Serbia v Rep of Ireland - Rajko Mitić Stadium, Belgrade (WCQ) Monday, 5th Sept. 2016

[DeLorean]

I missed the first 20mins of the game, was harvesting my spuds.

I listened to Richie and machine gun Kenny natter away on rte highlights about the upcoming qualifier.
It was a good intelligent chat, easy on the ear.
Kenny thought the 433 formation was the most interesting thing, not the individuals who filled out the roles and probably O'Neill will persist with it, following on from 2nd half v Italy and v France.
He sees Arter as an attacking midfield player, but v Oman was placed in the Whelan defensive midfield role where he's not at home stepping on the toes of the back 4. Kenny sees him having much more impact 20m up the pitch.
Whatever folk may say about Glen, he's at home in front of the back four.
Kenny also said that the onus was on Harry to get forward, to the question of, "was Harry following orders?", therefore in Kenny's opinion Harry can do it but didn't discipline himself to do enough to make a convincing argument for his inclusion.

Yeah, Johnny Giles was on Newstalk giving his normal James McCarthy speech but applying it to Arter instead - 'Good on the ball when he gets it but doesn't get on it enough and dictate play'. Maybe Arter was under instructions to play a less adventurous role though as I think he's usually quite proactive when it comes to receiving possession.

[Charlie Darwin]

bumping thread

Getting RSI from hitting unsubscribe here.

[geysir]

O'Shea is the last man standing from the golden generation. Although he didn't figure in the prime years for the senior team, sept 2000 to july 2002, nevertheless Josh has achieved salvation.
'He that endures to the end, shall be saved' Matthew Mark Luke or John

[OwlsFan]

Yeah, Johnny Giles was on Newstalk giving his normal James McCarthy speech but applying it to Arter instead - 'Good on the ball when he gets it but doesn't get on it enough and dictate play'. Maybe Arter was under instructions to play a less adventurous role though as I think he's usually quite proactive when it comes to receiving possession.

You have to be an extra special player these days to "dictate play". There aren't too many Gileses and Pirlos around in the current game where time and space are at a premium, especially playing for Bournmouth! Arter was looking for the ball a lot against Oman but was a bit careless on occasions. He does like to play a more forward game but I have hopes for him to mature in to a reasonably good international standard player for us.

[Olé Olé]

Not sure what to make of Keane's comments on O'Shea and Coleman: http://www.the42.ie/ireland-serbia-c...60887-Sep2016/

Sheasy joined in today, it was a pretty light session,” said assistant boss Roy Keane. “Seamus joined in too but did a bit extra at the end.
However,
I think Sheasy will be fine but the big question mark will be over Seamus.

Maybe the bit extra Coleman did was to assess how his injury would react but I'd have thought doing the bit extra at the end would indicate that he's further along than, although older, O'Shea.

Keane being fairly positive so I wouldn't be surprised if both were okay to play but would you play two players in defence that weren't 100%? Hard to know.

Had a quick look at the Serbia squad and Mitrovic is their only striker it seems to me (the other pair have no goals for Serbia and few caps) and he was out for Newcastle's last game with a concussion. He's not exactly a world-beater so is there a need to risk O'Shea? Let Clark get stuck into his new teammate? I'd be more worried about Tadic and Tosic on the wings so I wouldn't mind Seamie marshalling one of them. Christie, as good as he is going forward, worries me a bit defensively. They're both good players too, assuming it's them that will play.

[backstothewall]

Random stat warning:

By my reckoning he is our last man standing who ever played in a team alongside a member of the Italia 90 squad

[pineapple stu]

O'Shea and Quinn?

Quinn was a member of the Euro 88 squad if that helps stretch it!

[backstothewall]

He was definitely on the field with Stan for 6 minutes on his debut in 2001

http://www.11v11.com/matches/republi...t-2001-247919/

[pineapple stu]

Could be it actually. Quinn didn't play that game, and O'Shea only played once in 2002, with Quinn retiring after the World Cup.

Shay Given, who of course has just retired, played alongside a player born in the 50s (Paul McGrath)

[Irish_Praha]

We also don't have any players left who actually played in a WC.

[pineapple stu]

Actually, on a similar note, Northern Ireland aren't far off having a player who played on the same pitch as a player born in the 40s. Roy Carroll signed for Wigan as first-choice keeper just three months after they played a Leyton Orient team with Peter Shilton in nets.

Anyways, back to Serbia.

[geysir]

If we lose without much of a whimper, then Robbie (the bard from Tallaght) will surely be the focus of some flak because of the narcissistic indulgence around his farewell game, which by it's nature relegated the importance of the manager's preparations to a distant 2nd place.

[SwanVsDalton]

Neil O'Riordan on Twitter says 20-year-old Pedrag Rajkovic is set to make his competitive debut in goal for Serbia tomorrow.

[geysir]

The records say he currently plays in goals for Maccabi where he's taken over the first team duties from Serbia's nr 1 goalie who's departed to N Forest.
Maccabi paid (for them) a whopping Eur3m.for Pedrag. It appears that he's highly rated.

[TheOneWhoKnocks]

Randolph; Coleman, Keogh, O'Shea, Ward; Brady, Whelan, Hendrick, McClean; Arter; Long

Or stick to what worked very well against Italy, and for large periods against France, and play Murphy up top with Long.

TOWKnows best.

I think that those teams have good energy.

I would leave Walters and Hoolahan in reserve.

We played Whelan, Walters, Hoolahan and Murphy, four players in their mid-thirties, against Scotland in Dublin and we looked leggy.

I think Arter would add spark and we need Long's pace and running of the channels in a tough away game.

[backstothewall]

I think we're moving to a 4-5-1/4-3-3

Something like

Coleman O'Shea Keogh Brady
-- Arter McCarthy Hendrick --
--- Walters Long McClean ---

I could be totally wrong about this but it's just a hunch i have.

[swinfordfc]

I think we're moving to a 4-5-1/4-3-3

Something like

Coleman O'Shea Keogh Brady
-- Arter McCarthy Hendrick --
--- Walters Long McClean ---

I could be totally wrong about this but it's just a hunch i have.

That's the team but Whelan will be instead of McCarthy

[pineapple stu]

We'll probably play a goalkeeper as well.

Which may be one of the more interesting decisions, as Westwood went from not being in the Euros squad to starting against Oman. Will he keep his spot, or will Randolph be back in?

[backstothewall]

That's the team but Whelan will be instead of McCarthy

I was thinking more of the long term. The dropping of Whelan during the summer when it really should have been McCarthy and subsequent events are telling about their respective positions in O'Neill thoughts imho.

Whelan will be an able deputy while McCarthy is carrying an injury.

[Charlie Darwin]

We'll probably play a goalkeeper as well.

Which may be one of the more interesting decisions, as Westwood went from not being in the Euros squad to starting against Oman. Will he keep his spot, or will Randolph be back in?

Westwood wasn't in the Euros squad?