Senior Squad Strength

[tetsujin1979]

with 2 months, more or less, before the next senior game against the North, this is how the available players for the squad in each position looks to me, in the order of selection for the position*

                 Given
                 Westwood
                 Joe Murphy
                 Brian Murphy
                 Randolph
                 Forde

O'Shea   Dunne        St Ledger Kilbane
Foley    O'Shea       Wilson    O'Shea
Coleman  Kelly        O'Dea     Clark
Kelly    Joey O'Brien Bruce     Cunningham
                                Delaney

McGeady  Whelan       Fahey     Duff
Duff     McCarthy     Andrews   McGeady
Lawrence Green        Gibson    Stephen Hunt
Coleman               Hoolahan  Treacy
                                Keogh

         Keane        Doyle
         Long         Walters
         Stokes       Best
         Noel Hunt    Keogh
         Folan

First thing to note is the regular Premier League player Seamus Coleman still isn't close to a first team player for me, assuming everyone is fit and available and, for now, I really only see him as a Stephen Hunt type impact player on the right wing

With the addition of McCarthy, and the return of Andrews, there is now genuine competition in almost every position, which is no bad thing. Coming into the final set of qualifiers in the autumn, less and less positions in the squad will be available, and even moreso for the starting XI. All of which benefits us as fans, as players up their game to keep their spot in the team.

With any luck the summer games in the States will add at least 2 players to the list as squad candidates, and things will be looking up come September.

*obviously players appearing twice or more on the list because they can play in multiple positions.

[paul_oshea]

Interesting....

, there is now genuine competition in almost every position

Yes there is, not that some of it is any good though.

[AlaskaFox]

Good stuff Tets, but you forgot Meyler. Surely he'll be in contention when he's back.

[ifk101]

I'd imagine Cillian Sheridan would be ahead of Noel Hunt in Trapattoni's thoughts.

[tetsujin1979]

Good stuff Tets, but you forgot Meyler. Surely he'll be in contention when he's back.

Yeah, I left him out because I don't think he'll be in contention for the Celtic Nations Cup games, or the qualifier in June.
Also Ward, McCann, and possibly Clarke

[tetsujin1979]

I'd imagine Cillian Sheridan would be ahead of Noel Hunt in Trapattoni's thoughts.

maybe, but both are sixth choice at best for a squad position behind Keane, Doyle, Long, Best, Walters and Stokes. Maybe even behind Keogh

[gustavo]

You could have Fahey on the left wing too

[ifk101]

If McShane had of been available for the Macedonia game, he probably would have started ahead of O'Dea in the center. Prior to the Macedonia game he arguably was also ahead of Foley in preference for the RB position.

[Stuttgart88]

I think it's a bit odd to see Joey O'Brien in as a CB, where he has only played on a makeshift basis. CM or RB are probably his best positions, and this all assumes he ever gets his career on track again anyway.

I think Marc Wilson should be in as a CM.

Keogh as a LHM? Yikes.

Only a B+ for this effort Tets

[Kingdom]

Would Duffy be more of a candidate for CB than Bruce?

[Predator]

This loan move is a real test for Duffy. It's a testament to his ability and potential that a Championship club like Burnley, who are pushing for promotion, were willing to loan him at such a crucial stage, especially when you consider that all our other U21 defenders are on loan at League 2 or Scottish clubs. Although Trap was impressed by Duffy at the training camp in May, Duffy's inclusion ahead of Bruce should really depend on how he gets on playing competitive first team football.

[tetsujin1979]

I think it's a bit odd to see Joey O'Brien in as a CB, where he has only played on a makeshift basis. CM or RB are probably his best positions, and this all assumes he ever gets his career on track again anyway.

I think Marc Wilson should be in as a CM.

Keogh as a LHM? Yikes.

Only a B+ for this effort Tets

He's been played there, honestly I think that's the way Trapattoni looks at it

Would Duffy be more of a candidate for CB than Bruce?

If we're that far down the choices, the order really starts to become irrelevant

[Murfinator]

We've got good depth now, when you consider the likes of Andy Reid, Steven Reid, Stephen Ireland, Rory Delap, Stephen Ward all out of the picture and the likes of Shane Ferguson, Pennant an O'Hara potentially coming in its a very deep pool. Not to mention others like McShane who could become good one day.

I don't really worry anymore about losing key players to injury, partly because the replacements have got so much better but also our key players (keane, given) have got so much weaker.

[Fixer82]

What about big old Paddy Kenny?

[passinginterest]

Yeah, I left him out because I don't think he'll be in contention for the Celtic Nations Cup games, or the qualifier in June.
Also Ward, McCann, and possibly Clarke

According to Meyler's twitter he's back doing a bit of running and chomping at the bit to get back playing. It wouldn't surprise me if he's back for the last few weeks of the season. Hopefully he'll have learned to be a bit more patient this time (and his manager in particular will have learned not to push him/let him push himself too hard). He really looks like the complete defensive midfielder that the squad is crying out for so we'll all say a few Hail Mary's or something.

[rossi_eire]

tets post shows that the future is relatively bright but P_oshea does have a point especially when you look at our soft centre in midfield which undermines our strengths and ability to be adventurous in other areas of the field. Trap's unwillingness to experiment with a 3 man midfield etc.. is directly linked to a dearth of talent in CM.

GM was out of sorts against the technically superior Macedonians while KA has had a miserable injury plagued season at Blackburn both on and off the field. DG has ability but currently lacks the application and nous to influence an important game while neither JmcC nor KF were given the expected full 90mins v Uruguay which IMO shows that in the short/medium term trap does not see either as realistic options for CM (McCarthy was AM).

Like passinginterest I sincerely hope Meyler does fulfill his early potential......... and ignoring O'Hara's pleas for us to embarrass ourselves in trying to 'win' his conditional allegiance..... our CM continues to be the major source of concern for our progress.

[gastric]

On the subject of Joey O'Brien, he is certainly a midfielder. Before his last injury, he was starting in that position for Bolton and I believe this is his chosen position. When he was on loan at Wednesday he played in midfield and excelled for them.

[Crosby87]

Wonder if Folan will ever end up playing in Green again.

[Stuttgart88]

Hard to see it. We're well served for the "old fashioned number 9" role now with Best & Walters able to do what he did.

The clips of Cillian Sheridan scoring goals in Bulgaria seemed to dry up. Is he even starting these days?

[AlaskaFox]

He started last night in a 2-0 win over Sliven. The other striker got both goals though. His second start in a row, although he was taken off near the end of both games. He usually comes off the bench too, so the manager must like him. Hasn't scored in 2011 though.