Here you go. I think the centre back pairing will almost certainly be Long and Egan. Shame Burnley didn't survive a bit longer in the EFL Cup to give Long some extra minutes. Injuries permitting I would expect:Originally Posted by Olé Olé
Randolph
Coleman
Long
Egan
Doherty
Whelan (can he play two games in four days, probably not, Cullen might play the one he doesn't)
Hendrick
Hourihane
Robinson
McClean
McGoldrick
Cheers Del.
I would like to see that team too. I would offer 3 variables further to the Whelan one:
McGoldrick's fitness- is he fit to play zero, one or two of the matches? Time will tell. Collins in if not.
Doherty at left back- will Mick go with it or play someone who is playing there regularly for their club? McClean or Cunningham? Derrick Williams has been partnering Lenihan at centre back for Blackburn of late.
Duffy's fitness- is there an outside chance he might make it? Hopefully but surely unlikely.
If McClean goes left back, it would be great to see Connolly in his old role with Robinson on the right and McGoldrick or Collins through the middle. Unlikely though.
Of those not named in the starting line up above, I would love to see Connolly and Cullen feature. Collins too but he is very likely to.
Yeah, that's more the team I think Mick will select, rather than what I would pick myself. I think we should probably make three or four changes between the two games to keep things fresh - maybe save the line-up above for Geneva. O'Dowda for McClean, Cullen for Whelan, Connolly/Collins for McGoldrick options for Tbilisi alright, but I think Mick will keep it as close to our previous XI's as possible.
Hopefully if things aren't going our way, Mick won't be afraid to throw on a player like Byrne for the last 20 minutes. He was our most positive player i taught against Bulgaria and I think he deserves a place in the 23. Cant see Georgia scoring against us but they can frustrate us defensively, cant see it been more than a 1 or 2 nil
There's clarity of thought, consistency and loyalty in McCarthy's team selections thus far. LB is the only position up for grabs, no?
If everyone was fit, then yes. Egan and Long were at the back in the last friendly so I expect to see them there. And there's doubts on McGoldrick.
Agreed. The quick turnaround is the only thing that might test Mick's rigidness a little, but probably not much.
Manning starts again at left back for QPR. Seems to be left wing back. Another option for us had he been blooded.
I see it as a toss up between Doherty and McClean and it will only be the latter if Mick sees someone in training who can play McClean's position with some semblance of the defensive vigour.
Not to jinx him but Egan has looked great again today against a top 6 side. He even did a slide tackle with his head!
Great to see Hourihane and Hendrick starting against one another today in the league. Hourihane is being rewarded for his hot EFL Cup form.
few irish goals today with coleman, doherty and collins all netting. brady came on for burnley and egan played well for sheff utd v liverpool
edit: valvert lewin now credited with everton goal as he finished it over the line
Last edited by jbyrne; 28/09/2019 at 5:28 PM.
Brady is an interesting one. Burnley are at home to Everton next weekend. If he started would he be an option to slot in left back? I'm still not fully convinced Mick will put Doherty in there.
With McGoldrick an injury doubt, Hogan being dropped and Long only playing garbage minutes, is there a case to be made for in-form Collins to start against Georgia? On top of that, is there a case for a Connolly call-up to the squad, now that he has played the last four Premier League games and two League Cup games? Or should Mick stick with international experience (Long) or remain loyal to a current player (Hogan)?
I'd say with all the changes likely to be forced on him, he will stick wherever possible with lads who know the drills. Happy to be surprised though
Think he will go with Doherty Left back for the Georgia game, he has experience there and he is probably our best option too. Anyone else and I'd be a bit worried.
Seems that tickets will be collection over there. A good move i think
I don't want to be too harsh on Hogan but of all the options mentioned he would be my least favourite. He did not make the bench for Stoke on Friday night and does not appear to be injured.
I would suggest that Collins is in the lead to start as the lone striker in Georgia, obviously in the event that McGolddrick is unable.
Seanie Maguire probably deserves to be in the squad if fit. If I was calling up a squad, I would have Long, McGoldrick, Maguire and Collins as my four strikers and Hogan the backup if McGoldrick isn't fit. They're all very different, McGoldrick links up play very well, Collins is a good target and scores goals, Long's physical attributes and his experience are unique, Maguire's both a goalscorer and an intelligent footballer but perhaps the least effective out ball if you're under pressure, more Robbie Keane than Kevin Doyle if you get me. Hogan is fast but not that fast, strong but not that strong, decent finisher when confident but technically not the greatest footballer.
McGoldrick's position to lose I guess. Long's pace, strength and aerial ability make him valuable, at the very least off the bench. Collins and Maguire both have decent club scoring form. Collins has the advantage of an international goal but Maguire is perhaps the better footballer of the two.
I think who I would pick, would depend on the midfield in front of me.
I think McGoldrick or Collins is 9. I reckon Maguire comes in for Robinson if we want to change approach for a goal. And I am worried that Maguire doesn't develop an international goalscoring nack until he starts clocking up more international appearances. I reckon Maguire won't get a shot with Mick but Kenny will initially give him a better chance.
I wouldn't disagree, saying that, if you are going to play Maguire in any game, the Georgia one is probably the one he would be most likely to succeed in. No guarantees but we should dominate a bit more than we would against Denmark or Switzerland. And you should get a little more time on the ball in the final third, which he should be able to exploit. I'm happy to sit on the fence until the squad have met up. For all we know, Danny Ings could get injured in training and Shane Long scores a hat trick against Chelsea
In terms of Kenny, Maguire struggled when signing for Dundalk, which isn't a great sign - but I suppose McMillan and Kilduff were banging in goals, so it's hard to replace them.
I feel it's probably a little too soon for Connolly, Obafemi or Parrott. Between the three of them they have 3 senior goals. You'd be asking a lot to expect them to come in and positively impact a game where you need a result.
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