Updated at 12.33
Will Slattery
(Wes Hoolahan has been in fine form for Norwich this season)
What the team should be: Forde, Coleman, O’Shea, Clark, Wilson, McCarthy, Whelan, McGeady, Hoolahan, McClean, Walters. (4-2-3-1)
What the team will be: Forde, Coleman, O’Shea, Keogh, Wilson, McGeady, McCarthy, Whelan, Walters, McClean, Keane. (4-2-3-1)
Ideally I would like to see Hoolahan in the team in an advanced role because he keeps possession well and could create space for McGeady and McClean out wide. Robbie Keane has been in great form for LA Galaxy but Walters has been just as good in the Premier League so he gets the nod in my hypothetical team. As for the real thing, MONKeano don’t usually like to start Hoolahan so I think they will go for our record goal scorer with Walters playing in the next line of attack just behind him.
Steve O’Rourke
(Shane Long recently broke his goalscoring duck in Southampton’s 2-0 win over Burnley)
What it should be
Forde,
Coleman, O’Shea, Clark, Brady,
McCarthy, Whelan,
Walters, Hoolahan, McClean,
Long
I don’t believe for a second this will be the team that lines up on Sunday night but, if O’Neill is true to his word — that Wes Hoolahan is better suited to starting Ireland’s home games — then he should name him. This means there’s no room for Robbie Keane of course with Long’s movement making him the better choice as the sole striker. With Poland preferring to play through the middle rather than attacking the channels, O’Neill should use McCarthy and Whelan to protect the relatively inexperienced Clark.
What it will be
Forde,
Coleman, O’Shea, Wilson, Ward
McGeady, McCarthy, Whelan, McClean,
Walters
Keane
Ryan Bailey
(Ciaran Clark has been in good form for Aston Villa recently)
Likely XI: Forde; Coleman, O’Shea, Keogh, Wilson; McGeady, McCarthy, Whelan, McClean; Walters; Keane.
What it should be:
Forde
Coleman, O’Shea, Clark, Brady
McCarthy, Whelan
McGeady, Hoolahan, McClean
Keane.
Throughout the week, O’Neill has insisted his side will ‘go for it’ on Sunday but it’s hard to envisage the manager sending his players out set up in a formation that leaves Ireland vulnerable. The options in personnel are plentiful, particularly further forward, but it would be another big call to leave Robbie Keane on the bench. At the back, Ciaran Clark’s form for Villa merits inclusion ahead of Richard Keogh while, regardless of his fitness, Stephen Ward shouldn’t be considered, with both Marc Wilson and Robbie Brady better alternatives.
Ben Blake
(Walters has completed 90 minutes in three of Ireland four competitive games during O’Neill’s tenure thus far)
What the team should be:
Given
Coleman O’Shea Clark Wilson
McCarthy Whelan
McGeady Hoolahan Brady
Walters
What the team will be:
Forde
Coleman O’Shea Keogh Wilson
McCarthy Whelan
McGeady McClean
Keane Walters
It is undoubtedly one of the toughest Irish team line-ups to call in recent memory and Martin O’Neill is determined not to give anything away before Sunday evening. Although Shay Given has shown he is more than capable of playing at the top level during Aston Villa’s FA Cup run this season, David Forde hasn’t put a foot wrong and will most likely hold onto the number one jersey.
He may have trained on Friday but Stephen Ward’s fitness must surely be a worry and Mark Wilson should be moved across to left full-back. I believe Ciaran Clark is a better option than Richard Keogh but think the Derby County man might get the nod.
A midfield pairing of James McCarthy and Glenn Whelan looks a no-brainer at this point and O’Neill could stick with his preferred wingers of Aiden McGeady and James McClean but I would like to see Robbie Brady included for his all-round game and ability over set pieces.
It’s pure speculation but I’m of the opinion that O’Neill will go with Robbie Keane and Jon Walters up front. However, dropping the all-time leading goalscorer and playing Wes Hoolahan in a deeper role with the physical Stoke City striker up top is a stronger option for me. Walters pips Shane Long as he is currently in better form with 10 club goals to Long’s five this season.
Paul Fennessy
(Robbie Brady scored a brace in Ireland’s friendly win over USA last November)
What the team should be
Westwood
Coleman O’Shea Clark Wilson
McGeady McCarthy Whelan Brady
Hoolahan
Long
What the team will be
Forde
Coleman O’Shea Wilson Ward
Walters Whelan McCarthy McGeady
Hoolahan
Keane
The toughest decision was leaving out Jon Walters, but Robbie Brady’s delivery from set pieces — which was evident even in a relatively brief cameo against Scotland — gives him the edge, even if Walters is arguably the bigger goal threat, as emphasised by the fact that he’s managed 10 goals in all competitions this season.
The other controversial decision in the team is picking Westwood. Granted, he doesn’t have much international experience and it almost certainly won’t happen, while David Forde has done reasonably in the past, but with international games so rare, it seems fair enough to base selection on club form, and Westwood is surely the best-performing Irish goalkeeper at the moment, and was even linked with a move to Liverpool in January. Moreover, at 30, he conceivably has plenty of years left in the game, unlike Given (38) or Forde (35).
As for the likely team, I have a feeling O’Neill will pick Hoolahan, as he suggested he might in the ‘home’ games. Other than that, I can’t see many changes from the previous qualifiers.
What do you think the Ireland starting XI to face Poland should be? Let us know in the comments section below.
Stopped reading after the first sentence
@my name: thanks for telling us
@Fab John: Thanks for saying, thanks for telling us.
Before this turns into the predictable and at this stage boring tirade of abuse aimed at LA, think about this. You have got your dream job, something you have worked incredibly hard for, say, eg, the top law firm in the country. You’re full of optimism and hope. You begin to notice work colleagues starting work when most people are in bed and leaving when it’s dark. They’re praised for their work by the boss, so gregarious and popular around colleagues, so confident at meetings and at parties with the opposite sex. They’re getting promotion after promotion. They’re successful. And you’re finding yourself stuck at the same desk. One night at a staff party, one of these successful colleagues tells you his secret, take this and you will have it all. That’s what happened to LA…a victim.
@Shane Kelly: oh please, let’s not call him a victim in this ffs. yes it was a culture within cycling, but nobody did it more brazen, more systematic and nobody bullied and abused his position within in his team and within the UCI than him.
@Shane Kelly: that gave me a laugh
@Shane Kelly: Ok, I accept yer points. Yes, to me his biggest crime was when he was outed, he continued to lie, lie and lie. It’s scandalous and unforgivable the way he treated the Andreus and Emily O Reilly. I accept that. Fine, hold him accountable for that. But do not take 7 TdF from him when every other rider in the tour, every winner, even your great Irish heroes were at it. That’s just childish when put into context with pro cycling in general. Childish.
@Shane Kelly: How are things going in the Monastery brother, continue to pray for the those who knew not what they did but please don’t put LA in that category.
@Gerry Ryan deG: Yes, LA goes in that category brother Gerry. LA wasn’t the monster he became when he began cycling. He was faced with a choice, dope or go back to Texas and to God knows what. You and I brother Gerry and any brother or sister out there would have done the same thing. Think of me in your prayers tonight brother.
@Shane Kelly: Ah stop with your anyone would have done the same thing??? or go back to texas??? Paul Kimmage didn’t and went back to Coolock.
@Shane Kelly: are you script writer for the new series of normal people? pure fantasy. the lad was the biggest bully in sport or in any industry, a repeated lier and cheat. Victim maybe if he made one mistake and made amends, what LA did was calculated and toxic throughout his long rain
@Ardmore02: Paul Kimmage has done the sport of cycling a huge service for obvious reasons. He was faced with the choice and made his decision. He will however, never know the elation of winning a stage of the tdf, winning a classic or even a grand tour. There’s a part of him I’m sure that thinks, ‘what if’. What if he’d done what every other rider was doing and continues to do? How far could he have gone? Green jersey? He’d be like Roche and Kelly, that’s what. Venerated!!! A hero!!! And no one would give two bloody hoots.
@Seagoat returns: Nah, I’m not into writing stuff like Lord of the rings or the harry potter. You need to read a few books related to LA and the American Post team. LA should be viewed in two different periods. LA, the hugely talented amateur in the USA and LA, the hugely successful pro cyclist in Europe. I’m not disagreeing with much of what you said, he became a bully and liar. That’s a fact. But why did he become a totally different person from the man who left Texas? He was backed into a corner, forced to dope or go home. A victim of the system. If you call that as good as writing about ‘my precious’, fair enough. But it’s the hard truth.
@Shane Kelly: go watch the clip on YouTube where he tries to publicly destroy Paul Kimmage for doing his job. Walsh and Kimmage as well as others were taken to court and came close to losing their jobs and careers. I’ve seen Armstrong described as a psychopaths I agree.
Armstrong is the picture perfect narcissist.
Even after admitting to cheating, he’s still in denial.
@Colm O’Sullivan: Most people are narcissists today, selfies?? Google LA and Oprah. I think it’s fairly clear he admitted everything way back then.
Armstrong would ride his granny if he thought it would give him an advantage.
@kieran lynch: Just LA? High achievers don’t reach the pinnacle of their profession by playing nice guys or gals. But I think they’d draw the line at their grandmother.
Cheats disrespect the very sport they participate in. Who even watches the cycling tours anymore. Not me anyway. As soon as I see cycling I automatically switch channel away from eurosport. Lance had a lot to do with this decision. Most rational people know its full of cheats and turn off. The same has happened in athletics. Very few watch any more with the same level of interest as most likely doping is going on. Most world records in Athletics should probably be removed from the record books post 1986. So cheats ruin it for everyone and I would have no respect for anyone that cheats and would avoid them at all costs. Cheating is one of the worst things about humanity but unfortunately its an epidemic in some sports.
@Imagine !: There is performance enhancing drugs used in every single sport and to deny that is irrational. So what are you going to do, go shopping in IKEA with the missus for the rest of your life? July won’t be the same without the TdF, the greatest spectator sport on Earth!! imho of course.
@Imagine !: not some sports! ALL SPORTS! Your seriously naive to think only a few sports have drug cheats! Its rampant worldwide in all sports! Don’t be using cycling as an example when every sports at it, and I’d be checking viewing figures about not many people watching it anymore, one of the most watched sports in the world now
@Shane Kelly: Totally agree with the tdf being the greatest spectator sport. amazing atmosphere when there are 1000′s of fans lining the roads millimetres from the riders.
Someone said decline in viewing numbers. Did you just pluck that one from the sky?. 3.5 billion ppeople tuned in to last year’s edition worldwide and 12 million lines the road.
Hardly a decrease in viewers now.
Anyone know where I could watch this?? Nwtdlix or Amazon?
@The Great Cornholio: Nwtdlix definitely won’t have it.