Galway away

[pineapple stu]

Must win now. Galway haven't won at home all season, so it's set up for them. They played the League Cup semi last night (lost at home as per usual) so hopefully they'll be feeling the extra game.

Team? Assuming Bermo, Mahon and King are still out, I'd go with -

GK Gregg
DL Kenna
DC McMillan
DC McNally
DR Shortall (is Harding injured?)
MC Finn
MC McFaul
AMC Duggan
ML Meenan
MR McWalter
FW Fitz

Fitz up front should be a bit more effective than Fitz on the wing (because he's got four defenders to worry instead of one). I think he hasn't played there since the Rovers game, when he caused them headaches all game and gave Paul Byrne two open goals to miss. Jeff Kenna's supposed to be slow, if presumably wily, so if we're playing 4-4-1-1, I'd put someone faster than Podge up front. Meenan did OK up front on Sunday, but with our proliferation of decent centre-mids, I'd rather him on the left than four centre mids with Finn out left.

Galway are different class to Pat's (and I mean that in a bad way), so I'd keep more or less the same team given they were at least a bit more lively on Sunday. If people are back, then Bermo goes in for McMillan, Mahon for Shortall and probably King for McWalter.

Historically, we've always done well in Galway and they've always done well in Belfield. Just need that to go on for one more game...

Going to go for a squeaky bum, completely blindly optimistic 1-0 win. A cross from Fitz to go in off my head as I've run onto the pitch to stop dmanetc strangling Podge. I think that'd still count as a goal.

[DmanDmythDledge]

King and Mahon both had fitness test so presumably they will be fit enough to start on Friday, baring a recurrance of their injuries in training.

I don't think Fitz would be effective on his own upfront as our midfield is usually slow to support the attack and he wouldn't be able to hold up the ball. Him and O'Neill upfront, even if it mean leaving out Duggan/McFaul.

I'd leave the defence as it is for this game but bring in Mahon for Shortall. Mahon is slow but at least his positioning is generally OK. I haven't seen enough of Harding to judge would I put him before Mahon.
Kenna and Mahon at FB would lead to a lot of hoofs which would just give the ball back to Galway. McMillan has looked shaky recently as well as Stevens so I think you'd just be weaking the central of defence as well as putting Kenna at LB. I don't think he have the pace to deal with O'Shea, who gave Bermo problems the last time we met.

Anyway my team would be:

GK Matt Gregg

RB Alan Mahon
CB Conor Kenna
CB Alan McNally
LB Enda Stevens

RM Brian King
CM McFaul
CM Finn
LM Meenan

ST Shane Fitzgerald
ST John O'Neill

[Tir Oilean]

Going to go for a squeaky bum, completely blindly optimistic 1-0 win.

I'm going for the same Stu 1-0 win. Thought you'd have gone for a 0-1?

[pineapple stu]

UCD come first. Always.

I don't think Fitz would be effective on his own upfront as our midfield is usually slow to support the attack and he wouldn't be able to hold up the ball. Him and O'Neill upfront, even if it mean leaving out Duggan/McFaul.

Possibly. I wouldn't leave out Duggan though; I think this is the kind of match he could excel in. O'Neill hasn't made the impact I thought he would after the first couple of games. Again though, this is a very different game to Bohs/Pat's.

For those heading down, the train leaves at 2:35 from Heuston (the later one's pushing it) and the bus leaves on the hour every hour (3pm is the latest you could leave it; probably safer on the 2pm).

[John83]

I'm sorry I'm going to miss this - I still haven't visited Terryland, and this would be an interesting game to end that run.

[Schumi]

Fitz up front on his own is a daft idea! His strength is pace so I'd have someone laying the ball off for him. I'd play him up front with O'Neill but let him roam around a bit. I like the idea of him man-marking Jeff Kenna is he's as slow as people have said.

I don't know what to do about left-back if Bermo is still out. Stevens was in big trouble against Guy's pace on Sunday but I'd still want Kenna in the middle. Have Galway pace on their right? If so Kenna at left back and McMillan in the centre, otherwise Stevens on the left and Kenna in the middle.

In midfield I'd have Meenan out left and Finn, Duggan and King. I don't know whether to put Finn or King on the right though as I think both are better in the middle. Maybe they could switch around to save me the decision.

[pineapple stu]

Fitz up front on his own is a daft idea!

Probably, though it's hard to find someone (a) to play alongside him and (b) to drop from midfield. Maybe push Meenan up front alongside him, though that unbalances the rest of the mid.

[John83]

Probably, though it's hard to find someone (a) to play alongside him and (b) to drop from midfield. Maybe push Meenan up front alongside him, though that unbalances the rest of the mid.

Finn surely? He's at least played up front before.

[Conor H]

Must win now. Galway haven't won at home all season, so it's set up for them. They played the League Cup semi last night (lost at home as per usual) so hopefully they'll be feeling the extra game.

We may have lost but the performance on Monday was the best football from a UTD side in a good while.
If we play like we did Monday,we'll win,no doubt in my mind about that.

[pineapple stu]

Bermo and McFaul are out; everyone else is good to go. So King and Mahon in for McFaul and Shorty, and continue to work on the front two dilemma?

Alan Keane's suspended for Galway. Declan Hanney's reffing.

[John83]

Guess so. King for McFaul is obvious. Mahon for Shorty too. Who knows who we'll field up front though.

[GUISAUltra]

think russell may be injured for us as well. if he is its a massive blow for us. should be a fairly tight game with both teams strruggling up front. is there many coming down tomorrow?

[pineapple stu]

Usual few I suppose. Off the top of my head, myself, schumi, dmanetc, Juanace, HarpoJoyce, probably Poor Student and Gooner Student, maybe Aberdonian Stu (he always says he'll go to an away game but then never does ). John83 sends his apologies in advance from 38000 feet. Presumably a few other heads, the likes of Angus, Mr Finn and the Prendergasts.

[GUISAUltra]

not too bad, are ye planning on going for a few drinks before hand or just heading to the ground. if ye are coming in early we've changed from foxs to fibber magees now. its just up the square from foxs. should be finger food supplied before game

[Patrick Dunne]

If all of the above turn up, it will UCD's biggest away support since the 1984 FAI Cup Final !