Squad for Cyprus & Switzerland

[pete]

SoccerCentral (http://www.soccercentral.ie/viewstory.asp?id=15470&mainheading=Republic+of+Ireland&viewstory=yes)

Shay Given (Newcastle United) 20/04/76 72 0
Paddy Kenny (Sheffield United) 17/05/78 5 0
Nicky Colgan (Barnsley) 19/09/73 8 0

Kenny Cunningham (Birmingham City) 28/06/71 70 0
Gary Breen (Sunderland) 12/12/73 61 7
Andy O’Brien (Portsmouth) 29/06/79 22 1
Richard Dunne (Manchester City) 21/09/79 25 4
John O’Shea (Manchester United) 30/04/81 26 1
Stephen Carr (Newcastle United) 29/08/76 39 0
Ian Harte (Levante) 31/08/77 60 11
Steve Finnan (Liverpool) 20/04/76 37 1

Steven Reid (Blackburn Rovers) 10/03/81 14 2
Liam Miller (Manchester United) 13/02/81 10 0
Matt Holland (Charlton Athletic) 11/04/74 47 5
Graham Kavanagh (Wigan Athletic) 02/12/73 12 1
Kevin Kilbane (Everton) 01/02/77 66 5
David Connolly (Wigan Athletic) 06/06/77 40 9
Damien Duff (Chelsea) 02/03/79 56 6

Gary Doherty (Norwich City) 31/01/80 32 4
Stephen Elliott (Sunderland) 06/01/84 4 0
Kevin Doyle (Reading) 18/09/83 0 0
Robbie Keane (Tottenham Hotspur) 08/07/80 62 25

[Fergie's Son]

Thanks! I was looking for that.

Interesting, he's included Connolly. That's a good thing in my mind because it'll give Keane a little kick up the arse competition wise. Doyle might be a bit premature but it can't hurt either.

Still three keepers though which surprises me.

[eirebhoy]

We have a lack of strikers yet there's 6 in this squad.

[eirebhoy]

Still three keepers though which surprises me.
Almost every squad brings 3 keepers. If one gets injured at the last minute you need a replacement.

[elroy]

Reid and Morrison will join up after the Cyprus game. All thats needed now is 6 points.

[NeilMcD]

Fair play to soccer central as no one else has it on their websites.

[Cowboy]

Interesting, he's included Connolly. That's a good thing in my mind because it'll give Keane a little kick up the arse competition wise. Doyle might be a bit premature but it can't hurt either.



I fully agree

[NeilMcD]

Lads there were 3 players missing so he needed to call up players. The only other players he could have called up were

Carsley
Quinn
Delap
Macken
Maybury
or EL players which he does not seem to want to do.

I think he made the correct choices in this sqaud. I would have Delap in the Squad over Doherty as Delap is very versatile. Not sure if he is injured though

[pete]

Interesting, he's included Connolly. That's a good thing in my mind because it'll give Keane a little kick up the arse competition wise.

He'll be handy cover for Doyle too.

;)

[Stuttgart88]

If I was Kerr I'd drop Miller with a clear message: play regular top flight first team football or you don't get into the Irish squad. Both would ultimately benefit from this stance.

Kerr is doing Miller no favours by keeping him in his comfort zone. Alan Quinn can feel very hard done by.

As for the third 'keeper, Colgan is a lucky man. In my opinion, the likelihood of a third 'keeper ever being needed is so remote that the job should go to a young guy being groomed for future international duty who'd gain from the experience.

I see Doherty got 90 minutes against Reading so hopefully he'll be match fit this time.

Connolly & Doyle are good decisions.

Starting XI in Cyprus will be interesting. All kinds of possibilities!

[paul_oshea]

what about his good friend maybury?

[Stuttgart88]

Fair play to soccer central as no one else has it on their websites.
Hear Hear. Well done soccercentral.

[zinedineontour]

If I was Kerr I'd drop Miller with a clear message: play regular top flight first team football or you don't get into the Irish squad. Both would ultimately benefit from this stance.

Kerr is doing Miller no favours by keeping him in his comfort zone. Alan Quinn can feel very hard done by.

As for the third 'keeper, Colgan is a lucky man. In my opinion, the likelihood of a third 'keeper ever being needed is so remote that the job should go to a young guy being groomed for future international duty who'd gain from the experience.

I see Doherty got 90 minutes against Reading so hopefully he'll be match fit this time.

Connolly & Doyle are good decisions.

Starting XI in Cyprus will be interesting. All kinds of possibilities!

liam miller should not be in the squad while quinn should deffo be in as he is a regular first team player and miller is getting feck all ..

[joeSoap]

My starting xi from that squad would be:

1. Shea Given(GK)
2. Steven Carr (right full)
3. John O'Shea (left full)
4. Andy O'Brien(centre half)
5. Richard Dunne(centre half)
6. Steven Reid (centre mid)
7. Steven Finnan (right side)
8.Graham Kavanagh (centre mid)
9. Steven Elliott(centre forward)
10.Robbie Keane(centre forward)
11. Damien Duff (left side mid)

[tetsujin1979]

My starting xi from that squad would be:

1. Shea Given(GK)
2. Steven Carr (right full)
3. John O'Shea (left full)
4. Andy O'Brien(centre half)
5. Richard Dunne(centre half)
6. Steven Reid (centre mid)
7. Steven Finnan (right side)
8.Graham Kavanagh (centre mid)
9. Steven Elliott(centre forward)
10.Robbie Keane(centre forward)
11. Damien Duff (left side mid)
No Cunningham - Ireland captain?
No Andy Reid - in a game where we're going to have to push forward and create rather than hang back with Finnan?
Kilbane or Steven Reid, I really can't pick right now
Otherwise, I agree

[NeilMcD]

Dont agree no Cunningham other than that it looks fine to me. Andy Reid and Clinton are suspended for the Cyprus game but back for the Swiss match.

[tetsujin1979]

Dont agree no Cunningham other than that it looks fine to me. Andy Reid and Clinton are suspended for the Cyprus game but back for the Swiss match.
My mistake, I forgot Andy was suspended. In that case why not put Kilbane on the left and Duff on the right? Surely a more attacking option than Duff/Finnan? Do you really think we're going to need an extra defensively minded player in midfield against Cyprus?

[paul_oshea]

tets andy reid is suspended.

[paul_oshea]

i think he didnt pick cunningham incase he got another yellow, and also because he thinks a game against someone like cyprus is a good idea for experimenting with the future two centre partners as they are getting better experience than a friendly but not being greatly tested either ( well lets hope so )

[tetsujin1979]

i think he didnt pick cunningham incase he got another yellow, and also because he thinks a game against someone like cyprus is a good idea for experimenting with the future two centre partners as they are getting better experience than a friendly but not being greatly tested either ( well lets hope so )
They played together towards the end of the second half against Portugal, not bad, but not great either. Cunningham's leadership/organisational skills were definately missing. Other than that I'm not sure if they've ever played together as a central defensive partnership.

[pete]

I didn't notice it when i posted it but how they hell is Miller still in the squad? Has he played any football bar North East Reserve League football in last 6 montha?

:rolleyes:

[paul_oshea]

ya thats what i mean tets. its a good time to play them ( or it could be a really bad time!) cos its a competitve game, without the same test as say france etc.

[Paulie]

and also because he thinks a game against someone like cyprus is a good idea for experimenting with the future two centre partners as they are getting better experience than a friendly but not being greatly tested either ( well lets hope so )

Anyone who remembers the last time we played Cyprus away will tell you that it was a very tough game. I know that we ran out 4-0 winners but the scoreline was very unjust on the Cypriots. Roy Keane basically dragged us kicking and screaming through the game scoring twice in the process. Before we get ahead of ourselves and start thinking of players getting booked and missing the Swiss game we should just concentrate on getting the 3 points against Cyprus with the best team we have available to us on the day.

[paul_oshea]

paulie, i know i agree with what you are saying but i was just pointing out what joesoap may have been thinking.

[Paulie]

That's fair enough. I just get nervous when people start talking about games as being so easy that we can afford to rest players. Our games are very rarely easy.

[John83]

I'd read that O'Shea was injured playing against Blackburn on the weekend. Is that wrong?

[youngirish]

I'd read that O'Shea was injured playing against Blackburn on the weekend. Is that wrong?

I hope not then maybe Ian Harte will play at left back. At least Harte is an attacking output for us even if he is s**te defensively. He could easily weigh in with a goal if we are having trouble scoring against the Cypriots whilst O'Shea couldn't score in a whore house. O'Shea is s**te both in defense and in attack and needs to be dropped.

I agree that the result of this game is not a foregone conclusion and even if Ireland do win they will make very hard work of it.

Also what is Nicky Colgan doing in the squad? Surely we can put in Wayne Henderson or Shane Supple instead of him as third choice keeper. It would be good experience for two young very promising keepers. Even call up Gerry Peyton or something but don't have Colgan in the squad.

[finlma]

I think Alan Quinn should be given a run - he should be in ahead of Miller (what has he ever done to warrant a place in the squad). Quinn scored again last night and Shef Utd are running away with the Championship already.

[Stuttgart88]

I think Alan Quinn should be given a run - he should be in ahead of Miller (what has he ever done to warrant a place in the squad). Quinn scored again last night and Shef Utd are running away with the Championship already.Quinn's a really good player IMO & very unlucky not to be in the squad.

[concanta]

I agree totally

At the moment Quinn is probably our best midfielder - based on performances this season

[Stuttgart88]

From today's Guardian:

Chadwick was later denied by a point-blank save from Paddy Kenny after he again combined with Gudjonsson, though United were already two goals to the good then after Alan Quinn hammered in his second of the season on the half-hour mark. The former Sheffield Wednesday winger was bearing down on the Plymouth goal when Anthony Barness hauled him to the ground but he promptly picked himself up before drilling a 25-yard free-kick into the bottom corner.


(PS: winger?!!)

[eirebhoy]

(PS: winger?!!)
Quinn was always a left winger up until the last couple of seasons.

[Stuttgart88]

Quinn was always a left winger up until the last couple of seasons.
Thanks - I stand corrected ! :)

[Dawn_Run]

Kerr says its all or nothing for the final two qualifiers. Here (http://www.rte.ie/sport/2005/0928/ireland.html)

Hope its not too little too late :rolleyes:

[finlma]

Kerr says its all or nothing for the final two qualifiers. Here (http://www.rte.ie/sport/2005/0928/ireland.html)



Thats stating the obvious anyway. 6 points or we're out. At least Brians got his calculator out.

[zinedineontour]

really dont understand the liam miller situation .. Why pick a lad who cant brake through to the first team and has shown nothing at manu to say that he will ahead of a lad playing well and chipping in with goals for the leaders of the championship ??

[Stuttgart88]

According to SKY Sports Teletext last night our qualification path has now become much harder: they say we're playing Croatia away on October 8th!

[Stuttgart88]

From the Irish Times this morning, in relation to Connolly & Elliott's inclusion:

"David [Connolly] has made a bright start to the season," said Kerr. "He is a very experienced striker by our standards (he has scored nine goals in 40 appearances). He has always been in my thoughts but I just felt last season that Stephen (Elliott) had passed him out."

I agree. Last season Elliott was in better form than Connolly.

Kevin Doyle’s inclusion is something of a surprise although his steady rise through the ranks suggested a senior call-up would come sooner rather than later.

The 22-year-old is the second highest scorer at under-21 level and has scored three goals in five appearances since joining Championship side reading from Cork City at the start of the English season.

"He’s been with me at underage level and I saw he had potential," Kerr said. "I’ve always been keeping an eye on him. I had him at the World Youth championships in the UAE before I took the senior job and he was very impressive. He had a good season with Cork City and has steadily improved since moving to Reading."

I thought Smyth was manager of the UAE team. Kerr went out there while senior manager purely to observe. No?

[tetsujin1979]

Kevin Doyle’s inclusion is something of a surprise although his steady rise through the ranks suggested a senior call-up would come sooner rather than later.

The 22-year-old is the second highest scorer at under-21 level and has scored three goals in five appearances since joining Championship side reading from Cork City at the start of the English season.

"He’s been with me at underage level and I saw he had potential," Kerr said. "I’ve always been keeping an eye on him. I had him at the World Youth championships in the UAE before I took the senior job and he was very impressive. He had a good season with Cork City and has steadily improved since moving to Reading."

I thought Smyth was manager of the UAE team. Kerr went out there while senior manager purely to observe. No?
Yep, read the team profile here - http://www.fifa.com/en/comp/teamprofile/0,3693,WYC-2003-3-IRL-6537,00.html - Smyth is the manager.
Although Kerr could have been referring to the smaller tournament that Ireland won in the UAE the previous January after the Championships had to be postponed.

[Stuttgart88]

Although Kerr could have been referring to the smaller tournament that Ireland won in the UAE the previous January after the Championships had to be postponed.
Ah, yeah, I remember that now. Tks.

[sligoman]

Is Morrison injured or just droppped? :confused:

[finlma]

Is Morrison injured or just droppped? :confused:

Suspended - you don't pay much attention.

[Stuttgart88]

Many of us think Quinn is very unlucky not to be in the squad & think Miller is very lucky to make it.

I'd also add that Mark Kennedy should be feeling hard done by too. I know he's a different position to Miller but with Reid out maybe he could have been considered. By all accounts his form has been consistently good for 12 months or so now.

His previous misdeameanours were a long time back & I'll always respect the fact that he withdrew himself from the Japan squad when I doubt very much whether Mick would have made the decision for him.

[concanta]

I also think that Kennedy should feel a little aggriieved. He is playing well and again it would mix it up a bit and could possibly surprise the swiss or cypriots. I know he wouldnt be in the first team but he could be valuable as a sub. I still think that Quinn will be drafted in before the games

[sligoman]

Suspended - you don't pay much attention.I didn't read any of the previous posts in this thread so :p