Who will score the goals from now on?

mike65

Its been comming as surly as the next tax return but now its happened, big Niall has retired. So now what happens I see no
lanky 6' 4" strikers on the horizon never mind right now, so can McCarthy turn Keane plus a.n.other into an effective foward partnership and who should the other be? Morrison, Duff, Connelly (sorry!)?, anyone else out there?

Mike.

zAbbo

afaik there`s a few strikers around, but none as yet ready to step up to the big time.

Michael Reddy (sunderland)
Liam george (arsenal?)
Gary Doherty(Spurs)

Theres bound to be a few more....

Dustaz

Richard Sadlier is probably the brightest hope. Also, Morrison is untested, he may come good in the Euro qualifiers.

This is not a new problem, weve been looking for a striker to replace quinn since 94 for gods sake:)

This has been solved by relying on midfielders to score goals. (which is where most of our goals have come from)

mike65

I forgotten about Sadlier, good call! In the meantime does anyone understand cloning? He ain't no Owen but Robbie is the best Irelands got.

Mike.

zAbbo

I belive that in the way we play(442 ATT) we should have a big man up front a small quick striker to play off him.

Ok heres a mock team

GK: Shay Given
DL: ??????????
DR: Steve Finnan
DC: Andy O Brien
DC: John O Shea
ML: Duff
MR: Reid
MC: Matt Holland
MC: ???????????
FC: Robbie Keane
FC: ???????????

Looks good and with a couple of players from this world cup campaign also playing a vital role.

Breen
Cunnigham
Steve Carr(inj?)
McAteer
Kilbane(ahhh)
Clinton Morrison
Richard Dunne(honey monsta)

Ian Harte(providing he sings the national anthem)
and a few more i cudn`t be bothered remembering.

Sand

I think Ireland needs one of two things - either a midfielder who can actually take the ball and create chances for strikers by passing the ball along the ground, or a tall lanky git (Quinn Jnr if you would) who can actually make use of the long balls we seem to resort to when we run out of ideas, which happens all too often when the tried and tested Kilbane technique of kicking the ball and running after it fails.

O Brien or O Shea could be the answer for central defence, O Sheas got a fairly good chance of getting into Man Uniteds first team this season if Ferguson doesnt splash out on a defender - Blanc is old, and johnsen is gone, so leaves an opportunity for O Shea.

Someone mentioned before the idea of playing Kilbane at left back, certainly its interesting because you cant have too much complaints about Kilbanes defensive work. Hed probably get exsposed though by quality wingers though, so maybe Gary Kelly.

Dustaz

i think Cunningham and Breen will probably be first choice for the euro qualifiers anyway.

Is there any friendlys before the moscow game to look at healy, reid and possibly sadlier? also, where is McPhail at these days? ive completly lost track of him

leeroybrown

Over the course of the next qualification campaign we'll probably need to use players that weren't relied on to a great degree before. With the retirements of Quinn and Stan (and lets not forget Alan Kelly) there will be an extra place in the squad and two outfield players will have been promoted up the substitution order.

I'm sure Mick will be eager to give another striker a chance to impress as I'm pretty sure that given the option he'd rather have a Target Man (well more so than Duff or Keane), Robbie Keane and Duff raiding from wide.

Maybe if we're lucky Mick and Roy might sit down over a cup of tea and give each other a good bollócking thus reaching an arrangement.

bugler

Hopefully the many young irish centre backs will progress fast, we need another Moran/McGrath like figure. As for where the goals will come from, I'd be in favour of playing Duff on the wing, where he himself is happiest, and then try out Morrison/Sadlier with Keane. I think Morrison could do well...

Dustaz, last I heard, McPhail went on loan to Millwall for the last couple of months of this season. He hasn't really progressed as much as we'd like. Let's hope he doesn't go the way of Alan Maybury (to Hearts :P)

plastic membrane

McPhail got sent off in his first loan game at Millwall. Things not looking good for the former great white hope. He had better have a good season wherever he goes, otherwise he'll dissappear off the radar altogether.

As fof the strikers, well if Sadlier is as good as he's supposed to be, we'll be laughing. And Steve Carr will be back soon, Gary Breen had a brilliant World Cup, John O'Shea plays for Man Utd, and they know a good player (with the exception of the bloody Neville's). Things look good.

Johnny_the_fox

Originally posted by bazH
Liam george (arsenal?)

he was at luton, then had a wee spell at a couple other clubs
I last heard he was at Stevenage.......


my Ireland team

Given, Babb, Finnan, Breen, Cunningham (C), Reid, Holland, Kinsella\Healy, Duff <should be given in a free role maybe a 4-3-1-2 formation>, Keane, Sadlier.

Left overs: Carr, Kelly, Harte, O'Shea etc...


Possible future players:
GK: Joe Murphy (Tranmere Rovers)
MR: Richie Partridge (Liverpool)
ML: Thomas Butler (Sunderland)
ML: Shaun Byrne (West Ham United)




<edit> Who will score the goals?: Robbie Keane....... the world cup will, has made him a better player

NeRb666

I think Keane and Morrison would be our best striking option, with Duff on the left and Reid on the right. I was disappointed that Morrison wasn't given a chance in the world cup.