Line up for the Games

[Qwerty]

If all fit and available

Given
Finnan, McShane, Dunne (because of lack of alternatives), Kelly
McGeady, Miller, Ireland, Duff
Doyle, Morrisson

Subs: Douglas, Hunt, O'Dea, Keane, Henderson

Wow! how could you want to see a midfield like that after the Cyprus game? my granny could walk through those 4.

I'm surprised you didn't put Folan on the bench.

[dr_peepee]

McShane has to start. He brings a sense of conviciton to the team that's been missing since Keane retired.

Given
Finnan, McShane, Dunne, O'Shea
McGeady, Miller, Carsley, Duff
Keane, Doyle

I don't think Miller has to be carried in the team in the same way that Ireland would, plus in Douglas' case I think we'd be showing the opposition too much credit if we start him. He'd only excell for us in back to the wall situations against quality oppostion. Plus while McGeady and Duff will offer plenty of penetration down the flanks I think Keane will end up coming too deep in the centre to recieve the ball. I feel Miller will give us a happy medium of what we'd get from Douglas, Ireland, or even Andy Reid. Plus he has played in a similar midfeild four of two Wingers and an anchor at Sunderland.

But he's not in the Squad. Apparently Gibson is a better option. I'm in no position to argue as I've never seen the lad.

[macdermesser]

I cannot believe that people are suggesting Kelly and Harte. I think defence and strikers are the easy bit. Midfield is the difficult part .. think Carsley is the only automatic starter

Given

Finnan O'Dea Dunne Mc Shane

<midfield>

Doyle Keane



Personally, would love to see both Mc Geady and Ireland in the team .. but as we saw against Cyprus .. too many lightweight players including Duff is a recipe for a disaster. O'Shea has improved of late for Man U .. still no gauge of whether he will play well for us. Think Bobby fancies him in centre midfield though.

I'd go with

Kilbane O'Shea Carsley Mc Geady

with Duff and Ireland as supersubs .. Duff is only back from injury and is not firing on all cylinders. I'd have Kilbane ahead of him simply because we need more graft in these games .. with someone like Mc Geady being the creative channel. Of course, putting a lot of faith in O'Shea performing in the centre

[shakermaker1982]

Given

Finnan Dunne McShane Kelly

McGeady Carsley Douglas Duff

Keano Doyle

[NeilMcD]

I cannot believe that people are suggesting Kelly and Harte. I think defence and strikers are the easy bit. Midfield is the difficult part .. think Carsley is the only automatic starter

Given

Finnan O'Dea Dunne Mc Shane

<midfield>

Doyle Keane



Personally, would love to see both Mc Geady and Ireland in the team .. but as we saw against Cyprus .. too many lightweight players including Duff is a recipe for a disaster. O'Shea has improved of late for Man U .. still no gauge of whether he will play well for us. Think Bobby fancies him in centre midfield though.

I'd go with

Kilbane O'Shea Carsley Mc Geady

with Duff and Ireland as supersubs .. Duff is only back from injury and is not firing on all cylinders. I'd have Kilbane ahead of him simply because we need more graft in these games .. with someone like Mc Geady being the creative channel. Of course, putting a lot of faith in O'Shea performing in the centre

Oh God no Kilbane o Shea and Carsley would not be able to open a door left on the latch never mind an international standard defence.


I think Duff and Carsley are automatic starters and Ireland has been getting goals for us so I would play him on the right and I would play Douglas through the middle. I would have Mc Geady to come off the bech or Kilbane and O Shea depending how the game is going

Given

Finnan Mc Shane Dunne Kelly (played great against the Czechs, good form for Birmingham too)



Ireland(playing there for City) Carsley Douglas Duff



Keane Doylel




Subs Henderson O Shea, Kilbane, Mc Geady, Stokes

[tetsujin1979]

Ireland(playing there for City) Carsley Douglas Duff

Ireland is not playing on the right wing, he's playing in front of 2 defensive midfielders(Dabo or Hamann and Barton), and behind the striker, or strikers.

[citizenerased]

For the big pitch id start duff(left) and McGeady(right) on the flanks..There is no way he can start kilbane again with McGeadys form, also Hunt should be ahead in the pecking order also....I agree with folans inclusion, as his physical presence offers us a different dimension upfront..

[NeilMcD]

Ireland is not playing on the right wing, he's playing in front of 2 defensive midfielders(Dabo or Hamann and Barton), and behind the striker, or strikers.

Well we can play him so the same way as Liverpool Play Gerrard or the way Celtic play Nakamura as a player that cuts inside and gets involved in the centre from time to time. That would need Douglas to watch this happening and fill in for Ireland if needed. Another option would be to play Hunt on the left and Duff on the right.

[macdermesser]

Oh God no Kilbane o Shea and Carsley would not be able to open a door left on the latch never mind an international standard defence.


I think Duff and Carsley are automatic starters and Ireland has been getting goals for us so I would play him on the right and I would play Douglas through the middle. I would have Mc Geady to come off the bech or Kilbane and O Shea depending how the game is going

Given

Finnan Mc Shane Dunne Kelly (played great against the Czechs, good form for Birmingham too)



Ireland(playing there for City) Carsley Douglas Duff



Keane Doylel




Subs Henderson O Shea, Kilbane, Mc Geady, Stokes

See your point about the midfield .. but I would rather have three grafters and one creative than two. And not DOUGLAS .. Leeds United bottom of the Championship. Would rather Kilbane there and hes not a centre midfield player.

Haven't seen Kelly this season .. was not impressed though with him against the Czechs .. seemed very lightweight. At the same time, perhaps it is toss up though between him or Mc Shane .. for the full-back spot. If O'Shea could recapture some of his form as left back from a couple of years ago, nutmegging Figo etc. then he would be an automatic starter there

[NeilMcD]

Just cause Leeds are bottom does not mean anything. He played really well V Czech Rep and all Leeds fans reckon that he is has been on of their best players. He is strong in the tackle and gets forward too. I would rather him in central midfield than either O Shea or Kilbane neither of who can keep the ball and are not natural central midfield players. In my view O shea and Kilbane have had their chance in midfield and failed. Douglas has played there before and played really well.

[lionelhutz]

I think hunt and duff should start on the wings. I know they both play left wing but you could interchange them during the game and duff played gr8 stuff on the right against the czechs. How did you play a workhorse like kilbane who has no football ability instead of hunt who is obviously a better footballer and seems to have so much confidence.

The obvious problem area is centre of midfield. I'd like to see miller and carsley starting there. I think ireland is too much of a passenger there, he could come on with 30mins left and make an impact with his creativity when legs are tiring. Although i havent seen much of miller with sunderland, ive always he's got the ability to be top class. His passing, tackling and footballing brain make him our best midfielder when on form - which he is from reports.

O'shea and harte are soft defenders, kelly should start left back - at least he has a bit of bite and go about him.

[Over the post]

These are games we need to win and I don't thing we're going to do that playing two essentially defensive midfielders such as Carsley and Douglas. I'd go for Carsley and Ireland or Quinn, who tend to get forward more.

I think the Finnan, Dunne, McShane, O'Shea/Kelly defence would do fine. Harte has been very poor for Levante since he returned from injury and I don't think it's worth carrying him for his dead-ball prowess.

Duff and either Hunt or McGeady on the wings and Keane and Doyle up front.

[lionelhutz]

All this talk of douglas starting in midfield is craziness. He's a poor player with a sh**e team and he was just a stop gap solution against the czechs. I actually didnt think he played well against the czechs at all, he was losing his head at times - he certainly isnt the type of composed, natural footballer we need in midfield

[SeanieBoy]

Given,
Finnan, Dunne, McShane, Harte,
McGeady, Ireland, Carsley, Duff,
Keane, Doyle.

It's a toss-up between Harte and JOSH for who starts at left-full. Both are equally useless.

This is the best team I think.

[reder]

I hope Stan will pick the following (if fit) :

Given
Finnan McShane Dunne O'Shea
Mc Geady Ireland Carsley(holding) Duff
Keane Doyle

The defence pretty much picks itself. Finnan will be fine against Giggs like he always is. He knows Bellamy extremely well also. If giggs plays in to a more central role Mc Shane should have enough to control him with the help of Dunne/Finnan.

The central midfield partnership will be Ireland and Carsley. Would love it if Reid was available but alas thats not to be! Anyway Carlsey will play the holding role, he is a strong tackler and a scrap midfield v Wales will suit him. Irelands passing has been top notch this season and according to many Citeh fans I know. He is getting better all the time and is starting to get more shots on goal and score goals as the season progresses.

Duff will be left mid, end of story. Mc Geady right as it gives us a nice balance. Hunt will be an impact sub and a very good one at that in my opinion. He has had an excellent season.

Upfront, it will be keane and doyle. Keane is scoring and playing really well for spurs at the moment and doyle is my bet for first scorer (A goal against Pompey tomorrow would do no harm). Wouldnt even considered Stokes, he has done nothing since he moved to Sunderland and hasnt even had the professionalism to conduct himself properly off the pitch. I wouldnt even have him in the squad. Cant believe Connolly or Morrison are not in the squad. Stan doesnt call up 2 strikers who are actually scoring!!

If you look at that team on paper, we are far stronger than Wales. Given that we are playing in Ireland (not really home for the players I know) we should take them. Slovakia will be a tougher test and with a bit of luck we should sneak it against them (Head says a draw).

[LFC in Exile]

Erm, neither in the squad
Why would you only include Dunne because of a lack of alternatives?

Apolgies, misread the post - thought it was the team i'd pick not constrained to the muppet's squad selection. I would play Carsley instead of Miller base don players in teh squad and Keane gets in for the same reason - not because he is any good. He has to be the most over-rated player in the squad and has not been pulling his weight in years. He is not a leader.

Dunne is included for lack of alternatives becaus ehe is not an internaitonal standard centre half. All these last ditch sliding tackles and blocks are a sign of a bad centre half not a good one. Decenet centre halves read the game and rarely get called into scrambling defence. But at the same time O'Shea is rubbish and for the first time in many years Ireland is short decent centre halves.

[Dublin12]

Hunt should start.He has the right attitude on the pitch,reminds me alot of Ray Houghton,and hes proved he can play against much stiffer midfields than the Welsh one thats gonna be on show.Also if Keanes not pulling his weight I'd take him off and bring on Stokes,another player that looks like he actually wants to play for the shirt.

Given

Finnan
O'Dea
Dunne
McShane

Hunt
Carsley
Ireland
Duff

Doyle
Keane

[lionelhutz]

Hunt should start.He has the right attitude on the pitch,reminds me alot of Ray Houghton,and hes proved he can play against much stiffer midfields than the Welsh one thats gonna be on show.Also if Keanes not pulling his weight I'd take him off and bring on Stokes,another player that looks like he actually wants to play for the shirt.

Given

Finnan
O'Dea
Dunne
McShane

Hunt
Carsley
Ireland
Duff

Doyle
Keane

This is the best team from the squad he picked

[NeilMcD]

Does Mc Shane play left back or would O Dea play left back in those line ups.

[shakermaker1982]

He'll find a way of playing Kilbane and O'Shea so two players from our line ups will be missing. My guess would be Douglas and McGeady are the unlucky ones.