what starting 11 should be....

I think Keanes return means the end of Mark Kinsella and Lee Carsleys Irish careers, especially when you take into consideration McAteers return as well, along with the gradual introduction of Thornton and Douglas in the future. My starting 11, based on current form & experience would be:

Given
Carr, Cunningham, O'Brien, O'Shea
McAteer, Keane, Kilbane, Duff
Keane, Morrisson

Subs\Squad
GK: Kenny, Colgan
DEF: Finnan, Harte, Breen, Doherty
MID: A Reid, Miller, Healy, Kavanagh, Holland
FWD: Lee, Connolly

OUT: Kinsella, Carsley, McPhail, Delap, S Reid, Maybury, Dunne (just pipped by Doherty)

Future Players:
GK: Stack, Murphy
DEF: S Kelly, J Thompson, P McCarthy, P McShane
MID: S Thornton, J Douglas, W Flood, D Potter
FWD: S Elliott, A McGeady, M Yeates, J Walters

There could be a case for putting Miller into the centre, pushing Kilbane out wide with Duffer up front, but I don't think you get the best out of Duffer this way. Miller & Reid could also play on the right instead of McAteer, though I would expect McAteer to start the French and Swiss games. Good squad all the same! :)

didnt Carsley bow out last week anyway

Should be interesting to see Jayo and K***e in the same team!

Quote:

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didnt Carsley bow out last week anyway

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Yup, but only temporarily for a few months. I think Keanes return has finished him completely now, barring an injury crisis.

Given

Carr Cunningham Breen O'Shea

McAteer Kilbane Kavanagh Duff

Keane Lee

would be the way to go IMO.

Bench:
Colgan,Kenny, Finnan, O'Brien, Doherty, A Reid, Miller, Healy, K**ne, Morrison, Connolly, Douglas.

Keane has no right to walk straight back in the team,and on current form he isn't good enough to start IMO

GK: Given
RB: Carr
CB: Cunningham
CB: Breen
LB: Harte
RM: McAteer
CM: Kilbane
CM: Holland
LM: Duff
FW: Keane
FW: Connelly

Bench:
Colgan, Kenny, Finnan, Kinsella, Doherty, A Reid, Kavanagh, Healy, O'Shea, Morrison, Miller, Douglas.

On their day, that could be an excellent team and capable of at least holding France to a draw.

Given
Carr Cunningham O'Brien O'Shea
DeLap Keane Kilbane Duff
Keane Morrison

Quote:

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Originally Posted by brendy_éire

GK: Given
RB: Carr
CB: Cunningham
CB: Breen
LB: Harte
RM: McAteer
CM: Kilbane
CM: Holland
LM: Duff
FW: Keane
FW: Connelly

Bench:
Colgan, Kenny, Finnan, Kinsella, Doherty, A Reid, Kavanagh, Healy, O'Shea, Morrison, Miller, Douglas.

On their day, that could be an excellent team and capable of at least holding France to a draw.

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I didn't know Roy the boy played centre forward? :D ;)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by brendy_éire

GK: Given
RB: Carr
CB: Cunningham
CB: Breen
LB: Harte
RM: McAteer
CM: Kilbane
CM: Holland
LM: Duff
FW: Keane
FW: Connelly

Bench:
Colgan, Kenny, Finnan, Kinsella, Doherty, A Reid, Kavanagh, Healy, O'Shea, Morrison, Miller, Douglas.

On their day, that could be an excellent team and capable of at least holding France to a draw.

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Connolly? :confused: He's never cut it at international level IMHO. I'd say persist with Morrison as first choice for a few more games, with Alan Lee (after what I thought was an excellent twenty minutes against the Czechs) as back-up and optional target-man.

:) PP

Play Connolly and Harte but not Keane.
Talk about cutting off your nose to spite your face. :rolleyes:

Given

Carr - Cunningham - O'Shea - Finnan

S Reid - Miller - Keane - A Reid - Duff

Keane

Quote:

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Originally Posted by brine2

Given

Carr - Cunningham - O'Shea - Finnan

S Reid - Miller - Keane - A Reid - Duff

Keane

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I'd have O'Brien in place of O'Shea, and as Éanna posted above, I don't think RMK is in good enough form to warrant a starting place at the moment. I'd have Delap instead of Steven Reid (switching Andy Reid out to the right), and Morrison up front for RMK in a 4-4-2 instead, at least for a few games.

:) PP

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Originally Posted by Plastic Paddy

I don't think RMK is in good enough form to warrant a starting place at the moment

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but Miller is on the back of three substitute appearances and about seventy minutes of football, come on lads, get real ;)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by brendy_éire

GK: Given
RB: Carr
CB: Cunningham
CB: Breen
LB: Harte
RM: McAteer
CM: Kilbane
CM: Holland
LM: Duff
FW: Keane
FW: Connelly

Bench:
Colgan, Kenny, Finnan, Kinsella, Doherty, A Reid, Kavanagh, Healy, O'Shea, Morrison, Miller, Douglas.

On their day, that could be an excellent team and capable of at least holding France to a draw.

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lol @ brendy_eire! Man you're going to have to accept that he's back at some point! Ian Harte, left back in the Stade de France :eek: . IMO, Holland is nothing more than, as Eric Cantona once put it, a water carrier. He's shocking, and if he plays in France, we're fooked. I actually forgot about Delap, must amend my first post. As for Steven Reid.......... :rolleyes: the bulldozer needs to learn how to swivel his hips before he can get anywhere near the Irish team again - the man can only run in straight lines :D

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Originally Posted by tiktok

but Miller is on the back of three substitute appearances and about seventy minutes of football, come on lads, get real ;)

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Don't get me started on Miller... ;)

If you're interested, watch the Celtic-Villarreal game tonight. He's due to start in place of Alan Thompson, who's suspended. If he plays to potential (and plenty of us Tims think he owes us the game of his life, but I digress) then you'll see why I think he should start ahead of RMK. At least for the first few games.

:) PP

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Plastic Paddy

Don't get me started on Miller... ;)

If you're interested, watch the Celtic-Villarreal game tonight. He's due to start in place of Alan Thompson, who's suspended. If he plays to potential (and plenty of us Tims think he owes us the game of his life, but I digress) then you'll see why I think he should start ahead of RMK. At least for the first few games.

:) PP

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Well, maybe for the friendlies, because you must remember that Miller only has about 25 minutes of international experience thus far. But when it comes to going away to the Swiss and the French, Keane has to, and will, start. The same goes for McAteer ahead of A Reid, based purely on big match experience.

How many of us thought that we would ever even be having this discussion? I think its great that Keane's back, and I don't think that it will affect team morale at all, quite the opposite. Maybe apart from McAteer (who nobody in the squad takes seriously anyway, esp Keane) and le water carrier Matt Holland, who's useless. My only worry is that morale might be affected by idiot fans who might choose to boo Keane instead of supporting the team. Lets hope these idiots stay away from LR.

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Originally Posted by 4tothefloor

My only worry is that morale might be affected by idiot fans who might choose to boo Keane instead of supporting the team. Lets hope these idiots stay away from LR.

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As I've said elsewhere, I can't see that happening. The welcome may be less than enthusiastic from some, but once he dons the green shirt, that's it. He's an Ireland player again and will get the backing commensurate with that position.

:) PP

Lets hope so

When did McAteer say he was coming back? this is news to me (of course i don't live there anymore).

Himself and Keane will probably kill each other at the first training session!

GK: Given
RB: Carr
CB: Cunnigham (C)
CB: O'Brien
LB: O'Shea
RM: Miller
CM: Roy Keane
CM: Kavanagh
LM: Duff
CF: Keane
CF: Lee

Subs:
GK: Kenny
GK: Colgan
DF: Breen
DF: Finnan
DF: Harte
DF: Doherty
MF: McAteer
MF: Holland
MF: A Reid
MF: Kilbane
MF: Healy
MF: Delap
CF: Morrison
CF: Connolly
CF: Byrne

Strikers are our main problem. Lack of numbers and quality.