The squad for Bulgaria game from the FAI website

**NeilMcD** · 09/08/2004, 2:06 PM

Republic of Ireland manager Brian Kerr has named a 23-man squad for the friendly international with Bulgaria on Wednesday, August 18 at Lansdowne Road.

More to follow

Squad: Given (Newcastle United), Colgan (Barnsley), Kenny (Sheffield United), Finnan (Liverpool), Cunningham (Birmingham City), O'Brien (Newcastle United), Maybury (Hearts), O'Shea (Manchester United), Carr (Tottenham Hotspur), Doherty (Tottenham Hotspur), Breen (Sunderland), Miller (Manchester United), Quinn (Sheffield United), Keane (Manchester United), Holland (Charlton Athletic), Kavanagh (Cardiff City), Reid (Nottingham Forest), Barrett (Coventry City), Kilbane (EVerton), Duff (Chelsea), Lee (Cardiff City), Morrison (Birmingham City), Connolly (Leicester City).

**max power** · 09/08/2004, 2:07 PM

carr.......soon to be of newcastle

**tiktok** · 09/08/2004, 2:10 PM

we'll see how many make it past the weekend.

heavy on defenders, light on strikers

**NeilMcD** · 09/08/2004, 2:12 PM

Dont think there is anybody left out that should be in it though. Is Ian Harte injured, or is Kerr letting him start the spanish league first. Of course Robbie is missing, but after that it is pretty much the full squad.

**John83** · 09/08/2004, 2:12 PM

Originally Posted by max power

carr.......soon to be of newcastle

Any actual movement on that, or is it yet another rumour?

I can't believe that squad - there's no experimentation in it at all. What is he doing with three right-backs? Could he be planning to use Finnan on the left at last, or will Maybury get a run there? Please God, let it be the former.

**Peadar** · 09/08/2004, 2:14 PM

Originally Posted by tiktok

we'll see how many make it past the weekend.

heavy on defenders, light on strikers

He'll come looking to the eL then when his squad is halved.
3 strikers? This is heading for a 0-0 draw.

**NeilMcD** · 09/08/2004, 2:16 PM

The time for experimentation was last season, and Kerr did that, and as a result, Quinn, Barret, Maybury, Miller and Reid came through. Now is the time to play are full team as it is our last friendly. Kerr will be using this to work on set piecies pattern of play etc. I am just glad that Brian Kerr is in charge of the team instead of you.

**pete** · 09/08/2004, 2:16 PM

From what i've observed Kerr does not really experiment. IMO he will use this fixture to prepare his team for upcoming qualifiers. He will not start game by experiementing with players or tactics although he may alter as game progresses.

I thuink he'll start with close to stroingest team available.

Would look to be almost end of international careers for the likes of McAteer & Kinsella.

Be surprised if less than 5-6 players pulled out of squad before game & Kerr may bring few u-21's as backup.

**Peadar** · 09/08/2004, 2:23 PM

Originally Posted by NeilMcD

I am just glad that Brian Kerr is in charge of the team instead of you.

What a load of bullsh�t!
If his experiment was successful he'd have more than one striker on the bench. What happens if Connolly and/or Morrisson get injured at the weekend? Lets be a small bit realistic here.

**NeilMcD** · 09/08/2004, 2:29 PM

Just to clarify my post was not aimed at you , Obviously you just got ahead of me and i was replying to the post before that. The fact is he has named the strongest possible squad available. There are not any other players that should be there. We are missing Robbie so that is one of teh strikers. We do not have many strikers available to us, that is not Brian Kerrs fault that is just the way it is. Also Reid and Barrett, can play up front or just behind one strker. Duff has playered there too, although i dont agree with playing him there. Also if someon gets injured at the weekend, you just call up a replacement. Its as simple as that. Brian Kerr is a practiccal man that goes with common sense decisions. There is not one player that should be in that squad, other than maybe Robbie Keane, and Ian Harte, instead of Maybury, but maybe Harte is injured.

**eirebhoy** · 09/08/2004, 2:31 PM

Originally Posted by Peadar

What a load of bullsh�t!
If his experiment was successful he'd have more than one striker on the bench. What happens if Connolly and/or Morrisson get injured at the weekend? Lets be a small bit realistic here.

I'm not saying I would agree with it but how do you know he's not planning on playing Duff or Reid up front? Who else would you suggest to add to the squad? Whats the point on calling up 4 strikers if he's only planning to play 2/3?

We have a match in a few weeks, Kerr got the longest time for experimentation than any other Ireland manager and its now time to get the team playing together and gelling.

**eirebhoy** · 09/08/2004, 2:36 PM

davros, Barrett is far from a journey man. Liam Miller only broke into the Celtic team last season and people are lavishing praise at him, Barrett is the same age (22) and has bags of potential.

**NeilMcD** · 09/08/2004, 2:37 PM

well i though Barrett played really well against Holland in amsterdam. Miller has only played a couple of games, and he won man of teh match for one of them, so i dont know what u are basing that on, oh maybe u are a celtic fan, that coudl be it. Reid has been very good in most of the games so far. I agree Maybury has looked a bit out of his depth at times. But at the end of teh day. there is no point slagging players unless u can come up with viable alternatives.

**Peadar** · 09/08/2004, 2:49 PM

Originally Posted by NeilMcD

well i though Barrett played really well against Holland in amsterdam.

Saw him play many times at U19 and U21 level for Ireland and was always impressed with his movement. He surely learned a lot from his time at Arsenal. I can't see anyone else in that squad who deserves to start on the right ahead of him against Bulgaria.

**NeilMcD** · 09/08/2004, 2:53 PM

I think this will be the team, if everybody is fit, from that squad

Given,

Carr Cunningham O Brien O Shea,

Miller Keane Holland/Kilbane Duff

Morrison Reid/Connolly

I am not saying that is the team i woudl pick but i reckon thats what Kerr will go for

**Bowsy** · 09/08/2004, 2:59 PM

Barrett is 22 and has performed excellently for Ireland in recent games. only one first team season under his belt. Extremely harsh to write him off. For my money his performance against Holland was better than Miller's against Romania.

**NeilMcD** · 09/08/2004, 2:59 PM

Republic of Ireland manager Brian Kerr has named a 23-man squad for the friendly international with Bulgaria at Lansdowne Road on Wednesday, August 18 as Kerr puts the finishing touches to his panel ahead of the World Cup qualifiers.

Injuries meant that Kerr was unable to pick Robbie Keane or Steven Reid while the manager has also decided to leave out experienced duo Ian Harte and Richard Dunne in favour of younger players that impressed during the friendlies over the last ten months.

That means there are places in the squad for Graham Barrett, Andy Reid, Liam Miller, Alan Quinn, Graham Kavanagh and Alan Lee who have all impressed the manager in recent months.

It also means that no less than eight of the 23-man panel have never played a competitive match for Ireland before though Kerr is confident that they are ready for the step-up.

“I think anyone that is in the squad is ready and able for the competitive matches,” he said. “They’ve all done well in the summer matches and in the friendlies before that and I’ve called them in with the intention of them being available for the competitive matches.”

Kerr is still hopeful that Robbie Keane will be fit for the start of the World Cup qualifiers in September while he revealed Damien Duff is well on the road to recovery from the shoulder problem that plagued him last season.

“He thinks he still has a chance of making it. There’s nearly four weeks to go and Robbie is very positive himself. Damien is doing well and just wants to play a few games to get over any fears he might have.”

But the news on Steven Reid was worse. “Steven hasn’t played that often for us or for Blackburn since they paid big money for him. Hopefully, he will get over this soon and it wont hold him back.”

**Bowsy** · 09/08/2004, 3:03 PM

Kerr is picking by his own words players ready for competitive matches. I think we need to play our best team in this game. Wouldn't have minded seeing a new face tried(maybe O'Flynn) but think in general this squad is a shrewd one.