Ireland 1 - 2 Serbia

Player for player we SHOULD finish above them, but you can't underestimate a settled team. Strachan will know his best team whereas Mon might need to experiment for a few games to get it bang on. FAI should have sacked Trap earlier in the last campaign as most of the fans I know were against him for a while.

yeah good point about a settled team, and i was sick of trap for well over a year before he got the sack, he did well to qualify us but we got so much luck in that campagin, estonia in the play off dream come true. He held the team back imo and you can still see some of his influence on the team but with a bit more time together and a wider pool of players being watched we can build a decent side.

With both Fletchers now fit we look stronger. There's a feel good factor about the national team at the moment

Yeah spot on mate.

McGeady was top assist-er in the last qualifying campaign. He can be frustrating at times but hopefully he can improve under Martinez and O'Neill. Personally, I think he's got plenty of talent but it's his decision making which lets him down.

Pilkington and Brady are the alternatives, both decent Premiership players, and I suppose Walters can do a job there too.

You would expect Brady in particular to rise in importance in the next couple of years. Praying (not literally) Jack Grealish declares for us. Hoping Samir Carruthers breaks through at Villa this year too.

Might be worth thinking about playing Coleman right wing against the Germans. Can cover for, perhaps O'Shea at right back while still offering an attacking outlet on the break.

While we’re happy to give the English stick for hyping up their players and believing there better than they are, I think we’ve been guilty of this as well and last night was a perfect example of how poor a lot of our squad players are. Clarke, Pilkington, McGeady, Myler, Quinn, McClean, etc….if this is the future and the guys hoping to get us to the next Euros…I’d be worried, very worried.

I think its a straight fight between us and Scotland for second place. The Poles are poor and everyone just focuses on Lewandowski however any Polish lads I know slate him as he doesnt break a sweat for Poland. The Poles also finished fourth in their recent WC qualifier group so they have serious problems. The scots are the form team of the three of us but a year is a long time and Strachan traditionally goes into teams and has a bounce which deteriorates over time. By the end at Celtic, Southampton and M'Boro they couldnt get rid of him quick enough with his quirky comments and odd personality.

Last nights game was bit jackal and hyde, good first half but very poor disjointed second half. Ward is a liablity, think we should leave Wilson wide left as we have enough options at CB without him. Also Whelan needs a spell on the sidelines as he's non existent, Meyler deserves a shot in beside McCarthy. McGeady was absolutely dire and non existent yet again, he should be well down the pecking order with Robbie Brady and Pilkington far superior in terms of end product and work rate.

A team such as should do the trick:

Forde
Coleman, O'Shea, Pearce/ Clark, Wilson
McCarthy, Meyler
Pilkington, Hoolahan, Brady
Long

Reid is the best midfielder we have and also deserves a place in the team, the only thing may be that his fitness might not be up to international level but his delivery is better than Hoolahan's

Yep Reidy or Hoolahan in the hole, but Hoolahan would get the nod slightly for me but as a Forest supporter I'm a huge Reid fan. Hoolahan's pases last night were sublime and we feel apart and offered nothing offensivley as soon as he came off. Jon Walters might also be a better shout that Pilkington in the above team

As long as McGeady doesn't play I'll be happier, he has talent but he is so frustrating, he can't run and look up at the same time and his decision making is very poor, does my head in now.