Gary Breen moves to West Ham: http://www.soccernet.com/england/news/2002/0729/20020729whufcdicanionewmufc.html
Lovely. I'm waiting for the Yahoo! Fanatasy Football database to get updated so I have add him to my squad. I'm thinking he'll be a steal too.
Turned down a three year deal with Inter because Mick told him he wants him as skipper and he wouldn't be able to skipper the team because Mick wouldn't see him enough, yet another eason I dislike McCarthy. Let's hope he brings his best form to the table aswell as Cunningham, O'Brien, Doherty, O'Shea and Dunne and our centre half positions should be okay, I reckon in a few years it'll mainly be between O'Brien, O'Shea, Doherty and the most inform of the rest of the lads who are still arond, personally, right now, I think Cunningham is the best we have.
This came before he signed for West Ham http://www.soccercentral.ie/viewstory.asp?id=7581&mainheading=Republic of Ireland&viewstory=yes Obviously that's not 100% proof but his agent confirmed interest from oversees, including Barca, and he was quoted in saying that too. Sky are also running the story he turned down a three year deal with Inter but didnt mention the Mick factor, they didnt say it was speculation, Sky simpley said he turned down a move to inter.
Thats terrible, if true. Christ, a move to Seria A... I know La Liga and the Premiership are sexier these days, but I still think Italian club football is the most fascinating in the world. Inter had an option on Breen before the WC, but they chose not to exercise it. They were not prepared to buy a so-so defender. They either wanted a freebie like Breen or to spend big on an absolute sure-thing like Nesta. In the end, I think they've done neither, although I am not following them too closely.
It's a pity for Harte that he had such a bad tournament too, as Inter we're 75% sure they would sign him and sent scouts to the world cup for the final examination. Personally, I think Harte would be most at home in Serie A, slow paced league aimed at brilliant passers/shooters rather then raw pace which would suit him down to the ground, but it wasn't to be.
Inter and Juve are still interested in him.....a good World Cup would have made it a much surer thing though. Why did Inter have an option on Breen before the WC? I can't bring myself to believe that story, no matter how many times I read it....(a) a 3 year contract with Inter, enough said; (b) McCarthy wouldn't make him captain because he wouldn't see him enough? He's been capping him for 6 years, so he already knows what he can do. Not to mention the fact that it's part of an international manager's job to go abroad to check out players, if needs be - or he could at least send Ian Evans or someone out from time to time. Although the contract with West Ham is only for one year, so maybe it's more of a stop-gap solution....
Happy to have Breen at West Ham. I dont remember too much about him from the World Cup but he has to be better than Vladamir Labant in the back.
Leto, Babb got foreign player of the year in Portugal and won the league but didn't get a friendly cap, now personally I'm hardly upset over this but Mick seemed to take little notice. Also, Breen is a good footballers centre half, sky had the opta index out and he made more headed clearences then our entire team combined, his tackle completion ratio was only challanged by Finnan, Holland and Kinsella and was over 80%, as was his pass completion ratio challanged by the same heads with Breen our second best there, so by all accounts, great world cup. He's also had a great qualifying campaign which he doesn't get enough credit for, going up against the teams we did and still looking good is always a good thing, hope he does well but, off the subject for a minute, anyone wondering why he's getting the skippers armband ahead of Holland or Kinsella? Seems weird when Holland and Kinsella skipper premiership teams and we've plenty of centre halfs emerging now so he's not even gaurenteed his place when O'Shea, O'Brien and Doherty hit their prime and Cunningham will always be in contention until he retires, seems a strange one.
I didn't know he'd gotten foreign player of the year...even more impressive. I can't understand why McCarthy won't at least try him out again - at least call him up, even if he doesn't play him. He can't say it's because of the police car antics, cos he's had Mark Kennedy back for ages. Breen captained Coventry until he left them, back to when they were in the Premiership. I'd say Breen's place is secure for another couple of years - we know that McCarthy prefers him to Cunningham, and he's always going to have at least one of the older heads in defence at a time. Actually, I hadn't thought of that before as a factor, but Holland and Kinsella are probably even less sure of their places - one of them will always be playing, but it's generally acknowledged that it's a toss up which one it is. Add into that the emergence of Healy, Reid, Thornton, McPhail, Quinn...... Maybe he reckons that giving the armband to a central midfielder would be inviting too many comparisons with Keane - especially either of the two players who play his exact game. It would just be way too much pressure. He seems to prefer defenders anyway (personal experience, perhaps) - whenever Keane wasn't available, he always gave it to Staunton, Cunningham, or Breen. And apart from all that, Breen has a fair bit more international experience than either of them - especially Holland, who's only been around for the last campaign. Mick's capped Breen more than any other player (including Keane) during his tenure.
I see your point and it will add fuel to the fire when making a decision between premiership centre halves Babb, Breen, Cunningham, Doherty, Dunne, O'Brien and O'Shea for the starting 11, the competition is so tight it'll be hard just to decide who makes the actual squads. Wing backs the same, Kenna, Finnan, Kelly, Harte and Carr but I know which ones I'd pick out of that bunch, now with Colgan, Given, Murphy and Kiely all premiership keepers our back line looks safe and secure for the moment at least.
I think Kenna's been playing in the centre for Birmingham a fair bit recently as well, so he could be a useful player to have around versatility-wise. He also has a Premiership winner's medal, which is more than a lot of our players can say, and a lot of experience. He stretches back to Jack's time, doesn't he? Where's Murphy at now? I hadn't heard of a move for him (lack of contact with the outside world for 3 weeks! )
Play the Sporting News' game too. Division name is BigSoccer.com He's only 1.5 on TSN (which is the cheapest possible price).
Murphy signed for west Brom, I made a mistake there Colgan is of course not a english premiership keeper but a scottish premiership keeper.
(A) Because the big spending days are over (for now) in Serie A and Italian clubs now need to know where they can get basement bargains to strenghten their squads with (B) They were afraid he'd have a good World Cup and someone else would grab him while they were still dithering about buying him. How the mighty have fallen...