Gonna be fascinating isn’t it. Hard to know what sort of a squad hel pick initially id imagine he won’t be picking a 35-40 man squad. Will have 28-30 at most (initial 23 and a few stand by lads).

The midfield is the most intriguing area a spot we were very weak in and McCarthy Arter Brady back on the scene combined with the likes of Cullen Molumby Smallbone Knight Ronan getting very handy on the scene it could be a very new look midfield roster to the batch picked for the Denmark squad let’s say.

I see that.  assume the government have given the FAI an exception from the quarantine rules then.  

I don't think he will tbh. 

Change in personnel early on is doubtful.  I suspect no change to back four or 1 change max.   

McCarthy will replace Whelan and I think

McClean won’t start as much. 

We are likely to play a 4 3 3 

Would agree with most of that but it'd be a big call for him not to start McClean. I would say he's probably more likely to start based on nothing other than it's Kenny's first game (a competitive one) in charge and I suspect Kenny might be a bit more conservative than we think he would be. 

We'll see.  He'll probably come up with some excuse to pull out.

Maybe but in the medium term if you are trying to keep the ball you won’t have a player like McClean in your team.  

Agree with Baldrick on his point about not much personnel change but a change is approach 

The Doherty situation and how he approaches the front players will be interesting, McGoldrick and/or Long I'll guess, would love to see Obafemi and/or Connolly mind 

If, as we kinda suspect, kenny goes the 433 route, i can't see where mcclean would would fit. The midfield may very well start with three of mccarthy, hendrick, molumby, cullen, Hourihane. All of which play more central than out wide. 

Up front will be McGoldrick, long, connolly and maybe Robinson and obafemi as next in line.

Additionally - we know that mcclean is a work horse but historically we know that he's not a player to keep possession well. 

I agree but that’s where he played against Italy at euro 2016.  

That night we went with McClean long and Murphy up front and McCarthy Hendrick and Brady in midfield. 

Id be the first to admit that the goals will be hard come by but we have seen mccgoldrick play up front in a very isolated role and yet still hold up the ball, bring players into the game and cause defenders real problems.

We have seen long do the same on many occasions. I feel having both up front causing problems for defenders might work very well.

Worth a 45 minute try anyway 

           Randolph 

Doherty Egan Duffy Stevens 

      McCarthy Molumby

         Hendrick?? 

Connolly Mcgoldrick. McClean 

Is this a fair shout? Personally I’d have Robinson or Obafemi over McClean and Hourihane I think is seriously worth a shot in the No.10 role. Against teams that we will dominate the ball against (you would hope against Bulgaria and Finland that would be the intention) Hourihane in that pocket and with his set piece ability would be interesting. He’s well capable of finding the back of the net too does it consistently for a midfielder another thing worth considering in a team that may not initially have a huge amount of goals in it. 

      

Kenny obviously won’t have much time with the players but you’d hope we’d start to see how he likes his teams to play in terms of keeping the ball etc.

I assume this game will be on tv?

Dear god, the pace! 

It would be dynamite altogether wouldn’t it would real fun to watch if nothing else. Think Mcgoldrick dropping deep allowing the 2 boys Connolly and Obafemi to cut inside let’s say and allowing the full backs to overlap like the U21s could be a fun watch. 

The big one for me is Doherty. Talks of accomadating both I can’t buy it we have 2 attacking full backs Stevens and Doherty that most teams in Europe bar the few top sides don’t possess. You have them you need utilise them and I think you must have the balls to put Coleman on the bench from the get go. 

What kind of dream are you living in? Kenny has already come out and said he’s going to try to play both in the team. Anyone that things Doherty is as good a defender as Coleman needs to get their head checked. 

I agree, I don’t think there will be so much change in the squad. Given that he has said he doesn’t like naming those massive squads like the previous managers. 

Will be interesting to see what happens with Glen Whelan, will he keep him or will James McCarthy or Arter come back in. If the one or the other come back in, is there even space for Jack Byrne? Can’t see him not having Browne, Hendrick and hourihane in the squad and there is only so much room. He has also mentioned Molumby so it’s quite competitive for a spot there.

Rest of the squad picks itself really. Think it’s come too soon for Parrott

Will people be staying at home, going to the local, watch with Friends?

Beat them 3-1 only last year so would be hoping for more of the same. 

Based on 25 man squad, of which 23 available for match day squad. 

Randolph

Travers

O'Hara

Duffy

Egan

Long

Stevens

Coleman

O'Shea

Manning

Doherty

McClean

Hendrick

Cullen

Molumby

McCarthy

Byrne

Hourihane

Browne

Robinson

Long

Connolly

Idah

McGoldrick

Maguire

I can't see Phoebe or Monica being interested. 

Ross doesn't strike me as a football fan either. 

Would think now that clark is back from injury he could find a place, but maybe too early. But your defence is sound.

Midfield I would think that Byrne and Browne would be the most under threat. If like to see smallbone and knight ahead of them.

Attack I'd have obafemi ahead of maguire 

Monica's going out with an Irish lad so you never know.

I came across this the other day. Some lad from Snow Patrol or Kodaline or one of those bands. Very odd!

There must be strong grounds for calling up Jack Bonham at Gillingham. 26 and expected to start next season as number one for his club. He's been playing well the past couple of seasons in League One by all accounts.

Of course he is a better defender. That would be fine in 1996 modern football a full back is as useful for his attacking abilities as he is for his defensive abilities. Doherty is an exhibit A example of this. I presume you think their is absolutely no chance of Doherty starting right back whatsoever by that comment? 

Wolves had the 5th best defensive record in the league last season. They were remarkably solid at the back, and any problems they did have, usually came down their left hand side.

Coleman's looked far from perfect at the back for Everton, though their defense has looked as resilient as pudding in general at the best of times.

From a defense perspective, I'd have no problems with Doherty at the back. To quote Bryan Hamilton: he is big and strong, and he's good in the air and wins challenges. It goes without saying he offers more than Coleman going forward, and if Coleman is better defensively, the difference is negligible.

We've been too loyal to players in the past. Whelan's the biggest example, and you could argue McClean is another one right now. To the detriment of the team, Given has played when he clearly wasn't fit and so has Walters.

We should pick the the eleven best players and if someone isn't match fit, the manager has to be bold enough and strong enough to make that call before the match rather than trying to fight fires while it's in the balance.

Thats bollix

Plus 1,

While casually ignoring the fact that Denmark should of easily beaten us in the first game, only for some woeful finishing on their part. 

Doherty is nowhere near as effective at right back as he is playing as a wing back which gives him more freedom going forward. I would like us to try playing three at the back Coleman- Duffy- Egan and then Doherty and Stevens as wing backs but I don’t think Kenny will try that formation. Flat back four with Coleman right back and Doherty right midfield is most likely going by his previous comments.

Zero logic.......

Can someone clarify the 5 subs?

Ask any manager in world football and they would relish the prospect of having genuine competition allover the park, where it may lead to having 2 players fighting for 1 position. 

Ah come on, it was still nil-nil, duffy played an equal part in the goal giveaway too in my opinion. 

He was otherwise our best player.  

Its a very tough call though with Coleman or Doherty. I'd give Doherty a go on the wing again

You said we would have finished second only for Doherty's mistake, so basically that was the sole factor over 8 games in your eyes as to why we finished third.

Aye.......

Coleman has been better for Everton recently which is important but he's been average for ireland for a long time. If coleman gets picked ahead of Doherty, it won't be because he played himself into contention 

He’s played there before for Everton and done well. Clarke has barely kicked a ball since Christmas or played for us in a long time either. Is that enough logic for you?

No not really tbh,

Coleman has played at centre back a mere handful of times in his whole career, but yeah let's take him out of right back at the expense of a Premiership centre back.

"We will be playing 4-2-3-1 or 4-3-3"

That seems to be going over lads heads on here.

So you don’t think it is worth a try? Clark barely featured under Mick and he’s hardly a regular in the Newcastle team the last 3 years either. Sure you might aswell throw Kevin Long into the mix too. Of course if you read my original post you would have seen my comments about four at the back which I hope will fit both

Literally the only way Doherty and Coleman will be playing is if one is at right back and the other is playing at right wing.

There is zero chance that both will start in the defence.

Clark has been a regular whenever he's been fit, he had an excellent season for Newcastle before he got injured.

Ok don’t get too carried away it’s just a forum talking about the team. Once again since you really are jumping to conclusions and taking things very seriously I said that I would like to see us play like that but I also said in response to Kevin100 that as Kenny already mentioned he was going to try both players in with Doherty more than likely being on right side of midfield. Do I need to say it a third time?

I’m the last two seasons he’s made 11 and 14 appearances respectively in the league for them which is far from regular. There was plenty times when he was fit he wasn’t even included in the squad. 

I merely made a point(s), it is a forum after all.

You could start using commas btw.

Ah yes the old grammar argument when you have nothing else to say but want to anyway. If there was “nothing to discuss on that front” then why did you bother even making your point? 

Jesus wept! Daniel o donnell up front too maybe!

I made my point(s) , but for some reason you started waffling on about me supposedly quote "getting carried away, jumping to conclusions and taking things very seriously" which couldn't be further from the truth amigo. 

There is of course a big difference between wanting a manager to pick the team and tactics you would like to see, than lets say after Kenny has already told us all that "we'll be playing 4 at the back" , you still have some posters suggesting that we may play 5 at the back and having this idea of Doherty and Coleman starting in defence, which is a tad silly no?

This isn't me saying you've said that either, I'm just saying in general. 

I quoted what our manager has said, which in turn debunked the myth surrounding us playing 5 at the back  

So there wasn't anything to discuss re the 5 at the back, when I made my point on it.

Thank you. Yeah, we aren’t playing three at the back 

If it was silly this thread wouldn’t exist. Was it not silly for the posters who said that Coleman has to be dropped when Kenny has also said he’s going to try to fit both players into the team?

Stevens doesn't play left back in a back four, he plays as a wing back in a back 5... so it would be silly to ask him to play left back? 

I think players are more versatile than this

I’m only going by No.1 that Kenny has stated he won’t use a back 5 and No.2 how the U21s played if he plays 4 2 3 1 in particular with the wingers cutting in to accomadate the full backs going forward. They played a similar style Lee O’Connor for example was bombing forward at a fierce rate he spent more time in our opposition box then his own defending in that 2nd half against Sweden in the last game. 

Doherty is an exceptional wing back but I would be confident he would have no issue flourishing as a mauruading full back of deployed that way and considering you have Stevens and Doherty not to mention Manning who’s attacking stats/output in his first season at full back were insane it would be mad not to play to their strengths. 

I would have no issue with Coleman as a RCB in a back 5 btw. Ancellotti tried it with Everton and basically hinted without Coleman he wouldn’t have done it. 

Denis Irwin wrote: Match against from Bulgaria in 87 on RTE2 now.  What a starting XI we had for that game

Stapleton

Only made his debut the previous year. Evidently hadn't made his mark yet as he wasn't name checked by Hamilton during the line ups

Possibly our strongest starting 11 ever. Imagine having the luxury of playing Paul McGrath at right full & Ronnie Whelan at left full.

I fully expect this forum to blow up one the squad is announced today. 

To go from massive early squads containing everyone to a new manager with ambition picking his first squad, with the real possibility of new names (but not many...yet), it's a great time to be alive 

Haha totally agree, it would be of atomic proportions

My disappointment with Glenn Whelan being included wouldn't be Glenn's inclusion itself, it's the message that it would imply. 

while the guts of the previous couple of squads will remain, i very much expect the sense of the new beginning and possibly one or two curveballs we didn't see coming.

You're missing McGoldrick 

McGoldrick is injured and not available, he will supposedly be included for Finland

Bizarre comment regarding Byrne, he's far and away the best player in the LOI and has been nothing but impressive for Ireland in his few appearances.

Only Shane Duffy, John Egan and Lenihan

Otherwise I like the addition of Troy and Adam are very positive.
Molumby was a shoe-in but still happy to see it.

Light at the back as said but I assume we have a standby list in case anyone collapses.

O'Dowda and Obafemi don't play in the same position

Assume  O'Shea, Smallbone, Knight and Obefemi will all be in the 21s, who have huge matches as well

Bodes well for the future 

Mollumby, Parrot and Idah is great news

Does Parrott?