Official team of 23 for the qualifying has just been announced,
Camp, Carroll, Mannus.
Hodson, Hughes, Evans, Mcauley, McGivern, Cathcart, Baird
Davis, Shiels, Brunt, C.Evans, McCourt, Ferguson, Norwood, Carson
Ward, Patterson, Lafferty, Little, Grigg.
My personal thoughts is the absence of Healy and Clingan is unfortunate, but justified.
Taylor is playing regularly for Millwall and should be our first choice till his retirement, age shouldn't matter, look at Pat Jennings.
McCann, and McGinn should have been included surely? McGinn has had knocks but would be a great asset for later in the campaign.
No doubt the likes of McPake will be annoyed having been brought into the fold by MON then left out. Grigg ahead of McQuoid or Kirk or even Rory Donnely who needs capped?
My strongest team out of that squad would be
Camp
Hughes Evans Mcauley McGivern
Baird
Davis. Brunt
McCourt
Lafferty Little
For away games obviously not a diamond but I would be interested to try it for a home game.
Your thoughts on the squad and best lineup would be greatly appreciated,
Cheers
Jonny
NS
MON's 23 man WC Qualifying Squad.
posted on 28/8/12
The thing is MON is trying to build a team for the future, at 40 Taylor doesn't feature in anything long term. While i agree he is probably still our best keeper playing at the same level as Camp - MON has to look forward.
Healy has had his time and will only get back in if we have injury and he is scoring for fun for Bury.
Clingan still has something to offer but needs a club.
As far as i know Mcginn is out for 2 months. McCann is a bit like Taylor for me - he is 32 now and never been a nailed on starter for us - so we must try and blood the younger player as they are the furture. Also his club future is in doubt so that may be to do with it.
Looking at your team i would have Ferguson starting for sure. His line up play with Mcgivern was good against Finland and he took his goal really well. I would just go a flat 4-4-2 or -4-4-1-1. Im not a big fan of hughes at RB or AcAuley in general but Baird will probably have to play DM so we will have to stick with that back four. I dont think McCourt will start - we need workers away from home and Shiels is more likely to do that than mccourt.
posted on 28/8/12
Comment Deleted by Article Creator
posted on 28/8/12
Random.....
posted on 28/8/12
Some good points, I agree Shiels would work harder McCourt should definatly be used as an impact sub though. Is it true the squad announced today is only for the first 2-3 matches and isn't nailed on for the whole campaign?
posted on 28/8/12
Is it true the squad announced today is only for the first 2-3 matches and isn't nailed on for the whole campaign?
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Of course it is - when has it ever been any different?
posted on 28/8/12
Jonny Evans is selected , having had surgery in the summer and not kicked a ball in anger since. Sir David isnt selected for not being fit enough , even though hes had some sort of pre-season training and scored for Bury last weekend. Strange. I would have still had him in the squad but not the starting XI.
posted on 29/8/12
Yes even if he didn't start the other strikers could learn a lot from him and his dressing room presence
posted on 29/8/12
im very much of the opinion healy has had his time and really it was up a few years ago.
The difference in and unfit evans being pick is he will come back and will play games for Man utd at the highest level.. Where healy hasn't been fit for a few years and had no game time.
posted on 29/8/12
Healy can still make an impact as a sub i think. Evans wont get anywhere near the game time he got last at Man Utd, Vidic is back dont forget.
posted on 30/8/12
Healy hasnt made any impact for NI in nearly four years. I dont see that changing. We must give the other player a proper chance instead of going back to Healy.
Evans will probably play alongside Vidic this season - Rio is becoming less of a first team player every week and smalling and jones are still learning and quite injury prone themselves and fergie seems to play the at RB more than anywhere.