No one O’Neill would realistically chance. Hendrick has his moments but is unlikely to carve anyone open either.
The only positive is wales bar bale are also shit, so if we can nullify him we’ll be a long way down the road to a result.
I’d play Walters upfront and spring long at the end with McGeady out wide. Think long is better late in the game, he’s crap at holding it up. But I know O’Neill prefers Walters work rate on the right which is a fair view too
I would be, but I don’t think O’Neill necessarily will be.
I don’t see what other options we really have, considering the injuries. I personally am a big fan of Hourihane and would have given him time previously. If he had done alright, I would have given him a start here. But without any prior international experience, that just won’t happen.
McGeady behind the striker is the other option but as you have alluded to, he has struggled in that position in the past and I can’t see O’Neill going for that. If McGeady plays, it will be on the wing.
I don’t see any other option, all the other creative players are wingers too- Horgan, O’Dowda, Hayes. Some of them may have played centrally but they won’t here. Unless we were to go two up front, but I think that’s very unlikely.
Anyone want to make a guess at a starting eleven?
Forget it didn’t read back enough
I’m going to roll out the cliches here but O’Neill will have Ireland on the front foot. These group campaigns are similar to Champions League qualifiers and, irrespective of injury/unavailability, he’d always have his teams primed to play at a high tempo and with positivity in a home fixture. His man management skills will come into their own here too. We’ll steamroller these wankers despite not having the craft or guile to open them up in a different way.
Will he be roaring and shouting in the dressing room or just reinforcing lots of positive messages. Do you think he might invoke the spirit of McGuinness and McBride
There’ll be none of this “don’t let yourselves down” tripe. It’ll be simple, basic, positive instructions and he’ll deliver them with energy and enthusiasm. A bit like this example of when he managed John Hartson at Celtic:
I think that’s what it will be. Obvious limitations but it’s probably least unappealing to MON. I’d be leaning towards playing Walters behind Long (like Sutton away to Blackburn in the UEFA Cup in 2002/03) and using McGeady wide but I don’t think he’ll do that.
MO’N was scathing with Rafael Schmidt too.
http://www.wsc.co.uk/the-archive/26-the-strange-case-of/1675-rafael-scheidt
In addition to the line quoted here he was also reported to have said You and I have a lot in common, neither of us can run. MO’N was 48 at the time.
If McCarthy doesn’t make it then Meyler deserves his chance to slot into the middle. He hasn’t left us down anytime he has started.
If those players were to be picked I’d prefer Walters in the middle and McGeady on the wing
Walters on the right, McGeady in the middle and McClean on the left is the best equilibrium.
McClean simply has to play off the left, I don’t think McGeady is too effective on the right and Walters has done well there. McGeady is suited to the centre as he is very unpredictable in his movement and his quick feet in dangerous areas will be trouble.
http://www.fai.ie/ireland/news/video-republic-of-ireland-mnt-update
Keane’s attitude here is good. No excuses. Not focusing on missing players because it’s disrespectful to good players that remain. Need to get on with it and approach game positively.
As I see it, going on and on about the disappointment of being without players and how it makes things more difficult could become a self fulfilling prophecy*.
*Have I used self fulfilling prophecy in the right context?
What time is throw in lads ?
After the parade
I just saw the table again there, if only we had kept the foot down against what was a poor Serbia team, we could be halfway to Russia already. If we do beat Wales, we’d surely be odds-on to make the playoffs at least.
Fuck the play offs. We’re going to win the group. Wales are shite. Bale will be spending 60 mins trying his best not to get injured. The rest of them think they’re football’s elite because of what happened last year. They’ll be poncing around, trying to play tiki taka, or some fucked up form of it, against the wall of negativity that is Glenn Whelan.
We’ll attack them, we’ll cut off the supply to Bale, we’ll scare the shit out of them.
Fuck it, play McGeady as 10 (he’s shite out wide), he plays well against shite teams.
Ireland 2-0, Vol McLean with both of them.
Any news on training this morning? Has McCarthy taken part?
he’s training on his own as i type, light jogging at the mo
i cannot see him starting
