Summer transfer window.

[Nymzee]

Do you not think his height would be an issue at CB in the PL

He's only a couple of cm shorter than Murillo at Forest.

 

[Milkman]

….i’m always wary of players who suddenly impress at summer tournaments, I call it ‘Phil Babb Syndrome’.

That's what I call gonorrhea

 

[mahermi1]

Why does he need a run? He’s played about 6 games at CB at various points and has not put a foot wrong there, we look far more solid when he’s there than Keane flailing about and ball watching. I think it’s nothing more than the manager’s stubbornness that he’s not being given a run there to be honest. I don’t think the manager will see out next season so I don’t care what his opinion is.

Just remembering Tugboat Keane and Tugboat Tarkowski together for the last seven games that ended our European hopes alltogether, should make people realise one of them should have been sacrificed for Obrien, even just for the pace he has compared to them two, he had two fullbacks Patterson or Coleman, he could even have put Garner in there if he didn't trust the other two. We had options to replace Garner in midfield, there were NO excuse Moyes didn't change things, when the team looked tired, beaten and full of defensive frailty.

 

[Brisan123]

Paul McGrath would have made anyone look good to be fair mate.

That game against Italy in New York in the world cup was something else from his defensive display
Italy had Baresi , Donadoni and Maldini in their line up
As well as Baggio up top
McGrath played with one had strapped to his side and was by far and away the best defender on the pitch
He outshone them all and had Baggio wrapped up all game
Houghton scored the only goal of the game
If McGrath didn’t drink I’m convinced he would have been up there in the top 3 CBs of all time
Played exceptional in midfield as well considering the riches Ireland had at CB at that time

 

[MACCA75]

Just remembering Tugboat Keane and Tugboat Tarkowski together for the last seven games that ended our European hopes alltogether, should make people realise one of them should have been sacrificed for Obrien, even just for the pace he has compared to them two, he had two fullbacks Patterson or Coleman, he could even have put Garner in there if he didn't trust the other two. We had options to replace Garner in midfield, there were NO excuse Moyes didn't change things, when the team looked tired, beaten and full of defensive frailty.

I think everyone understands that he should have been playing O’Brien at CB, long before that point tbh.

 

[Neiler]

That game against Italy in New York in the world cup was something else from his defensive display
Italy had Baresi , Donadoni and Maldini in their line up
As well as Baggio up top
McGrath played with one had strapped to his side and was by far and away the best defender on the pitch
He outshone them all and had Baggio wrapped up all game
Houghton scored the only goal of the game
If McGrath didn’t drink I’m convinced he would have been up there in the top 3 CBs of all time
Played exceptional in midfield as well considering the riches Ireland had at CB at that time

I remember at one stage McGrath took the ball of Baggio for the 5th time and he just looked to the sky, then to the camera and gestured arms out in disbelief - what can i do here with this guy.

Baggio was one for the best forwards in the world at the time.

 

[Lanolin]

Just remembering Tugboat Keane and Tugboat Tarkowski together for the last seven games that ended our European hopes alltogether, should make people realise one of them should have been sacrificed for Obrien, even just for the pace he has compared to them two, he had two fullbacks Patterson or Coleman, he could even have put Garner in there if he didn't trust the other two. We had options to replace Garner in midfield, there were NO excuse Moyes didn't change things, when the team looked tired, beaten and full of defensive frailty.

That's just a totally different point though? I'd have liked to have seen us try O'Brien at centre half more anyway, and I think that having someone with the attributes O'Brien has can make for a better combination with one of the others than Keane and Tarkowski together, but that doesn't take away from the fact that there can still be question marks about whether he's actually good enough to be the long term answer there. I'm not saying he's not good enough, but i'm not daft enough to think that him doing reasonably well there in a few games spaced out over a season means he's clearly going to move over and be fantastic every week.

 

[MACCA75]

He has put a foot wrong anyway but it's not exactly a mad take to say that a bloke we've only seen play centre half a handful of times might not actually be absolutely amazing there is it? Even if he'd been completely faultless in half a dozen games, it would still be fair to have doubts because it's a very small sample size.

No place on here for logic mate, just straw man arguments and blind faith.

Not even gonna mention that I think Rohl might be rubbish in centre midfield

 

[MikeH72]

He has put a foot wrong anyway but it's not exactly a mad take to say that a bloke we've only seen play centre half a handful of times might not actually be absolutely amazing there is it? Even if he'd been completely faultless in half a dozen games, it would still be fair to have doubts because it's a very small sample size.

When? At CB? I’m not saying he’s “absolutely amazing”, I’m saying he’s better than two absolute cart horses in Keane and Tarkowski. I’ve seen them play hundreds of games at CB so I can safely say they’re crap.

 

[Brisan123]

I remember at one stage McGrath took the ball of Baggio for the 5th time and he just looked to the sky, then to the camera and gestured arms out in disbelief - what can i do here with this guy.

Baggio was one for the best forwards in the world at the time.

I’ve had the privilege of meeting McGrath on a couple of occasions
He’s very shy unassuming and never reckons he was as good as people made out
A couple of things he said made me realise the respect he had for Jack Charlton as a man a manager and a father figure
McGrath in my mind was a better player than Giles Brady Whelan and I’ve seen them all play numerous times in the flesh

 

[MikeH72]

No place on here for logic mate, just straw man arguments and blind faith.

Not even gonna mention that I think Rohl might be rubbish in centre midfield

To be honest I think your faith in two failed managers’ opinions is a better example of blind faith than anything I can muster up.

 

[Lanolin]

When? At CB? I’m not saying he’s “absolutely amazing”, I’m saying he’s better than two absolute cart horses in Keane and Tarkowski. I’ve seen them play hundreds of games at CB so I can safely say they’re crap.

Yes but the point is surely just that being better than Keane doesn't necessarily make him the answer? The post wasn't saying 'O'Brien is clearly awful he needs punting ASAP', it was just saying there are legitimate reasons to think that he might not actually be brilliant there and it may be worth looking to bring a centre half in. Would I have played O'Brien at centre half more in the season just gone? Yes, definitely. Am I totally convinced that he's a top quality centre half and will make us loads better if we move him there next year? No not really. Again, i'm not saying he definitely won't be but I just don't necessarily see him being locked in as a ready made upgrade the way some people evidently do.

 

[MACCA75]

To be honest I think your faith in two failed managers’ opinions is a better example of blind faith than anything I can muster up.

Go back and re-read mate. JOB might be a brilliant central defender. I haven’t seen enough of him there to make a definitive judgement on that.

Seems you have. Congratulations.

 

[MikeH72]

Yes but the point is surely just that being better than Keane doesn't necessarily make him the answer? The post wasn't saying 'O'Brien is clearly awful he needs punting ASAP', it was just saying there are legitimate reasons to think that he might not actually be brilliant there and it may be worth looking to bring a centre half in. Would I have played O'Brien at centre half more in the season just gone? Yes, definitely. Am I totally convinced that he's a top quality centre half and will make us loads better if we move him there next year? No not really. Again, i'm not saying he definitely won't be but I just don't necessarily see him being locked in as a ready made upgrade the way some people evidently do.

We need multiple centre halves anyway because both Keane and Tarkowski need punting and Branthwaite is made of cornflakes, but I think everyone knows we won’t be bringing in multiple centre backs this window. If we can bring in one who’s better than O’Brien, and Branthwaite can have a body transplant and play a full season then fantastic, O’Brien can be a serviceable CB backup.

Suggesting O’Brien should leapfrog the two Burnley donkeys in the pecking order is really not an unreasonable take I don’t think.

 

[Brisan123]

We need multiple centre halves anyway because both Keane and Tarkowski need punting and Branthwaite is made of cornflakes, but I think everyone knows we won’t be bringing in multiple centre backs this window. If we can bring in one who’s better than O’Brien and Branthwaite can have a body transplant and play a full season then fantastic, O’Brien can be a serviceable CB backup.

Suggesting O’Brien should leapfrog the two Burnley donkeys in the pecking order is really not an unreasonable take I don’t think.

I think 2 FB a DM and a striker are more important than CBs at this stage
If we bring in a young CB as cover that’s the most we will do in that position I reckon