Squad VS Armenia and Andorra

[ArdeeBhoy]

Andorra will score I reckon.
Just we should score more.

Not worried about that game, but Armenia.

[BonnieShels]

Feel a little sick at the prospect of that Armenian game. Nothing like pre-Irish game nerves. Jaysus.

[ArdeeBhoy]

Kinda of resigned to it by now, no matter who we play. As we rarely know what sort of performance we'll get.

Probably make hard work of it on Friday, but if we can beat Armenia too, most will be happy enough.

Though If that happens, looking forward to the play-offs even less.

[geysir]

That's the consequence of a persistent 1/2 empty cup outlook.

[ArdeeBhoy]

It certainly is.
If someone has their glass even half full after watching Ireland all these years, besides the height of the Charlton era, they're seriously deluded.

[Stuttgart88]

Crikey, so qualifying with 24 points under Mick doesn't even fill the glass over half way?

We now know that a WC Q/F is what fills your glass over that mark.

[geysir]

It certainly is.
If someone has their glass even half full after watching Ireland all these years, besides the height of the Charlton era, they're seriously deluded.

Then you don't have a 1/2 empty cup outlook,
your cup is empty :)

[Junior]

He doesnt even drink out of a glass. Its a paper cup, miserable sod!! ;-)

[jbyrne]

It certainly is.
If someone has their glass even half full after watching Ireland all these years, besides the height of the Charlton era, they're seriously deluded.

the fullness of the glass should be measured against the resources (playing and otherwise) at any given time when the glass is being poured

[SwanVsDalton]

Tommy Martin, via Twitter, says the 'firsts' in today's training game featured O'Shea at right back, O'Dea and St.Ledger at centre half, Andrews and Fahey in the middle of the park and Keane and Doyle up front. Make of that what you will.

[geysir]

We know that Junior doesn't like his beer glass to be empty.

[tetsujin1979]

Tommy Martin, via Twitter, says the 'firsts' in today's training game featured O'Shea at right back, O'Dea and St.Ledger at centre half, Andrews and Fahey in the middle of the park and Keane and Doyle up front. Make of that what you will.

Andrews and Fahey is interesting, seeing as how Whelan is an ever present under Trapattoni

[Supreme feet]

Isn't Whelan a yellow away from suspension? Fahey is the kind of creative player who could thrive against Andorra. I'd like to see him start either way.

[Wolfie]

Isn't Whelan a yellow away from suspension? Fahey is the kind of creative player who could thrive against Andorra. I'd like to see him start either way.

Good point - possibly doesn't want to risk Whelan.

How many others are currently on a yellow??

[Supreme feet]

Ward, Hunt, Cox, Westwood, Gibson, Doyle and Whelan. Dunne will serve his second suspension of the group on Friday, while St. Ledger served his suspension against Russia.

[Sullivinho]

For some reason I thought he had a long term injury but I like the prospect of Fahey starting against Andorra. Might take someone like him to pick the lock. Regarding the analogous glass, I may as well register the fact that I'm generally a seven ninths full kinda person. Enough to avoid spillage.


Feel a little sick at the prospect of that Armenian game. Nothing like pre-Irish game nerves. Jaysus.

'Tis an incomparable kind of nervous excitement. I love it. And I hate it. But I love it.

[Hibernian]

I have feeling Andorra will score myself but think we will win 3-1

[theworm2345]

It just struck me that losing Kilbane for the Andorra match in particular is worse than when he misses any other match (which is bad enough) as he loves scoring against Andorra.

[ArdeeBhoy]

Crikey, so qualifying with 24 points under Mick doesn't even fill the glass over half way?

We now know that a WC Q/F is what fills your glass over that mark.

You mean when we qualified via a Play-off!!
;)
Very creditable though that campaign was.

[geysir]

And just as a matter of interest (at this moment in time), don't the play-off games count as group games when it comes to disciplinary matters, e.g. a player picking up a second yellow in the last group game would serve a suspension in the first play off game?

[the bear]

On the face of it, I'd be surprised if O'Dea was dropped. He's done relatively well at centre back. and with all due respect to Josh, he's not a leader at centre back, he's never been a leader in the sense of Richard Dunne or Paul McGrath or Roy Keane have been in the past. O'Dea has featured in quite a few of the run too - Mace in Skopje, Scotland, Italy, Russia, not too shabby at all.
I'd imagine if he plays the doc and Josh it's to give Ledger some game time ahead of Armenia, when Dunne will be back, considering he hasn't been playing for Leicester. Ledger is a big threat in the opposition box too, which stands to him. Still given how they shouldn't threaten us, why make two changes to the team (Josh -> Kelly; Dunne-> O'Dea) against Armenia (at least) when the team against Andorra could necessitate only one straight change (Dunne->O'Dea)

I'd have no qualms either with him going for Coleman at rb.

Nerves are jingle-jangling. This is what I miss most about the drinking, the calm one midweek to ponder the game.

strongly agree regarding o'shea. not a leader (something i hope the move to sunderland will sort out cause dunne won't be around much longer), not even a very convincing CB. heres a chance for him to impress at CB

about RB i agree with swansdalton that foley had his chance looked very nervous and didn't take it but i just thinks he a better player than kelly. coleman is the future and RB is where he will play for us, we have loads of wingers. when better than andorra to start him. at LB ward hasn't been great but i don't see any point going back to killer. i would consider putting o'dea in at CB and o'shea LB.

Fahey has to start, i'd like to try hunt in beside him and get mccarthy of the bench at some stage. in all reality i know he wont try hunt there so would go with andrew/whelan

my team would be

Given
Coleman Sledge O'Shea Ward
Duff Fahey Hunt McGeady
Keane Long

[backstothewall]

Playing Ward and Coleman would be good as they can contribute higher up the park, and shouldn't have much to do at the back. I'd go with O'Dea at the back as he deserves it after Moscow but its a close call.

I would play Whelan as he has the discipline to sit a bit further back. I'm sure everyone will agree Andorra will get 10 men behind the ball and leave one a bit further upfield. He is a good enough passer and can pick up the ball when they clear it and get it straight back into their defensive 3rd and allow us to get right back into them, and has that shot in has arsenal as well.

Fahey's bit of guile would be good to have, and McGeady will leave these lads with twisted blood. Would not be at all surprised if he wins us a peno in this game. I'd play Walters on the right as well as he can play there but basically I would be using him as a de facto 3rd striker

I'd go with Doyle as well, he is probably stronger in the air than Long and I remember Mick subbing on the doc after half an hour against these lads once for just that reason

-------------Given------------
Coleman O'Shea O'Dea Ward
Walters Whelan Fahey McGeady
---------Keane Doyle----------

[the bear]

walters ahead of duff?

[Acornvilla]

I had a dream we lost 2-1 and woke up in an awful panic

[backstothewall]

For this game yeah. As I said Walters can act as a 3rd forward and McGeadys trickery will cause these guys all kind of problems.

It will do no harm keeping Duff fresh for Armenia if possible anyway.

[theworm2345]

I'd be worried that if news started filtering in from Slovakia that things were going well there that the team could lose focus and start thinking about Armenia too early and it could be another San Marino. Look at the last results away to the group minnows (excluding Montenegro because they were never really minnows) back to the last time we played Andorra away and its not that encouraging.

Euro 04 - 0-0 in Tirana
WC 06 - 2-0 in Torshavn
Euro 08 - 2-1 in San Marino

Even in the home leg of this tie there were some worries at half time right after they had pulled one back.

[ArdeeBhoy]

Now that is a glass-empty sort of comment.
:eek:

If we don't beat Andorra we have no business going anywhere near any Finals, but even I reckon we can win!

[nigel-harps1954]

Would drop McGeady as he's nothing but a waste of space. Wes Hoolahan should be in around that squad. Out of curiosity, is there any other player in the squad that are captain of their respective club?

I'd fully expect a 3 or 4-0 drubbing of Andorra. But I'm wary of complacency against Armenia. They could yet sneak 2nd spot.

[geysir]

I had a dream we lost 2-1 and woke up in an awful panic
It's too early yet to read into that, it's the dreams you have the night before a game that have the potential to carry the alarm bell significances.

[geysir]

we can win!

Keep her lit.

[tetsujin1979]

Would drop McGeady as he's nothing but a waste of space.
You had me right up until the end of this sentence

[theworm2345]

Now that is a glass-empty sort of comment.
:eek:

...and why on earth would an Ireland fan be a glass-full sort of person?

[Colbert Report]

Surely Whelan-Andrews will be the central midfield partnership for at least the first half of the Andorra match? What's all this talk about "Fahey has to start"? Nonsense.

[the bear]

you are surely right that he will play whelan-andrews, in my opinion fahey has to start and i say that before every match because hes a much better footballer than either of them

[Lionel Ritchie]

Surely Whelan-Andrews will be the central midfield partnership for at least the first half of the Andorra match? What's all this talk about "Fahey has to start"? Nonsense.

I believe it's based on a credible report that Fahey was amongst the "firsts" for a training game in Malahide yesterday coupled with Whelan being on a yellow that could rule him out of Armenia on Tuesday.

[the bear]

I believe it's based on a credible report that Fahey was amongst the "firsts" for a training game in Malahide yesterday coupled with Whelan being on a yellow that could rule him out of Armenia on Tuesday.

thats great news lionel

[gustavo]

you are surely right that he will play whelan-andrews, in my opinion fahey has to start and i say that before every match because hes a much better footballer than either of them


I'm a fan of Fahey's but I can't see him getting a start of any kind in the central midfield. We know Trap's system and so far it's working well so why change it.

[nigel-harps1954]

You had me right up until the end of this sentence

I dare quote Eamon Dunphy. "Has no end product"
McGeady has done nothing in an Irish shirt. A lot of folk think he's great for all he done at Celtic, but I have yet to see him put in a performance in an Irish shirt.

[zero]

I'm a fan of Fahey's but I can't see him getting a start of any kind in the central midfield. We know Trap's system and so far it's working well so why change it.

has to be because of the whelan yellow card. trap will want the usuals back for the crunch armenia game. if there was ever a competitive game to rest a player to save him from a booking, surely andorra is that game.

[tetsujin1979]

I dare quote Eamon Dunphy. "Has no end product"
McGeady has done nothing in an Irish shirt. A lot of folk think he's great for all he done at Celtic, but I have yet to see him put in a performance in an Irish shirt.
you didn't watch the Russia game then? Hardest I've ever seen him work for Ireland

[Charlie Darwin]

McGeady has been our third best player behind Dunne and Keane in this campaign.

[ArdeeBhoy]

...and why on earth would an Ireland fan be a glass-full sort of person?

Doh. See just about every post I've ever (& those of numerous others, FFS) about the Irish soccer team...

[theworm2345]

Doh. See just about every post I've ever (& those of numerous others, FFS) about the Irish soccer team...
Yes because everything written on this forum is so wildly optimistic. Rainbows and sunshine from here on out. Oh yes and unicorns and leprechauns.

[richieos]

I've just watched Ireland road to Asia and the two playoff legs against France. Ireland have to do this and they will do this. They have to do it for the fans, and for themselves. After being robbed by Thierry Henry, the likes of Damien Duff, Robbie Keane, Shay Given and Richard Dunne all deserve one last crack at a big international tournament and i hope and believe that they will do it, hopefully by the automatic route. But i believe that after the last playoffs they will have a serious point to prove and we will get to Euro 2012. COYBIG

[WindmillWarrior]

433 alternative to Traps dross?

http://footballformation.co.uk/team/4231/061011145746.png

[Stuttgart88]

433 alternative to Traps dross?

http://footballformation.co.uk/team/4231/061011145746.png

That's why we don't play anything but 4-4-2 - it requires only one of Keane or Doyle. It's a big problem, esp. with Keane as captain, and Doyle showing signs of discontent recently.

We pick our formation to get our best players on the pitch in their favoured roles. It really limits our options.

[jbyrne]

and traps actual team (and 4-4-2 id say!)....

Republic of Ireland team to play Andorra: Shay Given, John O'Shea, Sean St Ledger, Darren O'Dea, Stephen Ward, Damien Duff, Keith Andrews, Glenn Whelan, Aidan McGeady, Kevin Doyle, Robbie Keane.

[TiocfaidhArmani]

Starting XI Named:

Given,
O'Shea, St Ledger, O'Dea, Ward,
Duff, Whelan, Andrews, McGeady,
Keane ©, Doyle.

[Lionel Ritchie]

a little surprised he's going with Whelan with the yellow hanging over him but sure ....

[tricky_colour]

Well I guess there should be no need for anyone to pick up a yellow v Andorra.
There is the option of bringing in McCarthy if he did, which some would prefer anyway.
Not a great rick overall.