Central Midfield.

[colster]

One area of the team that's starting to worry me is Central Midfield.
Our 4 first choices are all in their 30's (Kilbane, Kavanagh, Keane and Holland).
After these 4 we are really struggling with candidates such as Miller, S.Reid, A.Quinn, A.Reid, C.Healy. J. O'Shea.
With Holland and Keane retiring after the W.C. I think we'll really struggle in the European qualifiers.

what do you think?

[Colm55]

You've some good points to make here but i'm not going to worry about them until august 2006 or so, lets get through this one first !

[gustavo]

Our 4 first choices are all in their 30's (Kilbane, Kavanagh, Keane and Holland).

what do you think?


very moot point but kilbane is 28

im not too worried as all them players except keane werent seen as viable centre mid options when they were in their early 20s.

[Metrostars]

Yeah I think we do have a problem with the center middies. If we qualify for the World Cup, with games played during the summer with only a couple of days for recovery time between them, then we have a problem. You need a young team to do well in the World Cup and with a number of our important players getting on a bit and not enough talented young ones coming through.

[Tipp Townie]

You need a young team to do well in the World Cup and with a number of our important players getting on a bit and not enough talented young ones coming through.

Very true. Our older lads really suffered in '94, although it obviously won't be as hot in Germany next year..

[colster]

very moot point but kilbane is 28

im not too worried as all them players except keane werent seen as viable centre mid options when they were in their early 20s.

The problem is that we don't have a Keane(in his prime) to cover up the deficiencies of his midfield partner.

I think we'll be in serious trouble. We're relying on the likes of Glenn Whelan, Darren Potter making some big strides next season, Liam Miller sorting himself out and Colin Healy to fully recover.

It's been a very long time since we haven't had at least one excellent central midfielder passing the baton to another Giles -> Brady -> Whelan/McGrath -> Keane.

[carnstien]

The only problem I see with central midfield is that no manager will drop that useless donkey Kilbane. If him and Holland weren't first choice there would be no problem.

[davey]

The only problem I see with central midfield is that no manager will drop that useless donkey Kilbane. If him and Holland weren't first choice there would be no problem.

Is it possible for you to post without slagging off Kilbane :rolleyes:

[dynamo kerry]

miller: not a chance
healy: finished - if not the leg then the booze

best bets for centre mid in the next 5 years- potter and s. reid.

[davey]

miller: not a chance
healy: finished - if not the leg then the booze

best bets for centre mid in the next 5 years- potter and s. reid.

would agree with that. If Thornton could get his act together.....

[eirebhoy]

best bets for centre mid in the next 5 years- potter and s. reid.
Waaay too attacking. :) Thats even more attacking than Gerrard-Lampard. Glenn Whelan is my bet still.

[Karlos]

The only problem I see with central midfield is that no manager will drop that useless donkey Kilbane. .

That Donkey was far more effective than the majestic Roy Keane last night! :rolleyes:

Dreadful display from Keane, gave the ball away way too much and looked disinterested but still not one pudit would say what many where thinking 'he was very poor' (fullstop)

we had the full range of excuses last night

'long season'
'difficult pitch'
etc etc.......

Over the two games, Holland against Israel and Kilbane against Faroes have been by far more the most effective players statically in passing success rate and even in tackles made. Will a manager drop an underperforming Roy Keane???? not a chance! :rolleyes:

Perhaps these 'knowledgeable' football fans will stop telling me that 'it wouldn't happen with Roy in the team' and 'we're lost in midfield without Roy' as I heard only after Isreal had scored their first. Where was this masterful commanding midfield performance last night? :confused:

Roy has been a great player for us but when was his last real 'world class' performance for us - Holland '01?? He looked like a squad player next to Kilbane's masterful performance in Paris and didn't deliver anything more than anyone else in Basel.

I'm not saying he shouldn't be in the team but the ridiculous comments made about the team when he's not there are embarassing. He's a good player but I don't belive me miss him anything like some people suggest.

Without Kilbane's second half display we may have been looking at best a draw last night and still he's being slated on here.

[fosterdollar]

I'll potentially get shot to pieces for this but i reckon Keane cannot be just left out for underperforming (and at this stage it's only been one game). His effect on the pitch goes further than his own game, cliché as it is to say. As i mentioned on another thread, Carr was muck last night. The only movement out of him was when Keane was bawling at him to get on with it.
Also, re Keane's performance, he made plenty mistakes but most of the time did something immediately to rectify his or someone else errors, whether it be regain posession or reform the backline or whatever.

[eirebhoy]

Good post Karlos, completely agree. I'd just like to add, if Keane came on against Israel on the 27th minute and did everything Kav did he'd be getting a load of praise. I even said during the match that there was no way Keane would be working anywhere near as hard as Kav was on Saturday. Maybe against France but imo Kav would be a better option against the lower ranked teams. The only thing extra Keane can add is presense but who needs that against the shítty teams?

[carnstien]

The only thing extra Keane can add is presense but who needs that against the shítty teams?
I disagree, Keane does more than any other midfielder to pick the ball up from the back four and link up play, he never gives the ball away. Kav is good at this too but not as good as Keane in my opinion. I would also rate Keane as being better without the ball than Kav, tackling etc. There is also the fact that Keane has spent his career playing top class oppostition whereas Kav has not.

It does amaze me though that Kav has spent his entire career in the lower divisions and a muppet like Holland has been in the Premier League for years. An incredible waste of a talent if ever I've seen it.

[pete]

Kilbane will be the mainstay of the irish midfield for some years to come. Still hope for Miller to re-emerge. Maybe couple of years left in Holland & Kavanagh?

Roy Keane should have stay "retired". He hasn't done much since his return as missing for half the games. Didn't see yesterdays game but heard Keane was poor & heard Dunphy give lame excuse on RTE.

:rolleyes:

[carnstien]

Dreadful display from Keane, gave the ball away way too much and looked disinterested but still not one pudit would say what many where thinking 'he was very poor' (fullstop)

Actually John Giles commented on the fact that it was the worst he has ever seen Keane (and Duff) play.

I wouldn't fault him for "giving the ball away too much" though, I just thought he wasn't in the game, but ya, he was very poor last night. Still he is the guy we will come to rely on when the big games come, deep down we all know we will not qualify without him.

[carnstien]

Kilbane will be the mainstay of the irish midfield for some years to come.
Which is why when Keane retires we will qualify for nothing.

[eirebhoy]

A real problem;The old langer, Holland, Kilbane, Kav all seem to have problems with consistency,which creates or adds to problems all round the pitch.
Kav may be inconsistent with set pieces but I thought he had been very consistent since he got back into the squad.


I would also rate Keane as being better without the ball than Kav, tackling etc.
Yeah he's much better in every aspect against the big teams but Kav is better off the ball against the minnows. He gives 100% against anyone while Keane would always have that little bit extra to raise his game against the bigger teams.

[OwlsFan]

The only problem I see with central midfield is that no manager will drop that useless donkey Kilbane. If him and Holland weren't first choice there would be no problem.

Maybe I wasn't watching the same game as you but wasn't Kilbane the best midfielder on display against the Faroes ? He played 2/3 excellent through balls as far as I remember.

That said, I'm no fan of Kilbane in the middle and the midfield should be either Keane/Holland or Keane/Kavanagh with Duff out left and Killer on the bench but Kerr likes his strength in the air (which we badly lack) especially for kick outs so there is method in playing Kilbane.