Ireland Vs. Norway

I'm a bit disappointed about Trappatoni's team selection again for tomorrow. This is the starting line-up.

Republic of Ireland team v Norway: Given (Manchester City); Kelly (Fulham), O’Shea (Manchester United), O’Dea (Ipswich Town), Cunningham (Leicester City); Lawrence (Portsmouth), Fahey (Birmingham City), Whelan (Stoke City), Duff (Fulham), Long (Reading), Doyle (Wolves).

At least he's dropped Green, but Whelan is simply not good enough. How is it that Wilson and Delap, especially the latter, are good enough to start for Stoke and Whelan isn't - and yet when it comes to Ireland those two are shunned in favour of this uninspiring and average-at-best mediocrity. Gibson, Delap, Wilson, McCarthy (when fit) and O'Shea are better centre-mid options (before anyone laughs at the last one, O'Shea often plays there for Man Utd). Don't even get me started on the omissions of Coleman, who has been brilliant for Everton, and Walters, who has looked the best Irish forward in the EPL this season. O'Dea? I'd much prefer Dunne and St. Ledger.
This would be my team, sticking to 4-4-2, and I think it looks quite good actually.

Given/Westwood

Coleman/Foley - Dunne - St. Ledger - Cunningham/Harte

Duff/Lawrence - Fahey - Gibson/Clark/O'Shea - McGeady

Walters/Long - Doyle/Stokes


Treacy should be getting a look-in too. Also, Ian Harte has been one of the best players in the Championship this season, scoring goals almost every game. Like Delap, he never retired but has been forgotten, and has been a revelation this season. If McCarthy weren't injured he would walk into that team by the way.

 

no stokes??

 

Good shout.

 

Ah, come on, there must be a few Ireland fans on this forum. No opinions?

 

Stokes shoud definitely be in the squad. There are only 3 strikers in the squad ffs, and Stokes has been playing really well.

 

Good luck Ireland.

 

O'Dea the only one who doesn't play in the premiership.

Good luck Ireland.

 

Im fed up of having a go at trap and his team selection. Delap,The two reids,Ward are all playing regurley yet he never calls them up.Also why isnt Coleman or Wilson starting? we have seen enough of whelan this was a chance to see what Wilson would be like in the centre of the park.

 

im shocked to see green being capped, it does my head in

 

I wish mate, but we've got players from Portsmouth and Reading starting tonight. Foley's another very good prem player who's been ignored.

 

Feel sorry for Foely the most, hes brillant good for wollves the last two years and he has showed up for every squad in the last two years and has only three caps, onewhich was coming on in the last two minutes of the game. Thats traps fault, he doesnt make subs and when he does its nearly always around the 85th minute or so.

 

*, im a fud. haha.

 

You're right though, we could easily have a team of prem players if Trap chose them. This would be Ireland's premiership team:

Given

Kelly/Coleman - Dunne - Clark/O'Shea - Foley/Ward

Fahey - Delap/Wilson - Gibson/McCarthy - Duff

Keane/Walters - Doyle

 

S.Reid is playing in the premiership as well with West Brom as are Whelan and Andrews.

 

True, but Reid's retired and Whelan/Andrews are worse than the other Irish premiership midfielders.

 

Reid never retired trap did it for him,after he got his long term injury over a year ago trap rang him after the fall out with sam allardyce and told him he will never be fit enough to play for ireland again. Just last month Reid said he will be available if Trap ever needs him again.

 

If that's true, Trap is an idiot. Well, I suppose I knew that already - * all the titles he's won: If you think that Paul Green is good enough for Ireland, you're mental. You can add Reid to the long list of players that should be playing for Ireland...
S. Reid, A. Reid, Coleman, McCarthy, Walters, Stokes, Foley, Ward, Clark, Wilson, Delap, Treacy, Harte, Gibson, Meyler, Hunt maybe.
Also, there is a long list of players that are consistently played despite being *: McShane, Kilbane, Green, Keogh, Folan, Whelan, Andrews.

 

Sorry to moan, but Barry MacGuire is another midfielder who should have been called up by now. He plays for Utrecht and scored against Celtic to knock us out of Europe earlier this season. The problem is, he's eligible for both Holland and Ireland, and has said he would play for Ireland if he received a call-up. He also said that he hasn't had any contact from the FAI for about a year! He's one of Europe's hottest young prospects but Ireland are on course to waste another potential great. We should stick him on in a meaningless friendly like tonight, but while Trap's here, I can't see anything like that happening.

 

Come on ROI!

 

Kick off at 19:45.