It will be another Scotland(Or Poland) game, 1-1 draw written all over it. As long as the other 'top' teams draw against each other I'd take that.
Austria will the pressure game to win, though the Georgia/Serbia double-header scares me.
It will be another Scotland(Or Poland) game, 1-1 draw written all over it. As long as the other 'top' teams draw against each other I'd take that.
Austria will the pressure game to win, though the Georgia/Serbia double-header scares me.
i wouldn't be so sure. josh got the axe essentially when the management team decided we needed fresher legs at the back. walters time will come too, and it could be sooner than we think.Quote:
Originally Posted by TheOneWhoKnocks
there will be a temptation to play him though as he did well in austria... but that was away from home. the easy and arguably risk averse choice is to start with walters with long to come off the bench if things aren't going well. the only reason you'd do vice versa is to close out a game we are winning. but to start long would be the braver choice - wales have to go for it so counter attacking with pace could undo them.
Having missed Everton's game against West Brom yesterday, James McCarthy is a doubt for the Wales game and is in a race to be fit: http://www.rte.ie/sport/soccer/2017/...verton-koeman/
It's that hamstring again and he's "one or two weeks" off fitness, according to Ronald Koeman.
Quote:
Originally Posted by RTÉ
Sounds like Koeman has had a good read of the fifa rules on player's international call-up.
Quote:
Koeman "the FIFA rule is that they have the possibility to call the player. If they call the player the player will go and they will see how his fitness is at that time."
39 man squad named, including every Irish midfielder: https://twitter.com/FAIreland/status...42409883324416
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/C6yxfXRXUAAnPuu.jpg
Good to see Liam Kelly and John Egan in there, although I'd imagine Kelly won't make the final squad
It's Rob Elliot's first time back in a squad since we played Slovakia in March last year, although he's been Newcastle's back-up keeper this season, hasn't he? A decent keeper and it's good to see him back, but I'd still like to see Westwood given more game-time.
Happy to see Andy Boyle make it again; he has two games under his belt now for Preston and is fitting in well, according to reports. Preston recorded a clean-sheet against Reading last weekend with him playing the full ninety minutes. I don't think there was any doubt over Horgan getting called up again.
John Egan and Matt Doherty are two other inclusions of interest. Hourihane too. Reading's Liam Kelly has never been named in a squad before. I don't know a huge deal about him, to be honest.
McCarthy is named despite being an injury doubt. Gibson also returns to the frame; first time in a squad since the pre-Euros Belarus friendly in Cork.
If Adam Rooney merits a place, Cillian Sheridan - now playing (and scoring, kind of...) for the second-placed team in the Polish league (a stronger league than the Scottish league) - is definitely worth consideration too.
No Stephen Quinn (is he a forgotten man?), Alan Judge (is he fit?), Ryan Manning, Chris Forrester, Marc Wilson (probably fair enough considering he hasn't played a minute of club football this season), Greg Cunningham or Lukas Jutkiewicz (who was also mentioned in the media recently as a potential call-up).
Quinn's been out injured since October, but is expected back soon. Judge is back in training, but still a few weeks off a first team return.
It was a close call between Manning and Kelly, Kelly's been a first team regular since the start of the season, Manning's only just gotten into the QPR first team.
Cunningham the harshest and strangest omission for me (especially with Brady suspended) but positives are the presence of Kelly, Egan, Hourihane and Doherty. Sheridan has Long, Walters, Murphy and Doyle all rightly ahead of him as strikers with some physicality.
Judge isn't back playing yet.
I see that Stephen Glesson seems to have fallen out of favour at Birmingham, an unused sub in their last five matches.
it was probably a close call between Doherty (who's been playing at left back for Wolves) and Cunningham as well.
As much as I know you love him, Doyle might be slightly stretching that notion at this stage? His career has been in decline for a decade or so, plays in the MLS and will be nearly 35 by the time the WC rolls around. With Long, Walters and Murphy all ahead of Doyle as it is, surely there could be some long(er) term gain from selecting Sheridan? We know what Doyle can do if we do need him in an emergency, but I think it would be no harm to see what Sheridan can bring.Quote:
Originally Posted by Stuttgart88
Absolutely, especially with Horgan and Boyle (two starts?) at the same club. Ouch.Quote:
Originally Posted by Stuttgart88
O'Dowda very lucky to still be in also, but O'Neill has been proven right before with McGeady & club form vs Ireland performances.
We're a bit short up front, between the injured, lightly used subs and those from distant leagues.
I thought Cunningham was worth his squad place as reserve LB. I'd assume Ward will be starting, at least he's in a vein of form right now.
I wouldn't see O'Dowda as being lucky really, and definitely not lucky to be in the 'catch-all' provisional squad. He's looked good in his cameos for us. He's in and out of the Bristol City team but this season was always going to be a big challenge for him, a massive step up from League 2 to the Championship on top of leaving his home comforts at Oxford. I wouldn't see the sense in knocking his confidence any further right now.Quote:
Originally Posted by CraftyToePoke
He was lucky to get a call up in the first place though it has to be said, seeing as we don't usually cast our net any wider than Championship level.
Preston forward Callum Robinson was another potentially-eligible player discussed recently. The FAI confirmed he is indeed eligible, but he'd presumably have to undergo a formal switch-process before being able to accept any call-up (if he would indeed be interested in representing us). He has quite a few England caps at under-age level and I'd imagine at least one would have been competitive, meaning a formal switch would be required.Quote:
Originally Posted by CraftyToePoke
Wales to announce their squad on Thursday: https://twitter.com/FAWales/status/841244497484865536
Quote:
@FAIreland have announced a provisional squad for their match against Wales. Chris Coleman will release his squad on Thursday.
O'Neill seems optimistic about the fitness of McCarthy and Clark. - http://www.irishtimes.com/sport/socc...ales-1.3008242
maybe sean maguire could have been called up to the provisional squad at least - however it would likely mean him missing some important games for cork city.
cillian sheridan and greg cunningham may feel a bit aggrieved.
O'Neill dripping with sarcasm :DQuote:
Originally Posted by DeLorean
“He (Ronald Koeman) is disappointed that he’s got another injury,” said the Irishman, “but I don’t think we can be blamed for that. We haven’t had him for the a few months, Everton have had him all the while so I don’t think any blame could attach to us.... although you never know.”