Evolution of the Irish Team

**colster** · 09/09/2003, 3:49 PM

I was wondering what people think the Irish team line-up will look like in 4 years time.

I'm thinking that the team could be along these lines

Given

Carr O'Shea(c) Dunne Finnan

Thornton Healy Miller Duff

Morrisson Keane

Subs:
Joe Murphy
Andy O'Brien
Stephen Kelly
Alan Lee
Andy Reid
Stephen Reid
Rory Delap
MacPhail

I've stuck Dunne in there as I think that if he gets himself sorted out and more dedicated that he'll be the ideal partner for O'Shea.

So what do you think?

**Slash/ED** · 09/09/2003, 3:54 PM

Richard Dunne has had a chance to fix himself up in the past though and blown it, otherwise that looks a good team, Miller Healy and Thornton will all be battling for the central mid field positions anyway, but I think steven Reid will be our right winger, so I think it'll be...

Code:

        Keane Morrison

Duff  Healy  Thornton  Reid

Finnan O'Shea O'Brien Carr

          Given

Haven't yet seen enough of Miller, so he could easily fill in there, and you never know when another Keanes just going to burst onto the scene. Andy Reid and Thomas Butler will also be fantastic if theyr each their potential.

**colster** · 09/09/2003, 4:09 PM

Originally posted by Slash/ED
Richard Dunne has had a chance to fix himself up in the past though and blown it, otherwise that looks a good team, Miller Healy and Thornton will all be battling for the central mid field positions anyway, but I think steven Reid will be our right winger, so I think it'll be...

Code:

Keane Morrison Duff Healy Thornton Reid Finnan O'Shea O'Brien Carr Given

Haven't yet seen enough of Miller, so he could easily fill in there, and you never know when another Keanes just going to burst onto the scene. Andy Reid and Thomas Butler will also be fantastic if theyr each their potential.

You're probably right about Dunne but I think that he could be an exceptional centre half if he gets his attitude right.
When the mood takes him he's had excellent games for Ireland.

I can see Thornton just pipping Reid to the Right Midfield slot. I think Miller will partner Healy in central midfield.
Stephen Reid. to me anyway, just seems like a sllightly better version of Kilbane. He hasn't got the skill to beat players.
Thornton however looks like a very busy type of player who I could see scoring a lot of goals for Ireland and has that bit more skill to beat a player.
He's a good free kick and corner taker.

I think the future looks quite bright as far as midfield goes.
The problem areas will be unearthing a natural left back, another center half and a striker.
Maybe Kilbane will develop as an option at left full and Barrett and Lee will be credible options up front.

Midfield looks like an area were we could have some serious competition.
An alternative lineup could be

S.Reid M.Doyle Delap A.Reid.

**tiktok** · 09/09/2003, 5:24 PM

it'd be a really tough call, we do seem to have a lot of players at the moment who seem to have the potential but this is something we've said for a while since the underage teams became successful under Kerr, not all have made the transition.

I think it'll look like

Given
Carr O'Shea O'Brien Dunne
Butler Healy Thornton Duff
Keane Morrison

Murphy
Finnan
A.Reid
S.Reid
A.Lee
Miller

maybe A.Reid for Butler

[and J.O'Flynn for Morrison (you never can tell).]

**noby** · 10/09/2003, 7:59 AM

of course, that's working with what we know.
hopefully, somewhere out there, there's a 15/16 yr old, who in 4 years time will have burst onto the scene.

**Plastic Paddy** · 10/09/2003, 8:05 AM

I'm sure Silvio will concur with the first two at least...

There's a young lad at Celtic by the name of Aidan McGeady; he's aged about sixteen and currently tearing up trees with the under-18s at CP. He's got the potential to go all the way, according to the coaches up there.

Liam Miller is another one who IMHO will make an impact in an Ireland shirt. Having just broken into the first-team squad, his form at Celtic this season has been little short of sensational (and, I digress, could well have saved the parsimonious board quite a few £m when it comes to replacing Neil Lennon or Paul Lambert). He's got a good turn of pace, uses the ball well, and could link up quite well with the likes of Sean Thornton in the centre of the park.

Willo Flood at Manchester City is also being talked about as a rising star. He made his first-team debut the other week in their UEFA Cup game against TNS Llansantffraid, and by all accounts had a stormer. AFAIK, he plays on the left wing, so that should make life a little congested in those parts!

PP - The future's bright, the future's green and white!

thecorner · 10/09/2003, 2:45 PM

Given

Carr O'Shea(c) O,Brien Finnan

Reid Healy Miller Duff

O'Callaghan

O'Flynn

**sadloserkid** · 10/09/2003, 8:12 PM

Originally posted by thecorner

O'Callaghan

O'Flynn

Fancy putting a wager on that one then?

**irishultra** · 31/08/2008, 12:28 AM

Originally Posted by Plastic Paddy

I'm sure Silvio will concur with the first two at least...

There's a young lad at Celtic by the name of Aidan McGeady; he's aged about sixteen and currently tearing up trees with the under-18s at CP. He's got the potential to go all the way, according to the coaches up there.

Liam Miller is another one who IMHO will make an impact in an Ireland shirt. Having just broken into the first-team squad, his form at Celtic this season has been little short of sensational (and, I digress, could well have saved the parsimonious board quite a few £m when it comes to replacing Neil Lennon or Paul Lambert). He's got a good turn of pace, uses the ball well, and could link up quite well with the likes of Sean Thornton in the centre of the park.

Willo Flood at Manchester City is also being talked about as a rising star. He made his first-team debut the other week in their UEFA Cup game against TNS Llansantffraid, and by all accounts had a stormer. AFAIK, he plays on the left wing, so that should make life a little congested in those parts!

PP - The future's bright, the future's green and white!

I love these threads(Duff and O'Shea to Real Madrid...richard dunne 'a joke of a defender'.....lol...good times..wish I was here in what seemed a more vibrant time for irish football.

sorry for the bump

**irishultra** · 31/08/2008, 12:32 AM

Originally Posted by colster

I was wondering what people think the Irish team line-up will look like in 4 years time.

I'm thinking that the team could be along these lines

Given

Carr O'Shea(c) Dunne Finnan

Thornton Healy Miller Duff

Morrisson Keane

Subs:
Joe Murphy
Andy O'Brien
Stephen Kelly
Alan Lee
Andy Reid
Stephen Reid
Rory Delap
MacPhail

I've stuck Dunne in there as I think that if he gets himself sorted out and more dedicated that he'll be the ideal partner for O'Shea.

So what do you think?

Paul McShane anyone?

**Razors left peg** · 31/08/2008, 2:11 AM

Originally Posted by irishultra

Paul McShane anyone?

exactly what came into my head as I read through the thread

**Bohemian1890** · 31/08/2008, 10:13 PM

Funny how everyone has Healy in the team,No one who put him in now.

**boovidge** · 01/09/2008, 11:35 AM

haha PP's post is brilliant.

**youngirish** · 01/09/2008, 11:44 AM

Originally Posted by Bohemian1890

Funny how everyone has Healy in the team,No one who put him in now.

True but that's because he turned out to be sh*t. A tip, you generally put your best players in your International team.

**colster** · 01/09/2008, 11:54 AM

Blast from the past!!

**Dodge** · 01/09/2008, 12:12 PM

Originally Posted by youngirish

True but that's because he turned out to be sh*t. A tip, you generally put your best players in your International team.

In fairness he was unlucky with injuries. Even at his peak though I didn't rate him.

Good thread alright.

Oh and McShane is worse than healy is/was/ever will be. Nowhere near good enough, unfortunately

**youngirish** · 01/09/2008, 1:31 PM

Originally Posted by Dodge

In fairness he was unlucky with injuries. Even at his peak though I didn't rate him.

Good thread alright.

Oh and McShane is worse than healy is/was/ever will be. Nowhere near good enough, unfortunately

I think McShane would be a similar player to the player Dunne was around the time when this thread was created.

On occasion he looks excellent which indicates that he has some natural talent but he's also often dreadful mainly due to his tendency to make mistakes at the most inopportune times. Hopefully he'll improve over time but at the moment it looks like he could go either way.

Hull will make or break him. If he has a good spell he should establish himself as being good enough to be a Premiership level defender. If he's poor I see him being sold by Sunderland and floating around the lower divisions for the remainder of his career.

**davey** · 01/09/2008, 1:36 PM

Sean Thorntons lack of progress is disturbing too. I had high hopes for him, had a couple of cracking games for Sunderland early on but downward spiral since - what an idiotic waste of talent