Republic of Ireland v. Wales - Friday, 24th March 2017 - World Cup 2018 Qualifier

[Wolfman]

It will be another Scotland(Or Poland) game, 1-1 draw written all over it. As long as the other 'top' teams draw against each other I'd take that.

Austria will the pressure game to win, though the Georgia/Serbia double-header scares me.

[zero]

And IMO there would be no point in playing Hoolahan if Walters is the lone forward. It would completely negate the point of playing him.

Look at the performance in Dublin against Scotland in the last campaign.

Whelan, Hoolahan, Murphy and Walters in the same team.

One of the leggiest, leaden performances I have seen in recent memory.

i wouldn't be so sure. josh got the axe essentially when the management team decided we needed fresher legs at the back. walters time will come too, and it could be sooner than we think.

there will be a temptation to play him though as he did well in austria... but that was away from home. the easy and arguably risk averse choice is to start with walters with long to come off the bench if things aren't going well. the only reason you'd do vice versa is to close out a game we are winning. but to start long would be the braver choice - wales have to go for it so counter attacking with pace could undo them.

[DannyInvincible]

Having missed Everton's game against West Brom yesterday, James McCarthy is a doubt for the Wales game and is in a race to be fit: http://www.rte.ie/sport/soccer/2017/...verton-koeman/

It's that hamstring again and he's "one or two weeks" off fitness, according to Ronald Koeman.

Ireland midfielder James McCarthy is once again in a race against time to be fit for the World Cup qualifier against Wales later this month.

The Everton player, 26, missed yesterday’s win over WBA with manager Ronald Koeman stating afterwards that he is at least “one or two weeks” away from fitness.

Ex-Wigan man McCarthy missed the 1-0 win over Austria with a hamstring injury last November.

Ireland boss Martin O’Neill, who is already without defender Shane Duffy for the 24 March clash at the Aviva, names his squad for the Group D tie tomorrow.

“James again has some problems with his hamstring - it happened at the beginning of last week, “Koeman said.

“It’s painful for him and also for me because I like him and we want to progress with him.

“But every time we do that he has to take a step back. It’s not a big hamstring injury - he will be out for one or two weeks - but I’m really disappointed about it.

“We need to deal with his fitness and maybe [play him] 30-35 minutes like last week, then put him through recovery.

“We need to learn. I’m not a doctor but I want the best for him, it’s difficult.

“It’s another step back for the boy and that’s really disappointing. We need to find a solution and we haven’t found it yet.”

Asked if he expects Martin O'Neill to pick him then, Koeman replied: "I don't know. We know it will be another nine, 10 days (before the game) and the FIFA rule is that they have the possibility to call the player. If they call the player the player will go and they will see how his fitness is at that time."

[geysir]

Sounds like Koeman has had a good read of the fifa rules on player's international call-up.

Koeman "the FIFA rule is that they have the possibility to call the player. If they call the player the player will go and they will see how his fitness is at that time."

[tetsujin1979]

39 man squad named, including every Irish midfielder: https://twitter.com/FAIreland/status...42409883324416

[tetsujin1979]

Good to see Liam Kelly and John Egan in there, although I'd imagine Kelly won't make the final squad

[DannyInvincible]

It's Rob Elliot's first time back in a squad since we played Slovakia in March last year, although he's been Newcastle's back-up keeper this season, hasn't he? A decent keeper and it's good to see him back, but I'd still like to see Westwood given more game-time.

Happy to see Andy Boyle make it again; he has two games under his belt now for Preston and is fitting in well, according to reports. Preston recorded a clean-sheet against Reading last weekend with him playing the full ninety minutes. I don't think there was any doubt over Horgan getting called up again.

John Egan and Matt Doherty are two other inclusions of interest. Hourihane too. Reading's Liam Kelly has never been named in a squad before. I don't know a huge deal about him, to be honest.

McCarthy is named despite being an injury doubt. Gibson also returns to the frame; first time in a squad since the pre-Euros Belarus friendly in Cork.

If Adam Rooney merits a place, Cillian Sheridan - now playing (and scoring, kind of...) for the second-placed team in the Polish league (a stronger league than the Scottish league) - is definitely worth consideration too.

No Stephen Quinn (is he a forgotten man?), Alan Judge (is he fit?), Ryan Manning, Chris Forrester, Marc Wilson (probably fair enough considering he hasn't played a minute of club football this season), Greg Cunningham or Lukas Jutkiewicz (who was also mentioned in the media recently as a potential call-up).

[tetsujin1979]

Quinn's been out injured since October, but is expected back soon. Judge is back in training, but still a few weeks off a first team return.
It was a close call between Manning and Kelly, Kelly's been a first team regular since the start of the season, Manning's only just gotten into the QPR first team.

[Stuttgart88]

Cunningham the harshest and strangest omission for me (especially with Brady suspended) but positives are the presence of Kelly, Egan, Hourihane and Doherty. Sheridan has Long, Walters, Murphy and Doyle all rightly ahead of him as strikers with some physicality.

Judge isn't back playing yet.

[DeLorean]

I see that Stephen Glesson seems to have fallen out of favour at Birmingham, an unused sub in their last five matches.

[tetsujin1979]

it was probably a close call between Doherty (who's been playing at left back for Wolves) and Cunningham as well.

[DeLorean]

Sheridan has Long, Walters, Murphy and Doyle all rightly ahead of him as strikers with some physicality.

As much as I know you love him, Doyle might be slightly stretching that notion at this stage? His career has been in decline for a decade or so, plays in the MLS and will be nearly 35 by the time the WC rolls around. With Long, Walters and Murphy all ahead of Doyle as it is, surely there could be some long(er) term gain from selecting Sheridan? We know what Doyle can do if we do need him in an emergency, but I think it would be no harm to see what Sheridan can bring.

[CraftyToePoke]

Cunningham the harshest and strangest omission for me (especially with Brady suspended) but positives are the presence of Kelly, Egan, Hourihane and Doherty. Sheridan has Long, Walters, Murphy and Doyle all rightly ahead of him as strikers with some physicality.

Absolutely, especially with Horgan and Boyle (two starts?) at the same club. Ouch.

O'Dowda very lucky to still be in also, but O'Neill has been proven right before with McGeady & club form vs Ireland performances.

[geysir]

We're a bit short up front, between the injured, lightly used subs and those from distant leagues.
I thought Cunningham was worth his squad place as reserve LB. I'd assume Ward will be starting, at least he's in a vein of form right now.

[DeLorean]

O'Dowda very lucky to still be in also, but O'Neill has been proven right before with McGeady & club form vs Ireland performances.

I wouldn't see O'Dowda as being lucky really, and definitely not lucky to be in the 'catch-all' provisional squad. He's looked good in his cameos for us. He's in and out of the Bristol City team but this season was always going to be a big challenge for him, a massive step up from League 2 to the Championship on top of leaving his home comforts at Oxford. I wouldn't see the sense in knocking his confidence any further right now.

He was lucky to get a call up in the first place though it has to be said, seeing as we don't usually cast our net any wider than Championship level.

[DannyInvincible]

Absolutely, especially with Horgan and Boyle (two starts?) at the same club. Ouch.

Preston forward Callum Robinson was another potentially-eligible player discussed recently. The FAI confirmed he is indeed eligible, but he'd presumably have to undergo a formal switch-process before being able to accept any call-up (if he would indeed be interested in representing us). He has quite a few England caps at under-age level and I'd imagine at least one would have been competitive, meaning a formal switch would be required.

[tetsujin1979]

Wales to announce their squad on Thursday: https://twitter.com/FAWales/status/841244497484865536

@FAIreland have announced a provisional squad for their match against Wales. Chris Coleman will release his squad on Thursday.

[DeLorean]

O'Neill seems optimistic about the fitness of McCarthy and Clark. - http://www.irishtimes.com/sport/socc...ales-1.3008242

[zero]

maybe sean maguire could have been called up to the provisional squad at least - however it would likely mean him missing some important games for cork city.

cillian sheridan and greg cunningham may feel a bit aggrieved.

[geysir]

O'Neill seems optimistic about the fitness of McCarthy and Clark. - http://www.irishtimes.com/sport/socc...ales-1.3008242

O'Neill dripping with sarcasm
“He (Ronald Koeman) is disappointed that he’s got another injury,” said the Irishman, “but I don’t think we can be blamed for that. We haven’t had him for the a few months, Everton have had him all the while so I don’t think any blame could attach to us.... although you never know.”