Our "full-strength" side have been gash. We NEED to change it around.Quote:
Originally Posted by Murfinator
Our "full-strength" side have been gash. We NEED to change it around.Quote:
Originally Posted by Murfinator
He's not going to make 7 changes for the German match. If he wants changes the best way to test and integrate them would be to make 2 or 3 changes within the template of the full strength team. Change everything and its hard to learn anything.Quote:
Originally Posted by BonnieShels
No one is saying that he has to change everything. but it's not beyond the realms of logic to, I dunno, put a winger on the wing and drop Glenn Whelan and Wardy.Quote:
Originally Posted by Murfinator
Whelan is currently the most disliked player on here I think. JOSH, take solace.
I still think Wardy edges him.Quote:
Originally Posted by Crosby87
There's nothing wrong with that but this Oman game is the perfect game to do that. So why isn't he starting the same team minus Whelan, Ward and Cox? We might actually learn something useful if he did that, we'll learn nothing from a reserve team.Quote:
Originally Posted by BonnieShels
I honestly didn't think Whelan was that bad against Kazakhstan. He didn't have much chance to get on the ball, but he held onto it much of the time he did (bar one or two sloppy passes). I think it was tough to assert himself on the game and if one player is going to be dropped for Andrews, it will be McCarthy. Partly due to Trap's favour for Whelan but also because Andrews and McCarthy are somewhat similar in terms of their roles (even though McCarthy is more gifted, obviously but whether he can apply this against Germany when Andrews has done so against, for instance, France).
It's such a pity that when discussing the merits of a player in a starting line-up, the overriding factor in the context of the discussion is Trap's favour. This would be fine were Trap's favour in line with reality.
Ward is a definite weak link in defence. Gives away far too many free kicks as a result of his poor positional sense. I hope Cunningham can step up soon.
Any thoughts of us playing a central 3 in defence rather than obsessing with a makeshift 4?
It would allow us 5 in the middle.
I've always loved 3 at the back but I don't expect to ever see an Irish side do it.
We played 3 at the back for a while under McCarthy around 1996/7. Didn't help himself by playing Irwin and Keane (at different times) as centre-backs, but it really didn't work, we were all over the place. It was scrapped after the defeat in Macedonia, reverted to a back four thereafter.
I think it didn't work SF for a reason you've touched on - we had excellent, world class full backs at the time and a scarcity of genuine wing backs. It might be different now but I don't know that it's the solution.
Ward isn't a great defender but he helped create a chance for McGeady to stick in a good cross by actually running at the Kazahks. I wish we'd done more of that. I think the next time it happened, it was Doyle and we got a goal out of it.
With the scarcity of proper 21st century FBs we need a solution. 4 isn't gonna work for that very reason. And if our FBs could defend consistently you would except it... But they don't.
With 5 in the middle it allows us McGeady and McClean on the wings. They're also very good tracking back as well which provides us with good cover in the FB channels. Id play a centralised three with McCarthy in the middle and Andrews between him and the back three.
Id put Hoolahan in front of McCarthy to complete the 5 and then flip a coin for the front two... :-P
Doesn't matter if we have 3, 2 or zero in central midfield they'll continue to only be there for defensive purposes so long as our gameplan is a long ball over their heads.Quote:
Originally Posted by BonnieShels
I'm expecting a completely different back four from Kelly, OBrien, Pearce, Coleman McShane against Oman, plus many other squad players getting game time.
I think that would be good as it will give us options should we pick up injuries or suspensions during the qualifiers.
Stephen Henderson called in for Keiren Westwood
Out of interest, why would you have McClean in the middle instead of McGeady, who I would think is more suited to the role?Quote:
Originally Posted by backtowalsall
I wouldn't mind Cox starting. As a striker.
Meyler starting in midfield would be incredible, though.
Emmett Malone reckons Brady is going to start on the wing, with Coleman right-full, Marc Wilson at left back and David Meyler in midfield : http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/...323799375.html
He suggests the side will be:
Forde
Coleman Kelly St Ledger/McShane Wilson
Brady McCarthy Meyler Keogh
Long Doyle
I am both surprised and intrigued.