Israel to change formation to fit Irish style

ISRAEL manager Avraham Grant has claimed it will be an unfamiliar Israel team that Brian Kerr’s Republic of Ireland will face on Saturday week.

Despite being joint top of World Cup qualification Group 4 along with Ireland and France, Grant believes he will have to change his side's formation, and of course some personnel, to counter Ireland.

Although Grant could well have been playing mind games ahead of the game, he insisted that Israel will switch from their traditional 5-3-2 formation to a 5-4-1 formation for the game in the belief that Ireland will attempt to man mark star player Yossi Benayoun.

He also claimed that Ireland's style is "a game based on long balls from the centre of the field".

Grant was speaking after an international get-together for the Israel-based members of his squad as Israel continue their build-up to one of the biggest international games in their history.

He will name his full squad for next week's clash later this week.

Meanwhile, Celtic's Aiden McGeady has been named in Don Givens' Under-21 squad for the game against Israel in Tel Aviv on Saturday, March 25.

McGeady, who has already been capped for the seniors, is in line for his fifth appearance at U-21 level as Givens makes six changes from the squad which suffered a 2-0 defeat in the friendly against Portugal last month.

Two eircom League players Stephen Paisley of Longford Town and Daryl Murphy of Waterford United are in the 18-man squad, which also includes Patrick Kohlmann of Borussia Dortmund and Henry McStay of Leeds United.

IRELAND U-21: Wayne Henderson (Aston Villa), Saul Deeney (Notts County), Kevin Foley (Luton Town), Stephen Kelly (Tottenham Hotspur), John Fitzgerald (Bury), Patrick Kohlmann (Borussia Dortmund), Stephen Paisley (Longford Town), Willo Flood (Manchester City), Henry McStay (Leeds United), Glenn Whelan (Sheffield Wednesday), Darren Potter (Liverpool), Joe O'Brien (Bolton Wanderers), Sean Thornton (Sunderland), David Bell (Rushden & Diamond), Aiden McGeady (Celtic), Jay Tabb (Brentford), Daryl Murphy (Waterford United) and Mark Quigley (Millwall).