Ireland vs the As (1 Viewer)

[Jerry Twig]

Thanks xRockridgex for getting the party started on the real Ireland games this weekend!

O'Dea to get the nod over Josh for centre back, and Kelly staying on the right? It would be great to see Coleman get a run out at some point.
Long to start? Doyle to kick a few water bottles in training as Trap calls him unfit again?

2-0 and roll on the Armenia pants-wetting scramble for 2nd place.

 

[washingcattle]

Lets begin the washingcattle madness inducing team selection here 4-3-3 Whelan flanked by Duff and Coleman Keane Long and Doyle up front, Obviously Keane dropping off to pick up the ball from deep.

It's better than having Gibson or Green any where near anything even remotely resenbling grass. Yay It begins!!!

C'Mon the fucking lads !!!

 

[Cormcolash]

Decent idea that, and we are playing fucking Andorra after all. I've got a ticket for the Armenia game too, gonna be a laugh hopefully!

 

[Jerry Twig]

Lets begin the washingcattle madness inducing team selection here 4-3-3 Whelan flanked by Duff and Coleman Keane Long and Doyle up front, Obviously Keane dropping off to pick up the ball from deep.

It's better than having Gibson or Green any where near anything even remotely resenbling grass. Yay It begins!!!

C'Mon the fucking lads !!!

Daft - I mean in the world of Trap. Green won't play for Ireland again, and even Gibson will be likely 5th choice very soon. Talk is of Fahey starting with Andrews. Whelan is obviously stronger than Andrews, so his yellow card would explain resting him, but its good to see an actual ballplayer starting.
The only other question marks are whether JOSH starts in the middle or out right (advantages both ways but I'd angle a bit more for the right, purely cos that's where he'll start against Armenia) and whether Long gets the nod (I hope so).
Hunt to get a run out, Coleman too depending on how things go, and McCarthy to sit on his hands for 90 minutes?

PS - 'resembling grass' is funny, as apparently the pitch is bumpy as fuck. Good ploy that.

 

[xrockridgex]

Interesting to note Trap played McCarthy in the hole the only time he has started. It was probably the ultimate slap in the face from Trap, playing someone out of position in a formation he would never try in a competitive game. Fahey and Andrews would be interesting but you would imagine he will revert to Whelan and Andrews for Armenia.

 

[Unicron]

Interesting to note Trap played McCarthy in the hole the only time he has started. It was probably the ultimate slap in the face from Trap, playing someone out of position in a formation he would never try in a competitive game.

Is that out of position for him? I've heard a few people in the past (Marcotti etc.) say that the perfect role for McCarthy would be as a Trequartista.

 

[xrockridgex]

Is that out of position for him? I've heard a few people in the past (Marcotti etc.) say that the perfect role for McCarthy would be as a Trequartista.

Could be the case but he generally played much deeper for Wigan. I mean it might not be a slap in the face so much as it a declaration he might be used there for future campaigns but is unlikely to feature during this one.

 

[Richie]

Russia only won 2-0 in Andorra and Slovakia beat them 1-0 twice, same with Macedonia.. The only team that have gone to town on them in this group is Armenia with 4-0 and 3-0. Parking the bus par excellence + crappy bumpy pitch + Ireland team that hasn't scored in 3 games = possible long night.. Playing Fahey sounds like a good idea. Unfortunately we're missing Killer who's scored against them 3 times in a row.

 

[xrockridgex]

Great stat from opta's twitter account

"20.7% - Percentage usage of 4-4-2 in Euro 2012 qualifiers, down from 39% in Euro WC2010 qualifying games"

[url]http://twitpic.com/6vzmmc

[/URL]Confirmation, as if it were needed, that Trap is behind the times. Of course how much that formation is used by winning teams is another matter (and it is likely that the top teams do not use it just off the top my head) but certainly the fact that we don't have a plan B to use against teams who have more than two in the middle will continue to hold us back

Also a good piece here by Miguel Delaney on the positives and negatives of Trap's regime http://eircomsports.eircom.net/News/trap-pros-cons.aspx

His solid record in away games is interesting but makes sense given how conservatively he sets up the team.

 

[Unicron]

Great stat from opta's twitter account

"20.7% - Percentage usage of 4-4-2 in Euro 2012 qualifiers, down from 39% in Euro WC2010 qualifying games"

http://twitpic.com/6vzmmc

Confirmation, as if it were needed, that Trap is behind the times. Of course how much that formation is used by winning teams is another matter (and it is likely that the top teams do not use it just off the top my head) but certainly the fact that we don't have a plan B to use against teams who have more than two in the middle will continue to hold us back

Also a good piece here by Miguel Delaney on the positives and negatives of Trap's regime http://eircomsports.eircom.net/News/trap-pros-cons.aspx

His solid record in away games is interesting but makes sense given how conservatively he sets up the team.

We are in part handicapped by Keane being our main/only goal threat. He can only really play in a 2 and I'm unconvinced that dropping him and playing a more contemporary formation would be more effective overall, so we persist in playing a 442, one which Jonathan Wilson might describe as a "broken team." Actually on the subject of Wilson and on a similar note he was on OT last night B discussing the slow demise of England's "golden generation" and suggested that the reason that they never really gelled internationally despite their respective club successes was that they were incompatable with each other. Beckham wasn't quick or mobile enough to play in a middle 3 or wide in a front 3, Owen needed a partner, yet Lampard and Gerrard were never players suited to playinng centrally in a 442, certainly not together.

 

[Unicron]

Team for tomorrow announced, ultra attacking ... Given, O'Shea, St Ledger, O'Dea, Ward; Duff, Whelan, Andrews, McGeady; Doyle, Keane

 

[xrockridgex]

Jesus he really is constitutionally incapable of making any change that is not enforced.

 

[washingcattle]

Consistant anyway. Fahey and Coleman in as substitues at half time Long thrown on in the last 10 if it's looking desperate.

 

[Moods For Mallards]

A settled side. I don't know what to say anymore.

 

[Richie]

I guess Fahey didn't impress in training.. oh well, at least Andews and Whelan are doing okay at their clubs at the moment (4 goals for Andrews so far for Ipswich, seems to have found the right level).

 

[xrockridgex]

We are in part handicapped by Keane being our main/only goal threat. He can only really play in a 2 and I'm unconvinced that dropping him and playing a more contemporary formation would be more effective overall, so we persist in playing a 442, one which Jonathan Wilson might describe as a "broken team."

Yup. Doyle does great work as a lone striker but scoring isn't always one of those things. I think Long would make a very decent fist of being a lone striker. As pointed out in the article I posted I do think we have the attacking quality to put teams to the sword more decisively, we just don't play a formation which allows us to retain possession and use that attacking threat.

Actually on the subject of Wilson and on a similar note he was on OT last night B discussing the slow demise of England's "golden generation" and suggested that the reason that they never really gelled internationally despite their respective club successes was that they were incompatable with each other. Beckham wasn't quick or mobile enough to play in a middle 3 or wide in a front 3, Owen needed a partner, yet Lampard and Gerrard were never players suited to playinng centrally in a 442, certainly not together.

Inverted commas is definitely the key in relation to golden generation as it seems they have just been deemed that by the press. At the same time there is a good argument to be made that reaching three consecutive knockout stages of a World Cup is actually an immense achievement for England given they didn't qualify in for plenty of tournaments in the 1970's and 80's. I think Wilson is right about why they have never clicked yet any England manager is in a no win situation given the dynamics of the job. His book The Anatomy of England is amazing, as even in the 1800's they were still going on about English underachievement against Johnny Foreigner.

 

[Jerry Twig]

I really would liked to have seen Fahey given a good go at them, but I can't say I'm surprised.
Ditto Long, which just proves that the Slovakia nod to Long had less to do with his form, and everything to do with Doyle's alleged unfitness.

 

[Unicron]

Inverted commas is definitely the key in relation to golden generation as it seems they have just been deemed that by the press.

It was pointed out that the term is usually applied to teams that don't win anything late on in the lifespan of the side when people reflect and realised that they should have done better (could be right, the rugby team were a "golden generation" in 2007, no one uses it post grand slam) . Hungary in the 50's, the Portugal youth sides of the early 90's, though the term for this England side was first used shourtly after Keegan resigned and many of the current crop were u-21's. Unlikely it'll be used for this Spain side, they'll simply be known as European and World Champions (maybe even double Euro's but I might sooner back Germany), same with France 98/2000.

Anyhow, I digree. Come on Ireland.

 

[Jerry Twig]

The nerves are kicking in.
Come on!

 

[xrockridgex]

Armenia currently humping Macedonia 3-0 in Yerevan. I hope Russia lose for the simple reason that I don't want to see the team sent out to play for a draw at home to Armenia to finish 2nd. Being only one home victory away against a difficult but beatable side would surely mean the team would have to dictate play for at least some of the game.