Strikers for forthcoming friendlies & Israel

The biggest problem with the side is the lack of goals coming from players, and since there is a few friendlies at Lansdowne Road in a few weeks time, it seems like an excellent time to sort out the strikers.

Doherty doesnt look like he is capable at this level up front. Morrison is injured, Robbie Keane scores but he misses a huge amount of oppurtunites.

So I think Kerr should focus most of his energies in finding two players that can play with each other and put the ball in the back of the net even if it isnt pretty.

First name that springs to mind is Rory Delap. He scored two good headers against Arsenal (I know they were knackered after Man Utd) and should play some part in the matches. There is plenty of oppurtunties of scoring with ireland, I think he is no nonsense and and he looks like he keeps it nice and simple.

Steven Elliot. I cant coment since I havent seen him with my own eyes but people say he is like Robbie Keane without all the bull****. If that is the case it would be a real boost up front. In which case he may be a good partner to try with Delap.

Mc Geady. He scored for celtic there this weekend, however I dont know if he is up to international football just yet. 30 minutes in one of the friendlies.

who else is there (realistically)

Delap? He's a defensive midfielder.

Elliott and Robbie has to be the partnership against Croatia. Its no good testing Elliott with another player as, as much as we wouldn't like to admit it, Robbie is a cert to start in Israel. We have to see how they play together.

McGeady is only half the player he can be when played up front.

Jolly, how come you didn't go down the pub to watch Elliott on Monday?

We should call Best up to the senior squad and see if it's us or Ingerland he wants to play for. If things are going well give him him 10 or 15 mins at the end of the game. If he doesn't accept the call it will be disappointing but at least we will know. Give Lee half a game with Robbie rather than his usual 5 to 10 min cameo. He's scored a few goals in recent games. Delap deserves at least half a game too but in CMF not up front. Playing McGeady up front would be similar to playing Duff up front and in my opinion that would be a waste of talent. They are creators that contribute with the odd goal not natural strikers.
Elliott should be started alongside Robbie and maybe make way for Lee early in the second half. There's a few other young fellas (Stokes at Arsenal and maybe Healy at Milwall) who aren't quite there yet. So as I see it Best and Elliot are the only 2 natural strikers getting regular senior football and are ready to make the step-up to full international football.
Anyother players in the woodwork?

I think I might just go to the pub and get to see Elliot.

No doubt Robbie will start in Tel Aviv but if anything happens to him were in serious trouble, thats why I thought Kerr should look at other options.

Delap doesnt play up front but take Niall Quinn. He didnt do a lot but head the ball into the net. If Delap can do that and its effective then I think he should be in there ;)

There seems to be a lot of creators in the side. Same old problem of getting someone just to stick the ball into the back of the net. Israel wont be a pretty place and if we have to go route one (for 3 points) then so be it IMO

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Originally Posted by eirebhoy

Delap? He's a defensive midfielder.

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as well as full back , centre foward and pretty much any other position except GK

I saw him play full back once in tolka park in a B game, I think hes worth a shot at centre forward. Has a good engine so useful for harrasing opposition if nothing else

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Quote:
Originally Posted by eirebhoy
Delap? He's a defensive midfielder.

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John Giles and Ray Houghton also seem to think that Kerr should try Delap up front for the upcoming friendlies. (on The Premiership last night)

Come on lads get a grip -

Delap - has scored 1 league goal in the past 2 seasons before he scored 2 in 5 minutes against Arsenal, not very convincing.

Stokes - kid has not even played a single league game yet and is only 16.

Healy - who the f u c k is this kid? He makes one appearance for Millwall and a commentator says he has Irish parents and suddenly he is in the Irish national team..... keep day dreaming and he will score a last gasp winner in the WC final in Berlin.... :rolleyes:

Elliott - Now is the time.

Well I was the only one that mentioned Stokes and Healy in this thread and did I or did I not say that they are not ready yet? :p
Best and Elliott are worth a shot though.

1MickCollins, this is Ireland remember. We have never produced a proper out and out striker AFAIK.

I think Delap should be played and plenty of high balls should be wipped in for the sake of scoring.

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Originally Posted by thejollyrodger

1MickCollins, this is Ireland remember. We have never produced a proper out and out striker AFAIK.

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Have you heard of Frank Stapleton or Don Givens?

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Originally Posted by thejollyrodger

Delap doesnt play up front but take Niall Quinn. He didnt do a lot but head the ball into the net. If Delap can do that and its effective then I think he should be in there ;)

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Christ! Quinn didn't do a lot? Quinn suffered the stigma that gets attached to any striker over 6 foot that can head a ball. They all said he couldn’t play and was just a bit of a nuisance. Prior to rupturing his cruciate he scored 20 top division goals for Man City and subsequent to that was a fantastic foil to Kevin Phillips at Sunderland in the twilight of his career. He continued to score 10-15 league goals in those last few years. He was intelligent, had a fantastic awareness of players and space around him, a great first touch and was totally selfless.

To compare him to Delap after Delap scored two goals in one match is nothing short of ludicrous. Niall Quinn would have walked into the current Southampton team.

The only real alternatives at the moment are Lee (needs another opportunity), Elliott (must be pushing for a chance), Macken and Connolly.

As for McGeady, he’s a winger, Delap is a limited journeyman (he is competent, no more really) that could fill in when the going gets tough, Best hasn’t really even warranted a call up to the Under 21’s (if he’d accept) and Stokes is a young kid.

I meant scoring lots of goals in their career. Quinn had the highest goal scoring record at 19 odd but the length it took him was shocking.

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Both the “Goal Glut” and “Strikers for Forthcoming Friendlies…” threads seem to have ended up at the same point: Rory Delap. So I’ve decided to address this issue as a single thread.

People have suggested Delap should play as a striker. Personally I think there’s no need to panic. Robbie, Clinton, Reid, Elliott (hopefully), Macken, Lee, Doherty, Connolly (reluctant inclusion).

In my opinion he’s worth a place in the squad on his merit as a central midfielder alone.

The fact that he is being mentioned as a striker just highlights his versatility.

His versatility is an added extra. He has played upfront once before for us (away to Turkey in the play-off) and at left-back in a B game a few years ago. Both Mick and Kerr have mysteriously played him wide right. I personally think he could be used as emergency centre-half cover, probably at the expense of Breen. He also has a great throw-in which is useful given the number of throws that Duff wins in the last third of the pitch.

When RMK was out of the picture we badly needed someone with a physical presence and the composure to do the simple things well. Delap stood out for me as a candidate but always seemed to be regarded as a right-sided player.

I’m not saying he should be in our starting XI but surely he should be an automatic squad member at least?

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No need to panic ?


Robbie - our best striker
Clinton - our second best option but injured
Reid - not an out and out striker
Elliott - has to play first in friendly before deciding
Macken - as above
Delap - as above

wouldnt have bothered included this muppets,
Lee - ?
Doherty - unable to compete at international level
Connolly - sh1t

I think it would be worth giving Delap a go up front. He has played there before with Derby with a certain degree of success. He's still in his mid-twenties and could adapt to the challenge. Definitely worth a chance. He's never really been given a decent chance to prove himself at international level. He has 11 caps most as substitute but has been in the panel for over 6 or 7 years.

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Originally Posted by mistergreen

John Giles and Ray Houghton also seem to think that Kerr should try Delap up front for the upcoming friendlies. (on The Premiership last night)

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That is why I dismissed it out of hand. ;)

Delap must go up for most attacking set pieces and Saturday was the first time he's scored with his head in well over 2 years. Hardly the target man some people seem to think. Macken would be a much better option but I'd still have Elliott in first.

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Originally Posted by Irish_Praha

Best and Elliott are worth a shot though.

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What in the name of jaysus has Best done to be put in the senior squad?

Surely Macken deserves a full run out. playing ok for man city these days. similar record to clinton Morrison....

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Originally Posted by barglee

Surely Macken deserves a full run out. playing ok for man city these days. similar record to clinton Morrison....

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No way, a poor player without a single goal in the league this season. At least Morrison has scored a few for Birmingham before and has done it for Ireland, Macken is a poor player and has been poor every time I've seen him.

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Originally Posted by eirebhoy

That is why I dismissed it out of hand. ;)

Delap must go up for most attacking set pieces and Saturday was the first time he's scored with his head in well over 2 years. Hardly the target man some people seem to think. Macken would be a much better option but I'd still have Elliott in first.

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at the same time -if two goals against Arsenal at Highbury doesn't bring you into contention you might as well not bother.