I could be wrong but I thought Foley is not in the intital squad but named as a replacementQuote:
Originally Posted by stiffler
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I could be wrong but I thought Foley is not in the intital squad but named as a replacementQuote:
Originally Posted by stiffler
whose got the tv coverage for this match, rte is it?
Just wanted to get the facts straight here for what they are.
A lot of times people talk about what was, what would have been without injury, or what is going to be/could have been.
I'd like to get out the facts as they are on our players form heading into a must win, and of course hear what people think.
Robbie Keane:
Fact: I mentioned that Duff could score more and was told by a few that He DOESNT score and is there to "Set Up." Fine. So....I mean someone has to score then, right? Well Robbie does not even really play anymore for Pool. He has scored a bit and frequently misses a target as big as the Titanic. So.........
Upside: He is rested and hungry as Irish Captain, and ready to prove his worth.
Downside: Umm.....the Captain of the freaking team doesnt really play anymore for his club. Sigh.
Bottom line on Form: Geez. Hard to grade. Thought Rusty was a dogs name.
Duff:
Fact: I havent heard his name in years. Fans fancy his runs, cherish his "hunger" and admire his athleticism. (And make excuses for injury time. Well, facts are, he hasnt done well off injury time, frankly.)
Upside: He certainly is not tired of winning.
Downside: He runs around like a chicken without a head, and is very seldom on the score sheet.
Bottom Line on Form: Ughh.....Newcastle? Please. But, people tell me he is invaluable to the Irish attack. Prove it against Georgia, is all I ask. If that is too much he needs to stop being championed. I think that's fair.
Dunne/McGeady
Fact: Although many will compensate with talks of other players surrounding them/manager support, or lack thereof, the bottom line is good players have good years on bad teams (in Dunnes case) and keep preforming under fire (McGeady sort of is.) But the bottom line is neither player is fancied as much as this time one year ago.
Upside: Well, Dunne gets a chance to prove his worth against Georgia. For McGeady, he can maybe score a goal, since Duff apparently isnt excpected to and Keane apparently cant.
Downside: They both had a career year last year, but last year aint now.
Bottom line on form: Seems to be debatable. Aiden needs a big goal in green to shut me up. Dunne, I think deserves the benefit of the doubt. (For now.)
Ill leave it up to the rest of you for the remaining starters, if you choose. i think it is an interesting conversation.
PS Of course I realize I could scroll to every single players name, but why not converge all current form thoughts to one thread, for the upcoming game vs Georgia?
Other than Robbie Keane I have no worries about any of the other players at the moment
I have to say I've always had my reservations about Duff in an Ireland shirt, I know he can beat players for fun but I would love to know his real value, how many assists does he have for Ireland in competitive games? Is that stat available?
Of course he is often double-teamed so that in itself is a positive contribution.
I'm not saying we have a better option that Duff on the left wing either, just trying to gauge his contribution.
Duff is playing well enough for Newcastle, but the bottom line for me is that he's done nothing to deserve being dropped from the Irish team.
I don't remember the last time he had a bad game for us, honestly.
If we were playing Italy right now I'd be a bit worried, but we're playing Georgia at home.
We're solid defensively and we have some good attacking players in the team that should be able to outclass the Georgian defenders.
Overall, I find your post to be pretty negative. Where's your mention of Kevin Doyle, who's having a great season? Or even Keith Andrews, who is part of a Blackburn side who are now undefeated in 7 games?
It's easy to focus on the negatives, but you'd have to be the ultimate pessimist to feel that we won't be able to beat Georgia at home.
If at this stage you have reservations about (a fit) Duff in an Ireland shirt you may as well pack it in.
Agreed. With Gibson and Whelan pulling the strings in our centre mid Duff is the least of our worries.Quote:
Originally Posted by geysir
Of course the stat is very dependant on the forwards finishing the chances he provides. Also I wouldn't be too worried what the stat is, it's very obvious what Duff brings to a very limited Irish team when he's injury free and it's all good.Quote:
Originally Posted by Qwerty
McShane is almost certain to miss this game (hamstring). What is happening with Finnan? Is he still injured? If he is I think Trap will move O'Shea to right full and play Bruce alongside Dunne rather than play Kelly or Foley at right back.
^ In that case, Marc Wilson should be called up as a back-up. Very promising player.
Duff is still arguably our biggest threat in big games so there is no way i would drop him, even if his form was awful for Newcastle, which it isnt. He is still vital for us
Not going to happen, that's two voluntary changes (new centre half, and new right full) as opposed to one forced change (new right full)Quote:
Originally Posted by Noelys Guitar
If McShane is out through injury, then Trapp must call up St Ledger, if not then the fans and media should ask why?
If I'm honest I think Trapp will listen to DG and bring one of his favourites in, just like DG did when fast tracking the limited Bruce.
I think I should point out that Bruce has played some time at right-back. He played there for Ipswich against Chelsea in their FA Cup game at the weekend.
Looked like McShane playing at right-full, so at least we'll get consistency in that position if Bruce slots in! :eek:
Maybe a wrong choice of words, I'm not questioning Duff and not saying we have a better option or that our real problems don't lie elsewhere, I just wanted to know how many goals he has actually set up for us is all...Quote:
Originally Posted by geysir
Georgia squad announced: http://www.fai.ie/index.php?option=c...k=view&id=3969
Georgia squad v Republic of Ireland (Feb 11):
Goalkeepers: Giorgi Loria (Lokomotivi Tbilisi), Zurab Mamaladze (FC Zestaponi), Roin Kvaskhvadze (FC Zestaponi)
Defenders: Kakha Kaladze (AC Milan), Zurab Khizanishvili (Blackburn Rovers), Lasha Salukvadze (Rubin Kazan), Davit Kvirkvelia (Rubin Kazan), Giorgi Shashiashvili (Sturm Graz), Alexandre Kvakhadze (WIT Georgia Tbilisi), Ucha Lobzhanidze (FCZestaponi)
Midfielders: Levan Kenia (Schalke 04), Levan Kobiashvili (Schalke 04), Zurab Menteshashvili (FK Ventspils), Levan Khmaladze (Dinamo Tbilisi), Davit Odikadze (Gyor ETO), Luka Razmadze (WIT Georgia Tbilisi), Murtaz Daushvili (FC Zestaponi)
Forwards: Alexandre Iashvili (SC Karlsruhe), Davit Siradze (Terek Grozny), Levan Mchedlidze (US Citta di Palermo), Georgi Merabashvili (Dinamo Tbilisi), Beka Gotsiridze (Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk).
Best player against cyprus in my opinion, that was our last game btw and we wonQuote:
Originally Posted by Qwerty
Lots of household names there!! Kaladze, Khizanishvili and....eh.......where's that cfdh edmundo guy to give us da low down!!!Quote:
Originally Posted by tetsujin1979
I hope he goes with Andrews in midfield. Impressed when he came on against Poland. The rest of the team will be same old same old barring last minute injuries.
I've had an awful premonition that we could go a goal down in this game.
A doomsday scenario given the tactics we currently employ.
We're woefully short of the creativity to play our way back into a game.
I'm with you on all three points. I think I read somewhere recently that Andrews came off injured in his last game for Blackburn, and that's very worrying. Andrews is, right now, the best like-for-like replacement we have for Steven Reid: tall, strong, good work-rate and a first-team (Blackburn!) player. Gibson has not done enough in a United or an Irish jersey to merit a starting place ahead of him - though of course Trap's selection choices thusfar indicate that one's fortunes at club level are no barometer of one's chances of being selected (Liam Miller in the squad ahead of Andy Reid, for example).Quote:
Originally Posted by shakermaker1982
I also agree with the subsequent post: while I readily admit I tend towards pessimism as Ireland games approach, I've long seen this one involving us going behind - within the first half an hour. We're incredibly reliant on our wingers to produce the goods, and while Duff and McGeady have been reasonably strong for their clubs, both are equally, unfortunately, prone to 'going missing' during games. McGeady still strikes me as a guy who is a bit cowed by the international game and doesn't fully back himself to give guys the runaround. There's a reticence about some of his play, and the sloppiness of his finishing, that hopefully he can be coached out of.
But basically, if Georgia shut out our wingers, I can't see where the goals are going to come from. Hunt and McGeady had strong games against them in Mainz - but I can't see Cuper not having identified our wingmen as our sole creative outlet. Putting Kaladze and Khizanishvilli at wing-back could make it a frustrating evening for us. Georgia's competitive matches in recent years have always been very close affairs - not that you'd back us to score more than 1 or 2 anyway. And I have a strange, queasy feeling we're going to concede early and at best eke out a 1-1.
TerryPhelan welcomes anyone with reasons for a more positive outlook... :)
I agree with you. If they take Duff and McGeady out of the game, our plan could be a little screwed.
What also worries me are out "like-for-like" replacements. If we lack penetration on the wings, another winger (Hunt) will be brought on for Duff or McGeady. If Doyle and Keane aren't making an impression, now that Folan's out, we only have Hunt or Long to try and mix it up.
Makes me wish Andy Reid was being considered. Whatever about starting the match, his passing from the wings or between the midfield and the strikers could make a goal out of nowhere for us.
However, maybe I'm being overly pessimistic. If Andrews starts (and I hope he does) we could get more attacking from the centre, which might surprise the Georgians.
Or, we could look at re-runs of Whelans goal and just tell everyone to shoot from distance....
Kakha Kaladze might not be fit. Would be big boost if that was the case
http://www.rte.ie/sport/soccer/2009/...k_georgia.html
I think its a certainty, the guy cant train at the moment.Quote:
Originally Posted by Razors left peg
Does anyone know Finnan's status? Is he a match time decision? Or is he definitely out already? Who would go in as right back if he is unfit? Surely not Eddie Nolan, just like that.
Finnan didn't play today for Espanyol. Kelly completed 90 minutes yesterday for Stoke.
Surely Foley has to next option at right back?Quote:
Originally Posted by Colbert Report
What about Stephen Kelly?
I forgot about him to be honest:DQuote:
Originally Posted by L37Ultra
I woud certainly be more than happy with either of the Hunt brothers playing, combined with Doyle they have a sackful of goals between then, even if it is at a lower level. When you compare 37 to the 8 scored by Keane, Duff and McGeady, well I have to say 37 at Championship levelQuote:
Originally Posted by Diarmo
seem far better than 8 or so at (partially Scottish) Premiership level.
That's a factor of 4.5 to one.
I can certainly understand Trap beinig defensive because with Keane Duff and McGeady you don't get goals too often.
Take away Doyle and you have 16 goals from the Hunts and just 3 from
Duff and McGeady, a ratio of 5:1.
OK football is not all stats and they don't tell the full picture, but well 4:1 and 5:1 well I would certainly consider it.
They do tot up the number of goals at the end of the day I believe ;)
I would try a few things in training.
He was on the bench for Milan yesterday but didn't come on.Quote:
Originally Posted by Razors left peg
He'll probably play but can't be 100%.
Going for 2-0 home win. Keane and Doyle in first half.
Keane, Doyle and Duff, all fit and ready to play with nothing too serious elsewhere on the latest injury front.
lets throw in a few more predictions. i wouldnt be surprised with a 2-0 or 3-1 irish win, and i think doyle will probably score a goal or two
does anyone know what traps opinion of stephen kelly is? id much rather see him play at right back ahead of mcshane or bruce
is andrews fit to play in the game?still think that trap will opt for gibson but would much prefer to see andrews play.i think that we'll score an early goal through doyle and sit back relying on shay given (yet again!!) to pull us through.hope i'm wrong and we try to attack the georgians but its hard to see trap changing his tactics
I'll go with 2-1. Keane (2)
2-0 to Ireland with Keane and Doyle on the scoresheet.
Im expecting a big game from Robbie, think we'll win by couple of goals
I'm going for 3-1 to us.....Keane (2) and Duffer
Doyle and mcgaedy 2-0