Squad for Cyprus & Switzerland

I didn't notice it when i posted it but how they hell is Miller still in the squad? Has he played any football bar North East Reserve League football in last 6 montha?

ya thats what i mean tets. its a good time to play them ( or it could be a really bad time!) cos its a competitve game, without the same test as say france etc.

Originally Posted by paul_oshea

and also because he thinks a game against someone like cyprus is a good idea for experimenting with the future two centre partners as they are getting better experience than a friendly but not being greatly tested either ( well lets hope so )

Anyone who remembers the last time we played Cyprus away will tell you that it was a very tough game. I know that we ran out 4-0 winners but the scoreline was very unjust on the Cypriots. Roy Keane basically dragged us kicking and screaming through the game scoring twice in the process. Before we get ahead of ourselves and start thinking of players getting booked and missing the Swiss game we should just concentrate on getting the 3 points against Cyprus with the best team we have available to us on the day.

paulie, i know i agree with what you are saying but i was just pointing out what joesoap may have been thinking.

That's fair enough. I just get nervous when people start talking about games as being so easy that we can afford to rest players. Our games are very rarely easy.

I'd read that O'Shea was injured playing against Blackburn on the weekend. Is that wrong?

Originally Posted by John83

I'd read that O'Shea was injured playing against Blackburn on the weekend. Is that wrong?

I hope not then maybe Ian Harte will play at left back. At least Harte is an attacking output for us even if he is s**te defensively. He could easily weigh in with a goal if we are having trouble scoring against the Cypriots whilst O'Shea couldn't score in a whore house. O'Shea is s**te both in defense and in attack and needs to be dropped.

I agree that the result of this game is not a foregone conclusion and even if Ireland do win they will make very hard work of it.

Also what is Nicky Colgan doing in the squad? Surely we can put in Wayne Henderson or Shane Supple instead of him as third choice keeper. It would be good experience for two young very promising keepers. Even call up Gerry Peyton or something but don't have Colgan in the squad.

I think Alan Quinn should be given a run - he should be in ahead of Miller (what has he ever done to warrant a place in the squad). Quinn scored again last night and Shef Utd are running away with the Championship already.

Originally Posted by finlma

I think Alan Quinn should be given a run - he should be in ahead of Miller (what has he ever done to warrant a place in the squad). Quinn scored again last night and Shef Utd are running away with the Championship already.

Quinn's a really good player IMO & very unlucky not to be in the squad.

I agree totally

At the moment Quinn is probably our best midfielder - based on performances this season

From today's Guardian:

Chadwick was later denied by a point-blank save from Paddy Kenny after he again combined with Gudjonsson, though United were already two goals to the good then after Alan Quinn hammered in his second of the season on the half-hour mark. The former Sheffield Wednesday winger was bearing down on the Plymouth goal when Anthony Barness hauled him to the ground but he promptly picked himself up before drilling a 25-yard free-kick into the bottom corner.


(PS: winger?!!)

Originally Posted by Stuttgart88

(PS: winger?!!)

Quinn was always a left winger up until the last couple of seasons.

Originally Posted by eirebhoy

Quinn was always a left winger up until the last couple of seasons.

Thanks - I stand corrected !

Kerr says its all or nothing for the final two qualifiers. Here

Hope its not too little too late

Originally Posted by Dawn_Run

Kerr says its all or nothing for the final two qualifiers. Here

Thats stating the obvious anyway. 6 points or we're out. At least Brians got his calculator out.

really dont understand the liam miller situation .. Why pick a lad who cant brake through to the first team and has shown nothing at manu to say that he will ahead of a lad playing well and chipping in with goals for the leaders of the championship ??

According to SKY Sports Teletext last night our qualification path has now become much harder: they say we're playing Croatia away on October 8th!

From the Irish Times this morning, in relation to Connolly & Elliott's inclusion:

"David [Connolly] has made a bright start to the season," said Kerr. "He is a very experienced striker by our standards (he has scored nine goals in 40 appearances). He has always been in my thoughts but I just felt last season that Stephen (Elliott) had passed him out."

I agree. Last season Elliott was in better form than Connolly.

Kevin Doyle’s inclusion is something of a surprise although his steady rise through the ranks suggested a senior call-up would come sooner rather than later.

The 22-year-old is the second highest scorer at under-21 level and has scored three goals in five appearances since joining Championship side reading from Cork City at the start of the English season.

"He’s been with me at underage level and I saw he had potential," Kerr said. "I’ve always been keeping an eye on him. I had him at the World Youth championships in the UAE before I took the senior job and he was very impressive. He had a good season with Cork City and has steadily improved since moving to Reading."

I thought Smyth was manager of the UAE team. Kerr went out there while senior manager purely to observe. No?

Originally Posted by Stuttgart88

Kevin Doyle’s inclusion is something of a surprise although his steady rise through the ranks suggested a senior call-up would come sooner rather than later.

The 22-year-old is the second highest scorer at under-21 level and has scored three goals in five appearances since joining Championship side reading from Cork City at the start of the English season.

"He’s been with me at underage level and I saw he had potential," Kerr said. "I’ve always been keeping an eye on him. I had him at the World Youth championships in the UAE before I took the senior job and he was very impressive. He had a good season with Cork City and has steadily improved since moving to Reading."

I thought Smyth was manager of the UAE team. Kerr went out there while senior manager purely to observe. No?

Yep, read the team profile here - http://www.fifa.com/en/comp/teamprof...L-6537,00.html - Smyth is the manager.
Although Kerr could have been referring to the smaller tournament that Ireland won in the UAE the previous January after the Championships had to be postponed.

Originally Posted by tetsujin1979

Although Kerr could have been referring to the smaller tournament that Ireland won in the UAE the previous January after the Championships had to be postponed.

Ah, yeah, I remember that now. Tks.