Waghorn, McCaffrey and Spillane

[Salopian 1]

Given the glowing tribute to Spillane by the Irish manager, as published by Rick Waghorn, it seems a little strange that it is many games since Spillane was slected for the Norwich first team. Has he in fact played since Worthington picked him at the end of last season?The Irish clearly regard him very highley, and expect great things of him. I have heard from people whose football knowledge I respect, that Spillane is a very gifted player, who reads the game well, has instant control, tackles well, and passes well. So why, when we have problems in central defence and have to press Dion to play there and weaken our attacking options, does he sometimes not even get on to the bench, let alone play?PG regards him as "raw", but then so was Martin when he started? On at least once occasion he did concede a goal by "showboating". I think we won 4-1 on that day. Is this what is meant by rawness? I have great respect for PG, - his commitment (- he was at Stoke on Monday evening watching future opponents) and his ability to size up players and mistakes very quickly (even if squad constraints prevent him doing much about the faults.) But I am puzzled by the continued absence of Spillane. He was prepared to risk Martin in relegation circumstances, but not Spillane, despite the defensive ftrailties of the team.

[Canary02 0]

[quote user="Salopian"]Given the glowing tribute to Spillane by the Irish manager, as published by Rick Waghorn, it seems a little strange that it is many games since Spillane was slected for the Norwich first team. Has he in fact played since Worthington picked him at the end of last season?

The Irish clearly regard him very highley, and expect great things of him. I have heard from people whose football knowledge I respect, that Spillane is a very gifted player, who reads the game well, has instant control, tackles well, and passes well. So why, when we have problems in central defence and have to press Dion to play there and weaken our attacking options, does he sometimes not even get on to the bench, let alone play?

PG regards him as "raw", but then so was Martin when he started? On at least once occasion he did concede a goal by "showboating". I think we won 4-1 on that day. Is this what is meant by rawness? I have great respect for PG, - his commitment (- he was at Stoke on Monday evening watching future opponents) and his ability to size up players and mistakes very quickly (even if squad constraints prevent him doing much about the faults.) But I am puzzled by the continued absence of Spillane. He was prepared to risk Martin in relegation circumstances, but not Spillane, despite the defensive ftrailties of the team.
[/quote]

I have thought similarly Salopian but two things sprung to mind.

1) Spillane was, until this season, being played as a midfielder and is growing into the role of centre-half, so he may not be there yet. I also remember match reports of the Youth F.A. Cup games saying that Spillane wasn''t the influence you would have expected him to be and was in fact responsible for some of the goals, so maybe he''s still raw as Grant suggests.

2) It''s less risky to blood a striker at that age than a centre-half. If the striker misses he still gets a round of applause for getting close. If a defender makes an obvious mistake, the opposition score and there are groans all round. Plus, some sections of the crowd arn''t as supportive as they used to be, and I recall Eagle getting booed earlier this year which was disgraceful. If Spillane isn''t fully at home at centre-half yet and makes a mistake, the monkeys will be on his back.

Either way he''ll still go on to be a good player. The few times I''ve seen him you can see he''s got a good technique and natural ability, but I just think it''s a positional thing as much as anything. Central Defenders, like Keepers, tend to break through a little later. 

[huck tastic<IMG src="http:new.pinkun.comforumsimagesline.gif"><BR><FONT face="Comic Sans MS">Bryan Hamilton could turn this around...<BR><FONT> 0]

Im hoping that, if we can get safe quickly, then both spillane and lewis will get a few games this season.

if that happened we would finally have a nucleas of young homegrown players in the side...with maybe Ryan jarvis too figuring more..

after all, neither gallagher or doherty can be the way forward if we want to go places next season

 

[Hump 0]

The difference is that Martin is Scottish and was not a favourite of Nigel Worthington. Any youngster who seemed to be promising under NW has not had a look in particularly Spillane.PG seems to be determined to have his own clan at Carrow Road

 

[Rasputin was a C... 0]

[quote user="Hump"]

The difference is that Martin is Scottish and was not a favourite of Nigel Worthington. Any youngster who seemed to be promising under NW has not had a look in particularly Spillane.PG seems to be determined to have his own clan at Carrow Road

 

[/quote]Erm... I thought Chris Martin was from Beccles?

[Hump 0]

Father is scottish!

[Rasputin was a C... 0]

AhhI don''t think regarding the youth their nationality would effect how Grant would treat them. I think Martin has been given his chance because as well as being good enough we also had a lot of injury problems up front. At the back we still, sadly have Doherty fit so I can understand in some way why he''s kept faith with the experience.

[lucky green trainers 0]

sure, if spillane is good enough put him in - playing the squad out of their natural positions is a certain loser, as the first half against coventry showed last week.  also starting the doc in midfield against preston!! whats the point in that???  surely its worth putting spillane into these gaps, we could unearth another diamond in the process - or at least give him 20 mins here or there as a sub.

[Dell Girl 0]

McCaffrey pleased his young Internationals are in safe hands. A few more Chris Martins would be nice...
Thurs 1 Mar 07

With the Peter Grant revolution slowly but surely taking place at City, the current setup contains more than your average number of Scots it would be fair to say.

From Jim Duffy, Bryan Gunn and of course Grant himself involved with the coaching staff to Messrs Gallacher, Marshall, Lappin, Cave-Brown and Fotheringham in the first-team squad, Colney definitely has a tartan feel about it sometimes.

Yet fast-forward a few years and it could be the Irish, not the Scottish, accent which is heard loudest in the Carrow Road dressing room.

Ricky Martin''s Academy youngsters contain some highly promising Irish starlets and it is a case of ''so far, so good'' according to the Republic''s Youth team boss Sean McCaffrey.

McCaffrey is currently in Portugal overseeing his Under-18 charges in a four-team tournament, of which Michael Spillane and Mark O''Toole are the Canaries'' representation.

Speaking in an exclusive interview with www.rickwaghorn.co.uk, McCaffrey revealed he had high hopes for them both.

"Michael Spillane is a key man for us in our Under-19s so he is captain of the Under-18s and he''s very crucial for us," said McCaffrey.

"He''s always been terrific for us. He was brilliant against Holland recently and he is a very good player with great potential.

"Mark O''Toole is a left-back or a left-sided centre-half and has a very good left foot on him. He is also a very good passer and a very good crosser of the ball.

"The boy has excellent technique; he reads the game well and is decent in the air. On the negative, he probably lacks a wee bit of pace but the rest of his game is very good. He did well also against Holland and he was marking a winger who is very highly rated by the Dutch and he did well."

Spillane has of course long made his Canary debut and featured prominently at the end of last season''s campaign – with Nigel Worthington deciding to give his youngsters a taste of the hussle and bussle of Championship football once it was clear the play-offs were out of reach.

He was used as a right-back and performed admirably but City see him as a centre-half first and foremost and that is where McCaffrey is sure his future lies as well.

"I think centre-half is his best position," McCaffrey added.

"He can certainly do a job as a full-back and he can do a job as a holding midfielder but his best position is centre-half. He reads the game well, his positioning is good and he passes the ball well. In short, he is a good player."

With a crippling injury list at Carrow Road this season – especially in the defensive department – it has been a surprise to many that Spillane hasn''t been given another opportunity to impress.

Grant has described him as being too raw, but McCaffrey has no doubts he can compete at this level.

"I don''t really know the Norwich first team well enough to be honest with you and I haven''t seen them play often enough but I think he''s capable of playing in the Championship at the moment."

Ireland''s Under-17 side also contains more promising Canary kids, two of which will be familiar to regular attendees of Academy football at Colney.

"Gareth Matthews is a defender; he can play right-back or left-back and can even play as a centre-half.

"He''s a good defender, good on one vs ones, supports the attack well and has already scored two goals for the Under-17s, against Italy and against Azerbaijan.

"Matthews is a good solid player. We definitely think he has a future and he has a very good attitude as well.

"Kurtis Byrne is another one from Norwich. He''s an attacking player, whether he plays up-front or wide right. He''s a very skilful player, a very strong player and he''s got pace as well. He probably needs to score more goals but he has ability."

And the list of Canary potential from across the Irish Sea doesn''t end there….

"There is another young lad at Norwich who plays at Under-16 level called David Cooper. We''ve had him in and he has done very well. He is a quick, skilful full-back and technically he is very good. He''s definitely one for the future.

"As is Danny Kelly, who''s a centre-half or centre-midfielder who also plays at Under-16 level. He is another skilful one and will be one to watch when he gets into full-time training at Norwich."

It has long been known throughout the football world that City take great pride in their Academy and producing young players capable of performing at first-team level.

If truth be told though, it is fair to say that there have not been as many that have made the all-important step up in recent years as the club would have liked.

Jason Shackell and Chris Martin apart, there has not been anyone for a good while who has emerged onto the first-team stage and looked at home from minute one.

But there is a feeling around the club that the current batch of Academy youngsters are a little bit special and McCaffrey is in no doubt that his boys are in safe hands.

"I see Norwich as a good club to progress through the ranks without a doubt. There are some good people there. Ricky Martin does a very good job and there is a good ethos at the club.

"Norwich have always brought through players and produced good players. We''re glad to see the Irish lads there.

"They are getting a good football education there and importantly, they will get the opportunity to play. And in turn, it''s good for Norwich to see them playing international football."

"It''s great that there are a fair few Irish lads at the club already and big Gary Doherty being there as well will help. Norwich try to help them to settle down and the club treat them well and look after them. We''re very pleased with that aspect."

Tom Haylett

[Anderz 0]

Snippets of action here and there would/could whet Spillane''s appetitie and bring him to the fore. I suspect that like Martin this year, Spillane will be brought into the fray next season, and maybe a couple of months out on loan to toughen him up will take place.

As for nationality playing a part, I don''t see how it has - we were short of strikers, Martin fits the bill, Martin gets played.

Spillane will get a chance, of this I''m convinced, and the timing of said chance will hopefully be the correct time for him to really make a mark.

[Hump 0]

It is very much easier for a boy to achieve international recognition if he is not English, and although I commend the lads who are both in the Irish and Scottish Youth set ups we tend to ignore the english lads at the Academy who are as good if not better but because of birth and an abundance of premier english players get no opportunity at this level. Because of the kuodos which this international recognition gives the Academy and the Manager these boys seem to be seen as the better players which they may not be.If all our boys qualified for any home nation apart from England they would all enjoy this status-in fact any player however good if Welsh would be having a chance in their senior side.

Please do not get carried away by international youth team Managers who are hyping up these boys to increase their market worth.We then see our own supporters calling for a boy who they have read about but never seen play to come into the 1st team. Chris Martin has done well without any at present recognition and people say where did he come from?   

 

Ther are others in lots of clubs including Norwich who have good players and I hope their lack of international status gives them an even chance in the game,we have some at Norwich !!!