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King: took a very hands-on approach to his first session in Malahide. INPHO/Donall Farmer

King to keep Ireland cards close to his chest until matchday

Interim Ireland boss Noel King took his first training session in Malahide today.

NOEL KING WILL break with Giovanni Trapattoni’s tradition and keep his Ireland team under wraps until shortly before kick-off against Germany.

Although Ireland’s World Cup hopes are effectively dead, the interim manager has no intention of showing his hand ahead of Friday night’s trip to Cologne.

Trapattoni, who was sacked last month following defeats against Sweden and Austria, was often criticised for giving opponents a sneak peak at his plans by announcing the starting 11 at his pre-match press conference.

Speaking following his first training session in Malahide today, King said that he is keeping an open mind on his team but that every player in the 23-man squad was included for a particular purpose.

Following the withdrawal of Keiren Westwood and Jon Walters through injury yesterday, there were no fresh concerns today although Damien Delaney, Ciaran Clark, Aiden McGeady and Kevin Doyle all sat out training.

Shane Long, Anthony Pilkington and Marc Wilson are all due to join the squad tonight as will Robbie Keane who scored two goals for the LA Galaxy last night.

“There’s two games coming alongside each other which will be different I would imagine in style and tempo,” King said. “The squad has been picked for those two games.

Everybody in the 23 squad is in. They’re not in just to come and have a trip. We did reduce the squad and it’s difficult reducing the squad, so everyone who is there is there for a reason.

Whether that reason is a full 90 minutes, a half performance, a game against Kazakhstan, a half game against Kazakhstan, a half team against Germany, that will unfold. I don’t know yet.

King has already showed his intent by recalling Andy Reid, Darron Gibson, Anthony Stokes and Kevin Doyle from their international exile and he says that he’s under no obligation to follow Trapattoni’s lead when it comes to picking a team or tactics.

“The team is going to be picked from my head, from the staff’s head, from talking to people, looking at performances in training, looking at Germany and  seeing who is well suited to do certain jobs on the park. That will be the team.

If that happens to be the same team who went out the last game — well it can’t be [due to suspensions] — but if it was, that would just be pure coincidence.

He added: “I’ll look at the Germans and look at what we have that will cater for the occasion on the night. That’s how the team will be picked.”

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22 Comments
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    Mute John Lally
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    Oct 7th 2013, 7:28 PM

    Imagine if in a complete u turn of events Ireland hammer Germany and the Kazakh’s. Sweden and Austria lose both games and Ireland qualify. I’d say you’d be talking about 100,000/1

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    Mute Joe Bet
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    Oct 7th 2013, 10:27 PM

    Sweden and Austria can’t lose both games as they have to play each other

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    Mute Billy Nomates
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    Oct 7th 2013, 11:54 PM

    We have to do well for the Euro seedings

    16
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    Mute Ciaran Purdy
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    Oct 7th 2013, 10:27 PM

    Heard the lads were out on the rip last night in Lillie’s, perfect way to introduce them back to the good oul days

    26
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    Mute Darren
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    Oct 7th 2013, 9:43 PM

    Forde
    Coleman Clarke ledger Wilson

    Gibson. McCarthy
    Pilkington. Reid/hoolahan. Mcgeady

    Long
    We have to pack midfield to have any chance go man to man on ozil and not leave too much space in between the lines or behind the back four.

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    Mute dave
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    Oct 7th 2013, 7:28 PM

    It’s so refreshing that ireland has a manager that speaks the same language as the players.
    Irish people can barley understand each others accents.especially Dublin ,cork and Donegal.
    As a cork man both liked it but couldn’t understand it!!
    Just get the best man in Johnny boy.

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    Mute Ger Murphy
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    Oct 7th 2013, 10:58 PM

    The Germans must be crapping themselves.

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    Mute Steve
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    Oct 7th 2013, 8:01 PM

    I’d like to see Forde, O’Brien, Delaney, Clark, Wilson, Coleman, McCarthy, Hoolahan, Reid, Stokes, Keane.

    I think after all the uproar with Traps selections we are going to still see one of Whelan or Green. I don’t rate either of these and we don’t have any other good defensive midfielders so I would abandon that formation and play as above with Hoolahan pushing forward to make it 4-3-3

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    Mute John Thomas
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    Oct 8th 2013, 7:13 AM

    Looking forward to Dunphys post match rant on King.

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    Mute jack arse
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    Oct 7th 2013, 7:21 PM

    11-1 Ireland win,Germany through already,might not play full tilt,wouldn’t surprise me if we win but lose 3-0 to kazaks

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    Mute David Keogh
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    Oct 7th 2013, 8:08 PM

    With a second string Germany team we might get a draw!

    I’m an Ireland fan, but I’m realistic!

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    Mute Ross Power
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    Oct 8th 2013, 7:46 AM

    Germany have only lost 2 World Cup qualifers…..ever

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    Mute Big Pat
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    Oct 8th 2013, 8:33 AM

    And neither to us Ross. Incidentally.

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    Mute Ger
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    Oct 8th 2013, 2:43 AM

    I’d like to see…..

    Forde

    Coleman, Clarke, O’Brien, Wilson

    Pilkington, Gibson, McCarthy, Reid, McGeady

    Long

    I don’t think Keane has the legs to play as a lone striker. 4/5/1 when we don’t have the ball and 4/3/3 the rare time we do. Can’t see us getting a result realistically but don’t think we’ll get hammered like last time either.

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    Mute James Quinn
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    Oct 7th 2013, 8:24 PM

    Reus is out so a little bit of good news for King but he could have got an easier game to start with. Hopefully Dunne continues his club form of not conceding any goal yet with QPR but chances of doing that are pretty slim.

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    Mute Brian Moynihan
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    Oct 7th 2013, 8:57 PM

    Dunne is suspended

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    Mute James Quinn
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    Oct 7th 2013, 9:14 PM

    Oh ya haha We are fecked.

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    Mute Graham Carrick
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    Oct 8th 2013, 12:53 AM

    A scrappy 1-0 for the Germans on Friday and a 3-0 home again Kazakhs on the Tuesday. A nice correct score double

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    Mute Fergal Kelly
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    Oct 8th 2013, 12:59 AM

    Think the Germans will put three past us and we’ll do the same to Kazakhstan

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    Mute Nick Menezes
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    Oct 7th 2013, 9:01 PM

    would like to see 4-3-3 in an ideal world

    Forde

    Coleman-Clark-Delaney-Wilson

    Gibson

    McCarthy-Reid

    McGeady-Stokes-Hoolahan

    But I reckon Whelan will get the nod ahead of Gibson,St.Ledger will be in for Delaney and Keane probably in for Stokes

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    Mute Nick Menezes
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    Oct 7th 2013, 9:02 PM

    and Hoolahan will definitely not be on the wing

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    Mute Peter Ryan
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    Oct 8th 2013, 8:35 AM

    hoolahan v schweinsteiger ? lol your havin a larf. He is too small

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