I think Hunt should have gotten the nod ahead of McGeady. We need Duff on form to qualify so I can see why he's been picked.
Stephen Kelly is the obvious choice at right back. He's has a few dodgy games for Ireland but seems to be in decent form for Birmingham.
Centre of midfield is a real worry but imagine how badly we'd be off if Carsley hadn't come back!
Nothing would make me happier than to see Duff tear into Brazil and play well with a smile on his face. Unfortunately I don't think its going to happen and I think not rewarding a player in form - such as Hunt - with a start reeks of over-loyalty to a player who has done nothing for 12 months to warrant it.
Still, nothing surprises me any more. Believe me, if Duff has a blinder tomorrow I will gladly scoff down that humble pie in a second.
Club form isn't everything. Just completely random but Libor Sionko was scoring and setting up goals at will for the Czechs while he was struggling badly at Rangers. Zurawski captains Poland regularly while he couldn't make the Celtic bench. Petrov has really struggled at Villa but he's not going to be dropped by Bulgaria. Kezman will keep getting his game for Serbia as long as he keeps producing the goods and Mutu or Chivu won't be getting dropped for Romania because of poor club form (not that they are).Originally Posted by shanekerins
As I said, Duff was arguably our best player against Wales and our best after Doyle vs Slovakia. He was in a lot worse club form then. He wasn't in great club form when he was creating all our chances against Cyprus and the Czechs and also when he forced the Swedish right back into a premature end to his international career by embarassing him.
He starts tomorrow because he has proven to be one of our best players.
Last edited by eirebhoy; 05/02/2008 at 9:48 PM.
Strikers aren't the same as wingers, and if you're talking about a player with poor club form but excellent international performances, I think you could look no further than David Healy. But soring goals and creating them are two different things; a winger needs to have that 'extra yard' (I hate that cliche, but its true) and that speed in his feet and in his head to beat his man and either finish a move himself or play someone else into position. This is completely different to a striker's mentality whereby international football can (for whatever reason) provide a less pressurised situation where you can, for example, score 13 goals in a campaign. The games you are talking about where Duff played well happened a good while ago now; you mention the Sweden game, which was Stan's first match in charge!
All I'm saying is I would prefer to see a player in form get a chance from the start rather than a picking a player on performances from a long while back. If we go down that road we should think about giving Big Niall a call - we could do with the height!
Sionko plays the same position as Duff while Zurawski plays midfield for Poland. Anyway, I could come up with loads and loads of examples if I spent half an hour but I won't.
For the 3rd time, Duff was excellent against Wales and Slovakia while in poor club form. Nothing more to add other than he played well on Sunday.
that interview with keane showed exactly the opposite of what he was really thinking ye could see himself he thinks its a bit of a joke that no one knows at this stage who the manager is and why one hasn't been appointed.
I'm a bloke,I'm an ocker
And I really love your knockers,I'm a labourer by day,
I **** up all me pay,Watching footy on TV,
Just feed me more VB,Just pour my beer,And get my smokes, And go away
Fair enough, we'll agree to disagree. Hopefully you'll be proved right.
Happy with that team with the exception of O Shea at centre back. Dont rate him at all really. If i was to play him it would be at left back as he would do a job....just about. Is McShane injured?
Carsley - We can finish fourth
Toffees midfielder still confident despite goal drought
I saw this headline and I thought that Carsley was setting his sights pretty low for Ireland. but sure it was Everton he was talking about
In Trap we trust
Anyone who didn't have Hunt as the first or second name on the team sheet
needs their head tested.
McGeady has been Celtic's best player this season. I wouldnt plau Hunt, he is rubbish when he starts for us and when he comes off the bench, runs around like a madman trying to kick everything, i agree that Duffer and Aiden are the right choice,
He hasn't been given a decent chance.
This is Brazil's reserve team. They are not taking this seriously, Im surprised they even turned up.
As for the group stages getting 2nd place is the aim and that will take a minor miracle.
New Manager Out (whoever he is)
The deepest layer of human thinking and feeling somehow knows that God must exist - Pope Benedict XVI
Idealy i would want both Hunt and Duff in the 1st team buth can either of them play on the right wing?
Carsley is definitely a first name on the team sheet, he's been very solid for Everton this season.
Pretty much agree with the line-up, bar putting O'Shea at centre back. He simply isn't reliable enough to play there.
I would argue the exact opposite, there is a good article on the brazil team on the beeb website. A good few of the players that play for Brazil on wed night will be playing for places on the team for the WC, as opposed to playing a team who is already assured of their positions. Therefore, I think the team they line out tonight are certainly going to be giving it their all.
This is what i implied - this is the best back four available to us at the moment and it really worries me. I thought Kelly did very well against Czech Republic at home at left back but he's played poorly in the other games and i can't see him consistently being solid.
I've given up on O'Shea - he's spineless.
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