Irish Team to face Czechs Announced

**Noelys Guitar** · 11/09/2007, 12:41 PM

The inclusion of Reid is good news. McGeady is an in and out player but when he is good he is very good. So heres hoping he is due a stormer. Carsley did not play well on Saturday but maybe with Reid next to him he can play his own game of win ball play short. Given has a another full game under his belt. And Stan is sending out a team to score goals. I am now on the optimism pills until tomorrow night!

**cavan_fan** · 11/09/2007, 12:44 PM

Was worried by Carsley's quote today that the important thing is that we dont get beaten. A draw is very unlikely ot be of use to us. It would probably mean us having to beat Germany and hope they beat the Czechs, seems very negative

**Stuttgart88** · 11/09/2007, 12:45 PM

Colster posted this in advance of the Slovakia game:

Anyone think, with the amount of defensive injuries, that he might play 3 at the back?

Given

O'Shea Dunne McShane

McGeady Ireland Carsley Reid Hunt

Doyle Keane

I'm not advocating this by any means - it's way too late to go tinkering with the sahpe. However, is there anyone not in agreement with any of the following:

1) Our full backs don't inspire confidence and at least one is out of position anyway.
2) We have no natural left back in the squad or even close to it.
3) O'Shea is a better centre back than full back
4) Getting a grip on midfield is a problem.
5) We have good playmaker types but they're lightweight
6) We have good but defensively suspect wide players
7) Our front two are fine
8) Robbie has no choice but to come deep as he never gets good supply, maybe only when Andy Reid plays.

If the above points are true then maybe Colster's XI or a variation of it makes sense?

If you don't have good full backs, don't play any
If midfield gets overrun, bring in another man.

I think Stan and our players wouldn't have a clue, but experienced club managers would.

**Wolfie** · 11/09/2007, 12:46 PM

Huge game for McGeady - Time to deliver.

McGeady and Reid's presence in the starting eleven may be mutually beneficial. Reid had a lot of time and space but a good example would be the nicely flighted ball to McGeady for the lead up to 2nd goal against Danes. A good start by one may encourage the other to get on the ball.

Robbie Keane and Reid are nearer the same wavelength on the team than most.

I thought Kilbane won a lot of headed ball on Saturday that neither Keane nor Doyle anticipated him winning. Hopefully they have that put right for tomorrow night.

**pete** · 11/09/2007, 12:48 PM

If McGreedy did not play for a certain club he would not be in the team.

It may be easy to waltz past SPL players when you dominate possession but at the top level you actually need to look up & pass the ball from time to time.

Kilbane is the only option for left back as Kelly was abysmal in Slovakia.

**paul_oshea** · 11/09/2007, 12:50 PM

McGeady and Reid's presence in the starting eleven may be mutually beneficial. Reid had a lot of time and space but a good example would be the nicely flighted ball to McGeady for the lead up to 2nd goal against Danes. A good start by one may encourage the other to get on the ball.

Ya I am thinking so too, mcgeady got into a lot of space in teh first half in slovakia, but never got the ball in time, and then when he did he was limited, but on the few occassion when he got it in space and got a run at the defence he did quite well.

Robbie Keane and Reid are nearer the same wavelength on the team than most.

I have been saying this for ages, and keane must have read my posts as he came out and said it on the paper that they have a good understanding. A good through ball is nothing without a good runner and a good run is nothing without a true ball. If one lacks the other, then it can make one or the other look stupid, but if on the same wavelenght then this is unlikely to happen.

On kilbane, thats about the only thing he did win!!!

Stuts, not the time to be messing about and I dont have enough confidence in the defence to do that, even with a 5 man midfield, saying that though a 5 man midfield would give us more presense in the midfield and more time to supply balls to the forward etc.

**Ozymandias** · 11/09/2007, 12:57 PM

What I am at pains to understand or even comprehend is that staunton stated in the papers that even if Stephen Ireland didn't return to Ireland he was going to make changes as the pitch in slovakia was very heavy and energy sapping....then he names his team and the onlly change is reid for Ireland.....

I believe he should not comment anymore because he is clueless and doesn't even know what he is saying or why he is saying it.

god help us lads if we have to go into another campaign with him at the helm....it is so serious it is funny

**drinkfeckarse** · 11/09/2007, 1:06 PM

Originally Posted by mackannovic

The whole Kelly debate makes ye wonder if Derek Geary should have been an option and does Stan know that Stephen Hunt is in the squad?

No point in swapping one everage player for another.

**DeNiro** · 11/09/2007, 1:08 PM

What is he at? Steve 'I'm going to make a few changes' Staunton. He's intent on running it into the ground.

**mackannovic** · 11/09/2007, 1:10 PM

Originally Posted by drinkfeckarse

No point in swapping one everage player for another.

One experienced average player for another.

**Billsthoughts** · 11/09/2007, 1:14 PM

I cant see the team that played against slovakia(with the reid/ireland switch) beating the czech republic to be honest. apart from his goal doyle seemed way off form. Carsley seemed to kick the ball around aimlessly. Stephen Kelly seemed to be beaten a hell of a lot. John O Shea is not aggressive enough. Kilbane seems to lack a footballing brain. he loses possesion way too much. Mageady wasnt good enough for international football on sat nite so I dont know how he suddenly is now. doesnt seem to be any realisation on the part of the manager that anything went wrong in brataslava. regardless of who you would or wouldnt play a team that failed to perform for large chunks of the game against slovakia is not going to get you a win in Prague.

**razor** · 11/09/2007, 1:16 PM

I don't think anyone would have argued with that team in advance of last Saturdays game.
I think it was the changes that cost us in Slovakia.
Hopefully McGeady will have gotten the required kick up the h*le after last Saturday and will perform on the night.
Hunt & Long in that order need to be the first subs on.

**sligoman** · 11/09/2007, 1:31 PM

Stan has no imagination whatsoever. No cop on, tactically clueless, I think he's actually clueless in reality too judging by his interviews. There was clearly better line-up options than that but he's so thick he just can't see it. He's ruining this nation's footballers and it ****es me off to think this idiot is in charge for years yet

.

**Stuttgart88** · 11/09/2007, 1:42 PM

Billsthoughts, regarding Carsley, as you point out yourself Stephen Ireland brings nothing apart from his goals. I can only hope that Andy Reid fulfils a CM's responsibilities better and is always on hand to take an easy pass from Carsley once Carsley fulfils his primary role.

Robbie Keane thrives on Reid's presence and there were signs in Denmark that McGeady benefited from Reid's presence too.

This is what I'm clinging to anyway.

I was drinking during the game but don't recall Kelly being particularly poor. I don't remember him being good either though.

**drinkfeckarse** · 11/09/2007, 1:55 PM

Originally Posted by mackannovic

One experienced average player for another.

Neither have a lot of international experiance which is a whole different ball game.

**mackannovic** · 11/09/2007, 2:09 PM

Originally Posted by drinkfeckarse

Neither have a lot of international experiance which is a whole different ball game.

Well we've tried Kelly a few times now and it's just not working whats wrong with giving Geary a shot.

**tetsujin1979** · 11/09/2007, 2:29 PM

Originally Posted by mackannovic

Well we've tried Kelly a few times now and it's just not working whats wrong with giving Geary a shot.

probably nothing, but if he can't get into the squad when in the Premiership, why should he get in when he's in the Championship?

**Stuttgart88** · 11/09/2007, 2:37 PM

Looking at the team, does anyone think Stan may be thinking of putting KK in the middle with Reid and McGeady playing wide, swapping sides through the game?

**drinkfeckarse** · 11/09/2007, 2:43 PM

Originally Posted by mackannovic

Well we've tried Kelly a few times now and it's just not working whats wrong with giving Geary a shot.

Nothing in essence but we all know that Geary is average at best so what's the point? No point in trying something for the sake of it.

**mackannovic** · 11/09/2007, 2:43 PM

Originally Posted by tetsujin1979

probably nothing, but if he can't get into the squad when in the Premiership, why should he get in when he's in the Championship?

Last I checked we aren't blessed with an abundance of players to chose from. Why not call up those with premiership experience and see how they get on. If it doesn't work out it doesn't work out but there's no reasoning behind ignoring these players, unless as Geary suggested Stan doesn't even know about him.