Republic of Ireland v. Wales - Friday, 24th March 2017 - World Cup 2018 Qualifier

[TheOneWhoKnocks]

On brief examination it looks like "Towk" is taking issue with Everton and not McCarthy in fairness

Of course.

Which begs the question why Bournemouth are not the brunt of his disdain this time. But that's for another thread at another time. Let's get our focus back on our biggest game of the campaign (in my opinion).

Because Arter pulled out of games this time last year in dubious circumstances and has done so again this time IMO.

McCarthy is making himself available to objections from his club. Arter ruled himself out with a minor calf strain when there was still over a week to prove his fitness like McCarthy, Murphy and Hoolahan.

Kelly like others not born in the Irish Republic (Arter, Clark and Elliott among them) really don't care about their adopted country and even have the audacity to go on trips to Dubai. Terrible!

Who said anything about Kelly, Clark or Elliot?

[DeLorean]

McCarthy is making himself available to objections from his club. Arter ruled himself out with a minor calf strain when there was still over a week to prove his fitness like McCarthy, Murphy and Hoolahan.

The comparison is not between Arter now and McCarthy now, it's obviously between Arter now and McCarthy back then (as that's when you used do all your ranting about McCarthy pulling out of squads despite not being really injured, the implication being that he was being controlled by his club and manager).

Btw... with regards the McCarthy of today, did Everton actually object this time? I only heard Koeman saying this:

I don't know. We know it will be another nine, 10 days (before the game) and the FIFA rule is that they have the possibility to call the player.If they call the player the player will go and they will see how his fitness is at that time.

Despite the war of words previously and Koeman believing McCarthy was overloaded last time he played for us, that's an acceptance, not an objection. Obviously he'd prefer if his player was wrapped in cotton wool but what objections from Everton/Koeman are you referring to this time?

Eddie Howe, on the other hand, said this about Arter's prospect of making the Wales game?

I would have thought there’s no way he’ll play

Far more dismissive of Arter's chances I'm sure even you'll agree?

[tetsujin1979]

ok, we're done with this, move the discussion to Arter's thread, its relevance to the upcoming qualifier is approaching zero

[TheOneWhoKnocks]

Eddie Howe, on the other hand, said this about Arter's prospect of making the Wales game?

I would've thought there's no way he'll play

Harry Arter failed a late fitness test for the Swansea game on the 18th, which would suggest he isn't far off a first-team return. The Wales game is on the 24th. The Iceland game is on the 28th. That's a week to prove his fitness for the Wales game and a week and a half to prove his fitness for the Iceland game.

Analysing a player's fitness through scans etc. isn't a one shot deal. James McCarthy has had several scans and as of yesterday he was due to have at least one more.

Daryl Murphy is also carrying an injury but linked up with the squad.

Harry Arter flew to Dubai when he had every chance of at least proving his fitness for the Iceland game.

It's interesting to note that Arter was "desperate" to prove his fitness in the build-up to Euro 2016. Perhaps that's because of the aura of playing in an International tournament, perhaps not, but you can't pick and choose which games you play in or want to participate in.

Edit: Sorry just seen Tets comment now.

[jbyrne]

murphy confirmed out now as well

[TheOneWhoKnocks]

murphy confirmed out now as well

FFS..

I still think Kevin Doyle can do a job off the bench but Daryl has been immense for us since he came on in the Germany game (Belarus excepted).

I suppose this makes MON's job of selecting the first XI easier.

But there's still time for Keogh, O'Shea, Long, McClean or Hendrick to pick up an injury which would be near catastrophic.

[DannyInvincible]

McClean will be exempted from training on Thursday morning in order to attend the funeral of friend and former team-mate Ryan McBride in Derry. The FAI will also be organising a tribute for Ryan at the game on Friday night.

[DannyInvincible]

No - I've been following Kelly on here. Just wasn't sure if he was injured truly or just pulled out for nefarious reasons. I thought he was 2 or 3G but he seems to have nailed his colours to the mast.

Where is Kelly actually from? His Wikipedia says he was born in Ireland, but that's not right, is it? He sounds to have a London accent in this interview from a few years ago:

[Stuttgart88]

Murphy out, McCarthy still a doubt, others resting as precaution.

https://twitter.com/noriordan/status/844141220431609856

[tetsujin1979]

Where is Kelly actually from? His Wikipedia says he was born in Ireland, but that's not right, is it? He sounds to have a London accent in this interview from a few years ago:

He's English-born, according to the independent: http://www.independent.ie/sport/socc...-35527085.html

"I always knew there was a possibility that I could play for Ireland and it is something I was desperate to do,” stated English-born Kelly, who qualifies for Ireland via his Mayo-born grandfather Tony and his Leitrim-born grandmother Mary.

[CraftyToePoke]

Where is Kelly actually from? His Wikipedia says he was born in Ireland, but that's not right, is it? He sounds to have a London accent in this interview from a few years ago:

Look in his thread, I put a piece there lately covering it.

[shakermaker1982]

Our starting 11 on friday is gonna look like a Trap era team.

Randolph

Coleman Keogh O'Shea Ward

McGeady Whelan McCarthy McClean

Long Walters

[DannyInvincible]

An update (kind of) from Roy on McCarthy: https://www.balls.ie/football/irelan...es-game-361622

James McCarthy didn't train today. If he doesn't join in with the group tomorrow I would say he is very doubtful.

[Bungle]

Our starting 11 on friday is gonna look like a Trap era team.

Randolph

Coleman Keogh O'Shea Ward

McGeady Whelan McCarthy McClean

Long Walters

By and large that team names itself at this stage.

I wonder will he go with 5 in midfield and one up top. There has to be a place for Jeff Hendrick. With McCarthy out, I'd say Hourihane could get in. Walters to start and be a battering ram with Long coming on for the last half hour is a real option.

It's a funny one with our current team. We are missing some players that I like, but you wouldn't say the replacements are of a much poorer standard. I do think we will really miss Brady and I really rate Arter. I think he's a fine player. However, it isn't like the past when you were praying we wouldn't be missing our world class players.

It's actually a fascinating match up (if I wasn't so worried). They have the better starting line up by a little margin - the Bale effect, but we have the better squad. I'd wager that if you picked a mixed eleven, we would edge it 6-5. Even with our injuries, I think it will be fine margins between the teams. My head says a 1-1 draw.

If we do win and if Serbia could drop points in Georgia, then I think that we would want to go full knobhead to **** up going to Russia.

[DannyInvincible]

An update (kind of) from Roy on McCarthy: https://www.balls.ie/football/irelan...es-game-361622

RTÉ are quoting Roy slightly differently; he's been saying that McCarthy was to do some running (seemingly isolated) today: http://www.rte.ie/sport/soccer/2017/...l-to-face-wal/

"James didn't train today," the assistant boss said.

"I would say he is very doubtful. I think he is due to do some running today, but if he doesn't join in with the group tomorrow, it'll be very doubtful for him."

[paul_oshea]

Doyle to come on in the last 20 and get a winner, show Martin what he has been missing.

[Stuttgart88]

We are missing some players that I like, but you wouldn't say the replacements are of a much poorer standard. I do think we will really miss Brady and I really rate Arter.

O’Shea and Keogh replacing Clark and Duffy is much of a muchness in my opinion. Our CBs were at fault for goals in Moldova, Serbia, Lyon, Bordeaux and Paris with different players being individually culpable. It’s a bit of a work-in-progress position for us so what’s coming in is arguably no worse than what’s going out.

Likewise McCarthy and Arter are good players but not indispensable when Hendrick and Meyler are around. Wes is quality but McGeady is on great form. I’m disappointed Murphy is out but Kevin Doyle is a similar player of a similar standard, maybe even better.

Brady is the guy we’ll really miss I think but the others’ absences deprive us of options and back-up rather than automatically depleting the starting XI, at least from open play. Where we are noticeably weaker is from set-pieces. Brady’s delivery and Clark/Duffy’s aerial threat won’t be easily replaced.

Also, if there’s a team to be missing players against it’s probably best that it’s Wales rather than Austria or Serbia. Not because they’re weak but because they are a British team whose players all of our XI will be used to playing.

[paul_oshea]

Great to hear Roy come out today and even though 9 players out and McCarthy looking doubtful, we are here to win. So refreshing, rarely have we heard it said from an Irish management team, let alone the 6 years or so previously. I love his attitude. Its the difference between winning out games and not.

[TheOneWhoKnocks]

Clark and Duffy are more of a handful than Keogh and O'Shea in the opposition box. Ward is a tank and has that natural striker's instinct of sticking a leg out in the box to get on the end of an errant ball. I'd be pressing his importance in that regard.

Randolph; Coleman, Keogh, O'Shea, Ward; McGeady, Hendrick, Whelan, McClean; Walters; Long

It's probably between two of Meyler, McGeady and Long.

[Stuttgart88]

I can see at least one of Christie, Pearse, Egan and Hourihane getting on the pitch at some point. I'm still a bit disappointed Doherty and Cunningham aren't in the squad.

Scratch that: I'd forgotten about Gibson (forgivable) and Horgan (much less forgivable).