Republic of Ireland V Slovakia - Friday, 2nd September 2011 - Euro 2012 Qualifier

[geysir]

I got the impression that Trap was more than keen to have a new LB in place, to start ahead of KK. His fulsome praise of Ward, on the morning after the game, was a bit over the top, perhaps he was preparing the soccer nation to handle the trauma of KK not starting a competitive fixture.

[IsMiseSean]

Can anyone tell me who's on yellows going into this game, that could rule them out in Moscow?

[Kingdom]

Glenn Whelan is on a yellow.

[EastTerracer]

Can anyone tell me who's on yellows going into this game, that could rule them out in Moscow?

The following are the yellow cards I can see on the UEFA website

Glenn Whelan (as per Kingdom above)
Sean St Ledger
Kevin Doyle
Darron Gibson
Kieran Westwood
Simon Cox

Someone needs to tell Doyler to keep his shirt on after he scores against Slovakia

[AlaskaFox]

A lot more "started" and "scored" in Joe's list than this time last year.

Clark only came on as a sub, Luke Young went off injured.

[elroy]

Andrews has to be the first choice in midfield with Whelan now that he is back fit and playing well. Oh for him to score a goal against Slovakia like he did at the weekend.

Biggest concerns surround the fitness of JOSH and McGeady. Hopefully JOSH will make it (I see he wont feature in the midweek cup game against Brighton), we have more adequate cover for McGeady.

Fingers crossed, nothing happens the likes of Dunne, Duff, Keane, Long and Doyle in the next couple of weeks.

[paul_oshea]

A lot more "started" and "scored" in Joe's list than this time last year.

Yep, compared to russia last year, we are far better prepared with our midfield particularly a lot fresher and game ready. That has to help no end, especially going out there. Whelan seems to have stepped it up a level at club too.

All bearing well thus far. Someone said possibly owlsfan that managers(someone also said only good managers but anyway) need luck at the right time. Trap to me seems to be one of these, and he is lucky that all our players bar a couple of inury concerns are all getting lots of game time. I wouldn't put that anyway down to him, but its good that he has developed a big squad and that these players are now getting valuable match fitness at some level leading up to two very big make or break games.

[Crosby87]

Now, If Joe could get a list of the Slovies and Russkies squad injured/bench/started I would be impressed.

[lionelhutz]

I've a really good feeling about the upcoming games. One thing, is O'Shea going to be fit? Surely if he doesn't play next weekend, he won't play for Ireland. I'd like to see Foley come in then instead of Kelly.

Of the probable starting 11, at least 9 are in good to excellent form for their clubs - Given, Dunne, Ward, Whelan, Andrews, Hunt, Duff, Doyle, Keane. So the only worries based on form are St. Ledger and our right full. That's perhaps the best position we've been in since Trap took over.

And we've options all over the field on the bench - Westwood, Clark, Gibson, Fahey, McGeady (although if he's fit, he should atart ahead of Hunt), Long to name but a few.

[Stuttgart88]

Think it will be:

GK: Given

RB: O'Shea
LB: Ward
CB: Dunne
CB: St. Ledger

CM: Whelan
CM: Andrews
LM: McGeady
RM: Duff

FW: Keane
FW: DoyleDitto for me.

Kelly if JOS not fit, Hunt if McGeady doesn't make it, Duff moving to the right.

[jbyrne]

Ditto for me.

Kelly if JOS not fit, Hunt if McGeady doesn't make it, Duff moving to the right.

do we not lose a lot of duffs threat when he is moved to the right? playing our best players in their best positions is what we should be looking for.

[lionelhutz]

do we not lose a lot of duffs threat when he is moved to the right? playing our best players in their best positions is what we should be looking for.

Not at all. He plays on the right alot for Fulham and as it happens I was watching Ireland Spain 02 on ESPN classic last night and Duff was on the right tearing the Spanish full back apart. He's such an intelligent player and he can deliver with both feet so I'd have no problem with him playing right wing.

[jbyrne]

Not at all. He plays on the right alot for Fulham and as it happens I was watching Ireland Spain 02 on ESPN classic last night and Duff was on the right tearing the Spanish full back apart. He's such an intelligent player and he can deliver with both feet so I'd have no problem with him playing right wing.

yes, but that was 9 years ago. he doesnt have the pace he had anymore and constantly checks back onto his right foot when playing rm for us

[lionelhutz]

yes, but that was 9 years ago. he doesnt have the pace he had anymore and constantly checks back onto his right foot when playing rm for us

I don't think Duff ever had to rely on his pace to get by players though. He's always been able to out smart defenders rather than skin them. He may check back now and again but he has no problem using his right peg imo.

Also, playing on the right means he can cut inside defenders and shoot rather than always going down the line.

[SwanVsDalton]

According to Dan McDonnell's twitter, and repeated by a few others:

James McCarthy, Marc Wilson, Jon Walters, Ciaran Clark & Damien Delaney cut from Ire squad for Slovakia/Russia. McShane & Coleman injured.

Which leaves us with...

Goalkeepers:
Shay Given
Keiren Westwood
David Forde

Defenders:
John O’Shea
Kevin Foley
Stephen Kelly
Stephen Ward
Richard Dunne
Sean St. Ledger
Darren O’Dea
Kevin Kilbane

Midfielders:
Glenn Whelan
Darron Gibson
Keith Andrews
Keith Fahey
Andy Keogh
Aiden McGeady
Damien Duff
Stephen Hunt
Liam Lawrence
Keith Treacy

Strikers:
Robbie Keane
Kevin Doyle
Shane Long
Simon Cox

The grudge comes into play after all. Trap can justifiably say a lot of guys played their way into the squad in the others' absence. Everyone else can justifiably say 'Andy Keogh'.

[geysir]

we have more adequate cover for McGeady.
With 2 big games in 5 days, we probably would be using all 4 'wingers' at some stage and needing to use them all. Any one of them pulling out reduces options during the game, Trap has to resort to using Treacy or an excuse to give Keogh a run.

[IsMiseSean]

Midfielders:
Glenn Whelan
Darron Gibson
Keith Andrews
Keith Fahey
Andy Keogh
Aiden McGeady
Damien Duff
Stephen Hunt
Liam Lawrence
Keith Treacy


Looking at the CM's, if Whelan gets booked against Slovakia I wouldn't have to much faith in our CM cover for the Russia game...

[greendeiseboy]

Worrying that Ciaran Clark seems to be well out of favour at the moment....to be honest I had a feeling MCarthy, Walters and Wilson would be given the boot

[Stuttgart88]

I'm not that fussed by those ommissions. Only McCarthy has played competitively (3 mins). I'd like to have seen Walters included more than any of the others. Call it a grudge, but I think SvD is mainly right saying there's justification. O'Dea may be primitive but he did well in the two competitive games and Italian friendly. Clark was patchy in his friendly performance.

McCarthy is obviously the headline, but he was never going to play without having impressed in a friendly first.

[tetsujin1979]

Despite doing very little wrong, Walters finds himself in the unfortunate position of being behind Robbie Keane (captain) Kevin Doyle (first choice partner for Keane) Shane Long (two goals in two games in the Premier League) and Simon Cox (two goals in five international games, plus one wrongly disallowed)

[elroy]

Oh god, cue absolute furore from certain quarters over McCarthy and co omissions.

To a degree I stand behind Trap, respect must be shown for the jersey. Im sure if we qualify for the Euros, they will all be clambering in the squad. I am undecided if he has been too harsh on McCarthy or not, out of the three I would have liked to seen him in the squad. Wilson looked very poor for Stoke at the wkd, although both he and Walters now appear to be first choice at Stoke.

[Murfinator]

Despite doing very little wrong, Walters finds himself in the unfortunate position of being behind Robbie Keane (captain) Kevin Doyle (first choice partner for Keane) Shane Long (two goals in two games in the Premier League) and Simon Cox (two goals in five international games, plus one wrongly disallowed)

How is pulling out of 4 call ups in a row "doing very little wrong".

[SwanVsDalton]

How is pulling out of 4 call ups in a row "doing very little wrong".

He was legitimately injured for at least two and I think for another his daughter was sick in hospital. Walters' commitment isn't beyond reproach but by all accounts he's very keen on playing for us. Sometimes you just can't be there.

[Murfinator]

You think he was legitimately injured on the wednesday of the friendly and then fit again for 90 minutes just 3 days later? Or that when he missed a saturday game for the birth of his daughter it was also acceptable for him to make the adjacent wednesday game despite again playing for stoke the saturday? The guy has wafer thin commitment and trap obviously thinks so too if he's discarding him. Its the right call.

[SwanVsDalton]

You think he was legitimately injured on the wednesday of the friendly and then fit again for 90 minutes just 3 days later? Or that when he missed a saturday game for the birth of his daughter it was also acceptable for him to make the adjacent wednesday game despite again playing for stoke the saturday? The guy has wafer thin commitment and trap obviously thinks so too if he's discarding him. Its the right call.

Trap obviously thinks no such thing. All we can glean is that Trap thinks he's better with the four ahead of him, and Tets set out why that could be fairly succinctly. If there's a touch of 'that'll show em' to the decision, it's not at the expense of actual on-the-pitch justification.

Around the Carling Cup, Walters was genuinely interested and talked openly about his disappointment at whatever had occurred. Moreover pretty sure he was one of the guys to turn up (or was willing to turn up) in Dublin for a medical assessment for the Croatia game.

I'm taking Walters' commitment at face value (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-1329930/Stoke-forward-Jon-Walters-desperate-grasp-second-chance-Republic-Ireland-up.html). But I agree Trap made the right call, just not for the reasons you say.

[MeathDrog]

To be fair there's a difference between being called into the starting XI and into the squad. I don't see why McCarthy should be left out of the squad altogether. Surely Trap realises that he would at least be a very good option off the bench.

[TrapAPony]

We want to qualify for the Euro's which means you pick the best players you have got at your disposal. Wilson has been consistent for Stoke for a long time & is currently a better player at left back than Kilbane IMO. Walters is obviously better than Keogh. McCarthy is better than most if not all of our midfield players and I personally think Clark is a better player than O'Dea. Hoolahan should be in the squad too but obviously never gets a look in. No problems with Delaney's omission though.

[zero]

the russia game kicks off at 4pm our time. were people aware of this? i wasn't.

will have to take a half day.

[BonnieShels]

I wasn't but I work in Dún Laoghaire so this bodes well.

Off at four, into the Port View, Watch Russia game, Get Dart to Lansdowne, budda Bing budda boom.

[jbyrne]

We want to qualify for the Euro's which means you pick the best players you have got at your disposal. Wilson has been consistent for Stoke for a long time & is currently a better player at left back than Kilbane IMO. Walters is obviously better than Keogh. McCarthy is better than most if not all of our midfield players and I personally think Clark is a better player than O'Dea.

how do you know these players are better international players than those you mention?

we have to rely on a system of play rather than individuals. Trap is just right to go with those that have been involved in 5 clean sheets in a row rather than those who were no shows. mccarthy is just hype for now. have watched him several times for wigan and seen nothing special to date.

o'dea has proved solid in recent games for us.

[paul_oshea]

I wasn't but I work in Dún Laoghaire so this bodes well.

Off at four, into the Port View, Watch Russia game, Get Dart to Lansdowne, budda Bing budda boom.

Haha you aren't aware what he is on about either :)

He means the Russia v Ireland game...unless of course you live in lansdowne :D

[BonnieShels]

Thanks for the clarity Paul. You're always here to help.

Seriously people, there's only one 'd' in Lansdowne!

[Crosby87]

I have a feeling we are going to lose both of these somehow and be looking for a new manager on Sept 7th.

[Supreme feet]

I have a feeling we are going to lose both of these somehow and be looking for a new manager on Sept 7th.

http://www.latingringo.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/disturbing.jpg

[Closed Account 2]

Russian bookings so far:

2 Anyukov (Ireland away, Macedonia away)
2 Ignashevich (Macedonia away, Armenia home)
1 Denisov (Ireland away)
1 A.Berezutski (Ireland away)
1 V.Berezutski (Armenia home)
1 Bilyaletdinov (Andorra away)
1 Zhirkov (Slovakia home)
1 Zyryanov (Macedonia away)
1 Shiskin (Armenia away)


If any of the 1s get a second against Macedonia in Moscow then they will be out for our game. I'm not sure about the 2s (would a 3rd yellow also mean another ban ?) Quite a few of them are defensive players and I think if Denisov or Zyryanov were out it could mean our midfield might be a bit less exposed out in Moscow.

[zero]

john toshak's macedons will put up a feeble resistance i expect.

however i did read somewhere that it's a funny old game.

[Kingdom]

Russian bookings so far:

2 Anyukov (Ireland away, Macedonia away)
2 Ignashevich (Macedonia away, Armenia home)
1 Denisov (Ireland away)
1 A.Berezutski (Ireland away)
1 V.Berezutski (Armenia home)
1 Bilyaletdinov (Andorra away)
1 Zhirkov (Slovakia home)
1 Zyryanov (Macedonia away)
1 Shiskin (Armenia away)


If any of the 1s get a second against Macedonia in Moscow then they will be out for our game. I'm not sure about the 2s (would a 3rd yellow also mean another ban ?) Quite a few of them are defensive players and I think if Denisov or Zyryanov were out it could mean our midfield might be a bit less exposed out in Moscow.

Nice one Chris. If either of those two were out, then it would be a godsend.

[zero]

I don't think Duff ever had to rely on his pace to get by players though. He's always been able to out smart defenders rather than skin them. He may check back now and again but he has no problem using his right peg imo.

Also, playing on the right means he can cut inside defenders and shoot rather than always going down the line.

i would agree with this - i'd be happy with duff up against whichever full back is the weaker of the two. mcgeady is going to be mcgeady whoever he's up against. the same applies to hunt.

duff has the nous to take advantatge of mistakes and create opening that our other wide players probably don't.

except keogh of course.

[Closed Account]

Darron Gibson may be an injury doubt according to this report.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2011/aug/25/darron-gibson-manchester-united

Darron Gibson's proposed departure from Manchester United has been placed in doubt after he damaged ankle ligaments in training, an injury that could sideline him for at least four weeks.

Anyone else notice the time is off on Foot.ie?
I'm posting this at 22.57

[tetsujin1979]

Gibson injured, so McCarthy to be called up?

[IsMiseSean]

Gibson injured, so McCarthy to be called up?

I can see Trap calling up Clifford instead, now that would be controversial...

[Stuttgart88]

Gibson injured, so McCarthy to be called up?Yep, reckon so. Posted the same on the JMcC thread, without having noticed this.

[Sullivinho]

O'Shea return a Bruce Boost (http://www.durhamtimes.co.uk/sport/9218756.O_Shea_return_a_Bruce_boost)

Trap similarly boosted I would imagine.

[BonnieShels]

A good run out for Josh this weekend will do!

[Closed Account]

Squad Watch

Shay Given Started
David Forde Started
Keiren Westwood Bench

Stephen Ward Started
Richard Dunne Started
John O’Shea Started
Darren O’Dea Started
Kevin Kilbane Started
Kevin Foley Bench Used
Sean St. Ledger Bench
Stephen Kelly Bench

Keith Andrews Started Goal
Stephen Hunt Started
Damien Duff Started
Andy Keogh Started
Liam Lawrence Started
Keith Treacy Started
Darron Gibson Injured
Glenn Whelan Sunday
Keith Fahey Sunday
Aiden McGeady Sunday

Kevin Doyle Started
Robbie Keane ------
Shane Long Sunday
Simon Cox Sunday



Ján Mucha (Everton) Bench
Marián Kello (Hearts) Sunday

Ľubomír Michalík(Carlisle United) Started
Kornel Saláta (FK Rostov) Started
Martin Škrtel (FC Liverpool) Bench Used Goal
Peter Pekarík (VfL Wolfsburg) - Not in Squad
Tomáš Hubočan (Zenit Petrohrad) Not in Squad
Ján Ďurica (Lokomotiv Moskva) Sunday
Marek Čech (West Bromwich Albion) Sunday

Róbert Jež (Polonia Warsaw) Started
Karim Guédé (Slovan Bratislava) Sunday
Igor Žofčák (Slovan Bratislava) Sunday
Miroslav Karhan (Spartak Trnava) Sunday
Vladimír Weiss (Manchester City) Not in Squad
Juraj Kucka (FC Genoa) Strike
Marek Hamšík (SSC Napoli) Strike
Miroslav Stoch (Fenerbahce Istanbul) 10/9

Erik Jendrišek (SC Freiburg) Started Goal
Filip Šebo (Slovan Bratislava) Sunday
Stanislav Šesták(MKE Ankaragücü) 10/9
Róbert Vittek (MKE Ankaragücü) 10/9
Filip Hološko (Besiktas Istanbul) 10/9

Looking at those Slovak players, I recognise very few of them, and none of them have played that much football this year. Italian League strike could even be playing into our hands.

Igor Akinfeev (CSKA Moscow) Sunday
Vyacheslav Malafeev (Zenit St.Petersburg) Sunday

Yuri ZhIrkov (Anzhi) Started
Alexander Anyukov (Zenit St.Petersburg) Sunday
Alexei Bberezutski (CSKA Moscow) Sunday
Vasiliy Berezutski (CSKA Moscow) Sunday
Sergei Ignashevich (CSKA Moscow) Sunday
Roman Shishik (Lokomotiv Moscow) Sunday

Igor Denisov (Zenit St.Petersburg) Started
Roman Shirokov (Zenit St.Petersburg) Started
Konstantin Zyryanov (Zenit St.Petersburg) Started
Igor Semshov (Dinamo Moscow) Started
Diniyar Belyaletdinov (Everton) Bench Used
Denis Glushakov (Lokomotiv Moscow) Sunday
Dmitry Torbinskiy (Lokomotiv Moscow) Sunday
Alan Dzagoyev (CSKA Moscow) Sunday

Alexander Kerzhakov (Zenit St.Petersburg) Started
Pavel Pogrebnyak (Stuttgart) Bench Used
Andrei Arshavin (Arsenal) Sunday
Roman Pavlyuchenko (Tottenham) Sunday
Russian analysis reveals next to nothing.

[Crosby87]

Nice job Joe.
Too bad Sledge didn't get a run out.

[Sullivinho]

T² (Trap and Tardelli) are at the West Brom vs Stoke game today.

[Stuttgart88]

Long nearly scored I hear, thwarted by a great save from Begovic.

[eekers]

Igor Akinfeev was taken off with a knee injury earlier. Should be out for them.

[DannyInvincible]

Fahey has pulled out of the squad with a groin problem: http://www.rte.ie/sport/soccer/2011/0828/faheyk_ireland_slovakia_russia.html


Birmingham midfielder Keith Fahey has withdrawn from the Republic of Ireland squad for the Euro 2012 qualifiers against Slovakia and Russia through injury.

Fahey, an unused substitute in his club's 2-2 npower Championship draw at Watford, has been ruled out with a groin problem.