Who to play against France?

Sposs

My Team would be;

Given

Carr OBrien Cunningham Finnan

Reid Keane Oshea Kilbane

Keane Duff

Ireland to win 2 - 1

KdjaCL

Republic of Ireland squad: Given (Newcastle United), Kenny (Sheffield United) Colgan (Barnsley).

Carr (Newcastle United), O'Brien (Newcastle United), Cunningham (Birmingham City), Maybury (Hearts), Dunne (Manchester City), Breen (Sunderland), O'Shea (Manchester United), Finnan (Liverpool),

Reid (Nottingham Forest) Holland (Charlton Athletic), Roy Keane (Manchester United), Kilbane (Everton), Miller (Manchester United) Kavanagh (Cardiff) Quinn (Sheffield United) Barrett (Coventry City) Duff (Chelsea),

Doherty (Norwich City), Lee (Cardiff City), Morrison (Birmingham City), Robbie Keane (Tottenham Hotspur).

Given

O Brien Cunningham Carr and Finnan
Keane O Shea Reid and Duff

Keane on his own play with 10 others ****e.

kdjac

Kone

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

Carr --- O'Brien --- Cunningham --- Finnan/Maybury

Reid --- Keane --- Kavanagh --- Kilbane

--- --- --- --- --- Duff

--- --- Keane

Boro

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

Finnan --- O'Brien --- Cunningham --- Maybury

--- --- Kavanagh --- Keane --- Quinn --- ---

--- --- --- --- Reid --- Duff --- --- --- ---

--- --- --- --- --- Keane --- --- --- --- ---


Dont rate Carr or O'Shea - Maybury has done well when he has played
Kilbane isnt good enough and Kavanagh/Quinn will provide plenty of grunt work in midfield, as well as decent passing ability.

Duff and Reid and Keane given floating roles while the rest of the team concentrates more on defensive duties.

BaZmO*

Boro wrote:

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

Finnan --- O'Brien --- Cunningham --- Maybury

--- --- Kavanagh --- Keane --- Quinn --- ---

--- --- --- --- Reid --- Duff --- --- --- ---

--- --- --- --- --- Keane --- --- --- --- ---


Dont rate Carr or O'Shea - Maybury has done well when he has played
Kilbane isnt good enough and Kavanagh/Quinn will provide plenty of grunt work in midfield, as well as decent passing ability.

Duff and Reid and Keane given floating roles while the rest of the team concentrates more on defensive duties.

Th0ere is not a hope in hell of that team being played!!!

3 up front in a floating role??? Be serious!! We're playing France not Acrington Stanley. Kerr is gonna keep the game as tight as he can. He can't afford to have 3 players floating around in a free position. He'll be more focused on defense rather than attack imo.

B.

Pigman II

---

Given

Finnan - O'Brien - Cunningham - O'Shea

Reid - Holland(if fit) - 'The Traitor' - Duff

---

Morrison - RobbieKeane

roar_ie

My Team would be:

---

Given

Carr - O'Brien - Cunningham - O'Shea/Maybury

--- Finnan --- Reid --- Keane --- Duff

---

Morrison - Keane

Boro

>> BaZmO*

Having Robbie Keane shackled to a position never seems to work too well, and Duff (while being excellent on the left wing) also operates with distinction when cutting inside and running at the heart of the defense; having him marooned out on the left wing is not always the best option. Reid also is a free spirit with where he plays. I believe those three players have the dynamism to change a game, IF they are given the freedom to do that.

Its all well and good having a rigid formation, but against a very good footballing team like the french, it can be shown up as precisely that - rigid and inflexible. Would it help you understand my point if i rephrased it as "Keane, Duff and Reid playing in an interchangeable front three with any one of them dropping deep or wide to run at the defense and play in the other two" ? That was the intention behind my statement at any rate.

Lets face it, none of the other strikers are really any good, even against rubbish opposition. Thats why i believe that playing a very solid, no-nonsense midfield with the dynamic option of duff and reid in front of them to make a midfield 5 when defending and make up a 4-3-3 when attacking, is a sound option. It would require discipline for the other 7 outfield players to hold their positions - with the full backs venturing to the half way line (or perhaps further if the pressure is off) to give that little extra support in midfield (as Finnan can anyway, and i believe maybury could also) - a 2-5-3.

That formation is fluid yet also offers protection. The french are going to be very attacking at home - it is a must win game for them considering the start they have had, they are going to be at us from the very start. Having that shielding wall of 3 defensive midfielders in front of the back four can offer that protection - yet crucially all 3 are good passers and good all round midfielders (not just defensive). The 3 floating players up front would never give the french defense a chance to settle, they would be constantly dragged out of position if they try to man mark. If they dont, then it gives the trio freedom to run at them and crack shots in.

Would you really prefer to see two banks of four and a big donkey up front for long balls to be punted at? Do you see where i am coming from now? Its a departure from the norm - very adventurous and probably not what kerr will pick. It is however something i think we should try.

BaZmO*

Pigman II wrote:

---

Given

Finnan - O'Brien - Cunningham - O'Shea

Reid - Holland(if fit) - 'The Traitor' - Duff

---

Morrison - RobbieKeane

I'd be very surprised if that's not the starting 11 with maybe Carr instead of Finnan?

Although with regards to the "Traitor" comment Pigman, methinks you need to buy yourself some Lego, build a bridge and get over it!!!

B.

The Rooster

The team will be:

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

Carr --- O'Brien --- Cunningham --- O'Shea

Finnan --- Keane --- Kavanagh --- Kilbane

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


I may hate ManU, but I've no doubt O'Shea is the best left back we have - and he's been our best full back in the qualifiers so far. There is absolutely no doubt that he will be in the starting XI - hopefully at left back rather than centre midfield. And pleasegod the fact that Holland has only 16 minutes football under his belt will mean that he'll be only on the bench.

Kone

It's a nice idea Boro but I don't think now is the time to play around with formations...

Boro

Kone wrote:

It's a nice idea Boro but I don't think now is the time to play around with formations...

True, but it would definitely throw the french off their game. Pigman's team will probably be the one that lines up but i dont like it at all. It is lacking in the right areas. If you are going to play two wingers, you really need width. I dont think that reid will work very well on the right against the french - you all saw how that worked out against the swiss. Holland and Keane dont offer very much going forward and duff will probably be marked out of the game, as he wont be given the freedom to come inside. That is where a 3 man midfield could give duff that freedom. Morrison will fall over a lot and robbie will try lots of flicks and stepovers that wont work. He also will be marked very tightly.

A conventional 4-4-2 just doesnt seem to cut it these days in international football - not at the highest level anyway. You need movement and the irish team i saw against switzerland (a much more telling preview than that game against cyprus) just didnt offer any.

For what its worth i think we will get a 1-1 draw, but we wont play well and the goal will come from a set piece.

Pigman II

BaZmO* wrote:

you need to buy yourself some Lego, build a bridge and get over it!!!

How about I buy myself some concrete, build a bridge and throw him off it?

BaZmO*

Pigman II wrote:

How about I buy myself some concrete, build a bridge and throw him off it?

As long as you get planning permission that's fine, although I doubt he or Fergie would agree to it!

eirebhoy

---

Given

Carr - O'Brien - Cunningham - O'Shea/Finnan

--- Reid --- Kavanagh --- Keane --- Duff

---

Morrison - Keane

Big Ears

---

Given

Carr - O'Brien - Cunningham - Finnan

--- Reid --- Kavanagh --- Keane --- Duff

---

Morrison - Keane

thx Eire .

The Rooster

IMO, there is no way Andy Reid will be playing on the right wing - it would leave the full back too exposed. And adding certainty to this argument is the fact that Henry likes to come to the left side to pick up the ball. The right side of our team will be made up of Carr and Finnan.