Ireland team v Slovakia

[paul_oshea]

given, o'shea, dunne, st ledger, ward, duff, whelan, andrews, mcgeady, long, keane

#kenEarly

Btw if tets or the others provided the list first he would have got a thanks :p He is probably kicking himself now...:D

[paul_oshea]

Interesting that he has gone with Long instead of doyle, to me that sounds like a more attack minded policy instead of hoofing the ball up to doyle to hold up and pick out the wingers.

Looking forward to seeing how keane and Long work together. Nice to see a couple of surprises.

[jbyrne]

dont think keane and long play well together. other than that no surprises

[Kingdom]

Muppet. He's dropped Doyle?
Muppet.

of course that's ok if Doyler is injured. I'm not mental.

[Duggie]

brilliant, im very happy with this. i think long is better than doyle, its looking good. possibly st'ledger the only weak link, hasnt got much first team football at leicster so far this season.

[Real ale Madrid]

Doyle is our best player, hope there is nothing wrong with him.

[BonnieShels]

We will be fine.

[Kingdom]

brilliant, im very happy with this. i think long is better than doyle, its looking good. possibly st'ledger the only weak link, hasnt got much first team football at leicster so far this season.

So which one of Keane and Long do you think is going to beat Skrtel in the air for the numerous hoof's up the field?

[zero]

surprised at doyle's omission - i guess he's looking for pace up front with keane dropping a bit deeper.

or maybe doyle isn't 100%.

only time will tell if it's the right call.

[Duggie]

So which one of Keane and Long do you think is going to beat Skrtel in the air for the numerous hoof's up the field?

eeh have you ever seen long play?? hes as good as doyle in the air and stronger if you ask me. hes physical, fast, good in the air and scores more goals than doyle. this is the exact team i would have picked if i were trap.

[zero]

eeh have you ever seen long play?? hes as good as doyle in the air and stronger if you ask me. hes physical, fast, good in the air and scores more goals than doyle. this is the exact team i would have picked if i were trap.

he really isn't.

[AlaskaFox]

If I know one thing from watching Ireland in 2011:
Trap is always right.

[Kingdom]

eeh have you ever seen long play?? hes as good as doyle in the air and stronger if you ask me. hes physical, fast, good in the air and scores more goals than doyle. this is the exact team i would have picked if i were trap.

Yes Duggie, I've seen both players play, many, many times. And not once would I have said Long was stronger, or better in the air than Doyle.
Longy has a great leap on him no doubt, but he's not as effective as Doyle one-on-one for kick-outs, hoofs, free's etc.
Quicker? Yes. Scoring more in the EPL? More effective to his team than Doyle? Nope.

[Closed Account]

I had a feeling he was going to go with Long, based on the bibs at training. Personally I'd of gone with Doyle as I think Long is better coming off the bench rather than vice-versa. Fair play to Long, from being behind Cox 3 months ago for the Macedonia game, he's staked a claim for a starting berth.

Kingdom, Long is very strong in the air. Any time I've seen him, even playing with Doyle a few years ago, he always played as the target man.

[zero]

long will score now of course and shut us all up.

god willing.

[Sullivinho]

With one very notable exception, very predictable. Didn't see the Doyle/Long switcheroo coming at all, assuming Doyle is fit and available. Mixed feelings on that but excited at the prospect of a bullish Long harrassing their defense.

[Kingdom]

I'm not gonna debate the Doyle v Long in the air comparison. Nobody will convince me otherwise. If we were to go with a single player up front in a competitive game, with everyone available, I'd go with Doyle every time.
Long from the bench is a game changer.

Naturally I still want us to win as much and if Longy works out, I'll bow down to you all.

And re: Macedonia in June, Cox was very much the right call. Long had a horridly arduous season, and to be eliminated from the Championshiop in cruel fashion missing a sitter in the process couldn't have helped his moral, whereas it was openly commented on how positive Cox was during the Celtic Cup games.

Just something else, I'm not saying I wouldn't start Long, I'm saying if he's fit, I wouldn't drop Doyle, that's all.

[geysir]

given, o'shea, dunne, st ledger, ward, duff, whelan, andrews, mcgeady, long, keane

#kenEarly

Btw if tets or the others provided the list first he would have got a thanks :p He is probably kicking himself now...:D

Beaten to the punch again, Paul.

01/09/2011 12:50 PM #256
JGKyne
Team Confirmed http://twitter.com/#!/FAIreland

[TerryPhelan]

James McCarthy has been called into the senior squad and will join up later this evening after the under 21 game in Sligo.

http://www.irishtimes.com/sports/soccer/2011/0901/1224303337812.html

[DannyInvincible]

I believe Kilbane was four or five starts away from beating Billy Wright's record of 70 consecutive international starts for England. Unfortunate for him, but left back has long been a problem area and hopefully Ward can do the job there now. He's made a very good start to the season with Wolves.

[DannyInvincible]

James McCarthy has been called into the senior squad and will join up later this evening after the under 21 game in Sligo.

http://www.irishtimes.com/sports/soccer/2011/0901/1224303337812.html

Odds on him getting "injured" in the under-21 game?

[AlaskaFox]

James McCarthy has been called into the senior squad and will join up later this evening after the under 21 game in Sligo.

http://www.irishtimes.com/sports/soccer/2011/0901/1224303337812.html

Keith Andrew is in midfield too I see. He's the opposite to Andy Goram. There's only one Keith Andrew. One Keith Andrew...

[paul_oshea]

Beaten to the punch again, Paul.

01/09/2011 12:50 PM #256
JGKyne
Team Confirmed http://twitter.com/#!/FAIreland

These things deserve their own thread :p

[IsMiseSean]

These things deserve their own thread :p

You stole my thunder!! :mad:

[freewheel30]

After Long had scored v Chelsea, and with Doyle having not had his best start to a season, I felt Long was the frontrunner. Then Doyle scored on the Sunday and I thought that would be enough of an excuse for Trap to retain KD. So it's a surprise on the one hand, but on the other maybe not.

One tactical aspect to this is that the Slovaks know a lot about Doyle, but know little about Long, so hopefully it'll be a bit of a curveball for them.

[Stuttgart88]

Long played in Zilina though, Doyle didn't.

Doyle scored home and away under Stan I suppose.

[freewheel30]

Tight call no matter what way you look at it! Will be interesting to see what Trap might say if there's a press conference.

TV3 calling it "Doyle dropped"; this doesn't sit well with me, I think it should be a case of "Long preferred".

[Stuttgart88]

Yep, agree with that.

[irishfan86]

Doyle has been a surefire starter for a while now. Nothing inaccurate or negative about saying he's been dropped -- it's a fact.

[freewheel30]

Doyle has been a surefire starter for a while now. Nothing inaccurate or negative about saying he's been dropped -- it's a fact.

He had been a surefire starter, until Long scored v Man U and Chelsea. To call it "Doyle dropped" shows zero respect to what Long has achieved in the last few weeks.

[jbyrne]

and how can it be "dropped" when Doyle hasnt started for us since feb?

id say its very little to do with form and more to do with tactics both tomorrow and v russia next tuesday

[MagicMon]

I've never thought that Keane and Long play that well together, but this could be the game that proves me wrong. I agree that Robbie will probably be told to play deeper to help the midfield out. Have Doyle and Long played as a partnership for Ireland?

[BonnieShels]

Kilbane sent home due to injury.

[Drumcondra 69er]

Tight call no matter what way you look at it! Will be interesting to see what Trap might say if there's a press conference.

TV3 calling it "Doyle dropped"; this doesn't sit well with me, I think it should be a case of "Long preferred".

I reckon that Trap has doubts about Doyle's fitness and doesn't want to risk starting him in 2 games in 5 days. Makes more sense to start Long at home and go for the extra experience in Russia. Long gave Slovkia serious problems in the away game as well.

Love Doyle but happy enough with his thinking here.

[Noelys Guitar]

Doyle was excellent against Fulham. Did OK in the match against Aston Villa (the match Trap was at). Big, big call and a huge confidence boost for Long. Long is playing like a striker that can score against any oposition and that is priceless. Slovakia will be very wary of him.

[BonnieShels]

I'm officially exhausted. I thinkthe excitement had got to me.

Happy with the team. Gutted for Killer.A twelve year streak is not something to be sniffed at.

[Charlie Darwin]

When was the last time we've had a proper selection headache up front? It's great we finally have a handful of strikers in form.

[Junior]

Ok a slight change in sub topic. Whats the craic with McGeady? Has he played any minutes in the last 6 wks or so? Not had chance to catch up on all the threads here. Is it an inevitable substition due to tiredness? Our crowd can be quick to get on Aidens back if he is not delivering from the get go, will his touch be lacking? (PS: Just applied for a job at the indo)

[DannyInvincible]

McGeady came on as a late sub for Spartak in their last game. That's his only playing time in recent weeks, as far as I know.

In other news, it's now the day of the game...

[Irish_Praha]

Ok a slight change in sub topic. Whats the craic with McGeady? Has he played any minutes in the last 6 wks or so? Not had chance to catch up on all the threads here. Is it an inevitable substition due to tiredness? Our crowd can be quick to get on Aidens back if he is not delivering from the get go, will his touch be lacking? (PS: Just applied for a job at the indo)

I think he played something like 5 mins a the end of his club's last game.
Maybe it would have been better to start with Hunt as he has had a decent start to the season but starting with McGeady and bringing Hunt on after about an hour is also not a bad option. At least if it's not woring out for him we have options from the bench and it can always be put down to lack of fitness.

[Crosby87]

I can't wait for this. What's the latest with the Slovakia lineup?

[dr_peepee]

Amid the whole Doyle Long starting debate.. It will be interesting to see who would make way if Doyle should come off the bench...

[pineapple stu]

When was the last time we've had a proper selection headache up front? It's great we finally have a handful of strikers in form.
My thoughts too. It's great we can drop Doyler. And I've looked at the bench a few times and wondered who we have there who could really change things; now we have a great option there too.

[brine3]

Amid the whole Doyle Long starting debate.. It will be interesting to see who would make way if Doyle should come off the bench...

Yes, do we play the strikers who have been regular starters for their clubs and are in form and scoring goals, or the ones who have spent the last season and a half warming various benches? Answers on a postcard.

[Supreme feet]

People on ybig are reporting (via twitter) that Long has a calf injury and will be replaced by Doyle.

[geysir]

Yes, do we play the strikers who have been regular starters for their clubs and are in form and scoring goals, or the ones who have spent the last season and a half warming various benches? Answers on a postcard.

Yeah Robbie is all hype and no substance, should Trap leave him on to the end, it just shows what a deluded fool he is to pander to the hype of Robbie

[geysir]

I see Trap has hinted that he would have played Ward regardless of KK's fitness. I'm sure he had decided this at the last friendly.

[MagicMon]

People on ybig are reporting (via twitter) that Long has a calf injury and will be replaced by Doyle.

http://www.rte.ie/sport/soccer/2011/0902/longs.html

A 'light calf strain'. I'd be willing to bet that Dunne or Given would play with the same sort of injury, but it might be that Doyle has been busting a gut in training all week.

[Supreme feet]

Confirmed by Daniel McDonnell.


How bizarre. Shane Long out of tonight with a calf strain. Not a word of it yesterday. Kevin Doyle starts instead

http://twitter.com/#!/McDonnellDan

[Duggie]

if he was fine after training yesterday how did this happen?? disappointed Long wont play. Still have Doyle, so not to bad news.