Team for WC Qualifiers

**pete** · 01/04/2004, 1:54 PM

Definite Starters!

Given
Carr
Cunningham
Kilbane
Duff
Keane

IMO no matter who else available or where they play theres definitely half the team!

**4tothefloor** · 01/04/2004, 2:02 PM

Starting team will probably be:

Given
Carr
Cunningham
O'Brien
O'Shea (though I wouldn't mind seeing Finnan here)
McAteer
Kavanagh
Kilbane
Duff
Keane
Morrison

Thats the side I think Kerr would go for, all being fit, with maybe Breen, Holland & Healy having a chance aswell. That could change though with players impressing in the coming months etc. I couldn't get over how small Liam Miller is though - he's goin to have to bulk up a bit if he's going to be effective in the premiership & internationally, for that reason I think he's a bit off from being a regular yet. Hopefully Kerr will open his eyes regarding Holland soon - the man's useless.

Pogsly · 01/04/2004, 2:15 PM

Given
Carr
Cunningham
O'Brien
O'Shea

Miller
Kilbane
Kavanagh
Duff

Keane
Morrison/ Lee

Take some of the above with a grain of salt

**NeilMcD** · 13/04/2004, 11:32 AM

my team is

Given

Carr
Cunningham
O Brien
O Shea,

most people agree on that bit

now for the next bit

I would have

Andy Reid/Liam Miller

Holland/Kavanagh/Delap/Healy/Carsley they are all pretty average for that position that is why the return of roy keane woudl be great are midfield goes from average too very good in my opition.
Kilbane
Duff

Keane Morrison

**carnstien** · 15/04/2004, 11:43 AM

Ok, here we go:

Given

Finnan
O'Brien
Cunningham
O'Shea

Carr
Miller
Roy Keane (c)
Duff

Keane
Morrison

A few comments:

Finnan and Carr MUST both play as they are 2 of our most talented players.
I'd like to see what Miller can do, although he had a stinker against Villareal last night.

We could also do with finding a better partner for Robbie up front, Morrison is average at best, give Elliot a chance, I wouldn't mind seeing what Andy Ried could do up front either.

Sorry no Kilbane, but he is simply talentless, if Miller and Andy Ried both flop, I'd give Kilbane a run beside Keane in the middle.

only1kilbane · 15/04/2004, 11:53 AM

Kilbane talentless ! are you mad ? The bloke might not have an abundance of talent but utilises what he has 100%. People already putting Miller in the first team are looking a bit far ahead. He has talent we can see that but not enough for International never mind his club side. See what he does with Manu before throwing him in at the deep end ..

Neil Mc D's team seems the perfect choice

**Declan_Michael** · 15/04/2004, 12:40 PM

Given

Carr
O'Brien
Cunningham (C)
O'Shea

McAteer
K***e
Delap
Kilbane

Duff

Keane

**scouser** · 15/04/2004, 3:10 PM

Given
Carr
Cunningham
O'Brien
O'Shea
Finnan
Miller
Roy Keane (c)
Duff
Morrison
Robbie Keane

**pete** · 15/04/2004, 3:16 PM

Originally Posted by scouser

Roy Keane (c)

Not a chance.

**S�C** · 15/04/2004, 3:39 PM

Given
Carr Cunningham O'Brien O'Shea
Miller Holland Keane Kilbane Duff
Keane

Morrison, Breen, Finnian, Kenny, A.Reid, Healy, Doherty

**Bowsy** · 15/04/2004, 4:05 PM

How come everybody has Miller as a definite starter in the Irish side be it right or centre midfield? This seems to be based on a few good games earlier in the season and one terrific display against Anderlecht. I'm as excited as anyone about Miller as a prospect but he has proved nothing. Was anonymous on his Irish debut and against Livingston at the weekend and last night against Villareal he was abysmal. Players like Andy Reid and Miller on the bench at this stage for me. For my money starting XI would be.

Given

Carr
Cunningham
Breen
O'Shea

Finnan
Roy Keane(Can't believe i'm saying that)
Kav/Kilbane/Holland(Take your pick)
Duff

Morrisson
Robbie Keane

**NeilMcD** · 15/04/2004, 4:18 PM

well i think you may be right about miller it is a little too early to say on him but i must say that breeen will not be starting, he is playing average at sunderland his best days are behind him he has been a good servant and is decent cover but you have to say that O brien deserves a shot after his display against Brazil and the fact that he is playing top flight football and has played champions league and is a uefa cup semi final,

My team would be

Given

Carr
Cunningham
O Brien
O Shea

Reid/MillerFinnan/Mc Ateer all in that order
Kilbane
Keane
Duff

Keane
Morrison (for want of a better alternative).

All the players i have piced are at top flight clubs are are playing regulartly for their team with the exception of Reid but that is inevitable, I think he has impressed Kerr so far and so has kilbane in the centre. I think all of them plus Duff will give keane the sort of legs he may need in midfield. Look at what darren fletcher gave to keane against arsenal in the semi final. It is a good mixture between experience and youth and people who can pass and those that are good runners. We need balance in the side and i think this give us that balance. The good thing about Kerr is that he rarely makes a ludicrous decisions when picking his team or making subs. Whereas the previous manager used to do it regularly and separate from the whole Keane affair i used to find myself crying at his subs. He did it recently when he took Kevin Kyle off for suderland too

**scouser** · 15/04/2004, 5:19 PM

Originally Posted by pete

Not a chance.

do you say this of your own accord or on behalf of Brian Kerr? The fact that in your other post you have Kilbane down as a definite starter makes me thinks its the former.

**carnstien** · 15/04/2004, 7:15 PM

Originally Posted by Bowsy

I'm as excited as anyone about Miller as a prospect but he has proved nothing. Was anonymous on his Irish debut and against Livingston at the weekend and last night against Villareal he was abysmal. Players like Andy Reid and Miller on the bench at this stage for me. For my money starting XI would be.

You've picked a really good team, but why not throw Miller or Ried beside Keane? In their inability to qualify the team for Euro 2004, the likes of Holland and Kilbane have proved that they are SIMPLY NOT GOOD ENOUGH. If they were we would all have booked flights to Portugal by now.

If it is not time to throw in Miller and/or Ried now, it never will be, we have a series of friendlies coming up and it is the perfect time to try them out. You never know, they might just succeed where Holland and Kilbane failed.

And on a side not, although I conceed that Miller was abysmal against Villareal (as were the other 10 Celtic players), I thought he had a great game against Livingston (not exactly top class opposition I know).

**scouser** · 15/04/2004, 7:32 PM

Originally Posted by only1kilbane

Kilbane talentless ! are you mad ? The bloke might not have an abundance of talent but utilises what he has 100%. People already putting Miller in the first team are looking a bit far ahead. He has talent we can see that but not enough for International never mind his club side. See what he does with Manu before throwing him in at the deep end ..

Neil Mc D's team seems the perfect choice

Miller over Kilbane
Talent over little or no talent

only1kilbane · 16/04/2004, 7:59 AM

For a bloke with not talent he seems to have made a great grasp of centre midfield in the two chances he has had. For a bloke who has shone on occasions to be thrown into the deepend against France and Switzerland is a bit much. If he proves himself soon at manu then yeah throw him in but not till then. I think judas would be happy having a workhorse like kilbane beside him now he is getting on and have flair players like duffer and the like to turn the screws. And as for Breen playing average for Sunderland, stupid thing to say my friend. As a Sunderland fan who regularly travels to the sol he is having an excellent season and probably been our most consistent performer.

**Bowsy** · 16/04/2004, 9:00 AM

That's a fair point Carnstein and i can invision Miller and Reid first on the team sheet by the end of the qualifiers depending on how next season pans out. I'm just cautious as i've seen too many "new Liam Bradys" and if we were discussing an Ireland team a few years ago we would be talking about the likes of Babb and Kennedy in a similar way we are discussing Miller now. Play them for the rest of the friendlies and throw them on for impact in our first few qualifiers(Miller against Lyon), just don't expect Reid and Miller to single handedly rescue the Irish team. Not so long ago people had Steven Reid as our definite right winger and now don't want him even in the squad(personally still think he'll come good).
Regarding Breen, no surprise his club form is average. It has been his whole career but always does a job for us. O'Brien is far from first choice in a poor(Woodgate aside) Newcastle defence. Was dropped for Bramble(for me the worst centre half in the Premiership) against PSV. O'Brien is also very prone to Breen-like lapses in concentration. That said he was impressive against Brazil. Hope O'Shea develops into a Centre half soon as O'Brien, Doherty and Dunne are just younger, uglier Breens.

**eirebhoy** · 16/04/2004, 9:08 AM

Originally Posted by scouser

Miller over Kilbane
Talent over little or no talent

Forget Miller and Kilbane, Kavanagh has to play. In his last game for Ireland he wasn't allowed attack as much but with Keane beside him he will attack a lot more and play like he does for him club. He will also work just as hard as Kilbane. Kavanagh and Keane is the best partnership IMO.

**scouser** · 16/04/2004, 11:23 AM

Originally Posted by eirebhoy

Forget Miller and Kilbane, Kavanagh has to play. In his last game for Ireland he wasn't allowed attack as much but with Keane beside him he will attack a lot more and play like he does for him club. He will also work just as hard as Kilbane. Kavanagh and Keane is the best partnership IMO.

Just like we did with robbie keane, we should give a young lad with a lot of talent a chance and let him grow on the international stage. The fact that you're suggesting Kavanagh should play is a remote possibility as Kavanagh has no where near as much talent as Miller or the skill, presence and leadership of Roy Keane. Kavanagh is not good enough at this level, neither is Kilbane. While I don't doubt Kilbane's committment, he lacks any sort of creativity or skill and that's what counts when it comes down to playing the big teams in the big games.