Squad VS Armenia and Andorra

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Originally Posted by Fixer82

How is Andy Keogh in ahead of Best?
I mean, Keogh is a good lad but Best is scoring in the premiership?

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Definitely feel for Best as he must be wondering what he has to do to get into the squad.
He just needs to keep his head down and keep working hard at Newcastle ....as I do think he could and will do a good job for us up front if given the chance.


Re: The "Keogh" agenda.......Trap has 5 strikers in the squad....Keane, Doyle, Cox, Long and Walters. I would have Keane , Doyle , Long and Cox in there ahead of Best which leaves Cox....I would have Best in ahead of him but in saying that Cox has done well IMO for Ireland since coming into the side.

Back to keogh , The only conclusion I can come up with is that Trap can also play him as a winger and a striker ....so is versatility the reason.....

I do think Keogh is good a player and had high hopes for him when he came onto the scene...but he hasnt lived up to what I hoped he would become.
Still a good player though

Is Keith Treacy injured? I hadn't thought so.
If he's cutting, then it'll be Delaney, Keogh, Lawrence and the last spot between Walters and Cox.

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Originally Posted by back of the net

Definitely feel for Best as he must be wondering what he has to do to get into the squad.
He just needs to keep his head down and keep working hard at Newcastle ....as I do think he could and will do a good job for us up front if given the chance.


Re: The "Keogh" agenda.......Trap has 5 strikers in the squad....Keane, Doyle, Cox, Long and Walters. I would have Keane , Doyle , Long and Cox in there ahead of Best which leaves Cox....I would have Best in ahead of him but in saying that Cox has done well IMO for Ireland since coming into the side.

Back to keogh , The only conclusion I can come up with is that Trap can also play him as a winger and a striker ....so is versatility the reason.....

I do think Keogh is good a player and had high hopes for him when he came onto the scene...but he hasnt lived up to what I hoped he would become.
Still a good player though

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I've long since disregarded form as anything Trap considers for selection. If form had anything to do with it Best and Connolly would both be in there ahead of Cox and Keogh (and maybe Doyle and Long but I don't think they'd be dropped) and Hoolahan and Pilkington would be in there. I too remember when Keogh scored a goal in each of his first three matches under Trap (two against Portuguese lower division sides), but honestly I can't think of any reason other than that as to why he's in the squad. I wonder if Trap has even heard of Pilkington. Similarly, Delaney isn't even first choice at Ipswich right now.

Regardless of all of this though, I don't think is the time to be changing the squad. Hopefully we can qualify directly and get a look at some other players in November friendly matches.

I don't understand why people are always so surprised that Keogh is in the squad. In four years under Trap, he's played approximately 10 minutes as a striker. He's clearly there to give us a different attacking option when we aren't getting enough bodies in the box.

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Originally Posted by theworm2345

Regardless of all of this though, I don't think is the time to be changing the squad. Hopefully we can qualify directly and get a look at some other players in November friendly matches.

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I'd agree with that to a good degree worm. Without trying to open old wounds, surely the players themselves knew that to break into the autumn squads they'd have to have been around for the friendlies (all of them) in the first 6 months of the season?
It'll be the same (if we qualify) either in Nov or Feb, that the potential 10 warm-up games we play will be the time for experimentation.

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Originally Posted by theworm2345

I've long since disregarded form as anything Trap considers for selection. If form had anything to do with it Best and Connolly would both be in there ahead of Cox and Keogh (and maybe Doyle and Long but I don't think they'd be dropped) and Hoolahan and Pilkington would be in there. I too remember when Keogh scored a goal in each of his first three matches under Trap (two against Portuguese lower division sides), but honestly I can't think of any reason other than that as to why he's in the squad. I wonder if Trap has even heard of Pilkington. Similarly, Delaney isn't even first choice at Ipswich right now.

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Nearly all of them are the players chosen are there based on form. Only Gibson, Cox and Keogh could be considered guys who are picked despite regularly not getting a game. But Gibson is an option where we're short on talent and Cox was great off the bench in Russia (ie was in decent form). Best's form is great to see but Cox has done more than enough to keep his place.

Connolly, fair play to him, but you couldn't really make a case for him based on anything but he's getting goals in the Championship - and I think all the other players have a far stronger case to make than that.

Delaney was a regular but he's a versatile experienced defender, who can slot in at left back where we're short on cover. Should players simply be dropped if they're out of their club side?

As for Hoolahan's case, it's been said time and time again but he's hardly going to play in Trap's current system. I think he's the one player genuinely unlucky not to get a look in, but I can understand why he's not there.

And is Pilkington really making a case to replace any of our current wingers? Lawrence, maybe, but I'd still rather have Liam for experience and set-piece delivery. He's a decent prospect and all but, again, hardly a no brainer.

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Originally Posted by SwanVsDalton

Nearly all of them are the players chosen are there based on form. Only Gibson, Cox and Keogh could be considered guys who are picked despite regularly not getting a game. But Gibson is an option where we're short on talent and Cox was great off the bench in Russia (ie was in decent form). Best's form is great to see but Cox has done more than enough to keep his place.

Connolly, fair play to him, but you couldn't really make a case for him based on anything but he's getting goals in the Championship - and I think all the other players have a far stronger case to make than that.

Delaney was a regular but he's a versatile experienced defender, who can slot in at left back where we're short on cover. Should players simply be dropped if they're out of their club side?

As for Hoolahan's case, it's been said time and time again but he's hardly going to play in Trap's current system. I think he's the one player genuinely unlucky not to get a look in, but I can understand why he's not there.

And is Pilkington really making a case to replace any of our current wingers? Lawrence, maybe, but I'd still rather have Liam for experience and set-piece delivery. He's a decent prospect and all but, again, hardly a no brainer.

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In fairness to Keogh he is getting regular football in a crap Leeds side (I support them:() but it dosent take away from the fact that he's a very limited player.

On a more serious note did anyone see how much Manuela has aged at the press conference today. Obviously Trap's failure to grasp the English language has taken its' toll on her

Edit: He's just scored for Leeds and is playing very well

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Originally Posted by Kingdom

It'll be the same (if we qualify) either in Nov or Feb, that the potential 10 warm-up games we play will be the time for experimentation.

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They would play 10 friendlies if they Q for Euro? Is that right?

Wilson and Best should both be in the squad. Keogh and 1-2 others probably are dead wood at this stage.

Though Trap would pick 8 central midfielders to play in an eleven if he thought he'd get away with it...
But even if we did qualify, it'd be six friendlies max.before the finals. And not all might be 'full' internationals, eg. v.club sides?

did Trap have a falling out with Leon Best?

Wasn't there some late night hassle with Leon last year in Dublin?

I think he was miffed about his 'can't play a friendly but can play a game three days later attitude', like with others, and Best has been unlucky Trap has since taken a shine to Cox. Don't think it's anything more than that but open to correction.

Best and Walters are competing for the same spot I reckon.

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Originally Posted by Stuttgart88

Best and Walters are competing for the same spot I reckon.

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I agree, its one or the other. Cox offers something different than Best & Walters

Best Long Cox up front together could get the ladies in the house to ensure we sellout the Andorra game.

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Originally Posted by Crosby87

Best Long Cox up front together could get the ladies in the house to ensure we sellout the Andorra game.

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It's already sold out ;)

Oh they play Armenia at home? Oops.

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Originally Posted by Stuttgart88

Best and Walters are competing for the same spot I reckon.

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Well, on current form Best looks better!
Perhaps he's too 'creative' for Trap?
:rolleyes:

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Originally Posted by ArdeeBhoy

Well, on current form Best looks better!
Perhaps he's too 'creative' for Trap?
:rolleyes:

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If Trap picked Tweedledee, you would automatically claim he should have picked Tweedledum :)

I think the 2 of them could be in a 27 man squad which has 5 forwards.
Drop one of the lightweights, Long or Doyle? or drop Cox?

Atm, all our usual suspect options are available and one of them will be axed when it is reduced.
As Stutts says, Best & Walters are probably vying for the same spot, no harm though to have Best on close standby.

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Originally Posted by ArdeeBhoy

Well, on current form Best looks better!
Perhaps he's too 'creative' for Trap?
:rolleyes:

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By all accounts Walters was excellent against Man U.

I'm a big believer in having positive characters in the camp. If it's hard to choose between 2 players, I'd pick the more outgoing, positive personality. If Best's on-pitch persona is anything to go by, he looks a bit too self-interested and sulky to me.

I think Keogh's personality counts in his favour. So too does Cox's.