QuoteYes without a doubt.
It is the same XI that won at Hampden eight months earlier.
McGrath and Whelan as full-backs.
REPUBLIC OF IRELAND: Bonner (Celtic), McGrath (Manchester Utd), Moran (Manchester Utd), McCarthy (Celtic), Whelan (Liverpool), Houghton (Oxford), Lawrenson(Liverpool), Brady (West Ham), Galvin (Sheffield Wednesday), Stapleton (AJax), Aldridge (Liverpool). Substitutes: Byrne (QPR) for Galvin (77 mins), Quinn (Arsenal) for Aldridge (77 mins).
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/...243367339.html
Match report also. Any memories of this one.
In Trap we trust
Yes without a doubt.
It is the same XI that won at Hampden eight months earlier.
McGrath and Whelan as full-backs.
"Football is a game you play with your brain".
What a team. That side would have won Euro 88. Pity Brady and Lawernson got injured before the tourney started.
wow that was some team. Of todays players who would fit into it? Given, Duff and Robbie is about it I think
Its really not that complicated!!!
Great team. Given, McGeady and posasibly Dunne only players that would make it for me.
What a match. A dark grey afternoon in Dublin, Brady had a stormer and got a red card. Bulgarian guy dived to make sure he got the card. Brady gave him a very Italian " fcuk you" gesture, far more sophisticated than the two fingers we were used to in these parts.
Anyone else remember another 2-0 win on a dark Dublin day? I think I remember Moran scoring from a corner in that one too.
Think it was a friendly v Yugoslavia (?).Originally Posted by Stuttgart88
McCarthy scored aswell.
Jack was questioned (again) in the press conference about his persistent pairing of McCarthy-Moran instead of McGrath-Lawrenson at centre back. He replied something like "they both scored today what f**king more do you want".
"Football is a game you play with your brain".
That 2 nil win against Bulgaria was not cold enough revenge, even getting the first place ahead of them in the group was not enough, to purge the memory of a most blatant case of referee corruption by a federation when Giles's team were denied a result way back. Payback has not been completed yet.
We were a better team than them in the 88 qualifiers and we are a better team than them now.
such a team...we should have got far with these ball players but for jack and his negative tactics
That was the 2-1 defeat in 77(?). I remember watching it on tv, we were 1-0 down at half time and then the tv reception went and when it came back, it was 1-1. I dont know if I ever saw the equalising goal. Then we had one of our annual "disallowed goals". But I think it was a bad mistake that led to the Bulgarian winner. I would love to see the highlights of some of these games added to youtube!
In fairness the team in 88 might have been a touch better, no? Hughton played LB, a better option than Whelan, who reverted to his best position in CM. McGrath moved to CM too and only Chris Morris was not of the standard required. Even he never let us down except when he got to the byline! Only problem was that with every passing year Stapleton lost a bit by that stage, the '87 model Frank was better than the 88 model Frank.
I don't remember Galvin as being an Owl. I do remember Dassaev's "tackle" on him though
You hate them more than any other team don't you?
From Nov 2007, after a last minute winner against Bulgaria U21s in Athlone, by John-Joe O'Toole:
You have to admit, that header left an indelible sweet memory.
That IT link Neil posted is well worth reading, a very good example of an excellent match report
Jack
“This was easily the best result achieved by an Irish team since I became associated with them but, sadly, it is unlikely to be good enough to get us through,” said Charlton. “The odds are still very much against us but if the Scots can do us a few favours, all may not yet be lost."
Probably is the best team ever to take the field for Ireland.
Off the top of my head I can only think of five other RoI Players that could possibly get in this team.
Shay Given
Johnny Giles
Robbie Keane for John Aldridge
Jeez I nearly forget Roy Keane but he was better for UTD than Ireland
Must also mention Steve Heighway but some might say he was at his best for Liverpool. I don't actually think that he got enough acclaim for his services to Liverpool.
I would love to have seen Robbie Keane partner Frank Stapleton.
That would be my dream ROI forward line
Could someone, less lazy than myself, post the age of each respective member of that Irish side?
It'll give a better appreciation of that team's merits.
I was told later that RTE had run over time with their ads. Match came back on at around the 46 min mark. Irish players are hugging each other heading back to the center circle! The worst decision of the entire match was the offside against Givens late in the second half. Givens had picked up the ball halfway inside the Irish half. He Broke clean through the Bulgarian defense and was one on one with their keeper when Givens was given offside by the ref. Just one of the many incredible decisions that night.
Choice of that team and today's team would be:
Given
McGrath Moran Dunne Whelan
Houghton Brady Lawrenson Duff
Stapleton Doyle
Last edited by BradyIsMyHero; 26/03/2009 at 1:54 PM.
People are doing John Aldridge a great disservice, I think. Yes, he struggled for goals at the start of his international career, but he has one of the greatest post-war goalscoring record in England, even despite being in Spain for a couple of years. I'd have him in ahead of Keane any day.
McGeady wouldn't get near that team either.
Very good match report - brings back a few memories alright.
I was 12 years of age for that game. It was the first campaign where I attended every match and I can still recall the tension of the 2nd half and the elation of that 2nd goal.
26,000 in attendance in October 87.
Things were about to dramatically change.
Quoting years at random since 1975
Deffo the best ever XI.
The only current player would would impove that team is Shay Given.
Together with all our hearts.
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