I know nothing about football - either do the analysts at Sky Sports where Richard Dunne got a average of 8.7 and was labelled 'Magnificant'. They gave S Ireland a rating of 6 and said that he gave possession up all to often - now and again???????
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No the opinion of this reporter...
City, in stark contrast, were magnificent, wearing a 1950s-style kit but playing with 1970s verve. Some of Sven-Goran Eriksson's players had been hiding from the ball in recent weeks but two of the worst culprits, Stephen Ireland and Martin Petrov, could not get enough of it here yesterday.
http://football.guardian.co.uk/Match...255607,00.html
.................Given
....Kelly Dunne McShane Kilbane
...........Carsley A Reid
....... McGeady Ireland Duff
................Keane
If Traps is going to play this 4-2-3-1 system, then that is our strongest team based on league form.
Carsley, A. Reid, McGeady, Ireland and Duff all playing together in the centre of midfield is a bloody frightening prospect for a team like Bulgaria. We also have quality on the bench in terms of Doyle, Hunt, S. Reid, etc, who can all be thrown on.
Just one more thing. Please, oh please, can Traps play players in their natural positions. No more playing O' Shea at centre back or putting Duff on the right wing. It's like replacing the engine of a Ferrari with Mini.
Home
..............Given
Kelly/Finnan Dunne O'Shea Kilbane
........S Reid A Reid
....McGeady Ireland Duff
..............Keane
Away
.....................Given
Kelly/Finnan Dunne McShane O'Shea
..............S Reid Carsley
........Ireland Duff/McGeady Hunt
....................Keane
We have to play to our strengths and our strengths are not 442. We are limited in central midfield. Solution is to play 3 there. We are not unbelievably solid at the back so play a holding player in midield. Our strengts are our attackers so play 4 of them
Paddy Agnew in today's Irish Times quotes Trap as saying 3-4-1-2 is his favourite formation (theoretically anyway).
I'm not going to second guess his team, but one thing's for sure - this guy understands the nuances of all the various systems / variations available and knows the attributes required for the relevant roles. I very much doubt we'll have the square pegs in round holes we've become used to in recent years.
I suspect we'll see a far better blend of our more combative players with our more elegant players.
I'm surprised by the amount of people putting Finnan and A O'Brien in there lineups - they have retired!!! Forget about them
McShane has been found out, on current form then St Ledger has to be a head of most.
I think he is the type of player that Trap goes for in as much as St Ledger can play, reads the game well, has pace and likes to bring the ball out from the back and is an excellent sweeper too.
In a 442 system, a future, Dunne/St Ledger partnership would be well suited.
I read that article this morning. Very balanced article. I'm not sure how the 3412 formation would go with the potential squad of players we had.
Kelly Dunne O'Shea
xx Reid Reid xx
xx
Keane Doyle
I have "xx" in place of the two wingers and the "central inside attacker" as Trapattoni referred to it. I'd imagine those in contention would be Hunt McGeady Duff, but I can't help but think the team would be terribly open.
I think that are very close.
1. Stephen Ireland has stated that he hates playing down the right and the last he did so was a disaster.
2. Stephen Reid and Carsely are both holding midfielders imo. Both cannot be on. If its Andy Reid then he needs to lose a stone first.
McGeady should be on and Ireland instead of whichever reid.
O'Dea caanot make the Celtic team and left back is Celtic's weakest position. Plus Strachan has said that O'Dea is nowhere near ready for International senoir football.
Duff is left footed. Why play down the right? Is this really Steve Staunton?
PS: If it is you Stan, best of luck at leeds
If he plays a 4-4-2 system, this is his best team:
------------------------- Given ---------
Finnan --------- Dunne ----- A O'Brien/O'Shea -------- Kilbane (shuddering)
McGeady ------------ Ireland ---------- Carsely --------- Hunt
------------------- Doyle --------------- Keane
------------------------------------------------------------------------
If he plays a 4-5-1
----------------------------Given
Finnan --------- Dunne ----- A O'Brien/O'Shea -------- Kilbane (shuddering)
McGeady ------------ Ireland ----------Hunt ----- Carsely --------- Duff
-------------------------------- Doyle----------------------
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
I he plays a 3-5-2 then we are in troible as we only have 1 good centre back.
in a three five two you are better off with your two wide centre back been full backs come centre backs. England did this with neville and pearce. That way when they get pull on the outside they are comfortable with it. In addition what you need is the defensive midfielder to be able to sit in an act as an auxiliary centre back. I am sure Carsley could do this if we are caught on the break. It is this flexibility that you need with the 3 5 2.
Ireland and Carsley is a disaster of a midfield in a 4 4 2 and the two Reids is much better. I think I would totally disagree with you on nearly every footballing issue tactically.
--------------Buffon--------------------
Panucci---Nesta---Cannavaro---Zambrotta
--------Perrotta-----Zanetti-------------
--Camoranesi--Totti----Del Piero--------
---------------Vieri--------------------
Plenty of Italian teams play it. When Roma played Totti as the main striker last season they always had 3 players supporting with De Rossi and Pizarro sitting in midfield.
If I could take a bet on that I would..:D
I know it may be all newspaper talk but Trapatonni says that
"He's a very, very important player for Ireland."
http://www.independent.ie/sport/socc...d-1290828.html