Ireland Squad named

**Scram** · 31/08/2008, 9:18 AM

Originally Posted by Stuttgart88

Yep, I think Lawrence is worth considering for the RHM spot. Strange that he's not in the squad.

I hope Delaney will play LB with O'Shea and Dunne at CB.

I'm actually not too put out by Duff's loss. I expect Hunt will play on the left now, McGeady on the right.

I don't think a traditional winger is ideal to service our front two. I'd like to see us narrower and tighter in midfield with the full backs getting forward.

O'Shea has gone from bad to awful to disaster to bad and back to disaster at center back, I'd rather have Andy O'Brien, McShane or Anyone! (I know they may not be available!). I'd nearly put Kilbane in CB before O'Shea, that's how bad he has been

**Stuttgart88** · 31/08/2008, 4:08 PM

Originally Posted by Scram

O'Shea has gone from bad to awful to disaster to bad and back to disaster at center back,

And your solution is McShane?

O'Shea has a careless error in him in every game, so has Dunne - still. But these are by far and away our best CBs available. Like Breen before him, O'Shea has never been as bad as many here make out. I'd like to have a 27 year old Kenny Cunningham available again but we don't.

**irishultra** · 31/08/2008, 7:51 PM

lol at boards.ie

not a thread about the ireland squad named last week, yet the england squad has 20 replies in like 20 minutes.

**gally** · 01/09/2008, 7:27 PM

Great news if this is true, taken from FAI website...

**NeilMcD** · 01/09/2008, 8:52 PM

http://www.fai.ie/index.php?option=c...k=view&id=3506

What a legend.

**boovidge** · 01/09/2008, 8:56 PM

kilbane should go down as one of the great Irish players.

**geysir** · 03/09/2008, 8:36 AM

It's been a long time coming.
As it looks now, these are 2 good games to start our campaign.

Trap rightly dismisses any talks of advantage with playing in Mainz.
And as clear as anyone could be without saying it, he indicates that Andy Reid will not play. Two wingers is us, in place of Duff will be either Keogh or Hunt.
It's a huge game for Glenn Whelan and a huge ask. I'd prefer Carsley but I can see that there are good reasons to move on even if Whelan is raw at this level.

Not many managers would get away with dropping Carsley from the squad and Reid from the team. He has explained in simple terms his reasons for doing so which makes a nice change from hiding from the question.
Everybody is holding fire waiting to see how it will work.

**Dotsy** · 03/09/2008, 8:40 AM

I would prefer to see A Reid replace Duff but I can live with Hunt if that is what Trap goes for. But under no circumstances should Keogh be played as a winger. He is a good player but it's not his position and he won't provide the required service to the front two.

**shakermaker1982** · 03/09/2008, 8:58 AM

Originally Posted by Dotsy

I would prefer to see A Reid replace Duff but I can live with Hunt if that is what Trap goes for. But under no circumstances should Keogh be played as a winger. He is a good player but it's not his position and he won't provide the required service to the front two.

I have a fear the Trap might go for this option. McGeady will then switch to left and Keogh comes in on the right. Hunt will be p*ssed for the second time this week if it does indeed happen.

**cudsy1** · 03/09/2008, 9:49 AM

playing keogh ahead of a reid would not be cool

**RedBobby** · 03/09/2008, 9:57 AM

Originally Posted by cudsy1

playing keogh ahead of a reid would not be cool

I don't know, I'd like to see a more attacking options in the middle of the park.
Long gone are the days of matty holland holding the ball in midfield, we need some fresh blood in there to create a buzz, and hopefully give the georgians and serbians something which they wouldn't have planned for.
Sure you still need some expierence on the field, but surely, Keane and the back 4 (or 5) enough for this.
IMO i'd play a 4-5-1 option, with keane up front alone, to stop him wandering back into midfield, with 2 wingers supporting him, McGeady and Murphy, and 2 attacking midfielders, Keogh and Hunt and then stephen reid to hold down the fort in midfield.

Still i'm not trap yet, so lets see what happens.

**lionelhutz** · 03/09/2008, 11:01 AM

I'll be very worried if I see Keogh line up on the wing - anyone remember the home game against Germany?? He was a disaster out wide. A blind man can see he's not comfortable there. Can someone please send Trap a video of that game?

And if both Hunt and A Reid are fully fit and left on the bench while inferior players are starting, it'll remind of the Slovakia away game when I was never more furious coming out of a stadium after Stan left Hunt and Reid warming the bench while the likes of Douglas and Gibson strutted their stuff...

**Stuttgart88** · 03/09/2008, 11:04 AM

With regard to the wide options, I think it's important to differentiate between a winger (e.g., Duff) and a wide midfielder. Duff and McGeady are more like traditional wingers. Kilbane too.

In the past we've used Finnan, Miller, S. Reid. A. Reid and even Keogh and Elliott as "wide midfielders". Liam Lawrence is a classic wide midfielder. Poor Rory Delap was often used RHM, in fact any position other than where he plays naturally, CM.

I'd see Hunt as having the attributes of both - a winger/wide midfielder hybrid if you like.

Replacing a winger with a good wide midfielder doesn't reduce the balance of a team, but putting a square peg in a round hole (S. Reid / Miller / Keogh out wide) has never worked.

In my opinion the only credible candidates to replace Duff (whether it be RHS or LHS) are Hunt, Kilbane and A. Reid. Andy Reid has played wide for Ireland before and has done quite well.

**geysir** · 03/09/2008, 11:34 AM

Trap appears to be quite fixed on not having Andy Reid play wide.
When mentioning who would replace Duff he quoted Hunt, McGeady and Keogh.

Not only is A Reid behind Miller at CM but behind Keogh at RM,
'tis strange.

**dr_peepee** · 03/09/2008, 11:51 AM

In the past though trapp has spoken of the importance of patience and retaining posession... I don't think Hunt is condusive to that kind of game so, for me, it's a bit of a contradiction if he plays him.

Could it be that Trapp is unhappy with Reids physical condition???

**Razors left peg** · 03/09/2008, 12:13 PM

If Trap doesnt see Reid as a central midfielder even ahead of Miller and doesnt see him as a winger capable of replacing Duff, I really wonder what position he sees him in...Im not gonna start critising Trap but it really makes no sense to me

**paul_oshea** · 03/09/2008, 12:53 PM

freezing out could be the correct term it looks as though a. reid has no hope of getting anywhere near this team unless two wingers are gone

**Brendan 82** · 03/09/2008, 1:12 PM

Looks like we will be seeing very little of Andy Reid then. The Lawrence omission seems a little strange too. I cant wait for Saturday to see how Trap's strategies really play out. This is the big-time on Saturday and it is a must win game.

Will Trap not select Lawrence, Treacy, and Andrews even if they continue to play well in the Premiership?

**Stuttgart88** · 03/09/2008, 2:13 PM

In fairness, Treacy & Andrews have an awful lot to do before they'd be considered controversial ommissions.

"Freezing out"?

Trap was quite clear in saying that he felt A. Reid's most likely role was behind a main striker.

I have already answered the question about what Andy can do for me.

It's about balance. I saw many, many times before here that Andy is a good player.

But if I decide to play Andy in a game, maybe it would be with one striker. That's my opinion.

At the moment, I look forward to building a big strong team with spirit but every game is different.

The Nordic game is about strength but against one of the Latin sides it's possible to play a Latin game, like against the Portuguese. That is my experience.

Personally I think Reid is good as an orthodox central midfielder (the best we have - he was superb in that role against Germany) or as an advanced playmaker. I'd have less confidence in a deep lying role where although his distribution and composure on the ball would be useful, you'd prefer someone better able to offer defensive protection. Also, Trap does have a point in that when you have 2 relative lightweights on the wings, you can't afford any weakness in the middle.

Whelan is a poor man's Andy Reid when it comes to dictating midfield but is far more mobile and in Norway he showed he could put in hard tackles when needed. He is good on the ball, protects it well and plays good, crisp & accurate passes.

Miller is a different story. I don't know what Trap sees in him!