What exactly are Kerr's options next week?

[Stuttgart88]

So who are our midfield options now that Holland & Keane are injured and Miller & Delap are doubtful?

I expect the following 4 to start against Cyprus:

Reid
Kav
Kilbane
Duff

Then there’s also:

Finnan – right midfield option, allowing Reid to play elsewhere, centrally or left midfield.
Quinn – despite lack of experience he has been quite impressive. Although it was against low quality opposition (Jamaica) it was obvious when I saw him live he had tons more to offer than Kinsella. I still haven’t seen the Dutch game but I hear he did well. Kerr likes him too so I think there’s a good chance he’ll feature in some form, though I reckon it’d be a big risk to start him.
O’Shea is a midfield option if either Miller or Delap (or both) fails to recover and there’s a further injury against Cyprus. This is more of a long shot I reckon. Finnan or Maybury could then cover at left full.

Miller & Delap could still make it anyway, if not for Cyprus then Switzerland.

So all-in-all we still seem well enough covered, though RMK’s loss is always a big one.

That said, surely Barrett & Rowlands should now be called up. Barrett in particular is also a possible forward option now that Connolly is out. It makes no sense not to use up our full allowance. Other possibles are McGeady, Doyle, Harte & Kinsella (hopefully not though he’d relish taunting the Swiss bench if we win!).

Of all of these names, Reid, Duff, Kilbane, Finnan and O’Shea can play in more than one position so Kerr has plenty to choose from. Miller & Delap if fit can also play in a few positions.

No wonder none of us ever agrees on our best XI !! This where where Kerr has to earn his money though.

PS: Yorke’s signing for Brum really bodes badly for Clinton.

[macdermesser]

I think the teams for both games will be slightly different ... Kerr seems to err towards conservativism with is teams .. so I think the four you mentioned are odds on to start.

I wonder would he play Duff behind the main striker .. as he did against Norway. In that case .. he might go for

Reid Kilbane Kavanagh Finnan
Duff
Keane

Against the swiss .. I hope they stretch their midfield this time around .. pushing as wide as possible .. because it was all congested in the middle last time around. But of course .. we need 3 points against Cyprus first .. in whatever way possible.

I'd love to see him take a chance on Mc Geady ... going on the glimpses I have seen him for Celtic .. and also the last U21s game. But the its really crucial to get a good start ... that I can't see him taking any risks.

[tetsujin1979]

I'd love to see him take a chance on Mc Geady ... going on the glimpses I have seen him for Celtic .. and also the last U21s game. But the its really crucial to get a good start ... that I can't see him taking any risks.

Ditto, he's been excellent in every game I've seen him play. He was left on the bench against Rangers, although this might have been something to do with the fact that he's Scottish, playing for Celtic and Ireland. Given the abuse dished out to Lennon, Martin left him on the bench to spare the same abuse to an 18 year old. I'd love to see him against the Faroes, as first competitive international go, there aren't much easier.

I think he may have been left out of the Cyprus game because the team that starts that game will probably start against the Swiss, and Brian doesn't want to upset the side by introducing a new player.

[eirebhoy]

Ditto, he's been excellent in every game I've seen him play. He was left on the bench against Rangers, although this might have been something to do with the fact that he's Scottish, playing for Celtic and Ireland. Given the abuse dished out to Lennon, Martin left him on the bench to spare the same abuse to an 18 year old.

He didn't play the previous match against Inverness either. There are 4 midfielders ahead of him with Pearson still to get his chance this season and so he probably won't be playing a lot this season. All the midfielders that were at the club when Miller broke through are still there now plus Juninho, Wallace and Pearson (Pearson was bought in January and Miller was dropped to the bench). McGeady can play in a few positions and is a better player than Miller when he broke through so we'll have to wait and see.

[Eh Weh]

I think we should be relatively ok. we have our first choice goalkeeper, defence and strikeforce. If i was to pick our stongest eleven regardless who was fit or not, then theres only 1 change likely for the Cyprus game. Id play Reid on the left, where hes played before and can whip in good balls, id play duff on the right as hes played there before, has more experience and since hes on his right foot hell be taking on players instead of whipping it in. Hell lso be coming in on the right, remember Spain. In the centre Kilbane and Kavanagh.

[only1kilbane]

I really dont think we are in too bad nick really . Against the cypriots would like to see a midfield of

reid - kilbane - kavanagh - duff

and against switz

finnan -kilbane - kavanagh - reid and duff up front with keane .

REally not that pushed that miller not there he really hasnt shown anything to me that has bowled me over. Think alan quinn and graham barrett can also do a job if needed ..

All in all we have no reason to fear switz or cyp and can come away from this with 6 points

[brine3]

Duff / Kav / Quinn / Reid is what I'd go for if I was manager. (And I know I'm not the manager, before some smartass points it out.)