Romania reaction

- Apparently Sammy Clingan was our main man:
Clingan was the man of the match for Northern Ireland with a magical creative display and his performances on this US Tour should have convinced boss Lawrie Sanchez that he is the player to replace the suspended Damien Johnson during the two opening European qualifiers. “I’ve really enjoyed this trip and it’s been exciting to be involved,” admitted Clingan. “The manager decided to go with me in both games and I’m grateful to him for having faith in me.

Steve Davis
- Jimmy Quinn’s sending off was harsh, and Romania were 15 miles offside in the build up to their first goal. Steve Davis takes up the story:
“It was James’ first real tackle and I thought it was should have been a yellow card at most. But to send him off that was harsh. He allowed their first goal even though one of their players was definitely offside. I thought these decisions killed the game. It was disappointing but we’ll put it down to experience.
“I’m pleased we didn’t give in and I actually thought we had more chances than they did. The difference was they took their opportunities – we unfortunately didn’t. We can take heart that we actually troubled their keeper a great deal – that was an improvement on last Sunday when we never really tested the Uruguay goalkeeper.”
- Alan Blayney is happy to wait about for more NI chances:
“Even though we lost and at one stage I thought we were going to get hammered I really enjoyed the experience,” insisted Blayney. Now I want more but I’m prepared to wait.
“I’m only 24 and know there are people ahead of me in the pecking order for Northern Ireland. Maik Taylor, Roy Carroll and Michael Ingham have all been about the squad for years so I’ll just have to wait for my opportunity to arise again.”
Blayney moved to Doncaster Rovers in the January transfer window and has been enjoying regular first team football with the club. He signed a two and half year contract with Rovers and even though his summer holidays are just about to start he is already itching to get back playing. Blayney adds: “I’m really looking forward to next season – things are looking up for the club. We will be moving into a new stadium and there is genuine optimism that we will do well. I’m enjoying my football at the moment.”

Dowie appointed Charlton boss

Iain Dowie has become the first new manager of Charlton for 15 years, just after leaving Crystal Palace where he spent 2 and a half years. He said:
“Charlton has a fantastic reputation I think it’s been earned over the years. It’s a special place to work because they have got a history of being stable. This is a club that’s been run hugely successfully by Alan Curbishley. Following in Alan’s footsteps is daunting but it’s what I’m looking forward to. I have taken what I think is a fantastic opportunity for me and hopefully a great one for Charlton. When I met Richard and some of the other members of the board I was very excited by the plans they had in place. I have found them very enthusiastic, they match my energy and passion.”
Crystal Palace are so delighted by the development that they’ve decided to take legal action against him. Big Iain is unperturbed however:
“The first conversation I had with Charlton was two days after,” said the former Northern Ireland international. If that is what he (Jordan) feels then that is what he feels but it totally misrepresents the conversation I had with Simon. I’m not going to let it sour a good day for me.”
Charlton will be more good training for Dowie before he eventually takes the Northern Ireland job.

Romania 2 – 0 Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland lost their second and last USA Tour game 2-0 to Romania last night. We were done by two early goals and a 38th minute red card for Jimmy Quinn (for a ‘rash challenge’). Thompson & Big G had a few chances, and Shiels also forced a save.
Sanchez was worried about our not finding the net on the tour though – hope that particular monkey isn’t reappearing! Hardly though:
“We’ve got to be grateful that we did create chances over the two games. We’ve got young players without a lot of experience and they don’t play at the highest level. Scoring is something to be concerned about. We didn’t score but we did create chances. We just have to keep things going and get better. Romania were the better team and are more experienced than us.”
The starting team was Blayney, Duff, Capaldi, Craigan, Davis, Clingan, Sproule, Quinn, McAuley, Shields, Thompson – nowhere has got what subs came on or anything.
The match is being re-run on Romanian TV at midnight their time on Monday night, 10ish (?) our time, if anyone wants to see how the damage was done. You can watch it here.

Romania Preview

Alan Blayney gets his debut and Thompson & Shiels get their first starts. Big G also starts with Michael Ingham, Colin Murdock, Steve Jones and Jeff Hughes dropping to the bench.

Let’s hope that Blayney can put in a performance like in his Southampton debut 2 years ago. He was later awarded ‘Save of the Season’ by Sky for his stop from Alan Shearer.
NORTHERN IRELAND: Blayney, Duff, McAuley, Craigan, Capaldi, Sproule, Davis (capt), Clingan, Shiels, Quinn, Thompson.
Romania were beaten 2-0 by Uruguay on Wednesday, so if that means anything we should win.
The match kicks off at 2am Saturday morning our time, but no-one can find any live streams showing it thus far.
Michael Ingham would probably have been hoping for another start, but Sanchez has opted for ex-Saints keeper Blayney. Here’s Ingham in a recent interview explaining why he chose to drop down 3 divisions so he could play regular first team football:
“I had other options but the key was I knew I was going to be playing week in, week out for Wrexham. What matters to me is playing matches not sitting on the bench. That’s why I was prepared to go on loan to various clubs so I could get a game and some experience. It paid off as well. I was noticed by Northern Ireland and by Denis Smith. He has built up my confidence and I feel as though my game has improved no end. If I do slip up, the manager does not have a go at me. He usually just puts his arm around my shoulder and has a comforting word.”
“This tour is an opportunity for some of us to stake a claim in the team and that is something you have to relish. Every time a squad is named I am just thrilled to be in it. This is where I want to stay.”

FIFA potentially stops half the population playing for NI

FIFA has ruled that you can’t play for Northern Ireland without a British passport, even though the Good Friday Agreement allows anyone born in NI to choose to have either a British or Irish passport.
Howard Wells was one of many surprised at the decision:
“This is not what I had expected or hoped for,” said Wells. “FIFA have 209 member countries though and they do have to be careful about setting precedents. They have taken a month to respond so that tells me that they have been professional and considered, but I am planning to speak to them again.”
SDLP Culture Arts and Leisure spokesman Pat Ramsey said Fifa`s decision was a kick in the teeth for many people who wanted to play for Northern Ireland without compromising their citizenship.
“It is clear that the Irish government and the IFA must take a stand against what is essentially the sporting marginalisation of half the community in the north,” he said.
“This decision is discriminatory, it is damaging, and in the context of the Good Friday Agreement, it is illegal.
“I will be seeking an urgent meeting with the chief executive of the IFA Howard Wells and the Minister of Foreign Affairs Dermot Ahern to discuss a way of overturning this decree. This disgraceful decision cannot be allowed to stand.”
So after FIFA holding up ‘Football For All’ as an example to the world, they go and completely undermine it.

Young Webb

Actually, he’s 23! Better get his skates on!!
“I knew I was on standby so there was always a chance I may get called up,” explained Webb. But when the call came through I was going to the United States I just felt it was a great opportunity for me.
“You couldn’t wish for a better tour to make your debut. I mean playing in the Giants Stadium and Soldier Field Stadium are two memories which will live with me for the rest of my life.
“It’s been fairly easy to settle into the squad because I know so many players from the under-21 set-up and I’m enjoying every moment of the tour. Also the senior players in the squad, who have played for Northern Ireland during the last few years, have been welcoming and made it easy for me. Being together with the squad has been great fun, the travelling hasn’t bothered me. This tour is being staged in New York and Chicago – two great places to travel to on my first trip.
“On Sunday when I made my debut, I didn’t know how I was feeling – it really was hard to tell. The adrenalin was flowing and I was so excited. It was all so new to me – when I was told I would be going on everything happened so quick that it was difficult to take it all in. I just knew that I wanted to go out there and do a job for the team. Any situation that arose I felt comfortable in dealing with.”

Is that even him? Someone please enlighten me! It’s either him or Mark Hughes!
“I’ve been playing in Scotland for a few years now. The team had a good year finishing in a decent position. I was fairly happy with my own performances and felt I had a consistent seaon. Next year my goal is to build on last season’s displays and I’m always trying to improve. I’m 23 so I’m just coming out of the Under-21s. That means I now have to concentrate on trying to retain a place in the senior squad. It’s going to be difficult, I know that but I’m prepared to work hard and do my best.”
“I really don’t know anything about the Romanians – I assume Lawrie will have research on them but they could be similar to Uruguay on Sunday and have a few of their top players missing. We’ll go out and take on whatever is put in front of us and make sure we give a good account of ourselves once again. If I get my chance again then I’ll be delighted. I’m just pleased to be a part of this tour.”

Supporter pics from Uruguay match

From HNISC:

Ivan fancies our chances against Romania

“This squad hasn’t even been together for a week but already there is a genuine belief that we can achieve a decent result on Friday night. We showed on Sunday against Uruguay what we can do with only two training sessions together and both those sessions were on the same day.

“I know some of the boys weren’t in the squad for the games against Portugal and Estonia last year but I do think the excellent results we achieved in those games have given everyone connected with Northern Ireland the confidence to go out and succeed.
“The defeat against Uruguay was not a backward step we performed so well that you should definitely put that game down as progression. It took a wonder goal from their player Fabian Estoyanoff to beat us. We should have come away with a draw, it was the least we deserved. But now we go into Friday’s match on a positive note and there is no reason why we should not get a win.”

“It doesn’t get any better than playing for your country” – Jeff Hughes

Jeff Hughes’ attitude to playing for his country explains why he’s on the up and a certain other left sided defender is rotting at Sunderland. While the NI media was surprised at the inclusion of someone who they now assume is a left midfielder (seeing Lawrie played him there), AWS wasn’t surprised and neither was the player himself. The kid is loving it:
“I was secretly thinking before the team was announced that I was in with a shout because I knew there are only two left players in the squad – myself and Tony Capaldi. When I was told I was going to start it was a truly great feeling. I was so nervous and excited; there were butterflies in my stomach. I always get nervous before I go out to play for my club Lincoln but I’ve never felt anything like that before. In fact I think I’ve been nervous since the day I was told by David Currie I was going to the States.
“It doesn’t get any better than playing for your country. I have a lot of family who support Northern Ireland and I know they will be so proud. This is the ultimate dream for any young player born and raised in Northern Ireland. And to actually achieve that dream so early in my career is extra special.”
“All I wanted to do was work my way into the match so I could contribute to the team. I knew they were going to be a tough side because just look at their high FIFA ranking. But I was quite pleased with my own performance. The whole team gave a good account of themselves on a very tricky artificial surface and I felt we really deserved to come away with a draw. The pitch wasn’t great for playing on, we’re all looking forward to hopefully playing on grass again in Chicago.”
On Lincoln losing the play-off final:
“I had mixed emotions once we were knocked out of the Play-offs because I realised if we’d qualified for the final then it would have taken place while this tour was on and I wouldn’t have been able to come here. Obviously I wanted Lincoln to get through but then I’d have missed out on playing for my country which would have been very hard to take. I want to play in the highest League possible, however I will be patient, time is on my side as I’ll only turn 21 next week and I’ve still got so much to learn. At the start of the year I’d set myself the goal of making sure I kept my place in the Under-21s. To finish the season making my debut for the senior team is unbelievable. Now I have to change my goal to try and make sure I earn as many senior international caps as possible during my career.”
Incidentally, Lincoln club captain Paul Morgan was on standby for the squad.

Clingan sets sights on starting Euro campaign

Nottingham Forest midfielder Sammy Clingan is aiming to be the man Lawrie Sanchez chooses to replace Damien Johnson for Northern Ireland’s first two Euro 2008 qualifiers, against Iceland and Spain at Windsor Park. Johnson will be suspended after being sent off against Austria, and Lawrie has already experimented with Chris Baird in midfield, but if Clingan continues to impress, the former Wolves man may well start:

“I didn’t know that Damien was going to be suspended for the first two games of the European qualifiers,” admitted Clingan. “I would love to be given the chance to play in those games but at the moment it’s all about performing well in each game so that you are picked for the next. You always want to impress the manager especially with the European qualifiers coming up.
“I enjoyed my first experience of senior international football on Sunday. “It was great to be playing with Premiership player Steve Davis. He’s a player who likes to get into the box and score a few goals whereas my job is to sit back. Sunday was unbelievable: to win my first cap in the Giants Stadium against a quality side like Uruguay will stick me for a long time.
“Romania will also have good players, they always have done down the years, and I’m sure it will be an intense match.”