Keane on the wing? McAteer has retired from from international football you idiot and so has Kinsella, bloody hell you are clueless lol
I think that with a Holland/Kavanagh partnership we'd sink too far back on the pitch. If we're going to replace Kilbane let's do it with Steven Reid. Anyway, it's all moot. Kerr's not one for rash decisions, and Kilbane has never missed a competitive game under him (or under McCarthy either back to 1999 IIRC - who'd have guessed?!).[/QUOTE] Brian Kerr has absolutely nothing left to lose at this point so I am expecting him to try and save his job and his reputation. He might surprise us. I think Kavanagh will be dropped. I think there will be two Reids starting, with Kilbane and Holland. and it will be either Morrison or Keane getting the second spot upfront as our new goalscorer is retained. Breen might even replace Dunne. New faces and fresh legs. This is a Cup tie and we're at home. We're going to put them under real pressure and if the crowd gets behind the team and players retain their self-belief they will win it for him.
--------------------------------------------------------- -----------------Keane---------Morrison----------------- --------------------------------------------------------- --A.Reid---------Kilbane-------Kavanagh--------S. Reid--- --------------------------------------------------------- --O'Shea------Cunningham----Dunne---------Finnan------ --------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------Given-------------------------- I just rate Finnan better than Carr. Both Reids are attacking. Morrison has more experience than Elliot.
Firstly, To be honest i couldn't have been bothered reading all the other posts. Because I am pissed off at hearing the press and the public b*tch about our national team. I know how poor we were the other night but for 12,000 irish fans, who paid good money to be at the match, to boo their side off the pitch is the most sickening thing ever. I'm sure every Irish player knew what a poor performance it was. I'm sure they would be looking forward to the big game on Wednesday if the supporters and the media were a little more supportive. I am not suprised we find ourselves in this situation. This is far from the greatest Irish team in recent years. We have too many ordinary players. I believe we can win on Wednesday. We will need to improve a little, but we can do it. I love the Irish team more than anything in the world and we will do it. WE WILL DO IT. COME ON IRELAND!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Well I guess more apropriatly it would be like being down 17-16 or something to that effect. A 2-1 victory or a 3-2 victory etc... still gets it done.
Brian Kerr said Given is basically 100% certain to play, and that it was just a stinger (an injury that hurts like hell for a few hours but goes away overnight). Shay was back in training today. Good news for us; Paddy Kenny is a decent backup, but in terms of pure shot stopping I would put Given in the top 3-4 keepers in the world... and we'll need that if our back 4 perform anything like they did in Cyprus.
I know, I know... it was the end of a LONG day. I've been meaning to ask you how you got on in Oxegen by the way? If you went to Green Day or Mylo while Kasabian, you missed the best set of the weekend, not to mention Prodigy afterwards (no, I don't do pills ). The Sunday was unreal though... we were right under the lookout tower in section B6 only had enough sun lotion between about 30 of us for 15-20 people, so I just put it on my arms & shoulders... then fell asleep 0in the car park, and some parts of my shins are STILL recovering from the burn (no exaggeration, the medics said it was the worst burn they saw all weekend, but wouldn't give me any painkillers because I was twisted).
I kind of agree with you, but the team did deserve something like that. Given on the other hand, should have been given a lap of honour. Unbelievable... once again. Have we ever had a keeper better than him?
He may be our most talented player, but Given is more important and performs on as high a level as Duff (in a completely different position, obviously) on a more consistent basis. Hearing that Given - our most important player - will be playing has given me a HUGE confidence boost.
Kevin Doyle injured Richard Dunne in training today. Not known yet if he'll be fit to start tomorrow. A blow if he's out, but Andy O'Brien would be a good replacement.
Today's interview with Kerr: (from fai.ie) Brian Kerr today confirmed that goalkeeper Shay Given would play against Switzerland on Wednesday in the decisive World Cup qualifying tie at Lansdowne Road (7.45 pm kick-off). Given caused alarm bells to ring within the Irish camp when he picked up an injury to his ankle in training on Monday but after medical examination revealed nothing more serious than soft tissue bruising it was stated he would be fit to play. Kerr said after training on the eve of the game at Lansdowne: “Shay trained from start to finish today, he put a full session in, so he is fit.” He jocosely added: “Lazarus”. Kerr said he would make changes to the team that started in the 1-0 win over Cyprus on Saturday but declined to specify how many or who would be affected. He was asked about the possibility of Ian Harte coming in at left-back and said: “I’m considering it … it is one of the options. “He’s done well in the game since he’s come back into the squad. He’s a lot of experience, his use of the ball which is very important … and his qualities at set-pieces … so he is one of the options.” He was pressed by the assembled press corps as to what changes he was considering and he answered: “There will be freshness in the team, we will make some changes.” With Andy Reid and Clinton Morrison coming back after serving a one-game suspension it is fair to assume they will figure prominently in his thoughts. Ireland’s manager was, predictably, again asked about his contract and the questioner wondered whether the publicity about this was a distraction. He said: “Definitely not. There’s not much else going on around me … the only thing that is going on around me is the team, the game, the training sessions, looking at the options of who we might play in the play-offs … that’s what’s going on around me and I’ve been fully focussed on the preparations of the team, ensuring they are all well and right and that we take the right options tomorrow.” He was asked whether he had spoken to Roy Keane, who was kept out of the Cyprus game by suspension and was kept out of the squad for this match by injury. He answered: “I was speaking to Roy yesterday (Monday), but I don’t know (whether he’s be at the match) … I’ve left it up to him whether he comes to the game or not tomorrow. “We spoke yesterday, a general conversation about how he was coming on himself and how he saw the game on Saturday and that was it.” A journalist asked: “Will he be fit for the play-offs ? “I don’t know, I didn’t go that far with it, I think it is a bit early yet to be discussing that.” Yet Kerr revealed that the play-offs were not too far from his mind when he confirmed that he will have representatives at five games in the final series of qualification matches. Ireland could be drawn against a team from one of these five games if they qualify for .a play-off. Ireland have to beat Switzerland, of course, if they are to extend their involvement in the qualification process but Kerr responded to questions on the tactical approach in the tournament by saying: “We’ve approached all of our games the same, we went out every time to try and win the game. “In each of the home games we’ve taken the game on very aggressively, right from the start of the match, so I don’t think there is much change needed in our approach because we have to win this match, but I don’t think we need to win the match in the first fifteen minutes, we just need to win the match. “They need to win the match as well if they want to guarantee themselves first place in the group and automatic qualification for the finals so it should be an interesting approach with both teams having a go. “Of all the matches in the group whether it’s been by design or chance they’ve ended up that the big games between the top four teams … out of 11 matches played between the four top teams, ten of them have been draws. “You would have got some odds on that at the bookies at the start of the group, there’s been only one clear result the 1-0 win for France over us. “Other than that there’s been only one other result that’s been out of synch in the group and that was when Switzerland beat Faroes by six. All the other matches have had very similar scorelines, tight matches, low-scoring. “We’ve a chance tomorrow … we’ve lost one game in the group and I don’t think our approach needs to change, not dramatically. It’s not as if we played to attack on the break in previous games or that we’ve gone away from home to play with just one up front and scrambled a draw. “We’ve been positive and we’ve played as many forwards as we could and as many attacking players as we could so that will be the approach again against Switzerland.” Kerr said that he had gone to see Switzerland play last year in the European finals in Portugal and it was his belief that they had improved since then. “Most people here would not have had much respect for Switzerland, I think people were quite dismissive of their performances at the European finals” he said, “I thought they played very well in the two matches I was at … they were well in the game against France and in the match against England the turning points was the sending off. “I think they’ve improved since then, they’ve injected some younger players into their system and I think they are a better team.” He was asked about the need for goals and specifically about Robbie Keane and he said: “If Robbie plays I’m confident that he’ll be in very good form. “He will be better for the match on Saturday, he’s the all-time leading goal-scorer and he’s still a young man and coming on for ’Spurs he’s shown he can score good goals and we could do with a vital goal or two from him now. “He has the desire as you saw late on in the game in Cyprus, he showed he was still able to get into positions that could hurt a team, he got a couple of chances late on so whoever gets the nod to play against Switzerland will do their stuff.” The manager would not be drawn on whether or not Keane would start but said the position relating to available strikers to Ireland was improving with Stephen Elliott now having opened his account at senior level against Cyprus, with Clinton Morrison coming back, David Connolly being recalled and Kevin Doyle being promoted from the U21 squad. Ireland were better equipped now in this department than they had been. Finally it was suggested to him that some manager had used different methods to motivate a team … they might show them an Al Pacino video … Kerr ended the conference on a light-hearted note when he laughingly responded: “Well last night we took them to see Cinderella Man.”
interesting game tomarrow. I will watch it at the pub and hope to see a good game. I will not be surprized with a draw, since there was so many until now.
In the name of Jeeziz, what kind of training does he have them doing? Are they kicking concrete blocks around or what? At this rate half the team will line up for the anthem with headbandages and casts on their arms and the other half in crutches.
There is an Irish lad playing for FC Dallas in MLS (I know, I know...but bare me out)....the lads name is Ronnie O'Brien and he played for Ireland at u 19 level a few years ago then went to Juventus before coming to Dallas.....the lad can flat PLAY (plays mostly wide right in a 4 man MF but can play in the middle too).....anyway....he was asked recently by the Dallas press if he would consider playing for Ireland if selected....and basically he said he would love to...IF Brian Kerr wasn't the manager...he was quoted as saying that Kerr was the Irish manager when he (O'Brien) played for the u 19's and that he would NEVER play for him again.... ....now trust me...this lad can play...and could help this Irish team... p.s. me mother was born in Killkenny, so as well as drinking Harps and Guinness maybe I should be allowed to comment on Ireland...
Yes, but your team is England.... That automatically disqualifies you from posting with any credibility on the Irish, French, German, Scottish, Welsh, Australian, New Zealand, or Argentine boards.....