The Matches Tonight

Quote from Steve McClaren:
"It's about putting square pegs into square holes"

So that's why, to name but a few, he does this: Carragher at left back, Gerrard on right wing, Lennon on left wing, Johnson came on as a sub last year on the right wing.

This guy really hasn't a clue.

Which leads me to Stan and the team for tonight:

Given,
O'Shea (aka O'Bese)
Dunne
McShane
Finnan
McGeady
Ireland
Carsley
Kilbane
Duff
Doyle

Someone famous once wrote (Einstein?): The definition of madness is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result.

So, once again we're going with a variation of 4-5-1 at home, with a left back at right back and a right back/centre def/mid at left back and a left winger centrally supporting the striker. - we will still play badly. However, there is some cause for hope - Doyle will be willing and able up front, hopefully supported well by Duff, though based on evidence (ask McCarthy or Kerr) this won't happen. McGeady should be high in confidence, playing well with Celtic and having Champo League-o experience this year, and he is a natural right winger. Likewise, centre mid has a better balance with S. Ireland attacked and Carsley defending.

I'd say a win or a draw tonight, a win will take the pressure off Stan, maybe he can turn things around and cement 3rd place in the group?

Finally, I've haven't been able to find the Slovakian team for tonight but they do have some quality in their ranks:
Cech(Porto), Gresko(Nurnberg), Kosak (Artmedia Bratislava), Vittek (Nurnberg), Hamsik (Brescia)

(Mintal is injured - thankfully)

Mark,
www.okeydokefootball.com