Anyone who is still calling Clark "Clarke" at this stage should really be questioning their rights to berate Trapattoni for his selection problems. If this Clarke fella is the answer to all our problems, how come you can't spell his name right?
Add today's Irish Times to that list. They had a good article by Malone with a pic of Clark, with his name spelt Clarke.
spelt? Try spelled.
Both are correct
What I garner from Trap is that he pictures us dominating the game - dominating possession, creating chances by the score.
What fans here are picturing from this team is panic, pressure and at best hanging on to a one goal lead.
I can see every variation possible
I see every variation, but in proportion. The selection of Gibson is a confident one.
Or indeed O'Deas ability to play LB?Originally Posted by Stuttgart88
It is indeed a very positive team. 2 wide midfielders who are basically attacking players, a strike partnership (becoming a dieing art as Stutts posted some weeks ago). One of the CM pairing who does his best work in the opposition half.
All this coupled with Traps consistent comments on us being the dominant force, playing in the opp half, encouragement to shoot from distance.
First 10 minutes will be key - high tempo, a few crosses/ shots, their fb's under pressure.
Can't wait now.
Come on lads!!!!!!
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
We dominated the first ten minutes of the Russia game and that didn't work out too well.. Nothing is going to change. If we get a one goal lead we are going to try defend it. People should completely forget the friendly against Wales as it will have no bearing on todays match.
Last edited by Noelys Guitar; 26/03/2011 at 10:48 AM.
I wouldn't say the decision to play O'Dea is a totally ridiculous one. He's well capable of a decent game. He's one of these guys who can look in total command, comfortable and solid if he's facing the right kind(for him) of opposition and attacking shape. On other occasions players of limited ability can make him look slow and cumbersome and leave him exposed if they can attack him with enough space. We'll just have to see how the game pans out but Darren come across as a brave lad and I imagine he'll be right up for this tonight. He won't let us down in terms of commitment anyway.
I'm not too sure where I stand on Trappers general selection policy ie loyalty to certain players clearly past it/never good enough for the sake of continuity. International football's a different animal to club football where a manager has all season, day in day out to work on and improve players and tinker with tactics/line-up/shape. In the international game you're coming together with players for a week or so a handful of times a year with massively important games always around the corner. Its prudent to become 'solid' first of all, and having a disciplined shape and fairly regular team selection is probably the quickest way to achieve that. Since day one with Trap after the Stan debacle this is how we've been and it was a welcome sight initially. We looked like a proper 'team', albeit a fairly flat and unimaginative one, but by and large the results came. But now through a variety of circumstances our settled and trusted team contains players clearly inferior to newer ones breaking through on the club scene that you would think deserve a shot on the national side. Its a dilemma but Trap's an experienced guy, we're punters sitting on the internet so I think I'll back his judgement to the end of this campaign.
The dude abides....
I hold my hands up and admit that I did not even consider him for centre back. I have seen him play one to many poor games at CB for Portsmouth. His positioning was consistently poor and his marking far too loose for a centre half. Clark and O'Dea are ahead of him for centre back in my book. He looks far more comfrotable at RB or as a holding midfielder. Having said that, if Dunne didn't make it, we could well have had to make do with him there
Sorry, you did. I missed that. The thread has been advancing pages at a time.
Or centre midfield, or right full. I think having him on the bench frees up at least one, and possibly two, spots on the bench because of his versatility
I'd glad Trapattoni has come out and explained the selection of O'Dea over Clark, for me it's the only real contentious decision in the lineup
We don't have the midfield to play that dominant style of play. Even look atthe Andorra game, they even had their fair share of possession in the middle of the field.Or indeed O'Deas ability to play LB?
It is indeed a very positive team. 2 wide midfielders who are basically attacking players, a strike partnership (becoming a dieing art as Stutts posted some weeks ago). One of the CM pairing who does his best work in the opposition half.
All this coupled with Traps consistent comments on us being the dominant force, playing in the opp half, encouragement to shoot from distance.
First 10 minutes will be key - high tempo, a few crosses/ shots, their fb's under pressure.
Can't wait now.
Come on lads!!!!!!
You've got no fans.
Against Andorra we lined up with Green and Whelan, you could say that was a tad defensive considering the opposition. Possibly he wanted to see more of Green. When Whelan was replaced by Gibson, Andorra (afair) did make some forays through our middle.
It remains to be seen what we can do with Gibson in the starting line up, but it marks a sign of positive intent from Trap, a departure from more cautious ways used against less formidable opposition.
'One of the main gameplans'? He's merely justifying a selection based on Gibson's possessing a very good shot (the amount of screamers he's scored in ratio to time on the pitch is impressive, regardless of your 1 in 5 stuff). Seems fair enough to me, he's analysed the opposition and put out a team that he feels can exploit their weaknesses. Isn't that what we want in a manager?
Sure we'd all like to see McCarthy to start, but this is a decent selection that should win the game. Let's see how it pans out...
Ou-est le Centre George Pompidou?
This makes absolutely no sense.
And I believe this is the source of your bizarre opinions.getting really sick of trap at this stage
the biggest problem for me regarding the selection of O'Dea at CB is that Trap has placed absolutely no value on the fact that Dunne and Clark are playing alongside each other at the heart of Aston Villa's defence on a weekly basis. Now, i know that Villa's defensive record is questionable but familiarity and defensive partnerships are hard to replicate on a once off basis (Dunne with O'Dea for example)
I like high energy football. A little bit rock and roll. Many finishes instead of waiting for the perfect one.
Surely the heart of the defence means central defence? And Clark has only played there a couple of times for Villa, usually in Dunne's absence? Dunne's best position is left side of central defence, which is also Clark's best position. To play them together would either mean moving Dunne or playing Clark in an unfamiliar position. Perhaps Trap decided to look at both Clark and O'Dea on the right hand side and decided O'Dea was more up to it.
Either way, it's a marginal choice.
Dunphy on the radio just now saying it's a disgrace that Seamus Coleman isn't playing...
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