Blues in international action

, 3 September, 66comments  |  Jump to most recent
Gibson comes through 70 minutes for Ireland
Darron Gibson played 70 minutes for the Republic of Ireland in their friendly with Oman this evening, his first competitive action for 11 months. Aiden McGeady, meanwhile, came on as a second-half substitute and struck the crossbar late on in the 2-0 win.

At Wembley, John Stones made his first start for England alongside Leighton Baines (who played the whole game) against Norway and put in a typically composed display for 80 minutes at right back as the Three Lions edged the friendly 1-0.

Gary Cahill and Phil Jones assumed central-defensive duties until late on when Phil Jagielka was introduced for the last few minutes when the Chelsea man took a knock.

Seamus Coleman was not used by Ireland and James McCarthy was rested by Martin O'Neill while neither Romelu Lukaku nor Kevin Mirallas were called up by Belgium.  



Reader Comments (66)

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Christopher Wallace
1 Posted 03/09/2014 at 22:18:25
Anyone bored enough to actually watch England? How did our boys get on?
Nick Entwistle
2 Posted 03/09/2014 at 22:20:52
The back four had the night off. On occasion Baines ventured forward to get a better look at who he was up against, and Stones only came to my attention when being subbed. Storage Hunters wasn’t on so this was the best thing I could find.
Paul Hewitt
3 Posted 03/09/2014 at 22:27:54
Stones was steady enough not really tested
Alan Humphreys
4 Posted 03/09/2014 at 22:27:56
I'm glad you asked Chris, unfortunately I can only tell you that the young lass on "bake-off" burnt her pie and then Steady Norman managed to kill a lemon meringue pie.

Thrilling stuff.

Colin Williams
5 Posted 03/09/2014 at 22:45:25
The two blue boys who started did well. Top players!
Phil Gardner
6 Posted 03/09/2014 at 22:47:45
Who scored the winner, Nick? (Grins....)
Rob Halligan
7 Posted 03/09/2014 at 22:50:02
Stones came off with bit of an injury. Not sure what it was though.
Christopher Wallace
8 Posted 03/09/2014 at 22:44:56
Burnt her pie, eh? Sounds nasty!

I’ll generally watch any football I can on telly, at any level, but u draw the line at England friendlys.

Hate this stupid international break every year when the season is just getting started, but hopefully it’s a blessing for our team.

It will give us a chance to re-group and reassess the best way forward, as well as giving Lukaku, Eto’o et al a chance to get up to speed (I know our problems go beyond that but I’m trying to be optimistic).

With the attacking options at our disposal, and our obvious shortcomings at the back, we should look at how the RS won games last year - quick out of the blocks and blast teams away before they get settled into any sort of rhythm.

We can then commit more players to actually defending, whilst maintaining a threat on the counter. All good on theory at least (optimistic again).

Craig Fletcher
9 Posted 03/09/2014 at 23:22:29
If Stones came off with an injury, I’m assuming it was just a bit of a niggle Rob? Nothing about that on the BBC match report.
Kevin Rowlands
10 Posted 03/09/2014 at 23:28:44
Wow, a clean sheet for England with two Wigaton defenders starting and that way past it Wigaton captain coming on as sub, how is this possible? Si Cooper must be having a very sleepless night.
Christopher Wallace
11 Posted 03/09/2014 at 23:54:50
Craig

I doubt something trivial like an injury to Stones would get a mention, with it being Captain Fat-tastics first game and all.

What a sorry state of affairs... Glad I've no investment in England's fortunes (no offence to fellow English toffees).

Steve Jones
12 Posted 04/09/2014 at 00:33:39
Stones played it safe by and large, passing back, sideways keeping possession, put in a couple of godd crosses, but nothing to shout about. He isn't a right back as we know, if only Coleman was English. No, on the other hand Hodgson would beat the attacking flair out of him.
Craig Fletcher
13 Posted 04/09/2014 at 00:43:46
Thanks Christopher.

Gary Cahill’s injury got a mention, but I guess that’s because he plays for one of the media’s darlings.

Tommy Davis
14 Posted 04/09/2014 at 01:23:35
Re: Stonesy coming off, he grabbed the back of his hamstring & winced, I truly hope it was cramp or a tight muscle and NOT a pulled hamstring or worse! As you can imagine the lad probably did not want to come off the pitch, whilst playing for his country, but it was only a few minutes later thank goodness, that he did.........we cannot afford him to have any type of injury, that will affect him playing for Everton, screw England...............infact Dunc needs to get a hold of Stonesy & tell him to let Woy know he has a niggle & therefore unable to play next week for the 3 Lions!
Si Cooper
15 Posted 04/09/2014 at 01:29:05
How's that Kevin?

Because I am not doing cartwheels about our overall transfer activity and spell out why / where I would have liked it to be better, I've suddenly become a harsh critic of our players and the manager have I?

When you find any examples of that let me know. Other than that just stop pouting will you; why reference me on a thread I hadn't posted on?

Kevin Rowlands
16 Posted 04/09/2014 at 02:11:40
Si, you posted me and others ver batem word for word on your posts on other threads, then commented on them, don't try to take the high road here, if you can't take it then don't give it, I think that's fair, right?
Peter Barry
17 Posted 04/09/2014 at 03:33:30
The England team reflects the personality of its manager dull, boring and predictable. Englands international team and its reputation have been sacrificed on the altar of the Premier League's domination by FOREIGN imported talent and MONEY GRUBBING.
Harold Matthews
18 Posted 04/09/2014 at 04:07:47
Sturridge plays for Sturridge. Not interested in his team-mates. Roy needs to wake up and get rid.

Stones played it safe and made no mistakes but was well covered by Cahill and never really tested. Chambers didn't look quite so safe but tried to get forward with more force.

Howard's understudy played a blinder for the USA.

Peter Barnes
19 Posted 04/09/2014 at 06:05:51
Forgetting the obvious lack of interest we all share in the England football team for a minute. One actual relevant piece of info for the night was that Darren Gibson came through 70 minutes of game time. Useful excersize for us I would have thought.
Kevin O'Regan
20 Posted 04/09/2014 at 07:56:11
The really important question is did the sticky lads like Gibson travel in bullt proof busses or cards to the stadiums, or did they maybe fly Air Force1 ?
Point is - we cannot wrap players up in cotton wool, stop them crossing the road on the way to an international or even making a tackle. I for one am glad for this intl. break for our toffees and that most of them incl. Gibbo got a chance to play and get some match time.
Now, off I go to console my wife that my lads got their clothes dirty playing footie on the playground.
Duncan McDine
21 Posted 04/09/2014 at 08:21:31
Anyone see how Gibbo played?

I thought Stones was excellent. Baines looked very solid and looked a real threat going forward as the game went on.

Duncan McDine
22 Posted 04/09/2014 at 08:28:29
Harrold, while I often agree with you comments, you are way off the mark with Sturridge. Yes he’s RS, along with Sterling, but the pair of them were excellent for the majority of the game, and two of the few decent performers during the WC.

Hate them by all means, but don’t be blinded.

Iain Love
23 Posted 04/09/2014 at 08:35:36
Woy " Stones he's a good young player, where's he play ,?Defense , right footed ! Ok lets play him out of position".
Sums it up really.
Raymond Fox
24 Posted 04/09/2014 at 08:38:29
I only watched the first half, Norway didn't put much pressure on the man with the ball, it was more like a training match I thought.

Our players looked good and passed the ball about well, when their given time were ok, its when the receiver is pressured we are rubbish!

Andy Codling
25 Posted 04/09/2014 at 09:05:53
God, I hate Engerland.
Colin Williams
26 Posted 04/09/2014 at 09:46:31
Duncan (#21), I agree, Stones in offensive / defensive is as good as anyone on the pitch. Positional play is excellent!

Baines also had a good game. We’ll played lads.

Tony J Williams
27 Posted 04/09/2014 at 09:42:07
Boring non-event game.

Switched off before the end and surprise surprise a redshite player wins a penalty.

I thought that this was a big issue in the World Cup, the Sky darlings were expecting to win free kicks by their theatrics and the refs at the World Cup were generally really good and weren't fooled at all.

Our play suffered for this, as the Sky darlings were used to getting free kicks following their crappy dives.

Nicholas Page
28 Posted 04/09/2014 at 09:53:02
Agree with Duncan, Stones was excellent. Very comfortable on the ball. Fell asleep and missed second half though.

Anyone see Gibson, or even McGeady? Its been so long, I’ve actually forgotten what Gibson even does/is supposed to do. Is he any good?

Christopher Wallace
29 Posted 04/09/2014 at 10:11:51
Sturridge is a greedy wee shit and doesn't seem very likeable, but he has been producing the goods for the RS, even with that other greedy wee scumbag last year.

Sterling is fast becoming a nightmare for opposition defenders/midfielders... Barry or McCarthy need to hit him hard early in the derby (fairly, of course!)

Tony J Williams
30 Posted 04/09/2014 at 10:17:34
Doesn't have to be fairly Christopher, as the little bellend will dive anyway trying to get them booked.
Liam Reilly
31 Posted 04/09/2014 at 10:33:55
I was switching between the Ireland and the England games:

Gibson was very tidy in the middle but in fairness wasn't up against much so he got time on the ball to shake off the cobwebs. McGeady was McGeady; showed some good touches and ran down some dark alleys. Had a good effort just over the post from a similar position to against Leicester.

Stones was competent but untested really except when he was beaten to a header in the box which Hart saved well. Baines is still to hit top gear; had some good moments but wasteful in others and a poor free kick to boot.

Shane Corcoran
32 Posted 04/09/2014 at 10:36:06
I saw highlights of the Ireland v Oman game, if you could call it that.

Very difficult to tell how Gibson got on as it obviously showed only the attacks from both sides. He seemed ok but got booked for a fairly wild lunge, ironically around the same place on the same pitch that he suffered his injury.

He was interviewed after the game and seemed happy enough how it went and his passing in what I saw seemed ok.

McGeady had a similar effort to his goal against Leicester, this time hitting the bar.

Nothing of note to report other than Gibson got an hour of football which is good news.

Christopher Wallace
33 Posted 04/09/2014 at 11:11:15
Tony

I don't mind if they break both his legs at some point, just don't wanna go down to 10 men so early in the game!

Good to have Gibbo back. Was never his biggest fan but he has played quite well for us and they team seem to have a very good record in the games that he's been involved in.

Patrick Murphy
34 Posted 04/09/2014 at 12:13:34
According to the Metro - don't laugh at the back - Everton's Gibson put in a horror tackle last night against Oman and – to ensure you don't have to take their word for it – they have the incident on a constant loop.

I didn't think it was a horror challenge but perhaps that is because I'm old school. A rugged challenge, yes; a horror tackle, no. Perhaps others could give their views.

Shane Corcoran
35 Posted 04/09/2014 at 12:28:42
Patrick, I would agree it was far from a horror tackle although who’s to say what that actually means.

He probably went for the ball but got nowhere near it.

There were no studs involved which is usually where this media description gets applied.

Si Cooper
36 Posted 04/09/2014 at 12:19:13
Kevin - you are not making sense.

When have I ever claimed or tried to speak for someone else in such an underhand way? I counter / support things people have actually posted, not try to undermine people I have disagreements with by sneakily trying to associate them with unpopular views.

The fact is that the 'Wigaton' nonsense you have posted here does not represent my point of view and does not even resemble anything I have ever posted. That is a tactic I would expect in the playground.

Since I do not give THAT out, I don't see why I should expect to take it.

Tom Bowers
37 Posted 04/09/2014 at 13:26:21
I agree with Peter Barry wholeheartedly. England these days are boring as is Hodgson who really doesn’t have a clue. Most of the squad are very average performers and Rooney as captain has seen his best days.

Others who flatter to deceive based on overall displays are Wilshere, Oxlade-Chamberlain and Sterling (although he did make two great passes). The team is crying out for a Gazza or Shearer.

Dan Nulty
38 Posted 04/09/2014 at 13:32:09
I just don't get it. Why are we the only country that play players out of position? Play them in their best position and we'll get the best out of them. Play the best team, not the best players! It's easy isn't it?
Harold Matthews
39 Posted 04/09/2014 at 13:38:09
Duncan. I've always been anti-Sturridge. Well before the RS. He has always been too full of himself. Hates it when other people score. Can make team-mates look bad. Will not be surprised if Balotelli thumps him. I'm not saying he's not talented. A definite 20 goals a season player. Bottom line... I just don't like him.
Nicholas Page
40 Posted 04/09/2014 at 13:44:20
Dan, its usually about getting as many Sky4+2 players or soon-to-be players on the pitch as possible. That way, the FA thinks they will attract all the Sky 4+2 fans to watch (their heroes/soon-to-be-heroes) on TV or in person.

It’s irrelevant who is the best player in whatever position. Ingerlund spent years putting the Crease Head and Fat Frank in the middle – why? And apparently there wasn’t one English left-footed fubbler in the country for about 10 years a while back.

In essence they couldn’t give a shit – like having a Merseyside derby semi-final in London at lunch time on a fucking Saturday – unless there is loads of money in it for them.

David Graves
41 Posted 04/09/2014 at 14:07:35
Horrible tackle, Patrick.
Andrew Ellams
43 Posted 04/09/2014 at 14:09:17
Not too long ago, Sturridge wouldn’t have even got a sniff of the England squad never mind the team. Just like Johnson, Henderson, Jagielka, Smalling, Jones, Milner and others I can’ be arsed listing, they have got their chances through a huge lack of English talent.

International football is dyiing in England and all of us are to blame: administrators. owners, players and fans alike because we all sat back and let it happen.

Andrew Ellams
44 Posted 04/09/2014 at 14:16:42
Gibson didn't get the ball but there was no connection between studs and leg or anything like that. Foul, yellow card in a competitive game... and if you don't like contact, try netball.
Danny Kewley
45 Posted 04/09/2014 at 14:18:48
Gibson’s tackle was fucking aleouse.... but let’s have it right: he has been out the game for a long while now and at least it showed effort.
John Hughes
46 Posted 04/09/2014 at 14:46:01
Re Gibson: Fairly standard in the JOC back in the late '70s as I recall!
Joseph Clarke
47 Posted 04/09/2014 at 14:20:10
Best transfer window ever? Better than when we signed Alan Ball? Better than when we signed Bobby Collins? We should have signed one centre-back, at least.

I don’t blame the manager. He is potentially one of the best... This season will be a big test. I was very dismayed we did not sign anyone on the last day of the window.

We may have a good cup run, but I don’t expect us to finish higher than about 10th. Martinez worked wonders last season with all aspects of the club. We suddenly saw the world in colour, not black and white. It doesn’t look like he is being given the financial backing needed.

Having said that, getting Eto’o will prove to be a masterstroke in my opinion. Besic looks like another great signing. COYB

Shane Corcoran
48 Posted 04/09/2014 at 14:39:31
Andrew Ellams is right. This Sky 4 shite is so fucking boring at this stage. I couldn’t care less about England’s starting team but man does this stuff get tiresome.

Nicholas Page,Roy Hodgson picks a team full of players from certain clubs so that fans come to watch them and then support these clubs.

Maybe, just maybe, he wants his team, his country to win a tournament and picks a team accordingly.

Andrew Ellams
49 Posted 04/09/2014 at 14:55:46
The flaw in the idea of picking players from the 'big' clubs to pull in the fans is that the majority of the people you see walking round Tescos etc in those clubs shirts have never been near a football stadium in their lives.

I used to work in Wembley and on England matchdays you saw plenty of shirts from all over the country but very few Chelsea, Arsenal, Man Utd etc.

Jay Rollinson
50 Posted 04/09/2014 at 14:50:32
Bad tackle by Gibbo but not a potential leg breaker. Put it down to rustiness. At least he feels ready to go in for the ball when it's there to be won. Better than stepping back because he fears being injured again.

He played well enough and kept the ball moving. 70 minutes of game time will have done him the world of good.

David Ellis
51 Posted 04/09/2014 at 15:12:52
I disagree with one point made by Andrew Allams - International football is not dying because we all sat idly by. It's dying because the Premier League (and a few other major leagues) have become so successful that their product is now higher quality than international football. That was not the case in the 1980s (and earlier) when the World Cup was on a completely different level to the old First Division and the European Cup (often won by club sides staffed 90-100% with British players).

International football is less interesting because relatively it is not as good as it was - absolutely it is probably as good as it was, but not relatively, ie, relative to what we see, week-in & week-out.

Brian Maitland
53 Posted 04/09/2014 at 16:07:35
That's 70 minutes more than what sicknote Gibson has given us in nearly a year. I'll be very surprised if he's still injury free by Halloween.
Gavin Johnson
55 Posted 04/09/2014 at 18:03:32
Si, after giving much consideration are you more of a giver..or a taker?
Joseph Clarke
57 Posted 04/09/2014 at 18:39:48
Would it be possible for ToffeeWeb to have say, ten questions per month put to the manager and or chairman, at their press conference? The most popular questions could be selected by ToffeeWeb team.
Raymond Fox
58 Posted 04/09/2014 at 18:37:10
The reason in my opinion most football fans are not now keen to watch England, is because they have been an bloody embarrassment for years!
Nick Entwistle
59 Posted 04/09/2014 at 19:24:50
It all started when the most iconic stadium in the world was torn apart and replaced with a restaurant and bar complex.

You've then got a team who have delivered just one decent tournament since 2000, where any deficiencies were quickly brushed over with the headline making celebrity footballer era that is thankfully on the wane.

If they didn't give a dam about the shirt, why should the fan? And they can all come out with their media-training skills to say how much wearing the three lions means to them, but bulllllll shit.

But the problem now is how England play at international level. You have all the top nations where their players have a certain playing identity, and this is replicated in their own top flight and again at international level. Three points of a triangle tightly and neatly placed around a central point.

The English player? What is that? A brand more than anything. And the Prem style is a mish mash of foreign influences. Yet there's no premiership style played with England through fear of giving the ball away. So there's some crazy obtuse triangle with points all far removed from a central focus because no one really knows what any of them are. And yet at the world cup the goal against Uraguay followed a perfect example of Premiership football on the break-away and was of excellent quality.

Add in to the pot that all foreign teams have many of their players playing abroad to give a differing education, not just as a footballer but as a man.

And what do we have? A bunch of kids come through who know nothing of Butcher and his bloodied head but of a sarong wearing Beckham whose bank account takes precedence over his career.

I'd guess most footballers saw this international break as we do, pain in the ass getting in the way of their club.

Danny Kewley
60 Posted 04/09/2014 at 19:34:52
Good point David@51.
These days a decent club side from almost anywhere in the world would beat yer average

national side.

Iakovos Iasonidis
61 Posted 04/09/2014 at 19:51:27
http://metro.co.uk/2014/09/04/Evertons-darron-gibson-puts-in-horror-tackle-in-irelands-friendly-against-oman-4856521/

If someone did this to Gibson it would be the end of him. He more than anyone should be more decent

Sam Morrison
62 Posted 04/09/2014 at 20:09:10
That's an awful tackle and I doubt anyone would be quite so forgiving if it was on one of our players. Hopefully Gibbo will rein it in a bit... he looks fit though. Leaner than I remember.

Christopher Wallace
63 Posted 04/09/2014 at 20:38:23
Nick 59

I don't care much about it, but I count one decent tournament for England since 1990 ('96).

Not having a go, just interested in which one you consider decent?

Cheers

Nick Entwistle
65 Posted 04/09/2014 at 22:14:48
I was scraping the barrel with 2004, Christopher. At least until Rooney was injured. I can't even say I rated England at Euro 96. Weak against the Swiss, fortunate against Scotland, great against the Dutch then outplayed against Spain but won on pens and then stoic against the Germans. Talk about thumbling their way through even with the home advantage.
David Graves
66 Posted 04/09/2014 at 22:28:42
"If you don't like contact try netball". Stupid ill informed comment - but then clearly I'm not as tough as you.
Scott Bosworth
67 Posted 04/09/2014 at 22:56:13
I'm not sure if I'm looking in the right place (I think I am!), but it seems that Kevin Mirallas WAS called up for Belgium and started against Australia. http://www.espnfc.com/gamecast/405534/gamecast.html
Tom Bowers
68 Posted 04/09/2014 at 22:54:46
These friendly internationals are a waste of time when those selected to start who are ’’regulars’’ just go through the motions trying to avoid injury. Norway were really pathetic and England could only win on a penalty which speaks volumes about the quality of the squad and the manager.

It was a game full of a million passes and very little action where it mattered. Perhaps they could change the rules so that any team only has so much time or so many passes before the have to play the ball into the opponents half. Okay, we know it will never happen but the game is sinking fast as a spectacle and only when a team scores early does a game become more intense, unfortunately like Everton’s last Saturday.

How often nowadays do you see a team take a corner kick and within seconds it’s back in the hands of their own keeper because keep-ball is absolutely number one priority?

The flair of people like Gazza has no room in the modern game and of late I even see Messi struggling compared to what he was.

Si Cooper
69 Posted 04/09/2014 at 23:36:13
Are you trying to proposition me Gavin? Definitely barking up the wrong tree there mate. Better luck next time.
Darryl Ritchie
70 Posted 05/09/2014 at 05:37:17
For me, international football isn’t all that interesting. Being a Canadian doesn’t help. (Canada ranked an impressive 250th in the world rankings.) I have come to realize that Canadians are as good at football as Brits are at hockey (ice, that is), that is to say, not very.

I watch because there’s nothing else to watch. I take note of how the international Toffees fare, and hope like hell nobody gets injured.

Tony J Williams
71 Posted 05/09/2014 at 11:14:45
Let's face it, I would rather take a cheese grater to my nutsack than watch that boring turgid pile of cack any more.

It's always been about who is considered the best XI players we have....right put them into a formation and hope it fits and works.

A prime example was the Ulrika banging beaut taking Walcott to a World Cup without ever watching him play ever, just because he played for Le Arse.

Gerrard would have been dropped years ago if it was on performances, at least Fat Frank scored a few goals.

Terrible tackle by Gibson.....(cue Dick Emery type of voice) but I liked it.


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