Ireland squad vs Norway

eirebhoy

No thread on this?

Shay Given (Newcastle United)
Dean Kiely (West Bromwich Albion)

Richard Dunne (Manchester City)
John O’Shea (Manchester United)
Alex Bruce (Ipswich Town)
Steve Finnan (Liverpool)
Damien Delaney (Queen’s Park Rangers)
Kevin Foley (Wolverhampton Wanderers)
Kevin Kilbane (Wigan Athletic)
Joey O’Brien (Bolton Wanderers)

Andy Reid (Sunderland)
Damien Duff (Newcastle United)
Stephen Hunt (Reading)
Aiden McGeady (Celtic)
Steven Reid (Blackburn Rovers)
Liam Miller (Sunderland)
Glenn Whelan (Stoke City)

Robbie Keane (Liverpool)
Kevin Doyle (Reading)
Daryl Murphy (Sunderland)
Andy Keogh (Wolverhampton Wanderers)
Shane Long (Reading)

Andy O'Brien not coming back
Stephen Ireland still not ready to return but "may still in the future".
McShane and S.Kelly injured. Carsley probably allowed off for this match.

I can't see the team being anything other than:

---

Given

---

Finnan --- Dunne --- O'Shea -- Delaney/Kilbane
- McGeady -- Reid --- Reid --- Duff -

---

Keane ---- Doyle

---

and I hope to see that. Delaney instead of Kilbane for left back. McGeady and Duff allowed to float around and switch wings. Keane and Doyle to stay as far forward as possible.

shane86

At least we have Finnan back but ffs when is S Ireland going to come back?


meh, we can live without O`Brien.

Bounty Hunter

id be happy with the team Eirebhoy has suggested, and it is good to see Finnan back. Hunt and maybe Murphy or long are the only subs id have confidence in though.

its nice to have Duff, Reid etc fit too, is Kelly (RB) injured though

eirebhoy

Just listening to the press conference and basically Carsley just didn't get a call up. Trap said he's not forgetting him but he didn't want to change much of the squad from Portugal.

That's really interesting and I'm actually quite happy about that. Just because I trust Trap and if he feels we can play better without Carsley then I'm all for it.

SantryRed

Liam Miller:eek:

Trap Out!

CantGetNoSleep

Paul McShane left out? For the better I think

Think we should give up waiting for S Ireland to come back

Thought James McCarthy might have been called up

Good to see Finnan back

Squad would be brilliant if it included another good CB, a LB and an additional CM

SantryRed

CantGetNoSleep wrote: »

Thought James McCarthy might have been called up

Why?

The lad's 17 FFS.

Let's not ruin the best player we've had since Roy Keane by playing him too early. Let him develop.

PHB

I'd be relatively happy with that team. Personally I'd drop Doyle and put in Murphy. I think the system would work better then.

If Ireland comes back, he comes back. No point in focusing on it.

eirebhoy

CantGetNoSleep wrote: »

Paul McShane left out? For the better I think

He's not going to be left out after his man of the match performance against Colombia when Trap went with him at centre half instead of O'Shea. He's injured.

He'll be back as soon as he's fit. Trap rates him and rightly so.

PHB wrote: »

I'd be relatively happy with that team. Personally I'd drop Doyle and put in Murphy. I think the system would work better then.

I thought Doyle played very well against Colombia, although many didn't if I remember. I thought his performance at home to Slovakia was a top class lone striker performance. Maybe play Doyle up on his own with McGeady, Keane and Duff supporting as a trio in a 4-2-3-1. Keane will be used to that at Liverpool. Murphy could be a good partner for Keane though in a 4-4-2 as you say.

Karmafaerie

Pretty much the exact team as I'd pick from that squad, eirebhoy.

Galvasean

I heard Stephen Ireland has yet to make up his mind whether or not to return to the international set up. if that's the case I think Trap should just forget about him.

emmemm

aye he obviously cant be ars*d to play for Ireland so forget about him.

shane86

emmemm wrote: »

aye he obviously cant be ars*d to play for Ireland so forget about him.

Much like C Ronaldo he is simply too good in the green shirt to tell him to **** off for his tantrums. You may hate his attitude but we are ****ed without him, his form for Ireland is exceptional.

tetsujin1979

CantGetNoSleep wrote: »

Paul McShane left out? For the better I think

He's out injured with a knee injury. The FAI have the press confernce on their website, Trap speaks about how he rates McShane

CantGetNoSleep wrote: »

Thought James McCarthy might have been called up

He's in the U-21 squad

CantGetNoSleep wrote: »

Squad would be brilliant if it included another good CB, a LB and an additional CM

Honestly, I'd have been happy with another keeper.

Reganio 2

We need Stephen Ireland. If we don't have Stephen we may be forced to play......Steven Reid..... .if we wanna win anything we cannot have Reid in our team. We need Stephen Ireland no matter how amazing he is

PHB

Stephen Reid was doing very very well for Blackburn before his injury problems. Personally I'm very happy to have him back in the squad.

Bounty Hunter

whatrs wrong with Stephen Reid, we really missed him while he was out injure IMO as did blackburn. plus if we need him to add a bit of physicality to the midfield.

Xavi6

Alex Bruce?

/bangs head against wall

CHD

We need players like Steven Reid.

S.Ireland is a stupid child, shouldnt be allowed play for Ireland again.Good Luck to him.

djpbarry

What is this fascination that Irish managers have with Liam “I was the new Roy Keane in 1999” Miller?

CantGetNoSleep wrote: »

Think we should give up waiting for S Ireland to come back

Galvasean wrote: »

I heard Stephen Ireland has yet to make up his mind whether or not to return to the international set up. if that's the case I think Trap should just forget about him.

Absolutely; if the lad is still “not sure” whether he wants to play for Ireland after this length of time then good luck to him.

shane86 wrote: »

Much like C Ronaldo he is simply too good in the green shirt to tell him to **** off for his tantrums. You may hate his attitude but we are ****ed without him, his form for Ireland is exceptional.

I don’t think you can put Ireland in the same bracket as Ronaldo; he’s a good player, but he’s not THAT good. I’m quite happy with the two Reids in the middle of the park, to be honest. If one of them is unavailable, there’s always Keith Fahey .

The Chessplayer

Would be good to have Andy Reid in the middle of the park. We need to make him a regular in the centre of the park.

OhNoYouDidn't

CHD wrote: »

S.Ireland is a stupid child, shouldnt be allowed play for Ireland again.Good Luck to him.

We will never see Ireland in green again. Its over, he made his choice. Now can we stop talking about him?

SantryRed

OhNoYouDidn't wrote: »

We will never see Ireland in green again. Its over, he made his choice. Now can we stop talking about him?

No, we can't stop talking about him. He's a fantastic player and we need him in the green jersey for a much better chance in qualification.

20 Times 20 Times

Why did Stephen Ireland stop playing for his country , I missed that boat when i was travelling.

shane86

djpbarry wrote: »

I don’t think you can put Ireland in the same bracket as Ronaldo; he’s a good player, but he’s not THAT good. I’m quite happy with the two Reids in the middle of the park, to be honest. If one of them is unavailable, there’s always Keith Fahey .

I wasnt saying he had Ronaldos skill. Christ, come on like Spain and Argentina are currently the only countries with a player to match.

But in terms of importance he is as much a key of our success as Ron is for Man U.


However he will be trying even my patience if he isnt back for the first qualifier.

OhNoYouDidn't

SantryRed wrote: »

No, we can't stop talking about him. He's a fantastic player and we need him in the green jersey for a much better chance in qualification.

No we don't. Whatever about his merits as a player (amazing that people start rating him up there with Pele when he leaves the squad), he is a disruptive element who let his team mates down at a crunch time and has made a decision that he does not want to play.

If he changes his mind (and he won't), let him approach Traps and ask. Until then, he has retired from international football and this debate every time a squad is announced is as futile as it is tedious.

djpbarry

shane86 wrote: »

But in terms of importance he is as much a key of our success as Ron is for Man U.

I think you're overstating his importance. Have a look at the team that eirebhoy has outlined; do you think Stephen Ireland is more important to the side than most of them? I disagree. Doyle is replaceable (with Murphy, probably), Duffer hasn't been at his best for a while now and left-full has always been a problem-area (recently at least). Those aside, I don't think you can really say that Ireland is more important to the side than any other first-choice player. I'm not even sure how to accommodate Ireland in the side - I don't think he'd be an automatic selection.

OhNoYouDidn't

shane86 wrote: »

But in terms of importance he is as much a key of our success as Ron is for Man U.

What rubbish. The guy has 8 caps and played well in 2 of them. He was excellent on one occasion. We could do with him if his head was in the game, but can people get a grip. He is a squad player at club and country who has risen to legendary status because he retired from international football.

Galvasean

I don't see why Reid is getting so much flak. Hes a very good player. Sure he's had his fitness problems due to injury, but once he's fit he plays great. Also takes quality set pieces.

Im_No_Superman

Galvasean wrote: »

I don't see why Reid is getting so much flak. Hes a very good player. Sure he's had his fitness problems due to injury, but once he's fit he plays great. Also takes quality set pieces.

+1. I think Reid is an excellant player. Hopefully he stays fit now and has a good season for Blackburn. I think the double Reid centre midfield could be a great combination.

CHD

SantryRed wrote: »

No, we can't stop talking about him. He's a fantastic player and we need him in the green jersey for a much better chance in qualification.

I dont doubt his skill and performances so far in a Irish shirt but why should we hang on and wait for him. He's a child.Should be a privilage to play for Ireland.

Good Luck to him, Off to Sunderland with ya!

eirebhoy

Im_No_Superman wrote: »

+1. I think Reid is an excellant player. Hopefully he stays fit now and has a good season for Blackburn. I think the double Reid centre midfield could be a great combination.

omg i can't ****in wait to see it. I don't know when was the last time we've had 2 technically gifted central midfielders with the movement those 2 have got. Don't let me down Trap.:o

kraggy

Can't understand why Shane Long is in there.

How many goals did he get last season?

estebancambias

I'm seriously disgusted Dave Mooney didn't get a call up.

Anyway great news about Finnan. Even though he doesn't seem to be part of Benitez plans anymore I don't think he should be judged as over the hill. He has constantly tried to replace Finnan yet every single option falls someway short of what Finnan can bring.

Hopefully hopefully the two Reids are in the middle with Keane, McGeady and Duff playing off Keogh.

zAbbo

Galvasean wrote: »

I don't see why Reid is getting so much flak. Hes a very good player. Sure he's had his fitness problems due to injury, but once he's fit he plays great. Also takes quality set pieces.

Yeah, and we've had enough of bypassing the midfield. Reid will always be a classy player, and the flak he gets is purely down to his appearance.

I'd rather have a stocky Andy Reid, than some grafter who'll be chasing shadows for 90mins.