Andy Reid Central Midfield.

[hoops1]

Stuttgart where did I say we have to play 4-4-2 because we are Irish?
You have to play your strongest players in there strongest positions!
All our players are used to playing it week in week out and are familiar
with it! They all have probably played it since schoolboy football.
Liverpool played 3 at the back in the champions league final because they
were 3-0 and it didnt matter what they played it was all out attack either
way,Celtic could play 0 at the back and still beat most teams in Scotland
While with the defenders we have playing your 3 at the back is laughable!

[Stuttgart88]

Well, it's the same old reaction: "we've been brought up in Britain & Ireland playing 4 at the back so we just can't do it. It's inconceivable." In my mind it is conceivable and far from laughable.

Celtic's 3 at the back was good enough to beat some good teams in the 2000/2001 CL - when winninmg the home games was a must - not just the near perfect record they enjoyed in Scotland.

If we're looking to BEAT good teams by taking the game to them then an aggressive set up could be the answer.

Anyway, I've also said that simply repacing Kilbane with Reid or Kavanagh could have given us more of a threat against France - for reasons stated many times above - but I think there's no reason NOT to play aggressively against mid-ranking teams determined to leave Lansdowne Road with a point, or to adapt an aggressive shape when chasing a game like last week.

Off for the w/e now anyway.

[hoops1]

Again nothing got to do with Being Irish!
Best formation for players we have!
3 at the back with the Defenders we have is a joke!
Big spaces down either side of the 3 to play balls and exploit
our lack of pace at the back, playing right into oppositions hands!
No off to play chamionship manager or whatever you do at the weekend
because its not by watching real football matches that you come up with
the idea that these crazy formations can work with the players we have

[Stuttgart88]

Again nothing got to do with Being Irish!
Best formation for players we have!
3 at the back with the Defenders we have is a joke!
Big spaces down either side of the 3 to play balls and exploit
our lack of pace at the back, playing right into oppositions hands!
No off to play chamionship manager or whatever you do at the weekend
because its not by watching real football matches that you come up with
the idea that these crazy formations can work with the players we have

If all you're intent on doing is insulting people then **** off to another forum. I've addressed pretty much all your points in my initial posts. Check if you want. Others here are interested in intelligent debate. I'm more than happy to admit it when I'm wrong but I've heard nothing from you that makes me think you're worth paying attention to. I put out an idea that I wanted intelligent responses to.

I have no interest in Championship Manager & I've been to more Shamrock Rovers games in my life than you've probably ever been to, as well as playing & coaching junior football for over 12 years.

And don't ever ****ing go questioning how I spend my weekends. It certainly isn't spent in the company of insulting cnuts like you.

[hoops1]

If you cant come up with a better argument for playing
4-4-2 than we only play it because were Irish!
Then I am going to treat you with the contempt you deserve!
At least I put valid football reasons i.e the quality of our defenders
lack of pace at the back for not playing the 3.
Now if your a coach of junior football team as you say! do you play 3
at the back?No didnt think so! because after it worked once if it did at all
it didnt work for long because the other team Knew how to play against it after 10 minutes!

[Stuttgart88]

Hoops1, the reason why I think it's worth looking at something other than 4-4-2 is because I DON'T think we're using our best players in our best positions. I'd contend that the shape that has served us so well down the years has its flaws with our current XI: we don't have a left-back we're happy with & the midfield two (Keane & Kilbane) is poorly balanced - Roy Keane & a guy who runs around a lot in an honest / hard-working manner, but ultimately not good enough against someone like France. Earlier in the thread I suggested that Andy Reid or Kavanagh for Kilbane could be the simplest answer. You obviously think that anyone, like me, who thinks Andy Reid is good enough is a fool. Well I'm sorry you feel that way.

If you see the first remark that aroused your ire you'll see there's a colon after the comment. This was meant to be followed by the character that makes this a smiley. But anyway, your first remark was about MUFC & England changing formations. I took this to mean that we Irish would be similarly ineffective because all our players play there & have been brought up in that style. So, if you want to split hairs, I acknowledge you never said it's because we're Irish in the direct literal meaning. But I thought the message was the same.

As for getting caught for pace etc. I think that once France had taken Henry & Zidane off we could have been more aggressive. I also think that in a game like Albania at home 2 years ago 3 at the back could have been appropriate. They were not even the remotest bit interested in playing in our half & I expect there'll be teams who come to Dublin in future with the same mindset.

We did actually play 3 at the back - at times - in junior football & never got exposed as you suggested. And I did actually coach in case you're still doubting my honesty. I no longer play or coach at the weekends, & don't regularly go to live football. But I don't need to to justify myself or my views.

[dr_peepee]

I've never been a fan of playing around too much tactically at International level. I don't think the players have the exposure to each other for the systems to really click in the way that they should.

Andy Reid could defo do a job in the centre and would've been an ideal parner for the Roy Keane of a couple of years ago. But as a midfield pairing now it wouldn't be my first choice. The player who partners Roy internationaly nowadays really has to clock up the counts on a pedometer, if you know what I mean. I think they're free with Special K, so we could do an experiment on the potential partners.