Italy Vs Ireland

**Crosby87** · 17/06/2012, 2:13 AM

We had hoped the Azzurri would be on our level but it never happened.
Still, the group is in disarray.

Ireland Vs Italy, Euro 2012.

Italy needs the match.
Do you get any satisfaction in a win? Or a draw? Do we give "The Kids" A run out? Or are there no "Kids"?

**tricky_colour** · 17/06/2012, 2:45 AM

It would be unfair not to field our strongest team?
Surely it is in Trap''s interests as an Italian to field the weakest Ireland team?
I suppose many will assume Spain will easily beat Croatia?

Bookies odds.
Croatia (15/2) v (15/8) Spain (4/5)

So a draw is only about 2-1

Now take a look at Ireland's odds

Italy (3/10) v (5) Ireland (11)

We have had a few draws against Italy recently (2009) do that 5-1 seems a good price
but I guess people think our form has dropped significantly?

Can we pull a result out of the bag? Would be a nice way to finish beating Italy!!!

Remember ranking points are at stake so I think we need to go for the strongest side don't we? So yes a win is important to stop the slide in rankings.

We can try different players in friendlies.

**DannyInvincible** · 17/06/2012, 9:20 AM

Am I correct in thinking that if Spain-Croatia ends in a score-draw of 2-2 or more, both Spain and Croatia will go through irrespective of what Italy can manage against us?

**Carrigaline** · 17/06/2012, 9:39 AM

Trap has said that he will be making a few changes, but the team won't be drastically different otherwise he says the media will accuse him of just giving the game to Italy. Personally, I think Long and Gibson will get some game time. Not only have these lads not been given a chance yet, but they were knocking on the door of the first team before the finals.

**dong** · 17/06/2012, 10:04 AM

Sure what is our strongest side anyways? The one that hadn't a notion what it was supposed to be doing against Croatia or the one that surrendered over 70% of the ball to Spain and goals after 3 minutes against both? Sorry, I forgot we played exactly the same team against both (one player change apart) and got humiliated each time.

Its not like a major advantage will be lost or gained if Gibson replaces Whelan or McLean replaces McGeady.
What a joke.

**osarusan** · 17/06/2012, 10:19 AM

Given the way we played so far, maybe the Croats and Spanish are hoping we do make mass changes to our first team.

**geysir** · 17/06/2012, 10:23 AM

Originally Posted by DannyInvincible

Am I correct in thinking that if Spain-Croatia ends in a score-draw of 2-2 or more, both Spain and Croatia will go through irrespective of what Italy can manage against us?

If Italy win - irrespective of what they manage to score , to be more exact

then a score-draw of 2-2 or more will see both Spain and Croatia go through.
Head to head results count, even in a 3 way tie. Whatever any of the 3 tied teams did/do manage to score against Ireland, doesn't count.

**Murfinator** · 17/06/2012, 10:35 AM

Can say with all honesty I don't really care what team he fields or what the result is. Our tournament is over, using this as a platform for the WC 2014 is a bit silly really.

If we perform it'd be frustrating as you'd wonder why they couldn't have done that at a stage that counted, if they don't its depressing awakening to the reality of just how bad we are. I'm just going to draw a line under the previous two games and strike this game from any relevancy.

**Lionel Ritchie** · 17/06/2012, 10:54 AM

Originally Posted by DannyInvincible

Am I correct in thinking that if Spain-Croatia ends in a score-draw of 2-2 or more, both Spain and Croatia will go through irrespective of what Italy can manage against us?

I'm not sure how that works for you Danny. I'd have thought that if Spain Croatia ended drawn 2-2 or upwards then Italy would go through IF they beat us by three goals and would go through as group winners if they beat us by five. I don't think either of those results are likely by the way whatever anyone else thinks of us or our chances.*

Anyway we owe it to Croatia and Spain to give Italy a game. Besides, if we get our collective heads out of our jocks and beat Italy we finish above them.

So, we're out and we're on our way home -so let's drop Italy off on the way.

*EDIT: I'm wrong and of course you're correct - a 2-2 draw in the Spain Croatia game sends them through in 1st and 2nd respectively regardless of the outcome of the Italy Ireland game. My scenarios only come into play in the event of a 1-1 draw between Spain and Croatia.

**mark12345** · 17/06/2012, 11:21 AM

Big test of Trap this game. Let him show us that he is starting to plan for WC 2014, as he believes he deserves the chance.

No time for nostalgia here. He should drop Whelan, Andrews and O'Shea for starters. Should also drop Ward but there's no Wilson to take his place (Wilson who should have been there in the first place). And if we're going on form Robbie, Shay and Dunne should also be dropped, but won't.

**brine3** · 17/06/2012, 12:04 PM

The question is also if the players rebel on the pitch and play a more open form of football.

At the moment we are the worst team at this tournament and if we keep doing the same things we will continue to be.

Holland could lose tonight, and Sweden will probably lose to France. If we beat Italy then that leaves us on more points than Holland, Sweden and Italy. And suddenly we were only a Croation draw from the 1/4 finals. All the media in Europe who had their newspaper articles ready about Ireland the poorest team in the tournament will have to throw their stories in the bin.

Maybe it's time for the players to go out, perform a mutiny on the pitch and show their manager that they can actually play some football? But is Robbie Keane the captain to inspire something like that? I don't think so.

**seanfhear** · 17/06/2012, 12:10 PM

May be the Irish team should just sing for the 90 minutes and hope the Italians don't kick our "arias"

" Meoooooow "

**texidub** · 17/06/2012, 12:38 PM

Originally Posted by Murfinator

Can say with all honesty I don't really care what team he fields or what the result is. Our tournament is over, using this as a platform for the WC 2014 is a bit silly really.

If we perform it'd be frustrating as you'd wonder why they couldn't have done that at a stage that counted, if they don't its depressing awakening to the reality of just how bad we are. I'm just going to draw a line under the previous two games and strike this game from any relevancy.

I doubt the players and management team will be thinking like that. We messed up the first two games but it's not like those games are the end of Irish football. Life goes on. It's time to dust ourselves off and start again --even if we are out of the tournament.

Also, we have only one friendly before the WCQs start, so we should take this game very seriously.. and yeah I would give Long a chance.

Can we beat Italy? Definitely. They will be psychologically damaged by knowing that they have performed poorly against the same core of Irish players in recent years.. especially with Ireland playing so badly.

Also, if anything positive is to come out of this experience, it's that this is the time to stop playing like Metrosexual Allstars United and start getting in people's faces again, chasing down the opposition and making it difficult for opposing teams to play their game.

In fact, it's good to have a game quickly after the last two disasters. Imagine having five months (or whatever it is) to ponder the last two games!

I don't care much whether we win or lose this particular game, as long as we start playing with passion again.

Prediction: 0-0/1-1

**BonnieShels** · 17/06/2012, 1:44 PM

Originally Posted by Lionel Ritchie

I'm not sure how that works for you Danny. I'd have thought that if Spain Croatia ended drawn 2-2 or upwards then Italy would go through IF they beat us by three goals and would go through as group winners if they beat us by five. I don't think either of those results are likely by the way whatever anyone else thinks of us or our chances.*

Anyway we owe it to Croatia and Spain to give Italy a game. Besides, if we get our collective heads out of our jocks and beat Italy we finish above them.

So, we're out and we're on our way home -so let's drop Italy off on the way.

*EDIT: I'm wrong and of course you're correct - a 2-2 draw in the Spain Croatia game sends them through in 1st and 2nd respectively regardless of the outcome of the Italy Ireland game. My scenarios only come into play in the event of a 1-1 draw between Spain and Croatia.

You spelled "hereby" wrong too. :P