Trapattoni has released Keane, Given, Kilbane, O'Shea and Fahey from the squad for Tuesday's friendly. It also seems certain that Long and Keogh will start up front. Presumably Forde will start the game in goal (he was the nominated sub yesterday).
Live coverage starts on Sky Sports 1 at 7.30pm and TG4 will have delayed coverage of the game in full at 10.30pm (as Gaeilge presumably)
Italy squad is as follows:
Goalkeepers:
Gianluigi Buffon (Juventus)
Salvatore Sirigu (Palermo)
Emiliano Viviano (Bologna)
Defenders:
Davide Astori (Cagliari)
Federico Balzaretti (Palermo)
Mattia Cassani (Palermo)
Giorgio Chiellini (Juventus)
Domenico Criscito (Genoa)
Alessandro Gamberini (Fiorentina)
Christian Maggio (Napoli)
Andrea Ranocchia (Inter Milan)
Midfielders:
Alberto Aquilani (Juventus)
Claudio Marchisio (Juventus)
Riccardo Montolivo (Fiorentina)
Thiago Motta (Inter)
Antonio Nocerino (Palermo)
Angelo Palombo (Sampdoria)
Andrea Pirlo (AC Milan)
Forwards:
Mario Balotelli (Manchester City)
Antonio Cassano (Milan)
Alberto Gilardino (Fiorentina)
Sebastian Giovinco (Parma)
Alessandro Matri (Juventus)
Giampaolo Pazzini (Inter)
Giuseppe Rossi (Villarreal)
Aquilani has pulled out, however, with a head injury: http://www.goal.com/en-gb/news/3284/...-face-republic
Strong squad. We could be doing well not to get beat by a couple.
Possible team:
----------------Forde--------------
Foley---Kelly-----------O'Dea---Ward
Coleman---Whelan---Andrews---Hunt
--------Cox--------Long------------
McGeady looked a bit tired so not sure he'll start. Who left over? Lawrence, Delaney, Sledge, Murphy, Keogh, McShane...
Didn't realise TG4 were showing the game in full (albeit delayed coverage), cheers for the info!
This seems to be what's left of the squad anyway. Keogh is confirmed as starting up front instead of Cox. Think that's the only part of the team announced so far.Quote:
Originally Posted by SwanVsDalton
Can't see beyond an Italian win given those squads. Although I think I heard that Balotelli is injured.
RTE say O'Shea's wife is expecting a baby. Perfect timing from John. He has his priorities in order.
The FAI team doctor is examining the ultrasound as we speak. Big trouble on the horizon for John if nothing is found.Quote:
Originally Posted by geysir
Five leave Ireland squad ahead of Italy
Fair play to 'em.Quote:
"Aiden McGeady and Stephen Hunt were given the option of leaving early but both refused. It’s a mark of the commitment of the former, considering his club Spartak Moscow are in action at the weekend".
Good to see Given and particularly Kilbane doing coaching courses too.
Just flashed up on Sky Sports News that Keane's out with a groin injury.
It's the new excuse.
'Not tonight dear, it's my groin'.
Wouldn't actually mind seeing something like either of these:
------------Forde-------------
Foley --- Sledge --- Delaney --- Ward
Coleman - Whelan - Andrews - McGeady
Long ---- Cox
Forde
Coleman - Sledge - Delaney- Ward
Lawrence- Whelan- Foley- McGeady
Long - Cox
Quote:
Originally Posted by geysir
That should dispel a few rumours about John O'Shea's sexuality!
Not convinced, since the rumours ploughed on regardless of the fact he's married. He's pretty relaxed about it though - read an interview with him in Football Punk and the writer asked him straight up (excuse the pun) and he said it didn't bother him though he decidedly ain't.Quote:
Originally Posted by French Toasht
Italy at near full strength for this game which should set the alarm bells ringing.
I presume Trapattoni will seek to rest as many players as possible from Saturday night's game. Possible line-up could be;
Forde;
McShane, St Ledger, Delaney, Ward;
Coleman, Foley, Whelan/Andrews/Lawrence, Treacy;
Long, Keogh.
Have Italy regrouped after South Africa and started putting a decent looking side together again? That's the impression I get.
I am really looking forward to this game. I was hoping to go over but I have a "can't miss" appointment tomorrow pm. It's nice to be totally relaxed waiting for an Ireland game and I'm setting the bar low in terms of expectation. If a few of the fringe players can impress then it'd be very welcome.
McGeady recalled by his club, FAI can't stop out since it's a friendly, Treacy to start on the left so?
Fair play to McGeady to wanting to stay on. I hope we don't get a caning.....Italy from the reports I have been reading are now starting to play like Spain?! Lots and lots of passing.
McDonnell in the Indo understands that Long and Keogh will start, leaving Cox and Hunt as subs.
Italian coach Cesare Prandelli has paid a warm tribute to Trapattoni. "He's in a league of his own, there's no comparison," said Prandelli.
"He'll give me some advice -- he was one of the first to call me when I accepted this job."
Quote:
Originally Posted by geysir
I just wish some Irish fans would recognise what the rest of the world clearly sees.
James Horncastle posted the Italy team on twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/JamesHorncast...21440870334464
Quote:
Italy XI for Rep of Ireland match: Viviano; Cassani, Gamberini, Chiellini, Criscito; Nocerino, Pirlo, Marchisio; Montolivo; Rossi, Pazzini
To be fair, there's a lot more to the Spanish game than passing. Everybody knows that Italian players have always been among the most technically gifted so it's not surprise they can string hundreds of passes together. It's interesting that they seem to be sticking with Pirlo, even after Milan took the gamble of letting him go. My worry (for them) would be they don't have enough creative players to make the best of the possession.Quote:
Originally Posted by shakermaker1982
Whats with Italian names, they either end in an i or an o.
Remember the Bulgaria WC 1994 squad. All but 2 players names did not in "kov".Quote:
Originally Posted by geysir
McGeady is out of our squad after Spartak requested him to return.
Very weak squad from Ireland for this game, and Italy are coming on well of late. Could be a tough one.
That's quiet a strong team. We could be in for a long night...Quote:
Originally Posted by tetsujin1979
...says the man who lives in Iceland. There's a lot of variety up there.Quote:
Originally Posted by geysir
Daniel McDonnell just posted the team on twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/McDonnellDan
Ireland XI v Italy: Forde, McShane [c], St Ledger, O'Dea or Kelly, Ward; Coleman, Andrews, Foley, Hunt or Lawrence; Keogh, Long
Thanks. By bedtime tomorrow I think we may know how Northern Ireland fans felt after playing us.
Captain McShane to dribble up-field and score the winner. Italians more gobsmacked than Pagliuca in 94.
A home friendly with Croatia on August 10th was also confirmed at the press conference.
http://www.irishtimes.com/sports/soc...298494224.html
Been a bit of criticism recently on our choice of friendly opposition, but that's a great shout ahead of Slovakia/Russia.Quote:
Originally Posted by EastTerracer
Look son, you're always somebodies son.Quote:
Originally Posted by Stuttgart88
In fairness... the "fans" will always make an excuse. They're hardly the people trundling back from Skopje or the ones who realise just how lucky we are to have Robbie.Quote:
Originally Posted by French Toasht
did anyone else think of mcshane when reading traps comments on prandelli?
what's wrong with Irish names they end in n or y or eQuote:
Originally Posted by geysir
Don't you mean Prandelli's quotes on Trap?Quote:
Originally Posted by paul_oshea
Quote:
Originally Posted by geysir
Italian coach Cesare Prandelli has paid a warm tribute to Trapattoni. "He's in a league of his own, there's no comparison," said Prandelli.
"He'll give me some advice -- he was one of the first to call me when I accepted this job."
You mean like this:
Quote:
Originally thought by POS
Irish captain for the game against Italy has paid a warm tribute to Giovanni Trapattoni. "He's in a league of his own, there's no comparison," said Paul McShane.
"He'll give me some advice -- he was one of the first to call me when I accepted this job."
Well they all end up ending in 'o' anyway!Quote:
Originally Posted by paul_oshea
No, I mean like this:Quote:
Originally Posted by BonnieShels
http://www.rte.ie/sport/soccer/2011/0606/mcshanep.htmlQuote:
e Republic boss said: 'He [Prandelli] was my player and I have a great affection for him, and I wish him the best of luck for the [Euro 2012] qualifying campaign.
'But I am not wishing him good luck for tomorrow. He was a very intelligent player - he wasn't the best player when I had him at Juventus, but he was a great man, one of those players that any coach would like to have.
'He was a reserve, but he was one of those reserves that you could count on - and when you needed him, he was always ready to step in and be counted.
A great team needs reserves like that, reserves who are always ready to step in and deliver. It's a coach's dream to have players like that