I think you can take comments like that with a pinch of salt. What's he going to say, "Yeah, Caoimhín's still a bit knackered so I've no choice really but stick with this useless greenhorn"? Not every manager is like that, but Kenny will talk up Bazunu if he's playing him, not least because he can't really afford to be negative in front of the media at the moment. Maybe he rates him, maybe he doesn't. Things would be clearer if Kelleher was playing recently.
I think there has to be a better way of saying it though. It depends what the question was of course; if it was a generic team selection question, you just don't mention the keeper issue. If it was specifically about whether Kelleher was going to make his debut, then surely an answer which doesn't put the Liverpool sub keeper behind the Rochdale sub keeper for a game in September is preferable?
Though if Kelleher is in line for a run-out this evening as Kenny says, then he's probably not injured? I don't think you can't really say a keeper's not really fit enough for a full 90 minutes. They're either injured or they're not.
Is there a question mark about Randolph and the future? Reading between the lines and the way our current goalkeeping options have been talked up, it doesn't feel like he'll be available in September.
It read to me like preparing a Plan B - which makes sense given Randolph is 34 and not playing regular first-team football and isn't available tonight. All the article says is "with doubts still persisting around the fitness and standing of Darren Randolph", and that's McDonnell saying it, not a quote from Kenny.
Randolph took the money and lifestyle choice rather than football choice and at this age, I don't blame him. Trade-off is that he's going to be sitting on a bench for the rest of his career.
Both Kelleher and Bazunu will likely be playing every week next year at a decent level. Makes every sense in the world for them to play in September seeing as we're not going to qualify anyway.
I don’t think Randolph is to fond of this playing out from the back, and if he had not played that much of that in his career, who could blame him ? ?
Yeah, he reminds me a bit of Packie Bonner when the backpass rule came in.
Thing is, Bazunu can play out from the back, but the rest of his game is suspect still, so we're damned if we do and damned if we don't in a way.
Not that keeper is the only position we have that problem of course.
Hopefully more entertaining than when we played them just before Euro 2012
I haven't seen much (informed) speculation around Twitter for tonight's team. Kenny has made some comments regarding Parrott and the goalkeepers (as set out above). The Times also carried a possible team in their piece of: Bazunu; Doherty, Egan, O’Shea, Manning; Arter, Cullen, Knight; Horgan, Parrott, Idah.
I'm not sure if Manning is going to get the nod at left back. I don't think I could trust him there, personally. I also can't see Arter forcing his way in ahead of Molumby and Hourihane who both have plenty minutes under their belts for Kenny.
I can definitely see Horgan coming in for Curtis and Idah for Collins. with regards to Parrott, I think there is a little tinkering to do with the formation here. I found that against Andorra, we played something close to a 4-4-2. It was more like a 4-2-2, flexing into a 4-2-3-1 depending on where Troy was picking up space. We suffered from Cullen and Hourihane sitting too deep. Curtis and Knight were quite wide, which worked better for Knight than Curtis.
There is the potential for Kenny to shift into a 4-3-3 or maybe a 4-2-3-1 with a 10 that is more of a midfielder than a striker. I'm thinking of someone like Knight or McGrath. Troy could even shift out to the wing if it were Knight that moved into the 10 spot.
Kenny's comments on Bazunu certainly suggest he sees him as number one for the games in September. Or, at least, is concerned enough about Randolph's fitness that he's preparing him for it.
14,000 crowd at the game tonight apparently - in a 15,000 capacity stadium. So effectively a full house.
I think you could throw a hanky over the two keepers tbh. Kelleher always worries me when coming for crosses. Banuzu has had a few poor decision making occasions.
EDIT that last sentence makes no grammatical sense.
So what you're trying to say is you could throw a hanky over the two keepers and neither of them would catch it?Quote:
Originally Posted by centre mid
I'd be careful with that if I were you. A hanky can be quite a dangerous weapon.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e1Ym5iUPIfk
Makes me wonder what the score is with Max O'Leary is, played a few games for Bristol this season. He's not the answer ongoing most likely but surely should be around the squad.
The 2nd half against Andorra was good but against decent opponents today we need to look like we can compete. If we go out a lose 2 nil with a crappy performance where we create nothing I'd be very worried. There were plenty of positives from the Andorra game that we need to take forward to today.
Games this time of year are notoriously poor with players having one eye on the beach but given the circumstances of our record in the last year Id hope the players will be engaged for at least 1 more game.
Looks like
---------------------Bazunu---------------------
-------------Egan - Duffy - O'Shea-------------
Doherty --------------------------------McClean
------------Cullen - Hourihane - Knight----------
-------------------Idah - Parrott-------------------
So Duffy and Idah in for Collins and Curtis is it?
Hungary's players are (undeservedly) going to the Euros, their team will have different priorities. It could turn out to a typical game where the tournament bound team get turned over by the team with a point to prove.Quote:
Originally Posted by Razors left peg