Also, Stephen Kelly was cack on his debut and is a defensive liability.
Is Joey O'Brien injured?
Slight mistake there, you've mistaken Jason Byrne for a professional footballer, not the publicity stunt pawn that he actually is. He can have all the hands in the world, there will not be a next chance. Though thats slightly misleading, the word next implies there was a chance in the first place.Originally Posted by shakermaker1982
the squad is a shambles, 2 1/2 centre halves, 3 right backs and a 16 year old that wont feature at any level for us for a hell of a long time.
what is the point of having anyone in that squad if they arent in the frame to feature v germany?
and then you look at who he left at home and why.
farce. but what did we really expect.
Dixon is very good lads, he'll be a great player within the next year or so.
I've no problems with Stan picking him against the Dutch, the kid should be involved asap - he is our future.
So you should leave 3 current and one ex-EPL (Murphy never really played that often) strikers off for him?
so put him in the u18's and u21's until he is ready for it.
how many kids have been the 'future' in the last 10 years?
lads i dont think you get it. Alan O' Brien has a very good 'adviser'! Pat Devlin his name is, just so happens Devlin sorted Stan out a bit through his career and now Devlin is 'B' Team manager.... The FAIreland is one big corrupt circle of clowns
Byrne out Lee in is not a surprise, I said so on this forum a couple of weeks ago. Stan has said that Lee fills a specific function; target man who is all elbows and awkwardness, the type of player that defenders hate.
There are some very odd selections however, Alan O'Brien isn't going to make it at the top level, twelve months from now nobody will remember him, you can quote me on thatWhat is wrong with Alan Quinn as an option on the left or Michael Doyle?
Paddy McCarthy though he has some shortcomings had to be in this squad for experience, I'm baffled.Unless Stan just doesn't rate McCarthy? He was chasing Cahill, who would be in the squad if he opted for us??
Tonight I know I'll have nightmares of Kilbane playing center back. Stan has me worried.
Imagine a back 4 of Kelly O'Shea Kilbane and Harte.
Perhaps the same with Dixon?
that'll be great for joey o'brien's confidence... talking stephen carr out of retirement so you can pick him ahead of joey. christ.
If hes so good why hasnt he played reserve yet?
Id have no problem with him being brought along as a non playing member of the squad
Forcing 2 corners is now good enough to earn you a call up
According to the Independent, Joey O'Brien and Andy Reid are both injured. O'Brien is also a doubt to make the Germany game.
kilbane is a decent footballer with huge experience , he has to be tried out again at centre half and at left full , this is surely what stan will do against the dutch. dixon seems to be a bit of a walcott-esque selection, if he gets a run though then it is the definite excercise of an option during a friendly game , jayo can still force his way back in to the german squad. O'brien must be injured or it is very negligent by stan , lets face it we know very little about his managerial style , he will get the benefit of my doubt until xmas . some right kneejerk reactions on here
Was he crazy!! Yeah , in a very special way , an Irishman.
I slept, and dreamed that life was Beauty;
I woke, and found that life was Duty.
Kilbane at centre half?????? Is this what we're reduced to??!! At left-back he could do a job for us fair enough but to put him in one of the most important positions in the team at which he has no experience AT ALL is just pure madness!!! Dont get me wrong I've always been a fan of the fellah but thats just crazy talk!
As someone mentioned earlier, where's the ginger pele? Thought he was playing well regularly at CB for Norwich and has a fair bit of international experience....surely he's an option?
Dr. I was never a kilbane fan but would deffo prefer him to the Doc.. Even at centre forward!!
Was he crazy!! Yeah , in a very special way , an Irishman.
I slept, and dreamed that life was Beauty;
I woke, and found that life was Duty.
The thing is, I don't rate the doc as a centre forward, never have . But I do believe that, considering the dearth of centre-halves coming through at the moment Gary Doherty is the only Irish centre half around (apart from O'Brien and Dunne) playing regularly for his club AND with senior international experience.
But sure Kilbane's tall sure why not give him a shot there! Actually I see now why Lee's in the squad, he's a big lad so he must be there as CB cover as well....Its all starting to make sense now!
starting to panic !! in fairness i never really felt safe watching andy o'brien play centre half for ireland , we should just put o'shea and dunne there and be done with it.
Was he crazy!! Yeah , in a very special way , an Irishman.
I slept, and dreamed that life was Beauty;
I woke, and found that life was Duty.
I'm not a regualr poster on this forum but I found it interesting to read the views expressed on this thread.
Some outraged, some disappointed, some seemingly angry (?) and quite a few non-plussed by Stan's squad.
Isn't this always the case though.
He isn't in the job to pick a team that will suit everyone.
I'm sure he has reasons for leaving out Byrne for instance or picking Dixon but every manager of every club/national side cannot please everyone.
Indeed they shouldn't even be trying to please everyone.
Personally the most concerning thing about this squad is the central defence positions because if we have injuries there we are in serious trouble. In fact I'm working up a cold sweat just thinking about the alternatives
Breen exits stage as O'Brien enters
Emmet Malone Soccer correspondent
As 21-year-old Alan O'Brien came from almost nowhere to claim a place in Steve Staunton's squad for next week's friendly international against the Netherlands in Dublin, Gary Breen quietly drew the curtain on 10 years of international football yesterday when the Ireland manager passed on the news that the 32-year-old had decided to retire.
Breen had made his debut for the Republic in the summer of 1996 and in the intervening decade won 63 caps, scoring seven goals.
His best performances came during the 2002 World Cup qualification campaign and at the tournament itself, but he rarely figured under Brian Kerr, and Staunton admitted yesterday his decision to depart the scene was far from unexpected.
"He'd been thinking long and hard about it, but said he'd be happy enough to come in for the first few games after I took over.
"He'll be missed, but it's something really that I knew to expect when I came in and there are a few other options there."
As the Wolves defender called it a day, the return of Steve Carr was confirmed, with the 29-year-old Newcastle defender included in the panel for next week's game after, having talked with Bobby Robson, he reversed his decision to retire.
"It didn't take too much work really because Bobby had signed him for Newcastle and he had that bit of an in with him," said Staunton.
Added to the St James' Park contingent in the squad, meanwhile, is young winger Alan O'Brien, who has featured in fewer than a dozen first-team games since moving to England from St Joseph's Boys in Dún Laoghaire - most of those coming during a loan spell at Carlisle United at the start of last season.
Staunton put his inclusion down to positive feedback from the other Irish players at the club and a report from Ireland B manager Pat Devlin, who has seen him play on a number of occasions during Newcastle's pre-season.
Devlin, in fact, was instrumental in the player's move from Ireland to the northeast of England, as he has been in quite a number of such transfers, but Staunton said that the former Bray Wanderers boss was no longer involved in advising the midfielder and that the decision to include him in the squad had been entirely his own.
"The lad is not in purely on the say so of Pat, he's in on merit," said Staunton. "There's no conflict of interest here, Pat's still involved with Duffer - he wanted to stick with him because he had him all the way through - but he's taken a back seat on the rest of it (advising players) since he took this job.
"O'Brien," Staunton observed, "has frightening pace" and should, he hopes, make considerable progress over the coming months.
Terry Dixon, meanwhile, retains his place on the basis of his performance while with the squad at the warm-weather training camp in May when he persuaded the Ireland manager that he is "above any 16-year-old in Ireland or England".
Of those more likely to contribute to the team's fortunes in the short term, Andy Reid misses out on this occasion with an ankle injury, while Bolton's Joey O'Brien is still working on regaining his fitness.
Staunton said he was not aware of Reid's prognosis at this stage, but said he was hopeful the Tottenham winger would be available for the trip to Stuttgart where Ireland will play their first European Championship qualifier at the start of September.
Omitted for other reasons are Gary Doherty, Mark Kennedy and David Connolly. Leicester City captain Paddy McCarthy has also been passed over on this occasion with Staunton observing that he is not quite ready to make the step up to international football quite yet. "We'll be watching how he does for his club over the coming season," he says.
Sunderland striker Daryl Murphy, he said, is another player who may be included in the near future, but Jason Byrne appears to have slipped back in the pecking order again despite his outstanding form for Shelbourne.
Most of those on the periphery of the squad, Staunton said, will get a chance to impress in B internationals being organised for the autumn.
Details will be confirmed in the coming weeks, but it has been reported Ireland may send a team to an invitation tournament in Portugal.
"When we get the B international going, which should be in the next couple of months, we'll have a proper look at all the players."
Staunton said he would be selecting the squad for those games after which "I'll leave Pat to get on with it"
In Trap we trust
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