Who will replace Miller in the squad.

[RiffRaff]

We're always going to be trashed in friendly matches if the players know there is no pressure on their places and the manager will always pick the same squad. I suspect Trap, Tardelli and Brady genuinely dont know what players are available and Trap just tries to blindly justify selection when questioned.

[NeilMcD]

I totally disagree with that. I think Trap knows full well who is avaialable and had made a judgement on quality, continuity, hard work, system and many other aspects. He will live and die by his results like any manager. At the moment his results are good if not spectacular but pretty good. Also George Burley came into teh Scotland job claming he was going to open them up with more attacking football, after the defensive Smith and McLeish eras, which got Scotland punchin above their weight and very close to qualifying. What happened, they are a disaster and as open as a 24 four brothel. They have lost their team spirit and are chopping and changin the squad based on form etc and its getting them no where.

[Greenforever]

We're always going to be trashed in friendly matches if the players know there is no pressure on their places and the manager will always pick the same squad. I suspect Trap, Tardelli and Brady genuinely dont know what players are available and Trap just tries to blindly justify selection when questioned.


Great friendly results mean nothing, 4 0 away in Denamrk and 3 0 home v Sweeden under Staunton were not transformed into the qualifiers, tbh as long as our trashings are kept to friendlies I don't cae....

Roll on Cyprus and 3 points

[dr_peepee]

His squad selections seem quite lazy if im honest. The exact same squad as the Australia match. Players who are performing well will soon get disheartened if they see players who are not geting games, or worse still have no club, getting in ahead of them. Then again Trap may be trying to create a good atmosphere in the camp and improve team bonding so therefors likes to pick the same squads

I would have been very vocal on that a couple of months ago, but then St Ledger and Best where given chances and I thought it was changing. Still don't think he's exhausting enough avenues.

However I'm starting to think now that even if a player is overlooked for a period, is it going to effect his effort when or if he eventually is called in?? I don't think so. Playing for your country? Playing even in spite of Trapp? You're still gonna bust a gut...


One mans lazy is another mans continuity although the Lazy IRA would have been a laughable terrorist organisation. Crosby just cause you feel something before and feel another way now, is not proof that we are getting worse......We could not have asked for much more this time last year in my view. We have only ever topped a group once before and that was for the Qualifiers for Euro88. No with a squad that is a good bit worse that Charltons squads and some of Mc Carthys, we are in a great postion to finish 2nd.

How about "B-; Could do better" for Trapp... There's no doubt what he's brought to the team, in terms of tactics and performance. But in fairness I still don't think he's exhausting enough avenues to ensure we've the strongest squad. I think continuity should extend as far a 80-90 percent of a given squad with the rest being dictated on form. I also think he used the Aus Friendly the way it should have been, however this squad should have inlcuded a couple of new faces for the SA game after Cyprus. Even if they don't make the pitch. We are severely lacking in some areas and not enough is being done to insulate ourselves.

[Stuttgart88]

yeah, but you can't just magic up a left back and a genuine quality CM just to complete the picture. Steven Reid is a free gift that can be added to the squad, Finnan too, but for all the complaints about Murphy, Fahey, McCann etc. they're all marginal decisions that aren't going to be decisive.

It's not Trapp's fault that we haven't got a proper left back for the first time since independence and S. Reid and Finnan are injured and that Stephen Ireland, who is increasingly looking like a class act, is a deluded knob end.

[rebelmusic]

yeah, but you can't just magic up a left back and a genuine quality CM just to complete the picture. Steven Reid is a free gift that can be added to the squad, Finnan too, but for all the complaints about Murphy, Fahey, McCann etc. they're all marginal decisions that aren't going to be decisive.

It's not Trapp's fault that we haven't got a proper left back for the first time since independence and S. Reid and Finnan are injured and that Stephen Ireland, who is increasingly looking like a class act, is a deluded knob end.

Best post in here

[Stuttgart88]

I totally disagree with that. I think Trap knows full well who is avaialable and had made a judgement on quality, continuity, hard work, system and many other aspects. He will live and die by his results like any manager. At the moment his results are good if not spectacular but pretty good. Also George Burley came into teh Scotland job claming he was going to open them up with more attacking football, after the defensive Smith and McLeish eras, which got Scotland punchin above their weight and very close to qualifying. What happened, they are a disaster and as open as a 24 four brothel. They have lost their team spirit and are chopping and changin the squad based on form etc and its getting them no where.Good point. If Trapp & co were so unaware of the fringe players recent caps like Folan, Best, Nolan, St. Ledger, Westwood, Lawrence and others wouldn't have had a look in.

At the margins I'll have a different view to the management (O'Dea, Garvan, A. Reid - more than a marginal decision in my view- Fahey, McCann, Delaney...) but the broad picture is the same. We've got some very good players, some good enough and some makeweights. That's what we have.

[geysir]

Kind of reminds me of all the energy on English radio before their WC squad was announced, about 95% of the debate spent on who should be the 23rd member of the squad.
Before our next game, it is infinitely more important that whatever afflicted the starting 11 performance against Australia be dealt with. There is no more room for such a performance against Cyprus.

[Stuttgart88]

I'm usually a vocal critic of our midfield but I honestly thought the biggest probalems affecting the performance in Thomond were Doyle's lack of match fitness and the rustiness / communication between the two CBs.

[tetsujin1979]

I thought the biggest problem was the lack of communication between the two full backs and the rest of the defence.
Over and over this scenario was repeated:

Given in possession
Full backs push up
Given passes to centre half
Centre half passes to other centre half
Cahill pushes forward, blocking a pass to either centre midfield player
Full backs too far forward for pass from centre half
Centre half passes to other centre half
Centre half passes to Given
Given launches long ball in general direction of strikers
Australian centre half (who is between 6 and 10 inches taller than striker) wins ball in the air
Possession lost

Just telling Kilbane or O'Shea to hang back and give Dunne and St Ledger an out ball would have killed this sequence off completely. Kilbane in particular should have stayed back, as he could have released McGeady, who was giving the opposing full back kittens every time he got in possession.

[Lenny82]

As Miller is still without a club, perhaps Trap is trying to do him a favour by keeping him in the squad in the hopes a club come in for him. I honestly don't think he has a chance of getting a game against Cyprus.

McCann, Fahey and Ward are all making names for themselves in the Premier this season and must be giving Trap food for thought but other than Miller, who would you leave out of the squad in place of some of these options?

[Bluebeard]

Kilbane in particular should have stayed back, as he could have released McGeady, who was giving the opposing full back kittens every time he got in possession.

Now there is surely the problem. Every time Ireland got the ball to the left, McGeady was too preoccupied in dispensing cuddly gifts to the Aussie right full. How carrying these kittens while waiting for possession must have distracted him: kittens are very distracting at the best of times, never mind when you are trying to hold them, and presumably half the stand beside you going "Aaahh!" It is a wonder he ever got the ball in the first place. And why he was waiting to give them to the Australian full back until he got possession beggars belief.

Fair play to Trap though - it might be a wild tactical experiment, and one I woudn't agree with, but the time to try those is in the friendlies alright. Hopefully now I can be certain that there is no chance he'll just send over a crate of kittens to the sideline by Duff or McGeady if it's 0-0 in Nicosia with 20 minutes left. I mean to say, that kind of thing might have some effect on the likes of your teams from civilised countries, but sure the Cypriots have that latin temperament, and presumably eat them or f*ck them or something, and wouldn't waste five minutes on them. You'd want to watch them Cypriots, cat hating foreign b@st@rds.

[dr_peepee]

yeah, but you can't just magic up a left back and a genuine quality CM just to complete the picture. Steven Reid is a free gift that can be added to the squad, Finnan too, but for all the complaints about Murphy, Fahey, McCann etc. they're all marginal decisions that aren't going to be decisive.

It's not Trapp's fault that we haven't got a proper left back for the first time since independence and S. Reid and Finnan are injured and that Stephen Ireland, who is increasingly looking like a class act, is a deluded knob end.

Obviously.... But is it not true to say that part of his job is to make sure we the best LB from an average bunch in this case?? Is left full our weakest position? I think it is for definate. Is Kilbane the best LB we have availible to us. Maybe? But based on what? Form? Experimentation? Lack of options? What options have been looked at? We have an aging converted Midfielder whose form isn't good. Is that still better than a fullback switching flanks (Kelly's played there for Spurs and Brum in the premiership), or a young inexperienced left full in the top flight (Ward) or a Championship level specialist LB (Delaney, Paintor etc) and so on...

I think a problem has been identified and not much is being done to correct it. I think your right about the Andrews, Fahy, McCann Whelen, Reid decision etc being marginal. I think the left full thing could be decisive though.

[Stuttgart88]

Well, he did try Delaney twice and Nolan has played twice, once as sub I think. Delaney imperessed me in both his games and I thought he looked good for Ipswich away to Coventry. Delaney is still under consideration judging by his standby status for the Australia game. Nolan looked a bit ropey against Nigeria, but it was his debut. Trap must have made the value judgmenmt that it's KK, then Nolan, then Delaney, with maybe JOS being an option if we have cover at RB.

Kelly failed to impress at right back, let alone trying him at left back! I hope Kelly can step up though as we need options at RB too. I think Kelly played LB at home to Czech Rep (1-1) and did quite well.

Painter is only a sub at Swansea. He probably hasn't been looked at but I think it's fair to say that Delaney & Nolan rank higher.

I can't remember who played LB at Dalymount in the B game. Did Ward get a call up for that? I have only seen him a few times on telly and each time he's done something that'd concern me, like the abovementioned near-penalty concession.

[Stuttgart88]

Just for clarity Doc, I'm coming a cross as a bit of a pro-Trapp zealot but I actually share your concerns about the lack of experimentation but the recent capping of several new players has given me cause to believe that he's not as set in his ways as many think.I actually have great faith in Trapp's judgment but it's his Irish colleagues that I have doubts about. In Givens' case, grave doubts.

[eirebhoy]

I can't remember who played LB at Dalymount in the B game. Did Ward get a call up for that? I have only seen him a few times on telly and each time he's done something that'd concern me, like the abovementioned near-penalty concession.
Ward and Foley started that game as far as I remember.

[tetsujin1979]

I can't remember who played LB at Dalymount in the B game. Did Ward get a call up for that? I have only seen him a few times on telly and each time he's done something that'd concern me, like the abovementioned near-penalty concession.
Yeah, that was Ward. I was sitting right behind him in the first half. He didn't play badly, and looked comfortable in possession. However, Hoolahan in front of him didn't show enough for the ball IMO, and lost possession too easily when he did take a pass. O'Dea beside Ward was probably the worst player on the night (Bruce as captain outshone him in defence, make of that what you will). Andrews was playing on the left of central midfield, and came back to give Ward an out ball on a few occasions.

To summarise, he didn't play badly, but the players around him made it look like he did. I'd like to have seen him get another chance.

[Wolfie]

If Finnan remained injured - I'd liked to have seen Delap included in previous friendly squads and deployed at Right Full. He has played there before at club level. I think it would be a short term but effective initiative.

Making use of O'Shea's experience at playing either side - I'd play him at left full.

Many would contend that Delap would be a viable option within midfield - but I think he would provide a solid and assured presence at right full which could have the affect of shoring up our back 4, along with O'Shea on the other side.

There is the obvious additional benefit of the long throw - but this should not cloud the fact that Delap has footballing ability and the throw-in is an added benefit.

Unfortunately, the time-frame may now have passed for this to be a realistic option.

[dr_peepee]

Just for clarity Doc, I'm coming a cross as a bit of a pro-Trapp zealot but I actually share your concerns about the lack of experimentation but the recent capping of several new players has given me cause to believe that he's not as set in his ways as many think.I actually have great faith in Trapp's judgment but it's his Irish colleagues that I have doubts about. In Givens' case, grave doubts.

Yeah!! It's defo not as bad as it was a few months ago. I'd actually forgotten about Nolan too... The names like Paintor were just bantered about. I wasn't advocating a particular player. I just feel we're going to get hurt through Kilbane at left full and think the SA friendly is now a missed oppertunity to check another option..

[geysir]

KK looks to be in poor enough shape.
What other options are there that have not been tried out? Nolan is in the squad with Delaney thereabouts. Nolan has been given a run out in the last 2 friendlies.

Delap? offers a solid versatility, apart from his throw ins, which would be useful as cover for a lot of possible eventualities.

[dr_peepee]

KK looks to be in poor enough shape.
What other options are there that have not been tried out? Nolan is in the squad with Delaney thereabouts. Nolan has been given a run out in the last 2 friendlies.

Fair point. I'd actually forgotten about Nolan earlier when I started my rant. But I do feel we're compressing this into a couple of recent friendlies, when I think it's fair to say that left full has been a problem position, if not the, since day one.

Nolan was O.K. Did he do enough to cement his place?? Is it that Trapp believes he's definately the second best left full we have?? I don't even think it's that.

I think it's that he's being too rigid in his windows of oppertunity. If you miss the boat it's "Tough...Wait til next summer or B match. I've plans for the other friendlies and I don't tinker with competitive squads". I mean what harm calling an extra 1 or 2 players in any squad if only to get a look in training, if not a game.

I'm not gunning for Trapps head or anything. I wouldn't swap him for any other manager. Just an opinion..

[geysir]

KK will live a bit longer, I seriously hope he gets back to his old self.
Nolan did enough to be in kept in the squad. I didn't scrutinise his performance closely but I thought he was defensivly more sound than KK and got up the wing to get involved. He looked confident. I guess trap appreciates that in a player, like Bruce perhaps
As regards midfield, Andy Reid's exclusion may have been done for the greater good but by all accounts he is no O'leary. I think he will get a recall once he starts being played by Sunderland. Possibly a few injuries will clear his path.

[shakermaker1982]

Kilbane needs to be phased out. He'd be a useful man to have around the squad but his defensive frailties have been exposed this campaign and I hope the Trap considers playing O'Shea at LB over in Cyprus.

The thinking behind the Trap's decision to keep including Miller is probably more to knowing the player himself after seeing him up close at numerous training camps. Consequently he knows what Miller is and isn't capable of. Bringing Fahey and McCann in now for the three crunch games is probably a risk too far for the Trap at this late stage of the campaign. The Trap doesn't want any unknowns going into the Cyprus game. He has enough to worry about after our showing in the Austalia game!

[NeilMcD]

Yeah!! It's defo not as bad as it was a few months ago. I'd actually forgotten about Nolan too... The names like Paintor were just bantered about. I wasn't advocating a particular player. I just feel we're going to get hurt through Kilbane at left full and think the SA friendly is now a missed oppertunity to check another option..

I think the other option will be Nolan in the South Africa friendly.

So far in a just over a year Trap has introduced

Whelan
Andrews
Nolan
Best
St Ledger

to the squad and had B international with a lot of the players many have called for. The only ones not to get a chance are Mc Cann, Morrison and Carsle

[geysir]

Traps 28 man squad in May last year,included seven previously uncapped players - O'Dea, Scannell, Delaney, Foley, Garvan, Hoolahan and Whelan

New caps added to the squad along the way after the first 2 friendlies,
Andrews, Nolan, St Ledger, Lawrence, Folan and Best.

[Stuttgart88]

Westwood and Foley too.

[geysir]

I mentioned Foley

[Stuttgart88]

I thought you were saying new caps.

[NeilMcD]

So basically that puts and end to the notion that he does not introduce new players. Our best youth coach of all time Brian Kerr only capped a couple of new players when he got the job.

[geysir]

I thought you were saying new caps.

I can see how you got there.
I am only trying to supplement what yourself and Neil have written

The jist is that he brought in a minibus load to check out with his first squad,
some stayed some not.
Then during the campaign he brought in another 6 new players to the squad who were capped.
As Neil and yourself have said, he has tried almost everybody who is available except McCann and a few others.

[dr_peepee]

No... I'm not for turning... The evidence is compelling sure. But I still think he's too rigid in his windows of oppertunity. I think such an emphasis on continuity in a playing pool as limited as ours is misplaced.. I feel rightly or wrongly that continuity should extend to 80-90 percent of a given sqaud, especially given trapps reluctance to use subs at the best of times. Every game for us is a cup final. We risk delaying the uncovering of a decisive player by over a year and all the competitive games there in.

[Razors left peg]

I think Lee Frecklington is the answer to our midfield debate... he did score tonight in the Carling Cup after all

[geysir]

No... I'm not for turning... The evidence is compelling sure. But I still think he's too rigid in his windows of oppertunity. I think such an emphasis on continuity in a playing pool as limited as ours is misplaced.. I feel rightly or wrongly that continuity should extend to 80-90 percent of a given sqaud, especially given trapps reluctance to use subs at the best of times. Every game for us is a cup final. We risk delaying the uncovering of a decisive player by over a year and all the competitive games there in.
I think the main points of debate are not about Trap being rigid about squad selection.
He is demonstrably no more rigid than any other intl manager in that respect. He has checked out at close hand, most of all that is available.

The debatable issues are with the playing style in regards to our available talent.
He has proceeded with deliberate caution with each match.
He is rigid about the playing style and it follows he is rigid about players that fit in. Enough has anyway been written about that.

Our campaign is similar enough to Charltons first, good battling performances away and 2 awful home games which induced extremes of apathy about where we were going and if Charlton had any football sense in his brain at all.
He had the players to make it work eventually, I think we need Steven Reid to make it work for us.

[Umberside]

I think Miller should be replaced by Gary Deegan....

[Bluebeard]

I think Lee Frecklington is the answer to our midfield debate... he did score tonight in the Carling Cup after all

Pah. The Lee we want has been knocking on the door all these years.

He has loads of experience
Has played football in two countries, one of which wasn't Scotland or England
He can score goals
He can pass a bit

Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you Lee Trundle

[Razors left peg]

Pah. The Lee we want has been knocking on the door all these years.

He has loads of experience
Has played football in two countries, one of which wasn't Scotland or England
He can score goals
He can pass a bit

Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you Lee Trundle

nah.... hes a striker;)

[Bluebeard]

nah.... hes a striker;)

Do you not recall several interviews where he said that he would do anything to further his- I mean, play for Ireland?:D

[tetsujin1979]

Miller linked with Preston in today's Indo - http://www.independent.ie/sport/soccer/premier-league/mcshane-heads-for-hull-as--black-cats-drop-green-card-1869097.html - one of their midfielders broke a leg recently, and he's seen as a cheap, available replacement

Few other details about Irish players expected to move this week in that article

[geysir]

Do you not recall several interviews where he said that he would do anything to further his- I mean, play for Ireland?


The bar of desire has already been set - being ready to swim across the Irish sea to play for Ireland.

[Stuttgart88]

That's not commitment. That merely says he'll turn up for cosy home games.

What he would do to play for us in Monenegro or Bulgaria is the real issue.

[geysir]

Then it might well be a desire for the bar issue.

[Stuttgart88]

Very good :)

[Hibernian]

Dont really care who replaces Miller im just glad that he is not going to have any say on the out come of Ireland most important game in this campaign.

Miller is just aint anywhere near good enough.

Hate being negative and I gave him chances in past (plenty) but he just aint up to it really now.

[NeilMcD]

Fair play of you HIbs to give him the chances.

[Stuttgart88]

No... I'm not for turning... The evidence is compelling sure. But I still think he's too rigid in his windows of oppertunity. I think such an emphasis on continuity in a playing pool as limited as ours is misplaced.. I feel rightly or wrongly that continuity should extend to 80-90 percent of a given sqaud, especially given trapps reluctance to use subs at the best of times. Every game for us is a cup final. We risk delaying the uncovering of a decisive player by over a year and all the competitive games there in.We have a budding Maggie Thatcher in our midst :)

I do agree with you about the speed of the introductions. His windows are clearly the B games and friendlies. He's conservative in testing new players in competitive games, bar Gibson at home to Cyprus - a bold move that wasn't a great success.

The stats show he has made changes but the likes of St. Ledger were, in my opinion, obvious call ups well before Nigeria. McCann and others less so but that's another debate.

I am however much happier now that the whole pool is being looked at rather than a narrow pool selected by Teflon Don Givens.

[Jicked]

We have a budding Maggie Thatcher in our midst :)

I do agree with you about the speed of the introductions. His windows are clearly the B games and friendlies. He's conservative in testing new players in competitive games, bar Gibson at home to Cyprus - a bold move that wasn't a great success.


We shouldn't overlook Trap/Ireland's finest hour, Italy away. Trap managed to change the system fairly rapidly when required, and did so with two big substitutions to swing the game aswell. Folan was put on despite hardly touching a ball in competitive fixture, and then there was also the big decision of removing Doyle in the second half for Noel Hunt which also worked well. I know Doyle wasn't 100% but considering we were chasing a goal plenty of managers would have left him on there to poach a chance, and ended up watching him shuffling around the pitch for the last quarter.

[geysir]

Trap's system may well just about survive with Andrews and Whelan.
Should one of Andrews or Whelan be absent, the cause for concern is sticking to that holding CM style and depending on the less experienced available talent like Gibson to plug the gap.
In fact, in those circumstances, but reluctant to say it out loud, I'd prefer Miller over the young Gibson.

[Real Rover]

Nobody will replace Miller...im afraid hes stayin!:rolleyes:

[Umberside]

It's impossible to imagine that he'll be out of contract for a whole season. Just because he has left some crowd (I don't know who and don't give a) doesn't mean he won't go back to the same level.

Having said that, I don't know if he's any worth to Ireland when Whelan and Andrews are starting ahead of him.

He reminds me greatly of Anthony Stokes.

[dr_peepee]

We shouldn't overlook Trap/Ireland's finest hour, Italy away. Trap managed to change the system fairly rapidly when required, and did so with two big substitutions to swing the game aswell. Folan was put on despite hardly touching a ball in competitive fixture, and then there was also the big decision of removing Doyle in the second half for Noel Hunt which also worked well. I know Doyle wasn't 100% but considering we were chasing a goal plenty of managers would have left him on there to poach a chance, and ended up watching him shuffling around the pitch for the last quarter.

All true. Credit where it's due.... But Keogh played wide right that night, and clearly didn't work out for him. What had trapp seen of Lawrence at that point time to decide Keogh was a better right midfielder than Liam Lawrence? It's not a case of 20 20 vision in hindsight, as concerns were expressed by most before hand...