Euro 2016 Play-Offs - November 13th and 16th

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Originally Posted by TrapAPony

Randolph

Coleman Keogh Clark Wilson

Meyler Whelan. McCarthy

Hoolahan. Brady

Keane


Picked Keane as Murphy is never going to score for us. 14 caps & no goals at 32 years of age is not what we need from a striker. Anyway Keane will be up against at 35 year old defender in Spahic. I'm sure he can still out pace him. Picked Meyler as he is playing well & flying high with Hull & I feel we need to be quite defensive in Bosnia. Think Brady offers far more as an attacking player than a left back which is why Wilson comes in for me.

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Meyler's out for two months. He was injured during a collision with Wilson in training today.

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Originally Posted by DannyInvincible

Meyler's out for two months. He was injured during a collision with Wilson in training today.

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MON said a couple of weeks earlier, but he might have misspoke.

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Originally Posted by Charlie Darwin

MON said a couple of weeks earlier, but he might have misspoke.

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BBC reporting the following: http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/34786666

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Originally Posted by BBC Sport

Meyler is expected to be out of action for up to eight weeks after an MRI scan revealed that he had suffered a grade 2 tear of his right knee medial ligament.

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RTÉ saying the same: http://www.rte.ie/sport/soccer/2015/...to-two-months/

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Originally Posted by RTÉ

David Meyler is out of Ireland's crunch play-off encounters with Bosnia-Herzegovina and could miss up to two months after sustaining a knee injury in training on Wednesday.

The 26-year-old has suffered a tear to his medial ligament after colliding with Stoke defender Marc Wilson during a training session ahead of the first leg of the Euro 2016 play-off in Zenica on Friday night.

His club, Hull, posted the injury update on their official website, with their doctors predicting Meyler will be out for up to eight weeks.

Martin O'Neill was unsure of the seriousness of the injury at the time, commenting: "Sometimes when you want to be as careful as possible things like that can happen. He had to come out of things so we'll see how he is in the morning."

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Jonathan Wilson on our chances: http://www.the42.ie/bosnia-republic-...38208-Nov2015/

Suggests that high balls are a Bosnian weakness, although he says we should be worried otherwise as Bosnia are back in form after a shaky start to the group, which he puts down to a combination of injuries and a drop in morale/belief after the poor World Cup.

As if we needed a tactical encouragement to pump in the high balls :)

If all goes well in our tie. Hungary winning is a bad idea. Just in case someone wants to shout for someone. Give us a better seeding if Slovenia and Norway are in the draw.

I wouldn't get my hopes up. Norway having all the possession but look completely clueless with it.

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Originally Posted by Charlie Darwin

I wouldn't get my hopes up. Norway having all the possession but look completely clueless with it.

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Extremely unlikely given Slovenia have Ukraine. But it gives us someone to shout for as a warm up for tomorrow night! Gets us used to disappointment!

I'd have a bit of a soft spot for Hungary. I used love watching the old footage of the Magic Magyars when I was growing up. It was such a shame they didn't win the WC in 1954 and I've always found it kind of sad that they've been so uncompetitive in more recent decades. Norway, on the other hand, I just associate with bland, dreary football so this is an easy one for me.

I'm not confident about tomorrow at all. I think they'll outpace us with one touch football.
Time for Murphy, Hendrick and Brady to stand up and be counted.
Not sure if he'll go for Robbie or Wes but I reckon it'll be one or the other

What I imagine will be the team:

Randolph

Coleman Wilson Keogh Ward

Hendrick Whelan McCarthy Brady

Hoolahan/Keane

Murphy

Norway were fairly toothless but were denied a stone waller.


Hoping Hungary go through.

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Originally Posted by Yard of Pace

I went off Whelan when Trap called him something preposterous like Ireland's Michel Platini and in subsequent interviews it was clear he believed the hype.
Slow, wasteful, a coward, incapable of passing forward and passes out of play ALL the bloody time, as un-dynamic as a midfielder gets and with a horrible sense of self-entitlement (has anyone mentioned him being a leader this week as he played back in Paris? No, me neither).

I don't like what I know of the man and I think he is an utterly brutal footballer for Ireland.

If he does a job at Stoke, grand, I don't care and best of luck to him.

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But apart from that, not at all bad. :)

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Originally Posted by MeathDrog

Time to deploy the joker. Enter Alan Judge.

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every cloud has a silver lining :)

I don't think I've ever been so uncertain about what team will be selected. I'm not even going to try and guess.

Randolph, Coleman, Keogh, Brady, Hendrick, McCarthy, Whelan and Murphy are all nailed on I think, two from Clark/Wilson/Ward makes ten, so really it's only a case of who'll support Murphy up front.

I heard Stephen Hunt on Newstalk on the way to work. From his comments he seems to think Ward will start left back, to add a bit of height back there. He's very concerned about O'Shea being out, saying that Keogh and Clark have played plenty games but not at this level, so he obviously thinks it will be Clark over Wilson. He said Coleman and Ward are both good players but not good talkers, hence the major concern over JOSH's absence. It was put to him about Hoolahan starting to support Murphy and he seemed unsure, sighting the two game factor. He didn't suggest an alternative though. He didn't make a prediction either a such, even though he was asked for one, but he said 1-1 would be brilliant and suggested he'd be relatively satisfied with a 2-1 defeat.

Edit- Olé Olé's selection of Keane reminded me of another thing Hunt said, that I found interesting. When talking about Dzeko's impressive goal tally he mentioned that we could say the same about Robbie Keane but added "although obviously he's not going to be playing tonight, er... or maybe he will I don't know". Something to that effect.

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Originally Posted by Stuttgart88

I don't think I've ever been so uncertain about what team will be selected. I'm not even going to try and guess.

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Same. I wouldn't feel comfortable not getting it pathetically wrong and giving myself a feeling of outrage before the match.

EDIT: I typed out a team and I doubted myself so much, I'm not going to stand by it but I'll still leave it here: Randolph; Coleman, Keogh, Clark, Wilson; Hendrick, McCarthy, Whelan, Brady; Keane, Murphy.

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Originally Posted by SwanVsDalton

It's ok, people who praise him arn't trying to set a dirty trap to trick you into thinking he's an unheralded genius.

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They might be trying to trick themselves though :)

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Originally Posted by DeLorean

Randolph, Coleman, Keogh, Brady, Hendrick, McCarthy, Whelan and Murphy are all nailed on I think, two from Clark/Wilson/Ward makes ten, so really it's only a case of who'll support Murphy up front.

I heard Stephen Ward on Newstalk on the way to work. From his comments he seems to think Ward will start left back, to add a bit of height back there. He's very concerned about O'Shea being out, saying that Keogh and Clark have played plenty games but not at this level, so he obviously thinks it will be Clark over Wilson. He said Coleman and Ward are both good players but not good talkers, hence the major concern over JOSH's absence. It was put to him about Hoolahan starting to support Murphy and he seemed unsure, sighting the two game factor. He didn't suggest an alternative though. He didn't make a prediction either a such, even though he was asked for one, but he said 1-1 would be brilliant and suggested he'd be relatively satisfied with a 2-1 defeat.

Edit- Olé Olé's selection of Keane reminded me of another thing Hunt said, that I found interesting. When talking about Dzeko's impressive goal tally he mentioned that we could say the same about Robbie Keane but added "although obviously he's not going to be playing tonight, er... or maybe he will I don't know". Something to that effect.

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I was gonna ask if you'd meant "Stephen Ward on Newstalk" or someone else, as I thought Ward was providing some inside info for a sec (whilst referring to himself in third person!), but you've clarified it was actually Stephen Hunt in the edit, ha.

Who'll be given the captaincy (assuming there's no Robbie)? We're lacking vocal leadership. Keogh? Whelan?

Ha oops.... it would explain why he was picked as well :)

Good question regarding the captaincy, who's normally third in command? Almost has to be Whelan if you go by caps/experience and apparently communication levels. I'd be hopeful that James McCarthy will be our captain in the not so distant future but probably a needless distraction for him at this point.

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Originally Posted by SwanVsDalton

The main problem with the Whelan argument is it gets real emotive, real quick. Hysterical and hyperbolic. Like this...

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No, that's my considered opinion after watching pretty much every game he's played for us. Those are my conclusions. And I go to the home games so I don't miss some off the ball importance he engages in.

Now, I feel sorry for him a bit because the system was him and Steven Reid, so majestic in Montenegro. But that ended after two games and we had the willing but limited Keith Andrews instead. So for Ireland, I just don't think he's ever been good enough. If Reid had stayed fit or if he'd been playing alongside Roy Keane I think he'd have been decent but come on, bloomin' 'eck, HOW many games does it take where we say "we've no midfield" blah blah blah and the craving for Hoolahan. Whelan is SO limited it hurts.

It's not hyperbole but he's just not good enough, in my opinion.

I think he has performed very well for us down through the years. He has deserved the caps he as won, but i just feel his legs are starting to go.

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Originally Posted by backtowalsall

I think he has performed very well for us down through the years. He has deserved the caps he as won, but i just feel his legs are starting to go.

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Glenn Whelan has legs?![/obligatory gag]

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Originally Posted by SwanVsDalton

Bould aul' prediction there Kingdom. If I wasn't skint, I'd offer a wager. ;)

It's not necessarily about sitting back looking for a draw, it's about 22 players already accustomed to the nip and tuck of international football playing in a two-legged cup final with a highly emotive prize in line for whoever can hold their nerve.

I'd love it to be open, stretched and end-to-end - can't see it though.

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Right SVD - what's the bet and what's the wager?

I feel vindicated after that Hungary result, albeit Norway are always Norway, that Hungary wouldn't be the easy draw that everyone expected them to be.

Surely they'll get tonked in Budapest now though!

What did you say about the Hungary game Kingdom?

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Originally Posted by DeLorean

Randolph, Coleman, Keogh, Brady, Hendrick, McCarthy, Whelan and Murphy are all nailed on I think, two from Clark/Wilson/Ward makes ten, so really it's only a case of who'll support Murphy up front.

I heard Stephen Hunt on Newstalk on the way to work. From his comments he seems to think Ward will start left back, to add a bit of height back there. He's very concerned about O'Shea being out, saying that Keogh and Clark have played plenty games but not at this level, so he obviously thinks it will be Clark over Wilson. He said Coleman and Ward are both good players but not good talkers, hence the major concern over JOSH's absence. It was put to him about Hoolahan starting to support Murphy and he seemed unsure, sighting the two game factor. He didn't suggest an alternative though. He didn't make a prediction either a such, even though he was asked for one, but he said 1-1 would be brilliant and suggested he'd be relatively satisfied with a 2-1 defeat.

Edit- Olé Olé's selection of Keane reminded me of another thing Hunt said, that I found interesting. When talking about Dzeko's impressive goal tally he mentioned that we could say the same about Robbie Keane but added "although obviously he's not going to be playing tonight, er... or maybe he will I don't know". Something to that effect.

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Heard the same interview. He sounded like a fella who didn't really know a lot about Bosnia. He really didn't sound confident either.

Is there a general feeling that Keogh will start even if Ward does? That's definitely the feeling I'm getting but it scares me to be honest. If he goes with Ward, I think it should be Wilson & Clark.

Had a look at Bosnia's record there. They seem to be on a good run of form at home in 2015 having beaten Wales 2-0 and Israel 3-1. However, Cyprus beat them in Zenica in September last year and Belgium held them to a draw (good Belgian side though). They look susceptible to a bad performance away from home- they've been beaten by Israel 3-0, Belgium 3-1 and scraped past Cyprus with a 3-2 win.

People are saying it will be an open game but if we're getting the 2015 Bosnia then that's the last thing I'd want. This is after persuading me that, with all the clichés unfortunately intended, we need to contain them away and bring them back to Dublin and nick a win...

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Originally Posted by DeLorean

Is there a general feeling that Keogh will start even if Ward does? That's definitely the feeling I'm getting but it scares me to be honest. If he goes with Ward, I think it should be Wilson & Clark.

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Very tough one that. Maybe the best way to contextualize it is on the basis of the Germany and Poland line-ups, ignoring right back:
Germany: Keogh, O'Shea, Ward
Poland: Keogh, O'Shea, Brady

Clark and Wilson missed both and Ward missed Poland. Now, Clark, Wilson and Ward are all back but O'Shea is out.

You could say that if Keogh and Ward are to start then Clark should add pace to that side of the defence but O'Shea isn't a speed merchant and O'Neill was willing to play that trio against the Germans, a superior side to Bosnia, and he has liked Wilson in the past.

In conclusion, it's pretty bloody impossible to tell who he'll pick back there, aside from Seamie.

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Originally Posted by DeLorean

Is there a general feeling that Keogh will start even if Ward does? That's definitely the feeling I'm getting but it scares me to be honest. If he goes with Ward, I think it should be Wilson & Clark.

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Liam Brady suggested in his Mirror column that Wilson could play a midfield role, suggested Arter would get gametime too. Can't see it happening.

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Originally Posted by Olé Olé

In conclusion, it's pretty bloody impossible to tell who he'll pick back there, aside from Seamie.

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Yeah, it's impossible because Keogh, Clark and Wilson haven't been available at the same time yet, or at least any time recently. He did choose Keogh over Clark in Glasgow, but Clark wasn't getting a kick at Villa at the time. As recently as the Gibraltar/Georgia games Clark was included ahead of Keogh though and did well.

Joe - that's an interesting suggestion from Brady with regards Wilson playing in midfield, I think it would be overkill though with McCarthy and Whelan likely to start. Maybe he'll start all three of McCarthy, Whelan and Gibson though if he's going to go down that route, as Gibson would have more flexibility than Wilson in midfield terms.

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Originally Posted by RedBench

Do we still have some luck in us? Still can't get over Shane Long's absence. I'm being sentimental more than anything, of course.

http://blog.sbobet.com/will-luck-of-...re-class-2015/

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I wouldn't get too hooked up on Long's absence. After all, how many games has he started for us over the past few campaigns? I'd worry more about missing Walters and O'Shea. No yellow cards please for Coleman or McCarthy.

Or Hoolahan! Long is a huge loss in the circumstances, we don't even have a decent sub option up front.

Doyle? Keane?

Unfortunately I don't think Keane will ever be a impact player from the bench. Your unwavering faith in Doyle is admirable but he hasn't done anything meaningful for us (or anybody else until very recently) in over two years. I'd be very surprised if we see him.

Well if a converted goalkeeper playing for Kilmarnock can score for Northern Ireland I have faith that Keane or Doyle might score for us.

If Jonathan Wilson is right and they are vulnerable in the air I have hope. Doyle hasn't forgotten how to jump :)

Arsenal v Spurs was funny last week. Spurs much the better side in open play, Arsenal should have scored 4 headers from set pieces and crosses.

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Originally Posted by Stuttgart88

Well if a converted goalkeeper playing for Kilmarnock can score for Northern Ireland I have faith that Keane or Doyle might score for us.

If Jonathan Wilson is right and they are vulnerable in the air I have hope. Doyle hasn't forgotten how to jump :)

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Anybody can nick a goal, I was talking about decent sub options that you'd be confident would an impact on the game if introduced. I'd have very little faith in Keane, having seen him come on in that scenario. He's just pretty easy for decent defenders to deal with. Could he nick a goal?... of course, is it likely?... I don't think so. Doyle could actually be more of a handful, maybe win a free kick or two but, like I say, I doubt we'll be seeing him. Neither of them come close to Long anyway which is the point I was making when OF played down the significance of his absence.

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Originally Posted by Kingdom

I feel vindicated after that Hungary result, albeit Norway are always Norway, that Hungary wouldn't be the easy draw that everyone expected them to be.

Surely they'll get tonked in Budapest now though!

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Norway are not always Norway, as in stodgy football terms
Norway play a different game since Drillo was retired, shot in the head, packed into a leaden sack and dumped into an icehole, they're not defensively minded. They couldn't break down Hungary, not very different from our attempts to break down teams who go a goal up. Bosnia are a more classy team than Hungary.

Don't think anybody thought Hungary would be easy, just the easiest we could have got. I've a feeling Slovenia will knock Ukraine out.

Randolph, Coleman Keogh Clark Ward, Hendrick Whelan(c) McCarthy Brady, Hoolahan, Murphy.