ANTHONY STOKES’ RECENT form has led Celtic manager Neil Lennon to suggest that the 23-year-old deserves a recall to the Irish squad.
With Kevin Doyle suspended, and both Robbie Keane and Shane Long unlikely to be fully fit for the upcoming games, Stokes has been tipped to be included in the squad.
And Lennon believes his striker is more than capable of filling the void caused by Ireland’s striker crisis.
Speaking to reporters, he said:
“He is showing great maturity and he’s shown he can do it at the higher level.“He just needs to get some consistency in his domestic form.”
And in addition to Stokes, Ireland have other credible options up front, despite the potential loss of arguably their three best attackers.
Leon Best, like Stokes, was ignored by Trapattoni during the last squad selection. However, the Newcastle man’s excellent form of late may yet convince Trapattoni to take a gamble on him.
Meanwhile, both Simon Cox and Jonathan Walters produced good performances in Ireland’s most recent qualifier against Armenia, and so Trap may opt to stick with the tried and trusted.
Alternatively, given how Ireland were overrun in midfield away to Russia, he may disown his preferred 4-4-2 formation and choose to play a lone striker.
So assuming Robbie Keane and Shane Long are unable to feature, who do you think should start up front for Ireland in the first leg away to Estonia?
Packie Bonner. Throw Estonia off their game. They won’t be expecting it.
I was a Long Cox man myself before injury disrupted . Keen on Cox at his best or Best at his keenest but Keane Cox is best combination but without injuries we could have gone all out attack with our Best Long Cox.
Trap is a a fan and probably wishes he had three Cox to choose from. Trap could use Cox to get in behind them and keep hammering at the last man, this is Cox at his best but Best longs for the opportunity denied Long.
He could start with Long Cox, pummel them for 20 mins, then as they tire a bit, pull Long off at half time and then he couldn’t do better than Best.
Walters cant be ruled out but he is not great for wordplay.
Cox & Walters with Best on the bench. Stokes is playing in a league that is on a par with (some would justifiably argue inferior to) the Championship in England and consequently shouldn’t be given serious consideration.
It will be a positively gung-ho 4 4 2 with Cox and Walters, at a guess. Away goal, then park the bus.
No alarms, no surprises, as Thom Yorke once wrote.
‘One of the above and an extra man in midfield’ – I wouldn’t put it past Trap to play three defensive midfielders actually.
Now is not the time to introduce players who have not featured (or have featured rarely) in the campaign so far. We need to stick with what has gotten us this far and then if we qualify we can experiment in the friendlies before the championships. Trap has to start with Cox and Walters up front
4-3-3 anyone. ???? Hunt, whelan, coleman
mc geedy, cox, duff
What about mc carthy
On a form basis, Stokes and Best have to be the combination we go for. I don’t think we should go for a more negative (because it will be negative, knowing Trap) 4-5-1, we’ll have nothing to aim for up front. My worry would be that neither of those two have really played with the team or with each other and therefore would introduce even more disjointed play to our already fairly blunt attack…
Long Cox Best……according to the girl who gave me a red card
Is that Martin de brudder Fitzpatrick what lives be de shankill
Would yah not go for a frontline that’s actually play week in week out and not warming the subs bench. Best has to play
David Norris
We are the only team in the world, as far as I can see, who play the standard 4-4-2 that expired as soon as Barcelonas’ dominance of the world game began.
We need to drop one of the front men far deeper than they currently play because to set out like we did against Russia or Armenia is asking for trouble. We were lucky in both games and it is clear that even teams with inferior players can control possession and dictate play with ease as demonstrated by Armenia.
So to sum up Walters with Cox playing a free role in midfield
Barcelona we ain’t
Wheres Andy Keogh? Playing great stuff for leeds!
Keogh, Best, Woolahan, Walters, Cox – some of ‘em.
Cox playing in a free role in front of Andrews and Whelan, two players not noted for more than rudimentary distribution of the ball?
As much use as tits on a fish, Im afraid. That system is progressive, and reliant on effective movement and ball retention-too sophisticated for Trap and beyond the means of our central midfield, in my opinion.
No no I wouldn’t play Andrews. I’d have McCarthy in for him. But that’s another days argument
Any one but keane! Yes he’s our top goal scorer and we have alot to thank him for but to many misses in the last six year have cost us dearly in terms of reaching tournaments. Time to give best, stokes, long ,Walters and cox a go, doyle needs a new striking partner
Keane is likely to feature for LA Galaxy in the MLS playoffs so no reason he won’t be fit for the Estonia match.
My guess is he’ll start alongside Walters
What about a “don’t care” option?