QuoteFixed!Originally Posted by Stuttgart88
4th June is huge. I think we can win out there, but it's too early to make any guesses. Lord knows who'll be fit or available.
"At times they passed around us in midfield and in the heat of June this will be a problem."
It certainly will, so that's why Trap needs to fix the engine room now. He tried Green and Whelan against Russia and got his arse burned. He's tried Gibson and Whelan on Saturday and that didn't work either.
Is it only us on this message board that can see that Fahey and McCarthy are the best midfield option, for their ability to hold the ball and not give it away like snuff at a wake.
Trap seems to miss this fact and isn't it ironic that the above pair (far better than Whelan and Gibson in my opinion) have amassed more Premier League minutes than any other midfielders in our squad. Trap can't keep putting in second rate players and hope to qualify.
They both play in five-man midfields at club level. Whelan and, to a lesser extent, Gibson tend to play as part of a flat four. Any changes in midfield will have to involve a shift to five in the middle, or at least a more fluid link player to complement Keane or Doyle.
Manuel Almunia and Scott Carson each have amassed more Premier League minutes than Shay Given.
I'm not saying you're wrong, but I'd put it that Fahey and McCarthy may be the best option. Maybe regardless of who we have in CM we'll play without the ball because we're told to stand off. My personal preference is always a "ball winner / ball user" combo in midfield. When Keith Andrews played well we were generally a better team. I'm hoping to Jaysus that McCarthy plays a belter tomorrow.
I know this is unlikely (but Trapatonni brought it up himself this morning in relation to Wigan). Why not allow McCarthy a free roll tomorrow. He is fit/skilful enough to help out the CM and make the runs into the box to help the front player/players. I don't think Trapatonni can stop McCarthy moving around the pitch as he did in his cameo against Macedonia). I'm just hoping McCarthy has such an affect on the team that he has to play. In regards to the position we will finish. We will win in Macedonia 13 points. Beat Slovakia at home (our record down the years playing in early September is outstanding) 16 points. Draw with a stuttering Russia away 17. Beat Armenia and Andorra 23. Its going to be 22 or 23 depending on the Russian away game.
Teamv
Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
Slovakia 5 3 1 1 5 4 +1 10
Russia 5 3 1 1 6 3 +3 10
Ireland 5 3 1 1 9 6 +3 10
Armenia 5 2 2 1 9 4 +5 8
M/donia 5 1 1 3 5 6 −1 4
Andorra 5 0 0 5 1 12 −11 0
This group has proven to be one of the more unpredictable that we've been in - it's right up there with the 06 qualifiers in terms of teams taking points off each other... we really should flourish in such a group given how we would normally dispatch the middling teams home and be relatively solid away from home.
Halfway gone, there's 4 teams in it, and deservedly so all things considered. Armenia should be applauded for their performance so far, even if it could go tits up at the end; we might have caught a break playing them first up, but we did enough to deserve our win, while they did extremely well to take 3 thoroughly deserved points off the Slovaks, and withstood a serious amount of pressure to get a point off their neighbours. Still, they've to go to St Petersburg, Zilina and it's hard to believe they'll be in control of their own destiny come last day in Dublin. As much as our game over in Skopje is crucial, the return between Russia and Armenia is equally important to the group - I'd actually say it's more important. I would expect a Russia win having seen the highlights of Sat, but any positive result for Armenia will give us a real chance at topping the group.
Slovakia, even taking into account that they'll still be top after round 6 (the return v Andorra), are the ones who've got more than they deserved. Humbled in Armenia, deserved nothing in Russia yet got three points, and let off the hook by us (no matter whats said we missed a sitter and a penalty - we should have won), they're doing better than they should be, but they've the toughest finish to all the teams. I really fancy us to clobber them over here, they then face Armenia and after the chastening experience they got in Yerevan, if they've been beaten by us, you couldn't imagine they'd be too confident facing the men in yellow.
Russia are obviously the worry. There was a flattering gloss on our scoreline, and as already mentioned only for the ridiculously poor finishing against Slovakia, the group would be far more clear cut. Sept 6th will be massive - it should decide who tops the group, and if we could even take a point, there is a reasonable chance we could outpoint them over the final two games (they play Slovakia the night we play Armenia).
There's too many variables right now, I've always believed in taking each game at a time, each round at a time in this group, but I believe it will be between us and the Ruskies to decide the top two. We beat Macedonia, and things become so much simpler.
Here they come! It’s the charge of the “Thanks” Brigade!
are you saying we could lose in Russia Noely?
i agree about Mccarthy hoping he gets really stuck in and makes himself a definite starter against Scotland and norn iron but i feel the same as junior in that i think his impact will be gradual rather than instant but would love to be prove wrong starting with tomorrow.
I'm a bloke,I'm an ocker
And I really love your knockers,I'm a labourer by day,
I **** up all me pay,Watching footy on TV,
Just feed me more VB,Just pour my beer,And get my smokes, And go away
While I agree with the jist of your post, the highlighted bit isn't exactly true......
Wc2010: w v Georgia; Dv Montenegro; w v Cyprus
EC2008: L v Germany ; L v Czech Rep; D vs Slovakia
WC 2006: w v Cyprus; D v Switzerland; L v France
EC 2004: L v Russia; D v Russia
Here they come! It’s the charge of the “Thanks” Brigade!
I think he meant our September record against Cyprus is excellent.
Don't forget Slovakia needed a 90th minute winner to beat Macedonia. Their young guy Weiss on loan at Rangers is a lovely player. Even still, how did they win in Russia?
We need to focus on ourselves, nobody else. The future is the next game, as has been said above. 5 wins guarantees we win the group. You can only win all 5 if you win the first one.
Last edited by Stuttgart88; 28/03/2011 at 8:45 PM.
no offence kingdom but you thought we would clobber Macedonia too. i think if Slovakia are still in it when they play Russia.that could be a big problem for us if both teams need a draw
I'm a bloke,I'm an ocker
And I really love your knockers,I'm a labourer by day,
I **** up all me pay,Watching footy on TV,
Just feed me more VB,Just pour my beer,And get my smokes, And go away
Fine margins though, Paul. If Long had taken a pretty clear chance to make it 3-0, that would have been a clobbering. Given the lead we took, if we had more "moral courage" we should have clobbered them. Instead we made a dog's dinner of being ahead, as usual.
maybe so, but right now I'd take a draw - 2 points dropped by both teams would be a good result for us. I'm too tired to do the maths, but in all likelihood the situation where they both need a draw would mean that we have messed up. Not unlikely so!
I love this team. Even when they play muck! Regardless of the performance I will still come back and pray we can qualify for something! Just imagine the craic next year lads!
We have a great shot in this group. Scrappy performances and some help from Armenia will see us top this group. Put it this way, we will NEVER get a better chance
Our Record in September for the years 1983 to 2004 Won 16 Drew 8 Lost 3 which is phenominal. We did not lose a game in September for 11 years between 1983 and 1994. We beat Russia(soviets), Holland, Croatia, Yugoslavia and Hungary+others. We drew with Holland (away), West Germany, Russia, Belgium(away), Switzerland(away), Hungary(away) NI(away)+other. Good month for us.
Last edited by Noelys Guitar; 28/03/2011 at 10:21 PM.
As Stutt mentions below, we're coasting at 2-0, Robbie has missed what I classify as a chance as he's unfit, Long misses a real good chance (or doesn't tee up mcgeady - I prefer the latter), we're then 3 zip and you're looking at tacking on more scores. Same in Slovakia, we are giving ourselves opportunities, it's almost like that isn't appreciated - it's a horrendous inability to take those chances when they're begging that is killing us.
It's a fine line.
And I don't take any offence Paul. I'm always the optimist. I also thought we'd win and McGeady would score, and put my money where my mouth was, while you, eh, whinged. How did that work out again? Mwhahahahahaha.
Here they come! It’s the charge of the “Thanks” Brigade!
We will, we always will. I think people have said that for 4/5 campaigns now. Agree though I love this group also, the little scamps.
Here they come! It’s the charge of the “Thanks” Brigade!
Noely, surely you'll appreciate that I'm a relative whippersnapper in comparison to the likes of you, East Terracer, the Geezer and selected others. September hasn't been as kind to my generation as has been to yours (on average).
Here they come! It’s the charge of the “Thanks” Brigade!
I ducked when Lincoln was shot Kingdom.
The way we go about things it is perfectly feasible for us to draw with Slovakia and a few days later go and beat Russia away.
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