Ireland squad to play Poland

Mr.Nice Guy

eirebhoy wrote: »

In fairness, Stoke are route 1 team while Whelan thrives in a football team. I thought he was excellent in Georgia and Montenegro (and 1st half vs Norway) at making the quick simple pass. I know he's been playing very much as a holding midfielder for us but I think his strengths are more on the ball than off it. Certainly starting off at Sheffield Wednesday he was more a deep lying playmaker than a Carsley type holding midfielder.

Thrives? He went completely AWOL in the last game! He was a liability. At least Delap can impose himself on a match, albeit through his arms. A guy like Whelan though will be found out against half-decent opposition.

I'd much rather have Delap in the squad. It's quite sad if you ask me that we have come to rely on a central midfield which blatantly didn't work in the last match and which is made up of two individuals who can't make their club's first team.

monkey9 wrote:

Ireland and Stoke play different systems

Yes and Whelan isn't good enough for either.

mikemac

McShane at right-back?
Very suprised at that selection

monkey9

Mr.Nice Guy wrote: »

Yes and Whelan isn't good enough for either.

Yeah, to be honest, i'd agree with you about Whelan. It's just the way Trap wants to play. The two centre mids are spoilers if you like, with the creativity and attacking threat mainly coming from the wings. He sees Whelan has a grafter and tackler and more suited to the role, in Trap's opinion.
I'm unsure about the whole system, but i think Trap knows more than me. I think, just about.
We'll see how it goes, the one objective that he has is to qualify us for the World Cup. I don't care how we do it, i just want qualification. We're in a great position at the moment of at least getting a play off spot so, so far, he's doing well.

PCros

monkey9 wrote: »

Dunne's wife has gone into labour and could miss the match. If he does, it could be that McShane is moved into the centre of defense

Dunne is on his way back and is most likely to play tonight.

http://www.rte.ie/sport/soccer/2008/1119/ireland.html

Vokes

O'Shea at RB shurley ?

(Tho id prefer him at CB with Dunne).

monkey9

PCros wrote: »

Dunne is on his way back and is most likely to play tonight.

http://www.rte.ie/sport/soccer/2008/1119/ireland.html

Good stuff!

I was gonna make an ironic statement about Dunne's wife being up the pole, considering the opposition. But i think i'll leave it, get my coat and hop into this taxi!

eirebhoy

Mr.Nice Guy wrote: »

Thrives? He went completely AWOL in the last game! He was a liability.

And we had less possession than I can remember us in a home competitive since the Holland game. Obviously he doesn't seem like he can control the tempo of the game at this level but with Steven Reid in the team linking everything up Whelan has looked excellent. As you say, when the team sat back for the most part against Cyprus (which is what Stoke do a lot) he wasn't great.

LuckyLloyd

dogpile wrote: »

Mcshane as a footballer never mind specifically a RB gives me the willys...I'm pretty sure nay certain even I could do a better job (and I'd only ask for a fraction of the wages he's on *for starters*)

I am 99.99999999999% certain that you couldn't. Because if you are posting here and saying that you obviously aren't a professional footballer. And he is.

Now, if the statement was that there are other players in the squad who could do a better job then, indeed, you could be right.

bohsman

SofaK wrote: »

O'Shea at RB shurley ?

(Tho id prefer him at CB with Dunne).

Nah, McShane is slightly less of a liability at rb than at cb.

eirebhoy

bohsman wrote: »

Nah, McShane is slightly less of a liability at rb than at cb.

He's a bleedin rubbish right back. Has been good overall for us at centre half. Sure he was man of the match there in his last game.

We're completely reliant on Dunne though. O'Shea is as much as McShane.

monkey9

Is this match on Sky or Setanta??

Im_No_Superman

monkey9 wrote: »

Is this match on Sky or Setanta??

Sky Sports 2 I think.

~Rebel~

On the Whelen V Delap issue, tbh with the 2 Reid's out of the picture, i'd play both! They obviously know each other and each others games from training day in day out, and theres no real drawback. Calling up Delap for a game is no obligation to be picking him for the next one. We're short in the middle right now, so why not?

BlueBandit

Prediction time, picked up a couple of tickets earlier today, wasnt planning on going but got a bit of an inckling this morning. Hopefully be a decent game but doubt it really, usual friendly put it down for 1 nil home win.
Enjoy the game if your heading down:D

~Rebel~

BlueBandit wrote: »

Prediction time, picked up a couple of tickets earlier today, wasnt planning on going but got a bit of an inckling this morning. Hopefully be a decent game but doubt it really, usual friendly put it down for 1 nil home win.
Enjoy the game if your heading down:D

i call 2-1, with our obligatory late scare.

blue-army

monkey9 wrote: »

Ireland and Stoke play different systems

Delap should still be in the squad though, (along with Andy Reid...)

Imagine being away to Italy...1-0 down with 10mins to go. Bring on Delap to throw a few rockets into the box...Not pretty, but he has been effective.


The team I'd start tonight would be...


~~~~~~~~~~Given~~~~~~~~~~

Foley~~~McShane~~O'Shea~~Kilbane

Keogh~~~Andrews~~Whelan~~Duffer

~~~~~~~Murphy~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Doyle


Don't think Gibson or Folan deserve to start really. Folan has 1 start and only 1 goal this season, and Gibson has only played Carling Cup football...

Going on form, that's just about our best team.

If fit, I'd swap

Keogh --> McGeady
McShane --> Dunne
Foley --> Finnan
Murphy --> Keane
Andrews --> Steven Reid

and

Whelan --> Steven Ireland.

anonymous_joe

Anyone know what channel this is on tonight...?

roryc

Sky Sports 2

anonymous_joe

Bugger. :P

Anyone know what the Poland team's like?

dsmythy

Looking at the crowd, are we home or away here? :pac:

Frisbee

dsmythy wrote: »

Looking at the crowd, are we home or away here? :pac:

Was wondering the same...

A-Trak

Is this streamed anywhere lads?

OPENROAD

anonymous_joe wrote: »

Bugger. :P

Anyone know what the Poland team's like?

Fabianski in goal, hope he has a good game.

Pighead

A-Trak wrote: »

Is this streamed anywhere lads?

http://atdhe.net/live-tv-635.html

anonymous_joe

Why are we losing? ^^

What happened just found a stream now.

A-Trak

Cheers Pighead

anonymous_joe wrote: »

Why are we losing? ^^

What happened just found a stream now.

I reckon Poland may have scored.:pac:

Pighead

anonymous_joe wrote: »

Why are we losing? ^^

Given, McShane, Dunne, O'Shea, Kilbane, Duff, Whelan, Gibson, Keogh, Folan, Doyle.

anonymous_joe

Folan looks strong and fast at least.

RasTa

Jesus Duff is a million times worse a diver then Ronaldo, pisses me off.

Tom65

Folan is playing quite well so far. Though, once again, we're being overrun in midfield.

I'm watching a stream with Polish commentary. I may not be able to understand them, but they're surprisingly unbiased. They didn't seem to care too much when Poland scored.

Raskolnikov

What is the point playing two defensive midfield players when they don't seem to do anything to help defend?

a very lively polish crowd. I notice a few extra gaurds have moved in front of one of the stands..

Aidric

ronoc wrote: »

a very lively polish crowd. I notice a few extra gaurds have moved in front of one of the stands..

You wouldn't be suggesting things may get ugly, are you? And I don't mean Paul McShane.

GuanYin

anonymous_joe wrote: »

Why are we losing? ^^

What happened

The Poland management team may have figured out that you guys don't have a central midfield....

anonymous_joe

Aye, it's looking like more of the same in midfield.

I'd wonder if some kind of 4-2-3-1 with Keane being used as an attacking midfielder would give a bit more support to our sadly lacking midfielders.

GuanYin

Pighead wrote: »

http://atdhe.net/live-tv-635.html

Wow, the color commentator on that stream... I'm guessing he's Irish but he could well be speaking Polish from what I can tell....

parasite

that's Frank Stapleton, the colour is beige

dogpile

The whole current Irish experience leaves me a bit cold! dunno why because we have a supposed world class manager and Brady who always talked a good game *on da panel*....but it just seems so sterile and dull tbh, maybe it's the realization we have no real top talent and none on the horizon... could be the whole A. Reid/ S. Ireland thing leaves a bad taste, one should be involved and one just couldn't be arsed

what's needed is the emergence of another 17 yr old Robbie Keane only not Robbie Keane if you get my drift :cool:

Princess Consuela Bananahammock

GuanYin wrote: »

Wow, the color commentator on that stream... I'm guessing he's Irish but he could well be speaking Polish from what I can tell....

Very interesting half-time content.... Jeff Shreeves, or whatever his name is chatting with someone off-air. Just waiting for him to swear ar say something controversial!

EDIT: He's not talking about doing countdown - "it's not official" - with a girl called Rachel Reilly who's just finisheda Maths degree and has never been on telly before.

Sorry to go off topic, but you heard it here first....

CiaranC

dsmythy wrote: »

Looking at the crowd, are we home or away here? :pac:

We arent playing in England on the television, so our fans seem to be in a state of confusion

LuckyLloyd

Duff (apart from finishing), Folan and Doyle have been very good thus far. Keogh has been quiet - and the two holding midfielders have added little going forward Defensively, we've looked fine apart from the goal and Dunne's mistake.

All kind of meh tbh. The Polish element to the crowd has made the atmosphere interesting. Both teams are fairly evenly matched and canceling each other out.

leninbenjamin

Ikky Poo2 wrote: »

Very interesting half-time content.... Jeff Shreeves, or whatever his name is chatting with someone off-air. Just waiting for him to swear ar say something controversial!

EDIT: He's not talking about doing countdown - "it's not official" - with a girl called Rachel Reilly who's just finisheda Maths degree and has never been on telly before.

Sorry to go off topic, but you heard it here first....

heh, yeah spotted that. interesting. is that Shreeves then? we should edit his Wiki page and see what happens.

edit; bollocks to that. just as i post. woeful defending.

LuckyLloyd

Haha, gg us.

Pighead

Anybody know what changes if any were made at half time? Wasn't yer man Andrews supposed to come on?

Vanbis

I blame Whelan for the second goal, he was busy pointing and looking to left instead of closing down.

Raskolnikov

Andy Reid will be sitting at home laughing his cacks off.

OPENROAD

How is Fabianski playing?

Vanbis

Raskolnikov wrote: »

Andy Reid will be sitting at home laughing his cacks off.

If he's not doing a Pat dolan and stuffing his face with bugers.

ironingbored

Great chance for Poland there.

havent seen the goals. How have Ireland been?

TBH I'm glad because Trappatoni needs a kick in the youknowwhats. He was a notoriously defensive coach in Italy and was reduced to emptying vials of holy water when Italy were losing in the 2002 WC.

dogpile

We're a mid table Championship team at best..poorest selection of players available in living memory (mine anyway)