GIOVANNI TRAPATTONI HAS named a 26-man squad for Ireland’s upcoming friendly with Wales.
The Boys in Green travel to Cardiff for the game on August 15 before the crucial World Cup qualification double header against Sweden and Austria in September.
As part of the FAI’s Festival of Football, the Italian held a press conference in Bray’s Esplanade Hotel this afternoon.
While Anthony Pilkington, yet to make his senior debut, was again included, there was no places for QPR’s new signing Richard Dunne, rested captain Robbie Keane, the injured Kevin Doyle or Keith Andrews.
“We can draw a lot from our performances in May and June,” said Trap.
“The team showed strong character and enthusiasm against Spain, England and Georgia, and picked up three vital points against the Faroe Islands. The players have demonstrated that they are building on each game, and are working very well together.
This fixture will allow us one more opportunity to prepare for the important World Cup qualifiers in September against Sweden and Austria.
“We will use this time to experiment and develop confidence ahead of the games. I am looking forward to assembling the squad in Cardiff on August 11.”
Ireland team to play Wales: Forde, Westwood, Randolph, O’Shea, St Ledger, Wilson, Coleman, Kelly, O’Dea, Clark, McShane, Whelan, McCarthy, Green, Hendrick, McGeady, Pilkington, McClean, Brady, Meyler, Quinn, Hoolahan, Long, Sammon, Walters, Cox.
The first thing the new manager has to do in several months time is to turf out the deadwood; McShane, Green, Whelan and Cox shouldn’t be called up again.
Andy Keogh should be given another chance up front. He is incapable of playing on the wing but that is the fault of Trapattoni & nobody else.
Shane Long is the only top class striker we have. Keane has been abject in the last 15 or so games that he has played and he has just turned 33. Goals against Faroe Islands & Georgia are all well & good but he never looks like scoring in the important games. Doyle’s career is threatening to freefall. Sammon, Walters and especially Cox are all arguably not good enough. Anthony Stokes has to be given a chance.
Interesting to see if Pilkington will turn up?
I agree with most of your points bar two. Keane scores against the faroes but what about the important matches? Well they aren’t friendlies! Any qualifier is important. Secondly I don’t think stokes deserves a call up full stop, Long Keane, Keogh and Doyle should be the only options considered.
I would also like to see a midfielder play on the right, not some second rate striker doing a makeshift job when we have players who can play there.
Delighted hendrik’s in the squad as no one in the stands knew who he was when he came on vs england
McShane is playing in the Premier League now.
You know nothing about football
Should Doyle really be in the squad? Hes going to be playing league 1 football unless he gets a move, which he mightent due to his awful form over at least the. He has a fairly poor record for Ireland and I personally dont see why we persist with him.
Ive always found it curious that Irish fans knock Robbie Keane, yet leap to Doyles defence. Maybe Doyle just isnt good enough for Ireland anymore.
Doyle was probably our best player in the Euros and kept us in this qualification campaign with his goal against Kazakhstan. That’s just his recent record. He has always been integral to the way we play and has chipped in with a fair amount of goals.
Seeing Walters in action makes you appreciate just how good Doyle was at being a link man and doing the donkey work.
To see he was our best player at the Euros is hardly an achievement and even then my nod would go to Keith Andrews. And to say he kept us in qualification is a bit of a stretch. It was the first game after all! And as we know Austria and Sweden havent exactly hammered the minnows in this group either, in fact Austria dropped points against them. No doubt about it, it was a crucial goal (and a bloody cracker too), but there are so many twists and turns over a campaign that if you took away our win in Kazakhstan and we had our win against Austria, the outlook would be pretty similar anyhow.
Ive always found Doyle frustrating at international level. Works hard, but very little end product and never seems to get a goal against any team of decent quality, mostly its just another against a minnow. I would much prefer having Walters in the team. He can do everything Doyle can do, better. He links well with whoever he plays with, he can drop to the right wing and has endless energy, and he plays in the Premier League. Contrast that with Doyles form in the last 12 months. Hes been relegated twice. And hes even out of favour.
Go on a Stoke City forum called Oatcake Fanzine and read what Stoke City fans who watch him every week think.
Doyle scores more than Walters. Gets more assists. Knows how to cross the ball. Can head the ball. And doesn’t have the touch of a cow skating on ice.
I realy dont know where your getting your numbers from for goals scored. Internationally, yes, maybe, although Doyle has about 50 more caps to be fair and is only 6 goals ahead. Domestically, Walters is ahead of Doyle. One need only look at their club situation. The statistics would lie in favour of Walters anyway, albeit only just on goals, but then, I would fancy a player scoring 11 in the Premier League over someone scoring 9 in the Championship. Assists, maybe Doyle is better, not too sure being honest. But i struggle to remember the last time Doyle had a positive impact on an Irish game.
In terms of touch, neither is a wonderfully gifted player, I find Walters to be more versatile and more effective than Doyle. I cant even remember the last time Doyle scored a header for Ireland, where as instantly i can recall Walters against Estonia and against Austria. I just think its time we faced up to it that maybe Doyle isnt an automatic starter anymore.
As for watching stoke fans talk football, I’d rather gouge my eyes out with a rusty Spoon
Doyle to replace Sammon. Problem solved.
@ David
What’s your input
How would you orginise the squad
26 in the team to face Wales? Surely we’ll beat them now.
Need to get Gibson back in the squad
I love when people criticise Robbie Keane, it just shows a complete lack of footballing knowledge. If my job is to score goals & I CONSISTENTLY do it then im doing my job. Ireland need a centre midfielder & a 2nd centre half whilst Keane is still around play him cause he gets the goals.
Ah come on. The last time he scored from open play against a decent team was when he scored against France in Paris.
In 2012, he scored 1 goal in 8 matches and that was a penalty.
Before the Georgia friendly & The Faroe Islands games, he went on a run of about a dozen games without getting a shot on target let alone scoring.
He is 33 and playing in the MLS. He has no right to think he is guaranteed a place in the first team but he is anyway.
The leeds are weak and so is your knowledge of football.
Long couldn’t finish his dinner against Georgia, Robbie came off the bench and scored two.
Against the Faroes he was the only man who looked like scoring and did, 3 times!!!
Keane still has an important job to do for us and don’t let his age be a factor in your dislike for him.
God save our Keane.
Lovin’ the defence of Keane, but we must be honest with ourselves and you can’t look past anyone other than Long to get our goals for the next few Campaigns
Have you watched the last 15 or 16 games Keane played in before the Faroes/Georgia games?
I did, yeh.
Aidan White and Noel Hunt should be there along with McShane ! Leeds-Leeds-Leeds
Its July, whats he doing in the news, leave it till August.
I must be the only person who thinks Walters has a role to play in the Irish setup as a C.F. A natural target man with real physical power and a very good work rate in chasing down the L/R backs,he can fairly put himself about. It sickens me when i see him played on the wing in place of Mc Geady who imo has never lived up to his full potential,and never will. For me, the only options upfront are,Keane,Long and Walters,with Doyle,Sammon,Keogh,Cox needing some big performances soon to justify inclusion.With our midfield options improving of late we could try the –steady now– Everton style of play, hard working 5 man bustling midfield when not in posession,quite often, to a 4-2-3 on the break with Long in his W.B.A role on the right of the C.F..(Poor ‘ol Doyler,could have went to Arsenal that time,silding doors eh!)
who well win ane ways