B Team?

[bwagner]

whats the story with the b team game???

why the hell dont we have a friendly ???


my b team would be:


hendenson

kelly mc carthy coulghan(bennett) heary
o' connor g. mahon gamble alan o brien
bryne trundle (for the laugh)


By the way kevin nolan has a thread in the bbc website...sobbering on about england....w**ker

[drummerboy]

We can't seem to even get a friendly for the senior team these days. It was Fran Rooney who organised all the mouth watering friendlies like Brazil. But he is gone, and its left to the gormless twin Delaney. A big ho-ha made about Devlin being made B manager, that was 6 months ago, and we haven't even got a fixture yet.

[endabob1]

By the way kevin nolan has a thread in the bbc website...sobbering on about england....w**ker

Don't mention the K word:D

I thought Stan had said he was going to bring back the B team, I think it's a great idea myself, pretty sure the FAI abandoned it on a cost factor?

If the 21's don't progress it would be nice to give some of those lads like Flood and Foley a chance to play at a higher level

[DmanDmythDledge]

GK: Quigley
RB: Kelly
CB: McCarthy
CB: Gavin
LB: Foy
RM: O'Brien
CM: Martyn
CM: Garvan
LM: Hoolahan
ST: Rooney
ST: Lee

[tetsujin1979]

Doyle

Kelly McCarthy McShane Clarke

Flood Whelan Ireland Hoolahan

Dixon Rooney

Fairly young (bar Clarke) and a bit lightweight in midfield, but I reckon there's pace and creativity there, should be goals too!!

[Dodge]

Nobody over 23 should be picked for a B international. Never forget Charlton picking Wheland and Townsend in 94 for a game v England

[rerun]

didn't they play Germany at the weekend? I think I saw Devlin on the touchline...

[Poor Student]

GK: Quigley
RB: Kelly
CB: McCarthy
CB: Gavin
LB: Foy
RM: O'Brien
CM: Martyn
CM: Garvan
LM: Hoolahan
ST: Rooney
ST: Lee

You forgot Ronan Finn.:eek:

[DeNiro]

I think there are a few options for the B team, my own choice would be;

1. Graham Stack
2. Kevin Foley
3. Clive Clarke
4. Sean St Ledger
5. Jason Gavin
6. Sean Thornton
7. Martin Rowlands
8. Willo Flood
9. Barry Conlon
10.Rory Delap
11. Michael Doyle

Bench: Anthony Stokes, Jason Byrne, James O'Connor, Kevin Thornton, Michael Timlin, Richie Foran, Wesley Hoolahan.

[Leeza]

GK: Tadgh Murphy
DR: Micky Kerr
DL: Kevin Cronin
DC: Paul Finnegan
DC: Barry Burke
MR: Brian Gannon
ML: Paul Smyth
MC: Stephen Finnegan
MC: Austin Mc Cann
FC: Robbie Farral
FC: David Lee

[The Legend]

Our B team play Leeds tonight... boom boom:D

[Dr. Ogba]

Doyle

Kelly McCarthy McShane Clarke

Flood Whelan Ireland Hoolahan

Dixon Rooney

Fairly young (bar Clarke) and a bit lightweight in midfield, but I reckon there's pace and creativity there, should be goals too!!

Starting to warm to this B team lark given that Stan seems reluctant to blood new players. Would agree with most of the above, maybe Long up front? And also Kevin Foley at RB and maybe Alan O'Brien at LW. Think Clive Clarke should be in the senior squad for cover at LB, very unlucky not to be involved more often, he's a handy player...

[Pablo]

Nobody over 23 should be picked for a B international. Never forget Charlton picking Wheland and Townsend in 94 for a game v England

thats was in 1989 the B game against England. Whelen Certainly didnt play.

I was at the game. It was in TX and it was packed despite the rain.

[Stuttgart88]

I think Dodge is referring to the game at Anfield. The 4-1 at Turner's Cross was a classic.

I'm a bit torn as to what criteria we should use to select a B team. Devlin's been appointed manager due to his local knowledge. But in reality, a bona fide second string would have few or no eL players. Those most likely to be pushing for a place in the senior squad in the immediate future would include the likes of Alan Quinn. Are there any eL players you could say are knocking on the door of the senior squad now? Byrne?

But if the purpose is a "future" or "developmental" team then Devlin's knowledge would be more useful, but still, in all likelihood, the domestic contingent would be small.

I'm no authority on the local game but my guess is that maybe only Quigley, Deery and Ward could be earmarked as future international candidates, let's say in 2-4 years from now. Please feel free to suggest others.

The bulk of our future international prospects, our best U19s and U21s, play in England. I'm not going to name a starting XI but I think most of us are expecting that the international side in, say 4 years' time, will include the likes of Garvan, O'Brien, Gibson, Stokes, Clarke, McCann, Keogh, Supple/Randolph, McCarthy, Foley, McShane, O'Dea and so on.

Just an aside: I think it'd help for those naming their selections to add what purpose they actually see the B team serving. Identifying players for now, later, or a bit of both?

Or, as suggested earlier. maybe Devlin should just pop along to watch Sunderland :)

[John83]

I'm a bit torn as to what criteria we should use to select a B team... Those most likely to be pushing for a place in the senior squad in the immediate future would include the likes of Alan Quinn. Are there any eL players you could say are knocking on the door of the senior squad now? Byrne?

But if the purpose is a "future" or "developmental" team then Devlin's knowledge would be more useful, but still, in all likelihood, the domestic contingent would be small.

A B team is whatever you use it for. Players like Byrne, Ciaran Martyn, etc. could be tested at international level, along with the young lads. I'm sure there's plenty of players who would work well at senior level who've never gotten a chance, players who are unspectacularly competant for their club, or playing at too low a level to be given a chance.

It's pretty frustrating that there hasn't been a B game though. We really could use it, particularly given how thin we are in certain areas - trying out the likes of McShane and McCarthy is important.

[Dodge]

thats was in 1989 the B game against England. Whelen Certainly didnt play.

I was at the game. It was in TX and it was packed despite the rain.

Talking about the 2-0 defeat in Anfield. others to play included Tommy Coyne FFS

[endabob1]

I can't understand for the life of m why there isn't more use made of a B Team, I'm sure the fringe players would be up for the chance to prove themselves.
The lack of a friendly after Stuttgart was a HUGE mistake too, even if it was a B Team game it would have given a chance to loko at players for the next aquad. There aren't that many international windows in the season we shold (especially with a new manager) be lookig to take advantage of all of them.

[dr_peepee]

Agreed. I've said alread there's not much diference in quality betweem most of the players outside our top 6 or 7. The problem is the lack of exposure to the rest of our options to find the best of an average bunch.

[DeNiro]

I don't think anyone with more than 5 full caps should play at 'B' level. I don't think there would be any point in playing anyone like Alan Quinn, for example. We already know what he can do and giving him a 'B' game would tell us no more.