Predict the Squad/ Starting Lineup for Macedonia

[Closed Account]

We have seen in the past that he doesn't actually always stick with what he says.

What are the chances of lawrence being thrown in at right back?
There's a good chance Lawrence mightn't be fit either.
Even with a Manager who we could predict, it'd be a tough team to predict. JOSH captain surely.
Not confirmed but my guess is that the Squad will be named on Monday the 14th of March.

[AlaskaFox]

O'Shea will be captain I'd say, with Kelly on the right and Killer on the left.

Also, pity it isn't a centre midfield crisis and he'd have to start McCarthy.

[geysir]

God be with the days when the team picked itself.

[paul_oshea]

Ill take the interpretation of what he said about mccarthy as justification, as some of us said there was definitely more to it, and it turned out that way. They might be a bit more centre right alright though.

Well the team not picking itself is good, but not for an important game like this, but i gather thats what you meant, this game.

Can he call dunne in after announcing the initial squad? I mean at the expense of someone else? He can hardly name him in the orignal squad if houllier says he is injured?

[Kingdom]

I suppose on one hand, the likes of Clark, Foley, Best etc have to get competitive experience at some stage, but a crucial must win qualifier is hardly the ideal time. But, at home to a lower ranked team is as good a time as any.

[Sullivinho]

So, possibly lining out without Given, Dunne and Keane in a must-win game against tricky, Balkan opposition. I don't think I'm ready for the future yet..


O'Shea will be captain I'd say, with Kelly on the right and Killer on the left.

Yeah, predictive Trapology isn't an exact science but I'd say you probably have it there.

[Noelys Guitar]

Losing Dunne, Given and Keane is not good news. A team containing Kelly at right back and possibly Kilbane at left back will give away goals. Kilbane offers nothing going forward anymore and makes Duff's/McGeady's jobs harder than they need be. Knocking the ball beyond the opposing full back and chasing it is beyond him now and it is impossible to play a 1-2 with him. Clark has to play and I really hope Coleman comes in at right back (as Trap suggested). We have to win this game and that means if we are going to have to take chances at the back do it with players who can get forward and score.

[Stuttgart88]

Noely, when did Trap suggest Coleman might play at RB? I thought he said he mightn't be ready yet.

[Stuttgart88]

Ill take the interpretation of what he said about mccarthy as justification, as some of us said there was definitely more to it, and it turned out that wayThere's still no evidence whatsoever that there was anything more to it. A media storm arose but that proves nothing.

I think he can name Dunne in the squad if there's a cahnce he'll be fit.

[Noelys Guitar]

Noely, when did Trap suggest Coleman might play at RB? I thought he said he mightn't be ready yet.

I believe he said it just after the Welsh game and his gist seemed to be longterm rather than specifically the Macedonia game. Dunne for me is a bigger loss than Keane or Given in that he is the true captain of the team. I really hope he makes it as I don't fancy any of the permutations without him against a team that will come and try attack.

[Noelys Guitar]

How things have changed in the space of a week. Traps team
Forde
Kelly, O'Shea, St Ledger, Kilbane
McGeady, Whelan, Green, Duff
Doyle, Long

My Team
Kenny
Reid, O'Shea, St Ledger, Clark
McGeady, Whelan, Fahey, Duff
Doyle, Long

I hope I'm wrong about Trap's team. I have my doubts he will call up Kenny and I feel he will play Whelan and Green to protect! the defense and hope that Duff especially can open up Macedonia. Bad move if he does.

[SwanVsDalton]

Agree with your assessment except Green. Even with this injury crisis, Green seemed to be down the pecking order against Wales. Think Andrews, Gibson and Fahey would be more likely. Certainly hope so anyway...

[rebelmusic]

Where's the suggestion that Westwood might be missing? Haven't seen it anywhere.

[rebelmusic]

Google to the rescue
http://thescore.thejournal.ie/further-injury-worries-for-trap-as-westwood-picks-up-knock-2011-03/

But he's not mentioned in the team news for tomorrow night as an injury so I'm assuming he's fit.
http://football365.com/story/0,17033,8714_6800527,00.html

[CraftyToePoke]

Hamstring according to this. Was forced off at HT at the weekend.



http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_div_1/9415090.stm

[geysir]

Agree with your assessment except Green. Even with this injury crisis, Green seemed to be down the pecking order against Wales. Think Andrews, Gibson and Fahey would be more likely. Certainly hope so anyway...
I think Trap just gave Gibson some rope in starting him against Wales. I wouldn't read any more significance of him starting that game in regards to the pecking order. Afterwords, Trap more or less wrote Gibson down the pecking order. I think if Andrews proves his fitness and is called up along with James, then Gibson will be the one dropped.

[Noelys Guitar]

The strangest thing (with all the injuries) against Macedonia is that we will have players on the bench that can change the game if we have to go chasing. Coleman, Best, Walters, McCarthy (hopefully) Fahey/Gibson. I still have a feeling Keane especially will make it which would mean Long on the bench as well. It might be a 2-1/3-2 job in our favour this time.

[SwanVsDalton]

I think Trap just gave Gibson some rope in starting him against Wales. I wouldn't read any more significance of him starting that game in regards to the pecking order. Afterwords, Trap more or less wrote Gibson down the pecking order. I think if Andrews proves his fitness and is called up along with James, then Gibson will be the one dropped.

He's giving plenty of the players career advice and 'What Trap Says' is isn't usually the best indicator of anything. Though I think you could be right about Andrews.

[geysir]

I'd base my opinion first and foremost on Gibson's performance against Wales. The career advice from Trap was just stating the obvious out loud and what most everybody here observes - sometimes loudly.

[Kingdom]

This is the best start to Fantasy Trappa possible :D

[Murfinator]

I think he'll play Clark somewhere in the backline, either

O'Shea- Clark - St Ledger - Kilbane

If he's uneasy about inexperience at centre back then

Kelly- O'Shea - St Ledger - Clark

A serious problem would be if we left clark out and went with

Kelly- O'Shea - St Ledger - Kilbane

Makes us very vulnerable out wide and I think if trap did that I can't see any way that he'd pick McGeady for his defensive frailties. Opting perhaps for Fahey instead to support Kelly.

Centre mid is another tough one, I suppose the most ultra-conservative team he could pick would be

Westwood
Kelly O'Shea St Ledger Kilbane
Fahey Green Whelan Duff
Doyle Long


Here's hoping we don't see that

[Stuttgart88]

Westwood likely to be fit according to Irish Times (http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/sport/2011/0308/1224291590775.html)

Ciaran Clark suspended for next 2 club games so won't have a game before Macedonia - good news I guess.

[shakermaker1982]

My guess at the team following withdrawals left right & centre is as follows:

Westwood

Kelly O'Shea St Ledger Clark

McGeady Gibson Whelan Duff

Doyle Long

Happy enough with that side. If Keane makes it then he replaces Long.

[ifk101]

With so many injury doubts it's hard to know how we'll line-up.

With Dunne out of the team, I'd imagine that Kelly with come in at RB with JoSH moving into the center. With Kelly coming in at RB, I'd be hoping that Lawrence is fit to play at RM as a right flank of Kelly and McGeady doesn't fill me with confidence. I'm not a great fan of Lawrence but that he does, he does well. He's also an important player when it comes to set pieces. I don't have the statistics for it (I'm sure somebody else will provide them) but I'd imagine that over 50% of the goals scored by us under Trapattoni are either scored by Robbie Keane or from a set piece. I think Lawrence and Stephen Hunt are our best set piece takers. Without either them or Robbie Keane in the team our chances of scoring are much weaker (imo).

[EastTerracer]

Looks like better news on the injury front according to the Irish edition of the Daily Mail: no link available but this is taken from the wires...

March 08 (Daily Mail) -- Keane: warm-weather training
gIoVannI trapattonI has been handed a treble european championship tonic with the news that robbie Keane, richard Dunne and Keiren westwood are back in the frame to face Macedonia on saturday fortnight.
Keane stepped up his return to full fitness after injury by travelling with the west ham squad to portugal this week for warm- weather training. the republic of Ireland captain and record goalscorer has been spending time in an oxygen tank to speed up his recovery after ripping a calf muscle on february 5. Keane, who has missed the last two Ireland internationals, is confident of being available for selection against his former club spurs in the premier league on March 19.
he then intends to travel to Dublin to link up with the squad ahead of the vital group B fixture with Macedonia in the aviva stadium on March 26. Keane's close friend, Dunne, is also focused on the Macedonia qualifier despite being written off for a month by gerard houllier after dislocating a collar bone in aston Villa's fa cup defeat at Manchester city last wednesday.
crucially, the injury didn't require surgery and Dunne has been receiving treatment daily.
Ideally, Dunne needs to have recovered in time for Villa's next game, at home to wolves on March 19.
even if that is not the case, sportsmail understands the stalwart centre-half is prepared to be assessed by the faI's medical team in the build-up to the Macedonia match.
while Dunne's euro prospects may not be as bright as that of Keane, the Dubliner would walk through a brick wall to play for his country and is desperate to maintain his record of starting every competitive game under trapattoni.
that he is eager to travel to Dublin will please trapattoni, who was unhappy that wigan pulled James Mccarthy out of the squad for the carling nations game against wales last month with an ankle injury. the Italian wanted the midfielder to come to Dublin to be examined by the Ireland's medical staff.
there was further encouragement regarding westwood's hip injury, which is not regarded as serious even though the coventry keeper is doubtful for their game at Doncaster tonight. westwood is trapattoni's first choice to replace shay given, a long-term absentee, in goal against Macedonia. he was taken off injured at halftime in coventry's 4-1 home defeat to Bristol city on saturday.

Copyright (c) Associated Newspapers Ltd. 2011

[Stuttgart88]

Westwood not figuring tonight, just out of info.

[Sullivinho]

while Dunne's euro prospects may not be as bright as that of Keane, the Dubliner would walk through a brick wall to play for his country

That line makes no exaggeration about his physical abilities either.

[geysir]

'while Dunne's euro prospects may not be as bright as that of Keane, the Dubliner would walk through a brick wall to play for his country and is desperate to maintain his record of starting every competitive game under trapattoni.
that he is eager to travel to Dublin will please trapattoni, who was unhappy that wigan pulled James Mccarthy out of the squad for the carling nations game against wales last month with an ankle injury. the Italian wanted the midfielder to come to Dublin to be examined by the Ireland's medical staff.'

Trap has said that players are expected to turn up and be assessed by the FAI, re their fitness. Regular players know this and it is established procedure. Trap has already favourably remarked upon the attitude of the senior players like Duff, Keane, Dunne and Kilbane who have turned up for squad training injured but are desperate to play.

[Sullivinho]

Robbie looking likely to make it. Not bad having two in form strikers on the bench if needed eh?

[CraftyToePoke]

Robbie looking likely to make it. Not bad having two in form strikers on the bench if needed eh?

Indeed. Its not too long ago we would roll out Gary Doherty and hoist it lovingly toward him all day long.

[Paddy Garcia]

Indeed. Its not too long ago we would roll out Gary Doherty and hoist it lovingly toward him all day long.

And on occasion - our bacon he would save!

[CraftyToePoke]

And on occasion - our bacon he would save!

Well this is it, didnt he clock six in a campaign once?

The best of times, the worst of times.

[Closed Account]

Lawrence played half an hour this weekend, whether you want him to start or not, constistency in training, drills, etc, is what differtientates good international teams from pubternational teams.(TERM PATENTED)

[Serb]

Well this is it, didnt he clock six in a campaign once?

Considering he only has 4 goals for Ireland, I think this is unlikely :)

[Lionel Ritchie]

What time is the squad announcement?

[Supreme feet]

What time is the squad announcement?

It was 3 o'clock for the Wales squad announcement, I'd imagine it'll be the same again.

[boovidge]

newstalk just said "in about an hour".

[tommy_c12000]

The suspense is killing me, only a 1/2 hr to go. . . . .

[TrapAPony]

The suspense is killing me, only a 1/2 hr to go. . . . .

I wouldn't bet on there being any surprises though.

[shakermaker1982]

As long as McCarthy is in I'm happy!

[Sullivinho]

As long as McCarthy is in I'm happy!

I'm interested in the goalkeeping situation too and don't expect any surprises elsewhere but yeah, ditto.

[EastTerracer]

From Daniel McDonnell on Twitter:

"David Forde and Darren Randolph called up to Ireland squad for Macedonia. James McCarthy/Richard Dunne/Keith Andrews also included.."

[rebelmusic]

Is it on Newstalk?? I'm listening and they're on about some drag thing that happened last night

[EastTerracer]

More from Daniel McDonnells twitter account:

"Absentees of note: Paddy Kenny, Anthony Stokes, Stephen Hunt - Trap to explain reasons shortly. Hunt is injured, though.."

[Park_Lane]

I'm interested in the goalkeeping situation too and don't expect any surprises elsewhere but yeah, ditto.

No Paddy Kenny then. I wonder is there a problem between Kenny and Alan Kelly?

[rebelmusic]

Nothing on newstalk anyway, useless radio

[shakermaker1982]

David Forde and Randolph called up. McCarthy, Dunne and Andrews also in.

No Stokes

[SwanVsDalton]

Delighted for David 'Three Fish Suppers' Forde. Sounds like Kenny wasn't even sounded out though - have no idea what's gone on between him and Irish management, but would've been good to see if he was available at all.

[TrapAPony]

Yes!!!!!!! Paul Green made it.

[TrapAPony]

Westwood
Randolph
Forde

Foley
O'Shea
Clark
Coleman
Dunne
St. Ledger
Kelly
O'Dea
Kilbane
Wilson


Andrews
McCarthy
Whelan
McGeady
Duff
Gibson
Green
Lawrence
Treacy
Fahey

Keane
Doyle
Walters
Best
Long
Keogh