WC02 v PO09

[M@ttitude]

Id play Cunningham ahead of Ledge, his leadership might help us keep a lead for more than 5 mins. Wouldnt have Harte in the first team, he broke my harte in 2002! Whelan and Steven Reid centre.. Duff left, right is a tough one, So impressed with Lawerance in the past couple of games.. Keane and Quinn, Big Niall was only concerned with supplying Keane rather than Doyle who wants to prove his own worth and score..

[Polster]

Here goes....

GK Given

RB Gary Kelly
CB Dunne
CB Cunningham
LB Harte - Very good qualifiers, dangerous set pieces (bar penos), and not going to slate him for one game, often the scapegoat.
RM McAteer
CM S Reid
CM Holland - Stepped up well in Roys absence
LM Duff - Maybe at 75% of 2002, but cleverer/more experienced and can still do that bit of magic to turn a game.
ST Keane - I disagree with someone above, I'd say Keane in prime now
ST Quinn/Doyle - I'd probably start Quinn against Germany and Spain, more hold up play, releaving pressure, and give Doyle a start to run at the Saudis and Cameroon.

---------------Given-----------------
-Kelly----Cunningham-Dunne---Harte-
-McAteer-S Reid----Holland-----Duff-
----------Keane---Quinn/Doyle-------

Subs - Kinsella, Clint, Kilbane, A Reid, Finnan, Breen, McGeady, Hunt, Kiely, Folan, Ledger, Stan

[Polster]

Keane and Quinn, Big Niall was only concerned with supplying Keane rather than Doyle who wants to prove his own worth and score..

Thats very harsh in my opinion. Doyle and Quinn are different types of players. Quinn was your out and out target man, left right up front to hold the ball up, relieve pressure, flick ons, win frees, you know yourself. Where as Doyle will run the flanks all day for you, and puts in a number of crosses for others, takes defenders away to make space, and a decent finisher when he gets a chance. I think its very harsh to accuse him of not being a team player in any way.

[M@ttitude]

I think its very harsh to accuse him of not being a team player in any way.

No, not accusing him of that at all, I have alot of time for Doyle. Great player, Great attitude. I would just pick Quinn over him as a partner for Robbie. I think it worked better.

[Polster]

No, not accusing him of that at all, I have alot of time for Doyle. Great player, Great attitude. I would just pick Quinn over him as a partner for Robbie. I think it worked better.

Sound aye, as I said previously I think they would both have games they are more suited to start in. But if it was the world cup final in the morning, I would have the mighty one in there no bother.

[Junior]

well some people thought he should have done better for both italian goals at croke park....

not me mind

I think he should have done better for both goals - not saying he should have saved them both but I think a weak hand to the first and poor feet positioning for the 2nd mean't he didnt do as well as he should have. IMO.

That said we'd be lost without him - fabulous keeper.

[youngirish]

Pick a team between the Irish Squads for WC02 and the current available players in '09

GOALKEEPERS
SHAY GIVEN, DEAN KIELY, ALAN KELLY
DEFENDERS
STEVE STAUNTON, GARY BREEN, ANDY O BRIEN, IAN HARTE, GARY KELLY, RICHARD DUNNE, STEVE FINNAN, LEE CARSLEY
MIDFIELD
JASON MC ATEER, MATT HOLLAND, MARK KINSELLA, KENNY CUNNINGHAM, STEPHEN REID, KEVIN KILBANE
STRIKERS
ROBBIE KEANE, DAMIEN DUFF, NIALL QUINN, CLINTON MORRISON, DAVID CONNOLLY
MANAGER
MICK MC CARTHY
--------------------------------------------------

Id have to start by giving Trap the managers job. No offence to Mick but Trap is Trap.

My Mixed Team
GK - Given
D - O'Shea, St Ledger, Dunne(09), Harte
M - Duff, S.Reid, Whelan, McGeady
F - Keane, Quinn
Subs: Finnan, Kilbane, Doyle, Hunt, Kiely, A.Reid

Harte replaces Kilbane defo (for all Harte's defensive frailties and in this respect he was no worse than Kilbane at least he could take a good freekick, distribute the ball, had a good shot and could score a few goals). Cunningham was a better player then than St Ledger currently is though I think he'll improve and possibility turn out to be better in the long term. Finnan I'd play instead of O'Shea. Kinsella and Keane (he was part of the squad and team taht got us there) were a far better midfield partnership and better individually than any players we can field in central midfield today by a disatnce (including S Reid). McAteer was better than McGeady/Hunt (jury's still out on Lawrence). Quinn worked better with Keane than Doyle does though you could say their partnership suffers more from severe lack of service than any problems with understanding each other's game.

We had a way better team back then.

[blobbyblob]

I left out Roy Keane as he would probably get into any irish team in the last 100 years and so was a non contest. As regards a midfield partnership I think that Stephen Reid and Whelan could be great together if they get a decent run together.

Finnans a funny one. If you look back on big games where hes played, he always been at the heart of everythings thats been good and bad. Crossed for mcAteer to score against Holland. Knocked the long ball up to Quinn for the flick on to Keane against Germany. Also poor marking on his part let Klose away in the same game. Still the chap is quality. Funny how he always saw himself as a central midfielder and wanted to move to that position in the long term.

Ditto as regards Ledge - I think his maturity is encouraging and should barring injury be a long term servant in the position. While I think that McAteer had a few magical moments in a green shirt it doesnt rest well that he gets in this team. Id nearly push Duff over to the right and stick Killer on the left.

It should be remembered also that Stan was Man of the Match against the Germans in the World Cup. No mean achievement and he was a great servent, albeit, finished at the end of the tournament.

With the exception of Roy, I wouldnt say that the 02 team was "way" better

[rambler14]

----------------Gary Breen
Gary Breen Gary Breen Gary Breen Gary Breen
Gary Breen Gary Breen Gary Breen Gary Breen
-----------Gary Breen Gary Breen

[paul_oshea]

Harte replaces Kilbane defo (for all Harte's defensive frailties and in this respect he was no worse than Kilbane at least he could take a good freekick, distribute the ball, had a good shot and could score a few goals). Cunningham was a better player then than St Ledger currently is though I think he'll improve and possibility turn out to be better in the long term. Finnan I'd play instead of O'Shea. Kinsella and Keane (he was part of the squad and team taht got us there) were a far better midfield partnership and better individually than any players we can field in central midfield today by a disatnce (including S Reid). McAteer was better than McGeady/Hunt (jury's still out on Lawrence). Quinn worked better with Keane than Doyle does though you could say their partnership suffers more from severe lack of service than any problems with understanding each other's game.

We had a way better team back then.

I don't think we had, bar the centre midfield and the managers style, mccarthy for all his faults played to our strenghts and tried to get us to play football, Trap hasn't done that, and its probably largely down to our midfield being so poor.

[bogwarrior]

Shay Given 09
Steve Finnan 02; Dunne 09 ; O'Shea 09; Harte 02
MgGeady 09 ; S. Reid 09; Kinsella 02; Duff 02
Keane 09 ; Quinn 02

This would be a good team to put out against the French! For all the talk about the quality of player we had in 2002, I still would have more of today's squad in a combined team.

[mjpcc]

Niall Quinn was the impact sub for 2002 - he could not last the entire game.
It would have to be Keane/Doyle up front with Niall coming on for the last
20 minutes - How I wish we had him for that long now.

[DeLorean]

One separate point, this months 442 magazine lists the 100 best players in the world. Now I know alot of it is based on the past years form but no sign whatsoever of Given, yet Cech and Reina both are included

Yes but this is a list that has Rio Ferdinand as the 12th best player in the World (and Vidic at 22nd to compound it's stupidty)

[tetsujin1979]

Finnans a funny one. If you look back on big games where hes played, he always been at the heart of everythings thats been good and bad. Crossed for mcAteer to score against Holland. Knocked the long ball up to Quinn for the flick on to Keane against Germany. Also poor marking on his part let Klose away in the same game. Still the chap is quality. Funny how he always saw himself as a central midfielder and wanted to move to that position in the long term.

That wasn't Finnan that left Klose in, it was Harte. Staunton raced out to close down the man in possession (think it was Ballack) and gestured to Harte to mark Klose. He didn't and the frontman had all the time he needed to place the header.
Don't think I ever heard him say he wanted to be a central midfielder, he only ever played right full and right wing at club level, and a handful of times at left full at international level.

[Stuttgart88]

he only ever played right full and right wing at club level, and a handful of times at left full at international level.

He spent a part of one season 7 or 8 years ago at left full for Fulham afaik.

[macdermesser]

Pick a team between the Irish Squads for WC02 and the current available players in '09

GOALKEEPERS
SHAY GIVEN, DEAN KIELY, ALAN KELLY
DEFENDERS
STEVE STAUNTON, GARY BREEN, ANDY O BRIEN, IAN HARTE, GARY KELLY, RICHARD DUNNE, STEVE FINNAN, LEE CARSLEY
MIDFIELD
JASON MC ATEER, MATT HOLLAND, MARK KINSELLA, KENNY CUNNINGHAM, STEPHEN REID, KEVIN KILBANE
STRIKERS
ROBBIE KEANE, DAMIEN DUFF, NIALL QUINN, CLINTON MORRISON, DAVID CONNOLLY
MANAGER
MICK MC CARTHY
--------------------------------------------------

Id have to start by giving Trap the managers job. No offence to Mick but Trap is Trap.

Well ... I'd probably give the job to Mick in this fantasy. Look at the teams he managed to get to the play-offs ... 1997 team was a very old team... and splitting Holland and Portugal was an amazing feat (Ok .. his captain had a large hand in that :-)

My Mixed Team
GK - Given

D - Finnan, Breen, Dunne, O'Shea

M - Duff, Kinsella, Holland, S.Reid

F - Keane, Doyle

[seanfhear]

Hart was poor in 2002.

Twas a great pity that Mick McCarthy had fallen out with Denis Irwin.

Denis was still a very good player then.

Ah regrets regrets.