he’s doen it twice for Norwich, but as you have pointed out this is generally the exception.
Johnny Giles calls Hendrick “Hendrix”.
Voodoo analysis.
Hit the road straight after the final whistle so didn’t stay round for the analysis.
O’Neill got it wrong tonight, I could understand the temptation to freshen the side up and avail of players who became available again after Thursday but the proof was into the pudding that the choice was the incorrect, all in hindsight of course.
Whelan is just a nothing player
- can’t run
- can’t tackle
- can’t pass
- shirks responsibility
I think he is the longest running fraud to ever play for Ireland, still around now as he’s a 50+ cap player. He has no redeeming qualities, to me he’s a very bad version of Neil Lennon. He’s meant to play a role where he offers protection, takes the pressure of defenders by making himself available to take the ball and build attacks but what he usually does is hide when the the pressure is on forcing guys like O’Shea and Keogh who are no good on the ball to knock it long out of necessity. When there’s no pressure on he will gladly take the ball make a few straightforward passes and usually end up leaving someone with the ball in the same position the move started off in - usually the centre back or full backs who are left with no option to punt it long because the opposition has pressed and Whelan doesn’t want to know about it.
His tracking and general defensive nous is poor. He is too self centred to be of any use to the team, he’s far too concerned in protecting his own limitations and is content to let one of his team mates be the player that fucks up rather than trying to take responsibility to get them out of a bind even if it means he’s the player in a precarious situation. He’s completely gutless in this way. Anyway, that’s enough about Whelan, the cowardly pointing cunt.
Moving Brady back to defence was a mistake, he was a massive loss in midfield today, we missed his composure and vision in there and lacked any sort of calmness in the middle sector with him and Hoolahan gone and McCarthy shifted out a role he was far more involved in.
Hendrick had a very bad game but looked really weary and you could see that in his clearances where he was barely getting any purchase on the ball and falling over a lot - it was fatigue and he had a shocker, feel a bit sorry for him.
McCarthy was probably our second best starting outfield player after Coleman - had a decent outing and broke the game up well - particularly after Whelan went off.
McClean was frustrating, worked hard but he’s very aimless to be playing that particular role when we had taken the guile out of the midfield that played there on Thursday. Thought he was a victim of the imbalance rather than a cause, he can be a functional player for us when the right players are around him but put him in that kind of side tonight and you get aimless 2.0.
Walters worked hard but had little to work with in fairness to him. Long was his usual energetic self but he’s not a starting player. His introduction always unsettles defences with his competitive and effervescent nature as it is something new to what they have been dealing with all game and defenders hate radical changes like such. They hate having to deal with pests after what it contrast seems like a stroll for the preceding part of the match.
Randolph was solid, Coleman was brilliant, showed great energy all game long and made countless possessions. Keogh is a solid defender, limited and a bombscare on the ball but I think he generally reads the game pretty well defensively and has a good defensive brain on him. O’Shea defends like a very desperate man and never inspires confidence.
McGeady made a big impact off the bench, Hoolahan was very dangerous and in hindsight it looks like he should have started or been on far earlier at the least.
Overall though, Poland are a better team that us, they have better players than us and I think we did well to grab a playoff in this group, a lot of luck along the way but there’s a good spirit in this squad and they’ll give you all they have got.
I’d very much doubt that we’ll progress from the playoffs but who knows. Hopefully it’s the end of Whelan and O’Neill sticks with the template that he used against Germany.
Something that stuck out for me from looking at our side is that none of the squad are playing European club football proper this season, sad indictment for the state of affairs as there is little they will learn from playing in the jokeshop of the English domestic game.
Why bring on a half fit Hoolahan if all we are doing is launching balls from the back looking for a knock down,was Doyle available? Surely bringing him in was the call if that’s all we were planning on doing looking for that vital equaliser.Very disappointed the play offs as always are a lottery but if we are unseeded then I would take an over the hill Sweden or Denmark.
We are as over the hill as anyone though, relying on Robbie Keane at this stage for example to try and save the game. The age profile and lack of a few decent young players in the squad is depressing. I would say our best chance in the playoffs is if Ukraine overtake Hungary for the automatic 3rd place spot and we get Hungary.
Maybe UEFA will give us a handy play off draw because we are great craic?
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I think you are being overly harsh in Whelan. I don’t think he is a fraud, but he is a very one paced and limited player. I don’t think that he hides or passes the buck, it is more down to how limited he is that he is simply incapable of making passes in busy areas and doing things when pressure is on. But it isn’t a case that he has done it on occasion and then hidden when the going has gotten tough, he has always been one paced with and without the ball. How poor must the attitude and performance in training of the likes of Gibson, Quinn, Meylor etc that he is pretty much an automatic starter?
I am quite surprised that he still seems to be a regular in the Stoke team and that both Trap and O’Neill have seen him as a mainstay of our midfield.
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It’s baffling to me how he has survived the level he has at in football to me. Truly bemusing, is using the excuse that such managers rate him fit for purpose for every bad footballer that made it over for years?
He’s a terrible player and he’s gutless. He’s the guy who should be trying you alleviate the pressure off his centre backs when they have the ball buto how many times are they forced to knock it long. He has zero character and his performances are so revolved around him not being the guy who might make a mistake that it ends up being detrimental to the team.
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Just saw the pre match stuff this morning. You would really feel sorry for Chippy and Moloney having to put up with the two dinosaurs
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They’re a fucking embarrassment. Can Raymond crotty see about contacting Ryle and fucking ending the two of them
What harm but if O’Neill had started Wes and he aggravated the heel injury and missed the play off you can be damn sure Dunphy would be slating him for starting him against Poland and not making the pragmatic call.
As much as I hate that Richie Sadlier cunt, the sooner they get him and Cunningham in with Brady for International games the better
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You are 100% here.
Baffling is the word. He’s a lad who would be uselful for unlocking defences in LOI. Thats about it.
That’s being kind Caoimhaoin, usually to unlock a defence you have to pass the ball forward. Something Whelan is incapable of doing.
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Giles isn’t a fan but he’s all about the character Giles likes in a player - honesty of effort. I think he’s very limited but he’s fairly reliable. He also clearly carries out management instructions which is why they are all so loyal to him. But you’re right, it’s an indictment on the alternatives that he is a constant in the team.
I am all in favour of looking for an improvement over him but I can’t accept criticism of his attitude which is usually spot on. That’s why he gets picked ahead of Gibson etc, though it’s worth pointing out that he’s very durable and being available for every game has been an important part of embedding himself in our gameplan.
I had a look at his wiki a few minutes ago. Since getting promoted with Stoke he has played 7 seasons in the EPL with them and his lowest number of appearances was 26 games in his first year in the EPL. Has played in over 30 league games for Stoke over 4 of the last 6 seasons.
I think fraud is a very unkind and unfair term to place on someone, similar to KIB man and his use of the term stealing a living. Whelan is an honest pro, but just not a very good footballer. Far from a fraud just a very limited player
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He’s a coward, typical of some shapers I would have played with over the years who would have done a lot of talking but would be nowhere to be seen when the pressure came.
Whelan should be bursting his gut to make himself available, instead he keeps himself marked. When he does gets the ball he’s too cowardly to do anything progressive with it, he’ll play a backwards or sideways pass to a guy who is under pressure and will be left with little alternative to boot it long.
Whelan’s role should be one to take the pressure off his defence and to protect them - he does neither. He is too slow to give his defence any sort of proper cover and he either completely hangs his defence out to dry by not offering himself or else he puts the pressure straight back on them.
He needs to be braver, take the ball in, turn around and face the play and see what options he has rather than just blindly returning the ball from where it came. He’s a complete passenger.
You rarely hear intensity outside GAA but in the first half Ireland brought great intensity but not much else
Only seeing this now. Dunphy is ridiculous. Fair play to Maloney for not backing down from him.