Montenegro V Republic of Ireland - Wednesday, 10th September 2008 - World Cup 2010 Q

[SwanVsDalton]

Gotta make some changes..Reid looks knackered.

[Maroon 7]

Why didn't we just put that ball straight in?

[DotTV]

cheers CM but on a pretty dodgy library comp at the mo which won't allow that site...looks like i'll have to make do with updates from you fine people instead :o

www.sportinglife.com

Stuck at work in Canada, no streaming vid allowed.

Thanks for all the updates lads

[cavan_fan]

That Hunt free was awful, Finnan didnt expect it. By the way Kerr thinks he's had a great second half

[christo]

Take Hunt off now he has no vision

[backstothewall]

Aye, poor free kick, would have been worth a quick sub there to bring on Reid to put it in. Hunt has run hard but he has lost confidence in himself now. Keeps passing it back to Kilbane.

[Maroon 7]

McGeady has put some good crosses in. Keane just couldn't get enough on that one. Keeper collects.

[Dr. Ogba]

www.sportinglife.com

Stuck at work in Canada, no streaming vid allowed.

Thanks for all the updates lads

cheers man, exactly what i was looking for. looks like we'd be happy with a draw from this one...

[billydoneit]

can't get off back foot, nervous last few mins.....

[Maroon 7]

Shot just past Shay's post. Not too far away.

[christo]

Whelan man of the match again, I'd probably have given it to O'Shea

[Maroon 7]

0-0

All over

[Carrigaline]

Whelan my man of the match as well.

Didn't put a foot wrong.

[backstothewall]

Whelan man of the match again, I'd probably have given it to O'Shea

i would agree with that, Though Whelan did very well

[SwanVsDalton]

So much for Trap wanting 6 points, this is pure closing out for a point. Midfield is knackered and Montenegro have almost taken advantage. I'd rather have seen some fresh legs. Still good point.

[conlonn]

have to be happy enough with 4 points after those 2 games.
Huge improvement in performance. Why did not trap use three subs though
G Whelan was excellent tonight so was O Shea who I have been critical of in the past

We will see how the team is set up for home games. They need A Reid for some creation though

[bobloblaw]

Pretty gutless from Trap i have to say, he said we were going to try and win this one, well there's little evidence to suggest that the last 15 minutes.

Hunt was truly hopeless, he can run, thats about it.

Think McGeady has shown improvement again, he commits players, and if we could just get more numbers in supporting him we'd be all the better for it. Finnan has done that a bit more this second half, but still not enough, same goes for Kilbane. We won't get anywhere with our wingers being made run down blind alleys all night. Especially when its them you're relying on because the manger refuses to play our most creative player.

Whelan was excellent, far outshone Stephen Reid, who was very quiet tonight.



But its better, and definitely much improved from the days of Stan and Kerr.

[Galwayman]

A point not a bad result tonight I suppose. Still though I thought Montenegro were there for the taking if we had shown a bit of adventure.
I found it hard to believe that Hunt stayed on for the full 90 minutes.His final ball and his dead ball deliveries were atrocious.
I thought we were slightly the better team on the night but a draw was probably the fairest result as neither team created much.McGeady had the best chance and should have done better.
Still 4 points is a decent start for us overall.

[irishbaz]

Overall im disappointed they were billed as a half decent team they had a pub team defence that we could have broken down if we were not so defense minded. we went there for a point a very dangerous tactic that could have backfired on us (and almost did).

[Billsthoughts]

Thought we did well in a potential banana skin. draw not the end of the world. we are only ever going to get better.

O shea two games in a row now played really well.
Whelan justified his inclusion.
Keane and Doyle I thought were great up front.
Mageady adds to his growing list of crap games for Ireland. would anyone have bet on him scoring when he was thru on goal? no.

[Noelys Guitar]

Come on lads. Playing in that heat took its toll on our players in the last few mins. We were the better side. Robbed of a peno. We just need one or two more players and we will qualify. I thought Glen Whelans performance was excellent. He plays like a taller Danny Murphy. O'Shea at last looks like he has found his niche. Him and Dunne were immense. I am very happy with the direction of this team.

[Red&White Rover]

I have a better touch than Hunt. FACT.

He's an impact sub, nothing more.
By far our worst performer tonight, and I like the guy!

[boovidge]

2 points dropped as far as i'm concerned. If we'd been under pressure then i wouldn't have minded the negativity but we were clearly the better side. The points were there for the taking, we had a chance to nose ahead of Bulgaria and we bottled it.

Overall the performance was fantastic. Can't fault any of the players tbh. Also,we should have had a penalty, no question.

[musicinmouth]

I thought O'Shea, Whelan and Kilbane all had really good games.

[Metrostars]

Some of you are overly critical and have short memories. If we had these two results under Stan/Kerr/Mick we would be all thrilled. 4 points from these two games is a job done. This team is growing, getting more cohesive and confident. Good job by Trap and the boys.

[irishultra]

Delighted. We should have won, but when was the last time Ireland dominated(Ok maby pushing it, 55% possession) away from home?

I think Trap proves what a great manager can do. I don't understand Hunt staying on the pitch but Wow was I impressed.

I don't buy this ****, we were better technically than Montenegro..they are a decent team but we were far better in possesssion.

[jebus]

Point gained in my opinion. A good team performance and all we were lacking was the ref giving that clear penalty or McGeady being as good as some make him out to be and it would have been 3 points. Defending was top notch, and when you compare it to the defending under the previous regime you can see the amount of effort Trap puts in on the training ground.

Attacking set plays we were very poor from, McGeady....I just don't rate him to be honest and Andy Reid would have been better. I see what Trap is trying to do with Hunt but I would have had Reid on for the last 20 minutes. Whelan or O'Shea for man of the match? Toss a coin really, both were superb. Stephen Reid clearly feeling the effects of his injury was still good, we've been missing him more than people give him credit for

[billydoneit]

Agree with Whelan as MOTM. I though J O'S was also excellent, his anticipation and positioning top drawer and allowed Dunne to attack the ball. Make no mistake, we could have easily lost this game a year ago, tonight we had a shape and structure and stuck to it. I would have liked to see Reid brought on but I can see why Trap didn't want to mess with things. Like many of you I like Hunt but I think he is a real liability at this level and should not be in first eleven barring an injury crisis.

[tetsujin1979]

game was definitely there to be won, on the other hand, if you had offered me 4 points a week ago, I would have taken it
The lack of subs was surprising, thought the team was solid, and there's definitely a plan for each position, if not each player
McGeady could have won it, but so could have Doyle, Hunt and Keane

[joema]

I have a better touch than Hunt. FACT.

He's an impact sub, nothing more.
By far our worst performer tonight, and I like the guy!

I agree and I normally stand up for the guy! He gave the ball away every time he got it. Can't believe Trap wouldn't make a change.

One thing I will say though - what's an "impact sub"? Surely every player is brought on with the intention of making an impact!:p

[boovidge]

I think the criticism of McGeady is unfair. Yes, he's overrated but he's still our best option on the wings with Duff.

[Dun Laoire]

Like someone already said....dissapointed that we didnt get all 3 because they were defo there for us but some great performances none the less. A.Reid i think would've made an impact as i taught S.Reid was nearly out on his feet the last 10 or so but still played very well to be fair. Hunt wasnt his best tonight but he always tracked back , maybe thats why Trap is on a bit of a no no about replacing himself with A.Reid??

[dr_peepee]

Real mixed emotions... Pleased with the performance but gutted over the result. Should have won

Hunt simoultaneously answered arguments for and against his selection. His work rate was excellent and broke up play in the middle and at the back, however lost posession way too much and the delivery from set peices wasn't great.

Finnan O'Shea and Dunne were excellent at the back Kilbane had a couple of scares but I thought played well otherwise.

Reid looked gingerly. His passing and awareness is good but he wasn't the athlete he can be and could have covered more ground had he been fit.

Whelan was quality. I hope Pulis was watching. I'm sure Trapp'll recomend him to a couple of clubs in Italy based on this, if he's not a fixture at Stoke by the time January comes along:).

Keane showed just flashes of his quality. Doyle needs to grow a few more inches..;) Nah Doyle worked hard and done well enough but I'd say a partner for Keane has to be one of our problem areas at this point. The measured build up has become a staple but they haven't truly abondoned the punt up field which proved fruitless tonight. I would have brought Murphy off the bench toward the end just to change it against their back four.

McGeady continues to be an enigma.

Good performance and no yellow cards.

[Maroon 7]

I think the criticism of McGeady is unfair. Yes, he's overrated but he's still our best option on the wings with Duff.

Definitely. He actually put in some very good crosses this evening. Yes he should have hit that shot across the keeper but over the two games he did well IMO.

Hunt's position definitely looks like the one most in danger.

[backstothewall]

We are a long long way from Cyprus.

They weren't a bad side. we made them look bad. Its a good point. We might have won but considering the performance i am satisfied. I didn't think Hunt was doing to bad, but he obviously did as his head went down in the last 25 minutes and he didn't seem to believe in himself. Hard to disagree he should have come off at that stage given his performance, but if Trap is looking at the long game it is great for him to know that his manager believes in him. he also had very little support from Kilbane, i can't remember him overlaping once in the game

Would of liked to have seen a striker with real pace brought on for Doyle, but who do we have??

[Red&White Rover]

I agree and I normally stand up for the guy! He gave the ball away every time he got it. Can't believe Trap wouldn't make a change.

One thing I will say though - what's an "impact sub"? Surely every player is brought on with the intention of making an impact!:p

I mean...He's the type of player to be brought on in the last 20 minutes to relive a bit of pressure...;)

[FarBeag]

Solid performance. We were the better team, no doubt. If we had Duff there instead of Hunt we would have won that game. O' Shea and Whelan played excellent football and they were the two I was worried about before the start of the campaign.I am happy enough with four points but still think we were lucky not to have played Georgia in T'bilisi.

[Brendan 82]

I love it!

People criricised Trap's subs on Saturday saying they were responsible for the goal we conceded. Now tonight he chooses not to make any subs and we do not concede a goal. He still is criticised. Bunch of fools

Anyway, huge congrats to Trap for the way he was made this team do a complete 180 in the space of four games. Georgia and Montenegro are both good sides. Their results to come will prove just how well our lads have done this week.

Cant wait for the home game against Cyprus. Everyone is gonna be so fired up for that one. Fans, players, manager. Good times ahead I believe

[tricky_colour]

4 points, the draw is OK, I not too disappointed as Bulgaria drew here to.

[FarBeag]

I love it!

People criricised Trap's subs on Saturday saying they were responsible for the goal we conceded. Now tonight he chooses not to make any subs and we do not concede a goal. He still is criticised. Bunch of fools

Anyway, huge congrats to Trap for the way he was made this team do a complete 180 in the space of four games. Georgia and Montenegro are both good sides. Their results to come will prove just how well our lads have done this week.

Cant wait for the home game against Cyprus. Everyone is gonna be so fired up for that one. Fans, players, manager. Good times ahead I believe


Yes they did and rightly so. It’s the calibre of subs that he brought on not the fact he brought them on. The only subs I would have brought on to-day would be Andy Reid for Hunt and maybe Murphy for Doyle.

[Brendan 82]

Yes they did and rightly so. It’s the calibre of subs that he brought on not the fact he brought them on. The only subs I would have brought on to-day would be Andy Reid for Hunt and maybe Murphy for Doyle.

Read carefully

Planning for the right result away from home is a tactic in itself, which is what we done. The players looked tired as the game went on, but we kept our shape, we didn't give them ample chances, so why change things around dramatically by bringing on subs - especially Andy Reid - who is not a winger, nor a defensive midfielder.

Still haven't seen a reasonable post on why Andy Reid should have come on - it's not a game of Football Manager where you put on a player with a creativity rating of 20 out of 20 who changes the game in the space of a minute.

Reid and McGeady were ineffective attacking wise, but still they bring more to the table than Reid does on the wing. And, persistence is part of their game, on another day they might have played the same and either one of them could have whipped in a pin point cross onto Doyle's head - a bit like McGeady did in Georgia.

[Adrianovic]

I suppose, going on a tough mission to Eastern Europe, with a ref who only ever gave us a decision when he absolutely had to, we've got to be happy with that.

As has been said, this is what it's like to have a proper football manager in charge. The lads were organised and obviously knew what their role was. At no stage did we look clueless or seem on the verge of pressing the self-destruct button. Basics, yes, but it has been so long since we've looked competent.

Maybe all this professionalism is bringing out the best in John O'Shea. Tonight, him and Dunne were a central defensive partnership. Two games running, O'Shea has been quick to close down the breaking ball, when the opposition were about to have a crack at goal. Taking note from Dunne, who also closed down a ball against Georgia.

I thought the backs showed a lot of intelligence. It was imperative not to get too shirty with them in our own area as the ref was swayed by an impressively partisan crowd. So we made sure we won the ball, and Whelan in particular shielded the back four nicely.

Hunt is a player I loathe to criticise because we know what he gives us. He tries very hard and chases long into the match. A natural footballer, he ain't. And at times it was pretty frustrating viewing. He butchered a couple of passes and his touch wasn't anything special. Particularly annoying was the poor delivery from frees, from himself and McGeady.

I would have liked to have seen Andy Reid come on towards the end, but then again, he doesn't offer the protection Hunt does. I think Andy Reid has to come in for the Cyprus game, give us a bit of invention. We'll have to see which way the injury situation is going nearer the time.

Overall, a solid start, and we kept a clean sheet away from home against credible opposition.

[Montenegrin]

Edmundo wrote:

Srećno na noćas! Ali ja sam iric i mislim Crna Gora jedan - Irska dva :)
Vi ste Crnogorac ? Odkale... iz Titograd ?
:D
Yes I am Crnogorac,but not from Podgorica.I am from town called Berane.
Concerning game-Clear penalty in your favor,maybe one more-thank you for that referee:).Match was equal.You had your chances to win,but so did we.We played suprisingly well in defenece and disapointing in attack.Vucinic and Jovetic did not have their day.Also,Bošković,Bogavac and Vukčević were injured(he entered in second half).Our chances of qualifying are obviosly reduced,but we still have everything to play for and I think that we have chances of beating both you and Bulgaria away.All in all feeling of this prematch tension and excitement during the match is fantastic and I am looking forward for next games.
You are obviosly better team than Bulgaria especially in defence,although they are better techinaly.I would bet on you wining twice or eventualy your win and draw in two games against them against them.
At the end I can say that I espected whole different type of match and I am preety suprised how stong you are in defence.




I hope you also saw that we are not so bad for a country of 700 000.

[Brendan 82]

Andy Reid is a winger. Left Wing is his primary position.

No he is not. Just cause Keane has lumped him out there does not mean he is. This is well known. He is not a left winger

[irishultra]

I personally feel Montenegro were more dangerous but we were better on the ball, in terms of ball retention...other than Hunt...

[billydoneit]

I am preety suprised how stong you are in defence.[/QUOTE]


You're not the only one......

[Bohemian1890]

McGeady only has one trick and Keane went missing again.

Hunt is a joker.As much as i think Duff is past his best he is still better than Hunt,McGeady.

[Stuttgart88]

Very comfortable point.

Disappointed we didn't win - something was lacking upfront, not sure whether it was a bit more guile or just a bit of old fashioned physicality.

I thought almost everyone acquitted himself well but Hunt infuriated me. Worked hard and definitely contributed to the direction of the game but his set pieces ware simply atrocious and his general distribution poor.

Duff could have had a field day against this lot.

Who ever said we had problems in central midfield? :) Whelan and Reid were excellent and Whelan in particular is showing that international football still has room for an intelligent technical footballer even if the English league doesn't.

Defence was rock solid - take a bow the much criticised O'Shea & Kilbane.

The team is definitely taking shape. It looks cohesive and functional which is something we haven't been able to say for a while. That by itself compensates for not winning in my mind. My only reservation is that points won now can compensate for unexpected or undeserved points lost in future.

My wish list: Duff in for Hunt, McGeady to be more assertive and the front 2 to be more threatening.

Could Andy Reid have improved things? Maybe if we'd taken Hunt off, played slightly narrower and with McGeady playing a freer role behind Keane & Doyle. Did Montenegro have the width to exploit this shape? Not sure but I don't think so.

[eekers]

Funny with the whole Hunt v Reid debate post game on rte not one of them mentioned its Duffer's position to lose. Hunt will be used as an impact sub for either Duff or McGeady in the future. And that is why he's getting the nod over Reid while Duff is out.

[FarBeag]

Read carefully

Planning for the right result away from home is a tactic in itself, which is what we done. The players looked tired as the game went on, but we kept our shape, we didn't give them ample chances, so why change things around dramatically by bringing on subs - especially Andy Reid - who is not a winger, nor a defensive midfielder.

Still haven't seen a reasonable post on why Andy Reid should have come on - it's not a game of Football Manager where you put on a player with a creativity rating of 20 out of 20 who changes the game in the space of a minute.

Reid and McGeady were ineffective attacking wise, but still they bring more to the table than Reid does on the wing. And, persistence is part of their game, on another day they might have played the same and either one of them could have whipped in a pin point cross onto Doyle's head - a bit like McGeady did in Georgia.

Reid is a winger and the reason I would have brought him on is that Steven Hunt was clearly knackered and because the game was there to be won Andy Reid was the man to win it for us. Hunts delivery from set pieces especially was bad all game and Reid would have been an improvement and the man to deliver a pin point ball to Doyle’s head or Keanes feet.