James McClean

McClean is back training with Wigan and could be passed fit to play tomorrow in the last League 1 game, so it looks like he will be available for June.

For the 1st goal against Portugal, while McClean definitely should have not getting nutmegged and prevented the cross, we still had 9 players in the box with not one person marking Ronaldo.

You Tell Me wrote: Personally, I'd play Doherty and Coleman as the two wing backs when both are fit, and play Collins, Duffy and Egan as the 3 centre backs. But Doherty is injured so McClean is definitely a contender to start in June. Him or Stevens I'd say, I'm not sure Manning has done enough to contend for the jersey. McClean has a lot to offer but has his limitations also, defensively he's not great and he does waste a fair amount of possession. But then his direct, aggressive style can be a positive and he's a likely as anyone to pop up with a goal or an assist. He's a better player than the division he played in this year suggests he is.

Grabs an assist, finishes the season with 9 goals 7 assists in the league (10/7 all comps)

Lenny82 wrote: Gets a lot of stick for his crossing abilities but I thought he put some great balls in to the box yesterday from both open play, and corners. I would have been critical of his crossing abilities myself in the past, so credit where it is due.

I’m one that has been saying he shouldn’t be near the team for the last couple of years but have to say he was very good yesterday . If that quality of delivery could be replicated every game he’d be a starter for me . Don’t think it can be though but deserves to keep his place for Tuesday. Seems to not be confident in his pace anymore . Lots of times yesterday he had a chance to go outside his man but decided to cut back inside 

Left foot wrote: Wheelo wrote: Bandwagon wrote: Lenny82 wrote: Gets a lot of stick for his crossing abilities but I thought he put some great balls in to the box yesterday from both open play, and corners. I would have been critical of his crossing abilities myself in the past, so credit where it is due. He did yesterday but he is rightly criticized when he doesn't perform just like anyone else. He was absolutely horrendous in the previous 2 games. Not one cross met its target, like nowhere even near it bad. He was much improved yesterday but it shouldn't be lauded, as a professional footballer playing at the level he has for the past 15 years it should be one of the bare basics to be getting right. A solid performance yesterday doesn't take away from 2 stinkers he had prior to it. The point is that if Doherty isn’t playing there, he’s still probably our best option at left back when you consider our lot. The lad has a serious amount of caps for us, never gives less than 100 per cent, has some great performances for us but still always seems like an easy target for some (sure some head banger posted up in the match thread that his crossing was sh*te yesterday ) You have to wonder what game people are watching, his crossing was terrible yesterday and embarrassing over his entire ireland career.  There are pros and cons to mcclean but crossing the ball has never been a pro.

Yeah he probably sent in a couple of poor crosses, I know there was one sent in early in the game but then swung in that beaut of an inswinger which the Scottish defender managed to clear for the corner which lead to the first goal. Put in two more top corners in the first half which Duffy and himself nearly scored from.

One thing about all them corners in the first half is Jack Hendry cannot defend a corner to save his life. Just completely loses Duffy for the first goal, same with the one Gordon saves from Duffy. On the follow up corner McKenna switches markers with him so Hendry is marking Collins who gets in behind him and probably would have scored if Gordon didn't get a hand to it.

I've always maintained his crossing isn't as bad as people make it out to be. His delivery had a minimum 7/10 success rate against Scotland and he's usually good for one dangerous cross whipped in at speed to a dangerous area in any given game.