FAI...New Manager is Heimir Hallgrimsson

[Main Street]

Most people agree that Whelan and Andrews partnership is not good enough but why has no one mentioned Rory Delap as an option. Not a flashy player that would anger Trap, playing regularly in Prem league over a few years, throw ins would cause havoc.

Did he retire from international football?

I thought we had made enough concessions to hoof football without having another Stoke player (Delap) in the team    Stoke are the pits.
He's just okay as a CM, definitely no improvement over what we have, he's less mobile and generally less capable than Andrews and Whelan. I thought most people would want less hoofing and more football.

Why do you think a flashy player would anger Trap?

Trap seems to like central midfielders who cover a lot of ground but don't provide any creativity only short sideway passes. That fella Green from Derby was in favour for a while.

No Irish midfilelder is playing better stuff than Hoolahan at Norwich but Trap would never pick him.

Why do you say never for that type of player? Fahey is a decent skillful player who can and has played at CM, Duff and McGeady are ever-present out wide.
I haven't seen Hoolahan play since his days with Shelbourne. I don't know why he hasn't got a call up. If he is to get a call up then it would be the friendlies early next year. Givens had a lot of time for him and predicted he would come good in the epl, if he got the chance.
At this stage, with a squad which has achieved beyond expectation having entered the playoffs as a seeded team and favorites to go through, it doesn't make any sense to consider bringing in a new midfielder which calls for a lot of changes. The time to do that is in the friendlies next year. We're in the hoof zone now, with the wide midfielders cutting inside.

[Clown]

Anthony Pilkington is playing better stuff for Norwich in my opinion - former irish u-21 international

[magpie seanie]

Most people agree that Whelan and Andrews partnership is not good enough but why has no one mentioned Rory Delap as an option. Not a flashy player that would anger Trap, playing regularly in Prem league over a few years, throw ins would cause havoc.

Did he retire from international football?

I thought we had made enough concessions to hoof football without having another Stoke player (Delap) in the team    Stoke are the pits.
He's just okay as a CM, definitely no improvement over what we have, he's less mobile and generally less capable than Andrews and Whelan. I thought most people would want less hoofing and more football.

Why do you think a flashy player would anger Trap?

Trap seems to like central midfielders who cover a lot of ground but don't provide any creativity only short sideway passes. That fella Green from Derby was in favour for a while.

No Irish midfilelder is playing better stuff than Hoolahan at Norwich but Trap would never pick him.

So long as they never, ever go ahead of the ball or into the opponents penalty area. That is a cardinal sin in Trapps philosophy.

[Jonah]

I heard this morning we have never lost a game away under Trap.
We also went 7 games or so without conceding a goal and we are now on the brink of qualifying for Euro 2012.
What ever people think of Trap and his tactics you can't argue with that record above he is getting the job done and and the end of the day the results is all that matters not how they play.

[Denn Forever]

Anthony Pilkington is playing better stuff for Norwich in my opinion - former irish u-21 international

Did I hear of him being mooted for the England Team on Football Focus?

[rrhf]

Its likely to be a borefest - I think Southern Ireland will try abd  put 14 men behind the ball.  Its all about the result though.  I still have an awful feeling though that the only Irish guys at Euro 12 will be FAI top brass on a junket. 

[stew]

Ireland will make it difficult on themselves but I expect them to go through.

[magpie seanie]

I heard this morning we have never lost a game away under Trap.
We also went 7 games or so without conceding a goal and we are now on the brink of qualifying for Euro 2012.
What ever people think of Trap and his tactics you can't argue with that record above he is getting the job done and and the end of the day the results is all that matters not how they play.

That's a perfectly legitimate position to take. Much like these: There's no need to wash you car if its dirty - it will still get you to work. There's no need to paint your house regularly - you can still live in it.

Personally I think we can achieve better results and not be as painfully boring to watch.

[Clown]

Anthony Pilkington is playing better stuff for Norwich in my opinion - former irish u-21 international

Did I hear of him being mooted for the England Team on Football Focus?

Yeah, heard a rumour he was considering switching to play for England as he thought he'd a chance of a call up
Trap should have capped him by now for us

[Main Street]

What ever people think of Trap and his tactics you can't argue with that record above he is getting the job done and and the end of the day the results is all that matters not how they play.

The results prove his tactics. He is the only one who has to prove his tactics or his argument by getting the results.
Any moron can say we can achieve better results with better football.

The best football we played was way back in the early 1980's when top teams like Holland would be man marking our midfielders to stop us from playing.

[GalwayBayBoy]

Most people agree that Whelan and Andrews partnership is not good enough but why has no one mentioned Rory Delap as an option. Not a flashy player that would anger Trap, playing regularly in Prem league over a few years, throw ins would cause havoc.

Did he retire from international football?

I thought we had made enough concessions to hoof football without having another Stoke player (Delap) in the team    Stoke are the pits.
He's just okay as a CM, definitely no improvement over what we have, he's less mobile and generally less capable than Andrews and Whelan. I thought most people would want less hoofing and more football.

Why do you think a flashy player would anger Trap?

Trap seems to like central midfielders who cover a lot of ground but don't provide any creativity only short sideway passes. That fella Green from Derby was in favour for a while.

No Irish midfilelder is playing better stuff than Hoolahan at Norwich but Trap would never pick him.

I haven't seen Hoolahan play since his days with Shelbourne. I don't know why he hasn't got a call up.

Hoolahan would never fit into Trap's "system". Much like Andy Reid. He is an attacking central midfielder. Trap always plays his two strikers, two wingers/wide men and two holding central midfielders. Hoolahan doesn't fit into any of those so in Trap's eyes he's about as useful as tits on a bull.

[TacadoirArdMhacha]

Anthony Pilkington is playing better stuff for Norwich in my opinion - former irish u-21 international

Did I hear of him being mooted for the England Team on Football Focus?

Yeah, heard a rumour he was considering switching to play for England as he thought he'd a chance of a call up
Trap should have capped him by now for us

Pilkington scored 19 goals in 92 appearances for League One Huddersfield Town between 2009 and 2011. Hardly a glaring ommission from an international squad.

[Clown]

Anthony Pilkington is playing better stuff for Norwich in my opinion - former irish u-21 international

Did I hear of him being mooted for the England Team on Football Focus?

Yeah, heard a rumour he was considering switching to play for England as he thought he'd a chance of a call up
Trap should have capped him by now for us

Pilkington scored 19 goals in 92 appearances for League One Huddersfield Town between 2009 and 2011. Hardly a glaring ommission from an international squad.

he's a midfielder so pointing to his goal record you just got from wikipedia doesn't say much, he's been very good so far this season and taken to the Premiership easily, u not watched him much i take it?

Im pretty sure he'd be a better option than Gibson, Keith Tracey Andy Keogh or the likes

[Denn Forever]

Trapattoni reveals ten of his starting team
Thursday, 10 November 2011 17:02
Republic of Ireland manager Giovanni Trapattoni has named ten of his starting team for the Euro 2012 play-off first leg game against Estonia tomorrow night.

Watch Estonia v Republic of Ireland live on RTÉ Two and RTÉ.ie (RoI only) on Friday from 7pm and follow our matchtracker on RTÉ.ie from noon.

Shay Given is in goal, the back four is comprised of Stephen Kelly, Richard Dunne, Sean St Ledger and Stephen Ward.

Damien Duff and Aiden McGeady will play on the wings. Glen Whelan and Keith Andrews form the central midfield pairing.

Team captain Robbie Keane will be partnered up front by either Jon Walters or Simon Cox.

Trapattoni will reveal tomorrow which striker gets the nod to start.

[muppet]

Hoolahan would never fit into Trap's "system". Much like Andy Reid. He is an attacking central midfielder. Trap always plays his two strikers, two wingers/wide men and two holding central midfielders. Hoolahan doesn't fit into any of those so in Trap's eyes he's about as useful as tits on a bull.

Trap obviously knows the game better than probably anyone in Ireland. He has decided that he will play a team with the likes of Duff & McGeady hugging the touchline. That means 442 and that is the only language most of our players speak. Trap has got the results so it is hard to argue with him.

But dear God Whelan & Andrews lack even the most basic passing ability. It is very hard to watch them. Surely it would be easier to try to teach a footballer to defend, particularly for a man of Traps' stature, than to have purely defensive players who are deficient in other areas, especially in such key positions?