Starting 11 confirmed

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Originally Posted by eirebhoy

agreed. It definitely looks like Elliott is going to start on the right. Very poor decision and a waste of experimenting with someone in that position as Elliott is not going to be starting there in competitives. I wouldn't mind if he was even a right footer. :)

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I disagree. I think a worse decision would be for a manger to feel a player might offer something extra in a different position but never make an effort to try him out. It's not a waste of an experiment as it will give Stan an answer to whatever question he's asking himself about Elliot. In my opinion, it's the right place and time to do this.

I also note Mr. Henry is a right footer playing wide left - I won't write anything off with Elliot before Its been proven otherwise. :)

There's something about O'Shea in that if you see him at reserve or U21 level he sticks out above everyone, anyone would predict him going far. I don't know if its nerves but he is just not the same player in front of 50,000 people (bar his first season at Man United). I think he has the ability but he hasn't shown it since that first season. Its a clean slate under Staunton though and I'll hold all my critisism until he's played. :)

All in all I am excited about the team. It's adventerous and fairly attacking. All this talk about us going back to the Charlton days (I'd take the same level of success thank you very much) looks to be off the mark.

Interesting midfield but Keane & Doyle up front will be good to see.

I have yet to be very impressed with Elliot. I think he's too small to be an out and out striker and maybe Stan feels the same way. Another year in the Championship might be good for him.

My only concern with the team is that I wish we had a stronger tackling midfielder and that we had some players on the continent.

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Originally Posted by Fergie's Son

I have yet to be very impressed with Elliot.

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I'm suprised how often I hear that. I've been really impressed with Elliott every time I've seen him.

well i go to all of the home matches and o' shea has never had a good game....but hopefully he will play better for stan...his problem is he's too easily got out of position

what are the odds on doyle scoring on his debut?

Anyone else think O'Brien could be in the middle, with O'Shea at right back? Doesn't sound like it, but it might make sense.

Anyway, has O'Shea been playing midfield for Man Utd recently? They're down to playing players out of position, schoolkids, and field mice there these days.

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Originally Posted by padjoe

what are the odds on doyle scoring on his debut?

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13/8 with Paddy Power.

I am happy enough with the team. I was afraid JOB and KD wouldnt get in but its good to see them get the chance from the start. It will be interesting to see the formation, Elliott on the right (or left with duff on the right) seems a strange one but I suppose it could work. Doyle used to play as a winger so maybe he will be on the wing with elliott and keane up front.
The one decision I cant understand is Kavanagh not getting in. Is it anything to do with him playing a cup final on sunday? I would have thought he should be our first choice in centre of midfield at the moment.

Fair play to Staunton for being adventurous, but I really think that Lawrence should be on from the start and Elliot on the bench.Elliot has just come back from a long injury and there is no way he will be match fit. I am no admirer of O'Shea and he had a bad game for united on Sunday but it’s only a friendly so why not.

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Originally Posted by eirebhoy

13/8 with Paddy Power.

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That's pretty mean from Paddy

McCarthy played Elliott is a withdrawn role on the right earlier this season as well so it's not like he hasn't played there before and Doyle offers a bit more height upfront.

i just hope this dont mean ss sees kavanagh as a benchman, he should be a key man, as should clinton

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Originally Posted by Irish_Praha

That's pretty mean from Paddy

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Thats ridiculous, surely thats for an Ireland win?
Something like 7-1 would be more appropiate!!
(mind you they usually quote for *first* goal scorer) but mean odds
nonetheless.
He is 15/8 at William Hill where I play my poker :)
Mind you Gary Breen is 10-1 and he is not even starting!!!
Talk about mean, unbackable.

Stephen Elliot might be a better bet, he is not even listed at Hill's

Anyway you won't get value backing Ireland at Paddy Power, too
many biased bets from Irish men. Best find a Swedish bookmaker ;)

Example Harte is 7/2 at Paddy and 5-1 at Hills. (Still poor odds though).

Going back a few posts, I've always been impressed by Elliott too & at all levels. He's not that small either and he's strongly built too.

Good all round player but very instinctive goalscorer. He's been unlucky this year. Was one of the few Sunderland players to play well early season, despite being played further to the right than he'd have liked and scored 2 great goals, though I think he should have scored another in each of those games. Was p1ss poor in the first half in Faroes, but made up for it in the second. Made an impact off the bench against Italy & scored from a very difficult chance in Cyprus.

I'm excited to have him & Doyle showing so much promise.

But to play him on the right would be criminal. I really really doubt that's how it will pan out.

I'd be very surprised if he starts with 3 upfront.

Expect Andy O'Brien and Richie Dunne but AOB in particular to be exposed badly tonight by the guile of Larrsson and sheer power and skill of Ibrahimovic

Midfield is really soft if thats a long term team. Hopefully Stephen Ireland will come through in the middle, and Paddy McCarthy will come through at centre back.

We can dump Donkeys like Stephen Reid and Andy O’Brien then

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Originally Posted by Reality Bites

Expect Andy O'Brien and Richie Dunne but AOB in particular to be exposed badly tonight by the guile of Larrsson and sheer power and skill of Ibrahimovic

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Will be a good test for them alright. AOB looks all at sea at times at club level but for some reason he's always looked better at international level. I wonder how much of this was Cunningham's influence. Any player that plays next to him looks good I think. Just look at how much acclaim Upson got when he first went to Birmingham, but then lost form when Cunningham was injured. Will be interesting to see.

Dunne on the other hand is a great man to have when it's backs against the wall time, but tends to lose concentration during more comfortable games. It's imperative these two play well together.

To be honest he would be one of the first names I would have on the team-sheet in centre mid. He is strong, atlethic, covers ground and adds a goalthreat