Discuss the match here. Latest news is that the Georgia match will take place in Karlsruhe, Germany, due to the turmoil in Georgia. I think this can only be an advantage for Ireland - Tblisi is a really tough place to play at the best of times. Montenegro, I think, will be quite tough to beat at home. Thoughts? Lineup predictions? Score predictions?
Germany is a decent place. Definitely neutral, obviously England, Scotland, or even France would have been nice.
Goalkeepers Shay Given (Newcastle United) Dean Kiely (West Brom) Defenders Alex Bruce (Ipswich Town) Damien Delaney (QPR) Richard Dunne (Manchester City) Steve Finnan (Liverpool) Stephen Kelly (Birmingham City) Kevin Kilbane (Wigan Athletic) Joey O'Brien (Bolton Wanderers) John O'Shea (Manchester United) Paul McShane (Sunderland) Midfielders Stephen Hunt (Reading) Aiden McGeady (Glasgow Celtic) Liam Miller (Sunderland) Andy Reid (Sunderland) Steven Reid (Blackburn Rovers) Glenn Whelan (Stoke City) Attackers Kevin Doyle (Reading) Robbie Keane (Liverpool) Andy Keogh (Wolves) Shane Long (Reading) Daryl Murphy (Sunderland) So, Duff is out. The big question is who comes in to replaces him? Does Trapattoni keep the same system and put in Steve Hunt as a more or less straight changes, or go with the less-athletic but more technical Andy Reid out wide - much as Roy Keane has used him at Sunderland? Personally, I'd play Andy Reid. And does McShane come back in on the back of his superb performance against Colombia last year?
Hoping to see: -------------Given------------- Finnan---Dunne--CB*---S. Kelly McGeady----Reid--Reid----Hunt ----------Keane--------------- ------------------Doyle------- Personally I have felt for a good while now that Kelly deserves the LB spot (and let's face it, we've got nobody else there), plus it will give him experience for if/when he becomes the starting RB down the line. At CB beside Dunne it could be either of O'Shea or McShane - both are decidedly mediocre, with the former being less error-prone, but the latter more able to impose himself on a game. I reckon though that we will see a backline of Finnan---Dunne--McShane---O'Shea, which I would not complain about too much given our current options or lack thereof. In midfield I would obviously want to see McGeady starting after the great progress he has made in recent times for Celtic - especially with Duff out, he has to get his game. Hunt on the other wing should have been starting for us for the last 2 years to be honest, and has been unfairly slighted. His workrate will be of huge importance, and if Kelly is to start at LB, Hunt's tracking back will laos make up for some of the inexperience/attacking impetus of the fullback. The Reid 'brothers' () in CM should work best for us for the time being to be honest. Steven is a workhorse with a lot of athleticism who will give everything he has for the entire 90 minutes, has a good discplinary record for his style of play, and while not a technical genius I do trust him to get the short passes off to the more creative three in midfield. Andy has to start in CM for me; he os not athletic enough to help with tracking back or stretch a backline out wide as a winger, but he is by far-and-away our most technically sound/visually gifted player. It will be his job to get the ball and spread it out to the wings, up to Keane in the hole, keep us in position and conduct the guts of our creative play. Up front Keane obviously starts behind the striker as is to be expected. Doyle might be off-form, but he is still our best goalscoring option in my opinion and is good at holding up the ball and giving defenders a tough time. I don't think he was a flash in the pan, but rather is simply out of form for a long while now. As for the subs, I think we could be seeing Miller on for the last 15 or so minutes in place of Andy Reid in order to keep him fresh for the Montenegro game. Keogh will probably be our first man off the bench in place of Doyle or (far less likely) Keane, while I would not be stunned to see Murphy come on as a winger if McGeady/Hunt need to be taken off and we are looking for a goal late on. Subs in the backline depend on who starts really, tbh.
Hat Trick for Doyle today...maybe he's found his form. I'd bring in Liam Lawrence to the midfield, a good option for us to have on the bench.
We need to get 6 points from these two games. It's vital for the confidence of the team. Anything less and I am thinking the lights will be put out early for Ireland in this campaign.
That's a good venue, since the Ryan Air airport 'Hahn' isn't far away. Good luck for the game! I'm curious to see how you'll be doing under the "Mister".
And the minute the venue was announced, one flight was cancelled and when punters tried to rebook, all flights that would have incorporated the game suddenly had jumped from €20-25 to €300 or something like that. Funny that isn't it?
If that's the case, I'd probably fly to Frankfurt's main airport right away. From there it's only 20 minutes to Mainz by rail. According to Bahn.de, the trip from Hahn to Mainz takes an hour by bus.
Hasrdly surprising given the ethics of airlines, either. To book an Aer Lingus flight from NY to Dublin if you are Irish (e.g. using aerlingus.ie) costs more than if you are supposedly an American (using aerlingus.com). I randomly picked Oct 26 and came up with €364 cheapest, whereas from the American site it is $364 (€247)... when I went to NY a few weeks back and checked, the disparity was actually larger. Just had to get that off my chest as it really pisses me off... is that even fully legal?
Air Canada charges less for American too - to try and get them to connect through Canada. It was cheaper to fly: St. John's-Toronto-Chicago-Toronto (!?)-Dublin than St. John's-Toronto-Dublin. Anyway, Kilbane is out with a broken cheekbone. Delaney to start on the left? PS - you might be on your own on this board for the next couple days. I'm moving to Toronto tomorrow to start my PhD and might no have reliable internet access for a while.
American has some really cheap rates for the winter, I found something like $550 round trip and I'm going to try to see the Georgia game in February. Kilbane is not out, if he plays he'll wear a mask. And with billyireland never around (besides his post on this page) it will be anarchy, be prepared to clear off quite a few David Connolly arguments and threads when you return Good luck with the PhD
I didn't say that taking the bus from Hahn was unacceptable, I just wanted to give them a chance to compare the two possibilities. Some people might prefer to pay a bit more and enjoy the advantage of a shorter journey to the stadium. Hahn is a small airport some 80 kilometres away from Mainz, the distance from Frankfurt airport to Mainz is slightly more than 30 kilometres. In the first case you have to take a bus, in the other you can go by rail. Errors and omissions excepted.
Is that really an 80 km's distance from Hahn to Mainz? Hmmm, I thought it would be max. 40-50 km's... Thanx for the info.
WHELAN!!!!!! Wheres andy reid??? crazy, whelans been terrible in the friendlys, cum on trapp this is basic
The Republic of Ireland team will be: Shay Given (Newcastle United); Steve Finnan (Espanyol), John O’Shea (Manchester United), Richard Dunne (Manchester City), Kevin Kilbane (Wigan Athletic); Aiden McGeady (Celtic), Steven Reid (Blackburn Rovers), Glenn Whelan (Stoke City), Stephen Hunt (Reading); Robbie Keane (Liverpool), Kevin Doyle (Reading). The Georgia squad will be: Goalkeepers: Giorgi Loria (Dinamo Tbilisi), Roin Kvaskhvadze (Zestafoni), Giorgi Makaridze (Dinamo Tbilisi) Defenders: Ucha Lobjanidze (Zestafoni), Lasha Salukvadze (Rubin Kazan; Russia), Mate Gvinianidze (Munchen 1860; Germany), Zurab Khizanishvili (Blackburn Rovers); Aleqsandre Kvakhadze (WIT Georgia); Kakha Kaladze (AC Milan); Malkhaz Asatiani (Lokomotiv Moskva; Russia); Zaal Eliava (Dinamo Tbilisi), Giorgi Shashiashvili (SK Sturm Graz; Austria) Midfielders: Zurab Menteshashvili (Ventspils; Latvia), Levan Khmaladze (Dinamo Tbilisi), Levan Kobiashvili (Schalke 04; Germany), David Mujiri (Lokomotiv Moskva; Russia), Gogita Gogua (Spartak Nalchik; Russia), David Odikadze (Dinamo Tbilisi), Levan Kenia (Schalke 04; Germany), Irakli Klimiashvili (WIT Georgia), David Kvirkvelia (Rubin Kazan; Russia) Forwards: Aleksandre Iashvili (Karlsruher SC; Germany), Beka Gotsiridze (Zestafoni), Levan Mchedlidze (Empoli; Italy), David Siradze (Spartak Nalchik; Russia), Rati Aleksidze (Locomotiv Tbilisi). Well, in the first half against Norway I thought that system worked really well. Andy Reid and Glenn Whelan are very different players, and since this is an away match - I certainly think that Whelan can do a job guarding the back four and spreading play. Andy Reid is more creative, yes, but perhaps lacks the defensive qualities that Trap is looking for in a vital away qualifier. Anyway, can't wait for the match - going to go to Scallywags in Toronto to watch it.