Irish team for the Spain Match

[seanfhear]

Given/Westwood : If Shay is not fit then Kieron has to get the nod.


O'Shea Dunne St Ledger Ward

We could bring in Kelly at right back and let O'Shea play left back (it would be a risk but Ward is a risk)

Gibson Whelan Andrews

Our options are very limited but a team that has no creativity needs a player with at least some passing ability. There is no point having McGeady on the pitch if we are unable to supply him

Duff Keane Doyle

This is one area of the field that we do have plenty of options. Walters could take Robbies place and McClean a possible sub for Doyle.

Gibson must come in at midfields whether ii a 433(reason for edit, extreme embarassment) or 451.

We need at least some creativity. We just cannot be under the cosh for 90 minutes + injury time

[EAFC_rdfl]

Yes, lets play an extra man, its the only option (443??)!!
I wouldnt mind seeing something like this:

Westwood

O'Shea

Kelly Dunne St Ledger

McGeady/Duff Whelan Andrews McClean

Gibson
Walters/Long

Shay was not at himself last night, he could barely kick passed the halfway, so as much as it hurts to say it, he should be left out til fully fit.

Spain will have 3 up front, probably with a recognised striker this time, so go man on man with them, and have a sweeper behind the 3 markers. O'Shea is the best of a bad bunch for this role IMO, as I cant see any of the rest being up to it?

The only way to try break even in midfield is to heavily outnumber them, and hope that the wide men can work a break or two for us. Its a toss of a coin for me whether to go with duff or mcgeady, duff is getting on and Im not sure he can go another match after playing the full 90 last night. I also thought mcgeady was going well til taken off, relatively speaking. Its time to give McClean a run and see what he can do.

I dont know which striker is the best option, Walters I suppose if we are going to play hoofball again, but Long might be a better option in the hope that gibson and the 2 wingers might be able to play the odd smart ball in behind for him to run onto.

[backstothewall]

I think we have to drop Keane, and should drop Ward

------ Westwood --------
Kelly Sledge Dunne O'Shea
------- Whelan ----------
---- Andrews Gibson -----
--Duff --------McGeady--
-------- Walters ---------

I think there will be big changes after this tournament

[Crosby87]

I hate to say this b/c Duff is a great guy but he is way past his prime. Just invisible out there.
Spain must be licking their chops.

[third policeman]

I think there will be big changes after this tournament

Starting with the Manager!

[Murfinator]

We need to play intelligent ball retention players. Duff is good at this, Fahey would have been the ideal choice on the other flank. McClean would be the worst possible option unless we go for the same "beat them up" routine that failed so badly last night.

Gibson brought in would help, drop a striker. Play for set pieces and hope for the best. I'd fear for us if we played the same formation against a 6 man midfield, Italy played it smart yesterday by dropping De Rossi and Pirlo deep to make their plays outside of the congested centre. We don't have deep lying playmakers like that so I don't have a clue how we're going to get round that.

[backstothewall]

Starting with the Manager!

I can't see that happening, but why not indulge the point.

Who would you replace him with?

[Murfinator]

I hate to say this b/c Duff is a great guy but he is way past his prime. Just invisible out there.
Spain must be licking their chops.

When your midfield don't win or use the ball your attacking players don't see it. No point blaming the likes of Duff for being invisible, blame the providers who failed to provide for making him invisible.

[seanfhear]

Yes, lets play an extra man, its the only option (443??)!!
I wouldnt mind seeing something like this:

Westwood

O'Shea

Kelly Dunne St Ledger

McGeady/Duff Whelan Andrews McClean

Gibson
Walters/Long

Shay was not at himself last night, he could barely kick passed the halfway, so as much as it hurts to say it, he should be left out til fully fit.

Spain will have 3 up front, probably with a recognised striker this time, so go man on man with them, and have a sweeper behind the 3 markers. O'Shea is the best of a bad bunch for this role IMO, as I cant see any of the rest being up to it?

The only way to try break even in midfield is to heavily outnumber them, and hope that the wide men can work a break or two for us. Its a toss of a coin for me whether to go with duff or mcgeady, duff is getting on and Im not sure he can go another match after playing the full 90 last night. I also thought mcgeady was going well til taken off, relatively speaking. Its time to give McClean a run and see what he can do.

I dont know which striker is the best option, Walters I suppose if we are going to play hoofball again, but Long might be a better option in the hope that gibson and the 2 wingers might be able to play the odd smart ball in behind for him to run onto.

Oops that should be 433.

I think that Trap must be made aware that we can live with going down but we do like to go down fighting.

There was little or no offensive (fight) side to the team last night.

Your team would have the ability to carry a threat and Robbie could play because he might get some service..

Hopefully even Trap can see that there must be some changes after last night.

It might be better if a mod changed the title of the thread as some people may think that the official team is being named here e.g. Your team against Spain.

[Noelys Guitar]

Team should be Westwood
O'Shea Dunne St Ledger Ward
Duff Keane Gibson Andrews McGeady
Long

I would not play a target man like Walters or Doyle because we never win the second ball against really good teams like Spain. They will fully expect us to play that way so don't.

[shakermaker1982]

Westwood

Kelly Dunne St Ledger O'Shea

Duff Gibson Whelan Andrews McClean

Walters or Long



Given isn't fit and should never have started last night. Madness.

[passinginterest]

--------Westwood

O'Shea Dunne St Ledger Ward

Duff (Hunt) Gibson Whelan McGeady (McClean)
-------------Andrews

---------------Long (Walters)

That's probably the team I'd go for, with substitutios in brackets to be brought on in the second half depending on tiredness/effectiveness. Would be tempted to drop O'Shea for Kelly as he's another that's clearly not fit and his distribution was horrendous.

Have a nagging suspicion that Trap publicly questioning the system after the last friendly might have damaged some of the players belief in it. They just seemed a lot less confident in themsleves yesterday.

[Colbert Report]

I love how all of you figure O'Shea can play left back because he's played there a handful of times in emergency situations in his career. You think Trap hasn't thought of that already?

[shakermaker1982]

I love how all of you figure O'Shea can play left back because he's played there a handful of times in emergency situations in his career. You think Trap hasn't thought of that already?

He's definitely played LB more than a handful of times. Fergie used him there quite a bit when Evra was out. Kelly could go to LB. Anything is better than Ward.

[legendz]

If Given is not fit, Westwood has to start.

After last night, it's hard to disagree with: http://www.independent.ie/sport/socc...s-3133691.html

It's a hard call on whether this is the time to change the current structure. The S.Indo to be fair were spot on with analysis yesterday. Spain will leave space to be attacked should Trap set the team up for that. I'd like to see Walters and Long start but there could be a place for McGeady off the front man with McClean starting on the left.

[third policeman]

Starting with the Manager!

Well at the risk of being lynched, I honestly think we would have been more competitive and played better football with Mick in charge. Trapp's biggest weaknesses are his obstinacy and conservatism. We should have integrated more of our better younger players fully into the squad way ahead of this tournamentClark, Coleman, Pilkington. McCarthy, McClean). We are relying on players who are simply not equiped to play at this level, and we are playing a system that is ugly and ineffective against decent footballing teams. Maybe we should have one manager to get us to tournaments and another to save us from the abysmal shame of last night's spectacle?

[nigel-harps1954]

Westwood

O'Shea Sledge Dunne Ward

McClean Whelan Andrews McGeady

Walters Long

[legendz]

Westwood

O'Shea Sledge Dunne Ward

McClean Whelan Andrews McGeady

Walters Long

Wouldn't disagree with that. Given purely down to being fit or not.

[Charlie Darwin]

He's definitely played LB more than a handful of times. Fergie used him there quite a bit when Evra was out. Kelly could go to LB. Anything is better than Ward.

Playing a right-footer at left-back would be anathema to Trap's system. It depends upon creating width and Ward is an important part of that (more so than O'Shea on the opposite side).

[bishbash]

I think a 3 man midfield of Gibson whelan and Andrews with mcgeady and McClean out wide and just one up front. Extra man in the middle might allow us to get a small foothold in the game. Mcgeady and McLean would give us energy out wide. Mcgeady on always a threat if we can get him on the ball. Cox on the left was as bizarre a decision as anything Staunton produced.