Paul: Plenty To Admire

Paul Goddard says that he has seen a lot of players at the World Cup that he would like to take a closer look at.

"I have seen loads of players I like," he admits, "but they have all got those big price tags on them.

"You look at some players and see them playing, and you think, such as with the Japan side, the players are not from the top leagues or the top sides - and you wonder how they are competing.

"It shows you that when the spirit and organisation are right that you can compete with the best.

"And some of the big players haven't performed, so a few reputations have probably been hit as well."

Paul, who admits that Gary Breen of Ireland, who is available on a free transfer from Coventry, is a player that he quite admires, adds: "The Irish are fantastic, you just have to marvel at them.

"I had the pleasure of being with Mick McCarthy for just a short while at Millwall, and he is such a strong character.

"I can imagine what he instilled in the Irish side, and they were so unlucky.

"What you see is what you get; he talks straight from the hip, not in jingles and jangles!

"He says it as he sees it. I'm sure his players appreciate that, and it is why he has been so successful."

As for the Roy Keane saga, he says: "It got to a crucial point and Mick made a massive decision."

As the World Cup draws to a close in the coming days, he says: "It has been a fantastic tournament with the underdogs knocking the big boys out - and everybody likes to see that."

But the imminent end of the competition has not yet produced the flurry of transfer activity that might be otherwise expected, and he says: "It is very quiet, there is not too much going on."