Team/Formation v Israel

What do you think of this Ireland team for the Israel match? Playing the formation that Chelski and Man Utd have been using to good effect this season (4-3-2-1):

Goalkeeper Shay Given Picks himself.

Right Back Stephen Carr As long as he's fit, if not, Finnan.

Left Back John O'Shea Probably just ahead of Finnan

Centre Back Kenny Cunningham The talker at the back

Centre Back Richard Dunne On form ahead of O'Brien. Makes up for Cunningham's lack of height and pace

Centre Mid Roy Keane The anchor.

Centre Mid Kevin Kilbane The legs in midfield (ala Lampard)

Centre Mid Matt Holland Ahead of Kavanagh

Behind Front Damien Duff As he does for Chelski

Behind Front Andy Reid Roaming around (ala Robben for Chelski/Giggs/Ronaldo at Man Utd). Can also play McGeady there off bench

Striker Robbie Keane If not working, Morrison or Elliott would be handy coming off the bench.

I can't see it happening unless he goes with something similar tomorrow or if only one of Clinton & Robbie is fit.

I do think we have the personnel for this system though, and several of the players have experience of it for their clubs.

I can't see us changing formation away from home, it'll be a straightforward 4-4-2, possibly changing to the 4-3-1-2 if we need to score late on.

I'm not sure what formation to play. The thing is, a win in Israel would be huge for us. It would require the Swiss and the French to take points off one another and would put us in the poll position in the group. We can't just head to Israel looking for a draw. We need to go out there and craft a win.

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Originally Posted by Kevin77

What do you think of this Ireland team for the Israel match? Playing the formation that Chelski and Man Utd have been using to good effect this season (4-3-2-1):

Goalkeeper Shay Given Picks himself.

Right Back Stephen Carr As long as he's fit, if not, Finnan.

Left Back John O'Shea Probably just ahead of Finnan

Centre Back Kenny Cunningham The talker at the back

Centre Back Richard Dunne On form ahead of O'Brien. Makes up for Cunningham's lack of height and pace

Centre Mid Roy Keane The anchor.

Centre Mid Kevin Kilbane The legs in midfield (ala Lampard)

Centre Mid Matt Holland Ahead of Kavanagh

Behind Front Damien Duff As he does for Chelski

Behind Front Andy Reid Roaming around (ala Robben for Chelski/Giggs/Ronaldo at Man Utd). Can also play McGeady there off bench

Striker Robbie Keane If not working, Morrison or Elliott would be handy coming off the bench.

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If you were going to go with that formation I'd go with

-------------Given

Carr -- O'Brien - Kenny - Finnan

------O'Shea--Keane--A.Reid

---------Rob Keane - Duff

-------------Morrison

Ditched Kilbane and Holland cause we need a midfield that can actually pass the ball.

I think he will go with the same team that lined out against France if all are fit.
Personally, I think Stephen Carr is a big liability. No football brain, puts in the odd hard tackle to make him look good. Has a touch of the Ian Harte about him, once he passes the half way line, his alter ego takes over and he thinks he is Zidane. Finnan is a much safer option, probably not as physical, but at he reads the game better.
I think he will reward Clinton Morrison purely on his display against the French.
Once we are solid at the back and quick on the break, we should do the business.

Basic 4-4-2
GK Given
RB Carr
LB O'shea
CB Cunningham
CB O'Brien
CM Keane
CM Kilbane
RM Finnan
LM Duff
ST Robbie
ST Morrison

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Originally Posted by tall chapy

Personally, I think Stephen Carr is a big liability. No football brain, puts in the odd hard tackle to make him look good. Has a touch of the Ian Harte about him, once he passes the half way line, his alter ego takes over and he thinks he is Zidane. Finnan is a much safer option, probably not as physical, but at he reads the game better.
I think he will reward Clinton Morrison purely on his display against the French.
Once we are solid at the back and quick on the break, we should do the business.

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Are you nuts? Carr was the best player in a cr@p Spurs team until recently, United and Arsenal were both looking at him. He's the best defender at Newcastle by some distance (jury's still out on Boumsong), kept the Portugese at bay along with Roy Keane at Lansdowne, has the highest number of assists under Kerr for a defender, I could go on but I won't.

Finnan is a more than able deputy, and can play in midfield, which is where I expect him to play in Israel, at Andy Reid's expense, with Reid returning for the home game when we'll be a more attacking force.

Clinton won't get into the game on his performance against the French. Clinton will get into the game on his continual performance of high work rate, holding the ball up, making a nuisance of himself against defenders and making chances for others.

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Originally Posted by Tuff Paddy

Kerr will go with the exact same XI that started in France.

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I think he'll go with Reid instead of Finnan.

Finnan was excellent on Tuesday night, other that a weak back header early on. Playing in the champions league can only be a positive for him. Reids transfer to Spurs will help him and us but cannot see him starting on the 26th

I think he'll go with the Paris XI too. Kerr is a conservative manager and I feel he'll keep Reid up his sleeve in case we need to make an attacking substitution. But here's still 4 1/2 weeks to go and a lot of injuries can happen before then.

I think that Finnan is one of our more important players. Though not spectacular, he's rock solid, a very accomplished all round intelligent footballer. I thought that our performance dropped markedly when he dropped back to left-back in a recent game (Faroes I think).

I think Tetsujin is spot on in his assessment of Morrison.

Israel are definitely a good side but we're better. I'd put Israel away as being on a par with Albania away, where we drew (thanks to Shay though). I think we're about 50% better now than we were then.

I'd go for the following , just a slight change of the 4-4-2. Keane the holding midfield player protecting the back for and linking up with midfield. Kilbane to do the running etc. Ried and Duff to interchange and play wide. Morrison included since he has been playing brilliantly for Ireland, Robbie included since there is no one else YET.


____________________________Given

___________________Cunnigham______O'Brien

Finnan________________________________________O'Sh ea


______________________Keane__________Kilbane

Ried______________________________________________ _Duff

_________________Morrison______________Keane

if we were playing tommorow and all players were fit.

gk given
rb carr
lb o shea
cb kenny
cb dunne
rm reid
lm duff
cm zinedine
cm keane
fw keane
fw morrison

Stephen Carr was excellent (along with Keane) for the WC2002 qualifiers and dragged us through matches. Since then he has been very very inconsistant for Ireland. Steve Finnan should start against Israel as he is our best full back at present.

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Originally Posted by stojkovic

Stephen Carr was excellent (along with Keane) for the WC2002 qualifiers and dragged us through matches. Since then he has been very very inconsistant for Ireland. Steve Finnan should start against Israel as he is our best full back at present.

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When were Carr's poor performances under Kerr? I'll start you off with Switzerland...

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Originally Posted by eirebhoy

When were Carr's poor performances under Kerr? I'll start you off with Switzerland...

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When has he played well ? I'll start you off with.....em....er......

I think most of us agree that Carr's best form was pre-2002. I think he can improve on most of his performances under Kerr but few have been especially poor.

In the last few weeks (Herenveen away, Chelsea at home) Carr seems to be getting back to his best though. He's getting forward a lot and putting in some telling crosses.

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Originally Posted by stojkovic

When has he played well ? I'll start you off with.....em....er......

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Em, are you trying to prove your inconsistancy theory right or wrong? BTW, I won't even answer that question, can't stand it when people have a bias against our own players.

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Originally Posted by eirebhoy

can't stand it when people have a bias against our own players.

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wouldnt be realistic if we thought they were all great though!

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Originally Posted by eirebhoy

Em, are you trying to prove your inconsistancy theory right or wrong? BTW, I won't even answer that question, can't stand it when people have a bias against our own players.

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Oh sorry, I think Stephen Carr is the best right full in the world and hope he lifts the World Cup next year. Is that better. You can sleep easy now.

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Originally Posted by gustavo

wouldnt be realistic if we thought they were all great though!

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He doesn't have to think he was great. It is obviously bias when someone says something like this:

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When has he played well ? I'll start you off with.....em....er......

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Ok, if he never had a good game it wouldn't be bias but I can think of a good few games under Kerr where he played well. Him and Duffer were our best players away to Georgia, Carr's first competitive for us in almost two years. And most recently, the game in Paris. There were of course more.

Given

Carr - Cunningham - O'Brien - O'Shea

Finnan - Keane - Reid - Duff

Robbie - Clinton