Missing out on qualification

I was wondering how people would feel if we didn't qualify for Portugal. I'd be gutted but think that there may be a silver lining in that we could use the run up to the WC qualifiers to introduce a lot more of the young players than would have been introduced in a run up to the Portugal.

If we qualified I don't think that Butler, Reid, Barrett, Miller, Lee, Thornton, Doyle, Delap etc would all get the chance to stake a claim.

if we didn't qualify then we could introduce a lot of the younger players while not worrying too much about the results.

So what do you think?

I take your point that the sky will not fall in if we fail to qualify, and indeed, it might prove in the longer term to be of some good use to the team.

Without the pressure of selecting the best team in every friendly in order to prepare for Portugal, Kerr would have time to find out what is the best team to play the football he wants and we could have a longer term thing happening with the side. Furthermore, we will be a comparatively unknown package going into the WC qualifiers, and might catch some people out with our new look team.

Meanwhile everyone else is still knackered after a short Summer, and old war horses are dragged back into action because there has been no chance for anyone to break into their national side and replace them.

It is indeed a silk purse from a Carsley pass. But it still is dreadfully depressing, seeing as we were first seeded, then lost the initiative, then dragged it back to be in our control completely, then fumbled against Russia. AAARRRRRRGGGGHHHHH!

Probably too depressing to think of until we are in the situation.

Let's hope that I get picked in goal for Switzerland, and that Georgia take the toppling of Stalin's statues personally instead.

[SIZE=1]Bluebeard For Switzerland!!![/SIZE]

i can see something like a us summer cup happening like the time we didnt quailify years ago we went off to america. but i agree with your point give the youth a chance.

I dont think it would be a bad thing if we didnt qualify this time .
Looking at the domestic scene,both senior and schoolboy we have clubs close to going out of football altogether.
Schoolboy clubs are in serious hock, developin facilities while L.O.I. clubs will be barely able to meet the new licensing laws.
When England failed to qualify for recent world/european competition they concentrated all their resources on their domestic league turning it into what it is today.
Our domestic game needs serious investment to match the huge amount of voluntary work and the growing participation therein.

You know if your are realistic the chances are Ireland will not
qualify. I know some people think Ireland managed to 'pull it out of the bag' before, (ie beating Holland), but ROI were already
getting good results then, and that result was no surprise to me.
Now ROI seem a shadow of their former selves, they have not beaten anyone of note in this group, apart from some of the 'minnows'
However on a positive note ROI did beat the Aussies (just).
Myself I have not actually seen many of the matches, but who has impressed you? Not too many (if any) names spring to mind,
Kevin Kilbane prehaps? I dont know.

I think you have to play players who are currently delivering the
goods, rather than rely on those who have not delivered, and who are struggling to find form for their clubs.

Carr, Cunningham, Thompson, O'Shea
Duff, McPhail, Andy Reid, Kilbane
Connolly, Keane.

However Kelly, Finnan, Breen & Harte should also be considered.

"Carr, Cunningham, Thompson, O'Shea
Duff, McPhail, Andy Reid, Kilbane
Connolly, Keane."

Andy Reid in central midfield?

Reid usually plays left midfield or as a forward. I also
have reservations about McPhail who would need a strongman
type central midfielder alongside him for him to be effective in the centre (Roy, holland, Healy). McPhail is a creative Midfielder and kind of light in the tackling, ball winning, department. He is not suited to the robust all-action end to end stuff, he would need protection.

McPhail has skill and guile and this is what has been serverly lacking in midfield. But I reckon a better all-round player in this department would be Cardiff's Graham Kavanagh. He has the creativity as well as being physically competative.


Tony

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Carr, Cunningham, Thompson, O'Shea

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Who's Thompson?

From the Nottingham Forest Official Site:-

John Thompson, Andy Reid and Stephen PcPhail all playing brilliantly for forest..,,

here's my rating (from another thread):

Ward 8 - made a couple of excellent saves during burnley's one strong spell early second half. commanded his area much better than in previous displays too.
Louis-Jean 8 - solid defensively, good as ever going forward.
Dawson 8.5 - excellent ... at his commanding best.
Thompson 8.5 - like awesome , excellent. several top tackles.
Morgan 8 - same as matty.
Williams 8 - great passing from the skipper, got stuck in well ... if only he could shoot , he'd be the complete midfielder.
Sonner 8 - another fine performance from danny boy in midfield. worked tirelessly all night.
McPhail 8 - oozed class. i really hope we can sign him up permanently when his loan deal expires.
Reid 9 - another fine performance from reidy, capped with a magnificent goal.
Taylor 8 - very good first start in a forest shirt against his former club. well marked, but still caused them problems all night.
Harewood 9.9 (MOM) - what can you say about marlon last night? except to say absolutely magnificent ! scored the opener, created the made 2 more ... a near perfect performance from the legend that is marlon.

Reid and McPhail should be in rightly, Thompson still has a bit to learn, not quite ready yet.

Irish football is more than few senior internationals a year. Theres a lot worse things than not qualifying for a senior international tournament.

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Originally posted by pete
Irish football is more than few senior internationals a year. Theres a lot worse things than not qualifying for a senior international tournament.

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Aye, Cork might win the league or Waterford get relegated:(