time Josh.

Clinton Morrison has a bit of a goal streak now, thank god. I think he will become a decent striker for Ireland. He needs a new club urgently. Pity that it we won’t benefit from such a move in this campaign. Again, reserve football doesn’t cut it.

Maybury is a total waste of space. Apart from that one long ball last night I would have given him a kick of the pitch. He is useless. At least Hearte can do something with the dead ball.

RMK is the only true competitive player we have. Even though he is old, has a legacy, he still adds a bite to the team. He drives the team forward. No other player has that. Its all square balls and back passes. Someone on the pitch that grabs the game by the scruff of the neck and pushes this Irish team on.

For me that is the biggest problem with this Irish team. We are a very average side with 1 or 2 good players. We only seem to have one gear. Namely, wait until the pressure gets very big and then go like the hammers of hell at the opposition to get something out of the game.

We can’t kill weaker teams off because we still have the underdog mentality. It’s always keep things tight at the start and then try to score (nothing to do with Kerr etc). If we score too early, we take the foot off the gas and it all goes to pot. China and Israel are muck. Any other team with our FIFA ranking would have won 2 or 3 nil without half the effort TBF.

The problem for me out in Israel was that we are very one-dimensional and we have a lot to learn. We scored too early and we don’t know how to deal with that. We play our best game when we are pressuring a team. We are brilliant at getting the ball off the opposition and breaking up their play, chasing teams down etc. Last night we pressured China all night and didn’t let them into the game. Its our best defence. We got the goal near the end of the match so it was too late for China to equalise. For me that seems like Irelands game.

Kerr has done brilliantly with the players he has. We had our best team out in Israel. It’s just that the players were lack lustre after the goal and mentality unprepared. This Irish team has to learn new tricks. Chasing teams down works well when you’re the underdog or you are a goal down. But it doesn’t apply to all situations. We need to rip weak teams apart.

_blank_

thejollyrodger wrote:

We need to rip weak teams apart.

That is the main thing we have not being doing under Kerr.

There is nothing in your post I disagree with tjr.

jank

IMO Kerr is out of his depth! We should be beating teams like China 3 or 4 nil at least for **** sake how are we expected to win ALL of our last 5 games.

Qualification looks very doubtfull imo and Robbie Keane needs to shake up fast, does anybody else notice that he is over weight!!

thejollyrodger

I dont know how you came to that conclusion Jank. Its not like we have every qualified automatically ever before or have ever made qualification easy for ourselves. I cant remember Ireland every beating a China type team (i.e 5*th position in FIFA) by a lot of goals. We never score many goals.

We will certainly beat Israel at home, Faroes away, Cyprus away. France will be tricky and so might Switzerland but we only need a win and a draw there. I expect we can beat both teams. Ireland on schedule to top the group for the first time ever.

Hardly Kerr out of his depth !

PHB

Keane is a team player, I don't think anyone will contest that, or maybe I'm wrong?
It doesn't do any good for the team for their to be a rival captain thingy going on, Cunningham is the captain, and Keane is not. He is not even the vice captain or fifth captain, he is just part of the team, and thats the way he wants it as its whats best for the team.

sharkman

PHB wrote:

Keane is a team player, I don't think anyone will contest that, or maybe I'm wrong?
It doesn't do any good for the team for their to be a rival captain thingy going on, Cunningham is the captain, and Keane is not. He is not even the vice captain or fifth captain, he is just part of the team, and thats the way he wants it as its whats best for the team.

you wouldn't think it if you saw him going through Dublin airport with his stopwatch barking orders !

Pigman II

thejollyrodger wrote:

Its not like we have every qualified automatically ever before or have ever
made qualification easy for ourselves.

WC90, piece of piss qualifying. We'd virtually made it with a game to spare by the last game and it was only a mathematical possibility that we wouldn't have had done so.

I cant remember Ireland every beating a China type team (i.e 5*th position in FIFA) by a lot of goals. We never score many goals.

You must have a short memory then because on every campaign between the 92 qualifiers to the 04 qualifiers we've always beat at least one team by 4 goals (sometimes more than once). Kerrs been in for 26 games now any we haven't scored 4 even once yet, never mind beaten a team by 4 (not even in a friendly).

17/10/90 Turkey 5-0

09/09/92 Latvia 4-0

12/10/94 Liechtenstein 4-0
16/11/94 Northern Ireland 4-0

31/08/96 Liechtenstein 5-0
21/05/97 Liechtenstein 5-0

14/10/98 Malta 5-0

24/03/01 Cyprus 4-0
06/10/01 Cyprus 4-0

Ireland on schedule to top the group for the first time ever.

Euro 88.

thejollyrodger

for a WCQ i mean.

Seaneh

Ireland played crap against Isreal and worse against China.

Kerr wasted a chance against China to play a lot of players.

Mc Geady should have been given atleast 45 minutes.

Gary Doherty is not a fu*king striker and what was the point in either of the keanes playing?

atleast Reid and elliot got a good run...

thejollyrodger

to get the best out of subs its best to keep as many first choice players on the pitch at the same time so we can see what the fringe players are like. Doing a Sven job woud be the height of madness.

Kerr made good use out of the China friendly. Players who played in it have a realistic chance of playing another Asian team in the WC. Sending out a complete B team would prove little.

Seaneh

jank wrote:

IMO Kerr is out of his depth! We should be beating teams like China 3 or 4 nil at least for **** sake how are we expected to win ALL of our last 5 games.

Qualification looks very doubtfull imo and Robbie Keane needs to shake up fast, does anybody else notice that he is over weight!!

I think he is being caught out too.
Who has he managed before? Under age and Eircom league, that's a great C.V.... if you want to manage stockport county or swansea but manager of the Irish international team, 12th in the FIFA rankings, he should have never been considered!

_blank_

That is the second time you have had a go at the eL this evening.

What grudge do you hold against it?

Also, when Kerr took over, the squad was no where near ranked 12th in the World.

Slash/ED

And the alternatives were of the calibre of...Frank bloody Stapleton.

Seaneh

Slash/ED wrote:

And the alternatives were of the calibre of...Frank bloody Stapleton.

philippe troussier would have been the best man for the job IMHO.

Slash/ED

Seaneh wrote:

philippe troussier would have been the best man for the job IMHO.

You may not be wrong there, I was calling for him at the time, but didn't the Japanese all hate him? He must have done something wrong with them, what's he been upto since?

Seaneh

Slash/ED wrote:

You may not be wrong there, I was calling for him at the time, but didn't the Japanese all hate him? He must have done something wrong with them, what's he been upto since?

to be honest... I don't know.

for some reason "africa" springs to mind but im not sure... maybe he's managing an african team?


I dont know why the japaneese hated him, he really helped develop thier league and he completly professionalised thier nationa teams infostructre, brought them on about 40 years worth of progress in less than 10... quite good.

thejollyrodger

pity he couldnt do something similar here

Jivin Turkey

A lot of people getting on Kerr's back here, jebus, I wasnt delighted at his appointment (I was actually quite a fan of McCarthy!) but at least Im going to give him a full qualifying campaign before judging him.

Hes not done too bad, not spectacular, but Ill wait until October before passing my verdict on him.

A Dub in Glasgo

McGeady tells of this disappointment

I was then drafted into the senior squad for the friendly with China in Dublin on Tuesday night and it was very disappointing not to get on to the park. I thought I would have come on, as it was a friendly, but it wasn’t to be and that was frustrating. I think the manager, Brian Kerr, will know I was disappointed not to get on. China sat in during much of the game and if I had got on, maybe I could have changed it a little bit in terms of breaking them down. I am sure there will be other games like that in the future, where I want to get on but remain as an unused sub.

From Icons

thejollyrodger

Mc Geady is too young. He is only 18 ! Robbie looked brilliant at that age and look how he turned out. We just cant risk him for a while IMO. Its whats best for Mc Geady.

A Dub in Glasgo

19 on Monday

The_B_Man

Re: Kerr

his job is to get us to Germany. his job is not to make friends or play pretty football. His job is graded on results. he has given us a lot of results. just look at how many times we've lost under him. even with a team that played with an all premiership starting 11 for the 1st time under him last week we've done good. i dont see the problem.

Re: McGeady

hes a left winger. kerr is gonna put out his strongest 11. i dont think hes better than our current left winger. McGeady is an extra left winger that i doubt will get an automatic start for a long long time and only if he lives up to the potential that the Celtic fans say he has. there is a difference between SPL right backs and international quality right backs. who to say hes capable of it? look wat happened wit David Connolly. In holland he was top scorer one season, next season he was a top scorer for his club in the championship but all the while he couldnt do anything at international level! what the celtic fans seem to want us to think is too good to be true. kerr is right to be careful and patient with him.

eirebhoy

The_B_Man wrote:

Re: McGeady

hes a left winger. kerr is gonna put out his strongest 11. i dont think hes better than our current left winger. McGeady is an extra left winger that i doubt will get an automatic start for a long long time and only if he lives up to the potential that the Celtic fans say he has. there is a difference between SPL right backs and international quality right backs. who to say hes capable of it? look wat happened wit David Connolly. In holland he was top scorer one season, next season he was a top scorer for his club in the championship but all the while he couldnt do anything at international level! what the celtic fans seem to want us to think is too good to be true. kerr is right to be careful and patient with him.

He's actually not a left winger, he's an attacking midfielder. He can basically play anywhere but prefers playing behind the strikers.

You'd have to see him. I'm actually suprised so many people haven't seen him play 90 minutes. He will be a star!

/edit - btw, I know the SPL might not be the greatest of football but Celtic are on it every 2nd week. If you haven't seen McGeady yet you might aswell do.

BTW, I rarely go by potential and be absolutely positive that a player will be superb. McGeady is just top class already and will be world class avoiding injuries or whatever.

thejollyrodger

what about right side midfield where reid is playing at the moment. Reid has a lot of work to do if he wants to play international football. Maybe it might be an ideal position for Mc Geady ?

[Jackass]

thejollyrodger wrote:

Mc Geady is too young. He is only 18 ! Robbie looked brilliant at that age and look how he turned out.

The greatest Irish striker of all time? Granted he could score more goals...but his record at international level is comparable to Michael Owen. And his premiership record is good too. Don't get me wrong, he frustrates the hell out of me, but he is a very good striker...I think he filled his potential, i just wish he was a world class striker...but anybody who thought he was going to be world class when he was 17, was probably a wishfull thinking Irish man.

thejollyrodger wrote:

We just cant risk him for a while IMO. Its whats best for Mc Geady.

He's almost 19... Wayne Rooney was an England Regular at 17 and scoring goals, and making a record move for a teenager to the biggest club in the world.... and look how he turned out. If you have the talent and ability, your age is irrelivant.

IMO McGeady is a Striker playing on the left wing. He sees himself as a striker afaik, and Kerr has brought him on as a striker before. (all be it for about 2 - 3 minutes.)

Anybody who has watched him for Celtic knows, he is an unbelievable player, he forced Junninhio out of Celtic, a world cup winner, and regardless of opposition, his sheer skill and talent can not be denied.

Martin O'Neill has compared him to Ronaldhino and reckons he's the most prommising young player he's ever seen..i tend to agree.

Its not just a shock he didnt get to play against China, it's a joke! It was the perfect platform to give him atleast 45 minutes to show what he can do, and if he got that chance, i guarentee this thread would be about how great he was!!

I cant see him getting another chance for Ireland this campaign, which is a shame.