Looking forward to Euro 2008 qualifying

[Superhoops]

No matter who is appointed manager and no matter what group we are drawn in, we are unlikely to be favourites for qualification for the Euro 2008 finals, so perhaps its time to try something different and new.

Here is my 'new' team:

Shay Given

Stephen Kelly
Paul McShane
Paddy McCarthy
Daryl Murphy

Andy Reid
Stephen Ireland
Joey O'Brien
Damian Duff

Stephen Elliott
Kevin Doyle

[M@ttitude]

Wouldn't rule out Robbie Keane or Richard Dunne yet...

[eirebhoy]

Dunne and Finnan are certs to be starting the qualifiers. Its less than a year away. Keane is still my number 1 atm. Can't see Joey O'Brien holding the midfield for Ireland just yet. :)

[Superhoops]

Wouldn't rule out Robbie Keane or Richard Dunne yet...
Agree both will still be around, although unless Robbie moves on and starts getting his regular game and goals, he could fade into obscurity quicker than we think. Personally, I think his best days in a green shirt are behind him. Hope I'm wrong.

[Superhoops]

Dunne and Finnan are certs to be starting the qualifiers. Its less than a year away. Keane is still my number 1 atm. Can't see Joey O'Brien holding the midfield for Ireland just yet. :)
Probably right, but the point I am trying to make is that before qualification starts there should be the opportunity to give some of these younger players 3 or 4 games, so if they are required in qualifers they are coming in with some international experience. There are others that can be added to the list of young bloods, Glen Whelan, Darren Potter and McGeady.

Dont forget that the qualifying format this time involves 12 and possibly 14 games so there wont be much time to 'blood' new players.

[dr_peepee]

What has Morrison done to be written off...

He's doing more than any of the others at Club level lately and hasn't let Ireland down. Keane and Clinton are still the 1st choice pairing up front for me. It's just that now the likes of Elliot being so close behind will combat any complacency and provide fresh options over the 90 minutes

There's a good number of positions up for grabs with even more combinations available. The certs for me are Given, Finnan, Dunne, Duff, Keane..... And he most likely's are Morrison & O'Brien, allthough I think O'Brien and Dunne will need games together to blossom as neither have ever played the "senior" centre half if you know what I mean. But the left sided defender as well as any three accross the middle is up for grabs.

Andy Reids clubs situation so soon into his Premiership career is a worry.

[tetsujin1979]

Kelly is currently keeping the bench warm at Spurs alongside Andy Reid so I wouldn't say he's going to be a definite starter just yet, Joey O'Brien has completed more time in defence over the course of the season to date
Daryl Murphy has played 1 game in the premiership at left wing, he's only played in defence in reserve games, right now the back 3 will probably be O'Brien, Dunne, Finnan and O'Shea - all regulars for their club sides.

[Superhoops]

Kelly is currently keeping the bench warm at Spurs alongside Andy Reid so I wouldn't say he's going to be a definite starter just yet, Joey O'Brien has completed more time in defence over the course of the season to date
Daryl Murphy has played 1 game in the premiership at left wing, he's only played in defence in reserve games, right now the back 3 will probably be O'Brien, Dunne, Finnan and O'Shea - all regulars for their club sides.
This all sounds like keeping the team that was not good enough to qualify this time and just replacing Cunningham, Carr and Roy Keane. Can't see how that will make us a better team.

[Fergie's Son]

It might not make us a better team but your selection could result in a much worse team.

[drinkfeckarse]

That defence looks weak. They would need to start to do some serious progressing before that would ever be close to reality. Dunne and O'Brien will be around for a while yet anyway I think and it will take a lot to get ahead of them. I think we're some way away yet from having any credible replacements.

[Hither green]

Dunne and O'Brien will be around for a while yet anyway.

Yeah O'Brien will still be around for a while - he'll be around for a while in the Championship. Wasn't really convinced by him at Newcastle but that was a terrible move, in fact ranks alongside Doherty's. Central defence is one area where I'd immediately look to blood someone new.

[drinkfeckarse]

I never said he was the Messiah, he's just better than the other options at the moment;)

[Hither green]

I never said he was the Messiah, he's just better than the other options at the moment;)

Maybe he is the Messiah. Maybe that’s his problem and he’s much quicker on water than he in on grass.

[Jerry The Saint]

Maybe he is the Messiah. Maybe that’s his problem and he’s much quicker on water than he in on grass.

He's not the Messiah, he's a very naughty boy! :p

[Stuttgart88]

The next 10 months is definitely the time to integrate a lot of the players in Superhoops' XI into the international set-up but I don't think that this XI would have any chance of doing anything in Euro '08 qualifying.

The objective should be to qualify, first & foremost. However, this is by no means incompatible with introducing new faces. A good manager ought to be able to construct an XI combining experience & youth and, crucially, creating a well-balanced side with every critical part of the team working well. This was alluded to yesterday in another thread. Balance is crucial and can often compensate for lack of genuine quality.

I think the core of the side should still contain at least 6, maybe more, of the following:

Given
Finnan
Dunne
O'Brien
Kavanagh
Steven Reid (by the way, The Times marked him 8/10 for Blackburn vs Charlton)
Andy Reid
Holland (for the time being)
Duff
Keane
Morrison
Elliott

And then, players off the top of my head and in no order of preference:

Left back & reserve right back is up for grabs - Stephen Kelly, Harte, Clarke, O'Shea, O'Brien, Maybury, Geary, Foley, Delaney?
Reserve centre halves are required - McCarthy, McShane, Coughlan (for the short term), Breen, O'Shea, Delaney
There's room for a new face in midfield - Ireland, Whelan, Quinn, Miller, O'Brien, Garvan, Mahon
4th and 5th forward is up for grabs - Doyle, Daryl Murphy, Burgess, plus others like Connolly if he's playing. Trundle?
Third choice 'keeper is up for grabs - Stack / Murphy / Supple / Henderson / Randolph

I've omitted Doherty entirely. I haven't mentioned Kilbane: I think the days of his automatic selection are over but I'd keep him in the squad.

So, between now & the first competitive match I would hope that many of the above will have at least trained with the senior squad on half a dozen occasions with the most promising having been given a meaningful run out on a few occasions so that their introduction to competitive action won't be too much of a shock. I think it's dangerous to try fully "experimental" elevens unless the opposition is doing the same. I personally would prefer for youth to be given the chance alongside experience.

[Hither green]

What about Potter? You'd have thought it would be crunch time over the next couple of years. Either he breaks through into the Liverpool first team or he'll be playing regularly elsewhere.

[Stuttgart88]

Of course. List of players wasn't meant to be exhaustive - just my initial thoughts under time pressure at work! I forgot McGeady aswell.

[gustavo]

IF players show their potential
then the likely team for Sep 2006 is
Given

Finnan
A O Brien
Dunne
O Shea

A Reid
Duff
Ireland
Kilbane

Keane
Morrison

in other words i doubt there will be much flux between now and then

[eirebhoy]

IF players show their potential
then the likely team for Sep 2006 is
Given

Finnan
A O Brien
Dunne
O Shea

A Reid
Duff
Ireland
Kilbane

Keane
Morrison

in other words i doubt there will be much flux between now and then
Central midfield not the best. Ireland is an attacking midfielder and there's no way I'd like to see Kilbane holding midfield. :) I'd have Kav in for Kilbane, other than that I'd keep it like that.

[Stuttgart88]

Sure - not a huge amount of change to the competitive starting XI in the near term. But squad places 15-23 likely to see fresh faces, no?

By the time of the first qualifying match wouldn't you like the next X number of friendlies to give a grounding in international football to those likely to be pressing hard later in the campaign, or those likely to be required to cover in the event of injury?

[as_i_say]

Surely O'Shea has got to go. Harte came in for 2 games and didnt let us down. still has a lot to offer-havent a clue what he's up to domestically-anybody?

[Condex]

IF players show their potential
then the likely team for Sep 2006 is
Given

Finnan
A O Brien
Dunne
O Shea

A Reid
Duff
Ireland
Kilbane

Keane
Morrison

in other words i doubt there will be much flux between now and then

Are you having a laugh, this is most of that failed miserably in the EC and WC qualifiers, need at least 5 new players..

[Superhoops]

By the time of the first qualifying match wouldn't you like the next X number of friendlies to give a grounding in international football to those likely to be pressing hard later in the campaign, or those likely to be required to cover in the event of injury?
This is exactly the point I was making with the 'looking forward XI'