State of the Republic
16:03, 30 Apr 2012
John Kelly
PLAYER OF THE WEEKEND
James McCLean (Sunderland)
Played 90 minutes (Sunderland 2-2 Bolton Wanderers)
He lost the ball before Wanderers went ahead but it was more that Sunderland were so open at the back that Kevin Davies found the space to volley in. He redeemed himself when he added spark to the moved that led to the equaliser and then fired in his sixth of the season from a free-kick. Adding another string to his bow, one might say.
GOALKEEPERS
Shay Given (Aston Villa)
Played 90 minutes (West Brom 0-0 Aston Villla)
Brilliant save to keep out a point-blank Peter Odemwingie effort. Made a couple of other saves late on as Villa drew their 16th game of the season.
Paddy Kenny (QPR)
Played 90 minutes (Chelsea 6-1 QPR)
Hard to criticise him when Chelsea had over 20 shots on goal. Still, let’s. He was unsighted for the first goal but did drop the ball at Fernando Torres’ feet later on. Two months ago, that wouldn’t have been a bad thing but the Spaniard has found a bit of form right at the wrong time from an Irish point of view.
Brian Murphy (QPR)
Injured (Chelsea 6-1 QPR)
Keiren Westwood (Sunderland)
Unused sub (Sunderland 2-2 Bolton Wanderers)
DEFENDERS
Richard Dunne (Aston Villa)
Played 90 minutes (West Brom 0-0 Aston Villa)
Back in the side as Alex McLeish picked a team with seven defensive players in it. One of them, Alan Hutton, is one of the reasons they are in a relegation scrap and he could also end up being responsible for helping them avoid the drop. Mark Clattenburg once again got a major decision wrong when he failed to spot the Scot’s handball on the line. Dunne, meanwhile, was his typical sturdy, reliable self as he kept his international colleague Shane Long quiet.
Ciaran Clark (Aston Villa)
Played 90 minutes (West Brom 0-0 Aston Villa)
Started the game in midfield and was in defensive mode for most of it. Villa, like Inter Milan when José Mourinho was in charge and said his team didn’t want the ball against Barca, don’t like having the ball either. That’s not by design: It is more to do with Alex McLeish’s ability as a manager and Alex Hleb gave a good insight into that last week.
Enda Stevens (Aston Villa)
Not in squad (West Brom 0-0 Aston Villa)
Derrick Williams (Aston Villa)
Not in squad (West Brom 0-0 Aston Villa)
Stephen Kelly (Fulham)
Injured (Everton 4-0 Fulham)
Marc Wilson (Stoke City)
Played 90 minutes (Stoke City 1-1 Arsenal)
Had a difficult old time of it against Gervinho who manages the significant achievement of looking very good in one stride and then crap in the next.
John O'Shea (Sunderland)
Played 90 minutes (Sunderland 2-2 Bolton Wanderers)
Played right-back this week and was lucky that the officials got the call wrong when he was clearly playing Mark Davies onside. Had a tendency to get sucked inside and both of the away side’s goals came from crosses from Sunderland’s right.
Steven Reid (West Bromwich Albion)
Injured (West Brom 0-0 Aston Villa)
Stephen Ward (Wolverhampton Wanderers)
Played 90 minutes (Swansea 4-4 Wolves)
Jeez, now they start playing. Ward made a horrible start along with the rest of Wolves’ defence but settled as his side launched their comeback. It is hardly inspiring that he is so used to conceding so many goals. Clean sheet habits and all that craic.
Kevin Foley (Wolverhampton Wanderers)
Played 90 minutes (Swansea 4-4 Wolves)
Probably wished he was at the other end of the field as both defences were atrocious. Struggled to contain Scott Sinclair and it is doubtful if he has done enough to convince some club to offer him an immediate return to the top flight.
MIDFIELDERS
Stephen ******* (Aston Villa)
Unused sub (West Brom 0-0 Aston Villa)
Samir Carruthers (Aston Villa)
Played one minute (West Brom 0-0 Aston Villa)
Darron Gibson (Everton)
Played 45 minutes (Everton 4-0 Fulham)
Fulham haven’t won at Goodison Park in over 60 years and that record was never likely to change given Gibson’s record in the Premier League in the last two seasons. The Irish midfielder sat in a deep position in the first 45 and was doing well before going off injured at the break.
Seamus Coleman (Everton)
Injured (Everton 4-0 Fulham)
Damien Duff (Fulham)
Played 90 minutes (Everton 4-0 Fulham)
Kicked the living daylights out of fresh air instead of kicking the ball when Marouane Fellaini scored. Struggled after that as Fulham were well and truly destroyed.
Anthony Pilkington (Norwich City)
Played 90 minutes (Norwich City 0-3 Liverpool)
Sent in a couple of dangerous crosses but didn’t have much of an impact as Liverpool dominated.
Wes Hoolahan (Norwich City)
Unused sub (Norwich City 0-3 Liverpool)
We’re not sure either.
Rory Delap (Stoke City)
Played six minutes (Stoke City 1-1 Arsenal)
Glenn Whelan (Stoke City)
Played 90 minutes (Stoke City 1-1 Arsenal)
Same old, same old from the midfielder. Came out second best in his battle against Arsenal’s more talented midfield duo. Fair play to the Stoke City fans for booing Aaron Ramsey who had the cheek to get his leg smashed the last time he played at the Brittania. That’ll learn him. That’ll learn him good.
David Meyler (Sunderland)
Unused sub (Sunderland 2-2 Bolton Wanderers)
Keith Andrews (West Bromwich Albion)
Played 11 minutes (West Brom 0-0 Aston Villa)
Came on late as new England boss unkie Roy Hodgson hoped the Irishman had some magic goal-scoring dust left over from earlier in the season.
James McCarthy (Wigan Athletic)
Played 90 minutes (Wigan 4-0 Sports Direct FC)
Wigan played some outrageously good football and McCarthy started a fair whack of their moves. He was strong in the tackle – sometimes too strong – and mature and calm on the ball.
Anthony Forde (Wolverhampton Wanderers)
Not in squad (Swansea 4-4 Wolves)
Stephen Hunt (Wolverhampton Wanderers)
Played 18 minutes (Swansea 4-4 Wolves)
Back from injury and ran around like a little cartoon character in fast-forward when he came on.
STRIKERS
Leon Best (Sports Direct FC)
Unused sub (Wigan 4-0 Sports Direct FC)
Jonathan Walters (Stoke City)
Played 90 minutes (Stoke City 1-1 Arsenal)
Again, he ran and ran and ran but was short on inspiration. It was hard to see where the goals were going to come from anyway in the Euros but as Irish strikers struggle it is even harder to picture us piercing the Italian and Spanish defences in particular.
Shane Long (West Bromwich Albion)
Played 90 minutes (West Brom 0-0 Aston Villa)
He has scored seven goals this season, though it sometimes seems like he has less to his name. Didn’t look like he would add to that total and Robbie Keane has still scored more Premier League goals in 2012 than any other Irish striker.
Simon Cox (West Bromwich Albion)
Unused sub (West Brom 0-0 Aston Villa)
Conor Sammon (Wigan 4-0 Sports Direct FC)
Played 22 minutes (Wigan 4-0 Sports Direct FC)
Had a one-on-one that Tim Krul half saved before the ball trickled toward the line. It never looked like it would make it and Fabricio Coloccini got back to clear the danger.
Kevin Doyle (Wolverhampton Wanderers)
Much, much better from the striker. Despite not being on the score sheet he was very much involved in Wolves’ recovery, setting up both Steven Fletcher and Matt Jarvis with fine crosses.
Follow us on Facebook and Twitter @eircomSportsHub
Follow John Kelly on Twitter @JKelly1882