Ireland v Wales pre-match thread

Goalkeepers: Given, Colgan, Henderson

Defenders: McShane, Dunne, O'Dea, Finnan, Harte, Kelly.

Midfielders: O'Shea, Kilbane, Ireland, Carsley, Douglas, McGeady, Hunt, Gibson, Quinn, Duff.

Forwards: Keane, Stokes, Doyle, Long, Folan.

Gibson and Qiunn (I'm presuming that's Stephen Quinn) pulled out of the U-21's too.

Still short at centre half, even if you count O'Shea

and only 7 from the Championship, hardly the majority Staunton spoke of lately.

I though Gibson had picked up a serious injury recently? Or did I just imagine that story? A bit surprised Folan is in. O'Dea deserves his call up.

good strike force but sad not to see st ledger as we need to blood him in.

Folan is an 'interesting' selection

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Originally Posted by tetsujin1979

Gibson and Qiunn (I'm presuming that's Stephen Quinn) pulled out of the U-21's too.

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No, it's Alan, Sheffield United got the fax for Alan this morning. Stephen in U21 squad

happy enough - that the end for Kenny?

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Originally Posted by soccerc

No, it's Alan, Sheffield United got the fax for Alan this morning. Stephen in U21 squad

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Fair enough, that's the only call up I have any real issue with, possibly the omission of Ledger.
Stephen is playing regularly, scoring and getting assists in a battling Sheffield United side, Alan is a regular subsititute.

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Originally Posted by tetsujin1979

Still short at centre half, even if you count O'Shea

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i think 3 is sufficient as long as none injured / suspended as o'shea can play there also if we are really really really desparate.

i like the idea of less defenders and more midfielders / attackers in a squad. but i think we could do with one more full back. more likely to change a full back as a game goes on than a centre half.

I suppose O'Shea, Kilbane and even Duff at a stretch provide emergency cover at full back.

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Originally Posted by tetsujin1979

Fair enough, that's the only call up I have any real issue with, possibly the omission of Ledger.
Stephen is playing regularly, scoring and getting assists in a battling Sheffield United side, Alan is a regular subsititute.

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Agree, he has the wrong Quinn.

Also Morrison can feel hard done by. I don't see Douglas getting a game, and Morrison has started to score again.

why is colgan still picked for the squad? shoudnt doyle of birmingham be in there ahead of him at this stage

just wondering is it a rule that you need to have 3 keepers.... seems a bit pointless..as you could call up an additional outfield player

I dont see why Douglas is in there, S. Quinn would have been a better choice. Connolly should have been recalled!

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Originally Posted by JGKyne

I dont see why Douglas is in there, S. Quinn would have been a better choice. Connolly should have been recalled!

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S. Quinn is a winger, Douglas is a CM and is a bit more combative from what I've seen of him.

No Liam Miller?

Ya but with Carsely, Ireland, Kilbane A. Quinn and O'Shea if need be, surely thats enough cover in Centre Mid! Even Liam Miller would be a better choice than Douglas

Ireland sinking to new low by including Belgian 2nd division player in its senior squad.

Can someone send Folan a copy of the National Anthem.

What happen Dixon? Alan O'Brien? St Ledger? (no Cheltenham jokes please)

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Originally Posted by JGKyne

Ya but with Carsely, Ireland, Kilbane A. Quinn and O'Shea if need be, surely thats enough cover in Centre Mid! Even Liam Miller would be a better choice than Douglas

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Looking at the squad Douglas is actually not far off making the team. Ireland isn't really a central midfielder and I can't remember him ever playing there in a 4-4-2 for City. Kilbane, Quinn and O'Shea are makeshifts.

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Originally Posted by pete

Ireland sinking to new low by including Belgian 2nd division player in its senior squad.

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Shouldn't really matter who you play for. The likes of Gibson and Stokes are our future.

i see none of the recent eL transferred players have got in. is it only a matter of time? hawkins & ward in particular due to form and positions

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Originally Posted by pete

Ireland sinking to new low by including Belgian 2nd division player in its senior squad.

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He was in the last squad too

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Originally Posted by pete

What happen Dixon? Alan O'Brien? St Ledger? (no Cheltenham jokes please)

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Dixon is still out with a serious knee injury.
O'Brien is in the reserves at Newcastle, and we're covered for the left wing with Duff and Kilbane.

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Originally Posted by eirebhoy

Looking at the squad Douglas is actually not far off making the team. Ireland isn't really a central midfielder and I can't remember him ever playing there in a 4-4-2 for City. Kilbane, Quinn and O'Shea are makeshifts.

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Correct, it's usually Barton + Dabo behind Ireland, Hamann played there last night against Chelsea

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Originally Posted by JGKyne

Ya but with Carsely, Ireland, Kilbane A. Quinn and O'Shea if need be, surely thats enough cover in Centre Mid! Even Liam Miller would be a better choice than Douglas

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Anytime I've seen Douglas for Ireland he's been pretty good. He played well against the Czechs.

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Originally Posted by pete

What happen Dixon?

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Injured

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Originally Posted by pete

Alan O'Brien?

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I assume Stan has finally realised that he is not up to it.

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Originally Posted by pete

St Ledger?

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Good call Pete. There is only 1 regular (first choice) starting centre back in the squad. he should have been tried before now.

Given

Finnan Dunne McShane Harte

McGeady Carsley Douglas Duff

Doyle Keane

did anybody even know Caleb Folan was Irish? Seriously lads.

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Originally Posted by charliesboots

did anybody even know Caleb Folan was Irish? Seriously lads.

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http://foot.ie/showthread.php?t=54724

I think that's a poor squad. Why Folan ahead of Conolly? Not too much of a difference there. Staunton is pandering now I think. Keeping the press off his back by including smokescreens like Folan. I do agree with O'Dea's selection - if he's good enough in the San Siro, he'll be good enough for Lansdowne Road.

Folan ahead of Connolly as he adds somethilng that that nobody else has which is lots of pace and good in the air. Its about having variation on the bench.

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Originally Posted by NeilMcD

Folan ahead of Connolly as he adds somethilng that that nobody else has which is lots of pace and good in the air. Its about having variation on the bench.

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Agree, we badly need some muscle up front

I do agree with O'Dea's selection - if he's good enough in the San Siro, he'll be good enough for Lansdowne Road.[/QUOTE]

Oops. Croke Park of course!

I'm a Leeds supporter and the fact that we're not mathematically gone yet is largely due to the effort of Douglas.

Connolly and Morrison can feel quite hard done by.

Clinton is probably the only striker we have who can hold the ball.

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Originally Posted by DeNiro

I think that's a poor squad. Why Folan ahead of Conolly? Not too much of a difference there. Staunton is pandering now I think. Keeping the press off his back by including smokescreens like Folan. I do agree with O'Dea's selection - if he's good enough in the San Siro, he'll be good enough for Lansdowne Road.

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Landsdowne Road???

Carr's fit, so his omission is semi-interesting - not that I'm objecting though! :cool:

Folan is in there so the 'manager' can continue to talk about a squad in transition. yeah right.... How long before we hear 'testing out new players' to lower expectations.

If its on form then Connolly should be included. Having a big lump up front 'just in case' shows a lack of belief in the players to play the right way.:ball:

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Originally Posted by JimmyP

Carr's fit, so his omission is semi-interesting - not that I'm objecting though! :cool:

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He's only just back to fitness, we have 2 match fit, regular starters in Finnan and Kelly

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If its on form then Connolly should be included. Having a big lump up front 'just in case' shows a lack of belief in the players to play the right way

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i think the squad selection is quite good, we need variation big time. Have you not watched or last few matches, ball after ball hit into the box and no keane to be seen or else goes over everyones head, we need to be getting someone for knock downs and headers on goal. dont know much about folan but if thats what he can do then he is the kind of person we need to pull off the bench with 25 mins or so to go when we need to find a goal.....

it always confuses me how the posts here can be so different......

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Originally Posted by NeilMcD

Folan ahead of Connolly as he adds somethilng that that nobody else has which is lots of pace and good in the air. Its about having variation on the bench.

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he Irish now as well???

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Originally Posted by DeNiro

I do agree with O'Dea's selection - if he's good enough in the San Siro, he'll be good enough for Lansdowne Road.

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I'm tempted but I won't.

Think back 10 or 20 years lads.

Apart from our defence (excluding the best keeper & right-full in the Premier), I can't think of a better SQUAD (not team) of midfielders and forwards that we could assemble at the same time. All playing at the top level.

In the past when two or more of Houghton, Keane, Townsend, Sheedy; Aldo, Quinn, were injured we struggled big time. Sheridan, McLoughlin, Cascarino and Kelly (D) are the only half decent replacements that spring to mind.

I remember matches with four centre-halfs on the pitch and others with four fullbacks, all cover for absent midfielders.

Talent wise at the moment we are not lacking, leadership wise, very much so. That is one of our fundamental problems at the moment. Leadership on and off the pitch. The other is the players (spoilt little millionaires) hunger and desire. What Giles calls 'moral courage'.

I do not subscribe to the notion that our players aren't as good as what Jack had. Jack made use of what he had and they battled, too much sometimes. Stan is using it as a cop out to play out his four year contract (shades of Sven the spoofer).

We have alot of good young players (McGeady, McShane, Hunt, Long, Stokes, Doyle, Ireland, Geary (!) Stephen Quinn) with others at their peak (Given, Dunne, Finnan, Duff, Keane) and a few more experienced lads nearing the end (Carsley, Kilbane, Harte). And we have O'Shea.

How can a manager not build a team from that lot to get us into the top 12 teams in Europe.

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Originally Posted by JimmyP

Carr's fit, so his omission is semi-interesting - not that I'm objecting though! :cool:

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It will save Sulky having to make the phone call to pull out, as usual.

As he actually played since he 'delighted' us all with his come-back.

Not many complaints about the squad, though theres no good reason why Doyle from B'ham isnt included.

Agreed, Colin Doyle is definitely future No.2 even if Kenny comes back.

To be fair, we would have a really decent starting 11, if we had a left back and some central midfield muscle.

(and of course if an inanimate carbon rod was the manager instead of Homer)