Another "Pick your Ireland Team" Thread

**Kingdom** · 15/04/2008, 7:26 AM

Originally Posted by boovidge

thewum2345

Haha very good. Its only teasing you worm, I'd imagine its not meant to be taken seriously!

**back of the net** · 15/04/2008, 12:35 PM

Originally Posted by blobbyblob

Well Lads,

Im a firm believer in picking your best 11 and working the formation around that 11 as best you can rather than trying to put a square peg in a round hole. Im not international standard by any stretch of the imagination but ive adopted this approach with any team I've managed and its always reaped rewards. Players are most comfortable playing in their own position. Obviously if a player is out of position you have to let him know what you want from him in that position and talk him through it during the game.

With all this in mind and completely disregarding formation to begin with, who would be in your top 11 Irish players as of this moment. Once you have your 11 picked, place them in formation as close to where they play week in week out. My twopence worth:

Clinton Morrison, Robbie Keane
Daryl Murphy
Stephen Hunt, Andy Reid, Stephen Ireland, Aiden McGeady
Kilbane, Dunne, O'Shea
Given

Bit of a Spurs effort here. I think we'd leak goals a plenty but we'd score more. Id say it would be a rollercoaster to say the least.

are you serious ??? what level have you managed - under 4's????

that team is a disaster waiting to happen - a back 3 with 1 recognised defender , 1 midfielder who plays defense and 1 defender who does not play at all,

then your midfield - where the defensive element to your midfield - particulary if you are playing 3 at the back (a dodgy 3 at the back)

daryl murphy in the hole??? seriously

get back to the tactics board mate - quickly

**back of the net** · 15/04/2008, 12:40 PM

if finnan and co come out of retirement ...etc etc etc

-------------------------------- Given
finnan ----- dunne ---------------------- o'brien ------- kilbane

------------------------------S.Reid

duff ------------------------------ ireland/A reid ----------- Hunt
------------------------------keane
----------------------------------------- doyle

**Dr. Ogba** · 15/04/2008, 12:49 PM

Jaysus its a sad state of affairs that everyone is agreeing that Kilbane should be our first choice left full...mark my words that guy is an accident waiting to happen in that position and will cost us goals if any manager worth his salt does his research on us.
He has absolutely no positional sense whatsoever and it shows how poorly I rate him in that position when I say that I'd infinitely prefer O'Shea there. he may give the ball away a bit but at least he actually stands where a full back should stand!
Alternatively I'd like to see Damien Delaney given a chance...

**back of the net** · 15/04/2008, 1:31 PM

rumours are that mowbray is gonna take mcshane back to west brom , if so , he will prob get played at left back - he did very well there last season(albeit championship)- but IF it were to happen - it would be another option in a position where we dont have many options to choose from

**Dr. Ogba** · 15/04/2008, 2:04 PM

Originally Posted by back of the net

rumours are that mowbray is gonna take mcshane back to west brom , if so , he will prob get played at left back - he did very well there last season(albeit championship)- but IF it were to happen - it would be another option in a position where we dont have many options to choose from

he played right back for west brom didn't he?

**eirebhoy** · 15/04/2008, 2:06 PM

Yeh he played right back but he's clearly a centre half. I'd rather my full backs to be pacy and technically very good.

**BigmanCas** · 15/04/2008, 2:16 PM

Great news from the horses mouth. I was talkin to Shay Given on Sat Night (fact) and it turns out that his injury isn't as bad as he first thought.

'I'd rather my full backs to be pacy and technically very good' -

Is that right EB? I would rather the whole team to be pacy and technically very good.

**osarusan** · 15/04/2008, 2:19 PM

I was talking to Aidan McGeady yesterday. Apparently Shay Given told him on Saturday night that the injury isn't as serious as Given first thought. That's good news.

**BigmanCas** · 15/04/2008, 2:24 PM

Funny but it is true. http://www.skysports.com/story/0,195...426789,00.html

**eirebhoy** · 15/04/2008, 2:38 PM

Originally Posted by BigmanCas

I would rather the whole team to be pacy and technically very good.

Like, say, John Terry?

**livehead1** · 15/04/2008, 3:13 PM

Here, if the lads were out of retirement (which may happen)

Given
Finnan Dunne A O'Brien Kilbane
S.Reid Carsley A.Reid McGeady
Keane Murphy

And choice of 5 subs would be:
Kenny, O'Shea, Duff, Ireland, Doyle

**carloz** · 15/04/2008, 3:39 PM

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

Kelly--------Dunne----------------------O'Shea-------------Kilbane

Carsley--------------------S. Reid

Hunt --------------------- A. Reid---------------------------McGeady

--------------------------R. Keane-------------------------------

I have gone with the assumption that O'Brien and Finnan wont come back. I think too many people are dismissing Carsley, he is the lynchpin in a team with Champions League aspirations. Id like the shape and i feel it will be roughly what Trap will go. Bit rough on Doyle and Duff but thats the way it goes

**livehead1** · 15/04/2008, 3:43 PM

There is no other Irish international playing regularly in a side as good as Everton.

**lionelhutz** · 15/04/2008, 4:10 PM

Originally Posted by theworm2345

--------------Given-------------------
Finnan---Dunne---A. O'Brien---Kilbane-
Murphy---Hunt----S. Reid---A. Reid----
---------------Duff-------------------
---------------Keane------------------

I'd have Doyle replace Duff and go up front and Connolly replace Keane, but depending on how Keane/Duff were doing. McGeady on for Murphy or one of the Reids. Ian Harte available to come on for Kilbane if we need a goal and Andy Reid is out to take the frees and we haven't put on McGeady yet. Obviously I would need Finnan and Andy to unretire and would try to get Gary Breen out of retirement as well...I think Kelly and Joey O'Brien are ****e

Why wouldn't you just switch the two of these or is this just a mistake?? Besides that I'd agree with most of the starting 11 - although Mcgeady probably deserves to start ahead of Murphy. As for Connolly and Harte coming on, you're just rising everyone aren't you????

**BigmanCas** · 15/04/2008, 4:12 PM

Originally Posted by eirebhoy

Like, say, John Terry?

I have always said that JT is the most over rated defender in the premiership and low and behold I am being proved correct. Hey don't get me wrong he is a decent leader and good in the air but thats sadly where it all ends. Prediction - to be a bit player under Capello!

**boovidge** · 15/04/2008, 4:36 PM

Originally Posted by back of the net

if finnan and co come out of retirement ...etc etc etc

-------------------------------- Given
finnan ----- dunne ---------------------- o'brien ------- kilbane

------------------------------S.Reid

duff ------------------------------ ireland/A reid ----------- Hunt
------------------------------keane
----------------------------------------- doyle

duff on the right is useless. Stick him on the left and put mcgeady on the right and thats the team i'd go for. With maybe Morrisson instead of Doyle.

**cavan_fan** · 15/04/2008, 4:40 PM

Not sure of the value of naming irelands best eleven players as in some cases we have one defender!

I've said before we need to look at where our strengths lie and build a formation where we can egt most out of these strengths and have some cover.

Looking at traditional positions we have:

Central defenders - One top player (Dunne) and 2-3 average ones, O'Shea, O'Brien, McShane, then a long list of possibles (e.g. McCarthy, O'Dea etc etc). Not enough strength here to want to play 3 at the back as they would all need to be centre backs.

Full Backs. This has traditionally ben a strong point for u but now it's a bit weak. At RB we have Finnan and maye Kelly but not much more. At LB we have the invidious choice of Harte, O'Shea or Kilbane. In reality we'd better play 4 at the back and drill them well because the only 2 good defenders we have are Dunne and Finnan. Oh for the days of choosing between Moran, O'Leary, McCarthy and McGrath.

Holding Midfielders. Carsley is the man in posession, as someone said above he is a regular starter for Everton and so is our top achiever player but he is a) old and b) not really international class. After him comes S Reid, who despite his physique is not really the same sort of player and random options like Graham Kavanagh.

Attacking Central Midfielders - Now we are in the first area where we have some strength. The 2 obvious options are A Reid and S Ireland (if available) with options around McPhail, S Reid and some of the wingers.

Wingers - We have lots of choice here, Duff, McGeady, Hunt, Kilbane, Murphy maybe.

Strikers - Lots of small guys. No partnership howver and this is because we have no one for anyone to play off. Leon best may be a choice in a few years.

Not sure what this tells us excpet that we need to get the most out of our attacking midfield and wingers and so the suggestion of 4-2-3-1 seems more and more appetising. The problems we have are who are the 4 defenders, who is the second hodling midfielder (and where is the cover in that department) and who is the one up front, dont see this as Robbie.

Thats why Trap is paid the money though!

**livehead1** · 15/04/2008, 4:40 PM

Originally Posted by BigmanCas

I have always said that JT is the most over rated defender in the premiership and low and behold I am being proved correct. Hey don't get me wrong he is a decent leader and good in the air but thats sadly where it all ends. Prediction - to be a bit player under Capello!

How exactly are you being 'proved (sic) correct'...The guy is CLASS, pure and utter class, his positional ability is up there with the very best in the world, his aerial ability is outstanding, and he is a natural leader. If he was Irish he would be our best player by some considerable margin.

**Over the post** · 15/04/2008, 5:08 PM

Seeing as we're short proven defenders at CB and LB and our best midfielders aren't great defenders, it might be worth trying a 5-3-2 in order to bolster the defence.

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

-----Finnan----O'Shea---Dunne---McShane---Kilbane/Hunt

---------Ireland----S. Reid----A.Reid

------------Keane---Duff

Depending on the opposition we could opt for more attacking full backs or even play wingers like Hunt who has the engine to get up and down.