Ivan on Dean Shiels

On the comeback trail
“He’s had one reserve match and was supposed to play on Tuesday again but it was rained off. His progress has been great though and he has nearly finished the medical side of things.
“He deserves a lot of credit for getting back into a green and white jersey so soon and that’s a big plus for Hibs and Dean. He’s an incredibly strong boy and I know he’s itching for a place on the bench on Sunday and I can’t wait until I see him standing on the pitch beside me. That might be because he’s the only one that understands my accent because the boys still take the hand out of me!
“We want to get to the final for him and that would give him a target for the end of the season. That would be a nice present to give him, especially if he was turning out beside me.”
Meanwhile, Ivan is set to play in America after all:
“I wasn’t going to go but I enjoy playing for the international team so much I had to go. It’s going to be pretty non-stop at the end of the season, with the trip the US and then I get married on June 16, so I’ll be glad of a break.”
Today’s Belfast Telegraph also states that Bolton and Portsmouth have had scouts watching Linfield’s Peter Thompson.

Elliott on himself and Healy

From the Yorkshire Post:

“Leeds have a lot of good players, but David will be a particular threat because of his quality. He is a striker who should be playing in the Premiership and I hope he gets there. If Leeds do make it, his goals will have played a big part.
It surprises me that he has been on the bench so many times this season for Leeds because he has to be one of the very best strikers in the division.
Everyone in Northern Ireland loves David – and not just because of his winning goal against England last September, though it means he will probably never have to buy a drink ever again back home. He has scored almost a goal every two games for his country and that says it all.
David is such a quiet man and a true gent. Scoring the winner against England might have changed some people, but not him.
Even if he does not score, you can guarantee he will have worked as hard as anyone in a game with all the tracking back he does.”

Healy, who boasts 19 international goals in 46 games, could, if Kevin Blackwell reverts to the 4-3-3 formation he has favoured for much of the campaign, be in direct competition with Elliott on Saturday and the Hull winger is relishing the possibility:
He said: “When we played Leeds at Elland Road in December, it was the first time we had played against each other in a game so it was a shame David only came on as a late substitute. Hopefully, we will both be selected this weekend.”
Healy has started Leeds’s last two games, but Robbie Blake is pushing for a recall at the KC Stadium as Blackwell’s side look to complete the double over Hull.
The Tigers are, however, determined to avenge their 2-0 defeat at Elland Road in front of a sell-out crowd at the KC Stadium. Elliott added: “I felt we were every bit as good as Leeds in the first half, but that they probably bossed it after half-time, to win 2-0.
“Personally speaking, my season has not gone as well as I hoped. Where last year (when Elliott scored 27 league goals), everything I hit went in the back of the net, this time the ball has hit the crossbar or the goalkeeper has tipped it away.
“I am still top scorer [he actually is – with 6 goals!] and it would be nice to manage that again. The priority, though, is staying in the Championship. If we can do that by beating Leeds, it would be amazing.
“This is the game all our fans have really been looking forward to and the atmosphere will be electric. If we were to win, the response from the Hull fans would probably be similar to that in Belfast when we beat England.
“We would probably get the freedom of the city if we can give the fans what they want.”

Elliott on himself and Healy

From the Yorkshire Post:

“Leeds have a lot of good players, but David will be a particular threat because of his quality. He is a striker who should be playing in the Premiership and I hope he gets there. If Leeds do make it, his goals will have played a big part.
It surprises me that he has been on the bench so many times this season for Leeds because he has to be one of the very best strikers in the division.
Everyone in Northern Ireland loves David – and not just because of his winning goal against England last September, though it means he will probably never have to buy a drink ever again back home. He has scored almost a goal every two games for his country and that says it all.
David is such a quiet man and a true gent. Scoring the winner against England might have changed some people, but not him.
Even if he does not score, you can guarantee he will have worked as hard as anyone in a game with all the tracking back he does.”

Healy, who boasts 19 international goals in 46 games, could, if Kevin Blackwell reverts to the 4-3-3 formation he has favoured for much of the campaign, be in direct competition with Elliott on Saturday and the Hull winger is relishing the possibility:
He said: “When we played Leeds at Elland Road in December, it was the first time we had played against each other in a game so it was a shame David only came on as a late substitute. Hopefully, we will both be selected this weekend.”
Healy has started Leeds’s last two games, but Robbie Blake is pushing for a recall at the KC Stadium as Blackwell’s side look to complete the double over Hull.
The Tigers are, however, determined to avenge their 2-0 defeat at Elland Road in front of a sell-out crowd at the KC Stadium. Elliott added: “I felt we were every bit as good as Leeds in the first half, but that they probably bossed it after half-time, to win 2-0.
“Personally speaking, my season has not gone as well as I hoped. Where last year (when Elliott scored 27 league goals), everything I hit went in the back of the net, this time the ball has hit the crossbar or the goalkeeper has tipped it away.
“I am still top scorer [he actually is – with 6 goals!] and it would be nice to manage that again. The priority, though, is staying in the Championship. If we can do that by beating Leeds, it would be amazing.
“This is the game all our fans have really been looking forward to and the atmosphere will be electric. If we were to win, the response from the Hull fans would probably be similar to that in Belfast when we beat England.
“We would probably get the freedom of the city if we can give the fans what they want.”

New Home Shirt

Oh dear oh dear. Oh dear oh dear oh dear oh dear.

“Pre-order your Northern Ireland home shirt online before Midnight on 19/04/06 and have it delivered to your home on the launch date of 27/04/06.”
Buy from JJB – Price £36 / £29.
Less than 2 years after our last kit which came out in August 2004.
I’ll likely still buy it!

Sanchez on the tour, take 2

“As far as I am concerned the tour is on and although the contract hasn’t been signed we have agreed in principle and there are simply one or two clauses that are being ironed out”
“We wanted confirmation from players that they would be going on the trip and we’ve got that apart from a few who said from the very outset that they wouldn’t be available.
“I’m confident that we’ll have a strong squad and within the next month I expect to have a clear idea of who will be available to me with Play-offs and other eventualities.”
BT

Clyde’s return hit by setback

What a game for your debut, eh?
From the Belfast Telegraph:
‘Mark Clyde’s injury jinx has struck again. The Northern Ireland defender was on the verge of a first-team return with Wolverhampton Wanderers a couple of weeks ago, but has now suffered a further setback. A freak training ground accident ruled him out of a reserve team game with Sunderland earlier this week and he is expected to be missing for a further week.
Clyde was struck in the face by a stray pass and suffered a partial dislocation of his jaw. The Limavady-man had been dogged by an ankle injury since pre-season and after recovering from that he suffered from a hip problem and then a dead leg.
Clyde has won just three international caps since his debut on September 2004 due to his numerous injury problems. If he can manage to force his way into the Wolves first-team between now and the end of the season the versatile defender will be in line to join Lawrie Sanchez’s squad for the tour to the United States during the last week in May.’

Tour in doubt?

The IFA are denying that there is any doubt our American tournament will happen, despite the following comments from Lawrie Sanchez:

“The contract for the tour has not been signed. While we have agreed to it in principle there are still a few things we need sorted out.
“I want players to give me assurances now they will not have second thoughts when it comes to the end of May. I know this tour will be at the end of a long hard season but it’s excellent prepartion for the qualifiers.
“We need to be able to put out a side of quality otherwise we are trouble. I don’t want my team to be completely embarrassed when we go out there – after all the teams we are playing are ranked 23rd and 26th in the world. The contract has not been signed and will not be until I am happy with my squad.
“Some players have already told me they are not available due to a wedding or pre-booked family holidays and that’s fine because at least I can prepare without them in mind. The Play-offs are a concern because we could have David Healy, Grant McCann, James Quinn and Michael Ingham all involved. If we lost them then my squad would be seriously depleted. But even though the Play-offs are still some time away we should be able to tell over the next couple of weeks which clubs will be taking part in those games.
“I would advise the fans to hold back a week regarding travel arrangements and see what developments take place over the next seven days.”
Belfast Telegraph: Flying Hibs winger Ivan Sproule is definitely ruled out because he will be getting married while Maik Taylor, Damien Johnson and Chris Baird have already told Sanchez not to include them in his squad for various reasons. Captain Aaron Hughes, who has struggled all season with injury is unlikley to travel, with his club Aston Villa preferring him to rest at home.

Shiels makes comeback for reserves

Northern Ireland Under-21 forward Dean Shiels played for Hibs’ reserves yesterday, just 7 weeks after having his right eye removed.
Tony Mowbray before the game:
“Dean will play in the reserve game, probably from the start and we’ll see how it goes. He’s got no real fitness levels at the moment. He’s only had one week’s training after being out for weeks. But he himself wants to get going again and we’ll just have to see how it goes.
“Hopefully it will be a smooth step back to fitness. It’s not as if he’s got an injury which we’ve got to be careful with. It’s just a case of getting himself back after a period out and to do that he’ll probably continue to play reserve matches until we deem him ready to make the next step.”
The Scotsman inform us that he almost scored after 11 minutes and wasn’t scared to get stuck in:
“His well-executed volley dipped just over Graeme Smith’s bar and proved to be the nearest Hibs came to breaking the deadlock in a 0-0 draw. He remained a lively participant in the action, and did not hesitate when committing himself to several aerial challenges.
Tony Mowbray aprés match (Remember that on RTE?!):
“Dean’s been back in training for about a week and he’s been mad keen to get involved in playing football matches. But he needs to play more reserve matches. Yesterday was part of the process, and it was good he lasted the time he did. But it’s my job to make sure that when he comes back to the first-team it is the right time, and that he is not in any way rushed back. He has been set no targets, none at all.”
Dean will now return to Manchester for a consultation with the surgeon who performed the eye surgery in January, and hopes to get a cosmetic replacement eye fitted in the near future. Hope the recovery process keeps going well Dean!

Craigan gets last-gasp equaliser

Northern Ireland defender Stephen Craigan scored deep into stoppage time following a corner as Motherwell drew 2-2 with Hibs on Saturday. Boss Terry Butcher:
“I’ve seen it all now with Phil O’Donnell scoring with his right foot and Stephen Craigan with his left, I might put the lottery on tonight…I had a speech already prepared about not getting what we deserved then Stephen Craigan scores it’s wonderful”
Ivan Sproule got booked in the game, which means he now must face a suspension. Tony Mowbray:
“It’s always a blow when you lose players with the impact that Ivan can produce but you have to accept these things and get on with them”
David Healy scored from the penalty spot as Leeds drew 1-1 with Coventry, also on Saturday.
Big G is MIA these days because of a hernia problem.
Maik Taylor conceeded 7 (seven) tonight as Birmingham crashed out of the FA Cup at home to Liverpool.

Lawrie on the Yankee tour

“I haven’t spoken to all the players so I can’t confirm who will or will not be able to travel with us. Those talks will go on but the tournament definitely gets my approval. I expect we will be in America for seven days and the games will give me a better understanding of the players I have at my disposal. It’s important to get in as many games as we can ahead of the qualifiers. I can now take a look at some of the players on the fringe of the team and see what they can offer. Although it’s at the end of a long season, the games will be a good test for us and help my preparations for the qualifiers.”
Happy Days