World Cup qualifying group C

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Bungle

I have been impressed with Austria. .

---

I wasn't impressed with Austria at all really in Lansdowne. We gifted them an opener and then sat back and allowed them to play in the second half, and if we'd made a positive sub I think we'd have pushed on and scored a third and we'd all be here saying how close we are to being home and hosed. Decent side but a couple of injuries or suspensions and they'd be even more ordinary. I actually am happy with our strength in depth these days in most positions.

Austria stunk the place out at their Euros a few years ago so I hope there's no idea of a "Fortress Ernst Happoel" (or whatever the stadium is called) and we can go there and do a job on them.

Crafty, I'm assuming Dunne isn't match fit. If he gets a club and plays, then yes. I suppose I was looking for comment on the other selections, especially Coleman and Quinn.

Tricky, aren't the odds of an unlikely result always high?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Yard of Pace

Austria stunk the place out at their Euros

---

We enjoy a common bond with them so. :)

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Stuttgart88

I suppose I was looking for comment on the other selections, especially Coleman and Quinn

---

Well, Id like Coleman there if we had a a bit more quality available behind him. I didn't think Quinn shone like some seem to have but you are correct in saying he will do no worse than Championship centre forwards we have been deploying out there.

How about 5-3-2 with Coleman & McClean full of running with their young L.O.I. legs, Josh & SSL either side of Dunne with McCarthy/Hoolalan/? feeding Long & Keane.

Would you hand over a few bob to watch that side? And who would you put in the ?

I'd have my doubts about how many of our players would be tactically aware enough to play a 532 at a high level.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Charlie Darwin

I'd have my doubts about how many of our players would be tactically aware enough to play a 532 at a high level.

---

I'd have more doubts about our manager being willing to crawl over hot coals back to Italy rather than try it.

But, do you really think guys who have made it a such a good level of the game would find this way beyond them? And, even if it wasn't a regular thing, and I'm not suggesting it should be, just an option, would you deem it worth 45 in a friendly for a look? I think it would utilize the best of Coleman / McLean. My doubts would be the three boyos at the back.

I don't think they'd find it way beyond them but it would certainly put them outside of their comfort zone and it would take plenty of practice to get right, and I'm not sure we have the time to invest in it. It's different for the Italians where it is a common formation or even British sides of the past 25 years. If you're looking at getting the best out of the players at your disposal, I think you have to look at formations that play to their strengths.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Charlie Darwin

I don't think they'd find it way beyond them but it would certainly put them outside of their comfort zone and it would take plenty of practice to get right, and I'm not sure we have the time to invest in it. It's different for the Italians where it is a common formation or even British sides of the past 25 years. If you're looking at getting the best out of the players at your disposal, I think you have to look at formations that play to their strengths.

---

OK, a fair point. Do you think 442 is the one best suited to those present strengths?

Some variation of it, yeah. The current formation where Robbie plays between the lines as an auxilary midfielder is probably the best we can do at the moment, but it won't work properly unless we bring through midfielders who can attack, defend and hold possession. I think it's the philosophy rather than the formation that's holding us back. I think we also need to look at the idea of providing a backup for Keane with somebody can play in that Keane role, probably Hoolahan, possibly Cox. Our strikers outside of Keane aren't good enough for us to play a proper 451/433.

Think Long can play up top on his own.

Has the guile now, just not Robbie's finishing.

Unfortunately a striker who can't finish is of limited use, especially when you don't have many goals from midfield.

Might midfielders be more likely to score if they can get into advanced positions more regularly though? Our 442 puts them on the back foot more often than not.

I also don't wholly agree that you need a "line leader" up top. Jon Dahl Tomassen played that role to great effect for Denmark, albeit flanked by Rommedahl and Lovenkrands, a type of player we don't have.

I see Charlie's point but I think I posted a while back some stats over the last few campaigns showing that our strikers have scored very few goals from open play, the point being that we're hardly reliant on our forwards. I think we have more to gain than to lose by going 451 - certainly in some situations - and it's a shame we haven't tried it when we've had a chance to experiment.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by ArdeeBhoy

Think Long can play up top on his own.

Has the guile now, just not Robbie's finishing.

---

27 next birthday I think. Leaves an increasingly highlighted number of goal chances after him, although recent improvement too as you say.

If Brady starts off well with Hull in the PL early on then hopefully he will be back in contention for a place on the wing.

I like Coleman on the wing, just a shame the only players who can play at FB to allow the change is Kelly & McShane. Maybe O'Shea could go back to RB if Dunne gets fit.

The Villa youngsters coming through the ranks will also get a bit of game time next season, obviously too early to have an impact in the WC qualifiers but getting called up for squads in 2014 not out of the question.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Stuttgart88

Crafty, I'm assuming Dunne isn't match fit. If he gets a club and plays, then yes. I suppose I was looking for comment on the other selections, especially Coleman and Quinn.

Tricky, aren't the odds of an unlikely result always high?

---

Depend on how what method you are using to calculate the odds.

If you are using percentages 90% is high but if you use fraction odds 9-1 is high.

Therefore by making a sufficiently vague statement i can claim to be have been right whatever happens :)

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Charlie Darwin

I'd have my doubts about how many of our players would be tactically aware enough to play a 532 at a high level.

---

Me too, we don't have 5 goalkeepers in the squad for starters.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Stuttgart88

Might midfielders be more likely to score if they can get into advanced positions more regularly though? Our 442 puts them on the back foot more often than not.

I also don't wholly agree that you need a "line leader" up top. Jon Dahl Tomassen played that role to great effect for Denmark, albeit flanked by Rommedahl and Lovenkrands, a type of player we don't have.

I see Charlie's point but I think I posted a while back some stats over the last few campaigns showing that our strikers have scored very few goals from open play, the point being that we're hardly reliant on our forwards. I think we have more to gain than to lose by going 451 - certainly in some situations - and it's a shame we haven't tried it when we've had a chance to experiment.

---

I would have liked to have seen it tried against Spain although the chance of us passing it about like Spain seem rather remote to say the least.
Spain look like they have been practising it, just the sort of underhand thing the Spanish would do!!

I would have also liked to have seen Paddy Madden given a run out. Would any of our strikers have out scored him in League 1?
I doubt it.

Anyhow Trap will seek to grind out results in the usual manner come what may.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Stuttgart88

The self loathers in the Irish media tend to overlook results like tonight's when they slag off our victories over Faroes and Armenia.

---

yes they played some amazing stuff the last time they were at the world cup....:rolleyes:

Heh, he has a point...