[QUOTE=eirebhoy;511802]
Notable exclusions:
Gary Breen
QUOTE]
I'd hardly describe the exclusion of Gary Breen as notable. How he has managed to forge a professional career in football still mystifies me. Were he not "Irish", I doubt if anyone one of us would have noticed he even existed.
Limerick 3:7
"Marvel not that I said unto thee, ye must be born again"
I read an article in the SW yesterday and one of the journos suggested that perhaps Steve Finnan would be a good partner in CM for Steven Reid. Now I don't often agree with this particular journo but in this case I think he may be onto something. I think it may be worth a try against Holland.
The interesting thing is that Man U tried something similar with P Neville against Arsenal a couple of seasons ago and he did a great job on Vieira. I think Finnan is a better footballer than Neville and could be an option there against the Germans/Czechs.
My team against Holland would be
Kenny
Carr O'Brien O'Shea Kilbane
MacGeady Finnan S.Reid Duff
Doyle Morrisson
what do you think?
how can he not call up mcshane or mccarthy now. we need some centre-backs!!
[QUOTE=thelimerick;515289]Maybe so but I think Breen has done a pretty good job for Ireland whenever called upon. I wouldn't say he's the best center half we've ever had but he's always played better for Ireland than for most of his club sides.Originally Posted by eirebhoy
[QUOTE=colster;515321]I don't agree with you there, Breen has always been a weak link for Ireland. At times he has surprised just when you wanted the ground to swallow him up but by no means I feel, was Breen a sucess for Ireland. You are right when you say he played better for Ireland than his club but that speaks volumes about the type of player he is. Good riddance to bad rubbish I say.
I would definately like to see Paddy Mc Carthy in the squad, I think now is the time to start introducing what seems to be an exciting bunch of young Irish players into the senior squad. To see the likes of Breen, Kilbane and Harte being eeked out while the young blood make inroads. We are lacking in several areas on the pitch, the message needs to be sent out that the opportunities are there if they players can prove themselves worthy.
Limerick 3:7
"Marvel not that I said unto thee, ye must be born again"
Look he did a job for us when we weren't exactly flush with great center halfs. He had some poor games but he had some good ones as well e.g. in Wc 2002 and WC 2002 qualifiers against the Dutch and Portugal.
I think McCarthy and McShane should be in the squad but I hardly see them as replacements for Harte and Kilbane. We don't have many options at left back which is where Harte and Kilbane may play.
I am struggling to think of one goal that Breen was directly at fault for , he used to give me nervous times but I certainly felt he gave his all for ireland and that he played above himself for Ireland, You really cant ask more than a player to do that when they put on the green jersey.
In Trap we trust
I hope Stan doesn't starting tinkering with 3-4-3 or 3-5-2 for this game. With the squad as it is and in need of a confidence boost in the lead up to the German game he needs to play what we know best i.e. 4-4-2.
Kenny
Finnan O'Brien O'Shea Harte
MacGeady S Reid Kavanagh Duff
Doyle Clinton
Bring Elliot and Murphy on for the last 20 minutes. Finnan is a right back and shouldn't be moved to CB or MF IMO. My optimism for the campaign is starting to wilt I'm afraid looking at our backline. How I wish a Paul McGrath was under 30 and raring to go.
According to Physioroom.com all of our players should fit and back playing games by 20th of august at latest. Thank God!! Imagine playing Germany with the team we are going to play Holland..
hear you on Mc Grath .. even a 34 year old Mc Grath would do too..
But NO to Harte starting versus Germany. He doesn't track back, leaves his marker go and has been the cause of many an important goal to go in against us. He's useful if we have nothing to lose i.e. we're 2-0 down, or against lesser teams .. but he'll be found out again. This has been discussed to death .. but he is a player who there is no position for .. good close control and a sweet left foot ..but not a good defender and too small and slow to be a winger/midfielder/striker and not defensively. I'd rather play Finnan out of position as a LB and bring in Carr or O Brien at RB
Strachan plays the right footers on the left wing and left footers on the right wing. McGeady is probably a natural right footer but he doesn't have a preferred foot and can take set piece with either foot.
I wouldn't say he's slow. He probably has average pace for a winger but tbh it's hard to judge as he beats players so easily. Look at the first clip in this video:
http://www.grouper.com/video/MediaDe...26fu%3d246285&
Unless the full back is exceptionaly slow McGeady doesn't seem to be lacking much pace in that situation.
4tothefloor - Look at the passing by Nakamura, world class.
I usually like to see new players tried in friendlies and I'm not too disappointed that Given and Keane are unavaible but we really needed Dunne to be fit. Hopefully Stan goes with Finnan at left back as we have 3 right backs in the squad.
friendly is turning into a bit of a farce....its no preperation for germany,,,said holland are a similar team in quality so its good preparation so really the should be played away from home
This game was arranged with the last Holland friendly 2 years ago. I think it basically means that the home team takes in all the gate receipts when they host and don't have to pay a fee to the visitors.
Read that article myself, can't remember the journo's name but I tell you it was the biggest pile of sh!te i've ever had the misfortune to read in my entire life. Apart from 45 mins or so in a friendly I can't remember Steve Finnan EVER playing in the centre of mid for club or country, I just don't think he's an option in such a pivotal position where he has no experience.
As for the journo, he spent the rest of that article absolutely slating Clinton Morrisson for no particular reason other than a seeming personal dislike for the guy. Now we all know Clinton's no world beater but he always tries his best for us and doesn't deserve that sort if abuse. That journo strikes me as the sort of ignorant sh.it at Lansdowne that would boo the likes of Kevin Kilbane every time he would touch the ball, what an idiot...
I'd have the same opinion of the journo (Roy Curtis) but it's an interesting idea playing Finnan in CM. Again P.Neville did a good job there for United against Arsenal a couple of seasons ago and I think Finnan is better than him.
I have a vague recollection that Keegan thought that CM was his best position when he had him at Fulham.
we have kavanelli so we're covered
it's centrebacks we need
Ian Harte is the latest player to pull out through injury. At this rate Staunton himself will have to play.
Surely he has to call up McCarthy from Leicester. It's pointless saying someone is not ready. The only way they will get ready is if they play. We're very thin at the back. Imagine if it was two weeks later! We're guaranteed to lose one or two for the Germany game, hopefully they won't be from key positions.
Thats what I thought about David Connolly when I heard 3 of our strikers were out, and Morrison still isnt completely fit. Instead, we only have 2 truly full-fit strikers, as Doyle and Morrison are both not completely ready yet.
And if McCarthy isnt ready, what about Doherty, who could also play striker if needed?
Last edited by theworm2345; 14/08/2006 at 9:44 PM.
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