Team against Georgia

[Littlest Hobo]

I know we have 6 and a bit weeks to go before the georgia game, but I'm itchin in the kitchen once again...so here's my team going on current player performances.

Given (Newcastle)

Mc Shane (Hull City)
Dunne (Man City)
O' Shea (Man Utd)
Kilbane (Wigan)

Duff (Newcastle)
Andrews (Blackburn)
Whelan (Stoke City)
Hunt (Reading)

Keane (Liverpool)
Doyle (Reading)

10 points in the bank before the arrival of Bulgaria in March.
:D:ball:

[gufcfan]

Decent team... I gotta Roll with it.

Couldn't resist. I'll get me coat...

[irishfan86]

If we're going on current club form, this has to be the team:

-----------Given-------

Foley--Dunne--O'Shea--Ward

Duff--Whelan--Andrews--Hunt

-----Keane----Doyle-------

That would be my team as well, except I'd have McGeady in for Hunt.

However, the team I expect to line up against Georgia would look like this (Finnan will come in for McShane if fit):

---------------Given-------------

McShane--O'Shea--Dunne--Kilbane

McGeady--Whelan--Andrews--Duff

----------Keane---Doyle-------

[Junior]

If we're going on current club form, this has to be the team:

-----------Given-------

Foley--Dunne--O'Shea--Ward

Duff--Whelan--Andrews--Hunt

-----Keane----Doyle-------

If you are going on current club form does Noel Hunt not deserve a shot? or does Robbies 3 in 2 give him the nod?;)

[musicinmouth]

My team:

Given

Kilbane
Dunne
O'Shea
Finnan (should be fit by then, if not then Foley)

Duff
Carsley
O'Toole
McGeady (preferably Ireland)

Doyle
Keane

[Paddy Garcia]

If you are going on current club form does Noel Hunt not deserve a shot? or does Robbies 3 in 2 give him the nod?;)

Yes it does, plus 30 or so other reasons.

[Junior]

Yes it does, plus 30 or so other reasons.


ahh, so its not a team based on current club form then. Thanks for clearing that up!

........devils advocate nothing else....

[Paddy Garcia]

ahh, so its not a team based on current club form then. Thanks for clearing that up!

........devils advocate nothing else....

Current club form: Keane V Noel Hunt - even Keane's critics would find it hard to argue that Hunt is a more compelling selection over the last month.

Of course you could try to define "current" to fit in with your narrow widow of opportunity.

Lets drop the striker (coming into great form) for the team at the top of the English premiership for ....................... Noel Hunt. You can do better Junior.

I don't know what devils advocate, but I'd like to ?

[Crosby87]

Duff should come off the bench in the second half if needed. He is useless always being out of gas in the second half but would be the ideal high energy sub in my opinion.

[irishfan86]

Duff should come off the bench in the second half if needed. He is useless always being out of gas in the second half but would be the ideal high energy sub in my opinion.

He's our best winger when he's fit. He's more consistent than McGeady, and the alternative, Hunt, shouldn't even be named in the same sentence.

I wouldn't be against Duff being substituted, but there's no way you can tell me that he's not good enough to be one of our starting wingers.

Furthermore, Duff has never let us down and we've got no right to drop him. He always shows up when fit, and I've never thought to myself "that was a ****ty performance."

[Crosby87]

Fabregas comes off the bench for spain. it has nothing to do with who is "better" as far as starting goes, it is maximizing potential for a 90 minute game, not a 45 minute one. We need a spark in the second half and too often I look up and Duff is sucking wind after running around at full speed the first half....think about it, putting a fresh Duff in at the second half against a slightly tired Defense. Its a good idea. We are always surrendering late goals maybe we can score one.

[irishfan86]

Fabregas comes off the bench for spain. it has nothing to do with who is "better" as far as starting goes, it is maximizing potential for a 90 minute game, not a 45 minute one. We need a spark in the second half and too often I look up and Duff is sucking wind after running around at full speed the first half....think about it, putting a fresh Duff in at the second half against a slightly tired Defense. Its a good idea. We are always surrendering late goals maybe we can score one.

I hear what you're saying, but I disagree.

Duff helps us control a game better than if say Hunt was playing.

We would have less of the ball, and when we did have it, we wouldn't be as dangerous.

I can't believe I'm actually having this conversation.

[elroy]

I dont think any of us would agree but I think Trap will probably stick with Gibson in Midfield alongside Whelan.

No way would I drop Duff for Hunt, Hunt although fill of energy and effort have never really put in a very good performance for us.

[Junior]

Current club form: Keane V Noel Hunt - even Keane's critics would find it hard to argue that Hunt is a more compelling selection over the last month.

Of course you could try to define "current" to fit in with your narrow widow of opportunity.

Lets drop the striker (coming into great form) for the team at the top of the English premiership for ....................... Noel Hunt. You can do better Junior.

I don't know what devils advocate, but I'd like to ?

$hit Christmas Paddy?

Firstly let me say I am not advocating Keane is dropped for Noel Hunt. It was an off the cuff remark based on the much discussed lack of first team playing time/form of Robbie Keane, which some seem to think has come to an end following his 3 goals in 2 games recently, though this has been followed by another 'rest'.

If the above team selections were truly based on current club form (lets base it on this season rather than the last 3 games if thats sounds fair to you?) then Noel Hunt should certainly be considered and perhaps Keane not an automatic choice despite his previous performances for us as that doesnt come in to 'current club form' does it?

Noely has scored 11 this season for Reading alongside our other central striker Doyle (who in most peoples eyes selects himself at the moment) who has got 16 goals. Reading are riding high in 2nd spot of the Championship - A Partnership per chance? IMO Its certainly not something to be scoffed at.

Its all conjecture anyway as we know Trapp doesnt appear to regard club form as all that important, otherwise we would just be talking about Whelan, Gibson, Kilbane again.....

Keane, unless injured, will of course be in the starting 11 and I would agree with that because current club form isnt everything.

Hope your New Year is better :-)!!

[bmorgan87]

keane has been on top form in the past few weeks (in the premiership) so how can anyone say on form hes not as good as noel hunt...thats stupid! hes playing in the championship and would strugle to get on liverpool reserves! i think noel deserves a place in the squad but hes below keane and doyle for now.
our defence is turning into a mess.. if we lose dunne and oshea we would have no cover.. at right back we have finnan or mcshane(who has done well with hull but is too big of a liability) and at left back..kilbane just doesnt work there! we need a proper left back who is playing regular football.. even a right back like stephen kelly or foley or even delaney would do a better job there!
kilbane used to do well in midfield for us... but i think we need carsely back, s.reid fit, and deff s.ireland back in the fold.. then our midfield would be really strong, not really weak as it was in our last games with whealen and gibson..
mcgeady and duff on the wings with hunt commin on as a sub for last 20mins, he always does well that way...
but then again, trapp doesnt like making subs til the 92nd minute which is WRONG
p.s. folan did well against poland, in for a shout

[Junior]

keane has been on top form in the past few weeks (in the premiership) so how can anyone say on form hes not as good as noel hunt...thats stupid!

Stupidity is the inability to read a post properly. Where has anyone said that "on form he's (keane) is not as good as noel hunt"

If Keane has been on top form in recent weeks, I read that as being his 3 goals in 2 games. Which I am delighted with but incidentally came to an end when he was rested again against Newcastle. Perhaps he'll get some more game time now that Gerrard is otherwise tied up...........

[Colbert Report]

Here's the team I think will line up:

Given
Finnan-O'Shea-Dunne-Kilbane
McGeady-Whelan-Andrews-Duff
Keane-Doyle

Subs:
Hunt for Duff (65)
Gibson for Andrews (70)
Keogh for Keane (75)

How Lee Carsley can't get a spot on this team amazes me. He tackles better than anyone we've had since Roy Keane. Still getting the job done ninety minutes a week captaining Birmingham.

[Paddy Garcia]

Stupidity is the inability to read a post properly. Where has anyone said that "on form he's (keane) is not as good as noel hunt"


You suggested it actually:


If you are going on current club form does Noel Hunt not deserve a shot? or does Robbies 3 in 2 give him the nod?!

I replied stating it does plus many other reasons.


ahh, so its not a team based on current club form then. Thanks for clearing that up!


Had a good Christmas thanks Junior - agree with you that the purpose of these forums is to test alternative options - no problem with that. Sorry if my response seemed over the top - but there are constant calls for Keane to be dropped on this forum & I get a little tired of them tbh. Believe me - we would soon miss him if he was not there.

[Junior]

You suggested it actually:

I suggested nothing of the sort. Re-read the posters comment.

We'll leave it there, you've merely replied to a post you've already replied to. You havent quoted my comments on how Noel Hunt should not replace Keane or that its all conjecture as Keane definitely will and should start against Georgia.

I just happen to think that on 'current club form' alone Noel Hunt deserves some recognition.

You could also couple this with the fact that his strike partner is Doyle but that would probably come under 'other stuff' :-)

In fairness Id say that 98% of posters on this site (myself included) would want Robbie Keane in the team to face Georgia.

Im half sorry I bothered to mention it............

Happy New Year!

[Stuttgart88]

Given

Finnan (or Foley) - Dunne--O'Shea-Kilbane

Ireland(!)-Whelan-Carsley-Duff

Keane-Doyle

[bmorgan87]

why are soo many people putting Andrews into the stating 11 when Trap doesnt seem to know who the lad even is! we know it takes Trap a while to change his team that much, he would need to give Andrews a few reserve games 1st.. hel b lucky to make the squad.. maybe deserves more but thats the fact on the situation!
Trap wil stick with the crap midfield of whealen and gibson...sadly

[Colbert Report]

why are soo many people putting Andrews into the stating 11 when Trap doesnt seem to know who the lad even is! we know it takes Trap a while to change his team that much, he would need to give Andrews a few reserve games 1st.. hel b lucky to make the squad.. maybe deserves more but thats the fact on the situation!
Trap wil stick with the crap midfield of whealen and gibson...sadly


I hope and think Trap learned his lesson when we played the Gibson/Whelan thing against Poland. They ran all over us and were deserved winners.

Like him or not, Andrews has made an appearance in all but two of Blackburn's Premier League matches this season. He's played the entire 90 minutes in ten of them. He's missed only thirteen minutes of football in the last seven matches. Hard to leave a guy like that out who's playing regular Premiership football over a reserve player like Whelan or Gibson. Personally, I think he should play Carsley with Andrews and see what happens.

What about Joey O'Brien from Bolton? He hasn't played in ages but is expected back in January.

I'm sorry, but neither Whelan nor Gibson have impressed me at all. I think they are both very limited players and offer little to us. I don't think they should even be in the squad, never mind our starting midfield partnership.

[tetsujin1979]

why are soo many people putting Andrews into the stating 11 when Trap doesnt seem to know who the lad even is!
Yeah, I'd say Trap doesn't know who Andrews is. Apart from playing him in the B game against Forest. And bringing him on against Poland for his debut. Where he scored.

[irishfan86]

People keep talking about Whelan as if he's a reserve player, but the fact of the matter is that he's been starting consistently for Stoke for weeks now.

[Colbert Report]

People keep talking about Whelan as if he's a reserve player, but the fact of the matter is that he's been starting consistently for Stoke for weeks now.

You're right, in fairness he's played the full ninety in each of the last four matches and seventy minutes in the match before those. But before that, in the fourteen matches since opening day, he's made only three appearances as a sub totally 33 minutes. Hardly a proven Premiership player. 518 total minutes on the Premier League stage. I don't know what the numbers are but surely Lee Carsley has ten times that, or even more. He showed little in any of his matches, though he was named man of the match in one of them so maybe others see things from him that I simply don't.

If he plays alongside Gibson against Italy, it will not be pretty.

[irishfan86]

You're right, in fairness he's played the full ninety in each of the last four matches and seventy minutes in the match before those. But before that, in the fourteen matches since opening day, he's made only three appearances as a sub totally 33 minutes. Hardly a proven Premiership player. 518 total minutes on the Premier League stage. I don't know what the numbers are but surely Lee Carsley has ten times that, or even more. He showed little in any of his matches, though he was named man of the match in one of them so maybe others see things from him that I simply don't.

If he plays alongside Gibson against Italy, it will not be pretty.

I'm not saying that I'd have Gibson over Carsley. I was merely stating that Whelan is not a reserve player.

He started the season on the bench for Stoke, and to his credit never got upset when he was left there despite his "success" with us.

When people started asking him if he'd be looking for a move, he said he wanted to stay and fight for his place.

Now he's in the starting XI and has been for some time.

Let's give the guy credit. He's got character, he has performed well for us despite a lack of match fitness in previous games, and has now fought his way into the first XI for his club.

[Stuttgart88]

Let's give the guy credit. He's got character, he has performed well for us despite a lack of match fitness in previous games, and has now fought his way into the first XI for his club.Well said.

[richieos]

i keep seeing people saying that if we have gibson and whelan in midfield against italy were going to be 'mauled' or 'over-run' or 'destroyed'
personally id be more worried with this pair against an attacking team like cyprus, i dont see italy 'mauling' anyone in this group with their style of play. i also think both ireland vs italy games could end up 0-0