..........Forde
Meyler JOSH Wilson Ward
........Whelan Gibson
.........Hoolahan
McGeady...Long...McClean
*although its touch and go between Lond and Keane, given how tuned in Keane and Wes were to each other(
Is what I|d go for. I prefer KW in nets but Forde has to start given he started last weekend.
I think ONeill will pick the same except
........Quinn
Walters..Keane..McGeady
Germany manager, Joachim Löw, has claimed that his squad are playing too much club football and were not allowed enough rest following their World Cup triumph in July.
Julian Draxler, who is expected to replace Cristoph Kramer for Germany’s game against the Republic of Ireland on Tuesday night, told Löw before Saturday’s game against Poland that he did not feel fit enough to play the entire 90 minutes. He replaced Kramer in the second-half of the 2-0 defeat, while Toni Kroos complained afterwards about the schedule being “clearly too full”.
“The load on players is too high,” Löw said. “The high demands on teams in national leagues and of course the Champions League – it’s too much. If you look at the players, they need more of a break. Some players only get as little as three weeks after a major tournament and it’s straight back to the grind. Many of the players who are with us now, if you analyse their situation they have too short a break before they are reintegrated into their clubs in pre-season. It’s simply not enough.
“Maybe it doesn’t make a difference over one particular season but it certainly does over several. I agree with Toni Kroos: some of my players play too much.”
Schurrle out now.
If we can't get a result against Germany tonight, or at least give a good account of ourselves, we never will.
We're never going to get a better chance. It's just a crying shame that Coleman, and McCarthy in particular, are out - the latter for little or no reason.
The manager has to make the right decisions now. Walters & Keane shouldn't be starting. The former in particular would be more useful sprung off the bench with 25 minutes to go and trying to close out a result, instead of being so negative and starting him with a view to a damage limitation exercise.
Crying shame Coleman is out without a doubt.Quote:
Originally Posted by TheOneWhoKnocks
Suppose the German players have some grounds for being burnt out. All playing with top clubs that have reached the latter stages of the CL the past few years, as well as being involved in the for WC some two weeks after the group eliminations... not to mention the deserved celebrations that probably went with it.
Germany v Ireland Neuer, Rudiger, Hummels, Boateng, Durm, Ginter, Kroos , Bellarabi, Gotze, Draxler, Muller. two changes
Starting XI for tonight: Forde, Meyler, O'Shea, Wilson, Ward, McGeady, Whelan, Quinn, McClean, Keane, Walters
Cue the outrage :mad:
That doesn't look too promising. McGeady in the middle and Walters on the right? Or a flat 4-4-2? If it's the latter, God help us. If the former, Hoolahan should be playing centrally with McGeady on the right. Not hugely impressed.
Same team as in Georgia, with Meyler in for the injured Coleman.
Hmm.
Also McClean in for McCarthy.Quote:
Originally Posted by pineapple stu
McClean didn't start in Georgia either.Quote:
Originally Posted by pineapple stu
A bit deflating to be fair, regardless of how they're set up. McClean is predictable and easily contained by top level opposition. Keane ahead of Long would have been acceptable if he had Hoolahan to feed off, but now he looks pretty isolated. O'Neill must have just looked at Trap's away record and thought 'if it's not broken don't try to fix it'.
I hope Walters proves me wrong tonight but why in God's name would you stick him on the wing?
He puts a shift in but he's slow, predictable and will give away plenty of free kicks.
Lads look again at the way we opened Germany up in '02. A lump forward from the fullback towards Quinner, who got a good flick-on to Robbie, who did the rest.
This 'weak' Germany side have 5 players of a calibre that would make them a once in a generation player for us, right down the spine of the side (Neuer, Hummels, Kroos, Gotze, Muller). We aren't going to get much of the ball tonight. This is a side selected to be dogged and work hard, with a view to McGeady maybe creating a bit of magic on the counter, or a lump forward to Walters to try to get a flick on to Robbie.
We sure as hell aren't going to beat Germany by getting involved in a game of football.
Missed opportunity tonight. Quinn,Walters and Keane shouldn't be in the team and Whelan will be exposed again in this set up. I can't understand the logic behind Keane and particularly Walters starting. More proof that Keane is undroppable.
True. Another enforced change though.Quote:
Originally Posted by Supreme feet
Just not sure the performance in Georgia really justifies a repeat against the world champions, however weakened.
Giles reckons it has to be a 4-4-2 with the players selected. I doubt he's even heard of a 4-2-3-1 but he might be right by default. I suppose if these inexperienced German full backs can be got at it might make some sense to have two wingers, and maybe Walters will help Keane up top. I'd still prefer Hoolahan in there though and this way we'll be outnumbered in midfield, granted they're missing some seriously heavy hitters in there.
What's so maddening about tonight is Germany are weakened. With Coleman and McCarthy out, we can't afford to make same pattern of mistakes. But Long is still being ignored, Walters is still the jack of all trades and good in none and we are still indentured to Keane.