James McClean

horsebox wrote: Left foot wrote: Het-field wrote: Borussia wrote: Work rate is fine but there needs to be end product to go with it otherwise it is pointless. That is what has frustrated me with McClean at times with Ireland in recent years. I've not seen enough of him with Stoke to know if it's there at club level. If Stoke want rid of him then it might suggest it is missing, though equally he might not fit the system they want to play now.  In fairness, McClean has actually been one of our more productive players during these barren times, when he has still been able to score and assist, even if it was more prolific a few years back. Hes definitely been one of the best performing players in the last 5 years or so. The caveat being its been during the worst decline in ireland football in living memory. But he was one of few that stepped up. In the scoring at assists he's been good rather than great really. 11 goals (5 of which in friendlies) and just the 3 assists in 83 caps for all those crossing  attempts. As said in this thread, mcclean is a work horse and will go down as one of the highest ever capped irish players, so credit where credit is due.  Frightful thought would be that we would definitely have been a worse team without him and I'm saying that as a reflection on how bad ireland have been rather than any criticism of mcclean. Explain this? We qualified in 2012 and then again in 2016 where we got to the last 16 before being knocked out by the hosts and finalists. (Basically back to back Euro's - which we have never done before). So I don't understand how you think this was a decline where in fact it was one of the most successful periods because we actually qualified for a tournament. Your comments have very little credibility.

2012 Euros was not an expanded format. 16 teams.  2016 was 24 teams.

Trap junior wrote: 2012 Euros was not an expanded format. 16 teams.  2016 was 24 teams.

Stoke or seemly willing to let him go out on loan with Wigan & Bolton interested. According to a few accounts on the bird app anyway.

Bolton rumour unfounded apparently. Wigan possible, he's still highly regarded by their fans after his previous time there. As he is on £20,000 a week, the reality is that few if any League One clubs could afford him unless he goes on loan and Stoke pay a significant slice of his wages. Stoke would prefer a permanent deal as he has only a year left on his contract and could walk away for nothing at the end of the season.

I wouldn't say he's no use to us, he's one of the few players who actually puts in a shift every time he puts the jersey on.

He can do better than League 1 anyway. Would need to leave the UK prob. Might not be such a bad thing for him.

MoN has not forgiven him for playing too much for Ireland when just recovering from injury and missing the end of last season.

Edited by Stoked Up - 16 Aug 2021 at 3:29pm

Stoked Up wrote: MoN has not forgiven him for playing too much for Ireland when just recovering from injury and missing the end of last season. Despite being Stoke's player of the season two years ago, I cannot see anyway back for him at Stoke. In recent times, he's mostly annoyed many of the fans with his twitter nonsense, giving credence to what many had said when he joined, that he brings too much baggage to his club.  Despite his limited ability,  he's always given terrific application wherever he's gone, so hopefully there's  a club for him somewhere. Wigan are rumoured to be interested, or maybe Rowett will sign him again and take him to Millwall. No club will want to pay a fee for him now. Unless he takes a substantial pay cut, he could end up stewing at Stoke in a wasted year. He's still got much to offer Ireland, but he needs to be playing.