Ireland Squad named

I agree that he's not going to change the formation - he's not going to play one he hasn't tested with this team.

He'll stick with two wingers. This is why I worry that he'll play Hunt instead of A. Reid. I'd love to see A. Reid longside S. Reid in CM but since I know that's not going to happen in the near future, I'd accept playing him left side. He's a much more intelligent footballer than Hunt and he's as good a crosser if not better.

But the main reason I'd have him ahead of Hunt is he'd be able to thread balls through to Keane and Doyle from the left. Hunt is unable to do this. Reid's vision is exceptional and he has the talent to make the most of this vision, he's essential to our team.

It's a big gamble leaving Carsley out. Even if he hasn't played under Trap he could sleepwalk into that formation. Two years ago Stan thought we had enough in midfield without Carsley.
Maybe Trap will be fully vindicated plunging on Whelan with O'Brien for back up.
There is no room to make up later from a bad start. Less than 4 points will leave us at the starting gate.

I actually think Hunt's crossing would be better than Reid's. If we had a real predator up front he would be perfect, but Andy suits Trap's passing game brilliantly. I think he knows what Hunt is best at, coming on if the match is tight.

duff is not a big loss imo


andy reid on the left???? eh dont you have to be fit to play that position??

he belongs in the hole in behind the striker in the centre imo

Did you not watch him against Spurs or against Forest when he played on the left for Sunderland. This idea that he is not fit is rubbish. It has been proved to have been incorrect and I saw it with my own eyes last year in Prague when he matched Rosicky time and time again for runs.

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Originally Posted by NeilMcD

Did you not watch him against Spurs or against Forest when he played on the left for Sunderland. This idea that he is not fit is rubbish. It has been proved to have been incorrect and I saw it with my own eyes last year in Prague when he matched Rosicky time and time again for runs.

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the fitness comment was sarcasm - poor attempt i grant you (-;

i was in prague last year neill and many more ireland games and tbh i did not think he was anywhere near fit when i saw him

i think andy reid is a quality player - but i think he is better utilised in the centre rather than the wing

Well he played centre mid that night and I was debating with a friend for a long time about the merits or Reid and he was strong in the view that he was not fit enough. Anyway after the game he came up to me and he had been convinced. There were loads of times last year that Reid matched the Czech players and tracked them all the way. He played in the centre that night and he was able to track back time and time again.

Reid has the ability to pick out Keane's runs into the box or beyond the last defender almost with his eyes closed. That should not be overlooked by Trap. Against a very good footballing Forest team on Wednesday night Reid ran the show for 120 mins. With a hostile crowd giving him stick throughout the match. Miller on the other hand was rubbish. And yet according to Trap's alleged comments Miller is ahead of Reid in the centrl midfield pecking order. I expect to see Hunt replacing Duff which again to me is the wrong option. Andy Reid needs to play in both upcoming games for us to win. Either replacing Whelan or Duff.

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Originally Posted by Noelys Guitar

Reid has the ability to pick out Keane's runs into the box or beyond the last defender almost with his eyes closed. That should not be overlooked by Trap. Against a very good footballing Forest team on Wednesday night Reid ran the show for 120 mins. With a hostile crowd giving him stick throughout the match. Miller on the other hand was rubbish. And yet according to Trap's alleged comments Miller is ahead of Reid in the centrl midfield pecking order. I expect to see Hunt replacing Duff which again to me is the wrong option. Andy Reid needs to play in both upcoming games for us to win. Either replacing Whelan or Duff.

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Agree - Keane and A.Reid are certainly on the same wavelength from an attacking perspective. What best illustrates this for me is Keane's goal against Israel - just before the implosion. Great vision and execution from Reid to pick him out.

Will the neutral standing of the game affect our tactics and mindset for the game? Given the circumstances - Georgia could have a right go at this game. I've a feeling we're going to need to be very well organised for this lot.

Fairly poor Irish squad all round I reckon. How many of the squad are even playing with decent premiership sides? And why so many similar defenders? Hopefully the starting 11 will be able to get past a tough Georgian side!:cool:

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Originally Posted by BigBird

Fairly poor Irish squad all round I reckon. How many of the squad are even playing with decent premiership sides? And why so many similar defenders? Hopefully the starting 11 will be able to get past a tough Georgian side!:cool:

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Maybe not the best Irish squad in recent years, but having seen Georgia in Belfast earlier this year, so long as you don't let them play - and they're a very young and inexperienced team - then you should be comfortably too good for them.

That said, they do have a fair bit of ability, so that when we took our foot off the pedal in the second half (following disruption caused by a rash of second-rate substitutes), they showed they could be tricky enough.

I'd say Trapattoni will play it cautiously/defensively, as he gradually imposes himself and his ideas after the two wasted years under Staunton.

In which case, my bet would be on a narrow victory over Georgia, though the peculiar circumstances (recent war, venue etc) might just cause the Georgians to raise their game?

[quote=EalingGreen;1010021]Maybe not the best Irish squad in recent years, but having seen Georgia in Belfast earlier this year, so long as you don't let them play - and they're a very young and inexperienced team - then you should be comfortably too good for them.


As ever this is a well reasoned and appreciated contribution to the thread, but at the risk of opening up an old and fruitless disputation, why exactly do you read this site at all. Surely the prospects of the Ireland (Republic of) football team are of no more interest to yourself than those of any other foreign nation. If it is just neighbourly interest then I assume that you keep an equally close eye on the respective sites for Wales, Scotland and England supporters? Or might it just be that your attitude towards the ROI is a little bit more equivocal than you care to admit. This is compared to recent decades a poor Ireland squad and it would clearly benefit from the services of a few capable northerners (Evans, McCartney, Lafferty, Brunt would all be in contention for selection for this game). The paradox is this. The more inclusive that Northern Ireland seek to be in encouraging cross-community support / participation in their team, the less point there is in having two international teams when our combined resources are so slender.

We already live in strange islands where there is no correlation between national boundaries and footballing jurisdictions. We also live with the paradox of a rugby team that represents all of one state and a small part of its neighbouring state. I wonder whether amongst the majority of reasonable people on both sides of the border the idea of a combined football team called Ireland would not have considerable support.

Lads we all know what Carsely can bring to Ireland, but in all seriousness it isnt a massive mistake not having him in the squad. He rarely plays above average for us and in all seriousness it is time we looked at different options in that position.
I personally dont have many issues with the squad, would have liked to have seen lawrence there but the rumour is he is quite a disruptive influence. Im sure Trap is trying to recreate a good atmosphere in the group so maybe that was his reasoning for not calling up Lawrence.

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Originally Posted by third policeman

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Originally Posted by EalingGreen

Maybe not the best Irish squad in recent years, but having seen Georgia in Belfast earlier this year, so long as you don't let them play - and they're a very young and inexperienced team - then you should be comfortably too good for them.

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As ever this is a well reasoned and appreciated contribution to the thread,

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Thank You.

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Originally Posted by third policeman

but at the risk of opening up an old and fruitless disputation, why exactly do you read this site at all. Surely the prospects of the Ireland (Republic of) football team are of no more interest to yourself than those of any other foreign nation. If it is just neighbourly interest then I assume that you keep an equally close eye on the respective sites for Wales, Scotland and England supporters? Or might it just be that your attitude towards the ROI is a little bit more equivocal than you care to admit. This is compared to recent decades a poor Ireland squad and it would clearly benefit from the services of a few capable northerners (Evans, McCartney, Lafferty, Brunt would all be in contention for selection for this game). The paradox is this. The more inclusive that Northern Ireland seek to be in encouraging cross-community support / participation in their team, the less point there is in having two international teams when our combined resources are so slender.

We already live in strange islands where there is no correlation between national boundaries and footballing jurisdictions. We also live with the paradox of a rugby team that represents all of one state and a small part of its neighbouring state. I wonder whether amongst the majority of reasonable people on both sides of the border the idea of a combined football team called Ireland would not have considerable support.

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Unless you either start a separate thread in the appropriate section, or PM me (and I've the time and inclination to reply), then your post is, as you fear, "fruitlessly disputatatious".

I don't see many other posters having to justify their membership of this Board and so long as I remain within the letter and spirit of the Rules, I don't see why I should have to do so, either.

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Originally Posted by EalingGreen

Thank You.

I don't see many other posters having to justify their membership of this Board and so long as I remain within the letter and spirit of the Rules, I don't see why I should have to do so, either.

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There is a significant difference between "explaining" and "justifying." Your well argued and informative contributions are more than adequate justification for your presence on this site. I just remain curious as to why you give us so much of your time when your allegiances lie firmly elsewhere.

I think that our (Republic of Ireland) squad is at present extremely weak (a fact compounded by Trap's seemingly eccentric selection policies) and maybe there is now a pragmatic case for two small nations who share an island, a rugby team and quite a bit else to consider pooling their resources. As someone with an obvious interest in what might be termed "Irish soccer" I thought you might have some thoughts on the subject. A lot of rational Irish football fans on both sides of the border will cheer on the "other Irish team" when their side fails to qualify for major tournaments. I think we are now looking at a scenario where it will become increasingly difficult for either side to qualify as standards across Europe improve and nations with bigger populations and better developed domestic structures squeeze us out. Would you rather see a combined Irish side taking part in World Cup and European finals or see Northern Ireland and Ireland failing to qualify over and over again?

Clearly a lot of die-hards in both camps would never countenance comprimising their stance on flags, anthems and all the historic baggage, but your very presence on this site suggests that you are not of this ilk.

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Originally Posted by third policeman

There is a significant difference between "explaining" and "justifying."

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3rd policeman, do you know where you are? get a grip of yourself there and take it to another thread.
Otherwise I'd have to assume you are a figment of EGs imagination or an OWC agent provocateur on a dastardly mission to sabotage this forum/thread.

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Originally Posted by third policeman

There is a significant difference between "explaining" and "justifying." Your well argued and informative contributions are more than adequate justification for your presence on this site. I just remain curious as to why you give us so much of your time when your allegiances lie firmly elsewhere.

I think that our (Republic of Ireland) squad is at present extremely weak (a fact compounded by Trap's seemingly eccentric selection policies) and maybe there is now a pragmatic case for two small nations who share an island, a rugby team and quite a bit else to consider pooling their resources. As someone with an obvious interest in what might be termed "Irish soccer" I thought you might have some thoughts on the subject. A lot of rational Irish football fans on both sides of the border will cheer on the "other Irish team" when their side fails to qualify for major tournaments. I think we are now looking at a scenario where it will become increasingly difficult for either side to qualify as standards across Europe improve and nations with bigger populations and better developed domestic structures squeeze us out. Would you rather see a combined Irish side taking part in World Cup and European finals or see Northern Ireland and Ireland failing to qualify over and over again?

Clearly a lot of die-hards in both camps would never countenance comprimising their stance on flags, anthems and all the historic baggage, but your very presence on this site suggests that you are not of this ilk.

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Please don't mix sport and politics, this sort of discussion has destroyed lots of interesting threads on here already. If you want to ask EG a private question PM him as he suggests.

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Originally Posted by third policeman

There is a significant difference between "explaining" and "justifying." Your well argued and informative contributions are more than adequate justification for your presence on this site. I just remain curious as to why you give us so much of your time when your allegiances lie firmly elsewhere.

I think that our (Republic of Ireland) squad is at present extremely weak (a fact compounded by Trap's seemingly eccentric selection policies) and maybe there is now a pragmatic case for two small nations who share an island, a rugby team and quite a bit else to consider pooling their resources. As someone with an obvious interest in what might be termed "Irish soccer" I thought you might have some thoughts on the subject. A lot of rational Irish football fans on both sides of the border will cheer on the "other Irish team" when their side fails to qualify for major tournaments. I think we are now looking at a scenario where it will become increasingly difficult for either side to qualify as standards across Europe improve and nations with bigger populations and better developed domestic structures squeeze us out. Would you rather see a combined Irish side taking part in World Cup and European finals or see Northern Ireland and Ireland failing to qualify over and over again?

Clearly a lot of die-hards in both camps would never countenance comprimising their stance on flags, anthems and all the historic baggage, but your very presence on this site suggests that you are not of this ilk.

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I seem to spend half my time on this Board "justifying" myself, but fair enough, I'll give you the benefit of the doubt that you were genuinely seeking an explanation.

However, so as to keep it brief/on topic/uncontroversial etc, and also to prevent this thread being locked, I shall merely say two things.
1. As a lifelong NI fan, I have absolutely no wish to see my team disappear, whether into a United Ireland team or into a United Kingdom team. As such, that has nothing whatever to do with our "success" or the lack of it. Rather, I am quite happy with our own occasional, moderate achievements. And even if you were to tell me that we would never win another game, then the only difference this might make would be to cause me to drift away, not call for a new team, or switch to supporting else. (Note my use of "might", btw)
2. There are a number of reasons why I frequent this site. Partly these are to do with the inescapable fact that football in Ireland is inevitable linked to some extent across the two jurisdictions, both historically and currently. Partly it is because I am a football nut generally and this is one of the best run such sites I've found. And I guess is it partly because I like airing my own opinions - and I'm hardly alone in that in this company! ;)

this liam miller issue just annoys me - his continuous inclusion in the ireland squad is baffling - the guy is cleary limited and is far off the required standard of international football.

how he gets in the squad ahead of carsley is mind blowing. If he is picked for the team against georgia and mont: , it will be very worrying

i didnt think liam brady rated him? did he? he is a limited championship player

I think there have been stronger squads. but our best 11 out of that squad is as good a team as we could produce in recent years. Pity a few judas' wont play. Their loss.