Talbot and Mandriou on the standby list, but not Jack Byrne, who's injured.
https://www.irishmirror.ie/sport/soc...tions-27091266
Setting aside rights and wrongs of pretentious neologisms like 'low block', the main point stands. I do think we lack that little bit of guile and invention in our midfield and attack that you need in order to overcome teams who set up to defend deep. This was amply exposed in our laboured and plodding performance against a dreadful Lithuania side.
In the squad named by Kenny there was a conspicuous absence of any player that could in any way even loosely be described as a playmaker.
I assume Ronan, like Byrne, is injured. But I do find it strange that he failed to find room for Sykes.
There could be a fitness issue but I think Karl Robinson made it pretty clear that Sykes was left out of Oxford's final game dead rubber because he was due to leave and the manager wanted to look at other options.
Out for a spell, got neglected, lay on the bench unselected.
Jaysus, some of ye are easily annoyed. Football speak is full of clichés, and always has been. What harm that people have a slightly more complex jargon available to them than "the Teddy Sherringham role"? Their meaning is clear enough if you pay any attention at all. I'm sure your grandad was yelling at a cloud about the terms "back four" and "midfield". Any formation after the WM is the tool of the devil. In my day, a playmaker got 45 minutes and 85 rods to the Melton Mobray pork pie, and that's the way I likes it darn it.
You can't spell failure without FAI
Any guesses/preferences on line up?
343
Baz
Collins
Duffy
Egan
Christie
Cullen
Hendrick
McClean
Ogbene
Obafemi
Robbo
though you'd have to think he'll find a spot for Coleman (possibly back 3 instead of RWB). I know that Lampard loves him but he had some awful appearances for Everton in the last stretch. At least 3-4 bad mistakes in the last 3 games. I fear that he is done at this level, as a top player, but we definitely need his leadership and personality.
I'm still wondering how to balance the squad out over four end-of-season games.
Armenia should be the easiest game of the four, but if we don't win it then we've really set ourselves up for a crap campaign. So do you go full strength to win this game, knowing that means you'll probably need to rotate the squad in the harder games? Or do you field a slightly weaker team here and keep some of the others back for the harder games, but in doing so increase the risk of slipping on the banana skin? (We saw how the Lithuania game went, and these are a good bit higher-ranked).
If Coleman's form is starting to drop at PL level, I'd have him in for this one. Similarly McClean is hardly going to start all four games so you've got to choose which ones he plays. Does Obafemi want to play all four with his injury worries? He seems half decent, so while it'd be great to tie him right from the outset, I'd keep him back for the other games. Hamilton might be a bit of a risk against Ukraine/Scotland, but so do you start him here?
Probably similar calls all around the park. I don't envy Kenny plotting out the week tbh.
He is class. Kenny had been playing him in one of the three front roles though which is why i left him out as i would love to (selfishly) see that front 3 get some time together against Armenia!
I dont see him as like for like for the suspended Cullen - but could be wrong there. Not sure we have a totally natural replacement for Cullen actually.
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