CONOR SAMMON WILL start up front for Ireland against Austria at Lansdowne Road tomorrow night.
The Derby County target man will partner Shane Long in the team named by Giovanni Trapattoni this afternoon.
Marc Wilson has been named at full-back but he’ll be replaced by Stephen Kelly if a groin injury doesn’t clear up. Glenn Whelan returns to the midfield in place of Paul Green.
Ireland earned a creditable scoreless draw with Sweden on Friday night.
Ireland XI: Forde, Coleman, O’Shea, Clark, Wilson (Kelly if Wilson injured), Walters, Whelan, McCarthy, McClean, Sammon, Long.
More to follow
FFS sorry Wes
Can’t believe Wes isn’t starting.
Wes doesn’t start every game for Norwich either. The reason being that Norwich sometimes need all 11 players to work hard to grind out a result. That style doesn’t suit Wes.
Ireland can’t afford a luxury player against teams that will be competitive. He’ll be good against the Faroes, but I don’t see him getting a full go at Germany, Sweden or Austria.
I see what you mean mate but surely we, being the home team, should be lookibg to dominate thus game. We should be a better side than Austria and Sammon instead of Wes makes it look like we haven’t the confidence to go out at home and play attacking football with the flair of skillful players. I think he would run the game if he was put in there. Maybe the Austrians are weak in the air or something.. Guess we’ll see. I don’t know a lot about him do happy to be proven wrong, just hope it works out!
Yep, I definitely see your point. Sammon is the last player I want on that pitch on Tuesday.
I’d prefer Wes in the hole behind Long, perhaps even Walters up top. We miss a decent set piece delivery when Brady isn’t playing as well.
What Wes has is something different to anybody else in that squad. He can open a defence.
He started every game last season. Change of managers screwed him there
I was at Old Trafford last year when Wes had a storming game. Was also there this year for the same fixture and he wasn’t as effective.
The big difference in the two games was that Norwich had a go last year but played for the draw this year.
Wes thrives in teams trying to have a go.
Interestingly though the Austrian defence is a bit on the small side. Sammon may be preferred for that reason.
Never thought I would be saying this, but I would prefer is Paul Green was in the team, he did an ok job the last night, doesn’t merit being dropped
I feel sorry for Paul Green too, after putting in such effort on Friday. Glen Whelan is more experienced at this level though and plays nearly every week in the Premier League. More importantly, he is a better passer than Green, looks to play in players ahead of him rather than just lay it off to the nearest man, and provides an option as a set piece taker (not a great option mind, but an option).
Connor sammon over kevin doyle….what a joke.
He’s scored more goals than Doyle this season, the travesty is Sammon for Hoolahan, it really is a no brainer.
He has scored 1 more goal in the league and has the same amount in all competitions and Doyle has one more assist so that argument is void. His performance against Poland should have meant he never played for Ireland again.
Feck sake,put in Doyle.The man has experience at all levels.And another thing,does trap have some kind of sick fetish with Glenn whelan.
Would you prefer Green in then?
To be honest I would.Whelan has no playmaking abilities whatsoever and is usually a player who passes back or parallel.Thats it.Green is the same but he does better off the ball work.
Yes I would prefer Green over Whelan personally.
Neither can pass, but at least Green is fast enough to close the opposition down and makes the odd interception.
Whelan contributes nothing in defence or attack, if we’re being honest he was probably the main reason we got torn a new one in midfield at the Euros.
Need someone more mobile like Green or Meyler if we’re going to persist with 442.
Ideally if Darron Gibson decides to grow up we can have a Gibson-McCarthy tandem.
Green has had 2 good games in a row tbf to him. Whelan has been less than stellar for a while now.
Irish “fans” are hilarious. What happened to Green being the worst player on the planet? Did two misplaced passes and a yellow card change that?
21 March: “Paul Green starts. A disgrace.”
March 26: “Green dropped for Whelan. A disgrace”.
Glen Whelan is a better passer than Paul Green. Neither are great but Whelan is certainly better, he also can take set pieces, and pops up with the odd goal. Plus he plays every week in the Premier League, something which is used to further the cause of numerous other players, but never poor Glen.
I agree Declan, although as far back as Slovakia away Oct 2010 I’ve been saying Green is a better option as a purely defensive midfielder than Whelan.
As soon as Green got injured and went off in that game, the Slovaks started to dominate possession and we ended up drawing a game we should easily have won.
People who don’t watch/play or understand football, always underestimate the importance of good, tireless off the ball defensive work in midfield, it allows our fullbacks to get forward so we can maintain possession for longer than 5 seconds and play on the floor football, that we’ve been craving for so long.
Yeah of course he’s no Keane or Gattuso, but as of NOW he’s the best DM option, last time I checked it Gibson is not a DM.
Feed the fish and he will….. head wide from 6 yards out. As a UCD fan (one of the few), I am delighted for him, but what a joke. The man is a bald Gary Doherty. Heart goes out to Wes Hoolahan.
You’d be surprised! (there are lots of UCD fans out there)
Also I’ll be controversial by saying green done very well and what was asked should of kept his place
How does that make sense? Hoolahan is having a strong season in the PL while Sammon is having an average season in the Championship. Shocking stuff. Will be a shame that a player of Wes’ talent will not get the shot he deserves.
A disgrace that Sammon is getting a game ahead of houlihan! 2 premier league strikers on the pitch and one of them has to play on the wing to accommodate Sammon! We should play Wes behind long, then you could keep Walters on the wing, or push Walters up for Sammon and give Brady his shot…think he would be more effective at playing “foot”ball then Sammon head-the-ball!! Another tense night ahead me thinks tomorrow night!
Just for the record, I’m not sure Sammon won any of his headers against Poland. I fear the ball will just bounce back if he doesn’t have a better game.
I agree that any of our other strikers should be starting (tho I’d prefare wes off the striker), but to be fair, I don’t think Walters is playing on the wing to accommodate Salmon, think its cause he doesn’t trust Brady. Goin by his latest excuse of no Whelan no Brady, he has Whelan again and still no Brady
So we’re in for another night of lumpin it forward to the big lad up top. Well done Trap you fool of a man..
Sure didn’t Cascarino, Quinn and Gary Doherty love a ball into feet?
Ireland lumping it is hardly a new thing. Any Brenfer schoolboy will tell you that as soon as you tip off, leg it up as fast you can so that a teammate can lump it forward. We’ve been playing like that since we were kids.
yes and it was about 20 years ago when those tactics last worked. it has been proven time and time again that we need to change our footballing ‘style’ if we are to compete with decent teams nowadays. trap has zero imagination or even the balls to try something vaguely different. can’t wait til he’s gone.
We didn’t lump it last Friday an we did ok .. Never looked like scoring but i’m sure we had at least 50 percent posession which hasn’t happened against a decent team for years.
Long and keane had two great chances. Keane would have scored his if he was sharper and fitter
I assume Trap is sending out the Fish to batter the Austrians backline and soften them up for the first hour, before sending on Wes to demolish them in the final half an hour.
I really hope so, or else this is just more uber-cautious conservative nonsense from Trap.
There is actually quite a bit of logic in that approach. the game will likely be more open towards the end and leave space for Hoolahan to pick some passes.
He looks like an ear bud and just as useful on the pitch
McClean better not waste every set piece again. He’s been less than impressive for us so far.
Sammon up top is a worry. I wouldn’t trust Long to put it in the net at the moment either. Struggling to see where a goal will come from.
We miss McGeady a lot.
McGeady is muck
Our top assister in the Euros campaign.
Still a complete waster that NEVER comes up with a big moment after all the hype…
Despite the set pieces i thought Mclean did well the other night. Alot better than he has played at club level this season. Mcgeady is a joke. Any amount of stepovers, beat the man then float the ball into the goalies hands or hit the first defender. No matter how much speed or skill he has if he can’t cross a ball he’s no good to us.
No doubt about it. The man is frustrating as hell and his final ball can be atrocious.
With that said, he was still our top assister in the last campaign and one of the only players we have who can dribble and take on players at speed.
@Barry that’s spot on about McGeady he has no end product or conviction…McLean gave us much more than McGeady, more pace & commitment he will be twice the players McGeady is
McGeady is far more skillful than Mclean, and maybe a bit underrated by fans. McLean is a crash bang wallop player, but very limited. He had his best game for Ireland on friday, but will be found out again, the more he plays, as has happened at club level.
Crazy decision,sometimes i think trapp just does things to piss people off
I’m with you there Derek
Sammon might poach a goal, he can be a slippery customer
He has some leap on him
and the knowledge
He has some bite in he’s tackle
Feel sorry 4 sammon he is a young player and should never be put in this situation in a must win game with only his second cap,he will get stick from every corner 4 any mistake he makes. Clear as day that Wes or possibly Walters shud start with long. Fingers crossed it will work out but very worried to gud football we played on fri night will now go back to lumping it forward.
“he will get stick from every corner 4 any mistake he makes”
The problem therefore is not with the players, or the manager, but the fans.
Yes, after a buzzing atmosphere at the friends arena, we can now look forward to the roar of the aviva. We are awful fans at home.
It’s just a natural reaction,take it out on the easiest target. Green got it 4 giving the ball away even tho he put a decent shift in!!
we didnt get one shot on target in sweden surely a better player on the ball at home feel sorry for real ireland fans who are going to this game why not go for it with wes. trap is a chicken
I think the team played well against Sweden in spite of Trap. not because of him. He deserves the same type of treatment he has given some of our players. A text to say he is not being considered as part of our future plans.
What utter rubbish. The standard of football fan in this country is horrid.
I wouldn’t be surprised if the decision came down to height. The Austrian centre halves are both only about 6ft. Other than Walters or O’Shea, we also lack a bit of height at set pieces. Could be the reason for a taller Sammon to get a start.
I feel like ripping up my ticket…
How is Hoolohan not starting??
Whelan oh my god how is he recalled?
It will be long balls lumped up to Sammon all nite
The Sammon rises…
What does Wez have to do, we need to win this game
Now you’re talking. Ireland finally back to full strength. COYBIG !
I do feel sorry for Connor Salmon in this situation. He is the type of player you might bring on with 10 minutes to go to try and nick a goal of a rebound. He unfortunately does not have the skill to play at this level whereas Wes Hoolihan has shown in the few chances that Trap has given him that he has all that is required.
This manager needs to go. Remember that man of the match Mc Carthy was only in the team as a result of an injury to Glenn Whelan (who will once again be found out )
I would love to see a win against Austria but this team set up is a joke.
Wes Hoolahan has shown he can do it from the bench – change the game, particularly when it is more open late on.
It was a good performance from green as a first competitive start, but Ireland players have a history of big performances on their first competitive starts. It is long forgotten now, but Glenn Whelan scored and won man of the match on his first competitive start. Let’s see what the Sammon can do.
Sammon ahead of Houlihan….something smells fishy…..
If sammon can play for ireland then i can
After Fridays performance I was looking forward to the Austrian game, however the stupid preference of Sammon over Hoolahan signals another frustrating night at the Aviva .I predict a nil all draw.
Giovanni Trappatoni does not make life easy for himself by picking what the most popular team would be. he picks the team that he believes is best equipped for each particular game, while ignoring what is said by the fans, pundits and papers.
This is exactly how it should be, and it is why he is paid all of that money. If the team was picked on what it says in the papers, we would have one centre back, three wing backs, three attacking midfielders, three wingers, no striker and a fly goalie. We’d be like an even crappier version of Scotland.
We’ll get the result, but Sammon starting?
WAT.
Hoooooof!!
bob carthy u are not often right but you are bang on with that comment
Salutations Mr Von Trapp. Wait till you hear them sing!
Good squad. Now we need 3points
I Was very happy to see Forde throwing the ball out to his full backs a lot last Friday. With Sammon up front, think we’re gonna be back to lonnnnnnnnngggg balls…crappatoni !