Preferred Strike force

[gustavo]

What is your preffered strike force at the moment ?

[colster]

Keane and Morrisson should be given a run of games together.
I think they could be an excellent partnership if given the games together.
Duff should play in his best position on the left.
We should take a look at Alan Lee as well.

Doherty and Connolly shouldn't be considered as 1st teamers. They've had their chance.
Morrisson and Lee should get theirs now. Doherty would be a good option from the bench.

I wouldn't mind having a look at Stephen Reid up there with Keane.
He's big, quick and has a good shot. He's played there before for Millwall.
Obviously we should only try this if Morrisson and Lee don't cut it.

[SÓC]

I'd play like this, provided Miller and Reid continue to play well.
---------------Keane----------------
---------------Duff--------------------
A. Reid-----Holland---Healy----Miller
Finnan----O'Shea---Cunningham---Carr
----------------Given--------------


You have Keane there as the main striker with Duff behind him and in Reid and Miller two players who score their fair share of goals from midfield.

[pineapple stu]

Definitely Keane and Morrison has the most potential. Duff's not a forward, Connolly's too similar to Keane (in the sense that he's small!:D ), Doherty himself has said that he prefers centre-back and Keane has to be in there really, although his scoring rate in competitive games isn't great (two in this campaign, and about two in the previous one as well?).

[Slash/ED]

You can't play Keane up front on his own, it just makes no sense. It doesn't suit him as a player one bit. Has to be Morrison and Keane for me, they've scored goals in their limited time together and Morrisons record demands he gets a run in the team.

[pete]

Morrison & Steven Reid look good on paper but their "performances" for Ireland in the last year have not even been worthy of squad players.

Without repeating myself 1 performance in 20 doesn't warrant Connolly a squad position.

[Slash/ED]

Originally posted by pete
Morrison & Steven Reid look good on paper but their "performances" for Ireland in the last year have not even been worthy of squad players.

Without repeating myself 1 performance in 20 doesn't warrant Connolly a squad position.

Morrisons scored twice in two starts this year, hasn't had much other time on the pitch, how that makes him not even worthy of a squad player is beyond me.

[colster]

Originally posted by Slash/ED
Morrisons scored twice in two starts this year, hasn't had much other time on the pitch, how that makes him not even worthy of a squad player is beyond me.

Morrisson needs to be given a run of games. We have a lot of friendlies coming up. Kerr should tell him that he'll start most if not all of those games.
We don't need to play Keane and Duff in every friendly. Lee should get some games up front with Morrisson and A.Reid should get his chance on the left.
The object of the friendlies is not solely about results but giving some of the younger or inexperienced players some game time. We don't need to see Duff and Keane, we know what they can do.

[frano]

Depends on the opposition lads.
Against Russia at home, we should have sarted with Dohca and Keane up front. I know Dohca can be a bit of a cart horse, but defenders feckin' hate him when it comes to crosses and set pieces. He puts himself about, which in itself can buy Robbie time to find himself a yard.
Idealy you'd like him to hold it up for Robbie, (ala Quinny), but he'd need to work on that part of his game.
As for him having his chance. He is only 23ish, and did have a break which ruled him out until about 18 months ago. Which in international terms isn't a huge amount of time.
Connolley or Morrison to come on once horse is knackered. Which one would depend on league form.
I prefer Duff working from the midfield, if any player in Irish history deserves a free role for at least the opening 1/4 of a game it's Duffer. With young Miller coming good at Celtic, the future for the midfield might not be too bad.
The same can't be said for our defence if the Canada game is anything to go by. Shocking. If they'd had a forward who could kick a ball straight, we could have been well and truely shown up.

[Slash/ED]

Doherty is no Quinn though. The ideal works in theory but the reality is he's plain not upto it. Christ, he was the worst player on the park against Canada! He can't hold up the ball because he hasn't got the technique and he's always either offside or fouling. He only scores through set peices, like any centre half (Compare his and Dunnes scoring record) because that's what he is, a centre half. He's said it himself, only in emergencies should he be used as a striker, he definitely shouldn't have to rely on starting him.

[frano]

Couldn't agree more Slash, he aint no Quinny and he is most effective when playing from set pieces, which I already mentioned in fairness.
I can't see him ever progressing to a major scorer, but as I said, in games, such as Russia, we need someone to mix it up a bit. To unsettle there defence and allow his strike partner to nick a yard or two.
I also said he would have to work on his holding game, and I also mentioned Duffer having the free attacking midfield role.
So for example, you have Robbie as your out and out striker, with Dohca playing of him in a holding role, with Duff as the main play maker and following up on the second or third ball.
Keep in mind though, when I'm talking about games like Russia, what I'm getting at is teams with strong defenders with a bit of hieght. When Keane and Morrison who be struggling.
As for the Canada game, you right he had a bad game, but we were playing more ground ball then, so I wouldn't have played him anyway.