Bulgaria V Republic of Ireland - Thursday, 3rd September 2020 - UEFA Nations League

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Originally Posted by DeLorean

I'm not sure if anybody is quite suggesting that, though I might be wrong. I think it was Nigel-Harps who said Kenny is a 4-3-3 manager and unlikely to change too much from that. On that basis I'd assume Doherty (if shoehorned) would be right of the midfield three, as opposed to the attacking three.

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Usually in a 4-3-3 your 3 midfielders would have 2 sitting and 1 playing off the front man ( Kenny did this with U21s). In that type of formation the midfield is narrow and the width comes from the 2 wide of the front 3.

My point being that Doherty doesnt fit anywhere there.

Well I think it's safe to say he's not going to use him in either of those roles specifically. Worth reminding ourselves what the man himself said about this "conundrum"...

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Originally Posted by Stephen Kenny

It depends on what way we will play. They are two exceptional players and right-back is a really strong position for us.

Séamus and Matt has been a conundrum.

It’s hard to believe Matt is 28 years of age and he’s only played three competitive games for Ireland.

He’s been hugely influential for Wolves and he is a genuine goalscoring right-back.

He scored against Denmark, joining in the general play and getting in at the back post.

Séamus is getting back in the team at Everton. He was out for a while but has got himself back in with some great defensive performances.

Séamus is a brilliant captain and what a servant to Irish football.

He represents Irish football brilliantly and has been a great player.

So it is an issue, could they both play in the same team? Yes.

How would we play and what way would we intend to play?

We would have to see all that.

I think at times they might be competing and at times they won’t be.

Either of them could play left-back, in a back three Séamus can play narrow, Matt can sometimes play advanced in midfield. These are all conundrums.

Sometimes it will be a straight decision and sometimes it won’t.

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Originally Posted by DeLorean

I'm not sure if anybody is quite suggesting that, though I might be wrong. I think it was Nigel-Harps who said Kenny is a 4-3-3 manager and unlikely to change too much from that. On that basis I'd assume Doherty (if shoehorned) would be right of the midfield three, as opposed to the attacking three.

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OK that is what i thought...
but where connor ronan played in the "esperanzas de Toulon" tournament? Was he in midfield? in a 4-3-3?

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Originally Posted by DeLorean

Well I think it's safe to say he's not going to use him in either of those roles specifically. Worth reminding ourselves what the man himself said about this "conundrum"...

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the only way i see it is in a 3-4-3 or a 3-5-2 formation

Regardless of whether SK is a 442 manager, i think he does need to adapt to a back 3 in order to get our best players on the pitch in their most effective positions.

Randolph
Doherty coleman duffy egan stevens
Mccarthy cullen
Long mcgoldrick connolly

We have players such as Clark who are also familiar with playing in a back 3, and brady would provide decent cover at LWB.

With the players we have at our disposal a back 3 could be maintained through injuries and supensions, not just reverted to when doherty and coleman are both available.

Didn't MON play a back three for awhile, after we got hammered by wales? if memory serves we stopped conceding goals, but seemed incapable of putting an attack together

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Originally Posted by Diggs246

Didn't MON play a back three for awhile, after we got hammered by wales? if memory serves we stopped conceding goals, but seemed incapable of putting an attack together

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He tried it alright but not really with the personnel who could make it work. We got the runaround in that friendly against Mexico anyway using it, not sure about Wales.

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Originally Posted by Jovial Rambler

Regardless of whether SK is a 442 manager, i think he does need to adapt to a back 3 in order to get our best players on the pitch in their most effective positions.

Randolph
Doherty coleman duffy egan stevens
Mccarthy cullen
Long mcgoldrick connolly

We have players such as Clark who are also familiar with playing in a back 3, and brady would provide decent cover at LWB.

With the players we have at our disposal a back 3 could be maintained through injuries and supensions, not just reverted to when doherty and coleman are both available.

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So...we're effectively doing away with a midfield in your book?

I think the idea with a 5-3-2 is that your wingbacks join the midfield in attack, and your wide forwards also drop into midfield when you lose possession. It's not that you "do away with a midfield," it's just that you drop the idea of a static midfield.

It really does require the right personnel though and a team well versed in the system. I don't think there's any question that we have the personnel. The major issue is getting everyone comfortable with the system within the short time frames of international windows. It does help that a decent chunk of our squad play similar systems with their clubs.

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Originally Posted by irishfan86

I think the idea with a 5-3-2 is that your wingbacks join the midfield in attack, and your wide forwards also drop into midfield when you lose possession. It's not that you "do away with a midfield," it's just that you drop the idea of a static midfield.

It really does require the right personnel though and a team well versed in the system. I don't think there's any question that we have the personnel. The major issue is getting everyone comfortable with the system within the short time frames of international windows. It does help that a decent chunk of our squad play similar systems with their clubs.

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But that's not a 5-3-2 posted. That's a 5-2-3, with two attacking wing forwards.

If you're playing a 5-3-2, you need to have 3 solid central midfield players in there. You can't play two wingers as well as two attacking wing backs.

The squad will be released on Monday.

dont think of any other player who could be selected outside of this extended list

Darren Randolph (West Ham United)
Mark Travers (Bournemouth)
Caoimhin Kelleher (Liverpool)
Sean McDermott (Kristiansund)
Seamus Coleman (Everton)
Dara O'Shea (West Bromwich Albion)
Shane Duffy (Brighton & Hove Albion)
John Egan (Sheffield United)
Kevin Long (Burnley)
Cyrus Christie (Fulham)
Ciaran Clark (Newcastle United)
Enda Stevens (Sheffield United)
James McCarthy (Crystal Palace)
Ryan Manning (QPR)
Harry Arter (Fulham)
Darragh Lenihan (Blackburn Rovers)
Matt Doherty (Wolverhampton Wanderers
Alan Browne (Preston North End)
Jack Byrne (Shamrock Rovers)
Jeff Hendrick (Newcastle United)
Robbie Brady (Burnley)
Callum O´Dowda (Bristol City)
Connor Ronan (Wolverhampton Wanderers)
Conor Hourihane (Aston Villa)
Jayson Molumby (Brighton and Hove Albion)
Josh Cullen (West Ham United)
James McClean (Stoke City)
Callum Robinson (Sheffield United)
David McGoldrick (Sheffield United)
Cillian Sheridan (Wisla Plock)
Aaron Connolly (Brighton and Hove Albion)
Troy Parrott (Tottenham Hotspur)
Shane Long (Southampton)
Sean Maguire (Preston)
Adam Idah (Norwich City)

Idah is with Norwich

Obafemi should be in the squad, Smallbone has a chance also, as does Knight.

Obafemi should start imo.
I think people are going to be v disappointed with the squad.
I dont think obafemi. Molumby or smallbone will make it

I really hope Kenny picks a squad of players he wants to play the type of football he wants not just the players who have played the most league football. 23 man squad

Keepers : Randolph kelleher and travers. O hara will never be good enough at this level i think and o Leary looked poor with his feet for Shrewsbury in the fa cup

Defenders : Doherty Steven's Coleman Duffy Egan Clark (back fit now) Masterson manning

Masterson has higher ceiling than long or lenihan and is by miles the best footballing centre half we have so I hope Kenny nurtures him to help mature him as an international. O shea would also be close and would be competing against Masterson I guess but I would have Masterson as the better footballer

Manning poor left full defensively but offers alot offensively so would be great to find a way to have him involved and can be improved as a defender hopefully


Midfield : McCarthy Cullen Hendrick hourihane Brady molumby byrne

This gives you 3 defensive midfielders McCarthy cullen and molumby 2 eights in hourihane and Hendrick and 2 10s in Brady and byrne.

Browne gets left out cause we dont need another 8 and I don't think he is a creative 10 if we going to try and play through midfield

O dowda just hasn't done enough to be a 10 and I think Byrne and Brady have an edge on him but I like o dowda. When crowley is eligible I'd see him involved

Whelan gets leapfrogged by molumby on the basis of trying to build for future

Arter misses out cause he has been poor for us so far

Smallbone maybe it's a bit early especially since it's not a tying him down situation now if those new rules are coming in. Bit early for knight as well in an area that we have reasonable depth.


Attack : mcgoldrick long obafemi Robinson connolly

Mcclean misses out as we have to experiment at some stage and give minutes to less experienced players who are younger and appear more suited to a ball retention style of play

Maguire misses out as I think Robinson is just a bit better

Partott and idah miss out as it's just a bit early I think but hopefully few months into season they will push long and Robinson for a place

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Originally Posted by liamoo11

I really hope Kenny picks a squad of players he wants to play the type of football he wants not just the players who have played the most league football. 23 man squad

Keepers : Randolph kelleher and travers. O hara will never be good enough at this level i think and o Leary looked poor with his feet for Shrewsbury in the fa cup

Defenders : Doherty Steven's Coleman Duffy Egan Clark (back fit now) Masterson manning

Masterson has higher ceiling than long or lenihan and is by miles the best footballing centre half we have so I hope Kenny nurtures him to help mature him as an international. O shea would also be close and would be competing against Masterson I guess but I would have Masterson as the better footballer

Manning poor left full defensively but offers alot offensively so would be great to find a way to have him involved and can be improved as a defender hopefully


Midfield : McCarthy Cullen Hendrick hourihane Brady molumby byrne

This gives you 3 defensive midfielders McCarthy cullen and molumby 2 eights in hourihane and Hendrick and 2 10s in Brady and byrne.

Browne gets left out cause we dont need another 8 and I don't think he is a creative 10 if we going to try and play through midfield

O dowda just hasn't done enough to be a 10 and I think Byrne and Brady have an edge on him but I like o dowda. When crowley is eligible I'd see him involved

Whelan gets leapfrogged by molumby on the basis of trying to build for future

Arter misses out cause he has been poor for us so far

Smallbone maybe it's a bit early especially since it's not a tying him down situation now if those new rules are coming in. Bit early for knight as well in an area that we have reasonable depth.


Attack : mcgoldrick long obafemi Robinson connolly

Mcclean misses out as we have to experiment at some stage and give minutes to less experienced players who are younger and appear more suited to a ball retention style of play

Maguire misses out as I think Robinson is just a bit better

Partott and idah miss out as it's just a bit early I think but hopefully few months into season they will push long and Robinson for a place

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I dont think Manning as a left back. could be a left mid. options for stevens are derrick williams and greg cunningham.both injured.

randolph

coleman egan clark

doherty mccarthy stevens

brady

conolly mcgoldrick s.long

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Originally Posted by Diggs246

Obafemi should start imo.
I think people are going to be v disappointed with the squad.
I dont think obafemi. Molumby or smallbone will make it

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dont see them. Only Molumby

Is the squad announced today? if so what time does anyone know?

yes, and they're usually around 12.