Who cares? why bother? waste of time even posting.
Sounds like the centre-back pairing from hell, both of them are liable to pass the ball straight to the opposition.
Wilson has done well for us at centre-back. We have O'Brien and Coleman as full-backs and we have plenty of midfielders, so I'd put Wilson in as centre-back. Along with anybody else. Damien Delaney perhaps, or Paddy McCarthy. Hopefully Shane Duffy comes through.
If he is going to be picking ball players, there's nothing to say that we can't close up shop and play a bit of ball too.
Germany are likely to line up with:
---------------------Neuer---------------------
Lahm--Mertesacker---Boateng--Schmelzer
-------------------Khedira---------------------
--------------Mueller-- Kroos ----------------
--------------Ozil ------Reus-----------------
--------------------Klose----------------------
Schmelzer is struggling with injury, so Boateng could go left back, with Howedes or Hummels if he' fit again (unlikely) moving to CB. He could pick someone like Bender in the middle if he thinks we're a bit more agricultural, but I'd be surprised. They're full backs are like auxiliary wingers too, so it makes uo for their attackers preference to funnel inside.
This might seem ironic given we've centre-half "issues", but is there a chance we could go the wing-back route, and possibly three roving, footballing centre-backs.
----------------------Westwood------------------
-----------------------St Ledger------------------
------------Clark-----------------Wilson----------
Coleman----------------------------------McClean
-----------------Gibson------McCarthy-----------
-----------Hoolahan-----------Reid/McGeady---
------------------------Stokes---------------------
Subs: Forde, O’Brien, Kelly, Whelan, A Reid/McGeady, Pilkington, Quinn, Long, Keane, Walters,
Ledger being our more rambuncious centre-half could take Klose (assuming they give him the opportunity to overtake der Bomber's record) with Clark and Wilson trailing Ozil and Reus?
http://www.betinf.com/germany_injured.htm
Last edited by Kingdom; 01/10/2013 at 9:34 AM. Reason: link included
Here they come! It’s the charge of the “Thanks” Brigade!
Isn't Klose an injury doubt?
A crowd pleaser of a squad selection? The sceptical side of me wonders about his motives. It probably is near enough to our best squad available and there's a chance that King simply agrees with the masses. The likes of fans favourite Doyler coming back in makes me wonder a little bit though, form obviously hasn't been considered paramount. Even the exclusion of Darren O'Dea, with our current centre back crisis, seems a little bit drastic given he has done reasonable well for us.
Rumors continue that Kiessling will return to Germany just in time to play Ireland. He should be good for 2 or 3.
http://www.sportsmole.co.uk/football...ks_108211.html
No Somos muchos pero estamos locos.
King would be more concerned with making a mark in these 2 games, doing his professional duty.
I don't think there's any popularity milage to be got for King in selecting old crowd favourite, Kevin Doyle.
The popular returns are Reid and Gibson, possibly Stokes.
However, those three do merit a call up, if they are fit.
I take it that both Dunne and O'Shea will be back for the home game, we probably do have enough to cover CH position in the away game.
You've said it! Pick best squad and get accused of buying popularity. Don't pick it and get accused of being rubbish!
He didn't have a great bunch of CBs to choose from and I wouldn't argue much over those he did pick. Pearce, Delaney or O'Dea might have made it, Duffy too. Would any of us feel any more confident about our chances if we had any of them playing in Cologne?
Reid, Gibson and Stokes are deserving on merit. I think Doyle is too. His club situation doesn't do him justice. He is just a better player than Sammon and has shown this at international level. He never did anything to warrant being dropped in the first place.
I think King genuinely believes that less-hoof and more football will be better. I don't think this will a great game to judge his belief either way though. In the longer term I suspect this view will prevail.
Stokes and Long could exploit Mertesacker's incredible lack of pace. Andy Reid and Hoolahan pinging balls past Mertesacker and Stokes and Long running on to them.
Robbie Keane doesn't have the pace for it.
edit: Just checked and Delaney is injured, so that explains his absence.
Agreed, except Long is in poor form and Robbie's scoring record speaks for itself, pace or not.
Reckon he'll start him and Walters upfront.
Doyle won't play, but mainly because his whole career in limbo, probably until the next transfer window.
Yeah I mentioned Doyle over the other three because a case could clearly be made for their inclusion based on form. Overall I just think the squad has excluded the guys who receive most criticism and were kind of easy to leave out... Sammon has got an awful doing amongst pundits/supporters, O'Dea's club situations have been thrown at him a lot and is an undeserved laughing stock amongst many I feel, Cox/Keogh are probably scapegoats due to circumstance (being played out of position). That said, I'd be happy if Sammon & Keogh, in particular, were no longer required to wear the green.
I agree with you that King is probably more concerned with making a mark, but two decent results to go along with pleasing the press and/or supporters, in terms of squad selection, would make a bigger mark than two decent results with a continuation of Trap's favourites.
I'm only putting it out there really anyway, Doyle arguably has more to offer than Sammon regardless of club form and I am more than happy to see the inclusion of Reid, Stokes and Gibson. It just feels a bit like a squad that it would be difficult to pick holes in, but I suppose that's a good thing and we've had too much of the opposite at this stage.
Edit: Just saw Stutts post now also, I think the above pretty much covers any response needed anyway. I wasn't having a dig at King really and I actually am happy with the squad. I just think it looks like something Eamon Dunphy would have picked, or many of the rest of us for that matter. I might not be explaining myself too well at this point!
Last edited by DeLorean; 01/10/2013 at 1:21 PM.
He was the one of the main reasons we conceded 6 at home to Germany.
The players left out are left out becuase they are crap and offer us very little over others in their position. The reason they are villifiend in public is just the result of that.
That German midfield reads like a nursery ryhme or limerick.
Last edited by paul_oshea; 01/10/2013 at 12:34 PM.
I'm a bloke,I'm an ocker
And I really love your knockers,I'm a labourer by day,
I **** up all me pay,Watching footy on TV,
Just feed me more VB,Just pour my beer,And get my smokes, And go away
John O'Shea and a non-existent midfield were every bit as bad as him in that game. We weren't exactly defending with much confidence in the lead up anyway... nine goals conceded in the Euros, most of them shocking and without O'Dea on the pitch. He was pretty awful on the night though, at fault for probably two of the goals, but he's looked solid for us otherwise. Anyway, like Stutts said, his exclusion isn't going to make or break us... I just think he gets a harder time than he deserves.
Here they come! It’s the charge of the “Thanks” Brigade!
How did the back of the keepers head look?
No Somos muchos pero estamos locos.
Delaney added to the squad, strangely: http://www.irishtimes.com/sport/socc...quad-1.1547873
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