Some Good News At Last...

[Peadar]

Kevin Kilbane scored for Everton in their win over Sheffield Wednesday.
From the report it would seem that he was very much involved in most of the good attacks.
Great to see him back after his operation.
Guess that's our left of midfield position filled leaving Duff free to play up front with Morrisson.

[tetsujin1979]

Didn't he score last week against some Mexican team as well?

Did Glenn Whelan play for Wednesday?

[eirebhoy]

I wouldn't play him on the left, Moyes doesn't even play him there (well he didn't last season). He scored a few days ago aswell BTW.

[Greenbod]

If Kilbane continues the form he showed towards the end of last season I would play him in the centre with Roy Keane.

[Peadar]

If Kilbane continues the form he showed towards the end of last season I would play him in the centre with Roy Keane.

With Reid on the left?
I could subscribe to that.
Doubt we'll get to see too many "big" name players available for the Bulgaria game though so we'll just have to wait and see.

[Greenbod]

With Reid on the left?
I could subscribe to that.


No. I'd leave Duff on the left, and Connolly up front in Robbie's absence.

[only1kilbane]

Kilbane was excellent in the centre when he played there for us in the friendlies. Would like to see him and keane together against bulgaria with reid on the left miller on the right and duff in the hole behind morrison

[Bowsy]

Didn't he score last week against some Mexican team as well?

Did Glenn Whelan play for Wednesday?

yeah, full game i believe and has been handed number 6 jersey for the season which can only be encouraging.

Personally would like to see Kilbane in the centre. Friendlies were a chnace for players to impress in that area and he was the only one to really catch the eye. Cracking against the Czechs. Would prefer Duff on the left. He is less effective but still excellent on the right but don't think he's any more effective than Connolly up front.

[bitored]

Kevin Kilbane scored for Everton in their win over Sheffield Wednesday.
What a cracker it was too. Just caught it on sky sports news. He set up an earlier goal too with a mazy run .. beating about 3 defenders in the process. Good to see Zinedine Kilbane back :)

[eirebhoy]

Kilbane scored again yesterday against Soceidad. Thats 3 in 3 AFAIK.

[EamonD]

With Reid on the left?
I could subscribe to that.
Doubt we'll get to see too many "big" name players available for the Bulgaria game though so we'll just have to wait and see.

What pray tell is your objection to playing our most creative player in his best position? Why not move Duff to left back while you are at it. A striker he ain't.

[Peadar]

What pray tell is your objection to playing our most creative player in his best position?

A striker he ain't.

We've got plenty options on the left but lack creativity up front.
Duff can play as a forward without being a "striker."
If he were up front, making runs, dragging defenders out of position then there would be more space for the midfield players to come through.
Duff can finish in front of goal, I've seen that with my own eyes.
Playing him up front is not a problem.
Connolly and Morrisson up front is a nightmare!
Either one plus Duff up front and we've got a chance.

[Adrianovic]

Kevin Kilbane is truly irrepressable, I've seen few players with his desire to do his job for the team. Seems he's in form once again and so will be hard to leave out of the midfield, and errr oh god.

I think with Robbie out and the options we have on the left with Reider and KK, I'd put Duff up front. It isn't his best position and it isn't ideal, but he'd be more likely to cause the Cypriot defence problems than Clinton and Connolly/Lee. I'd almost be tempted to give Alan Lee a run out with Duffer, might be a good combination and if it doesn't work then sub them around.

So my midfield (pending fitness) would be:

A. Reid - Roy K - Kilbane - Miller

What that would also give Ireland is a bit of interchangability, as Reid can play in the centre and has been used upfront for Forest in desperate times. Kilbane can play in the left and the middle, and Miller could play right or central. Each player in the midfield is pretty different and would give us creativity down the left with Reid, the battling qualities of Roy and Kilbane and the pure talent of Miller down the right. If Duff plays up front and drops off, Reid and Miller could be given license to stretch their legs and support in the box, given with little height up front, crosses won't be so productive.

Ade

[Slash/ED]

Argh when will people stop with the Duff up front ********? Jesus how many times does he need to play **** up there before people cop on that he's a bloody left winger!?

[Adrianovic]

Argh when will people stop with the Duff up front ********? Jesus how many times does he need to play **** up there before people cop on that he's a bloody left winger!?

Nobody has said he isn't predominantly a left winger, but it doesn't mean that if the best possible solution is to move him to striker as a temporary solution, that he can't do the job for his country.

As we have the strength on the left of midfield to cover his role there, it would make sense to ask him to play up front on this occassion.

Which Irish attack is more fierce, Duff and Morrisson or Morrisson and Connolly?

Ade

[Slash/ED]

Nobody has said he isn't predominantly a left winger, but it doesn't mean that if the best possible solution is to move him to striker as a temporary solution, that he can't do the job for his country.

As we have the strength on the left of midfield to cover his role there, it would make sense to ask him to play up front on this occassion.

Which Irish attack is more fierce, Duff and Morrisson or Morrisson and Connolly?

Ade

Morrison and Connolly by FAR. Duff is rubbish up front, when has he ever played remotely aswell up front as he's played on the wing? His goals record up there is absolutley appaling. It makes no sense to play him up front. You're ruining our best player, which when a player like Keane is already missing, is like shooting yourself in the foot, reloading, and shooting yourself in the other one.

[carnstien]

Morrison and Connolly by FAR. Duff is rubbish up front, when has he ever played remotely aswell up front as he's played on the wing? His goals record up there is absolutley appaling. It makes no sense to play him up front. You're ruining our best player, which when a player like Keane is already missing, is like shooting yourself in the foot, reloading, and shooting yourself in the other one.
Once again I find myself agreeing with Slash/ED.

It really will be a test of Brian Kerr's managerial aptitude to see what he does with Duff. If he does anything other than play him on the left, my opinion of him will go downhill in a big way.

I'll say it again, Duff is a terrible, and I mean TERRIBLE striker. He does nothing when he plays in that position. In the world cup he was crap when he played there, he would be move to the wing after about 70 minutes and tear every defence in sight to shreds.

It does not take a genius to work out where he should play.

[1MickCollins]

Agree that Duff is not a striker better off putting Kilbane up front - he is half decent in the air and can cause confusion. Duff is not a natural finsiher and is so much more comfortable as a winger.

Come on - Chelsea paid 17M for Duff as a winger,if Duff declared he would only play as a striker how much would he be worth?

[Adrianovic]

But with Kilbane up front you'd be playing someone who has barely ever been up front in his life, and is more used to driving from the midfield to create any opportunities. I'd rather play two poor but out and out strikers than that.

Duff is not as good a striker as he is a winger, but putting him there is the best option for the team. We could field a strong midfield/strikers attacking outlet if we had Duff up front with a decent midfield. Duff is more experienced now then when he was at the WC, and after playing at Chelsea under Ranieri, he'll have probably been used to playing every position on the field. If Kerr asks Duff to play up front, I think he'll take it for the team and score goals, it's only Bulgaria and Cyprus - we're not trying to unlock World class defences. Two slow centre backs would have all sorts of problems with him.

Put Kilbane up front and they will be in their element, a player with no experience in that position who won't have as much pace or the positioning skills to outwit them.

Ade

[Peadar]

Come on - Chelsea paid 17M for Duff as a winger,if Duff declared he would only play as a striker how much would he be worth?

They clearly paid too much for him if his game is limited so much to one position. I though he was more versatile than that. Luckily the experts on here have put me straight. I'm wondering if Duff should start at all now since he can't play anywhere other than the left.

[thecorner]

some laugh here reading this thread

lot of you praising morisson


probably one of the worst players ever to wear the irish shirt

[Slash/ED]

But with Kilbane up front you'd be playing someone who has barely ever been up front in his life, and is more used to driving from the midfield to create any opportunities. I'd rather play two poor but out and out strikers than that.

Duff is not as good a striker as he is a winger, but putting him there is the best option for the team. We could field a strong midfield/strikers attacking outlet if we had Duff up front with a decent midfield. Duff is more experienced now then when he was at the WC, and after playing at Chelsea under Ranieri, he'll have probably been used to playing every position on the field. If Kerr asks Duff to play up front, I think he'll take it for the team and score goals, it's only Bulgaria and Cyprus - we're not trying to unlock World class defences. Two slow centre backs would have all sorts of problems with him.

Put Kilbane up front and they will be in their element, a player with no experience in that position who won't have as much pace or the positioning skills to outwit them.

Ade

Connolly is a better striker than Damien Duff, so you either stop messing around with his position or play him a reserve striker because he's not good enough up there to get in ahead of Connolly or Morrison, who both have far superior goals records up front.

[scouser]

Kevin Kilbane scored for Everton in their win over Sheffield Wednesday.
From the report it would seem that he was very much involved in most of the good attacks.
Great to see him back after his operation.
Guess that's our left of midfield position filled leaving Duff free to play up front with Morrisson.

The messiah has indeed returned.

[Adrianovic]

Connolly is a better striker than Damien Duff, so you either stop messing around with his position or play him a reserve striker because he's not good enough up there to get in ahead of Connolly or Morrison, who both have far superior goals records up front.

It wouldn't be messing around with his position, Duff knows the left wing position well enough, playing him up front as cover for the odd international, due to our weak striking department, won't suddenly turn him into an awful player.

Connolly and Morrisson might have superior goals records, but if we plays Connolly and Morrisson as a pairing then we are going to seriously have trouble causing the opposition problems. Clinton tries his best but he just isn't that good and Connolly is a solid 'Championship' striker. Duff is a class player and having a slow centre half being asked to mark a man of his pace will strike fear into the opposition. If you play Connolly and Morrisson up front, exactly who will be on the end of Duff's crosses?

Ade

[Slash/ED]

Duff is a class player which is EXACTLY why we need him on the left, always. Connolly and Morrison is a better striker pairing than anything with Duff in it, and Ireland are a better team with Duff on the left no matter who's fit to play up front. If you want to put a left winger up front Andy Reid has played there more and is better suited to it.

[carnstien]

If you play Connolly and Morrisson up front, exactly who will be on the end of Duff's crosses?

I would imagine that Connolly and Morrisson would be.

If you play Duff up front, exactly who is going to put in any crosses? Don't say Kilbane because booting the ball into the stand doesn't count as a cross.

[Adrianovic]

I'm a Forest fan and if you think Duff is severly restricted up front, then you should see Reid up front. He's a fish out of water. In my opinion, Connolly and Morrisson are two goal poaching strikers that cannot play together. Connolly won't win any headers and I think Morrisson in a targetman style role is a bit of a cop out, so crosses would just get swept up unless they were darted in low, and if they were darted in low, then the pace of Duff would beat any defence onto it.

Reider can hit a fine ball and put it where he wants, he can also beat people. We have strong cover for the left wing but not so much up front, hence I would play Duff as a striker to cover the position, whilst being happy with the balance of the team.

Ade

[Slash/ED]

We may have cover on the left but none that even come close to Damien Duff. Put him up front and you're effectively taking him out of the game. Where is the sense in that? He's a rubbish striker, all the experience in the world wont change that.

Connolly is very similar to Keane it simply makes sense to put him there and not say "Oh, we've lost Keane, lets make our best player utterly useless to compensate!"

[Adrianovic]

We may have cover on the left but none that even come close to Damien Duff. Put him up front and you're effectively taking him out of the game. Where is the sense in that? He's a rubbish striker, all the experience in the world wont change that.

Connolly is very similar to Keane it simply makes sense to put him there and not say "Oh, we've lost Keane, lets make our best player utterly useless to compensate!"


Connolly is nowhere near similar to Keane, Robbie drops off and creates a lot more, whereas Connolly is a fox in the box who nicks the goals and takes the credit.

Duff was an ineffective striker against defences that were far more experienced and knew how to put him out of the game, he has much improved since the World cup and I disagree, his experience will help him find his way up front. Ask him to play deeper than his strike partner, get him running at centre backs that way.

I refuse to see the idea dismissed when the alternative is Connolly and Morrisson up front, and don't make me bring Gary Doherty into this.

Ade

[Stuttgart88]

Nobody has yet mentioned Alan Lee.

He was injured for a very large piece of last year and never got a chance to develop any form. He scored a terrific header against Lazio pre-season and followed this up with a great goal last Saturday.

Against Jamaica he worked his socks off. OK, so the opposition was poor but you could still see that he’s more effective than Morrisson at holding the ball up and is miles better in the air. With good service from Duff and Reid in wide positions he’ll be a useful option upfront. Ideal for Keane, Connolly or Morrison to feed off. I still haven’t seen the Dutch game but I gather he only played last 10 mins or so. I’m told he’d have buried one of the chances Morrison had with his head.

I think it’s got to be Lee & Connolly to start against Bulgaria. If it clearly doesn’t work then at least we’ll know before the qualifiers. Leave Duff on the left where he’s clearly at his most effective. Give Morrison a run out but I suspect he won’t be getting first team football by the time the qualifiers start. I'd have two Div 1 players getting a game each week ahead of Morrison if he's a sub.

With regard to Kilbane: I reckon he’s played really well since he moved inside but I don’t think he’d complement Roy Keane. With Duff & Reid both fit I think it’s now time for KK to take a place on the bench, despite his great attitude.

[Slash/ED]

Duff was an ineffective striker against defences that were far more experienced and knew how to put him out of the game

and he still is, when playing up front. When playing left wing he isn't and never was ineffective, no defence on the planet can handle him.

When Duff preforms up front to the level that Connolly did against Turkey you can dismiss Connolly, but he hasn't and never will.

[eirebhoy]

If you play Connolly and Morrisson up front, exactly who will be on the end of Duff's crosses?
If you play Duff up front who will get on the end of Reid/Kilbane's crosses?

[Adrianovic]

If you play Duff up front who will get on the end of Reid/Kilbane's crosses?

I'm sure I've covered this.

You might as well put him up front cos all the cross balls in the world might not make much difference to a short front pairing, at least with Duff up front, Reid and Kilbane can kick them in low and watch Duff murder his man for pace.

Connolly had a good game against Turkey, but I can also count many bad Connolly games. It wouldn't be fair to say that Duff has *never* had a good game up front.

Ade

[Slash/ED]

It wouldn't be fair to say that Duff has *never* had a good game up front.

Ade

Yes it would. Definitely compared to the standards he sets on the left he's been rubbish each and every single time he's played up front.

[colster]

I'd gladly go with a 4-3-3 formation with Reid and Duff as the wide men and Morrison/Lee as the strikers.

My team (barring any withdrawals) for Bulgaria would be

Given

Carr Cunningham O'Brien O'Shea

Miller Keane Kilbane

Duff Morrison Reid

[Adrianovic]

Yes it would. Definitely compared to the standards he sets on the left he's been rubbish each and every single time he's played up front.

I seem to remember the Duff/Keane partnership causing more than a few teams some problems, and being an effective partnership.

It's not as if I'm saying we chop off his left leg, he can just do the best job for the team.

And when it comes to Cyprus, I think Brian Kerr will agree with me.

Ade

[colster]

I seem to remember the Duff/Keane partnership causing more than a few teams some problems, and being an effective partnership.

It's not as if I'm saying we chop off his left leg, he can just do the best job for the team.

And when it comes to Cyprus, I think Brian Kerr will agree with me.

Ade

I think Kerr will play 4-3-3 against Cyprus if Keane is injured.
He's tried it before and it worked to some extent.
I think Duff and Reid either side or Morrison would be a good front line.
Morrison would provide the fulcrum around which Duff and Reid can roam.
With Miller, Kilbane and Keane in midfield, they can all get forward.

[Slash/ED]

I seem to remember the Duff/Keane partnership causing more than a few teams some problems, and being an effective partnership.


Do you also remember that it had one of the worst goals returns in international football? Absolutley hopeless goals return from that partnership, "effective" is not a word I would use.

[EamonD]

Maybe the solution to our dilemma is not to play any striker, just play 4-6-0 :)

Basically we have 3 strikers playing for Premership or Division 1teams now that Keane is available - Connolly, Morrison and Lee. I think we should just stick with these 3 specialist strikers. Reid, Duff or Kilbane are not specialist strikers and I think for internationals you have to play players in their proper postion.

In my honest opinion playing Duffer as a striker may work away from home but not at Lansdowne Rd.

[Peadar]

Connolly, Morrison and Lee. I think we should just stick with these 3 specialist strikers.

First time they've ever been called that in their lives I'd say :D
Ian Harte has scored as many goals as Connolly.
Lee has never scored.
Clint probably has the best return in that he's scored 5 in 21 as opposed to 9 in 40 for Connolly.
"Specialist"! :D

[Bowsy]

God, I hope this is the case.

http://www.eleven-a-side.com/worldcup2006/irish_soccer_detail.asp?newsid=12947

[eirebhoy]

Peadar, Connolly has started less than 20 games for Ireland.

[Peadar]

Connolly has started less than 20 games for Ireland.

All I said was that he had 40 caps.
Morrisson hasn't started every game he's played for Ireland either.

[eirebhoy]

I'm not comparing him with Morrison (although, Connolly does have a far superior goalscoring record in div1 ;) ). Saying Harte has scored more than him is unfair as most of his goals come from free kicks and he has started twice as many games than Connolly.

[1MickCollins]

First time they've ever been called that in their lives I'd say :D
Ian Harte has scored as many goals as Connolly.
Lee has never scored.
Clint probably has the best return in that he's scored 5 in 21 as opposed to 9 in 40 for Connolly.
"Specialist"! :D

It's getting tougher to distinguish between the tongue-in-cheek posts and the serious posts. They're not Galacticos for sure but Connolly and Morrison have shown they can knock them in a Division 1 level. You are being unfair to these lads and Lee has even had a decent run to be judged on.

Remember a few years ago when we had guys like Tommy Coyne and David Kelly regularly in the squad - Is Connolly or Morrison really worse than Aldridge or Coyne or David Kelly?

[1MickCollins]

Peader - BTW I think 9 in 40 compares with Niall Quinn quite favourably. Most of Connolly's caps have been as a sub in recent years.

[Bowsy]

Remember a few years ago when we had guys like Tommy Coyne and David Kelly regularly in the squad - Is Connolly or Morrison really worse than Aldridge or Coyne or David Kelly?

Aldridge? What i wouldn't give for an Aldridge?

[NeilMcD]

Yes what is Aldridge, doing there. That is somethign i have noticed here people ruin a perfectly good post by throwing in one too many players or by not been factually correct. Alrdridge was one of the best strikers to play in the English game over the last 20 years, hardlyl a first division or second division player at the time.