very disappointed. But ive come accustomed to feeling that way regarding Trappatoni's tenure. A chance to experiment - lost.
Are the U21's playing (as has been asked above?)
Is this why Sheridan and Stokes are omitted?
I thought you were off the drink Ronnie?
"No, I drink to help me mind my own business....can I get you one? (c) Ronnie Drew
very disappointed. But ive come accustomed to feeling that way regarding Trappatoni's tenure. A chance to experiment - lost.
I like high energy football. A little bit rock and roll. Many finishes instead of waiting for the perfect one.
If Clark's paperwork hasn't come through yet would he still not be able to play in a friendly? Or at least meet up with the squad for training?
I'd say Stokes is dissappointed as too would be Sheridan, Keogh and Stephen Ward.
How many will he whittle the squad down to? 23? Which 4 players will he drop if injuries don't do it for him?
Hopefully he uses his head and starts the likes of Westwood, Foley, Coleman, Cunningham, Wilson and Walters or give them at least a half and not just a 10 minute cameo at the end!!!
McShane, Green, Kilbane and O'Dea/Folan.... wishful thinking I know.Originally Posted by Lenny82
"We lost because we didn't win"- Ronaldo
I like this squad so far. I think we can safely assume McCarthy would have been called up but for the injury. No point in calling up a full squad of kids. He needs the experienced heads there so it doesn't devalue the exercise. I just hope we get to see a lot of the fringe players in action, and no McShane.Shay Given, Keiren Westwood, John O'Shea, Seamus Coleman, Richard Dunne, Sean St. Ledger, Greg Cunningham, Kevin Foley, Paul McShane, Kevin Kilbane, Stephen Kelly, Darren O'Dea, Marc Wilson, Darron Gibson, Glenn Whelan, Paul Green, Liam Lawrence, Stephen Hunt, Aiden McGeady, Keith Treacy, Damien Duff, Keith Fahey, Jonathan Walters, Robbie Keane, Kevin Doyle, Caleb Folan, Shane Long.
Bring Back Belfast Celtic F.C.
[QUOTE=paul_oshea;1421071]how does trap have a clue about him when he never even saw him play?!QUOTE]
I thought I read somewhere that Trap was at the Villa-Birmingham game and saw Clark play in midfield. Maybe he's just saying he'd prefer him in defence rather than in midfield.
I'm open to correction if he wasn't at the game but nearly saw I read it in one of the match reports.
"There's man all over for you, blaming on his boots the fault of his feet" - Samuel Beckett, Waiting for Godot
It's a squad picked for the long ball game.
Disappointing to see the likes of Folan and Walters in the squad as they're there to head the ball rather than play football. Folan's injured btw so why he has been included at the expense of Keogh is a mystery.
It was reported that Trap went to the game and met with Clark. It was also reported on Monday, that Clark had not even sent the declaration papers to the FAI. I guess Clark has some of that good old Irish procrastination.
He couldn't play in an official game, but he could certainly take part in a training camp, as Duffy did when his clearance had yet to come through.
Overall, I'm slightly disappointed with the selection. Trap claims that this game is a good opportunity to try out new players, but the only new guy is Walters. Ah well, a lot can change in two weeks.
Last edited by Predator; 05/11/2010 at 7:43 PM.
McCarthy is injured, Clark is not officially available (and there's one friendly and 5 months to go before our next real match anyway), no Anthony Stokes who was totally ineffective against Rangers and a tidy player like Keogh who nobody here really rates much anyway and who is a sub at Cardiff. And we're complaining that these guys are left out? Marginal, marginal, marginal.
Wilson, Coleman and Walters are genuinely fresh options. Treacy is too for all intents and purposes (nobody fancied or predicted a call up pre-Argentina), as are Cunningham & O'Dea. Long was unheralded before the autumn games and he was a revelation in my view. That's SEVEN genuinely fresh options.
Duff and Hunt are back. These are as good as new introductions.
I like Keogh and Stokes and think both are more deserving than Folan. Bar this, this rest are very marginal as usual. I would have liked to see Owen Garvan but I can foresee me and Garvan being like eirebhoy and Partridge. I'll still be banging on about him when I'm 50.
There's no third keeper, which for a friendly is no harm watsoever. Waste of a squad place.
Glass half full, remember?
Last edited by Stuttgart88; 05/11/2010 at 10:14 PM.
To quote Al Gore: An Inconvenient Truth.
Maybe it was just more possible to bring Duffy in. His paperwork was being processed, it was end of season and there was a training camp situation.
Clark is in the first team atm, his club is using him. It would take an official request from the FAI to clear him for intl squad duty and he had not even sent off the papers to the FAI. Even if (probably) Houllier was positive to the the idea, it just might not have felt right.
I suppose that makes sense. Even if Clark was free to join the squad for training, would there have been much point, considering that he would not be able to play any games? At least when Duffy joined up with the training camp squad there were two unofficial friendlies where he could play.
I agree. However, the thing that puzzled me was Trapattoni's insistence that this was an opportunity to see players he hadn't seen before and Walters is the only player who hasn't previously been in a Trapattoni squad. I thought there may have been places for a few U21s, although, perhaps that is better left til the end of the season. Nevertheless, I'm expecting some experimentation with the starting lineup.
stick Stokes and Ward in there and id be a lot happier too. McCarthy, Clark and Noble and id be ecstatic (not Traps fault obviously).
Im not calling for wholesale changes, im calling for a few more new faces. And Greens omission. And im sick of banging on about it here and being met with the same resistance from the same people based on flimsy rationale that consists of 1) dont question the most expensive therefore best manager we've ever had and 2) consistency of selection is even required for friendlies.
I like high energy football. A little bit rock and roll. Many finishes instead of waiting for the perfect one.
I broadly agree but disagree with omitting Green. He acquitted himself very well against the lesser teams and could still be called into action in the years to come if we have a lot injuries. Right now, we don't have too many CMs who are able to avoid injuries for any sustained period.
I certainly haven't offered any of those responses Stu. My response to those clamouring for new faces is that three new faces that we would have almost certainly have seen are unavailable: McCarthy, Clark & Maguire. Their inclusion would dramatically chnage the make-up and perception of the squad. Mark Noble is just hypothetical and I'm not sure I want him anyway. In fact I'm pretty sure I don't.
By my rationale we have seven virtually new faces, plus the return of key players like Hunt and Duff. Now if Keith Fahey was to be started in CM that'd be an eight fresh faces, of sorts. If Foley was to play, nine and so on.
Last edited by Stuttgart88; 06/11/2010 at 8:00 AM.
Treacy, Wilson, Coleman?
I agree about the starting line-up.
Folan maybe but Walters is about the only Irish player to have scored in the EPL this season (more than 1 at least) so you cant exactly leave him out at the expesnse of the likes of Keogh
The one person who has impressed me most this season and deserves a chance is Kevin Foley, I would also like to see Wilson start
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