Team for the play-off game?

**Larks** · 14/09/2009, 3:11 PM

I really think Ireland have looked best when Folan was stuck up front as the long ball outlet. I'd like to see him tried up front with doyle and have keane playing off them. have steven reid as a holding midfielder if fit, or andrews. duff and ? on the wings. why cant trappa try out a different formation. he has his mind stuck on a 4-4-2 with two boring centre midfielders who dont link up with the strikers. I'm getting tired of trappa. I know we are getting results but we have been lucky on a few occasions to get them results. If we go to the world cup and play the same way we're playing now we won't win a game, might draw ONE!!

**Brendan 82** · 14/09/2009, 7:39 PM

The praise that Folan is getting is staggering. Some even suggesting that we have no hope without him!

Anyway I'd go with this (providing all are fit)

Given
Finnan Dunne St. Ledger O'Shea
Lawrence Reid Whelan Duff
Keane Doyle

**Murfinator** · 14/09/2009, 8:23 PM

Playing keane away from the goal is foolhardy, and personally I think Doyle offers us more than Folan. Steven Reid for Andrews is the only change we really need. Finnan back would be nice but I won't hold my breath.

**Irish_Praha** · 14/09/2009, 9:48 PM

Originally Posted by Brendan 82

The praise that Folan is getting is staggering. Some even suggesting that we have no hope without him!

Anyway I'd go with this (providing all are fit)

Given
Finnan Dunne St. Ledger O'Shea
Lawrence Reid Whelan Duff
Keane Doyle

I'd go for that. Some people may argue that Hunt or McGeady should be in ahead of Lawrence but I feel the balance of the team would be much better with Duff on the left and a natural RMF player on the right. If you think about it he's probably the best if not the only out-and-out RMF player in the squad. He has show he can take a decent free kick and he's an agressive direct player like Hunt but with more control.
If he is having a stinker it's a great option to have McGeady or hunt come off the bench to terrorise a tired defence.

**M@ttitude** · 14/09/2009, 11:42 PM

Hilarious post by backtowalsall about Hunt being better than Duff!! OMG!!! Lawrence makes Hunt look bad. I do like Hunt, but as an Impact sub when the teams are tired, thats when he shines. When he starts, the opposition suss him out in the first ten mins and he turns invisible.. Folan gets his head to every long ball, we need his knock downs late in games.

My Team
GIVEN

FINNAN DUNNE OSHEA KILBANE

LAWRENCE S REID WHELAN DUFF

KEANE DOYLE

Impact Subs: Hunt, Folan, Andy Reid.

Other Subs: Foley, McGeady, St Ledger, Long, Best, Andrews etc

Trap has to take note of A Reids performance's and weight loss before the world cup, because he'll have to be included in the wc squad if he keeps up the good work.

McGeady will prob run from Celtic in January, Aston Villa? He needs to play premiership football because he has so much potential!

This could be Kilbanes last first team start! He'll hopefully give everything!

Lawrence deserves the start after that man of the match display and his shooting ability!

**Superhoops** · 14/09/2009, 11:51 PM

Originally Posted by M@ttitude

Hilarious post by backtowalsall about Hunt being better than Duff!! OMG!!! Lawrence makes Hunt look bad. I do like Hunt, but as an Impact sub when the teams are tired, thats when he shines. When he starts, the opposition suss him out in the first ten mins and he turns invisible.. Folan gets his head to every long ball, we need his knock downs late in games.

My Team
GIVEN

FINNAN DUNNE OSHEA KILBANE

LAWRENCE S REID WHELAN DUFF

KEANE DOYLE

Impact Subs: Hunt, Folan, Andy Reid.

Other Subs: Foley, McGeady, St Ledger, Long, Best, Andrews etc

Trap has to take note of A Reids performance's and weight loss before the world cup, because he'll have to be included in the wc squad if he keeps up the good work.

McGeady will prob run from Celtic in January, Aston Villa? He needs to play premiership football because he has so much potential!

This could be Kilbanes last first team start! He'll hopefully give everything!

Lawrence deserves the start after that man of the match display and his shooting ability!

No worries on that score, he's given everything on 98 previous occasions.

**IsMiseSean** · 15/09/2009, 8:38 PM

Everyone fit I'd go with...
Given
Finnan St. Ledger Dunne O'Shea
McGeady Whelan S. Reid Duff
Keane Doyle

But then it depends who we get...

**Scram** · 15/09/2009, 9:46 PM

Originally Posted by JGKyne

Everyone fit I'd go with...
Given
Finnan St. Ledger Dunne O'Shea
McGeady Whelan S. Reid Duff
Keane Doyle

But then it depends who we get...

Fairly sure Trap this will be close to trap's 11, except I can't see him dropping Kilbane (assuming Reid has had some game time)

I find the 4-4-2 too static and would play a kind of 4-3-2-1 but flexibility is not something Trap considers so doesn't matter waht anyone on her thinks!

Given
Finnan Dunne O'Shea Kilbane
McGeady Whelan S. Reid Duff
Keane Doyle

If Reid not fit:

Given
Finnan Dunne O'Shea Kilbane
McGeady Whelan Andrews Duff
Keane Doyle

SO, ASSUMING EITHER of the 3 11's ABOVE ARE PICKED, WHAT IS THE CHANCE OF SUCCESS SAY AGAINST RUSSIA, CROATIA OR NORWAY?!

**zenokelly** · 16/09/2009, 10:43 AM

Originally Posted by Scram

SO, ASSUMING EITHER of the 3 11's ABOVE ARE PICKED, WHAT IS THE CHANCE OF SUCCESS SAY AGAINST RUSSIA, CROATIA OR NORWAY?!

Whatever about Russia and Croatia, we have no chance against Norway considering their out of the running for the play offs.

**boovidge** · 16/09/2009, 3:19 PM

I'd say Best has to be pushing for Folan's place. He did well against S.A and is scoring regularly in the Championship.

**Scram** · 16/09/2009, 5:10 PM

Originally Posted by zenokelly

Whatever about Russia and Croatia, we have no chance against Norway considering their out of the running for the play offs.

Yes indeed, I knew that, d'oh! A case of too lazy to check the others.

Please substitute Norway for any mediocre team that may make the play-offs (excluding us as we can't meet ourselves)

**carloz** · 16/09/2009, 6:13 PM

My Personal team

.........................Given.................... .............

O'Shea..............St Ledger..............Dunne...........Finnan

McGeady.........S. Reid.........K.Andrews..............Duff

.................Keane...........Doyle............ ...........

Depending on the team we are playing, i might start Folan. Personally i think Trap will swap Finnan for Zinedine, and Hunt for McGeady

**eirebhoy** · 16/09/2009, 6:31 PM

I definitely wouldn't be breaking up the Reid-Whelan partnership after how they performed against Norway, Georgia and Montenegro.

**Scram** · 16/09/2009, 7:14 PM

Originally Posted by carloz

My Personal team

.........................Given.................... .............

O'Shea..............St Ledger..............Dunne...........Finnan

McGeady.........S. Reid.........K.Andrews..............Duff

.................Keane...........Doyle............ ...........

Depending on the team we are playing, i might start Folan. Personally i think Trap will swap Finnan for Zinedine, and Hunt for McGeady

You couldn't possibly intend to play Finnan at left back?

**carloz** · 17/09/2009, 5:58 PM

Originally Posted by Scram

You couldn't possibly intend to play Finnan at left back?

I do. He has played there in a handful of games for us, and to be honest id have him there over Kilbane any day of the week.

**SwanVsDalton** · 17/09/2009, 11:04 PM

Finnan at left back ain't a bad shout.

When we played Wales at Croke under Stan I remember him Finnan at LB and O'Shea on the right. Everyone thought it was another Staunton howler but our defence was very solid that day. I remember O'Shea and Finnan playing much better than they had been previously.

**SwanVsDalton** · 17/09/2009, 11:08 PM

Finnan at left back ain't a bad shout.

When we played Wales at Croke under Stan I remember him Finnan at LB and O'Shea on the right. Everyone thought it was another Staunton howler but our defence was very solid that day. I remember O'Shea and Finnan playing much better than they had been previously.

**NeilMcD** · 17/09/2009, 11:45 PM

I will go with whatever team trap picks as he knows more about football than i do and he will have seen them and close hand too but lets get to a play off first by beating the italians at home and putting a bit of pressure on them for their final match.

**Scram** · 18/09/2009, 3:30 PM

Originally Posted by NeilMcD

I will go with whatever team trap picks as he knows more about football than i do and he will have seen them and close hand too but lets get to a play off first by beating the italians at home and putting a bit of pressure on them for their final match.

You don’t have much choice in that!

I wanted to see what posters think the team will be IF we make the play-offs and what they think our chances are i.e. as per my original post…up there ^^

**Leeside Swagger** · 18/09/2009, 5:06 PM

My team would be:

Given,
Kelly,O'Shea,Dunne,Finnan
S.Reid,Andrews,Whelan,Duff
Keane,Doyle.

Ok ill probably get shot down for this but i think Finnan can easily do a job for us at left back and Kelly is a decent enough player who has performed for us in the past both of whom are less likely to drop a clanger unlike Kilbane.
I really dont think that Mcgeady adds much of an attacking threat to the team, S. Reid is a much better option imo and has played that position for Ireland and at Club level in the past. In fairness Whelan and Andrews have done reasonably well as a partnership so I would keep them together. The front two pick themselves obviously.