Irish Team to face Czechs Announced

[drinkfeckarse]

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?

You can't rule it out. We all now know that Reid does his best work through the middle so by that logic Stan will think he's Ryan Giggs and tell him to stick wide and take players on.

[paul_oshea]

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?

Stop it, now stuts.

[Billsthoughts]

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.

as I said leaving aside who you would or wouldnt pick...on the basis of last saturdays performance this team wont beat czechs. Carsley kept hoofing the ball upfield to nobody in particular on saturday. stephen kelly(who I liked against the czechs at lansdowne.) was brutal on sat. you wont beat footballing teams if you keep giving them the ball back. FACT!

[mackannovic]

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.

It's hardly just for the sake of it.
So how to you suggest we advance to being a better team?? Just leave it as it is and hope that these things work themselves out??

[Stuttgart88]

yeah, but cause & effect. Carsley hoofed the ball beacuse Ireland wasn't anywhere to be seen and Reid is less likely to give the ball away.

That's the theory. In practise I expect the Czechs to monopolise possession but we'll score from Doyle knocking in the rebound after Robbie fails to beat Cech in a 1-on-1. We'll then retreat and they'll hit the post 8 times and we'll hold out for a famous victory that will see Stan getting a contract extension.

[mackannovic]

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?

Please God no. Andy Reid on the right of midfield v Switzerland October 2005 has to be one of the worst performances I've ever seen from any Irish player.

[paul_oshea]

maybe he wasnt picked for saturday because he went on a session on the sauce ( leading up to the game )? Of the ketchup kind that is

[antrimgreen]

Thought McGeady was brutal on Saturday, don't think he should start on Wednesday. IMO

[drinkfeckarse]

It's hardly just for the sake of it.
So how to you suggest we advance to being a better team?? Just leave it as it is and hope that these things work themselves out??

Swapping a player who doesn't look to be up to it for a player who quite clearly isn't up to it is definately for the sake of it.

I'd rather try someone from the U/21's or below than put in a player that will never be better than an average Championship player. If Geary was 21 I'd say yes but he's not, he's about 27 and will not improve much if at all.

Kelly, while being poor for us, is young enough to get better and if not there are other young lads out there who will young enough to advance and get better.

[irishbaz]

Lads I have stopped myself posting since the Ireland match for a number of reasons firstly that everyone would be calling for Stan’s head and secondly because i was suicidal. The showing was nothing more than awful and the subs well dreadful I could not believe my eyes or ears. Even my wife who knows nothing about football and is from Mauritius said and I quote why has he not taken the bald fellow off he’s **** coupled with Mc Geady and O shea. The selection this time is poor and shows stans inability to manage or even learn from his mistakes that’s what’s so frustrating a first division player taken on in an important international match and decent championship players overlooked embarrassing and down right disgraceful

[onceahoop]

McGeady does feck all defensively and when he gets the ball in his own box he tries to dribble out with it. Stan probably feels that playing O'Shea, because of his experience, behind him is a better option than Kelly. Would prefer to see Kilbane left back and Hunt left midfield. KK is reportedly playing well at LB for Wigan. We know Hunt will run up and town like a terrier all day. Reid in centre midfield might unlock a few doors for McGeady and the front men. Would expect a better performance from Doyle up front. I think we're in for a long, tough night at the coalface. Think Hunt is paying for turning up injured for the trip to America and telling no one plus a few remarks he made on the squad selection. If he is, that's wrong. Results are more important than the managements pride.

[Stuttgart88]

My thoughts exactly.

When did Hunt make his remarks about his brother? It can't have been before the Denmark game.

If Stan is flexing his muscle then it's the mark of an obstinate idiot at the expense of everyone who cares about how the team does.

[carloz]

Stan brings so much pressure on himself. If you go and look at peoples opinions of the starting 11 we should have had starting against Slovakia most people were in agreement with the starting 11, maybe only differing on Ireland or Reid in the centre. The Stan goes and picks the team he does. Again if you put anyone from this forum into Stans situation on saturday night during the game im sure we would all have made similiar substitutions to one another but totally opposite to Stan. I really get the feeling that he is trying desperatly to prove this is his team, he runs it the way he wants to and because of this idiology his choices can seem downright baffling at times. Never was this more obvious than with the substitutions on Saturday, he was trying to prove a point that he didnt need to use Andy Reid, Hunt or to a lesser extent Long or Keogh. I mean how long did it take the man to realise Carsley deserved to be in the squad. Stubbornly he refused to call him up and now he has him as the heartbeat of the team. How can his opinion go from one extreme to another. He strikes me as a guy who is treating the job like he is playing Football Manager on his PC. Incidently i wonn the European championships in 2012 in my game........only 2 years after Stan was sacked. 2 more years of Stan

[carloz]

Also im fairly sure Geary isnt a regular starter for Sheffield united so we certainly should look past that

[tetsujin1979]

When did Hunt make his remarks about his brother? It can't have been before the Denmark game.

this article on eleven-a-side about it - http://www.eleven-a-side.com/boysing...p?newsid=28424 - is dated July 12, so just over a month before the Denmark game

[Stuttgart88]

And a fair point he made too!

[Ordinary Fan]

Not realy suprised with the selection, we have no right-mid fielder for years now and MCGeedy gets stuck out there because no-one else wants the job. Last left-back was Ian Harte, he might be back for Germany.
I hope Reid does the business or else we are finished.

Hunt and long to come on with 25 mins remaining to win it for Ireland!

[cheifo]

McGeady is much better playing on the left.He needs to be that bit quicker
with his delivery and he can cause problems.We will know after the first ten minutes whether hes going to be brillant or awful.

[onceahoop]

There was also an article in, I think, the Sunday Times where he admited carrying an injury to the states.

As for McGeady, time after time on Saturday he had the chance to get the ball in early but took too many extra touches. Drove me to excessive drinking

[Noelys Guitar]

Who will Stan bring on as subs? Now that really worries me. If Gibson, Douglas and Murphy are going to be his choices again then forget about winning this game.