Ireland Squad Vs Czechs

[eirebhoy]

The team should look like this with the players in Bold as definite's:

GK: Given

DR: Carr
DL: Harte
DC: Cunningham
DC: Doherty

ML: Duff
MC/R: Holland
MC: Delap - I will be shocked if he's not picked
AMC: Reid/Kilbane - 50/50

FC: Keane
FC: Morrison

[John83]

ML: Duff
MC/R: Holland
MC: Delap - I will be shocked if he's not picked
AMC: Reid/Kilbane - 50/50

Duff is of course guarenteed a start, though Kerr might be tempted to play him through the middle again.
I don't think we can afford to play Reid through the middle when they've got Nedved and Tomas Galasek of Ajax there. He'd have to stop Galasek from playing all by himself, which would force Nedved deep where he's less effective. I don't think he has the experience to do that. He'll start on the right wing if he starts at all. If we're going to play more than one central player behind an attacking mid, it'll be Duff.

[Slash/ED]

Reid on the right would be my prefrence, with Delap and Holland in the middle.

[eirebhoy]

I don't think we can afford to play Reid through the middle when they've got Nedved and Tomas Galasek of Ajax there. He'd have to stop Galasek from playing all by himself, which would force Nedved deep where he's less effective.

Doesn't Nedved play on the left? Carr will have to do his best if he does play there. I'm not bothered were Duff plays as what is the point on having him on the left. Who can he cross the ball to? Keane and Morrison can't use their head so maybe Duff would be better in the middle playing through balls. What'ya think?

[soccerc]

Maybury to start

[eirebhoy]

I can't see us winning with that back 4. Duff, Reid and Kilbane will have to be at their very best to get something out of this game.
So the team should look like this on paper:

---------------------------------Given----------------------------

Maybury---------Cunningham--------Doherty--------Harte

Reid---------------Holland-------------Kilbane-----------Duff

---------------------Keane---------Morrison-------------------

[John83]

Doesn't Nedved play on the left? Carr will have to do his best if he does play there. I'm not bothered were Duff plays as what is the point on having him on the left. Who can he cross the ball to? Keane and Morrison can't use their head so maybe Duff would be better in the middle playing through balls. What'ya think?

He used to, but he's at his best in a free role in central midfield - that's where he's starred for Juventus for the past couple of seasons, and that's where he'll play tonight.

Duff penetrates better when he's on the left, and a low cross is as effective as a high one once you've skinned the full-back - Keaninho's diminutive status won't be a problem if we're smart about it. If he plays in the middle, he's too easy to contain, I think - there just isn't another route to go, so we become too predictable.

No, the key to beating the Czechs is stopping those centre-mids from playing. Maybe putting Duff in the middle would do that, but I'd rather not see just how good Poborsky still is - I think we need width too.

[John83]

I can't see us winning with that back 4. Duff, Reid and Kilbane will have to be at their very best to get something out of this game.
So the team should look like this on paper:

---------------------------------Given----------------------------

Maybury---------Cunningham--------Doherty--------Harte

Reid---------------Holland-------------Kilbane-----------Duff

---------------------Keane---------Morrison-------------------

Said in the paper that the stronger training team (i.e. the one with the expected starters in it) had a midfield of Reid---Kilbane---Kinsella---Duff.

Kerr must have read my earlier post...

[irwinsalegend]

any news on the czech team

[John83]

any news on the czech team

This is all I've got:


Porbosky, Jarosik and Huebschman are out.
replaced by Sionko,Tyce and Vorisek

The Czech Republic can extend their unbeaten run to 21 matches in Dublin, but coach Karel BRÜCKNER's preparations have been disrupted by injuries, especially to midfield players. Captain Pavel Nedved told the press in Prague that he had considered withdrawing from the party because of a back problem that has meant taking pain-killing injections in order to play for Juventus in recent weeks. However, Nedved said he was grateful for the opportunity to "swap Juventus's problems for the winning spirit of the national team."

His presence in the squad is a boost for Bruckner, who is already missing two other midfield regulars, Sparta Prague's Karel Poborský and Borussia Dortmund's Tomás Rosický, through injury. Vladimír Šmicer of Liverpool is only just back in training after suffering an Achilles injury and misses the Ireland game. His probable replacement at Lansdowne Road is Monaco's Jaroslav Plašil, described by Brückner as "a similar type of player for the left flank".

Meanwhile another midfielder, Jirí Jarosík, withdrew from the squad to conentrate on winning a place in the starting line-up for his club, CSKA Moscow. "It's the first time in two years that a player has asked me to rest him because of club commitments," said Brückner, who was not happy about the request.

Sparta's central defender Tomás Hübchman has broken an arm so Bruckner has had to draft in Petr Voríšek, but goalkeeper Petr Cech returns to the squad following an elbow injury. He will probably face Ireland's Damien Duff, who will become his Chelsea team-mate when Cech reports for duty at Stamford Bridge in the summer following his £9 million transfer from Rennes.
Bruckner expects Cech to excel in the Premiership.

FORM GUIDE:
Czech Republic (all competitions - oldest results first): WWWWWD
The Czechs boast a superb record and go into this game on the back of a 2-2 draw with Italy that was preceded by five straight wins – against Moldova (5-0 h, Euro qualifier), Belarus (3-1 a, Euro), Netherlands (3-1 h, Euro), Austria (3-2 away, Euro), and Canada (5-1 h, friendly).

PROBABLE STARTING XI:
Czech Republic: Cezh (Rennes), Grygera (Ajax), Bolf (Banik Ostrava), Ujfalusi (Hamburg), Jankulovski (Udinese), Sionko (Sparta Prague), Galasek (Ajax), Nedved (Juventus), Stajner (Sparta Prague), Baros (Liverpool), Koller (Borussia Dortmund).

[drummerboy]

The last time Alan Maybury played we lost to Norn Ireland. The guy is not international class, and never will be. It would have been more beneficial to give young Steven Kelly of Spurs a run out as he has what it takes to become a decent international.

Surely Rory Delap a regular central mid fielder in the Premiership is worth a start.

[Slash/ED]

I honestly can't believe he hasn't started Delap. Complete and utter stupidity.

[eirebhoy]

I honestly can't believe he hasn't started Delap. Complete and utter stupidity.

I too am shocked. This is Holland's last chance to impress, if he fails tonight, Delap has to be ahead of himon the team sheet, even with little international experience. I hate to say this but I hope he has one of his usual invisible games for the sake of having our best team for the qualifiers.