Ireland team.

Hi,

I know there are many threads on this topic but i just wanted to start a new one so I could get everyone's opinion on this team. I am looking at maybe this time next year when we are on course to qualify for WC in 2006, and the likes of Miller & McGeady are 1st team regulars. And Reid is with a Premiership club.

Here it goes :
Formation = 4-3-2-1
Given
Carr O'Brien Cunningham O'Shea
Miller Keane Reid
McGeady Duff
Keane

Explanation :
Fantastic Goalie, Solid back 4.
Keane holding the middle, supported by Miller & Reid who can drift out wide or come inside. McGeady & Duff running Riot in free roles but also with the ability to get wide and get crosses in, and support Robbie as strikers. And of course Robbie up front.

Subs :
Kenny, Colgon
Finnan, Dunne, Breen, Harte,
Thornton, Healy, Elliot, (All Sunderland)
Kavanagh, Kilbane, Holland, Flood (Man City) Or Partridge (Liverpool)
Morrison.



A strong squad for World Cup 2006 I think. Looking forward to hearing the views of all ye experts.

Interesting now that half our defence and goalie are all with Newcastle, that has to be positive

I agree with all your selections except I would switch Kilbane for Reid and Reid for McGeady as I think the latter will take a few more years to develop into a great international player

There does seem to be a trend at international football now of playing one upfront with supporting midfielders although Portugal probably regret doing that against Greece now

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Shambolic

Hi,

I know there are many threads on this topic but i just wanted to start a new one so I could get everyone's opinion on this team. I am looking at maybe this time next year when we are on course to qualify for WC in 2006, and the likes of Miller & McGeady are 1st team regulars. And Reid is with a Premiership club.

Here it goes :
Formation = 4-3-2-1
Given
Carr O'Brien Cunningham O'Shea
Miller Keane Reid
McGeady Duff
Keane

Explanation :
Fantastic Goalie, Solid back 4.
Keane holding the middle, supported by Miller & Reid who can drift out wide or come inside. McGeady & Duff running Riot in free roles but also with the ability to get wide and get crosses in, and support Robbie as strikers. And of course Robbie up front.

Subs :
Kenny, Colgon
Finnan, Dunne, Breen, Harte,
Thornton, Healy, Elliot, (All Sunderland)
Kavanagh, Kilbane, Holland, Flood (Man City) Or Partridge (Liverpool)
Morrison.



A strong squad for World Cup 2006 I think. Looking forward to hearing the views of all ye experts.

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Quote:

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Originally Posted by tarzan_bray

I agree with all your selections except I would switch Kilbane for Reid and Reid for McGeady as I think the latter will take a few more years to develop into a great international player

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But this time next year, McGeady will have a full season behind him which players like Reid, O'Shea and Miller only needed to get a place in the squad.

Very good team selection BTW.

Given

Carr - Cunningham - O'Shea - Finnan

S Kelly - Miller - Keane - Duff

Keane - Reid

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O'Shea didn't look great at centre-back against Switzerland, but with Kenny next to him giving the directions he should shine. And yes, no big man up front. Possibility of dropping Stephen Kelly, moving Liam Miller to the right and bringing on Alan Quinn for a bit more oomph in the centre of midfield.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by brine3

Given

Carr - Cunningham - O'Shea - Finnan

S Kelly - Miller - Keane - Duff

Keane - Reid

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O'Shea didn't look great at centre-back against Switzerland, but with Kenny next to him giving the directions he should shine. And yes, no big man up front.

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S Kelly? Are you taking the mickey or what? All the players Kerr has tried at right-midfield and you have to put in a player who hasn't even a senior cap, I love it!!

Elliott scored for Sunderland today, he's the obvious choice to partner Keane right because of that right?

Whatever. You don't have to agree with me.

Has Stephen Kelly even played at right-mid for the Under-21 team? You need to make a case and I am willing to listen to it...

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Originally Posted by EamonD

S Kelly? Are you taking the mickey or what? All the players Kerr has tried at right-midfield and you have to put in a player who hasn't even a senior cap, I love it!!

Elliott scored for Sunderland today, he's the obvious choice to partner Keane right because of that right?

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Ya well at least there is someone here who is capable of thinking outside the box and coming up with something different, and it was a better team selection than 99% of people would come up with in my opinion

Quote:

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Originally Posted by carnstien

"thinking outside the box"

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aaargghhh, that's three times in the last 24 hours :D :D

Carnstein, you've been an occasional advocate for Finnan playing on the right wing, have to say that from what I saw of the Liverpool game last night he played well there, could certainly be an option

for me, in a years time

Given
Carr O'Brien Cunningham O'Shea
Miller Keane Kilbane Duff
Keane Morrison

Where i differ, I can't see Keane/Reid being any better than Keane/Duff upfront. I reckon if we went with that we'd have a packed middle third as all those players like to drop deep, there'd be a shocking lack of height in the middle too.

As a Forest fan, I can advise you that Reid isn't much of a striker at all, although obviously you can try him there, it might work out for him as he gets older and you're perfectly entitled to disagree.

I think until McGeady gets older, we will be playing Clinton up front with Robbie, Kerr did experiment with the odd formation but I can't see Ireland drifting from the tried and trusted 4-4-2 formation. I'm sure Kerr is quoted as saying that somewhere, maybe I'll double check that.

So I'd go for 4-4-2, and Shay is a stick on for being in goal.

Carr is the best right back we have, I'd play Cunningham as captain with Josh in the middle with him. Finnan should be given a go at left back and if it works out, then keep him there. It's a pity Harte is such a disaster defensively, because his diagonal balls and free kicks really are such an asset for us. Can you have an attacking defender? :p

I loathe to drop Kilbane, but I'm going to drop Kilbane. He has such a big heart and does a good job for us, but the phrase 'not international class' can apply to him, and so regrettabley he'd be out of my time. I'd have Miller on the right, on the basis that he is a really good player and I reckon Fergie will play him. I'd put Roy in the middle, with Kilbane ready to do the driving role when his knees give way. Andy Reid would be my choice in the middle with Roy, his creativity is something we've lacked for a while, it doesn't quite work at Forest as Reid thinks he needs to do it all, but with players he can trust with the ball, he's really good at distributing it and playing little balls in. Duff on the left.

Robbie up front needs no explanation, and I think Clinton is probably the best of a poor bunch of second strikers. Maybe during the campaign McGeady will be ready to play, but until then...

Ade

I think the best Ireland side at the moment is....

Given

Carr Cuuningham(c) O'Brien O'Shea

Miller/Barrett/A.Reid RMK Kilbane/Holland Duff

Keane Morrison

I expect McGeady to Challenge for right midfield not centre forward if he continues playing well for Celtic. Doesn't seem to be an out an out striker even by his own admission and wouldn't be suitable to play with Robbie IMO. Elliott and Lee could push Morrison but i can't see many other new faces coming in this season. There is always a surprise though. I think the midfield of A.Reid-RMK-Miller-Duff suggested is our most talented on paper but far too inexperienced and light weight IMO and would leave us badly expose at times.

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Originally Posted by Adrianovic

I'd play Cunningham as captain with Josh in the middle with him.

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O'Brien and Cunningham have yet to concede a goal in 270 minutes against 3 of the best teams in the world. John O'Shea has played 10-15 matches senior at centre half in his whole career. United have Rio, Sivestre, Heinze and Brown for centre back so I can't see him playing there much in the next year. I should also mention he is a very risky centre back and I would even have Doc ahead of him if we had an injury crisis.

Keane and Connolly are both excellent individuals but have never played well together.

We'd be really limiting Roy if we partnered him with Reid. He'd have to stay back and play the holding role for the whole 90mins, if he was partnered with someone like Kavanagh or Holland they could both make forward runs and wouldn't be restricted to the same position.

I'd like to see Finnan at left back which could push O'Shea to the bench which, on current form, is where he should be.

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Originally Posted by eirebhoy

O'Brien and Cunningham have yet to concede a goal in 270 minutes against 3 of the best teams in the world. John O'Shea has played 10-15 matches senior at centre half in his whole career. United have Rio, Sivestre, Heinze and Brown for centre back so I can't see him playing there much in the next year. I should also mention he is a very risky centre back and I would even have Doc ahead of him if we had an injury crisis.

Keane and Connolly are both excellent individuals but have never played well together.

We'd be really limiting Roy if we partnered him with Reid. He'd have to stay back and play the holding role for the whole 90mins, if he was partnered with someone like Kavanagh or Holland they could both make forward runs and wouldn't be restricted to the same position.

I'd like to see Finnan at left back which could push O'Shea to the bench which, on current form, is where he should be.

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Actually, I completely forgot about O`Brien whilst I was trying to accommadate Finnan and O`Shea in the same defensive line. So yeah, I'd agree with you in not breaking that partnership in the heart of defence, but I'm still a big Josh fan and I think he will pick up - no doubting Finnan isn't worth his chance in the team. Which would mean my backline would be Carr-KC-O`Brien-Josh, with Finnan coming on to give it a go if either one of the back 4 are having problems. To be fair, Finnan's versatility could prove to be a disadvantage, as he would make the perfect substitute being competant in those positions, and able to play right midfield if we want a defensive slant on the game.

I wouldn't go as far as calling Connolly excellent, he's a decent goal scorer, but never Premiership class, and has an attitude problem - remember when Don Givens didn't pick him for the Greece squad, and so he refused to answer the call after injuries struck? It's hard to play someone regularly when they're a bit hot and cold emotionally. I suppose it shows that I don't really rate him and never have.

Playing Reid next to Roy might limit him, however this is exactly why I'd do it. Over the past season or two at Man United Roy has become more of a holding player, and makes less forward runs than he used to, preferring to sit back, taking the ball from defence and distributing it. Whether we like it or not, Roy has seen better days, although he is still worth a starting spot, I would not expect him to have the same engine as before. I believe this could work to Ireland's advantage, if we coupled him with Reid, so Roy could pick the ball up from defence, pick out Reid who would ideally play a ball through to the strikers for a chance or a wide player or whoever to form a better attack. This would give Reid more of a license to go forward, as from Forest experience, he doesn't seem to enjoy tracking back and it's a shame to see him pinned in his own half. That'd be my argument for a Roy/Reid combination in the middle.

Ade

Given

Carr
O'Brien
Cunningham
O'Shea

Finnan
Miller / Reid (if Miller plays 1st team football next season, he gets the nod, Reid on the bench, a secret weapon of sorts)
Keane
Duff

Morrison (McGeady and Lee chanllenging for this spot)
Keane

I'm revising my selection after having seen O'Shea play in midfield.

O'Shea and Keane in the middle, Miller on the right and Finnan left back. Andy Reid as cover if any of the midfield is injured.

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Originally Posted by Paddy Joe

Mattie Holland is twice the midfielder that O'Shea is. Strange that you watched a foreign team play last night instead of Shels. :mad:

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I watched the Shels game, taped the Man U game and watched it after.

And boss, you are off your head saying Holland is a better midfielder than O'Shea, especially when you have never seen O'Shea play in midfield. If you had seen last nights performance and were capable of objectivity you would not make such ridiculous statements.

Carnstein, while O'Shea was good last night in midfield, Holland hs put in twice as good a performance on many occasions for Charlton. I wouldn't go over the top on last nights performance though, I would give him about 7/10.

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Originally Posted by carnstien

....you are off your head saying Holland is a better midfielder than O'Shea.....

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In fairness carnstein. The chances of having seen O'Shea play in midfield have been scarce, he's only done it twice to my knowledge, last night and as a sub on the recent US tour. Two appearances at CM, one in a friendly and one against poor opposition does not a midfield general make.

It was good to see Liam Miller get a good run oput on the right last night, hopefully he can impress there, he'll have to do it quickly though beacause Ronaldo will be back at the end of the month.

Let's see how the two do against Chelsea at the weekend though before we start discounting proven players though.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by carnstien

And boss, you are off your head saying Holland is a better midfielder than O'Shea, especially when you have never seen O'Shea play in midfield. If you had seen last nights performance and were capable of objectivity you would not make such ridiculous statements.

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Jaysus Carnstien, one solid performance against mediocre opposition does not make him better than a Premiership captain who's been one of the most consistent players in the premiership in recent years. :rolleyes:
Get a grip. O'Shea has the potential to be a great great player but let's get ahold of ourselves before the calls for McShane to replace Cunningham and someone's nephew who plays for Belvo u12s to replace Morrison start getting bandied about.

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Originally Posted by Bowsy

Jaysus Carnstien, one solid performance against mediocre opposition does not make him better than a Premiership captain who's been one of the most consistent players in the premiership in recent years. :rolleyes:
Get a grip. O'Shea has the potential to be a great great player but let's get ahold of ourselves before the calls for McShane to replace Cunningham and someone's nephew who plays for Belvo u12s to replace Morrison start getting bandied about.

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I'm gonna put my neck on the line and say that by the end of the season O'Shea will be 1st choice in the United midfield, which means he probably will be in the Irish side too.

Only time will tell but I just have a gut feeling that central midfield will be his longterm position.

And I would appeal to you to watch the Chelsea - Man U game this weekend, I am pretty sure O'Shea will be playing in midfield and if Man U aren't totally outclassed I reckon he will be bossing it.