Predict starting XI and score?

[geysir]

Was thinking the same, kind of worrying how we are gonna win the ball in midfield.
I was looking through the statistics for a player who tackles, obviously there is Paul Green,
but I was just looking through Irish players to see who makes tackles and top of the
list is Alan Judge. 3.7 per game (McCarthy 2.9 for comparison) but then I though
well he is a left sided midfield however looking further at his stats he has played 12 of
his 17 games at central midfield. He also has 5 assists.

So kind of weird he is top of the tackles stats *and* top of the assists stats, yet he is not in the squad.

Statistically, what's our best team Tricky?

[geysir]

All luck. All luck.

Josh would never be able to score that goal again if he tried it a thousand times.

Infinity and beyond.

[BonnieShels]

Infinity and beyond.

With a thousand monkeys and a million Buzz Lightyears.

[paul_oshea]

B's I don't know where you're getting your logic from above but you're well off in your last two paragraphs.

bungle I don't get it either.far harder groups and groups with two really good top teams and good 3rd.

Scotland poland and ourselves are average sides and to think we are somehow better than either of them is pretty arrogant our results speak for themselves and our ranking reflects that.

[tricky_colour]

Statistically, what's our best team Tricky?

John O'Shea

Seamus Coleman Richard Dunne Damien Delaney Marc Wilson

Robbie Brady Glenn Whelan James McCarthy Aiden McGeady

JonathanWalters Shane Long


That is just championship players, there is a case for some players from other leagues.

[Stuttgart88]

I think this is a tough group and each of ourselves, Scotlsnd and Piland will find it hard, and two of us have already taken points off the brst team. It's not an issue whether it's the hardest or just hard (from our viewpoint).

We are three average teams all comfortably a notch below the elite, but we're all well matched by and large. On form I'd say we're the weakest of the three. I think the rankings aren't a great reflection and I think thete's not much in it.

[tetsujin1979]

James McArthur out for Scotland. I don't think he'd have started but he has been used as sub.

Clearly Neil Warnock is ****ed he never declared for England.

[geysir]

John O'Shea

Seamus Coleman Richard Dunne Damien Delaney Marc Wilson

Robbie Brady Glenn Whelan James McCarthy Aiden McGeady

JonathanWalters Shane Long


That is just championship players, there is a case for some players from other leagues.

That's an okay team. Stats have an unfair bad rep

[Kingdom]

It baffles me that people consider this the hardest of groups. Okay it has the best team in the world, but for me, Poland scotland and ourselves are of a similar ability. Decent enough teams we all are, but there's tougher groups out there.

To be fair, when the groups came out first, I wasn't happy, purely because I expected (and Still expect) Germany to blitzkrieg their way to top spot, and meaning a 3-way race for the one automatic spot, against one, a celtic derby, and two, a team we've traditionally struggled to cope with.
That said, I'll hold fire on how I think things might pan out, because I'm not having that jinx thrown at me, but some of the other groups are bloody horrible, and are definitely worse than our own.

I find there are always two ways of looking at these things. Is the group where you have two absolute certs for automatic qualification but the rest are minnows a hard group, or an ok group? WHat about the groups whereby there's no stand out team, but bar the absolute fodder, everyone else has the capability of taking points from everyone else including the top seed? The North have have a group that would resonate with the last type of group. They have got off to a flyer, and if they avoid defeat tomorrow, they'll have a great chance of making the finals. Maybe Spain's group and possibly Belgiums group are easier than ours, but the rest are pigs in comparison.

[BonnieShels]

England's group is a joke in fairness. Though we would have made a balls of it.

[Kingdom]

I think this is a tough group and each of ourselves, Scotlsnd and Piland will find it hard, and two of us have already taken points off the brst team. It's not an issue whether it's the hardest or just hard (from our viewpoint).

We are three average teams all comfortably a notch below the elite, but we're all well matched by and large. On form I'd say we're the weakest of the three. I think the rankings aren't a great reflection and I think thete's not much in it.

That elite is getting smaller and smaller. I still think if we look at Germany's results to performances in this group, and look at say Netherlands's results to performances, most people say Germany are off form, but Holland were unlucky.
Spain similarily.
The elite (for me) in the here-and-now is Germany, Spain, and maybe Belgium and Holland. that's the top tier, and after that, well it's anything goes. There's plenty of potential in some of the countries, but one stand-out player (Ibra, Cristiano Ronaldo) does not elevate a team.

I would rank Poland ahead of us, but they're brittle, and have been that way for some time, yet they have a few extremely talented players. Our core is probably closer in ability than theirs, so it really is fascinating. I was hoping the group will be done and dusted by the time we go to Warsaw, but we'll need a win tomorrow night for that to happen.
Jesus the stomach is in knots now. Tomorrow is such a big game.

[swinfordfc]

Forde

Coleman O'Shea Keogh Ward

McGready Gibson Meyler McClean

Walters

Keane but would prefer Long to start and then bring on Keane

[bishbash]

McCarthy is a big loss, especially if we do play with 3 in the middle, he's played that way with Everton now for a couple of seasons so he's comfortable. I don't think we have the players to be effective in a 442. Centrally we are not good enough to get on the ball & pass it so it turns into even more lump it & try get somethin. Also if we come up against any side that try's somethin different formation wise our midfield normally gets over run. I'm not sayin Scotland are world beaters but they do have players that can trouble us. Naismith takes up good positions & while he's record for scotland is not great Fletcher will be a big threat.

In saying all that we'll probably play 442, win 3-0 & Scotland won't get a kick 👌

[tricky_colour]

That's an okay team. Stats have an unfair bad rep

It is not bad is it? But note the core of the team is absent one way or another.

I had to put O Shea in goal as there were no Irish keepers in the Premiership player listed.

I seem to remember he has played in goal before in an emergency so I expect he would be
able to do a half decent job, plus with his outfield abilities it would be an interesting experiment.

I didn't include any Championship players as I found 11 in the top flight, however I would
probably need to make a team of available players.

Indeed I note a few player in the Championship who have recently played for us

Indeed Hendricks is in a number of squads listed but there are a staggering *15*
Irish players in the Championship who are rated higher than him.

But it is difficult to know how to compare a Championship rating with a Premiership rating.

[the doc]

I think this game has draw written all over it. If there is to be a winner and I don't think there will be, I think we will nick it by a goal.

Wilson and McCarthy are losses, but I think we will manage without them for this game.

It baffles me that people consider this the hardest of groups. Okay it has the best team in the world, but for me, Poland scotland and ourselves are of a similar ability. Decent enough teams we all are, but there's tougher groups out there.

Wilson is not a loss, it's a blessing in disguise he's not playing, he's not good enough to play international football at CB.

Oh for a SSL/Dunne partnership for this game!

[DannyInvincible]

I don't see us losing. I'd be very surprised if we do. I'll go for a 1-1 draw, if not a very slim/nervy 1-0 victory in our favour.

We will score and it will be McGeady, for certain.

[Charlie Darwin]

I don't see us losing. I'd be very surprised if we do. I'll go for a 1-1 draw, if not a very slim/nervy 1-0 victory in our favour.

We will score and it will be McGeady, for certain.

Get off the fence Danny, 4-0 to us, at least.

[geysir]

That elite is getting smaller and smaller. I still think if we look at Germany's results to performances in this group, and look at say Netherlands's results to performances, most people say Germany are off form, but Holland were unlucky.
Spain similarily.
The elite (for me) in the here-and-now is Germany, Spain, and maybe Belgium and Holland. that's the top tier, and after that, well it's anything goes. There's plenty of potential in some of the countries, but one stand-out player (Ibra, Cristiano Ronaldo) does not elevate a team.

I would rank Poland ahead of us, but they're brittle, and have been that way for some time, yet they have a few extremely talented players. Our core is probably closer in ability than theirs, so it really is fascinating. I was hoping the group will be done and dusted by the time we go to Warsaw, but we'll need a win tomorrow night for that to happen.
Jesus the stomach is in knots now. Tomorrow is such a big game.

Not only is the elite getting smaller, they are dwindling in power.
Holland are in the psych ward and Germany are troubled. Post world cup 2014 brings in another era and Germany are right back to 2006, they have to start over again, albeit from a better place. The mistake that is made is thinking that teams like Germany and Holland will function at that WC high level for ever and ever, in every subsequent qual game or at least enough for devastating periods of the game. In our group, Poland will not be consistent enough and Scotland will do themselves in at some stage. O'Neill has demonstrated the ability to accurately view the way a game is going for us and alter our game according to needs, with effect.
We didn't had that with Trap. We have a similar defensive discipline but dare I say, that we actually appear to defend more intelligently than under Trap.

[BonnieShels]

Not only is the elite getting smaller, they are dwindling in power.
Holland are in the psych ward and Germany are troubled. Post world cup 2014 brings in another era and Germany are right back to 2006, they have to start over again, albeit from a better place. The mistake that is made is thinking that teams like Germany and Holland will function at that WC high level for ever and ever, in every subsequent qual game or at least enough for devastating periods of the game. In our group, Poland will not be consistent enough and Scotland will do themselves in at some stage. O'Neill has demonstrated the ability to accurately view the way a game is going for us and alter our game according to needs, with effect.
We didn't had that with Trap. We have a similar defensive discipline but dare I say, that we actually appear to defend more intelligently than under Trap.

I think this is what I was trying to allude to when responding to TOWK earlier i the week. Of course it takes our resident Islandson to bring it all back.

[zero]

John O'Shea

Seamus Coleman Richard Dunne Damien Delaney Marc Wilson

Robbie Brady Glenn Whelan James McCarthy Aiden McGeady

JonathanWalters Shane Long


That is just championship players, there is a case for some players from other leagues.

o'shea is traditionally known for his versatility at the back - but not convinced he'd be the best choice in goal!