Andy Reid Central Midfield.

Does anyone agree with me that Andy Reid has the talent to play this role along with Roy Keane in central Midfield. I noticed on Wed that they were speaking a lot during the game and seemed to have a very good rapport. Reid was one of our better performers and his range of passing was very good. Kilbane gives the ball away too much for my liking and I think that his form at the moment is very poor. I am not sure Reid has the pace to go past people on the wings and I think a midfield of Duff, Reid, Keane and Finnan would be well balanced and have players who are all playing at top clubs and all know how to pass the ball. I dont think it would suddenly turn us into a great team but it could be a way for both Carr, Finnan and Reid playing on the same team. I think if we are going to play a posession game that we need passers all over the pitch and to me Kilbane is too poor a passer to be playing centrally for us.

Yes I agree, thought they both had a good understanding and were doing alot of talking during the game - good partnership developing but not sure if he's strong enough for central midfield at the moment but ahead of Kilbane on current form!

If A.Reid can work on his fitness and physical attributes then I think he could be one for the centre. If Josh played like he did against the Italians (clearing out all around him) it might be a good central partnership.

I thought that Reid, was very agressive against the French and put it about and won tackles as much if not more than Kilbane. I would not worry about that side to his game. I would love to see that midfield against the Swiss. Also I think his pass for Robbie againts Israel came from a central position.

Reid in midfield is a very serious option. Who would you play him with in Kean'e absence though? I rate Kavanagh but his season has barely started.

If he played there my preference is for Carr over Finnan RHM as I think he's more aggressive going forward than Finnan. But Finnan is a quality player too.

France really showed that we need somebody who can actually use the ball in CM. Reid is already a better player than Kinsella was but Kinsella & Keane was a beautifully balanced midfield pairing. Our current CM with KK providing the legs to Keane's experience is simply a means of getting the ball wide. We need to be creative through the middle too. At times against France the gap between midfield & the front two was just too big. For the last 2 years have you noticed how deep Robbie has had to come to get the ball? We also need to get more goals from midfield.

The only negative about Reid in the middle is that it consigns Duff to one wing only, making him easier to double/triple mark. On balance it's not a deal-breaker though.

On paper several combos of Kavanagh / Miller (in theory) / Quinn / S. Reid / A. Reid / Holland / O'Shea look attractive. But in reality...?

Again in theory I'd like to see a Reid / Miller / Quinn type player playing behind the front two. God, how we needed Miller to develop. But how can you do this without a weaker central midfield or without taking away our width? The only variable I can think of that satisfies me is a 3 man defence. I just want to see a way where all our creative options are maximised.

Well for me the midfield should read


Duff Keane Reid, (Finnan/Carr Swapping)


Another reason for this is that I actually think that Kilbane woudl be a good in that his pace and agressino and legs woudl be good in the last 15 mins of a game if he was fresh and other players were tired. It could actually help Kilbane too. If Keane was missing I would just go like for like and replace him with Kavanagh who not as good as Keane would do a good job.


I think the midfield against Cyprus shoud be

Duff Kavangh Stephen Reid, Finnan/Carr.

I've been thinking this for a while but think he mightn't be defensive enough to play in a 4 man midfield but it's worth a look. In a 451 with a free role behind the front man I think he could be excellent.

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Originally Posted by NeilMcD

I actually think that Kilbane would be a good in that his pace and agression and legs woudl be good in the last 15 mins of a game if he was fresh and other players were tired.

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Yep. It's been really noticable (a) how we have tired in a lot of games and (b) how our substitutions have always been an inferior player for a better player, i.e. we've been clutching at straws a bit when making changes. Kilbane is an ideal replacement for tired legs.

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Originally Posted by colster

I've been thinking this for a while but think he mightn't be defensive enough to play in a 4 man midfield but it's worth a look. In a 451 with a free role behind the front man I think he could be excellent.

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I don't think we've a striker at the moment who can play up front by himself, and if we play 4-3-1-2 with Reid in the hole I don't think there's a place there for Duff - he's not a central midfielder - and leaving him out is patently ludicrous

Quote:

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Originally Posted by colster

I've been thinking this for a while but think he mightn't be defensive enough to play in a 4 man midfield but it's worth a look. In a 451 with a free role behind the front man I think he could be excellent.

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He pretty much played this role when he replaced Morrisson in Paris & did well. That was really a 4-4-1-1 the way it panned out. He was still with Forest at the time remember so his game is probably a lot better now.

Before Kilbane is confined to history, he's very important to us in the air which I haven't seen mentioned very often. Compared to the Irish team of Jack's day, we're a team of dwarves and most kick outs by Given are aimed at Kilbane. He's also a danger in the air from corners and helps out defending at corners.

Finnan wide right in a game we need to win, possibly by 2 goals, doesn't inspire me with creative confidence, although I do recall it was his pass to McAteer that created the goal against Holland.

The dropping of Kilbane therefore leaves major gaps so it's not straight forward.

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Originally Posted by tetsujin1979

I don't think we've a striker at the moment who can play up front by himself, and if we play 4-3-1-2 with Reid in the hole I don't think there's a place there for Duff - he's not a central midfielder - and leaving him out is patently ludicrous

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I think Morrisson can play up front on his own. He's doing it at the moment for the amount of work that Robbie Keane does.

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Originally Posted by Stuttgart88

He pretty much played this role when he replaced Morrisson in Paris & did well. That was really a 4-4-1-1 the way it panned out. He was still with Forest at the time remember so his game is probably a lot better now.

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Forgot about that. He played behind Keane as well. That game proved that Keane can play as a lone striker when he's on his game. Ireland passed the ball better with Reid in midfield.

I think this side (barring injury + form) could do the business against the Swiss.

Given

Carr Dunne Cunningham O'Shea

S.Finnan Keane A.Reid Kilbane Duff

Keane

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Originally Posted by OwlsFan

Before Kilbane is confined to history, he's very important to us in the air which I haven't seen mentioned very often. Compared to the Irish team of Jack's day, we're a team of dwarves and most kick outs by Given are aimed at Kilbane. He's also a danger in the air from corners and helps out defending at corners.

Finnan wide right in a game we need to win, possibly by 2 goals, doesn't inspire me with creative confidence, although I do recall it was his pass to McAteer that created the goal against Holland.

The dropping of Kilbane therefore leaves major gaps so it's not straight forward.

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I am not confining him to history but his passing is not good enough and the style of football that Ireland play under Kerr we need a midfield of good passers of the ball. Numerous times against France he gave the ball away when it looked like Ireland were on a nice break. I agree his height is an assest but I dont think its enough of an asset to keep him in the team as his passing is so bad. IN relation to Finnan, I think both him and car could rotatej as both can defend and get forward. I think Kerr will be approaching the game to win it full stop , Not to win it by 2 goals unless we have to, to stay in the World Cup. I think Kilbane could be a high impact sub.

I don't agree that Reid isn't strong enough, fit enough or good enough defensively to fill a normal central midfield role. I reckon the solution is probably as simple as having Kavanagh or Reid instead of Kilbane. They both have a touch & range of passing that KK just doesn't have. KK penetrates by force (if at all), the others have the ability to penetrate by ability. It's nowhere near the time to "consign KK to history", but we do need to acknowledge our biggest failing against the French: attacking central midfield.

To think that 2 yrs ago Liam Miller played so well against Anderlecht & Lyon and is now playing against Accrington Stanley in the Greater Manchester Cup for a living.

Yes for the following reasons:
- Good passer, by that I mean he can pass the ball normally!
- Creative
- Positive and Attacking-minded

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Originally Posted by NeilMcD

Also I think his pass for Robbie againts Israel came from a central position.

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It did. I think he's also played centrally for Spurs on occasion and he & Robbie appear to be on each other's wavelength. I remember when Spurs lost 1-0 at Highbury last season Reid moved into the middle late in the game & set up Robbie for a relatively simple header which he missed. Perhaps Reid centrally is the answer to getting more out of Robbie.

The more I think about it the more I think its a runner, the Game against France convinced me though as it showed Kilbanes lack of passing ability and how it gets punished at this level and also how much Reid has improved in the last year in his tackling etc. At this stage I would have no problem with Kerr going with him and Keane in the centre and Duff and Finnan /Carr on the wings.

What about Reid in the middle and Duff out right and Kilbane out left in which case we keep Kilbane for his aerial ability and where he's better suited than midfield ?

Finnan wide right leaves me cold in a game we need to win.

what about S.Reid on the right and either Finnan or Taz at right back ? I think it would give us a lot going forward

Given

Carr Dunne Cunningham O'Shea

S.Reid Keane A.Reid Kilbane Duff

Keane