Ireland line-up under Trapattoni

[BigmanCas]

You seem to know nothing about football,
did you watch the Machester derby last weekend
he was one of the best players on the park.......

Stephen Ireland is or will become one of Irelands best players...

I know nothing about football - either do the analysts at Sky Sports where Richard Dunne got a average of 8.7 and was labelled 'Magnificant'. They gave S Ireland a rating of 6 and said that he gave possession up all to often - now and again???????

[Condex]

I know nothing about football - either do the analysts at Sky Sports where Richard Dunne got a average of 8.7 and was labelled 'Magnificant'. They gave S Ireland a rating of 6 and said that he gave possession up all to often - now and again???????

No the opinion of this reporter...

City, in stark contrast, were magnificent, wearing a 1950s-style kit but playing with 1970s verve. Some of Sven-Goran Eriksson's players had been hiding from the ball in recent weeks but two of the worst culprits, Stephen Ireland and Martin Petrov, could not get enough of it here yesterday.

http://football.guardian.co.uk/Match...255607,00.html

[Carrigaline]

.................Given
....Kelly Dunne McShane Kilbane
...........Carsley A Reid
....... McGeady Ireland Duff
................Keane

If Traps is going to play this 4-2-3-1 system, then that is our strongest team based on league form.

Carsley, A. Reid, McGeady, Ireland and Duff all playing together in the centre of midfield is a bloody frightening prospect for a team like Bulgaria. We also have quality on the bench in terms of Doyle, Hunt, S. Reid, etc, who can all be thrown on.

Just one more thing. Please, oh please, can Traps play players in their natural positions. No more playing O' Shea at centre back or putting Duff on the right wing. It's like replacing the engine of a Ferrari with Mini.

[tetsujin1979]

.................Given
....Kelly Dunne McShane Kilbane
...........Carsley A Reid
....... McGeady Ireland Duff
................Keane

If Traps is going to play this 4-2-3-1 system, then that is our strongest team based on league form.

Carsley, A. Reid, McGeady, Ireland and Duff all playing together in the centre of midfield is a bloody frightening prospect for a team like Bulgaria. We also have quality on the bench in terms of Doyle, Hunt, S. Reid, etc, who can all be thrown on.

Just one more thing. Please, oh please, can Traps play players in their natural positions. No more playing O' Shea at centre back or putting Duff on the right wing. It's like replacing the engine of a Ferrari with Mini.

McShane can't get into the Sunderland team at the moment, I reckon on current form Andy O'Brien is in better form, and then Paddy McCarthy behind him

[eirebhoy]

Not doubting it for a minute. In fact I did watch the game and was impressed. He has undoubtedly got bags of skill but International football is a totally different game. Stephan Ireland will not play in a Trappatoni 4-4-2 IMO

He won't play in central midfield in a 4-4-2 for any team atm. I don't think anyone's suggesting that though.

[kingdomkerry]

Home

..............Given
Kelly/Finnan Dunne O'Shea Kilbane
........S Reid A Reid
....McGeady Ireland Duff
..............Keane

Away

.....................Given
Kelly/Finnan Dunne McShane O'Shea
..............S Reid Carsley
........Ireland Duff/McGeady Hunt
....................Keane


We have to play to our strengths and our strengths are not 442. We are limited in central midfield. Solution is to play 3 there. We are not unbelievably solid at the back so play a holding player in midield. Our strengts are our attackers so play 4 of them

[Stuttgart88]

Paddy Agnew in today's Irish Times quotes Trap as saying 3-4-1-2 is his favourite formation (theoretically anyway).

I'm not going to second guess his team, but one thing's for sure - this guy understands the nuances of all the various systems / variations available and knows the attributes required for the relevant roles. I very much doubt we'll have the square pegs in round holes we've become used to in recent years.

I suspect we'll see a far better blend of our more combative players with our more elegant players.

[kennedmc]

I'm surprised by the amount of people putting Finnan and A O'Brien in there lineups - they have retired!!! Forget about them

[the doc]

McShane can't get into the Sunderland team at the moment, I reckon on current form Andy O'Brien is in better form, and then Paddy McCarthy behind him

McShane has been found out, on current form then St Ledger has to be a head of most.

I think he is the type of player that Trap goes for in as much as St Ledger can play, reads the game well, has pace and likes to bring the ball out from the back and is an excellent sweeper too.

In a 442 system, a future, Dunne/St Ledger partnership would be well suited.

[Kingdom]

Paddy Agnew in today's Irish Times quotes Trap as saying 3-4-1-2 is his favourite formation (theoretically anyway).

I'm not going to second guess his team, but one thing's for sure - this guy understands the nuances of all the various systems / variations available and knows the attributes required for the relevant roles. I very much doubt we'll have the square pegs in round holes we've become used to in recent years.

I suspect we'll see a far better blend of our more combative players with our more elegant players.

I read that article this morning. Very balanced article. I'm not sure how the 3412 formation would go with the potential squad of players we had.

Kelly Dunne O'Shea
xx Reid Reid xx
xx
Keane Doyle

I have "xx" in place of the two wingers and the "central inside attacker" as Trapattoni referred to it. I'd imagine those in contention would be Hunt McGeady Duff, but I can't help but think the team would be terribly open.

[finnpark]

Looking back at Trapattoni's Italian squads, I think Doyle will start. There might also be room for Alan Lee

In 2002 and 2004 he selected Vieri and another big striker (Delvecchio and Corradi) in his squads. Hopefully the days of replacing midgets with more midgets are over.

I read this morning he is a friend of S Erikson, so i would expect S Ireland to come back, and possibly Dunne to be captain if he takes Eriksons advice. He is also reported to be a fan of Stephen Reid

I can see us lining up something like this

-------------- Given --------------

Finnan?? Dunne (c) O'Brien?? Kilbane

Ireland --- Reid --- Carsley --- Duff

--------- Doyle --- Keane ---------

Hunt could come in for Duff for his extra defensive options, JOSH or Joey O'Brien might come in anywhere along the back 4 if some of the retirees can't be tempted back. He has gone 4-5-1 in the past but i can't see him dropping Robbie Keane, and I reckon he would think we would be to lightweght up front with only Robbie

I think that are very close.

1. Stephen Ireland has stated that he hates playing down the right and the last he did so was a disaster.
2. Stephen Reid and Carsely are both holding midfielders imo. Both cannot be on. If its Andy Reid then he needs to lose a stone first.

McGeady should be on and Ireland instead of whichever reid.

[finnpark]

Home

..............Given
Kelly/Finnan Dunne O'Shea Kilbane
........S Reid A Reid
....McGeady Ireland Duff
..............Keane

Away

.....................Given
Kelly/Finnan Dunne McShane O'Shea
..............S Reid Carsley
........Ireland Duff/McGeady Hunt
....................Keane


We have to play to our strengths and our strengths are not 442. We are limited in central midfield. Solution is to play 3 there. We are not unbelievably solid at the back so play a holding player in midield. Our strengts are our attackers so play 4 of them

Its not a gaelic football team your picking. Thats the freakiest line ups Ive ever seen. A 5 man midfield with the 2 Reids as holding midfielders. Funny

[finnpark]

Irelands Best Team at Moment

Given
S Finnan R Dunne J O Shea D O Dea
D Duff S Reid A Reid A Mc Geady
R Keane D Murphy

1. Get Steve Finnan back
2. Get alternative to O Shea at Centre Back
3. Maybe O Dea but then we require a left back
4. Any suggestions? All I know there is no place for S Kelly.
5. Steven Reid? - Questions have to be asked!!
6. Kevin Doyle needs a kick up the arse
7. Owen Garvan can perhaps play his way into contention?
8. As might James Mc Carthy
9. Maybe Joey O Brien might become a holding midfielder?
10. Not holding out much hope for A Stokes, S Long and S Hunt
11. A Keogh has potential as has D Gibson and D Potter

We have a backbone of a team. Good Luck Giovanni.. I am sure you will do a great job. I am looking forward to supporting the new regieme. One issue I will touch on now and will definetly kick up fuss closer to our next competititve is the lack of supporters songs. Come On You Boys in Green and Stand Up For the Boys In Green are both old and when sang constantly at games - embarrassing.. I will leave that for another day though.

O'Dea caanot make the Celtic team and left back is Celtic's weakest position. Plus Strachan has said that O'Dea is nowhere near ready for International senoir football.

Duff is left footed. Why play down the right? Is this really Steve Staunton?

PS: If it is you Stan, best of luck at leeds

[NeilMcD]

Its not a gaelic football team your picking. Thats the freakiest line ups Ive ever seen. A 5 man midfield with the 2 Reids as holding midfielders. Funny

I think they are pretty good line ups and would be much better for us than the basic four four two you suggest.

[eirebhoy]

Any chance someone could post Traps quotes from the Irish Times article?

Thats the freakiest line ups Ive ever seen.

Trap uses that formation an awful lot.

[finnpark]

If he plays a 4-4-2 system, this is his best team:

------------------------- Given ---------

Finnan --------- Dunne ----- A O'Brien/O'Shea -------- Kilbane (shuddering)

McGeady ------------ Ireland ---------- Carsely --------- Hunt

------------------- Doyle --------------- Keane

------------------------------------------------------------------------

If he plays a 4-5-1

----------------------------Given

Finnan --------- Dunne ----- A O'Brien/O'Shea -------- Kilbane (shuddering)


McGeady ------------ Ireland ----------Hunt ----- Carsely --------- Duff

-------------------------------- Doyle----------------------


-------------------------------------------------------------------------

I he plays a 3-5-2 then we are in troible as we only have 1 good centre back.

[finnpark]

Any chance someone could post Traps quotes from the Irish Times article?


Trap uses that formation an awful lot.

A 4-2-3-1. Ive never seen any manager use this before.

Its a bit all over the place. I assume there are no wingers at all and there is just a very congested midfield. We certainly won't concede many but with the strikers we have we will never score

[NeilMcD]

in a three five two you are better off with your two wide centre back been full backs come centre backs. England did this with neville and pearce. That way when they get pull on the outside they are comfortable with it. In addition what you need is the defensive midfielder to be able to sit in an act as an auxiliary centre back. I am sure Carsley could do this if we are caught on the break. It is this flexibility that you need with the 3 5 2.


Ireland and Carsley is a disaster of a midfield in a 4 4 2 and the two Reids is much better. I think I would totally disagree with you on nearly every footballing issue tactically.

[eirebhoy]

A 4-2-3-1. Ive never seen any manager use this before.

--------------Buffon--------------------
Panucci---Nesta---Cannavaro---Zambrotta
--------Perrotta-----Zanetti-------------
--Camoranesi--Totti----Del Piero--------
---------------Vieri--------------------

Plenty of Italian teams play it. When Roma played Totti as the main striker last season they always had 3 players supporting with De Rossi and Pizarro sitting in midfield.

[Condex]

Not doubting it for a minute. In fact I did watch the game and was impressed. He has undoubtedly got bags of skill but International football is a totally different game. Stephan Ireland will not play in a Trappatoni 4-4-2 IMO

If I could take a bet on that I would..

I know it may be all newspaper talk but Trapatonni says that
"He's a very, very important player for Ireland."

http://www.independent.ie/sport/socc...d-1290828.html