For me it's all about fresh legs tomorrow night. The advantage of having no top class players except kelleher is that you can make changes to personal in a good system with no drop in player ability. I would go :
Kelleher
Omobamidele Collins Scales Brady
Festy molumby Taylor Johnston
Azaz
Ferguson
O shea was poor in Finland and Greece wide players will be too much for his lack of pace. Omobamidele did a good defensive job against Greece in Dublin and his pace will be better suited to their wide threats
Mouluby and Taylor will bring energy and physical size to the middle and hopefully a little class from Taylor. Wide left of a 4 is just not Sammi s position he found it difficult the last night Johnston gives us much more there but needs to bring the workrate he shows at West Brom.
Festy starting might shake up ogbene a bit who has looked and played like a lad who thinks he is first name on the teamsheet.
I'd keep Azaz and Ferguson I thought Azaz looked promising tried to pick out a few nice incisive balls the last night but just didn't come off. There will be more space in the final third against Greece so I'd give him a chance . Ferguson will take chances so worth the hour we get from him. Then use the bench from 60 mins
I can see the logic in that alright. Greece are flying and it being the first home game after the Baldock tragedy will just fire them up even more. So I see this game as a bit of a free hit now, if we come out with a creditable defeat it will still have been a good window overall. So it's definitely a chance to try a few different things, such as starting Taylor and Ebosele.
I think that's too weak a team that would struggle badly in Greece. Midfield in particular is asking too much of Taylor on a debut. If he had a slow start, it could see us overrun there.Originally Posted by liamoo11
O'Shea got caught for pace against Finland a couple of times by a very fast winger, but he clocked in as one of the fastest players in the Premiership last year. He does not have a lack of pace.O shea was poor in Finland and Greece wide players will be too much for his lack of pace.
You've retained Collins, Ferguson, and Azaz, who most people seemed to rate among our worst performers against Finland. That seems really strange to me.I'd keep Azaz and Ferguson I thought Azaz looked promising tried to pick out a few nice incisive balls the last night but just didn't come off. There will be more space in the final third against Greece so I'd give him a chance . Ferguson will take chances so worth the hour we get from him. Then use the bench from 60 mins
You can't spell failure without FAI
I'm seeing Gavin Cummiskey in the Times fancying Ebosele and McGrath in for Ogbene and Azaz.
I think Ogbene and Azaz will make way and Ebosele for Ogbene stacks up to me.
I really don't fancy McGrath against good opposition. He looked out of his depth against the Netherlands. And that aligns with his club career where he looks good in the SPL but seemed to not be up to it in England.
That might be harsh and I was critical of starting Brady too if I'm honest. But I don't see McGrath being a better player than Azaz.
I would rather see a reshuffle involving Molumby, or else McAteer or Johnston. I think those 3 players are of a higher level. And we already have Brady for dead balls so that also negates the necessity for McGrath in my view.
It's all opinions. Oshea on the turn in tight spaces does not have the pace of Omobamidele and that was exposed in Finland. I'm sure he is fact running in a straight line over 20 metres but that's not helping his acceleration on the turn at right back so why risk hom again ?
Collins is our best centrehalf for me far more ability than anyone else we have at the back , isolated mistakes happen I'd still build my defence around him
Ferguson is our best striker by a distance but isn't match fit. I'd try to get an hour out of him to build our attacking play around him for now and the future.
I don't see anyone else who has the incisive passing ability of Azaz in our squad. I certainly don't see mxgrath as offering that no 10 skill set so on that basis I would go with him to try and build a relationship with ferguson
A tired Knight or tired Cullen certainly are not better players than a fresh Taylor. Taylor also offers a bit more physicality and a little touch of possible playmaking ability that cullen or Knight haven't shown
An empty spot on the bench tonight due to McGuinness' injury. Surprised they didn't call someone in. Especially with Ferguson struggling for match fitness and Idah's recent form being a bit hit and miss, it would have made sense to bring in Cannon.
In terms of the starting team I wouldn't be surprised if we retain the same back seven if that makes sense (i.e. the same GK, back four and two centre mids).
It's the other four positions that might be most up for debate.
Will he start Azaz again or go for a less attacking option like Taylor, McGrath or Molumby as the third centre mid?
Will he stick with Ogbene on the right or give Festy a start?
Some suggestion that Szmodics mightn't be 100% so might he start Johnston, Parrott or McAteer instead?
And can Ferguson start two games or will it be Idah up top?
Yep - like there are so many ways you could use that space. Ridiculous we can’t fill a bench.
HH has talked about experimenting and needing to see players to find his best team.
Call up an actual right back - you’ve got centre backs or wingers to choose from. Take your pick from Key, McNamara, Gallagher - even just to see them in the camp and training and give them the experience.
Call up Manning - played against Arsenal and he’s a genuine alternative if Brady tires considering we didn’t replace O’Dowda
Call up a replacement centre back - we only had one on the bench v Finland (Andy O), so call up someone like McNally or Clarke-Salter or Duffy if you want a like for like McGuinness replacement
Call up an in form player who didn’t make the squad ie Tom Cannon
Call up a lower league player who you think might be good enough like Luca Connell or Neil Farrugia - see how they train, get a proper look at them.
It’s basically a free hit that we didn’t take
https://www.rte.ie/sport/soccer/2024...r-a-long-time/ Ebosele says in this that he loves defending and went to Italy to develop his defending. Worth looking at as a right back if the alternative is o shea or Omobamidele
With Greece's good result against England ~ ~ Are they better than a lot of people are giving them credit for ?
After the Greek game ~ I wonder if Lee Carsley is regretting not taking the Irish job ?
Yes and probably no. People didn't realise how difficult that Euros qualification group was with Netherlands, France as 2nd seeds and Greece as 4th seeds. Was close to the worst draw imaginable...
Parrott in for Azaz the only change. Maybe a bit light in the middle? Depends how they set up I suppose. Very attacking lineup away from home with Ferguson, Szmodics, Parrott and Ogbene all starting. Almost a bit like the teams Trap used to pick with effectively a keeper, six defenders/defensive midfielders and four attackers.
Looks like the same side as the other night but Parrott in for Azaz.
I like that. I would have liked Festy in for Ogbene but I can't be asking for Chieo to be dropped.
Still have my doubts that Ferguson is sharp enough to start matches. It's certainly a relatively bravely team selection and an attacking team. Could get a little overloaded in midfield - I think I'd have been inclined to have Molumby in the team instead of Ferguson - let's see how it looks at half time... One of those ones, if it works well, fair play to him, he's taken a chance and it's paid off. If it doesn't work out, it was naive and foolhardy
Starting XI stats
https://www.instagram.com/p/DBEtjnDoJQA
Yeah, that's my take too. It's ok having an attacking lineup at against Finland in a half-empty ground. Greece away in a full ground is a different prospect. Not sure the lineup reflects that.
But we shall see.
his interview was interesting. basically said we expect to be defending very deep, so we wanted players who could counter attack quickly. and emphasised the importance of keeping our shape etc etc.
He comes across really well in his interviews. Can articulate the narrative he expects and how the selection fits within it. Night and day from SK. I think he was saying Parrott can knit the lines together on the counter - where he’s expecting to be under pressure during the first 30 especially - and that he’s expecting some interchangeability with Szmods as opposed to him just being a pure 10.
He speaks in his second language more articulately than Kenny speaks in his first in truth.
Could say the same about lots of Icelandics in fairness. Always remember Magnus Magnusson referring to "the contender with the fewer or fewest passes" in Mastermind - technically correct, though subsequent hosts have all referred to the one "with the fewest passes"
Anyways, can't see us hanging for 70 more minutes of this. It's a good thing we have a good keeper and decent defenders
Last edited by pineapple stu; 13/10/2024 at 8:12 PM.
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