Here is my choice -
Goals - Given
Defenders - O'Shea
Dunne
St Ledger
Mc Shane
Midfielders - Hunt
Andrews
Whelan
Mc Geady
Forwards - Keane
Duff
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Here is my choice -
Goals - Given
Defenders - O'Shea
Dunne
St Ledger
Mc Shane
Midfielders - Hunt
Andrews
Whelan
Mc Geady
Forwards - Keane
Duff
I don't even want to know. Wednesday will be a hard watch. We won't get destroyed or anything but I just can't see it happening. We need to just take it to them, not let 'home advantage' crap interfere. If we're going to go out lets do it with a bit of passion and really making a go at it. I would take nothing from a 0-0 and I know trap is going to play for a 0-0 and hope somehow we score in last 10 minutes to take the game to extra time.
Trap will line out the same team that he did today. He will do exactly what irishultra suggests, play for 0-0 and then start to gamble with ten minutes to go.
I think he said as much in the post-match interviews
Given
O'Shea Dunne St Ledger
Hunt Whelan Andrew Duff
McGeady
Keane Doyle
Lads I was just saying in the post match thread that Trap will stick with the same system as last night. Going all out attack or playing with 3 defenders is only going to end up in us getting hammered. Unfortunately I can only see the current system getting us another 1-1 draw at best but who knows we might scrape a 1-0 win.
The team will basically be the same as last night. If any changes are made it won't be to the system but McGeady might start instead of Lawrence.
If it is still 0-0 going into the second half I think he will make changes a bit earlier than the 80th min, like Italy away.
same team I think except McGeady in for Lawrence
I dont see why he trap is goin to try and hold out for a 0-0 until the last 10 minutes.We will eventually let in a goal in 60-70 minute again like we do in every match ! Just go for it trap,give us a bit of entertainment as least
Firstly bar one mistake i dont see why kilbane shout be dropped i actually thought it was his best performance for a while,
And that team with 3 at the back against french- WTF seriously,we would get battered, were only a goal down why would we start so so offensive
McGeady gave his first ball away after that he was just okay.
He needs to add something more to his game for us, like an ace assist or the odd screaming shot into the top corner of the net.
KK was alright I thought, inevitable heartbreaker goal scare gaff aside.
We've got to put Robbie in midfield as a creative influence. It really annoys me that Trap can't see that he's the obvious choice for that role. Put Doyle and Best up front, Robbie in the middle with Duff, McGeady and Andrews or Whelan.
It's worth reminding ourselves that Robbie never has had a problem receiving the ball, turning a man or generally being a bag of tricks for anyone who is marking him. He does it for Spurs in the middle of the park (moreso than as a forward) so why not for Ireland?
Trap has lived by his team selections, he better get it right for Wednesday because his choices for yesterday left an awful lot to be desired (Kilbane, no McGeady or Hunt until it was too late, leaving Lawrence on after he was clearly knackered, no creativity in the middle - we saw the results of hard grafters versus class players yesterday didn't we?).
If he won't go with Andy Reid, and recognizes the need for creativity by continuing to approach Stephen Ireland, then surely he recognizes the need for Keane in the middle???
Was thinking along similar lines but with Doyle upfront alone to start with.
4-5-1 just to make ball retention easier and to match their midfield.
I wonder should Whelan be mandated purely to track Anelka. I thought Anelka had a super game last night.
I'd love to be a fly on the wall in the Ireland boot room in next few days.
How anyone can suggest McGeady instead of Lawrence is beyond me!!
LL was one of our strongest players last night. Im sick of this idolisation of McGeady, what has he ever done for us??? Very little imo, based on his reputation he should be one of our star player except he is very ordinary for us. Has never scored for one. The only assist in recent times that I can recall is Georgia away. LL deserves to be retained.
It will be same team as sat. I think the more significant factors is what tactics the two teams will operate. I would imagine both will go out with the view of not conceding so I think 0-0 at half time looks very likely. If we score first who knows but its hard to be optimistic after last night. We need to get more set pieces and use them much better. They arent anything special in centre defence and we didnt put enough pressure on this area last night.
I would certainly pick Lawrence again, I would keep the wingers as they are .
I don't think dropping Kilbane for Best is such a terrible idea, there is a chance we will get ripped to shreads but it should also increase our chances of scoring first, hopefully France will be playing cautiously and not take full advantage of the 3 at the back and if we do get a goal we can quilckly sub off Best and revert to a 442.
I am slightly dubious about Hunt. No doubt he adds great zest and energy but his dead ball delivery is ocassionally very poor, most often when we need it. How Trap doesn't see a value in Andy Reid coming off the bench to replace Duff is beyond me.
Anelka was superb last night, always looked dangerous. I wouldn't make any changes for Wednesday. Hunt hasn't the guile to play against Sagna for 90 mins, so I certainly wouldn't start him. Lawrence still the man for the right side.
No real loss for them, who is his replacement likely to be?
------------------------given----------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------Josh---------Dunne-----------St. Ledger----------KIlbane---------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------Whelan-----------Andrews----------------------------------------------------------------------- ---Doyle----------------Keane-----------------------Duff---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------Best----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I think it would be adaptable enough, and Doyle started out on the right wing with Cork City and has played there with Reading a lot. Lawrence McGeady and Hunt to come off the bench if needed
McGeady for Lawrence and I'll be happy enough. That's all I really wanted yesterday to be honest. I was disgusted when he went with Lawrence. Strange thing is, only for Duff being injured against the Italians I don't think Lawrence would have played that night, and probably not last night either. We already have two stopping midfielders, let wingers be wingers.
"We've got to put Robbie in midfield as a creative influence" I agree with Mark12345 on this one, the only thing is we'd be extremely shy up top esp w/o folan. think folan has more about him that bestie at the minute (mainly because of best's inexperience). Keane was instrumental v italy (albeit with 10 men) and i've seen hi drop that deep effectively wi spurs, more so under jol). Anelka done the same thing last nite and i think it worked for them. but it leaves doyle on his own, cant see stokesy or keogh or being considered to start
I don't know about that.
We have been blessed to have Lawrence just step right up the demands of the game against the best national teams in Europe with such maturity and skill after just 2 friendlies some months apart. His distribution was very smart.
But it is clear that he gradually runs out of steam sometime after the hour mark.
..................Given...........
O'Shea....Dunne....St. Ledger....Kilbane
Hunt......Whelan......Lawrence....McGeady
............Best.....Keane..........
Or else (If Trap abandons his ultra conservatism which I think he might)
..................Given.............
O'Shea....Dunne....St. Ledger....Kilbane
Hunt.........Andrews.........McGeady
..................Keane.................
..........Best...........Doyle..........
Lawrence came close to getting a goal for us last night(almost a freak block by the defender)
Aiden has played a lot for us and unfortunately does not produce an end product. He is still young though and if he could get a move to a decent club in the EPL or a top european club he may be a star for us in the future. He has not done enough to be a certain starter for Ireland by a long shot.
Liam Lawrence has a better shot, is a lot less likely to give the ball away and is better defensively than Aiden.
Probably the one situation that Aiden is better than Liam is in carrying the ball and dribbling but as of yet he does not produce enough end product.
The way Trap sets up to play which is pretty much on the counter attack it is a big pity that none of our 4 wingers has outstanding pace (a great advantage on the counter attack.
Just as a matter of interest where have the speed merchent wingers gone in world football (remember Kanchelsis of man u or perhaps petrov of man city today)
Squillachi, I think, and he's a not in the same class. It's good news.
Reckon Trap will put out the same team, though I wouldn't mind seeing Robbie play a little deeper as some are suggesting. There's a serious gap between midfield and forwards, and he could be a creative outlet as well as allowing someone to pick up Anelka or one of the other roving French forwards. Anelka did the damage last night, as someone pointed out, all because he dropped deep from nowhere and no one could pick him up.
4-3-1-2
osHEA dUNNE Ledger Kilbane
Steven Reid Whelean Duff
Andy Reid
Keane Doyle
Then Bring on Lawrence Hunt Mc gEady
But as we KNow trap is stubborn and we wont see Reid x2 again
I'd like to see
O'Shea Dunne Sledge Kilbane
Mcgeady Whelan Lawrence Duff
Keane
Doyler
Andrews did have a fantastic game the other night but i think lawrence could add a bit more offensively while still doing andrews holding role.
Team will be exactly the same as Saturday with 20 to go I would expect to see McGeady & Best for Lawrence & either Andrews or Whelan with Keane coming in behind the front 2.
If we concede early we're dead, Trapp will try to keep it a contest as long as possible before going for broke.
id replace lawerence with mcgeady. we need to score and i think he will cause them more problems. otherwise the same.
Much as I rated Doyle's showing on Saturday I'm not sure we need thye guy running his socks off chasing the channels all night. We need to be a bit more intricate in the final third and we need to create opprtunities to shoot.
Something like this appeals to me:
-----Given-----
JOS-Dunne-SSL-KK
-----Whelan----
Duff-Lawrence-Andrews-McGeady (or Hunt)
--------Keane------
That midfield would be solid and mobile enough and Keane could be supported by the wide men in attack, and/or one of Lawrence or Andrews.
Doyle / Hunt (or McGeady) can come on later when we need someone to hold the ball up while we're nervously defending our 2-1 lead!