Lawrence the Trap for France?
The early team news for the Republic of Ireland and their crunch World Cup play-off match against France is that Liam Lawrence is expected to start.
The Stoke City only made his debut for the national team in May of this year but after his start against Italy, boss Giovanni Trappatoni clearly has enough belief in the player. This may bring disappointment for Stephen Hunt and Aiden McGeady who could both find themselves cooling their heels on the bench.
Some fans may decry the exclusion of some of the more creative players in the Irish squad but there is no doubt that Liam Lawrence offers a hard-work ethic that will be vital against the French. A win at Croke Park would provide the Republic of Ireland with great hope of finishing the job in Paris but it is certainly not a night to go for hell for leather.
France may have been up and down with regards to form in recent years but they are still liable to punish any slackness. Shutting down the threat posed by the French left-back, liable to be Eric Abidal or Patrice Evra, could go a long way to ensuring France are not able to conjure up a victory to take home.
What should also be of concern for Trappatoni is the way that the Irish side have given away late goals at home recently. Both Bulgaria and Italy have pegged Ireland back from a winning position in the dying moments of the match and if France do the same, the disappointment may be enough to finish off Irelands hopes.
Liam Lawrence International career:
Debut: Versus Nigeria, 29th May 2009
First goal: Versus South Africa, 8th September 2009 – scoring the only goal in a 1-0 win.
See Lawrence’s goal – courtesy of 5JackSheehan5
No related posts.
Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.