Chocolate Teapot Posted 9 May 2007 Share Posted 9 May 2007 interesting the bit about porter being overwhelmed in central midfield Anyone with any doubts who should be taking the free-kicks for City's first team should have watched the Reserves tonight.Alan Sheehan who I've cited as being by far the best left-back at the club and having the best left foot at the club has actually got one of the most educated left feet in the country on this show. He took two central free-kicks from 30+ yards in the second half. The first bent round the wall and smashed into the net at such speed the goalkeeper hardly moved but sadly it was disallowed for some infringement. The second, from an almost identical place bent so much and went so hard that the goalkeeper, forwarned though he may have been, gave no real indication that he even saw it before it bulged the net. On another occasion he took a pass and whistled a cracking shot narrowly wide. Sheehan's single goal added to an inevitable goal from Ashley Chambers which was another absolute gem out of nowhere. It was bent in from fully 25 yards and was enough to earn City a 2-2 draw against Hammers who had such notables as Shake Hislop in goal. For entertainment the Reserves tonight left the first team standing. Conditions, with some of the most torrential rain they've seen in Hinckley for a while, never favoured defenders and when chances arose they were often spectacular. One City shot nearly broke the crossbar and could well have bounced down over the line but it was all so fast no-one had a chance of telling for sure. Chambers solicited three chances early in the second half which he perhaps should have taken before taking the fourth which probably only he would have scored. Manouvring across the outside of the box and closely marshalled he somehow engineered a narrow gap and curled a wicked strike into the corner of the net, giving City the lead. Obviously taking after the first team they then lost all momentum and were overwhelmed by West Ham. Gilbert, who had a solid but unspectacular and uncreative first half, was replaced in the second spell and West Ham started to run rampant down that side and the left. Poor Sheehan, a class apart at centre-back, looked on as defenders suddenly started to over-commit themselves on the treacherous surface and only last ditch clearances, the brilliance of City's goalkeeper Conrad Logan and some ordinary finishing restricted West Ham to two goals both from right side breaks. One of City's big problems was that Levi Porter - normally a winger, was drafted into midfield and although always busy looked completely overwhelmed and out of his element. City recovered the initiative once more in the last few minutes and Sheehan's goal was a fitting climax. Good game, lots of good shots, spectacular saves and wholehearted effort. A pleasure to watch - and in particular that deft left foot of Sheehan whose close control on a night when all around him had difficulty killing the ball, was exemplary. Certainly he made the odd mistake like others but it was what he did which was so conspicuous. Especially his two genuinely Beckhamesque free-kicks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thracian Posted 9 May 2007 Share Posted 9 May 2007 interesting the bit about porter being overwhelmed in central midfield I've referred to that game lots of times and to the fact that it was the only time I ever saw Porter play badly in that position over the entire season. Thereafter he became the "Little Napoleon" in midfield completely running the show and especially emphatically when that Finnish International came down from Manchester City one night. Feel free to look out the subsequent reports and publish the true picture. I don't know if it's me or Porter you are desperate to mock but on that basis you'd have been able to make George Best or Ryan Giggs sound awful. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
STUHILL Posted 9 May 2007 Share Posted 9 May 2007 I've referred to that game lots of times and to the fact that it was the only time I ever saw him play badly in that position over the entire season.Thereafter he became the "Little Napoleon" in midfield completely running the show and especially emphatically when that Finnish International came down from Manchester City one night. Feel free to look out the subsequent reports and publish the true picture. I don't know if it's me or Porter you are desperate to make look bad. That is a question you will be asking a lot in the future, i'm sure Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daggers Posted 9 May 2007 Share Posted 9 May 2007 Feel free to look out the subsequent reports and publish the true picture. I don't know if it's me or Porter you are desperate to make look bad but on that basis you'd have been able to make George Best or Ryan Giggs sound awful. I'm wondering if you are likening Porter to Giggs and Best? Nah...there's no way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thracian Posted 9 May 2007 Share Posted 9 May 2007 I'm wondering if you are likening Porter to Giggs and Best?Nah...there's no way. How you arrive at that from what I said I've no idea. My point, to explain simply, is that if someone wished to search through every item published about a player, they could find something that showed even the very best in a critical light. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chocolate Teapot Posted 9 May 2007 Author Share Posted 9 May 2007 Sheehan - Beckhamesque Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thracian Posted 9 May 2007 Share Posted 9 May 2007 Sheehan - Beckhamesque You obviously didn't see the free kicks. But there might be a few on here remember them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ric Flair Posted 9 May 2007 Share Posted 9 May 2007 To be fair, I was at that game that night and Sheehan's free kicks were unreal. He scored one, had one stupidly disallowed and also hit the bar all from 30+ yards. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stevosevic Posted 9 May 2007 Share Posted 9 May 2007 To be fair, I was at that game that night and Sheehan's free kicks were unreal. He scored one, had one stupidly disallowed and also hit the bar all from 30+ yards. dont want to be picky, but should your sig have a comma after "plate" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moseeds Posted 9 May 2007 Share Posted 9 May 2007 Did someone go round digging through archives of threads looking for a bad word said against porter by mr thracian!!?!?!?! Too much time.....??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ric Flair Posted 9 May 2007 Share Posted 9 May 2007 dont want to be picky, but should your sig have a comma after "plate" It's to give James time to choose what he wants on his plate from the buffet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mancunianfox Posted 9 May 2007 Share Posted 9 May 2007 Doesn't that post just show that Thracian is prepared to overlook bias and criticise players if they haven't played well? Surely that would add more validity to his views not less. Not sure what you are trying to achieve there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sods Posted 9 May 2007 Share Posted 9 May 2007 Im going to back the thrac here with alan sheehans free kicks. He has a very nice sweet left foot and i saw him score the best free kick ive ever personally seen. This game was friendly against the might Brackley Town and a free kick was about 5-10 metres from the centre circle. Everybody knew who was going to hit and sheehan new where he was going to hit. The ball ended up in the top right corner and he walked back to left back it was genius. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geo V Posted 9 May 2007 Share Posted 9 May 2007 I disagree with Thracian all the time but thats a little harsh digging out old threads fella !! Some of his ideas are so silly its beyond belief and 5ft 3" Levi porter being a central midfield dynamo is about as acurate as wee Jimmy Krankie being voted best looking female in a FHM poll. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Foxhateram Posted 9 May 2007 Share Posted 9 May 2007 I disagree with Thracian all the time but thats a little harsh digging out old threads fella !! Some of his ideas are so silly its beyond belief and 5ft 3" Levi porter being a central midfield dynamo is about as acurate as wee Jimmy Krankie being voted best looking female in a FHM poll. um am i not right in saying that Good old Alan Ball (RIP fella) was small, a central midfield dinamo am i wrong? im sorry but you cannot base someones ability on their height. that is heightist! . anyway my veiw on old levi is that he has the potential, he needs to have the work ethic to make it to that potential but i have no doubt he will, and on the sheehan note dont think this club has done him justice at all so i think itd be very unfair to judge him. Thracian i back you up here i do think you have some crazy ideas, but alot of your posts do have meaning and much of them are very very true Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geo V Posted 9 May 2007 Share Posted 9 May 2007 um am i not right in saying that Good old Alan Ball (RIP fella) was small, a central midfield dinamo am i wrong? im sorry but you cannot base someones ability on their height. that is heightist! . anyway my veiw on old levi is that he has the potential, he needs to have the work ethic to make it to that potential but i have no doubt he will, and on the sheehan note dont think this club has done him justice at all so i think itd be very unfair to judge him. Thracian i back you up here i do think you have some crazy ideas, but alot of your posts do have meaning and much of them are very very true He wasnt as short as Levi and that football was 30-40 years ago fella! The game has changed a bit since then and you need to be an athelete to play wide on the left but its almost impossible for a modern day footballer to be under 5ft 6" and be a dominant force in central midfield! I know people will mention Zola as the benchmark but he was an exceptional talent and not a midfielder anyway. Lets name some real quality central midfielders who have graced the premiership in the last 10 years.... I cant, can you??!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Foxhateram Posted 9 May 2007 Share Posted 9 May 2007 He wasnt as short as Levi and that football was 30-40 years ago fella! The game has changed a bit since then and you need to be an athelete to play wide on the left but its almost impossible for a modern day footballer to be under 5ft 6" and be a dominant force in central midfield!I know people will mention Zola as the benchmark but he was an exceptional talent and not a midfielder anyway. Lets name some real quality central midfielders who have graced the premiership in the last 10 years.... I cant, can you??!! right now i have a mission for tonight:P nah not really um central midfielders under 5'6 graced the premiership makes it hard. but players such as MARK GONZALEZ at liverpool he is only 5'7. Teves is pretty damn small and has played in midfield before! 5'5 one beleives. i admit that was harder then i thought it would be. but still disagree wtih you being a defender myself i can tell you how much i sincerely hate those lil nippy midfielders, aslong as there is a taller other CM to support them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davieG Posted 9 May 2007 Share Posted 9 May 2007 right now i have a mission for tonight:P nah not really um central midfielders under 5'6 graced the premiership makes it hard. but players such as MARK GONZALEZ at liverpool he is only 5'7. Teves is pretty damn small and has played in midfield before! 5'5 one beleives. i admit that was harder then i thought it would be. but still disagree wtih you being a defender myself i can tell you how much i sincerely hate those lil nippy midfielders, aslong as there is a taller other CM to support them. Beardsley was only 5ft 7/8ish. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daggers Posted 9 May 2007 Share Posted 9 May 2007 How you arrive at that from what I said I've no idea.My point, to explain simply, is that if someone wished to search through every item published about a player, they could find something that showed even the very best in a critical light. Ermmm...I didn't. I was making light (as you have made reference between us and Manure this season but I can't be arsed to hunt out the thread) and know what your point was. Dragging up a past quote out of context will always paint the wrong picture. I wouldn't have thought I need to go through this on here by now...Sheesh! Thank God I haven't made any stupid posts on here that people can throw at me in the future Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chairman of the Bored Posted 9 May 2007 Share Posted 9 May 2007 I disagree with Thracian all the time but thats a little harsh digging out old threads fella !! Some of his ideas are so silly its beyond belief and 5ft 3" Levi porter being a central midfield dynamo is about as acurate as wee Jimmy Krankie being voted best looking female in a FHM poll. Actually, Wille Carlin was 5' 2" and he ran midfield with 5' 3" Bobby Kellard in 1972, the year we went up from the 2nd Div to the 1st under O'Farrell. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Foxhateram Posted 9 May 2007 Share Posted 9 May 2007 Actually, Wille Carlin was 5' 2" and he ran midfield with 5' 3" Bobby Kellard in 1972, the year we went up from the 2nd Div to the 1st under O'Farrell. see apexgeo! hehe. although do i admit it was hard to find a current player of that height, however i stick to my original statement, Porter has the potential to do well in either CM or LM. i also think sheehan will go far but probably not with us unfortunatly! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thracian Posted 9 May 2007 Share Posted 9 May 2007 He wasnt as short as Levi and that football was 30-40 years ago fella! The game has changed a bit since then and you need to be an athelete to play wide on the left but its almost impossible for a modern day footballer to be under 5ft 6" and be a dominant force in central midfield!I know people will mention Zola as the benchmark but he was an exceptional talent and not a midfielder anyway. Lets name some real quality central midfielders who have graced the premiership in the last 10 years.... I cant, can you??!! Even if there were none - what's the problem with being the first? People like Scholes gain gain little from their height and if you're honestly saying someone like Ball or Billy Bremner wouldn't have managed in modern football you're dreaming. At least I've taken the trouble to watch Porter in midfield whereas you admit to not even knowing the ground where they play. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
l444ry Posted 9 May 2007 Share Posted 9 May 2007 Even if there were none - what's the problem with being the first? People like Scholes gain gain little from their height and if you're honestly saying someone like Ball or Billy Bremner wouldn't have managed in modern football you're dreaming.At least I've taken the trouble to watch Porter in midfield whereas you admit to not even knowing the ground where they play. And Maradona was only 5'5" as well. I think he would just about cope in modern football. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dames Posted 9 May 2007 Share Posted 9 May 2007 One of City's big problems was that Levi Porter - normally a winger, was drafted into midfield and although always busy looked completely overwhelmed and out of his element. Hasn't Everyone always preached that he was a center mid ? Minds need to be made up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thracian Posted 9 May 2007 Share Posted 9 May 2007 Hasn't Everyone always preached that he was a center mid ?Minds need to be made up. That match was at the beginning of the season before this when Porter had been used as a winger on every occasion I watched him. Academy players are regularly acclimatised into other positions for various reasons and Porter's switch to central midfield was so successful that he stayed there and conducted the Reserves' midfield like a veteran. Indeed, it was as a result of that form that he was drafted into the first team squad having, at one stage, been lined up for a loan spell at Hinckley as I was told. Football is rarely about "making minds up" in such a dogmatic way. Kelly did that with his 4-4-2 or nothing attitude and dozens of other things. Football is about the right decisions at the right time. Look at Kisnorbo. Awful in midfield - excellent for much of the time at centre-back. Players change and so, sometimes, does the role of individual players within different systems. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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