Some Good News At Last...

**Peadar** · 04/08/2004, 10:52 AM

Kevin Kilbane scored for Everton in their win over Sheffield Wednesday.
From the report it would seem that he was very much involved in most of the good attacks.
Great to see him back after his operation.
Guess that's our left of midfield position filled leaving Duff free to play up front with Morrisson.

**tetsujin1979** · 04/08/2004, 10:58 AM

Didn't he score last week against some Mexican team as well?

Did Glenn Whelan play for Wednesday?

**eirebhoy** · 04/08/2004, 10:58 AM

I wouldn't play him on the left, Moyes doesn't even play him there (well he didn't last season). He scored a few days ago aswell BTW.

**Greenbod** · 04/08/2004, 11:01 AM

If Kilbane continues the form he showed towards the end of last season I would play him in the centre with Roy Keane.

**Peadar** · 04/08/2004, 11:04 AM

Originally Posted by Greenbod

If Kilbane continues the form he showed towards the end of last season I would play him in the centre with Roy Keane.

With Reid on the left?
I could subscribe to that.
Doubt we'll get to see too many "big" name players available for the Bulgaria game though so we'll just have to wait and see.

**Greenbod** · 04/08/2004, 11:07 AM

Originally Posted by Peadar

With Reid on the left?
I could subscribe to that.

No. I'd leave Duff on the left, and Connolly up front in Robbie's absence.

only1kilbane · 04/08/2004, 11:36 AM

Kilbane was excellent in the centre when he played there for us in the friendlies. Would like to see him and keane together against bulgaria with reid on the left miller on the right and duff in the hole behind morrison

**Bowsy** · 04/08/2004, 11:49 AM

Originally Posted by tetsujin1979

Didn't he score last week against some Mexican team as well?

Did Glenn Whelan play for Wednesday?

yeah, full game i believe and has been handed number 6 jersey for the season which can only be encouraging.

Personally would like to see Kilbane in the centre. Friendlies were a chnace for players to impress in that area and he was the only one to really catch the eye. Cracking against the Czechs. Would prefer Duff on the left. He is less effective but still excellent on the right but don't think he's any more effective than Connolly up front.

**bitored** · 04/08/2004, 1:34 PM

Kevin Kilbane scored for Everton in their win over Sheffield Wednesday.

What a cracker it was too. Just caught it on sky sports news. He set up an earlier goal too with a mazy run .. beating about 3 defenders in the process. Good to see Zinedine Kilbane back

**eirebhoy** · 08/08/2004, 10:37 AM

Kilbane scored again yesterday against Soceidad. Thats 3 in 3 AFAIK.

**EamonD** · 08/08/2004, 4:15 PM

Originally Posted by Peadar

With Reid on the left?
I could subscribe to that.
Doubt we'll get to see too many "big" name players available for the Bulgaria game though so we'll just have to wait and see.

What pray tell is your objection to playing our most creative player in his best position? Why not move Duff to left back while you are at it. A striker he ain't.

**Peadar** · 09/08/2004, 9:57 AM

Originally Posted by EamonD

What pray tell is your objection to playing our most creative player in his best position?

A striker he ain't.

We've got plenty options on the left but lack creativity up front.
Duff can play as a forward without being a "striker."
If he were up front, making runs, dragging defenders out of position then there would be more space for the midfield players to come through.
Duff can finish in front of goal, I've seen that with my own eyes.
Playing him up front is not a problem.
Connolly and Morrisson up front is a nightmare!
Either one plus Duff up front and we've got a chance.

**Adrianovic** · 09/08/2004, 12:09 PM

Kevin Kilbane is truly irrepressable, I've seen few players with his desire to do his job for the team. Seems he's in form once again and so will be hard to leave out of the midfield, and errr oh god.

I think with Robbie out and the options we have on the left with Reider and KK, I'd put Duff up front. It isn't his best position and it isn't ideal, but he'd be more likely to cause the Cypriot defence problems than Clinton and Connolly/Lee. I'd almost be tempted to give Alan Lee a run out with Duffer, might be a good combination and if it doesn't work then sub them around.

So my midfield (pending fitness) would be:

A. Reid - Roy K - Kilbane - Miller

What that would also give Ireland is a bit of interchangability, as Reid can play in the centre and has been used upfront for Forest in desperate times. Kilbane can play in the left and the middle, and Miller could play right or central. Each player in the midfield is pretty different and would give us creativity down the left with Reid, the battling qualities of Roy and Kilbane and the pure talent of Miller down the right. If Duff plays up front and drops off, Reid and Miller could be given license to stretch their legs and support in the box, given with little height up front, crosses won't be so productive.

Ade

**Slash/ED** · 09/08/2004, 12:39 PM

Argh when will people stop with the Duff up front ********? Jesus how many times does he need to play **** up there before people cop on that he's a bloody left winger!?

**Adrianovic** · 09/08/2004, 1:54 PM

Originally Posted by Slash/ED

Argh when will people stop with the Duff up front ********? Jesus how many times does he need to play **** up there before people cop on that he's a bloody left winger!?

Nobody has said he isn't predominantly a left winger, but it doesn't mean that if the best possible solution is to move him to striker as a temporary solution, that he can't do the job for his country.

As we have the strength on the left of midfield to cover his role there, it would make sense to ask him to play up front on this occassion.

Which Irish attack is more fierce, Duff and Morrisson or Morrisson and Connolly?

Ade

**Slash/ED** · 09/08/2004, 1:57 PM

Originally Posted by Adrianovic

Nobody has said he isn't predominantly a left winger, but it doesn't mean that if the best possible solution is to move him to striker as a temporary solution, that he can't do the job for his country.

As we have the strength on the left of midfield to cover his role there, it would make sense to ask him to play up front on this occassion.

Which Irish attack is more fierce, Duff and Morrisson or Morrisson and Connolly?

Ade

Morrison and Connolly by FAR. Duff is rubbish up front, when has he ever played remotely aswell up front as he's played on the wing? His goals record up there is absolutley appaling. It makes no sense to play him up front. You're ruining our best player, which when a player like Keane is already missing, is like shooting yourself in the foot, reloading, and shooting yourself in the other one.

**carnstien** · 09/08/2004, 8:40 PM

Originally Posted by Slash/ED

Morrison and Connolly by FAR. Duff is rubbish up front, when has he ever played remotely aswell up front as he's played on the wing? His goals record up there is absolutley appaling. It makes no sense to play him up front. You're ruining our best player, which when a player like Keane is already missing, is like shooting yourself in the foot, reloading, and shooting yourself in the other one.

Once again I find myself agreeing with Slash/ED.

It really will be a test of Brian Kerr's managerial aptitude to see what he does with Duff. If he does anything other than play him on the left, my opinion of him will go downhill in a big way.

I'll say it again, Duff is a terrible, and I mean TERRIBLE striker. He does nothing when he plays in that position. In the world cup he was crap when he played there, he would be move to the wing after about 70 minutes and tear every defence in sight to shreds.

It does not take a genius to work out where he should play.

**1MickCollins** · 09/08/2004, 10:58 PM

Agree that Duff is not a striker better off putting Kilbane up front - he is half decent in the air and can cause confusion. Duff is not a natural finsiher and is so much more comfortable as a winger.

Come on - Chelsea paid 17M for Duff as a winger,if Duff declared he would only play as a striker how much would he be worth?

**Adrianovic** · 10/08/2004, 10:51 AM

But with Kilbane up front you'd be playing someone who has barely ever been up front in his life, and is more used to driving from the midfield to create any opportunities. I'd rather play two poor but out and out strikers than that.

Duff is not as good a striker as he is a winger, but putting him there is the best option for the team. We could field a strong midfield/strikers attacking outlet if we had Duff up front with a decent midfield. Duff is more experienced now then when he was at the WC, and after playing at Chelsea under Ranieri, he'll have probably been used to playing every position on the field. If Kerr asks Duff to play up front, I think he'll take it for the team and score goals, it's only Bulgaria and Cyprus - we're not trying to unlock World class defences. Two slow centre backs would have all sorts of problems with him.

Put Kilbane up front and they will be in their element, a player with no experience in that position who won't have as much pace or the positioning skills to outwit them.

Ade

**Peadar** · 10/08/2004, 11:00 AM

Originally Posted by 1MickCollins

Come on - Chelsea paid 17M for Duff as a winger,if Duff declared he would only play as a striker how much would he be worth?

They clearly paid too much for him if his game is limited so much to one position. I though he was more versatile than that. Luckily the experts on here have put me straight. I'm wondering if Duff should start at all now since he can't play anywhere other than the left.