Republic of Ireland Squad V Armenia 3/9, Andorra 7/9

If there is a positive to the injuries, and this is tenuous at best, is that if Killer happens to feature at Left midfield, there is a possibility that Greg Cunningham will start at left full. Trap might be more willing to trust Greg if an experienced head like Killer is in front of him.

Lol at all calling for McCarthy to be called up due to Duffer's injury!
I still think we should have enough. Two teams at this stage.

Team A:

-----------------Given---------------
Josh ----- Dunney ---- Ledge ----- Kelly
LL ------- Whelan ---- PG/DG ----- McGeady
--------- Doyler ----- Robbie -------

Team B: (in the case that either McGeady or Lawrence being out - unlikely)
------------------Given--------------------
Josh ------ Dunne ----- Ledge ------ Cunningham
AMcG/LL ------ PG/DG ------ Whelan -------- Kilbane
----------Keane ---------- Doyle------------

A bit worrying that Trap claims not to know about their best attacking player, even though he scored 3 goals against Ireland last year.

Kingdom I would be very comfortable with Team A but the worry is that one of Killer or McShane is likely to be back there ahead of the likes of Kelly, which changes things entirely.

Nightmare scenario is they both end up back there somehow....Christ.

This is what I expect, assuming McShane is injured:

-------Given
Kelly-Dunne-JOS-Killbane
Lawrence-Whelan-Green-McGeady
---Keane--Doyle

Stutts do you really think St. Ledger will be dropped? He's never been omitted from a starting lineup when fit since breaking through in our friendly (against Nigeria?) near the end of last campaign.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Stuttgart88

This is what I expect, assuming McShane is injured:

-------Given
Kelly-Dunne-JOS-Killbane
Lawrence-Whelan-Green-McGeady
---Keane--Doyle

---

Push O'Shea out to full back and play St Ledger at Centre Half and I'd be happy enough with that side, considering the alternatives.

I'd agree with Wolfie
ATM, Trap's team will be
---Given
Josh-Dunne-Ledger -Kilbane
Lawrence-Whelan-Green-McGeady
---Keane--Doyle

Any reason why Stutts wrote 'Killbane'? :)

James McCarthy out of the U21 squad with a knee complaint - http://fai.ie/index.php?option=com_c...r-21&Itemid=11 - so no chance of a call up to the senior team

My team would be:

Given;
Kelly, JOSH, Dunne, Kilbane;
Lawrence, Gibson, Whelan, McGeady;
Doyle, Keane.

The back four; JOSH and Dunne is our best partnership in the center. JOSH has never convinced at full back for us and that's why I prefer to get the best out of JOSH in the center and bring in a specialist full back in Kelly to play right full. Kilbane has much more experience than Cunningham and from reading this morning's papers experience is what Trapattoni is looking towards in his team selection for Armenia.

Midfield. Gibson ahead of Green as (a) Gibson has been involved at international level a lot longer than Green so he knows the drill and (b) Gibson is the better player. McGeady ahead of Fahey and Keogh as he is a specialist winger.

No Freudian reason for wishing harm on KK!

I think JOS / Dunne is a stronger partnership than SSL / Dunne, though SSL has done nothing wrong. JOS & Dunne played together recently v ARG and as such are the incumbents.

All the noises from Trap in the press seem to be that he’s favouring Green over Gibson. I think the fact that Green "gets stuck in" is what'll act in his favour.

I think he'll go:

Given

O'Shea Dunne St Ledger Kilbane (sigh)

Lawrence Green Whelan McGeady

Doyle Keane

If he selects McShane AND Kilbane I'll cry.

It would reflect a sea change in Trap's back 4 line up if he were not to deploy Josh at RB.
Regardless of what is actually the better CH partnership, Trap thinks St Ledger/Dunne is good enough.

I suspect you're right and I don't think he's entirely convinced by Kelly. It'll probably be the back 4 that started the play offs.

Hopefully we'll see McGeady's "Beckhamesque" delivery.

Stephen Ward is in the Actim top 100.
I guess that rules him out - lol.
http://www.premierleague.com/page/Pl...rformanceIndex

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by tetsujin1979

James McCarthy out of the U21 squad with a knee complaint - http://fai.ie/index.php?option=com_c...r-21&Itemid=11 - so no chance of a call up to the senior team

---

Second withdrawal from an Irish squad in the last few months. For some reason Im uneasy about this. I really think the lad should be in the first team squad on a regular basis.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by elroy

Second withdrawal from an Irish squad in the last few months. For some reason Im uneasy about this. I really think the lad should be in the first team squad on a regular basis.

---

He did play in the U21 game vs Estonia

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by elroy

Second withdrawal from an Irish squad in the last few months. For some reason Im uneasy about this. I really think the lad should be in the first team squad on a regular basis.

---

Agree. I know many on here are totally adament that McCarthy is 100% committed to Ireland - and of course we have little reason to suggest otherwise - I still won't rest easy until I see him run out for his first competitive game. No doubt the Scots would have him in their first team for their upcoming games. Its unlikely but I'd hate to see his head turned.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Kingdom

If there is a positive to the injuries, and this is tenuous at best, is that if Killer happens to feature at Left midfield, there is a possibility that Greg Cunningham will start at left full. Trap might be more willing to trust Greg if an experienced head like Killer is in front of him.

---

Trap seemed to rule out Cunningham playing from the start:

Quote:

---

Trapattoni, who is targeting six points from the opening two games -- with Andorra in Dublin the following Tuesday evening the next opposition in line for Ireland -- is essentially going to go for battle-hardened experience to secure that goal.

Therefore, Kevin Kilbane will start at left-back, with emerging Manchester City talent Greg Cunningham considered too raw for this kind of challenge.
"In the last friendly game, I tried him in this position and I liked him," Trapattoni said.

"We look always for the good options. But we must not forget that in an away game we need experience and I can also change when the game flows.

"It's a risk to start away with young players when there is a great responsibility. I have to allow him to mature."

---

http://www.independent.ie/sport/socc...e-2317922.html

Trap news conf was summarised on SKY. He was saying that Gibson sees a lot of the ball at United because they tend to dominate games, the suggestion being that maybe his work off the ball needs improving, or that he'd be less effective for a team that doesn't see as much of the ball (that'd be us then). He says he's a good player with good qualities but should seek a loan move to improve. Very clear implication that Green will be picked.

O'Dea and McShane out. McShane returning to Hull and O'Dea in hospital here.