Weakest Irish Squad in 30 years!

[Ordinary Fan]

We were in the pup and talking about making it to SA in 2010, all very positive and running down the opposition, when it finally dawned on us that this Irish squad of players is rubbish.

This is not just negativity but realism. If you strip Given, Dunne and Keane out of the team they are a bunch of
past-its,
maybe's and
never-will-be's.

Finnan totally unfit, past-it. --- replacement Steve Kelly never-will-be
O'Shea midfielder ? never-will-be --- replacement Bruce scarey! never-will-be
Kilbane winger past-it ---replacement Delaney never-will-be
Hunt super-sub never-will-be --- Duff injured Past-it
Whealan honest never-will-be --- Miller never-will-be
Reid 30 mins in Norway! maybe --- Reid still over-weight maybe
McGeady chang club maybe --- Keogh out-of-position never-will-be
Doyle pity about Spurs move maybe --- Long needs to play for his club maybe

Given good --- replacement Kieley unlucky to be with Given past-it
Dunne good --- replacement Mcshane champioship player never-will-be
Keane fustrating good ---Murphy champioship player never-will-be

Think realisticaly, how many of this squad would make the england squad? Would any make the team.

I will still believe before every match that we can win because all realism fades in the hour before kick-off. I am not sure I like the way Trap is going about the business of qualifying but if he makes it, then it will be thgreatest qualification of any manager based on the players available.

[boovidge]

yeah so take out our best players and we're not that good. What's your point? :confused:

[seanfhear]

We were in the pup and talking about making it to SA in 2010, all very positive and running down the opposition, when it finally dawned on us that this Irish squad of players is rubbish.

This is not just negativity but realism. If you strip Given, Dunne and Keane out of the team they are a bunch of
past-its,
maybe's and
never-will-be's.

Finnan totally unfit, past-it. --- replacement Steve Kelly never-will-be
O'Shea midfielder ? never-will-be --- replacement Bruce scarey! never-will-be
Kilbane winger past-it ---replacement Delaney never-will-be
Hunt super-sub never-will-be --- Duff injured Past-it
Whealan honest never-will-be --- Miller never-will-be
Reid 30 mins in Norway! maybe --- Reid still over-weight maybe
McGeady chang club maybe --- Keogh out-of-position never-will-be
Doyle pity about Spurs move maybe --- Long needs to play for his club maybe

Given good --- replacement Kieley unlucky to be with Given past-it
Dunne good --- replacement Mcshane champioship player never-will-be
Keane fustrating good ---Murphy champioship player never-will-be

Think realisticaly, how many of this squad would make the england squad? Would any make the team.

I will still believe before every match that we can win because all realism fades in the hour before kick-off. I am not sure I like the way Trap is going about the business of qualifying but if he makes it, then it will be thgreatest qualification of any manager based on the players available.
Remind me that if I ever have to go into battle with you at my side to shoot you first.
And stay out of that pup you pervert!

[Kingdom]

I'm not sure championing players to get into an England side is a positive at the moment. At least we look like we've a purpose. Plus they've about 15 times the population we have. If you're compare us to someone, use Scotland. And we'd get a few in that team laddie.

[barney]

We were in the pup and talking about making it to SA in 2010, all very positive and running down the opposition, when it finally dawned on us that this Irish squad of players is rubbish.

This is not just negativity but realism. If you strip Given, Dunne and Keane out of the team they are a bunch of
past-its,
maybe's and
never-will-be's.

Finnan totally unfit, past-it. --- replacement Steve Kelly never-will-be
O'Shea midfielder ? never-will-be --- replacement Bruce scarey! never-will-be
Kilbane winger past-it ---replacement Delaney never-will-be
Hunt super-sub never-will-be --- Duff injured Past-it
Whealan honest never-will-be --- Miller never-will-be
Reid 30 mins in Norway! maybe --- Reid still over-weight maybe
McGeady chang club maybe --- Keogh out-of-position never-will-be
Doyle pity about Spurs move maybe --- Long needs to play for his club maybe

Given good --- replacement Kieley unlucky to be with Given past-it
Dunne good --- replacement Mcshane champioship player never-will-be
Keane fustrating good ---Murphy champioship player never-will-be

Think realisticaly, how many of this squad would make the england squad? Would any make the team.

I will still believe before every match that we can win because all realism fades in the hour before kick-off. I am not sure I like the way Trap is going about the business of qualifying but if he makes it, then it will be thgreatest qualification of any manager based on the players available.

Jesus wept.

[irishultra]

As Gabrielle Marcotti pointed out on a recent podcast I was listening to, that the Croatian team which is much adored has absolutely no depth.
Players are forced to play out of position(Simunic, Srna) and others like Kovac(the older one) only play because there are no better younger alternatives.

I honestly believe we have as good players as Croatia.....I really do, its easy to say 'oh croatia have wonderful technical ability blah blah blah'....the roots of their success is they have a manager who knows what he is doing, and there is a sense of togetherness in the squad of players. From what the players appear to be saying(Westwood, Garvan, Long) Trapattoni is instilling this in the players.

It doesn't matter if none of our players would make the England Squad, I happen to believe a few would, and perhaps pushing for a starting place, but its irrelevant, International Football is too sparodic, the point of it is pride in the jersey, pride in representing your country etc. etc.

So back to the point about 'weakest squad in 30 years'......so what!!!!!

I enjoy supporting Ireland through thick and thin. I have great respect for the players we have at our disposal, I don't care if they don't have the glamour of being selected for top clubs, but whats important is they are our players....people like Kilbane, Steven Reid, Hunt, McGeady and Robbie Keane are why I love the Irish National team.

I happen to believe we have a good side, with reasonable enough depth, and are more than capable of getting to major competitons.

[SalvadorSanchez]

:mad:
This doesn't help... look at Bulgaria, Slovenia, Switzerland, Ukraine, Denmark, Norway, Scotland, Poland, Sweden, Greece, Serbia, Belgium... they've all qualified for WC or EC tournaments in recent years with just 1 or 2 good players and mostly pretty mediocre players playing in pretty mediocre leagues, we have a handful of decent players and some mediocre players sure enough... but we also have a smart coach and our teams generally give it everything in tournaments and play a high tempo, physical game that many european sides don't like... so I don't know why there's all the doom and gloom, we've done it before and other teams have qualified with poor squads, so let's just wait and see.... I think if we get a good start we can do qualify or get a play-off, Italy are poor with real trouble scoring goals, Bulgaria are well coached but not as good as us, Cyprus we know, Georgia are poor and Montenegro are the dark horse, however with the exception of Vucinic (Roma), they're playing in poor enough sides.
Let's give the boys a break and see what shakes down in Mainz and Podgorica....
For the record; Given, Dunne, Keane, 2 Reids, Hunt, McGeady, Ireland (if he's arsed) Duffer, Doyle are all GOOD players, not World beaters, but that's the basis of a decent side....

[irishultra]

If Silva from Valencia is called a world beater, then I believe so is McGeady.


Good post Sanchez, but I disagree about the 'high tempo stuff'....I haven't seen an Ireland team play high tempo in my time watching them(circa1998, perhaps against Spain in World Cup and against Holland and Portugal in 2002 qualifiers)

[eirebhoy]

This is not just negativity but realism.
Of course it's negativity.

I'd say if you had to pick 11 players between the Irish and Bulgarian's the Bulgarian's would get maybe 3 in it. They'd get M.Petrov and Berbatov in there. Stillian Petrov certainly wouldn't be getting in ahead of either of the Reid's. Their left back might get in. He plays for Levski Sofia but it's still our weak spot. And the rest of the Bulgarian squad would have no chance of making our team. I know you can't judge a player by the club he plays for but when it's a Leicester player vs Dunne or a Bursaspor player vs Given or a Shinnik Yaroslavl player vs Duff and so on, I think you can.

[Brendan 82]

And the rest of the Bulgarian squad would have no chance of making our team.

Perhaps, but that does not mean we will be able to beat them.

[eirebhoy]

Perhaps, but that does not mean we will be able to beat them.
That's not the point though. He's talking about our individual players.

[Brendan 82]

I know, and I actually agree with you. I think its pointless to harp on about how we "don't have the players", especially when we actually do. And that is exactly what I was alluding too in my post. The importance of the quality of player is less important in international football than the system and team spirit. Just look at Brazil in the last World Cup, they were gash and remember the players they had?

[DotTV]

We were in the pup and talking about making it to SA in 2010, all very positive and running down the opposition, when it finally dawned on us that this Irish squad of players is rubbish.

This is not just negativity but realism. If you strip Given, Dunne and Keane out of the team they are a bunch of
past-its,
maybe's and
never-will-be's.

Finnan totally unfit, past-it. --- replacement Steve Kelly never-will-be
O'Shea midfielder ? never-will-be --- replacement Bruce scarey! never-will-be
Kilbane winger past-it ---replacement Delaney never-will-be
Hunt super-sub never-will-be --- Duff injured Past-it
Whealan honest never-will-be --- Miller never-will-be
Reid 30 mins in Norway! maybe --- Reid still over-weight maybe
McGeady chang club maybe --- Keogh out-of-position never-will-be
Doyle pity about Spurs move maybe --- Long needs to play for his club maybe

Given good --- replacement Kieley unlucky to be with Given past-it
Dunne good --- replacement Mcshane champioship player never-will-be
Keane fustrating good ---Murphy champioship player never-will-be

Think realisticaly, how many of this squad would make the england squad? Would any make the team.

I will still believe before every match that we can win because all realism fades in the hour before kick-off. I am not sure I like the way Trap is going about the business of qualifying but if he makes it, then it will be thgreatest qualification of any manager based on the players available.


Why should making the England team be a yardstick. Last time I checked they were ****e.

[finnpark]

We were in the pup and talking about making it to SA in 2010, all very positive and running down the opposition, when it finally dawned on us that this Irish squad of players is rubbish.

This is not just negativity but realism. If you strip Given, Dunne and Keane out of the team they are a bunch of
past-its,
maybe's and
never-will-be's.

Finnan totally unfit, past-it. --- replacement Steve Kelly never-will-be
O'Shea midfielder ? never-will-be --- replacement Bruce scarey! never-will-be
Kilbane winger past-it ---replacement Delaney never-will-be
Hunt super-sub never-will-be --- Duff injured Past-it
Whealan honest never-will-be --- Miller never-will-be
Reid 30 mins in Norway! maybe --- Reid still over-weight maybe
McGeady chang club maybe --- Keogh out-of-position never-will-be
Doyle pity about Spurs move maybe --- Long needs to play for his club maybe

Given good --- replacement Kieley unlucky to be with Given past-it
Dunne good --- replacement Mcshane champioship player never-will-be
Keane fustrating good ---Murphy champioship player never-will-be

Think realisticaly, how many of this squad would make the england squad? Would any make the team.

I will still believe before every match that we can win because all realism fades in the hour before kick-off. I am not sure I like the way Trap is going about the business of qualifying but if he makes it, then it will be thgreatest qualification of any manager based on the players available.

Im a pesimist but even I realise that Ireland will win easily against Georgia!!

This is the best Irish team in the last 10 years and they WILL WIN!!!

I think Ireland can beat Italy too, Ireland are Italy's bogey team as we don't fall into their counter attacking trap too easily ;)

[FarBeag]

Remind me that if I ever have to go into battle with you at my side to shoot you first.
And stay out of that pup you pervert!


Excellent reply to a stupid post :D

[mjpcc]

Scotland were the best team from these Isles during qualifiers for 2008 and nobody would rate their individual players.

It is much more about the team and how it plays together than any individuals. That is the reason we are more hopeful this time - for once we have a tried and proven management team.

Good Irish teams of the past have punched above their weight. I was at WC 2002 and it was one of the most sustained joyous periods of my life. The team performed way above expectations against Cameroon, Germany and Spain.

As for England - they are a prime example of talented players continually underachieving because they are not a cohesive team. They might do better to drop the millionaires and pick the best 11 from the lower half of the prem.

Our players generally want to play - with the noticable exception of SI. Andy Reid is very disappointed he is not in the team but is prepared to bide his time and play his way into contention.

The management team seem to have already improved morale and team spirit

[TheBoss]

From my perspective, I think the Irish teams that qualified for the competitions were not good enough and somehow got through.

[Irish_Praha]

From my perspective, I think the Irish teams that qualified for the competitions were not good enough and somehow got through.

Charlton had 5 or 6 fantastic and another 3 or 4 fairly solid international level players at his disposal. Look at the WC 90 squad when we were IMO at our peak:

1 Bonner • 2 Morris • 3 Staunton • 4 McCarthy • 5 Moran • 6 Whelan • 7 McGrath • 8 Houghton • 9 Aldridge • 10 Cascarino • 11 Sheedy • 12 O'Leary • 13 Townsend • 14 Hughton • 15 Slaven • 16 Sheridan • 17 Quinn • 18 Stapleton • 19 Kelly • 20 Byrne • 21 McLoughlin • 22 Peyton

Now look at McCarthy's squad for WC 2002 and it was amazing that we qualified from a group with Holland and Portugal. Although some would put it down to the presence of Roy Keane.

1 Given • 2 Finnan • 3 Harte • 4 Cunningham • 5 Staunton • 6 Roy Keane • 7 McAteer • 8 Holland • 9 Duff • 10 Robbie Keane • 11 Kilbane • 12 Kinsella • 13 Connolly • 14 Breen • 15 Dunne • 16 Kiely • 17 Quinn • 18 G. Kelly • 19 Morrison • 20 O'Brien • 21 Reid • 22 Carsley • 23 A. Kelly • Coach: McCarthy

We had to partner an ageing Staunton and an inexperienced Dunne at CB McAteer couldn't get his game at Blackburn, Harte was 1st choice at LB and Robbie was only a sub at Leeds.

Maybe this all backs up the origianl post but I would say that this squad is on a par with McCarthy's minus the fact that instead of one World-class player we have none this time. Also in comparison to Kerr's squad we are probably better offensively but have a weaker defence without Cunningham and O'brien and probabably a similar strenght midfield.

[Brendan 82]

From my perspective, I think the Irish teams that qualified for the competitions were not good enough and somehow got through.

So even when we are good enough to get to a World Cup, getting through group stages both times, we are not good enough to get there.

Now that is an inferiority complex that I am so glad not to have!

[irishultra]

I'm thinking theboss was joking, or something.

[finnpark]

I would be very confident of St Pats or Bohs beating the Georgia International team, if these fellows on 10K+ per week cannot beat Georgia then they should be sacked. Simple as. This is the easiest away tie you could ask for. And remember that Georgia are away from home too.

[billybunter]

We were in the pup and talking about making it to SA in 2010, all very positive and running down the opposition, when it finally dawned on us that this Irish squad of players is rubbish.

This is not just negativity but realism. If you strip Given, Dunne and Keane out of the team they are a bunch of
past-its,
maybe's and
never-will-be's.

Finnan totally unfit, past-it. --- replacement Steve Kelly never-will-be
O'Shea midfielder ? never-will-be --- replacement Bruce scarey! never-will-be
Kilbane winger past-it ---replacement Delaney never-will-be
Hunt super-sub never-will-be --- Duff injured Past-it
Whealan honest never-will-be --- Miller never-will-be
Reid 30 mins in Norway! maybe --- Reid still over-weight maybe
McGeady chang club maybe --- Keogh out-of-position never-will-be
Doyle pity about Spurs move maybe --- Long needs to play for his club maybe

Given good --- replacement Kieley unlucky to be with Given past-it
Dunne good --- replacement Mcshane champioship player never-will-be
Keane fustrating good ---Murphy champioship player never-will-be

Think realisticaly, how many of this squad would make the england squad? Would any make the team.

I will still believe before every match that we can win because all realism fades in the hour before kick-off. I am not sure I like the way Trap is going about the business of qualifying but if he makes it, then it will be thgreatest qualification of any manager based on the players available.


with a post like this, its no wonder you call yourself 'ordinaryfan". Whats your definition of 'never will be" they have all reached a level of football that most of us only ever dreamed of, do you mean they "never will be pele" ?

[Crosby87]

Looks like a genius has spoken. Guess I wont go out and watch the game since Ive already been told the ending...Thanks, Genius.

[eirebhoy]

I would be very confident of St Pats or Bohs beating the Georgia International team
Would you stop for jaysus sake. Either team would be lucky to get 2 or 3 of the Georgian first team playing for them. Anyway, I don't know why I reply because I doubt you even believe the stuff you write on this forum.

[kingdom hoop]

Friend was just telling me how his cousin was on the Irish 'Wet Paper Bag Fighting' team, and how they yesterday failed to qualify from the group stages of the World Championships (held in Albania this year) for the first time since 1977 after not a single one of the team managed to fight their way out of a wet paper bag. Apparently they've been labelled the weakest Irish squad in 30 years .

[youngirish]

I would be very confident of St Pats or Bohs beating the Georgia International team.

You might be. I certainly wouldn't.

[Strabane_Chant]

Whelan is starting this week for Ireland yet we have A. Reid and S. Reid both of these players are better than Whelan would you not rather have the reids play instead of rookie Whelan as first post said he is a championship player.

[OwlsFan]

Charlton had 5 or 6 fantastic and another 3 or 4 fairly solid international level players at his disposal. Look at the WC 90 squad when we were IMO at our peak:

1 Bonner • 2 Morris • 3 Staunton • 4 McCarthy • 5 Moran • 6 Whelan • 7 McGrath • 8 Houghton • 9 Aldridge • 10 Cascarino • 11 Sheedy • 12 O'Leary • 13 Townsend • 14 Hughton • 15 Slaven • 16 Sheridan • 17 Quinn • 18 Stapleton • 19 Kelly • 20 Byrne • 21 McLoughlin • 22 Peyton


Name the 5 or 6 fantastic players there. McGrath was the only "fantastic" player and remember he was let go by Man U. Whelan and Houghton were excellent although I think the latter did more for us than he did at club level. The rest were average Premiership players (some worse than that e.g. Morris). We think they were better than that because they played for us and they were our heroes (e.g. Moran) and were all part of the huge hype that went with us qualifying.

We know this current crop of players are no world beaters but with the right management and the rub of the green they have enough ability to get second place in the group. We are probably stronger up front than in Jack's days but where we are struggling is midfield. It's great to see Stephen Reid back so fingers crossed.

[Billsthoughts]

We know this current crop of players are no world beaters but with the right management and the rub of the green they have enough ability to get second place in the group. We are probably stronger up front than in Jack's days but where we are struggling is midfield. It's great to see Stephen Reid back so fingers crossed.

Agree with OwlsFan. They could possibly be the worst Irish team in 30 years or even a hundred million years but if they qualify for a major tournament and give it their best when they get there, who cares?

[eirebhoy]

Whelan is starting this week for Ireland yet we have A. Reid and S. Reid both of these players are better than Whelan would you not rather have the reids play instead of rookie Whelan as first post said he is a championship player.
And breath. Use the fullstop. :)

[Supreme feet]

In 1986, if you had told someone that Ireland would compete in the next European Championships without Brady, O'Leary and Lawrenson, and beat England, people would have laughed. It's easy to look back at Irish teams from the past and glorify them, but that's the benefit of hindsight, knowing how much players achieved in their entire careers. Twenty years ago, the likes of Aldridge, Houghton, Moran, McCarthy and McGrath were journeymen, no-one could foresee how good they would become, or the adventures they would bring us on in the early nineties.

For example, we remember Niall Quinn as a great Irish player - were people saying the same when he was shipped off to second-division Sunderland in 1997, after warming the bench for Man City and being injured for two years? People were saying he was washed-up, finished, that he was never any good anyway. But he came back and played the best football of his career. Football is a fickle game.

Given, Duff and Keane are established - up there with any of the heroes from the Charlton era with their contributions, even through frustrating recent times. Finnan, Dunne and Kilbane are solid, model pros. The likes of O'Shea, Reid, McGeady, Doyle, Whelan and Hunt (as well as Andy Reid, Long, Murphy, Keogh, Delaney, Kelly and McShane) still have their best days ahead of them. Given the fact that Staunton failed to create a settled team or squad, we really don't know how good this Irish team can be. Only time will tell. Damning the Irish players now, at this fresh new beginning, before a meaningful ball has been kicked, is unhelpful, and fairly boring now. At least wait until we've played a couple of games.

[only1kilb]

Whelan is starting this week for Ireland yet we have A. Reid and S. Reid both of these players are better than Whelan would you not rather have the reids play instead of rookie Whelan as first post said he is a championship player.

Lets give Whelan a chance and see how it works out before we say its the wrong choice. Andy Reid looks like an obvious choice to play but Trap has his way of playing and hopefully the side he puts out will do him and us justice.

[irishultra]

Very good post.

[backstothewall]

Whelan is starting this week for Ireland yet we have A. Reid and S. Reid both of these players are better than Whelan would you not rather have the reids play instead of rookie Whelan as first post said he is a championship player.

No, i wouldn't. Whelan will be told not to leave the back unprotected, and Stephen Reid will be free to do his thing. If Andy Reid comes in the whole balance of the midfield is lost. I would prefer to see Joey O'Brien doing the holding job, but it seems a sensible side.

If we had a midfield of Hunt, McGeady, Reid and Reid in what is still an away game against a highly motivated side they would run over the top of us.

The Georgia team are going to be told to go out and write a good headline for their country.

Ask your self this. How motivated would you be pulling on a green shirt (no matter who we were playing) the weekend after the British army crossed the border and occupied Cavan, Monaghan and Donegal??

This will not be easy. Our side is better, but it is important not to be cocky. they will give it 100% for 90 minutes, and the midfield you suggest would be suicide.

[ArdeeBhoy]

We were in the pup and talking about making it to SA in 2010, all very positive and running down the opposition, when it finally dawned on us that this Irish squad of players is rubbish.

This is not just negativity but realism. If you strip Given, Dunne and Keane out of the team they are a bunch of
past-its,
maybe's and
never-will-be's.

Finnan totally unfit, past-it. --- replacement Steve Kelly never-will-be
O'Shea midfielder ? never-will-be --- replacement Bruce scarey! never-will-be
Kilbane winger past-it ---replacement Delaney never-will-be
Hunt super-sub never-will-be --- Duff injured Past-it
Whealan honest never-will-be --- Miller never-will-be
Reid 30 mins in Norway! maybe --- Reid still over-weight maybe
McGeady chang club maybe --- Keogh out-of-position never-will-be
Doyle pity about Spurs move maybe --- Long needs to play for his club maybe

Given good --- replacement Kieley unlucky to be with Given past-it
Dunne good --- replacement Mcshane champioship player never-will-be
Keane fustrating good ---Murphy champioship player never-will-be

Think realisticaly, how many of this squad would make the england squad? Would any make the team.

I will still believe before every match that we can win because all realism fades in the hour before kick-off. I am not sure I like the way Trap is going about the business of qualifying but if he makes it, then it will be thgreatest qualification of any manager based on the players available.

You clearly weren't around with some past Irish teams. The talent's not the greatest;all we ask is they give their all, which was managed at times under Jack & Mick!

[irishultra]

Which is the same for any country of the same size....Croatia, Scotland, Sweden, Denmark etc.

There is no way we could have 11 brilliant individuals with our population, hell not even Holland with 16 million have the most talented players in every position(Engelaar, Ooijer, Bouma)

[Irish_Praha]

Name the 5 or 6 fantastic players there. McGrath was the only "fantastic" player and remember he was let go by Man U. Whelan and Houghton were excellent although I think the latter did more for us than he did at club level. The rest were average Premiership players (some worse than that e.g. Morris). We think they were better than that because they played for us and they were our heroes (e.g. Moran) and were all part of the huge hype that went with us qualifying.

We know this current crop of players are no world beaters but with the right management and the rub of the green they have enough ability to get second place in the group. We are probably stronger up front than in Jack's days but where we are struggling is midfield. It's great to see Stephen Reid back so fingers crossed.

I suppose fantastic is open to interpretation but I meant players that consistently proved themselves at international level or had an important role at a successfull club. The 3 players you mention would make up half of the 5-6 fantastic players. O'leary was maybe past his peak but you could add him to the list. Aldrige's club goal scoring record speaks for itself, he just wasn't utilised properly by Charlton. Looking at other players like Sheedy, Townsend, Staunton and Stapelton who were all big players for teams that won silverware you would have to agree that that squad of players was talented enough to qualify for a WC (which is probably why they did :) ). Bonner, Moran, Sheridan, Quinn and Cascarino were also no slouches. If the players from that squad were available today the only ones that definitely wouldn't be considered would be Byrne, Morris, Peyton, McLoughlin and Slaven.
I guess my point is that eventhough it took 3 attemps it was a much greater acheivement by McCarthy to qualify with the squad he had available. However, Chartlon would have to be considered our most successfull manager to date. We had the raw talent and he whipped us into shape and gave us the confidence to believe that we should be qualifying.

Also Supreme feet's point is very valid. We can evaluate the past squads and have a complete overview of each player's CV. The players in the current squad are still developing and some have yet to reach their peak. Who knows what they will achieve over the next 5 years.

[back of the net]

We were in the pup and talking about making it to SA in 2010, all very positive and running down the opposition, when it finally dawned on us that this Irish squad of players is rubbish.

This is not just negativity but realism. If you strip Given, Dunne and Keane out of the team they are a bunch of
past-its,
maybe's and
never-will-be's.

Finnan totally unfit, past-it. --- replacement Steve Kelly never-will-be
O'Shea midfielder ? never-will-be --- replacement Bruce scarey! never-will-be
Kilbane winger past-it ---replacement Delaney never-will-be
Hunt super-sub never-will-be --- Duff injured Past-it
Whealan honest never-will-be --- Miller never-will-be
Reid 30 mins in Norway! maybe --- Reid still over-weight maybe
McGeady chang club maybe --- Keogh out-of-position never-will-be
Doyle pity about Spurs move maybe --- Long needs to play for his club maybe

Given good --- replacement Kieley unlucky to be with Given past-it
Dunne good --- replacement Mcshane champioship player never-will-be
Keane fustrating good ---Murphy champioship player never-will-be

Think realisticaly, how many of this squad would make the england squad? Would any make the team.

I will still believe before every match that we can win because all realism fades in the hour before kick-off. I am not sure I like the way Trap is going about the business of qualifying but if he makes it, then it will be thgreatest qualification of any manager based on the players available.

pointless post - who care bloody cares how many would or wouldnt make the england squad - i mean what the hell have england done with all their "fantastic players" - Absolutely nothing - all they do is self destruct every tournament and dont even qualify for some - and they will self destruct again

We (ireland) may have our limitations - put if we get the tactics right , have the proper mindset and focus ,proper manager (which we do) and good players (which we do imo) then we can achieve things - Great player dont always make a great team (i.e england and many more) - hence i think your comparison is pointless.

[Stuttgart88]

it finally dawned on us that this Irish squad of players is rubbish.

I am not sure I like the way Trap is going about the business of qualifying Pointless post. "It finally dawned"? God, it's been obvious for ages that we don't have the quality of players available to us in some positions, especially central midfield, in a generation at least. That's not to say we haven't woefully underperformed since 2002 though and it's certainly not true that our players are rubbish. Even during the better times the full squad available to us hasn't been great, we've just had a stronger core to the team. The core of the starting XI today is pretty good by comparison to any era, especially if like me you give O'Shea the benefit of the doubt and believe in Steven Reid as a central midfielder.

How can you tell before we've even started that you don't like the way Trap is going about qualifying? At least he says he'd be lying if he'd be happy with fewer than 6 points - a welcome change from the "draw away win at home" codology of previous managers.

[centre mid]

The Georgia team are going to be told to go out and write a good headline for their country.

Ask your self this. How motivated would you be pulling on a green shirt (no matter who we were playing) the weekend after the British army crossed the border and occupied Cavan, Monaghan and Donegal??

This will not be easy. Our side is better, but it is important not to be cocky. they will give it 100% for 90 minutes, and the midfield you suggest would be suicide.

This point is being completely over looked by everyone, this Georgian team are essentially playing with a siege mentallity, this could be a potential banana skin.

[christo]

If you're compare us to someone, use Scotland. And we'd get a few in that team laddie.

I'd hope so 1-0 down against Macedonia at half time :eek:

[irishultra]

I would take Hutton, McMannus and at a push McFadden into our starting line up, even though I prefer Doyle's attributes.

They can't pass the ball at all. Robson is a player I do have time for, he is a good solid player.

[SuperDave]

it doesn't matter that we have players who wouldn't get into the england squad... lest i remind you that in 94 we had plenty of english born players, some who decided to play for us because they weren't going to get selected for england.... and we qualified and they didn't.... its a team game and from what i've seen of ireland under trap we are finally playing as a team again after the staunton and to a lesser extent kerr eras.

[boovidge]

god i'd love it if the scots got beaten

[irishultra]

yeah me too boovide. I'm not a fan of them tbh.

[eirebhoy]

The common denominator between the poor football with Celtic and poor football with Scotland is Paul Hartley. Some difference in Scotland's play as soon as Hartley went off and Brown took up his position.

[boovidge]

none of those were penalties either.

[niallsparky]

In an Ireland/Scotland team I'd have:

Given

Hutton Dunne McManus O'Shea

McGeady Reid Reid McFadden

Keane Doyle


We have much better players than them and I'm confident we'll qualify under Trap.

[boovidge]

right so Scotland are as good as out. Let's hope the boys in green don't make the same mistake!

[eirebhoy]

right so Scotland are as good as out. Let's hope the boys in green don't make the same mistake!
Of course they're not out. Their competition for 2nd spot is Macedonia, Norway and Iceland...