Stoke City: Don't ban Glenn Whelan, says former Potter James O'Connor
FORMER Stoke favourite James O'Connor wants Glenn Whelan's sending off at the weekend overlooked to prevent him being banned for the start of the new season.
Whelan could face a one-match ban on the opening day of the Premier League campaign if the referee submits a report on the red card he dished out to the Ireland international for squaring up to O'Connor on Saturday.
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Former Stoke favourite and Orlando City player James O'Connor thinks the referee was wrong to send Glenn Whelan off during Saturday's friendly.
The flashpoint came during the second half of Stoke's 1-0 friendly victory at Orlando City here in Florida.
Whelan was shown two yellow cards by referee Marcos Deoliveira after first barging into Orlando striker Rodrigo Lopez – and then going nose-to-nose with O'Connor a split second later.
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O'Connor, like Whelan a Dubliner, said after the game that Whelan should never have been dismissed – and certainly should not be banned from Stoke's first top-flight fixture at Premier League new boys Reading on August 18.
"I don't know what the referee was thinking," said O'Connor, who played more than 200 games for City between 1996 and 2003 and has been in Orlando since January.
"If you're going to send somebody off in a friendly, you should turn to their bench and tell them to substitute them instead.
"I'd be really disappointed if he ended up being suspended, we don't want that to happen.
"Nothing really happened. We just both want to win, that's all, and it's a shame the referee didn't use his common sense."
O'Connor, aged 32, insisted there was no previous bad blood with his countryman.
"It's been a great time for Glenn and for Stoke, and I only wish them all the best," said the former West Brom, Burnley and Sheffield Wednesday midfielder.
City boss Tony Pulis said he was mystified by the red-card decision.
"There was worse than that which went on out there," he explained.
"But I don't want to criticise because who wants to be a referee? You have to accept the decisions they make."
He is now hoping Whelan's sending off does not have any repercussions with a ban for the league campaign.
He added: "It was a friendly away from the UK , so I'm hoping it (the red card) doesn't affect us."
Pulis reported that striker Cameron Jerome and full-back Marc Wilson were suffering from knee injuries after they were replaced by two players who had already been substituted themselves.
The referee initially refused Ryan Shotton re-entry back on to the pitch, but Pulis remonstrated to ensure Stoke weren't down to nine men following Whelan's earlier departure.
"I just said to the ref we might as well pack it in if we are down to nine," he said.
"I said we are here to entertain 10,000 people and if you make it nine men it's not worth it."
Stoke, who won with a Jon Walters goal at the Citrus Bowl, flew out of Orlando yesterday and arrived in Kansas City ahead of Wednesday's final game of their American tour.
Ref takes centre stage in American friendly: Pages 42&43
STOKE'S Under-21 side continued their pre-season build up with a 4-1 victory over League One side Notts County.
Comments
by SCFC4EVA
Thursday, August 02 2012, 2:36PM
“potterdergrenderenenerenerne, that is your name isnt it? how am i twisting your words? you say when Whelan plays well, we play well, OK ,if you hadn't noticed, just based on results, lack of goals, league position etc last season, we didn't perform that well very often.So, to use your logic, since we didn't perform well very often, it's because Whelan was not performing well either! So, if someone was in there that did perform well we would have done better. I love you blinker/rose coloured glasses wearing types who completely and proudly ignore facts to justify your blind ignorance of everything that might seem to be detrimental towards Stoke City.
Never ever demand more or better, just accept what it is right ?”
by Pottedrengen
Thursday, August 02 2012, 11:31AM
“Soccerfoot, of course I am right and you are wrong. Once again you distort my comments to make your own point. Whelan is the key to how Stoke performs, not "a pretty poor player."”
by wheatear
Tuesday, July 31 2012, 7:39PM
“I think you will find SoCcerFoot Con 4EVA that YOU are the only person saying that. You spend ages telling people to read the article, seems you are incapable of reading the comments.”
by SCFC4EVA
Tuesday, July 31 2012, 1:18PM
“Pottedrengen, maybe you are right, so basically what you are saying is, after last season's debacle, that Glenn Whelan is a pretty poor player, because the team did pretty poorly so it's all his fault ? Personally, I wouldn't go that far, he is just one player after all, but he so infrequently plays well, you do have a very good point !”
by Pottedrengen
Monday, July 30 2012, 9:52PM
“Yes because Whelan set such high standards the season before last and in the Irish team, his fall from grace, ie loss of form for you soccerfoot, has been quite spectacular. But deadly is correct. When Glenn plays well, Stoke plays well. When he plays badly, Stoke perform badly.
I'm delighted to hear Arismendi is getting more chances, but it'll be a season or two yet before he can carry the team.”
by boothernender
Monday, July 30 2012, 9:43PM
“Went to Wembley to watch Team GB and Lois Suarez is not respected by anyone. Probably the most good natured crowd I've ever seen at a football match booed his every touch. It's a good illustration of how honesty does matter to football supporters.”
by deadlyscfc
Monday, July 30 2012, 8:54PM
“Respect that is given to Whelan by at least 2 Irish Managers who,put his name on the the sheet everytime.When Whelan does perform the whole team seems to click into gear more.”
by stoked
Monday, July 30 2012, 3:05PM
“I think Liam's point is about respect.
Something you need to learn about Soccerfoot 4EVA”
by MrDAP
Monday, July 30 2012, 2:48PM
“Morning Knob.”
by SCFC4EVA
Monday, July 30 2012, 2:39PM
“"An honest Irishman" what does honesty or where he comes from have to do with how well a person plays football ? yes liam, no other fans of any other team in any other sport in any other country in the world ever have anything bad to say about a player or the team they support, except for those on here. how narrow minded can a person get ?
Glenn Whelan cant help it. He actually might be a decent player. But he is a negative type player playing for a negative type manager. He cant help but move the ball backwards, even when the team is in dire need for it to be moved forward. He is a backward playing midfielder, not a holding one and his passing is really really poor. If everybody around him was not trying to do the same as him, his negativity may not be as noticeable and would be considered defending, but if a counter attack can be stopped dead in its tracks, Whelan will be the one to do it.”