Republic of Ireland V Argentina - Wednesday, 11th August 2010 - Friendly

[DannyInvincible]

Is Cunningham expected to make Manchester City's 25-man squad for the new season? I'm pretty sure I read a report on here the other day mentioning how he had a poor game during a pre-season friendly and appeared to be off the pace completely.


If you mis**** a cross it's not the end of the world, but if you let someone in on goal that is unforgivable.

We'll be having less of that language round here! :P

In seriousness though, having a liability at the back poses a greater overall risk than a guy who'll take a while to get a cross in, so it's only natural that people will worry more about this, justifiably or not. When an error-prone individual makes a costly mistake, it's what people will focus on as the proximate cause for losing a game.

[Charlie Darwin]

Cunningham's under 21 so he's exempt from the 25-man squad. He had one poor game in pre-season but came back with 3 decent showings as a sub including setting up a goal. We should be blooding him the same way Slovakia blooded Vladimir Weiss.

[tetsujin1979]

I'm pretty sure I read a report on here the other day mentioning how he had a poor game during a pre-season friendly and appeared to be off the pace completely.He had a bad game against Sporting Lisbon in the States, and was replaced at half time, along with most of the starting XI
from http://www.mcfc.co.uk/News/Match-reports/2010/July/Sporting-Lisbon-v-City

He (Djalo) collected Saleiro’s sumptuous flick that had bamboozled Cunningham and raced around Hart before slotting into an empty net.
Had an assist for City's goal in their next game, a 2-1 loss against the NY/NJ Red Bulls
from http://www.mcfc.co.uk/News/Match-reports/2010/July/NY-Red-Bulls-v-City

The Brazilian (Jo) atoned for any tardiness in the 55th minute when he flicked home substitute Greg Cunningham’s cross for an equaliser.
Came on late against Club America and set up Jo after some good work
from http://www.mcfc.co.uk/News/Match-reports/2010/July/Club-America-v-City

Jo had an air shot after good work from Cunningham leaving the result to be decided on penalties.
Was a half time substitute against Inter, but didn't do much - http://www.mcfc.co.uk/News/Match-reports/2010/July/Inter-v-City
didn't play against Dortmund - http://www.mcfc.co.uk/News/Match-reports/2010/August/Dortmund-v-City
Came on late against Valencia, again a quiet end to the game for him - http://www.mcfc.co.uk/News/Match-reports/2010/August/City-v-Valencia

I think he'll be in and around the first team picture for City this season, but the first choice left full will be the signing from Lazio, Kolarov, with Bridge as back up.
Mancini has started to trim the squad, but seems to want to keep Cunningham at Eastlands. He may go on loan in the second half of the season if he's not getting first team action though

[Stuttgart88]

There was a quote from Trap (or Tradelli) during the week - in context of strikers like Long & Folan dropping out, Doyle being a doubt and Sheridan (and now Stokes) hopping over from the U21s - fliipantly asking "do you know of any others?".

I'm still surprised that Best & Murphy weren't called up. I wonder did Best show a bad reaction to Sheridan being preferred in May? Or is he injured? Murphy is fit.

Anyway, great to see Stokes hitting form. His post-match quotes last night were a guarded pop at Givens.

[dr_peepee]

What were thew comments? Is there a link??

[Supreme feet]

http://www.herald.ie/sport/soccer/lack-of-choice-in-attack-is-a-major-concern-says-tardelli-2291044.html

There you go. Apparently Best is injured. Surprised that Murphy isn't on the radar, and I'd like to see Keogh tried up front for a change - he's definitely not a winger.

[Stuttgart88]

Thanks, I'd forgotten Keogh was in the squad. I quite like him as a forward, but definitely not out wide.

[DannyInvincible]

There was a quote from Trap (or Tradelli) during the week - in context of strikers like Long & Folan dropping out, Doyle being a doubt and Sheridan (and now Stokes) hopping over from the U21s - fliipantly asking "do you know of any others?"

What about that Simon Cox chap who we all thought was one of "three or four" English-born players to be having their documents sorted in order to play for us? Was Paul Green it then?

[TrapAPony]

What about that Simon Cox chap who we all thought was one of "three or four" English-born players to be having their documents sorted in order to play for us? Was Paul Green it then?

Simon Cox even said he wanted to play for us.

http://www.newsoftheworld.co.uk/sport/football/match_reports/championship/635058/COX-REVEALS-REPUBLIC-OF-IRELAND-DREAM.html

What's stopping him from being picked?? Tbh I hope Paul Green isn't just it.

[Duggie]

Thanks, I'd forgotten Keogh was in the squad. I quite like him as a forward, but definitely not out wide.

i always liked keogh and a pity he was never used to good effect. id like to see him upfront or used in some attaxking role. needs a move from wolves at this stage it looks like.

[tetsujin1979]

I always thought it was odd that Trapattoni played Keogh out wide when his best performances under Trapattoni came playing through the middle, scoring against Serbia, and finding the back of the net again against Nottingham Forest

[geysir]

Wasn't he just on for a minutes against Serbia?

[tetsujin1979]

Wasn't he just on for a minutes against Serbia?
yeah, but he played through the middle and scored. Against Forest he was pretty ineffective on the right, and got moved up front and scored.
My point was that his best performances have come when he's been played as a central striker, so why is he being played on the wing?

[geysir]

The obvious game in question was Italy away?
I don't think he was played out wide then because Trap sees that as his best position. Has he been played since?
Has he not been injured for ages?
How do you think he could fit into a starting line up? or are you thinking of him being used as a sub?

[Stuttgart88]

He's very like Keane so it may not make sense to have the two play together. However, Doyle just failed a fitness test for tonight so unless Trap goes for one of last night's U21s (Sheridan most likely) it may be a chance for Keogh. I hope so as I like watching him.

What's the latest on Noel Hunt?

wrt Italy away, I do actually think Trap thought Keogh was a viable option RHM. He had played there before under Trap - Nigeria in Fulham for example. Lawrence wasn't in the fold at that point. I think Duff was injured so Stephen Hunt started on the left. Was McGeady available?

Anyway, I think Trap now knows that Keogh can only be deployed in the centre. It's a pity it took a shabbily conceded goal and a general inability to play RHM in Italy for Trap to figure it out.

[Stuttgart88]

What about that Simon Cox chap who we all thought was one of "three or four" English-born players to be having their documents sorted in order to play for us? Was Paul Green it then?Maybe Trap & co didn't like the noises coming from people like O'Hara. Anyway, I don't see the point in filling places just for the sake of it. We should only "recruit" if it actually provides a useful option. I think Green is an interesting one - by all accounts he was very influential in the recent Leeds game, though he missed a couple of chances.

[TrapAPony]

Maybe Trap & co didn't like the noises coming from people like O'Hara. Anyway, I don't see the point in filling places just for the sake of it. We should only "recruit" if it actually provides a useful option. I think Green is an interesting one - by all accounts he was very influential in the recent Leeds game, though he missed a couple of chances.

Regarding Paul Green, that was only at Championship level. It remains to be seen how good or bad he is. I agree that we should only recruit if they are better than what we have but IMO players like O'Hara and co. would add to the squad.

[geysir]

Trap wouldn't have played Keogh out wide if he didn't think he was a viable option to fill in there for somebody injured but I think Trap knew then that it wasn't his best position.
He was used as sub out wide in the Montenegro game but with a more defensive role.

[TheBoss]

Argentina Starting XI:

Sergio Romero
Nicolás Burdisso
Gabriel Heinze
Martín Demichelis
Walter Samuel
Éver Banega
Javier Mascherano (C)
Fernando Gago
Angel Di María
Lionel Messi
Gonzalo Higuaín

[Stuttgart88]

IMO players like O'Hara and co. would add to the squad.O'Hara, yes. Who is / are "and co." though?

Bear in mind that we have some good U21s nearly ready and good players who were unavailable through injury like Wilson. There were complaints here that McCarthy, Coleman, Stokes etc. weren't in the senior squad. I think we have a panel of about 30-35 people identified and there aren't many (I'm not saying any) "recruits" that'd add much to that.

[backstothewall]

However, Doyle just failed a fitness test for tonight so unless Trap goes for one of last night's U21s (Sheridan most likely) it may be a chance for Keogh. I hope so as I like watching him.

Have to say I think it will be good to see him play with Keane. I'm kind of happy Doyle is out!

[Supreme feet]

Link for this anywhere? I'm waiting for an iraqgoals stream, but I need a back-up in case that doesn't work.

[Charlie Darwin]

Most of these should work. I recommend downloading Veetle.

http://myp2p.eu/broadcast.php?matchid=82887&part=sports

[theworm2345]

Playing Argentina and Cillian ******* Sheridan is starting...:shock:

[Sullivinho]

Playing Argentina and Cillian ******* Sheridan is starting...:shock:

His first touch will be the talk of Sofia..

[tricky_colour]

Ireland team:
Given (Manchester City),
McShane (Hull City), Dunne (Aston Villa), O'Shea (Manchester United), Kilbane (Hull City),
Fahey (Birmingham), Andrews (Blackburn Rovers), Green (Derby County), Duff (Fulham),
Keane (Tottenham), Sheridan (Celtic).


Is that team right?
I just heard the argie commentator say liam lawrence.

anyone got a stream in English?

[geysir]

Sky Sports is streaming very good on this veetle channel
http://veetle.com/index.php/channel/view#4c5a8ee2f0f74

[dancinpants]

Iraqgoals link: http://www.iraqgoals.net/11208-ireland-vs-argentina-.html

Streaming well right now.

[theworm2345]

I feel as though I've seen this before...

[tricky_colour]

Iraqgoals link: http://www.iraqgoals.net/11208-ireland-vs-argentina-.html

Streaming well right now.

Thanks, picture quality not as good as what I had but at least it's English!!

[dancinpants]

Thanks, picture quality not as good as what I had but at least it's English!!

Streams getting a bit sh!tty now :(

[Ciaran W]

F*ck off houghton !

[tricky_colour]

Streams getting a bit sh!tty now :(

http://iraqgoals.net/11209-ireland-vs-argentina-.html

That's better quality but not english.


I had the feeling I was throwing my money away when I backed Ireland but what the heck.

why they playing Sheridan who played in the U21 5-0 win?
Why not Stokes who got the goals etc..
well I can guess why I suppose.

[TrapAPony]

Terrible first half....alot of anonymous Irish players. Like watching paint dry from an Irish point of view.

[tricky_colour]

Bloody cheating Argies - worse than the French!! :mad:

[abcd]

Armenia beaten 3-1 at home to Iran tonight. Dissapointing first half but pretty much what you'd expect.

[tricky_colour]

Who needs Messi when you got Robbi? :)

[SkStu]

Bloody cheating Argies - worse than the French!! :mad:

watching on a poor stream - but from what i could tell i didnt think the ball was touched by the first offside player but was he interfering with play? Probably.

[tricky_colour]

watching on a poor stream - but from what i could tell i didnt think the ball was touched by the first offside player but was he interfering with play? Probably.

As I saw it a player just onside got a touch to one who was offside who lobbed it into the net.
I don't think ref saw the first touch if indeed he did get a touch.

[geysir]

watching on a poor stream - but from what i could tell i didnt think the ball was touched by the first offside player but was he interfering with play? Probably.
It was touched on and offside, immaterial though - the defending was awful. We take the injustices on the chin as a matter of course.

[Stuttgart88]

Exactly, the defending was muck. Shay has run to the linesman in his last 3 games for us now: france, Brazil & Argentina. It's becoming a routine.

[Charlie Darwin]

I thought McShane played very well. Then again he was only up against Di Maria and Heinze - hardly world-beaters.

[Stuttgart88]

I thought McShane was poor. Hates having the ball at his feet. Full backs should be as comfortable on the ball as midfielders - not that our midfielders, or anyone in our team, looked comfortable on the ball. The two teams were leagues apart technically.

[geysir]

McShane defended well and distribution was okay. He is not a natural full back and of course does not look comfortable with the ball like for instance Kelly does.

[DannyInvincible]

As I saw it a player just onside got a touch to one who was offside who lobbed it into the net.
I don't think ref saw the first touch if indeed he did get a touch.

You can't be offside from a goal-kick, just like you can't be offside from a throw-in. If the offside rule applied to goal-kicks, Higuain would have been miles offside. As it was, Higuain definitely touched the ball on its way through to Di Maria who had made his way in front of him and into an undoubted offside position once the tap forward was made.

No disagreements over the state of the defending, mind. I thought it appeared very fragile at times. McShane looks like Bambi on ice and even Richard Dunne was swinging at the air on occasion. He could easily have been sent off had this been a competitive fixture.

The performance improved in the second half - albeit, our increased possession in the Argentinian half was most likely due to them sitting back - and we certainly could have grabbed an equaliser had the ball dropped our way from a set-piece, but we didn't really look like we were going to open them up otherwise. One thing I've seen McShane do on a couple of occasions now is, instead of moving the ball forward in the dying moments when it has come back out to him after a set-piece and there are plenty of bodies in front of him - even launching it back into the box would do at this point in a game - he sucks all momentum out of any potential opportunity by taking the risk-free option and passing it all the way back to Given; half the length of the pitch. It's very frustrating to see a professional footballer have such a lack of faith in his own ability to stick a ball in the opposition's box.

I thought Treacy looked lively up the wing when he came on and Green seemed competent enough in the centre. Fahey could have imposed himself a bit more I thought and it's hard to judge Sheridan and Keogh really as they seemed limited to trying to head knock-ons to Robbie Keane. I actually thought Robbie's chance after Keogh's knock-on was going to be a last-minute repeat of the goal he scored against Germany in the 2002 World Cup. Duff's free-kicks and corners weren't great either, although he was probably exhausted as most came late on.

[tricky_colour]

You can't be offside from a goal-kick, just like you can't be offside from a throw-in. If the offside rule applied to goal-kicks, Higuain would have been miles offside. As it was, Higuain definitely touched the ball on its way through to Di Maria who had made his way in front of him and into an undoubted offside position once the tap forward was made.

No disagreements over the state of the defending, mind. I thought it appeared very fragile at times. McShane looks like Bambi on ice and even Richard Dunne was swinging at the air on occasion. He could easily have been sent off had this been a competitive fixture.

The performance improved in the second half - albeit, our increased possession in the Argentinian half was most likely due to them sitting back - and we certainly could have grabbed an equaliser had the ball dropped our way from a set-piece, but we didn't really look like we were going to open them up otherwise. One thing I've seen McShane do on a couple of occasions now is, instead of moving the ball forward in the dying moments when it has come back out to him after a set-piece and there are plenty of bodies in front of him - even launching it back into the box would do at this point in a game - he sucks all momentum out of any potential opportunity by taking the risk-free option and passing it all the way back to Given; half the length of the pitch. It's very frustrating to see a professional footballer have such a lack of faith in his own ability to stick a ball in the opposition's box.

I thought Treacy looked lively up the wing when he came on and Green seemed competent enough in the centre. Fahey could have imposed himself a bit more I thought and it's hard to judge Sheridan and Keogh really as they seemed limited to trying to head knock-ons to Robbie Keane. I actually thought Robbie's chance after Keogh's knock-on was going to be a last-minute repeat of the goal he scored against Germany in the 2002 World Cup. Duff's free-kicks and corners weren't great either, although he was probably exhausted as most came late on.


Well I think you pretty much agree with me on the offside, I don't even think the goal kick rule applies because he looked onside to me, However the player he touched it to
did look offside so the goal should not have stood.
The second half was definitely an improvement, I think we could have been more positive sometimes, something rather than go forward, the ball was lost passing it back!! Other than their goal I don't recall them threatening much as in shots on goal.
Could just be my memory though, but not a great game.
The only moment I remember really was Robbies bit of trickery in the box.

[Noelys Guitar]

Not the worst performance by any means. Bizarre defending for their goal. Beyond that lapse I thought Dunne and O'Shea looked as good as ever. Fahey came into the game a bit more in the second half. Green put in a good shift. McShane played OK in phases and then then continually tried to pass the ball through Argentian players? (Kilbane doing the same on the other wing). We really missed Doyle who would have caused that defense a lot of problems. And our passing into the box was very poor overall. We will need Doyle, Lawerence, McGeady, Hunt and Whelan back. Plus McCarthy and ANother to get out of the group I feel. Overall happy enough with how we played.

[backstothewall]

Given - 6 - Didn't have a terrible lot to do considering the amount of possession Argentina had. But what he had to do he did well, as usual. nothing he, or anyone, could do about the goal.
McShane - 5 - Two more bad mistakes he was lucky to get away. Not up to this level.
Dunne - 7 - Solid, Reliable, Richard Dunne. Mr 100%.
O'Shea - 6 - I honestly can't remember a single thing he did. Nor can I remember a thing he did wrong. But there were a few like that, so its a 6 on that basis.
Kilbane - 6 - Has lost a lot in acceleration, but still gets up and down the park. His days at this level are probably behind him but good for the old warhorse to enjoy the big night at the new Lansdowne.
Fahey - 6 - see O'Shea
Andrews - 6 - see O'Shea.
Green - 7 - A few bright moments. Seems to fill an Ireland shirt in a way that suggests he is capable of better than Derby.
Duff - 7 - Probably our biggest threat, technically anyway. Has a great relationship with Keane
Sheridan - 7 - Did well. No chances of note, but won a lot of headers, and put himself about really well. Offers a real option, albeit a route 1 option
Keane - 6 - Did well, but loses a point as he really should have scored

Cunningham - 7 - Did as well as could have been expected, but probably good that Messi went off a minute after he came on.
Treacy - 7 - Have to admit, I have no idea what Thunderbird 6 was doing in the squad, but fair play to him, put in a great cross which Keogh could easily have scored from.
Keogh - 6 - Very similar to Keane, but a good squad option. Solid performance, and might have scored. Would like to see him play with Doyle for an hour or so in a friendly at some point.

[backstothewall]

McShane defended well and distribution was okay. He is not a natural full back and of course does not look comfortable with the ball like for instance Kelly does.

He certainly isn't a natural centre back. Right back was his only hope, and he isn't good enough

[hoops1]

Amazingly it seems that some of our highly paid,hugely experienced players don't know the bloody rules and think you can be offside from a goal kick.
Shay should hang his head in shame, he must be playing the game professionally 15 years now. I find it very disappointing.