Austria v Ireland - 12 November

Sport
21

Stephen Ward is also carrying an injury - not sure how serious it is.

Harry Arter should have a good chance of starting if McCarthy’s absent.

Something like:

Randolph;
Coleman, Duffy, Clark, Ward;
Arter, Whelan, Hendrick,
McClean, Walters, Brady.

22

I saw the comments him and Marty were making. It sounds like McCarthy’s in a horrible situation now. He’ll surely come with us but he’s already struggling at Everton and Koeman is a fiery fella.

Northern Ireland have called up Stuart Dallas despite him not playing for us the last 5 weeks with injury and we’ve not complained. It’s a huge game, what does he expect? It’s not for another week and a half anyway.

23

Cyrus Christie is out for a minimum of 3 months after getting broken up at the weekend.

Did Stephen Ward play on Saturday, chaps?

I think the squad is gathering today and first training session is tomorrow morning so the updated injury picture will emerge then.

24

no he didn’t mate

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25

The announcement of the pared down Irish squad is imminent.

The FAI twitter account has hinted that Boyle and Horgan will be included.

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28-man squad announced.

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Is that the same Colin Doyle that used to play for Birmingham?

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Bare bones in that squad.

I take it Brady will play at left back.

I’d go:

Randolph

Coleman
Keogh
Clark
Brady

Hendrick
Arter
Whelan
McClean

Hoolahan

Walters

29

Any chance O’Neill would go 3 at the back with Coleman and Brady as wing backs?

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I think Brady is a certainty to play left back, especially given the other defenders available. O’Shea is well past being able to get up and down the flank and Clark is the only other real option but he doesn’t play there much at all. I also reckon O’Neill will retain Duffy despite his error for the Moldova goal.

It’s definitely set up for Arter to get his first competitive start what with McCarthy being out, Brady likely to revert to left back and Walters probably vacating a wide attacking spot to play upfront. If Ward was fit and Brady was in midfield then I would have plumped for him leaving Hoolahan out but I think he’ll get a start now as it’d be too conservative to have Whelan, Arter, Hendrick and one of Meyler and O’Kane in some kind of midfield diamond. O’Kane is meant to be performing very well for Leeds so could be one of the first off the bench.

Walters has been fairly sluggish in the opening games of the campaign - he looks like he’s lost a bit of pace and isn’t getting to the ball quick enough to use his physicality. I’m not sure if this is the start of his decline or whether it’s just a slow start to the season.

Overall, I think it’ll be the same starting team as yours with the exception of Duffy in for Keogh.

31

Yes, he’s Bradford goalie these days.

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@Bandage
delighted you enjoyed the cup final, some good posting also
ill be over on that thread in a while to get my replies in and updates
w.r.t the squad, can someone tell me what the crack is with this Alex Pearce fella, has anyone ever seen him play? does he start for his club, ? anything? his international career seems to be just him jetting around hooking up with the squad, he is to us as to who WIll Grigg is to the proddies,. he dosent seem to exist.
Its bare bones stuff allright, im an awful man for picking players who are in form and are playing,
I wouldnt be starting Randolph at all really, the comms between him and the back 4 were awful in Chisinau ( there were a few howlers with Coleman ) , this is a combination of match practice and obviously understading your defense but every international team has this challenge
its a very bad situation when your goalkeeper is not playing, now obviosuly these lads are playing football for money only and they need to maximise their earning potential and theyll happily keep a bench warm, but this is a really bad place we find ourselves in when our keeper isnt playing regularly
If O Shea isnt fit ( he looked miserable when taken off v arsenal 2 weeks ago with a hamstring, its a situation now where you are waiting for him to pop, so scratch that, ill be going with Keogh and Clark, Keogh is a solid ould warrior, CLark is getting better and learning to play, we need these guys to learn how to play together, Duffy is an alternative but the man cannot start, what happened in Lyon and Chisinau is not good enough, please let Clark and Keogh learn how to play together

i can see him starting Meyler in there with Whelan also unfortunatly
i dont agree, id fine in Arter but , MON usually goes conservative
Walters will start up front.
If we are pushing to get a result and smell blood it would be great to see Horgan, O Dowda and Rooney three bang in form fearless mother fuckers thrown on to go out and try and win it,
that’ll never happen tho

itll be a long night
2-0 austria

33

Pearce has been starting for Derby recently, but I’d love to see Egan given a chance in the squad; think he is the future at centre-back.

Is Hourihane injured? I’d like to see him start to get involved too. Glad to see Horgan & Boyle make the final cut, although you’d imagine they’re still a long way from getting on the pitch.

Be very surprised if Randolph doesn’t start, but I would be leaning towards Westwood.

Coleman is a certainty at right-back, there is not a single left-back in the squad so Brady will have to play there. I don’t know how good or not Cunningham is, but you’d think that he has to start coming into squads because of our lack of options at left-back. Or Dane Massey, who I always thought would be the Dundalk defender who’d make a squad rather than Boyle. A big step up to be starting for Ireland, obviously, but we are short on options. I’d be a Keogh/O’Shea partnership person but if O’Shea is injured/out of favour, I’d pick Clark over Duffy. I imagine MON will go with the latter two.

With Brady, Quinn and McCarthy out of midfield, you’d imagine Arter will finally come in. A good footballer and a narky fucker aswell, picks up a lot of yellow cards. I’d say it will be him with Whelann & Hendrick. I’d be surprised if Wes & McClean don’t also play.

Walters up front, as I don’t think Rooney is good enough and he clearly doesn’t fancy McGoldrick or Doyle at this stage. I would say that Doyle is the most likely of those to get on the pitch.

O’Dowda as the first attacking sub, would love to see Horgan as another option but I’m not sure he’ll see gametime.

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34

Don’t think so. Just cut from the provisional squad.

35

I’ve seen him a couple of times this year, has impressed me; I’d have him over Gleeson personally.

36

He’s out of contract in the summer so I reckon Barnsley will have to deal with a few bids for him in January.

37

Austin ???

38

McGeady must play

39

He was named in the Championship team of the week just gone.

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Just the once ???