Okay, its been 24 hours since the squad announcement. Have we all got the "Why did he call him up and not him?" out of our system. Its a shame James McCarthy isn't in because I enjoy watching him play, but C'est la vie, nobody should of been surprised. What the manager does and what the fans want have been very different for quite some time and it won't change until at least 2012.
A 29 man squad for 1 full day of training and an unimportant match is far too many players. Have you tried training with that many people and trying to get a semblance of what your best 11 is? Its chaos. What Trapattoni has done is take the lazy option and not drop anyone and even recalled Keogh and Stokes. He's probably hoping/assuming a few will drop out. He'll work with his core group of 14-15 players and the rest will be largely ignored and will only be there for someone for them to play against. People who impress may be given substitute chances.
Unfortunately Trap has decided that what can, and what will be achieved by this quick get together is very little. Don't expect anything from the lineup, don't expect all 3 of Wilson, Clark, and Coleman to get debuts. We can assume from this apparent attitude that the gameplan/lineup isn't going to change much for the Macedonia game and with this in mind:
My Starting X1
Subs: Coleman for Duff, Wilson for Whelan, Westwood for Given, Foley for O'Shea, Long for Keane, Walters/Best for Doyle.Code:Given O'Shea Dunne St Ledger Clark Duff Whelan Fahey Hunt Keane Doyle
Lawrence/Green/Kilbane will probably play though. Anything less than six points against Macedonia and there will be no reason to keep Trapattoni as manager.
well said Noely. Trap is in a situation of his own making. You cant expect to go through 2 campaigns using the same 22-26 players. Its certain that your first XI will evolve ove time and the fact that, for the most part, Trap's hasnt is quite damning.
Last edited by SkStu; 26/01/2011 at 2:58 PM.
I like high energy football. A little bit rock and roll. Many finishes instead of waiting for the perfect one.
That's actually not a bad team and subs, and should be enough to get the six points if it's retained for the competitive games. Bring Andrews in instead of Whelan for the March game if he gets back playing regularly and Whelan isn't. Add McCarthy to the fold for the Uruguay, NI and Scotland games, bring in Meyler and Cunningham, and I think it's a strong core of a squad with plenty of options. The only 'Oh God' selection Trap is likely to make is Kilbane ahead of Clark, but if Clark plays well against Wales, you never know. As long as Green doesn't play again, and we have CMs in competitive games who are playing regularly, I'll be satisfied.Originally Posted by joe_denilson
Don't think Lawrence deserves to be put alongside Green and Kilbane as a potentially poor choice. He's played very well for us.
It was a poor association and I'd be quite happy with two from Duff/Hunt/Lawrence (I cannot stand McGeady's style of football, so don't try to convince me otherwise).
Lawrence, Green and Kilbane are all first choice to Giovanni comparted to my selection though.
Wishful thinking I know but this is who I would have chosen if everyone was fit :
Given
Foley O'Shea Dunne Clark
Coleman McCarthy Meyler Duff
Keane Doyle
Subs:
Westwood/Kenny
Kelly/O'Dea St.Ledger/O'Brien Wilson/Duffy Cunningham/Ward
Lawrence/McGeady Fahey/Andrews Whelan/Gibson Hunt/A.Reid
Long/Stokes Walters/Best
Edit :
The rest : Wes Hoolahan, Barry Maguire, Stephen O'Halloran.....and Rory Delap, Steven Reid, Stephen Carr, Stephen Ireland.
Last edited by TrapAPony; 27/01/2011 at 12:40 AM.
"We lost because we didn't win"- Ronaldo
I don't mind the thrust of your argument but I really don't buy this. Reid and Carr are retired, Ireland is unavailable for selection so forget about them. Hoolahan's just back in the Championship, Maguire doesn't get a regular start in the Dutch league and Delap not exactly the 'blood new players' attitude we're looking for. Regardless of the fact they don't match positionally, and McShane and Green not being international class, I don't see how they are 'better options.
A fit Stephen O'Halloran and a few more unearthed jems and we wouldn't be far off.
Ou-est le Centre George Pompidou?
There are 33 half decent players mentioned above, more than enough than to resort to extremely mediocre players as Trap tends to do from time to time. That was my point.
PS. ''The rest'' wasn't mentioned for any reason other than to show what other Irish players, aside from the 33, that are playing at a decent standard.
Last edited by TrapAPony; 26/01/2011 at 11:17 PM.
"We lost because we didn't win"- Ronaldo
Fair nuff, point taken. I just get raggy when retired players are mentioned at all.
Ou-est le Centre George Pompidou?
I would like to see that back four and certainly Wilson deserves his chance. I would loved to have seen McCarthy and Meyler but unfortunately for various reasons thats not too be. I am not sure if Fahey fits into Traps system except as a sub if we are chasing a game. (I might be wrong about that !)
Should have left them down, at this stage, even some of the oldies could add to the pool in the short-term. But people, well Trap mainly, are too blinkered to see that.
Done.
Last edited by TrapAPony; 26/01/2011 at 11:11 PM.
"We lost because we didn't win"- Ronaldo
Too blinkered to see that two retired players and Stephen 'Aye Right' Ireland arn't available for selection?
Ou-est le Centre George Pompidou?
Hardly. And surely 'blinkered' to ignore all your potential playing pool....
Only a fool would make such a generalisation.
The attached article seems to say that McCarthy might get called into the squad because of injuries. Don't know if Trap is thinking along the same lines though.
http://www.independent.ie/sport/socc...y-2512715.html
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/foo...les-squad.html
Okay, so the 29 man squad is preliminary. So we've to lose 6 players.Under the rules of the Carling Nations Cup, which also features Northern Ireland and Scotland, the four nations must name 23-man squads, but will be allowed to use just six substitutes.
I'd drop 2 from D, M and F's, (O'Dea, McShane, Treacy, Green, Keogh, Stokes)
According to that article Green is likely to play against Wales!!!
"If God had meant football to be played in the air, he'd have put grass in the sky." Brian Clough.
You'll NEVER beat the Irish.......you'll just draw with us instead!!!
Unless they get injured there isn't a chance in hell of Green or McShane being dropped
Last edited by Lionel Ritchie; 27/01/2011 at 11:10 AM.
" I wish to God that someone would be able to block out the voices in my head for five minutes, the voices that scream, over and over again: "Why do they come to me to die?"
"He [Trap] is free to chop and change before the squad gather in Dublin on February 6, and if McCarthy has several more games under his belt by that juncture, then it would represent an opportunity to further his international experience etc"
McCarthy will be doing well to get "several" more games - Wigan have only 3 fixtures before Feb.6th, the last of them the day before. And considering Wigan are in a relegation dogfight (so will be reluctant to release him) and Trap already has to lose 7 outfield players before he has a spare place, it's hard to see McCarthy getting his chance this time around (imo).
(Fwiw, as an NI fan I'd be happy for him to miss out against us in May, as well.
Some good points. I wouldn't advocate an experimental line up for the Macedonia game either.
However, I'd like to see the likes of Coleman, Treacy, McCarthy, Clarke get a run in the Welsh game and other Celtic Cup games.
While Trapp hasn't been averse to introducing new players - its been in fits and starts and his retention of certain players are creating a feeling of inertia eg, many feel Kilbane is past it, questions over McShane's ability at International level etc etc.
The blooding of new players under Trapp must always be viewed under the context of his employment in the first place. Many of us had been driven demented with Stauntons continual reference to working towards some unknown date in "the future". A series of campaigns appeared to be written off in Stans mind with a view to the future.
Therefore, Trapp was hired as partly a reaction to this. He was hired with the intention of effectively immediate qualification and picked his squads to achieve that end.
I'm not saying this approach was right - its just whats happened.
Quoting years at random since 1975
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