Squad for the Swiss game

Switzerland Roster

Goal
Jörg Stiel (35, Borussia Mönchengladbach)
Pascal Zuberbühler (32, Basel)
Fabrice Borer (32, Grasshoppers)

Defense
Bruno Berner (26, Freiburg)
Bernt Haas (25, West Bromwich Albion)
Stéphane Henchoz (29, Liverpool)
Ludovic Magnin (24, Werder Bremen)
Remo Meyer (23, 1860 München)
Patrick Müller (27, Lyon)
Murat Yakin (29, Basel)
Marco Zwyssig (32, Basel)

Midfield
Fabio Celestini (28, Marseille)
Benjamin Huggel (26, Basel)
Christoph Spycher (25, Grasshoppers)
Johann Vogel (26, Eindhoven)
Raphaël Wicky (26, Hamburger SV)
Hakan Yakin (26, Basel)

Forwards
Stéphane Chapuisat (34, Young Boys)
Alex Frei (24, Rennes)
Marco Streller (22, Basel)
Milaim Rama (28, Thun)

Hakan Yakin has already played two games for Basel and scored a goal against Malatyaspor in the Uefa Cup. In other words, he's back....

Another player to watch is Marco Streller. He's currently the leading scorer of the Swiss Super League and is very impressive physically (he's 1.95m). Headers are his strength, but he might be a bit nervous since this is his 1st call-up to the A national team.

 

Is anyone else perturbed by the fact that if anything happens to Given out back-up is a fella playing for a crap team in the 2nd division that has conceded buckets of goals so far this season?

Out of that bunch I'd go with

Given
Carr O'Shea Breen Harte
Finnan Holland Kilbane Duff
Keane Morrison

Yes, that's right, Kilbane in the middle. Played suprisingly well for Sunderland last year in that position. Will fight for the ball and bring it forward, and he'll get back when needed because of his work ethic. He shouldn't be on the wing, he can't cross to save his life and runs into dead ends.
Healy hasn't even been a starter at Sunderland every game this season as far as I can tell, that doesn't inspire confidence. We've been very anemic to non-existant in our ability to come up the middle in recent games. Kilbane is no Roy Keane, but I'd chance him.

I know Morrison has not been a starter for Brum, but I think he is the best option to work with Robbie, and he has a bit of height going for him that Connolly doesn't. Connolly is like a poor man's Robbie K., so I don't like the idea of them playing together.

Finnan is as good a right midfield option as we have available.... you've got to admit he's way better than Carsley and Reid hasn't looked so hot this season for either club or country. He's also a good crosser of the ball.

I know that starting Harte is a gamble, it could backfire, but he is capable of little bits of magic like that pass in the Aussie game and his free kick taking ability.

Duff is on the left for the most part, but allow him the freedom to wander a little if he wants. I don't think he is fully comfortable playing in "the hole" all the time, but likes to drift in there occasionally. Let him play where he feels most comfortable.
Plus with Duff on the left drawing defenders and getting crosses in you also have the possibilty for big lanky Kilbane to come running in from midfield to get on the end of a cross. I think he's underrated in the air.

Flame away......

 

"Healy hasn't even been a starter at Sunderland every game this season as far as I can tell, that doesn't inspire confidence."

People seem to completley miss the point here. Healy was signed for Sunderland during their crap run and wasn't match fit, so he was training for a few weeks. He was nearing full fitness when Sunderland finally won a match, so McCarthy didn't want to change a winning side and so Healy couldn't break in. Since the results went down a bit, Healy has started the last four matches in a row, as expected. This should in no way shape or form change anything in regards to the team for the Switzerland match.

It's also harsh to say Reids not been impressive for club, in fact, no offence, it's plain wrong. He started two games, got man of the match in one and a red card in the other which has seen him suspended for every match bar the ones he's started. Sharpness will be a problem, club form wont be. Anyway, I posted my starting 11 in another thread, hold on I'll look it up and paste it here...

Given - I doubt anyone will disagree...

Carr - Fairly obvious choice, played well against City today. Since I've Finnan in another position Carr is automatic choice really.

Finnan - As a left back. With Cunningham out I'd move O'Shea inside and a choice between Finnan out of position or Harte at all would favour the Liverpool man in my eyes.

O'Shea - Moved to central defence, his favoured position, with the abscence of Cunningham. His pace there will be crucial given the Swiss style of play, we need someone like O'Shea there.

Breen - Another superb preformance for Sunderland against Reading, he was outstanding. He's confident right now and I can't really see anyone leaving him out.

Duff - While Kilbane played alright in the last two preformances people are getting carried away. He works hard yes but he lacks the quality to really create chances. Duff, as our best player should be played in the position where he does the most damage, left wing.

Reid - Last two preformances aside, Reids been great for us so far. My only concern will be his club suspension which will see him lacking sharpness, but there's not much competition wide right really.

Healy - Lacking fitness recently for us, that problem is now solved. Has been commanding in his two starts in central mid field for Sunderland and when on form can pass a ball better then anyone in our side too. Now his sharpness is back he can produce what he did against Georgia.

Holland - I'm not his biggest fan but Delap wont be ready for this one and he played well against Russia. It's him or Kinsella and you have to give it to Holland every time, though in the future I'd favour Delap.

Keane - Can't see any debate there.

Connolly - I'm a massive Morrison fan, but, he's out of favour for Birmingham and hasn't played alot so he wont be sharp or at his best. Connolly, on the other hand, is on fire. Banging them in for West Ham and a cracker against Turkey, this could be his match. Bring Morrison on with 20 minutes to go if we need a goal.

Touchwood on the injury front, as for captaincy, Breen would be my choice.

 

I would certainly go with Zacatecas' team over that of Slash ED, and the idea of playing Kilbane in the middle is not a bad one at all. He would probably give as much support to the left back as he would from a wide position.
Reid has actually not been very good for Blackburn, that is complete nonsense. His sending off was stupid and in my opinion came out of frustration for not having things going well for him. The 2 full matches I saw him in this season were hugely disappointing. Similarly, his Ireland form is not what we'd like. I'd only have him coming on from off the bench. Finnan is a better option. I'm not mad about the idea of Healy in middle, he hasn't exactly been getting rave reviews form his performances in the games he has played for Sunderland, and I have been following that division.
I think I'd go for Connolly over Morrison too. He is a confidence player and I don't think he's ever been as confident in himself as he is now. Clinton on the other hand must be asking himself some difficult questions (and his ma is a nut!).

 

He's started three matches in the middle of mid field, was man of the match on their offical site on one, and I saw one of the others and thought he played very well, very commanding in the mid field. I've also heard he played quite well last night.

 

Dunne is ruled out through injury. Something up with his ankle.

 

I'm delighted Dunne has been ruled out, if we had to resort to playing him we'd of been destroyed.

If only Kerr had the foresight to cap Miller, amoungst others, against Turkey. There's no doubt in my mind if he did, after Miller scored his second CL goal, he'd be in there ahead of Kinsella or McPhail.

 

I agree about Miller. I really don't understand the squad we used against Turkey. Why did we not try Miller, Kavanagh, Thornton, etc.

 

I don't understand why Miller is not in the squad, even if he has never been tried in a friendly. It's not like he would start anyways. But he has to be a far better option than Kinsella who can't even make the Villa bench.

15 minutes to go and we need to sub a midfielder, wouldn't you go with the in form player that's played and scored in the CL over the the fella who's playing reserve team football?

And you can't use the argument that he won't have time to gel with the other players who are used to playing together....... if that's the case what's Kavanagh doing in there?

It's like McCarthy not playing O'Shea against Russia and Switzerland, because he didn't have "international" experience, yet he was good enough to start for one of the best club teams in Europe at teh time. I really don't buy into this international experience argument. If you're good enuogh to do the biz in the CL, the highest level of play in the world, you should at least be considered for the national team.

 

Completley agree, I myself would probably pick him regardless, espically given Kinsella being there but not picking him against Turkey just defied all logic. He was in the country with the U21s who'd played that friday and all, it just made no sense. Andy Reid is another one who should be in there too.

 

You can't win competitive make or break internationals away from home with inexperienced young fellas with potential. It would be madness to play Reid or Millar in such a game.

Whether you like it or not, Kerr is going to pick Kinsella and Holland as his central midfield pairing and in my opinion that's the right decision.

As regards the Turkey game, that was used as preparation for the Swiss game and given the fact that Reid, Millar, Thornton etc. were never going to be involved in such an important (Swiss) game, then the decision not to use them against Turkey was correct. They'll all get their chance in the Spring friendlies whether they are pre-Euro finals games or pre-World Cup qualifier games.

As regards Kavanagh, he's in the squad to provide cover for Holland and Kinsella given that Healy has finally been found out at Sunderland where he has been completely inept (although Slash was obviously watching different games to the rest of us - if in doubt, check the Sunderland message boards where the fans are questioning McCarthy's sanity in spending the only money the club could give him on that lazy *******.

 

At last some sanity!

Totally agree with the MUSTARD

But feel the need to reiterate one point , Healy is overated , if and when Delap returns Healy will lose out not Holland

 

The truth is that for big games (away, must-win) there is no substitute for experience; that was one of the reasons I was sorry to see G. Kelly retire, even if he had not being playing up to form in recent games. Similarly, when McAteer returns, he does give some very useful options, as does Kinsella. Both of them may struggle to make a starting XI again, but until the youngsters are blooded, the older heads will nearly always get the nod.

Healy and Reid (Steven, not Andy) seem to be eliciting the most interest here. Healy has shown that he has the chops, but his past few performances for Ireland have been woefully short of the potential he has shown. It's all well and good looking like the business in a pre-WC friendly, but it's the competitive games that really matter. He's good enough to be in the mix, but he's not an automatic starter; not yet, anyway. Reid is a less complex case. He had a storming half a game against Cameroon in the WC, looked absolutely lost against Germany and has never really scaled his Cameroonian heights since. Again another player with oodles of potential and deserves to be in the mix, but has yet to consistently hit the mark.

In many ways O'Shea is a good example of this predicament. With the exception of the game against Albania (Georgia?) at home, he has yet to really bring it home in an Irish shirt. Obviously his club performances have shown that he is capable, but he does seem to be finding the transition to international level a bit tough, which is all the more surprising, because he does play well (usually) for Utd. in Europe. Having said that, he is now ahead of both Reid and Healy, in terms of experience, but he is not as accomplished as, say, Dunne.

Now while that might seem an outrageous statement, and while 99% of people would pick him over Dunne, certainly at club level, Dunne has stepped up at international level especially with two very good games away to Portugal and home to Holland in the WCQs. He has also scored 3 times for Ireland. O'Shea has yet to settle for Ireland as well as Dunne has. Now most of us know who will make it in the long term, but I'm merely pointing out the benefit of international experience.

 

Sorry but I can't agree, if a player is good enough, and shows it in the CL, then he is good enough to play for Ire v Swi. The CL is as high, if not higher calibre of play than many internationals. Look at the Irish and Swiss teams, half the players on each team are Eng 1st division or low EPL quality. In a CL game, or if you are in the starting line-up of a top club (like O'Shea was last year when not a starter for Ire), then you are already playing at a much higher level.

Also there is nothing wrong with throwing young capable players in tight games if they are in their best form.
Case in point....... Bulykin, the lone Russian forward against us last month, that was his FIRST cap, and he didn't do too bad in a VERY important game. In his 2ND game he tore the pitch up, against Switzerland..... his 2nd cap! He scored, what, a hat-trick? He had never even played in a friendly before.

So I don't buy this "ease a fella in over time in friendlies" argument. If someone is in form, and also show the goods in training with the rest of the squad, then give them a shot.

I don't see how it could have hurt to have named Miller to the squad and at least let him train with the team and then decide if he's good enough to make the bench or not. If not, then fair enough, he can watch it in the stands.
But why wouldn't you give yourself the option?

 

Good post, A good comparison is the fact that Streller has been named in the Swiss squad. Brought up from the U21, he's in excellent form and will in all likelyhood make his senior debut against us. It will be interesting to see how he does. (Please god he has a stinker!!!)

But if he does come good - It will show at least in this one off, that international experience is irrelevant if you are good enough.

As for Miller, my opinion is that he shouldn't be started but should have been named in the squad as an alternative.

Jnr

 

No, fair enough, but I think you missed my point.

What I was saying that someone like O'Shea has lots of potential and has often shown it for Utd. in Europe, but his Irish performances have rarely matched his Utd. performances, yet a player like Dunne, who is obviously not in his class - at least at club level - has out-performed him at international level, and a large part of that goes down to experience. With Reid and Healy, both were given the go-ahead by McCarthy when they were playing well, and had storming debuts, or at least 1st 3 games, but both have fallen off from where they were then.

The point I'm really trying to make is that international football is very different and even the best young players with buckets of potential take a while to adapt. And that is why you usually find that the old head wins out over the young whippersnapper at this level.

No one would really argue that Man. U. are a better side than, say, Omnia Nicosia, and would beat them 19 and half times out of 20, but when Ireland or England play Macedonia, it's not that the form book goes out the window, but the fact that those sides are there or there abouts shows that the international game is a different kettle of fish from CL play. (Having said that your point about Bulyakin is taken, but I would be interested to see if he is still lighting up penalty areas next June or September.)

 

I agree with your point in general, but you can't say Healy went downhill after his first few appearences. His best games were against Finland and Georgia, he's only played poor in his last couple really.

 

Was that not Keith O'Neil?

Useing the example of Holland, do you not remember Portugal away? A young inexperienced mid fielder, he had what, 1 or 2 caps by then? He was taken off the bench and I think we all remember what he went on to do.

What about England? Going into the Turkey match, Wayne Rooney had about 30 minutes of international football, is started that match, tears the Turks to shreads and won man of the match. Did Sven worry about experience then? If Kerr had of used his brain when we were playing Turkey, Liam Miller would now have as much, if not more, international experience going into this match then Rooney had going into the Turkey one. Andy Reid too for that matter.

 

Extremely bad news for us. Hakan Yakin injured himself yesterday, and is now very questionable for the 11th...

Have you been frequenting the FCB forum?

 

I am still very sceptical about Healy and Reid. As a Blackburn supporter I am delighted that we signed Reid but I have seen, from his performances for us, that he is still a very very raw player and does not look comfortable in the premiership as of yet.

I am very confident that this will change in time as he adapts to the higher pace and standards of the premier league.

With regards to Healy, I'm afraid I am much more pessimistic about his future. He undoubtedly played with fire and passion in the two friendlies mentioned above but he wasn't able to raise his game for a vital game against Russia and, to be honest, he was a liability for much of the game. I just have a sneaking suspicion that there is a good reason why Martin O'Neill did not play him or keep him on at Celtic. O'Neill is a manager who values work-ethic and concentration above all else and if after seeing Healy train day in, day out, he didn't want to keep him on, then I am sure there is a very good reason for that.

From what I have seen of Healy he can be very impressive in fits and bursts but he does tend to drift out of the game and occasionally the game just completely passes him by. We can't let this happen against Switzerland and so I think we have to have Kinsella in there instead.

I also believe that David Connolly has to be given another chance and I think that he should start against the Swiss. He has been red-hot for Wimbledon and West Ham and scored a cracker for Turkey. He clearly has great passion for the shirt and could cause Henchoz and Yakin serious problems with his movement and tenacity. I would never have wanted Connolly to play before but I think he is our best option at the minute.

Given
Carr O'Shea Breen Harte
Finnan Kinsella Holland Duff
Keane Connolly

 

It could possibley be to do that Healy didn't train a day over the summer? That by the Australia match, a match he played in only because of an injury to Holland, he'd trained about 3 days since the Georgia match? That he'd played less then 90 minutes competitive football since the Georgia match by the Russia game?

Anyone who's getting worried about Healy after his recent preformances with us needs to think about the situation he was in, the fact he could preform at all against Australia was a miracle, and he wasn't going to be much better by Russia, to write him off after one competitive match is complete and utter stupidity.

As for putting Kinsella in, being good in fits and bursts is better then a man who seems to have earned the nickname 'the invisible man' recently, thanks to him and Hollands disappearing acts when played together in these qualifyers. There's no doubt he was once quality, now, he's a lucky man to make the Villa bench, he's past it. And you'll have the same problems Healy had all over again with sharpness thanks to his lack of football. Dropping Healy for him on the strenght of a match he was really not fit enough to start in is lunacy, absolute lunacy.

Healy is now match fit and ready to produce the form he had done during every cap up until his brilliant preformance against Georgia, which in my, and most, peoples opinion was far and away the best preformance by a central mid fielder in an Irish shirt this campaign.

 

That's not the same situation at all. Miller is in his first full season of senior football at club level, let alone internationals. Holland, at that time, was 26 or 27, and captain of his club - hardly inexperienced. I agree that Miller should have been included in the squad to at least look at him and give him the experience, but how many people would have thrown, say, Thomas Butler straight into the side against Russia last season, when he was playing regularly in the Premiership (before his injuries)? Not many, I think.

I'm still not sure about Healy. Up until his last few caps, he'd always been outstanding, so we know he can do it and his lack of training during the summer undoubtedly had an adverse effect on him, but, at the same time, you do have to wonder why O'Neill was so reluctant to play him at Celtic in even a minor role. I've heard conflicting reports about him at Sunderland since he signed for them, but I haven't seen him enough this season to decide for myself.