World Cup playoffs (2 Viewers)

[Richie]

Squad announced for the playoff games:

Goalkeepers
Shay Given
Keiren Westwood
Joe Murphy

Defenders
John O'Shea
Richard Dunne
Stephen Kelly
Kevin Kilbane
Eddie Nolan
Sean St. Ledger
Paul McShane
Darren O’Dea

Midfielders
Aiden McGeady
Damien Duff
Darron Gibson
Glenn Whelan
Keith Andrews
Liam Miller
Stephen Hunt
Andy Keogh
Liam Lawrence

Forwards
Kevin Doyle
Robbie Keane
Shane Long
Leon Best
Anthony Stokes

No S. Reid, Finnan, or A. Reid.. Trap doesn't think S. Reid or Finnan will be match fit - S. Reid I can understand as he's just barely back into the Blackburn squad, but Finnan's been in the Portsmouth starting 11 for a few games now and will have more under his belt in the next fortnight, surely he'd be worth a try? Stokes in for N. Hunt is the only real change on previous squads. Looking through the list I can't imagine the French are exactly quaking in their boots.

 

[Hector Grey]

flip. finnan would bring experience of big games if nothing else.

 

[old]

How's Finnan been playing for Poor Mouth?

 

[Froog]

france are gonna bend us over a table with our face in a plate of shepards pie and buttfuck us prison style.

 

[Richie]

How's Finnan been playing for Poor Mouth?

They've had their best spell of the season in the 3 games since he came back, which isn't saying much.. Saw their game against Hull, absolutely atrocious match, he seemed to do okay though, fell heavily at one point while making a diving headed clearance and I had my fingers crossed when I saw him get up wincing and holding his back. Maybe Trap reckons they don't have enough time to re-shape the defence - if Finnan came in it'd involve dropping either Kilbane or St Ledger and shuffling things around - I'm still surprised not to see him in the squad though.

 

[Cormcolash]

Frog's legs for breakfast followed by a coule au boule

Obviously S.Reid isn't included because he'll just give everyone swine flu.

 

[coast to coast]

Just to go back to that Fat Sam incident there, the funniest and most damning thing that can be said about him is what Martinez said (i.e. that he kisses up to Ferguson because he thinks he's inline for the throne at Castle Grayskull). Everyone who read that suddenly realised "Oh my god, he does think that, and he's so totally mental he doesn't realise how crap he is."

Utd will wound Blackurn today. Very badly.

Pity about S. Reid not making the squad. Poor bastard, we can only hope that if we qualify the guy can be given a fair shout. I think Andy Reid ship has sailed full stop, cant see Trap backing down now that the media in Ireland have gone so unbelievably over the top for the pudgy playmaker. They've wounded his cause more than helped as it turns out - I'm looking obviously at Dunphy but also at that smug little wedge of infected smegma Darragh Moloney "Andy Reid's Sunderland were in action today and lets see if Andy Reid was in the thick of things for Andy Reid's Sunderland. With Big Trap not watching Andy Reid in the stand, can Andy Reid force his way back into the Ireland squad, cos Andy Reid is Irish. Andy Reid. Andy Reid."

Faaack off, come on Éire.

 

[Cormcolash]

All this Andy Reid talk though is just to take attention away from the elephant in the room

 

[xrockridgex]

Pity about S. Reid not making the squad. Poor bastard, we can only hope that if we qualify the guy can be given a fair shout. I think Andy Reid ship has sailed full stop, cant see Trap backing down now that the media in Ireland have gone so unbelievably over the top for the pudgy playmaker. They've wounded his cause more than helped as it turns out - I'm looking obviously at Dunphy but also at that smug little wedge of infected smegma Darragh Moloney "Andy Reid's Sunderland were in action today and lets see if Andy Reid was in the thick of things for Andy Reid's Sunderland. With Big Trap not watching Andy Reid in the stand, can Andy Reid force his way back into the Ireland squad, cos Andy Reid is Irish. Andy Reid. Andy Reid."

Faaack off, come on Éire.

I dunno, I think Trap has his own reasons than just leaving out Reid to spite the media. Given the limitations of a squad regardless of all the Reids, Finnan and even Daddy Dick I think he values morale and team spirit highly. Finnan and S.Reid were out for so long that to bring them back might have an effect on the guys who had done a job for him during that time. And he seems to have made a personality judgement about A.Reid and is sticking to it.

 

[Unicron]

I dunno, I think Trap has his own reasons than just leaving out Reid to spite the media. Given the limitations of a squad regardless of all the Reids, Finnan and even Daddy Dick I think he values morale and team spirit highly. Finnan and S.Reid were out for so long that to bring them back might have an effect on the guys who had done a job for him during that time. And he seems to have made a personality judgement about A.Reid and is sticking to it.

The other thing about Reid is that the upturn in form it's all coming from him playing wide-left for Sunderland and we've got options and cover there. People talk about him being able to add a creative spark in midfield that Whelan and Andrews can't but he's not doing that at club level really.

 

[CinnamonBoy]

The other thing about Reid is that the upturn in form it's all coming from him playing wide-left for Sunderland and we've got options and cover there. People talk about him being able to add a creative spark in midfield that Whelan and Andrews can't but he's not doing that at club level really.

If we need a goal with 20mins left who would you rather come on, even as a forward? Long? Best? Keogh? Gibson? Or Andy Reid? He should be on the bench anyway.

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[Hector Grey]

andy did all the damage himself by being a fat bastard. trap clearly saw a boozer, not a footballer. what can you do?

 

[Unicron]

If we need a goal with 20mins left who would you rather come on, even as a forward? Long? Best? Keogh? Gibson? Or Andy Reid? He should be on the bench anyway.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V8lOMICRQhQ

I'd have him on the bench but this notion that he's the solution to all out midfield woes which is what some people have been saying is absurd.

 

[washingcattle]

If we need a goal with 20mins left who would you rather come on, even as a forward? Long? Best? Keogh? Gibson? Or Andy Reid? He should be on the bench anyway.
YouTube - Ireland vs Israel - World Cup 2006 Qualifying

Thanks for posting the most frustraiting 2 hours of my life here. By the end of this i wanted to car bomb their embassy.

We haven't got a bench and I'd sacrifice Doyle play Keane up front alone and pack the midfield with Ried in a slightly more advanced position. France will be far to strong for us in the middle of the field and any goals we get will be from set pieces any way. If Reid could be forced to muck in with the defensive duties he still is our only midfielder capable of splitting a defense. So in answer to your question my answer is Kevin Doyle on in the last twenty. Double substitution with Carsley on to protect the defense

 

[washingcattle]

Squad announced for the playoff games:

Goalkeepers
Shay Given
Keiren Westwood
Joe Murphy

Defenders
John O'Shea
Richard Dunne
Stephen Kelly
Kevin Kilbane
Eddie Nolan
Sean St. Ledger
Paul McShane
Darren O’Dea

Midfielders
Aiden McGeady
Damien Duff
Darron Gibson
Glenn Whelan
Keith Andrews
Liam Miller
Stephen Hunt
Andy Keogh
Liam Lawrence

Forwards
Kevin Doyle
Robbie Keane
Shane Long
Leon Best
Anthony Stokes

No S. Reid, Finnan, or A. Reid.. Trap doesn't think S. Reid or Finnan will be match fit - S. Reid I can understand as he's just barely back into the Blackburn squad, but Finnan's been in the Portsmouth starting 11 for a few games now and will have more under his belt in the next fortnight, surely he'd be worth a try? Stokes in for N. Hunt is the only real change on previous squads. Looking through the list I can't imagine the French are exactly quaking in their boots.

Meant the above as an ideal world scenario.

 

[CinnamonBoy]

Thanks for posting the most frustraiting 2 hours of my life here. By the end of this i wanted to car bomb their embassy.

We haven't got a bench and I'd sacrifice Doyle play Keane up front alone and pack the midfield with Ried in a slightly more advanced position. France will be far to strong for us in the middle of the field and any goals we get will be from set pieces any way. If Reid could be forced to muck in with the defensive duties he still is our only midfielder capable of splitting a defense. So in answer to your question my answer is Kevin Doyle on in the last twenty. Double substitution with Carsley on to protect the defense

It's an interesting idea.

As regards the Israeli game. Dudu Awat, their keeper was a right cunt that night. He had his nose broken by a team-mate a couple of years ago when he was at Deportivo. Cheered me up no end.

 

[Richie]

As regards our bench we have Hunt and McGeady to come on (I'd start Duff and Lawrence)... McGeady came up with a lovely goal the other day, I think he might finally break his duck for Ireland in one of these 2 games. Best and Stokes also worth a shot but probably not ready to produce in a game of this magnitude yet. Roy Hodgson reckons Duff will get over his knock in the Liverpool game in time for next week, here's hoping. Given is playing a blinder against Birmingham at the moment and Duff is looking nearly back to his old self lately, if we have our top 5-6 players all fit and in form we'll have a decent chance.

That Israel game is where you can see the whole Kerr tenure start to turn sour, if that game had somehow ended after 30 mins with us 2-0 up and crusing it'd be easy to imagine us winning that group or at least making the playoffs and I think Kerr would've built on that and maybe achieved some real things with the team.. Sickening match.

 

[CinnamonBoy]

That Israel game is where you can see the whole Kerr tenure start to turn sour, if that game had somehow ended after 30 mins with us 2-0 up and crusing it'd be easy to imagine us winning that group or at least making the playoffs and I think Kerr would've built on that and maybe achieved some real things with the team.. Sickening match.

While he made some mistakes, Kerr didn't have a fraction of the luck Trap has enjoyed. That match, O'Brien gets sent off, O'Shea wraps his arms around an attacker to give away a peno, their keeper acts the bollix, the ref is bent. Trap gets that penalty, one of the worst decisions I've EVER seen, at home to Georgia.

 

[washingcattle]

As regards our bench we have Hunt and McGeady to come on (I'd start Duff and Lawrence)... McGeady came up with a lovely goal the other day, I think he might finally break his duck for Ireland in one of these 2 games. Best and Stokes also worth a shot but probably not ready to produce in a game of this magnitude yet. Roy Hodgson reckons Duff will get over his knock in the Liverpool game in time for next week, here's hoping. Given is playing a blinder against Birmingham at the moment and Duff is looking nearly back to his old self lately, if we have our top 5-6 players all fit and in form we'll have a decent chance.

That Israel game is where you can see the whole Kerr tenure start to turn sour, if that game had somehow ended after 30 mins with us 2-0 up and crusing it'd be easy to imagine us winning that group or at least making the playoffs and I think Kerr would've built on that and maybe achieved some real things with the team.. Sickening match.

Hunt always comes on and upsets defenders in the last twenty minutes without ever really contributing much but that upseting factor will be key against France especially in Paris. McGeady is fucking useless.

I wouldn't trust either of them with a penalty if it came down to it though. Lawrence and Duff I would though

here's my list of the first five in a shoot out.

Duff
Lawrence
Dunne
Doyle
Keane

Or possibly in a pinch O Shea or Whelan instead of Dunne.

Calm Heads on all of them Hunt and McGeady don't have the heads for it.

 

[Cormcolash]

It's a bit frustrating that Trap is now in a no-lose situation.
He keeps the same team and if he loses to France, well it's France, and we got to the play-offs didn't we?
And of course if we win, we're in the World Cup, and then he can turn round and say "These are the players that got us there so these are the players I'll stick with"

Personally, I'm hoping we beat France, and then sometime around next May every Irish midfielder in the world gets simultaneous double-fractures in their legs except for Slim Andrew, Daddy Dick, S.Reid, Duff, McGeady, and Lawrence.

Edit: Actually he'd probably still ignore Slim Andrew and Daddy Dick and play John O Shea in midfield instead!