Best Team/Teams

[Duggie]

ok with Irelands decision still on going im trying to see what our best team is without him.

Home Games
Given
Finnan O'Shea Dunne Delaney
McGeady S.Reid A.Reid Duff
Keane Doyle

Tough Away Games
Given
Finnan O'Shea Dunne Delaney
McGeady S.Reid Miller Duff
A.Reid
Keane

Dont think you could play A.Reid and Ireland together in central midfield anyway so would have to do a re-shuffle if he comes back.

[Claret Murph]

One thing is for certain , I would not put an Ireland shirt on Millers back EVER AGAIN .....

[galwayhoop]

Tough Away Games
Given
Finnan O'Shea Dunne Delaney
McGeady S.Reid Miller Duff
A.Reid
Keane


...:o

[Duggie]

well whats the alternative ? a 5 man midfield with A.Reid supporting robbie when we go forward. who else would you put in there instead ? these as i say are going on the assumption no Ireland.

[colster]

I'd have Carsley, Whelan or O'Brien in before Miller

[Duggie]

I'd have Carsley, Whelan or O'Brien in before Miller

Carsley offers nothing going forward, whelan is average and o'brien(joey i presume ?) no.
we all get frustrated with miller but he is a good player and can pass. This would be the ideal model for Italy and Bulgaria away games.

Mcgeady S.Reid Ireland Duff
A.Reid
R.Keane

[colster]

Carsley offers nothing going forward, whelan is average and o'brien(joey i presume ?) no.
we all get frustrated with miller but he is a good player and can pass. This would be the ideal model for Italy and Bulgaria away games.

Mcgeady S.Reid Ireland Duff
A.Reid
R.Keane

If that were the side against Italy or Bulgaria away we'll be hammered. We need someone in midifield who can actually tackle and win the ball.

Miller is not a good player. Carsley would not need to offer that much going forward as he would have 4 attacking players beside him. Carlsey is a very underrated player. Just look at how Everton have started the season without him.

[Uncle_Joe]

In a midfield of S.Reid, Duff, McGeady, A. Reid and Carsley, the bald headed one doesnt need to offer a lot in the way of going forward. Its very premature to dismiss Carsley simply because he has moved down a division (by his own choice), of all the irish players in the EPL he is the only one who could say he played regularly and finished in the top 5.

Liam Miller is still living off the reputation he gained during one Champions League campaign. In my humble opinion he has never ever performed against a decent oposition for Ireland. He has a very average player, with a great ability to do a pirouette with the ball when nobody is within 10 yards.

[finnpark]

I don't think there is any such thing as the best team.

The tactics and formation from game to game should vary. Its important to analyse the opposition and devise a plan to cut out their strengths and exploit their weakenesses. Alex Ferguson is the best manager Ive ever seen doing this. In order to do this you must attend the opposition's games.

For example a team against Italy.



------------------------- Given --------------------------------

Finnan ------ Dunne ------ O'Shea ------- Kilbane

------------------- S Reid ----------- S Hunt -----------------

------- McGeady ---- A Reid ------ Duff

----------------------- Murphy -------------------------------

[deecay]

Given
Kelly O'Dea Dunne Kilbane
McGeady S.Reid A.Reid Duff
Keane Doyle

[RepOfEire]

I really hope that Giovanni does not omit Lee Carsley from his next competitive squad. Whelan is a very very average player, i saw him play against Columbia and he is very slow and short. Carsley is a far superior player in my opinion. He is the bulldog we need in midfield especially with our lack center back options.

I believe this is our best team for away games;

Given

Finnan Dunne O'shea Delaney

Duff S.Reid Carsley McGeady

A.Reid

Keane

Delaney is a natural left back where Kilbane has a tendency to get caught out of position.

Home Team;
Given
Finnan Dunne Oshea Delaney
Carsley
S. Reid A.Reid
Duff
Doyle Keane

Reverting back to four in midfield thus losing mcgeady for a more industrious player like A.Reid

Bring McGeady or Hunt on as impact subs if required

[back of the net]

Carsley offers nothing going forward, whelan is average and o'brien(joey i presume ?) no.
we all get frustrated with miller but he is a good player and can pass. This would be the ideal model for Italy and Bulgaria away games.

Mcgeady S.Reid Ireland Duff
A.Reid
R.Keane

the reason carsley offers nothing going forward is because he sits in front of the back four -- if we dont play a carsley type player in front of our back 4 against italy then we are gonna get pummelled

id have carsely and S.reid in front of the back 4 - with 3 mids in front of them - and 1 up front

[finnpark]

I think that its time we realised how bad our squad is.

[Duggie]

I think that its time we realised how bad our squad is.

not at all mate. i dont think we should omit carsley either thats not what i meant. but if were to progress in this group ie top it we will need to go for away games as well as home. remember croatia and yugoslavia away a few years ago. still got done in the end, i think were better than that. we have a good midfield we should use it IMO.

[finnpark]

not at all mate. i dont think we should omit carsley either thats not what i meant. but if were to progress in this group ie top it we will need to go for away games as well as home. remember croatia and yugoslavia away a few years ago. still got done in the end, i think were better than that. we have a good midfield we should use it IMO.

I think Carsely is our only good holding midfielder but its the other 10 positions that Im worried about. This team is going nowhere

[Razors left peg]

I think Carsely is our only good holding midfielder but its the other 10 positions that Im worried about. This team is going nowhere

Yeah... sure half of the Irish team wouldnt make the Finn Harps team:rolleyes:

[Duggie]

I think Carsely is our only good holding midfielder but its the other 10 positions that Im worried about. This team is going nowhere

totally disagree man - i think we can qualify
just need trap to do his stuff, get a bit of luck along the way and we have the players.

[boovidge]

we need a decent granny ruler cb or lb to crawl out of the woodwork somewhere. ;)

[Stuttgart88]

these as i say are going on the assumption no Ireland.I think it's bizarre that it's assumed Ireland would get in the starting XI - regardless of whether it's a 4 or 5 man midfield.

Miller I've been hugely negative on for some time, but I probably concede that a squad place may be merited, almost be default, just in case others are injured. That said, I'd have the likes of Owen Garvan in ahead of him simply on the basis that he's a better player.

[barney]

I don't think there is any such thing as the best team.

The tactics and formation from game to game should vary. Its important to analyse the opposition and devise a plan to cut out their strengths and exploit their weakenesses. Alex Ferguson is the best manager Ive ever seen doing this. In order to do this you must attend the opposition's games.

For example a team against Italy.



------------------------- Given --------------------------------

Finnan ------ Dunne ------ O'Shea ------- Kilbane

------------------- S Reid ----------- S Hunt -----------------

------- McGeady ---- A Reid ------ Duff

----------------------- Murphy -------------------------------

No Keane? :eek::eek::eek:

Hunt, McGeady, Duff and Andy Reid in a five man midfield? Daryl Murphy up top on his own? Can't say I agree with any of that.

While this is fun to do, the side selected depends a lot on variables. Injuries, form, how we do in the early games, how the other teams set themselves up throughout the competition etc.

I also don't believe we should base our team primarily on how the other team set up. The primary factor in selecting our side should be putting the best players we have on the pitch at any given time.

[Saint_Charlie]

Mooney has crossed over the magic divide that suddenly turns someone into a great player.

MOONEY FOR IRELAND?

[bwagner]

This game with Georgia is huge .. 3 points is everything for us and we need to put this guys away and keep them in their own half.

I would like to see Trap just go ahead a name him, Andy and Carsley ..Maybe even get another game against a club ...St Pats or Bohs etc.

He could have a play about with the line up and formation .


Also I know Folan has never done much with his clubs but I was really impressed with him in the Notts game and the Poland game. Georgia wouldnt have a clue about him or even what to do.

Trap could try something like this


Given
Finnan O'Shea Dunne Kilbane

Carsley Whelan Duff
Ireland
Keane
Doyle

Throw on Long and Folan after 75 mins and let them run amok.
Andrews or Gibson for Ireland

[Scram]

This game with Georgia is huge .. 3 points is everything for us and we need to put this guys away and keep them in their own half.

I would like to see Trap just go ahead a name him, Andy and Carsley ..Maybe even get another game against a club ...St Pats or Bohs etc.

He could have a play about with the line up and formation .
Also I know Folan has never done much with his clubs but I was really impressed with him in the Notts game and the Poland game. Georgia wouldnt have a clue about him or even what to do.

Trap could try something like this


Given
Finnan O'Shea Dunne Kilbane

Carsley Whelan Duff
Ireland
Keane
Doyle

Throw on Long and Folan after 75 mins and let them run amok.
Andrews or Gibson for Ireland

Yeah nice one, naming Andy Reid and then bringing on Whelan, Folan and the Gibson Muppet in front of him, that'll show Reid who's the boss!!

[bmorgan87]

if we had all r players fit and available i wud def ave the followin team (with 1 r 2 decisions stil to make)

----------------------given---------------------
finnan-------dunne------------oshea--------kelly
-------------------(carlsey/s.reid)---------------
mcgeady--------ireland-------------------duff---
------------------------------keane-------------
-------------doyle------------------------------

kilbane isnt a good left back at all and hasnt been playin ftbal at al recently...
...i think reid showed he wud do a great job as a dmf against georgia and montengro in r 1st games

[Jicked]

This game with Georgia is huge .. 3 points is everything for us and we need to put this guys away and keep them in their own half.

I would like to see Trap just go ahead a name him, Andy and Carsley ..Maybe even get another game against a club ...St Pats or Bohs etc.

He could have a play about with the line up and formation .



Shamrock Rovers new stadium is due to be completed around the time of the Georgia game (Feb 11th), and will be looking for a big game to open the stadium. The FAI would be happy to raise the profile of the domestic game in the eyes of plastics, and so a SRFC v. Ireland B? a week or 3 days before the game might be a possibility if there's a chance to fit it in with the players club duties.

[Supreme feet]

the Gibson Muppet

Well harsh. Surely a 21-year-old footballer, who has had a few nervous performances for his country, deserves encouragement, not childish derision. He may not be as popular as Garvan, McCann, etc, with the posters on here, but he's a young lad, and he could be important for us in the future, and he has the attitude to suggest so. Anyone remember the nightmares Cascarino, Staunton, Cunningham, Carsley and Duff endured before they established themselves as internationals? Give the lad a break.

[ifk101]

Shamrock Rovers new stadium is due to be completed around the time of the Georgia game (Feb 11th), and will be looking for a big game to open the stadium. The FAI would be happy to raise the profile of the domestic game in the eyes of plastics, and so a SRFC v. Ireland B? a week or 3 days before the game might be a possibility if there's a chance to fit it in with the players club duties.

Big Game? :D I'm sure Shamrock Rovers would be looking for more illustrious opponents than the Ireland B team although I'd imagine the opening game at the new stadium would be a sell-out regardless.

[HammerNThongs]

if we had all r players fit and available i wud def ave the followin team (with 1 r 2 decisions stil to make)

----------------------given---------------------
finnan-------dunne------------oshea--------kelly
-------------------(carlsey/s.reid)---------------
mcgeady--------ireland-------------------duff---
------------------------------keane-------------
-------------doyle------------------------------

kilbane isnt a good left back at all and hasnt been playin ftbal at al recently...
...i think reid showed he wud do a great job as a dmf against georgia and montengro in r 1st games

Most of your team is pretty much waht is picked anyway, but that one position of left back is a bad choice. Stephen Kelly is a natural right back and a decent one. He looks horribly uncomfortable when defending on his left side and generally ends up booked, red carded or having a mare out there because he isnt tackling with his naturally stronger side. I like the guy and think he is good back up for Finnan, but at left back he is a complete no no for me.

I have no idea where this "He's a left back" talk came from, because he isnt

[dr_peepee]

Stephen Kelly is a natural right back and a decent one. He looks horribly uncomfortable when defending on his left side and generally ends up booked, red carded or having a mare out there because he isnt tackling with his naturally stronger side. I like the guy and think he is good back up for Finnan, but at left back he is a complete no no for me.

I have no idea where this "He's a left back" talk came from, because he isnt

I wouldn't be a fan of him there either but he has played there a good few times for Birmingham and Spurs in the premiership.

[HammerNThongs]

I wouldn't be a fan of him there either but he has played there a good few times for Birmingham and Spurs in the premiership.

Ya, but it started out as a make shift thing and then he fell out of favor with Spurs in that position and hence why he mocved to Birmingham. It took a few months of persuasion if I'm not mistaken, for them to realise, he isnt very good there, but is capable on the correct side.

Any time I saw him play there for both clubs, he was getting destroyed by mediocre players, and it's been no different when i have seen him wear the Green left back jersey

[tetsujin1979]

Ya, but it started out as a make shift thing and then he fell out of favor with Spurs in that position and hence why he mocved to Birmingham. It took a few months of persuasion if I'm not mistaken, for them to realise, he isnt very good there, but is capable on the correct side.
He had a decent run at right full for Spurs in the second half of the 2004/2005 season when the first choice (think it was Pamarot) got injured, even notched a few goals. When he came back at the start of the 2005/2006 season, Kelly got dropped to the bench, played less games than in 2004/2005 and moved on to Birmingham for first team football.

[Jicked]

Big Game? :D I'm sure Shamrock Rovers would be looking for more illustrious opponents than the Ireland B team although I'd imagine the opening game at the new stadium would be a sell-out regardless.

Speaking as a Rovers fan I think a game versus an Ireland XI coached by Trapattoni wouldn't be half bad. Far better than playing a British side, which has already been correctly ruled out by the board. The first game will be a sell out I'd imagine, but for the "neutral" new Tallaght fans a game against an Irish XI may capture the imagination more than one against a medium to big name side from the continent.

[holidaysong]

What about Lee Carsley and Dean Kiely.... should they have apologised first before returning to play after retiring

They weren't 22 years old when they did it..

[third policeman]

I wouldn't mind Garven or McCann to get a shot on the team so everyone sees how average they look at a higher level and stops treating them like midfield saviours.
.


I think that giving them "a shot" is all that has ever been advocated on this site. The fact is that they have done at least as much as Whelan, Gibson, Andrews to deserve that opportunity and its not as if any of the aforementioned have looked like international world-beaters. This is an opinion, and therefore comes with a hefty big health warning, but I do think that both Garvan and McCann will end up playing more regularly at a higher level than Gibson or Whelan and that Andrews is destined for a swift return to lower league football. This is not to suggest that they are saviours, simply that they might be better than the obviously medioce incumbants.

[zenokelly]

a week or 3 days before the game might be a possibility if there's a chance to fit it in with the players club duties.

Ya, are you thinking they might be able to travel over on the Sunday and play after playing on saturday? Sure the clubs will have no problem releasing their players for a high profile B international the wednesday prior either even though those clubs are likely to have a match........:cool: