Tbf, it's not going to matter much on Friday, besides a novelty value, how we line up/play next week is much more important.
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Tbf, it's not going to matter much on Friday, besides a novelty value, how we line up/play next week is much more important.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Stuttgart88
No room for a Holding Midfielder there Stutts?
None whatsoever, anywhere or anytime!
Is that the team you would play? I do think it's a safe (non contreversial) selection for Noel King though.Quote:
Originally Posted by Stuttgart88
I'd consider dropping Keane against Germany with a garauntee of a start in the following game. I'd even consider Green ahead of Gibson to partner McCarthy in the defensive midfield role for the German game.
I'd play McGeady Reid and Pilkington in the advance midfield roles with Long alone up front. (If Hoolahan had been playing more football i'd have opted for him instead of Reid)
----Green-- McCarthy
McGeady------Reid------Pilkington
---------Long-------
That's just me though. Don't think i'd be brave enough to drop Keane and choose Green over Gibson in Kings position...
I think Mcgeady is too lightweight against Germany, therefore I'd stick Long on the wing.
Long is not a goalscorer and we have seen him be very poor in front of goal and is short of match practice.
Keane can still grab a goal, i'd put him up there and Long on the wing for both of the above reasons, hence why im leaning with Stutts, you could always bring mcgeady on in the wing for Long with 20 mins to go when the germans are a little tired - not much mind cos they are German.
I thought Long was a real physical threat when he came on against Arsenal on Sunday.
dr_peepee, I'd say that probably is the team I would play although I'd be torn between Reid and Hoolahan. I think Wes might be a better bench option, not having started much of late. McGeady for the bench too. I should have added him to my list of possibles.
I agree re-Keane, but I think it'd be interesting how well he can play that role. I don't think it's a lone striker role as such. The thing is, Germany away will probably teach us very little.
I'd also pick a goalkeeper and back 4!
Regarding tickets for the Kazakhstan tie premium tickets via ticketmaster are €40 which compares well with the general admission nosebleed sections for €35-€45.
Anyone know if you get anything extra like a programme or is it just the seat at 'premium' level with access to a bar?
Yeah. that's all. If you're in one of the boxes you get a programme but they're not on general sale
Noel King invited Shamrock Rovers' David Elebert along with Richie Towell, John Sullivan, Kurtis Byrne and Andy Boyle of Dundalk to train with the squad today. I suspect this won't be the last time we see Towell involved with the senior international side.
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?f...type=1&theater
No Darren Meenan, surprisingly.
Feeling a bit more positive now about the 2 games. Good to see Reid, Gibson & Stokes back in the fold & 4-5-1 is surely the only way you'd line up against this German side so a midfield looking like this could at least keep the ball for more than 2 passes:
Pilkington Gibson Hoolahan McCarthy Reid
I'd stick Long or Stokes up top for the donkey work (sorry Robbie).
Disappointing, considering he put himself about so well on Sunday.Quote:
Originally Posted by Charlie Darwin
I understand the "call-ups" were more to fill up required numbers for a training game rather than an indication of possible interest in calling them up at some point in the future or an exercise to offer them a flavour of senior international experience. Of course, King won't have the opportunity to select another Irish squad.Quote:
Originally Posted by Yossarian
I think King called the guys up based on tactical reasons. He wanted certain types of players, no? It wasn't a statement that these are the top 5 players.
King uses 5 LOI players to prepare for Germany and it's seen as disappointing. Yossarian's username is very apt, putting King in a Catch 22 situation like that.
They'd be among the better players but Towell is the only one who you'd say is in the top 5. He'll be in future Ireland squads, for sure, and he'll learn from this experience. The others, probably not. Elebert is probably only there because Croly doesn't rate him.Quote:
Originally Posted by Stuttgart88
They were brought in because they occupy roughly the same positions as the players who sat out the 11 v 11 match - 3 defenders, a midfielder and a striker (Delaney, Clark, McGeady and Doyle).
There's nothing sure about Towell and future squads. Fine player but there are reasons he didn't make the SPL grade. Hope he can recover and get back to learning a good living
King approached other LOI managers/players but they refused the request (on the basis of league games this weekend). Wouldn't be reading too much into the players selected as, to all intents and purposes, they're just bodies. Elebert, for example, is one of the worst centre halves in the league. 4th choice for the team in 5th position
No harm though. Players will enjoy it and King makes an anti-Trap point.
(Oh and Meenan is a Northern Ireland u21 international (born in the Republlic))
I don't know what the reasons were that Towell didn't get an SPL contract but he appears to have gotten over it already.Quote:
Originally Posted by Dodge
Towell didn't get a contract presumably because the managers there didn't rate him. The game is full of players who in spite of their obvious talents have had trouble getting contracts and sometimes it's just a matter of finding a manager who has that amount of faith in you. Conor Henderson as recently as last month had run out of options at Championship level with managers unconvinced of his ability before Hull swooped in to give him a Premier League contract. Not getting a contract at one level doesn't necessarily say anything about a player's ability, aptitude, attitude or whatever. To me, Towell looks like he has all the attributes to make it a long way and I saw some of those traits in the SPL and underage teams too.
I heard he was hung out to dry by Fenlon.Quote:
Originally Posted by Charlie Darwin
Emmet Malone in today's Irish Times is saying that yesterday's training suggests Gibson, Stokes and Clark are all likely to start and Wilson is in contention to play the DM role with O'Brien or Kelly going to left back.
I suppose in my post above about the 4231 shape, I should have said that Clark, O'Brien and Wilson are all candidates for a DM role too.
Anyway, it's refreshing that King actually seems to know which players have which attributes.
So how come joey O'Brien didn't need this window to get his knee massaged?is he the fourth to have won a reprieve of sorts? or just didn't want to be near trap eithEr?
Anyway the whole thing is refreshing therr is an air of confidence coming out of the squad.
I wouldn't like to see stokes starting.its Keane for me Keane had a great understanding with players like Reid and Ireland less so with hoolahan for a whole host of reasons though.
Having already made a statement, selecting Meenan might have been pushing it!Quote:
Originally Posted by Dodge
In seriousness, I was impressed by King's forthrightness when I heard him discuss his selection policy in relation to the eligibility matter whilst managing the under-21s.
Am I correct in thinking Meenan's father is from Derry, by the way?
He even knew which League of Ireland players to select for the training game, demonstrating both knowledge of their attributes and of the existence of the league itself!Quote:
Originally Posted by Stuttgart88
To be clear, I wasn't trying to suggest anything negative about Towell (and admit it came accross that way). I was just saying that it's not a foregone conclusion that he'll be involved in future Irish squads. There's plenty of things that can happen to him (as shown by being released by Celtic and not offered a permanent contract by Hibs) that *may* prevent him from realising his potential.Quote:
Originally Posted by Charlie Darwin
yepQuote:
Originally Posted by DannyInvincible
I'm not suggesting King doesn't know which players he wanted but these five are more a result of who was allowed leave rather than the first 5 selected by King.Quote:
He even knew which League of Ireland players to select for the training game, demonstrating both knowledge of their attributes and of the existence of the league itself!
Further endearing himself to the nation, Noel King has instructed Galaxy manager Bruce Arena to do one: http://www.fai.ie/international/seni...la-galaxy.html
I'm starting to have doubts about this U21 stand in.Quote:
Originally Posted by Charlie Darwin
Reminds me of Don Givens the way he goes about it.
Why is he not paying you enough attention Sean?
Your having doubts because he wouldn't release Robbie Keane back to his club when we have game? Do you think he should have released all the pro players back to their clubs and use players from the under 15s against Kazakhstan?Quote:
Originally Posted by the doc
Anyway, back in the real world...
http://sphotos-d.ak.fbcdn.net/hphoto...96054337_n.jpg
So St Ledger is not in tomorrow's team. :bigsmile: In Noel King we trust!
Low expects to see off the irish plodders. According to Low, even if they play Andy Reid, after 10 minutes his dna will return to type and he'll be hoofing the ball up front. Unlike the Germans, the Irish subrace dna is just geared towards folly, after showing some rash bravery they are doomed to failure, time and time again.
Low expects to see off the pub team
While there may be a certain element of truth in Low's comments, it all comes across as very arrogant. Reid, Hoolahan et al. are no world beaters, but they're not the hoof merchants Low seems to expect from us. Here's hoping for an intelligent formation tomorrow and a wee bit of keep-ball on our part, even just for 15 or 30 seconds at a time.
Indo tips Gibson, McCarthy and Whelan for midfielf, not sure how that would work. Sounds like the flat three in midfield that didn't work in the 6-1 defeat. Though maybe it's just typical wild speculation.
Wrong again he's playing!Quote:
Originally Posted by ifk101
Your so predictable, so is life.
I'm more interested in the football than vain attempts to put forum posters down.
I just feel there been a lack if respect shown to Mr Trapattoni, which is unjust.
Yes it probably was one campaign too much but aside from this there were many good things.
Let's get behind the boys for tomorrow, whatever happens and whoever is picked will have little bearing on the new manager waiting to take over, he's decent by the way😇
According to Robbie Keane last month too.Quote:
Originally Posted by geysir
Low's right about the effort it takes to change the way a country plays football.
It's a delusion to think that changing a manager will alter some perception of mediocrity.
There are cycles when there are a few better than average players available but over time there's an average performance and that average is affected by the wider picture of football in a country. A clarion call to be less mediocre doesn't quite compare to the leadership, long term planning and hard work that has to go into being less mediocre.
In what sense? Why on earth should we release Robbie Keane for a competitive fixture? :confused:Quote:
Originally Posted by the doc
Davy Fitz in disguiseQuote:
Originally Posted by ArdeeBhoy
Maybe we could be a mediocre passing team instead of a mediocre hoofing team for the time being.
I'll just throw in my 3rd Catch 22 reference in as many days. There's a great chapter on a character called Major Major Major Major. Heller wrote that he was mediocre at everything he did. He wasn't even good at being mediocre. Even at mediocrity he was mediocre.
It's even further complicated for Ireland when nearly all of or players are developed in Britain. So not only do we have to cahnge the footballing culture in Ireland, we have to hope that it changes in Britain tooQuote:
Originally Posted by geysir
Tbf, for all the things I do blame our ills on the 'Ingles', football/soccer's not one of them.
Delusional or otherwise, their club football is on a far higher plane. Luckily to the detriment of their own national side?
Although the Dokter hopes to change the culture across the country from well before the emigration age. He's not the first to say this and parts of the youth footballing community are doing it on their own accord, but at least he is saying it and appears ready to act on it.Quote:
Originally Posted by Dodge