Euro 2012 Qualifying Group B - General Discussion

[irishfan86]

Liam Lawrence isn't necessarily the quickest but he can hit a good penetrating ball and brings a physical presence.

[bennocelt]

Adrock, I would appreciate if you took your ongoing negativity somewhere else. I am sure you are only a windup merchant. In terms of the development of Irish soccer, Packie Bonner our technical director is to lose his job.

http://www.rte.ie/sport/soccer/2010/1124/fai.html

Good riddance to bad rubbish, with his FF head on him:mad:

[tetsujin1979]

Good riddance to bad rubbish, with his FF head on him:mad:
I'm sure you feel the same way about the rest of the staff the FAI had to lay off :rolleyes:

[bennocelt]

I'm sure you feel the same way about the rest of the staff the FAI had to lay off :rolleyes:

Dont care, how much does Delaney earn again:rolleyes:

[tetsujin1979]

Dont care, how much does Delaney earn again:rolleyes:
he's taking a pay cut as well

[SkStu]

so will he still be making more than Obama or less i wonder?

[Charlie Darwin]

I don't understand why Obama is always the benchmark people use. The US president is only paid some nominal amount to reflect the fact he's a) already minted and b) stands to earn hundreds of millions once his term is up. Not that Delaney or Cowen or anyone else deserves their inflated salary.

Sorry, I'll stop talking now.

[tommy_c12000]

I don't understand why Obama is always the benchmark people use. The US president is only paid some nominal amount to reflect the fact he's a) already minted and b) stands to earn hundreds of millions once his term is up. Not that Delaney or Cowen or anyone else deserves their inflated salary.

Sorry, I'll stop talking now.

Good points. Interestingly, an exception was Clinton who was far from minted when he took office. He was largely dependent on his wife's income as a lawyer. This is an interesting article on the subject:

http://www.caller.com/news/2008/apr/12/presidents-salary-is-insultingly-low/

And now we go quickly back to the sport's desk. . . . . . . . . .

[Stuttgart88]

Yep, it's real Daily Mail / Telegraph reporting. "Some civil servants earn more than David Cameron shocker". cameron is monted already and some civil service jobs are very important. The PM is probably underpaid anyway.

[rebelmusic]

So i watched the Norway game again without emotion and I think there's a lot more positive notes to take out of it. I don't know why people thought Fahey had a bad game. The only time he really gave the ball away was when he was trying to thread some through balls. Far better than green and andrews in that poistion.

Cunningham was excellent, great pairing with Duff. Hunt didn't gel with him as well.

McGeady was also very good, and Long was excellent again.

I feel Long is more of a Doyle replacement though. I know everyone on here loves Doyle, but he's better when we're winning. He's not a top scorer and i fear he never will be.

The one thing that annoyed me is Given's distribution. Goal kicks almost always end up with opposition attack. If you watch the game again you'll notice most of our decent play begins with the full back. At least when the option is there, Given should roll it out to the full backs and let them build up play. O'Shea as well does have an eye for a good pass when he's not in lump it mode.

So to conclude, i wasn't too displeased with the game. Nothing could have been done about the first goal, and for the second, Foley really should have been keeping an eye on the right corner. He ran to the center where O'Shea and Kelly were already moving into position.

[rebelmusic]

Sledge dropped to the bench today....Trap really needs to put O'Shea and Dunne in the center. Foley/Kelly on the right and cunningham on the left.

[Colbert Report]

O'Shea hasn't been playing much lately for Manchester United. Seems to have been displaced by Rafael as the first choice right-back.

[rebelmusic]

I'd still have more faith in him though, altho granted, after Rafael's performance today he could be on the bench a lot longer

[Charlie Darwin]

I think Rafael is there to stay. With Valencia injured United need his more attacking style.

[Keep the Faith]

O'Shea is back providing utility cover and it looks like Rafael is ahead of him in the pecking order. It's obvious but we need our first 11-15 playing regular first team if we are to have any chance. I cannot see Trap change his midfield set up so the best we can hope for is for Fahey or Andrews to play out of their skin for the rest of the games. Coleman, Cunningham and McCarthy need to be given a real chance once they are getting regular game time. Good to see Foley, Hunt and Clarke in among the goals today. Treacy could make a real impact for us if he can keep his focus. McGeady still has to step up to the plate but his recent performances are promising. One thing for sure its going to be another roller coaster run in and I reckon the best we can hope for is the play-offs.


http://i1124.photobucket.com/albums/l572/Christy1847/CalendarPoster-1-1.jpg

[elroy]

The one thing that annoyed me is Given's distribution. Goal kicks almost always end up with opposition attack. If you watch the game again you'll notice most of our decent play begins with the full back. At least when the option is there, Given should roll it out to the full backs and let them build up play. O'Shea as well does have an eye for a good pass when he's not in lump it mode.


Interesting, that is one of the main criticisms of that City fans had of Given in the whole Given V Hart debate earlier in the year. That and his general command of the area were the two main criticisms.

[Charlie Darwin]

Hart's distribution is brutal though.

[rebelmusic]

I think from the command of his area point of view, it's always been hard to understand why Given never comes to catch corners or set plays in general. Considering set plays have been our biggest weakness this campaign it raises concerns.

[Kingdom]

Foley, JoSh, Dunne, Cunningham.

Please Santa.

[Kingdom]

I think from the command of his area point of view, it's always been hard to understand why Given never comes to catch corners or set plays in general. Considering set plays have been our biggest weakness this campaign it raises concerns.

Physically he's too small. He's even slight for a keeper.

[rebelmusic]

Foley, JoSh, Dunne, Cunningham.

Please Santa.

Haha brilliant. I dunno, hasn't he held back from these since that injury a few years back? The one compared to a car accident?

[carloz]

Physically he's too small. He's even slight for a keeper.

Hasn't stopped Iker Casillas who is marginally smaller than Given.
I actually dont think much of Joe Hart. He is English, he looks the part, he wears short sleeves and therefore resembles a European keeper. and the english media were clamouring for him to be selected. He will get found out in time.

[Kingdom]

Hasn't stopped Iker Casillas who is marginally smaller than Given.
I actually dont think much of Joe Hart. He is English, he looks the part, he wears short sleeves and therefore resembles a European keeper. and the english media were clamouring for him to be selected. He will get found out in time.

Definitely carloz. Maybe Iker is the exception to the rule, Look at Cannavaro, midget, but as fine a defensive header of the ball as you'd get.

I'd agree too re: Hart.

[Charlie Darwin]

Casillas doesn't really command his area either. Neither does Reina. It's a case of having good defenders in front of you who'll take responsibility for most balls in. Given has, or had, Lescott.

[Kingdom]

Casillas doesn't really command his area either. Neither does Reina. It's a case of having good defenders in front of you who'll take responsibility for most balls in. Given has, or had, Lescott.

valid point too, especially about Reina.

[tommy_c12000]

Hart didn't cover himself in glory 2day. Couldn't deal with Delap's "missiles" at all

[Jicked]

Our hopes of Armenia doing us a favour against Russia, like they did against Slovakia, might not be too likely. Armenian daily newspaper Zhamanak today is suggesting Russian officials approached their Armenian counterparts with a view to paying for a guaranteed win, and that the game has long been rigged.

[shakermaker1982]

Our hopes of Armenia doing us a favour against Russia, like they did against Slovakia, might not be too likely. Armenian daily newspaper Zhamanak today is suggesting Russian officials approached their Armenian counterparts with a view to paying for a guaranteed win, and that the game has long been rigged.

If true then watch FIFA sweep this under the carpet.

[irishfan86]

Call me naive but I'd trust the Armenians to give it their all for their country.

Even if they are mercenaries, surely it would be more lucrative to try and secure a move to a top club by playing well at international level then get a few thousand from the Russians?

[Wolfie]

We have to win this one. No more to be said.

26-Mar-11 Ireland v Macedonia
26-Mar-11 Andorra v Slovakia
26-Mar-11 Armenia v Russia

[Predator]

Our hopes of Armenia doing us a favour against Russia, like they did against Slovakia, might not be too likely. Armenian daily newspaper Zhamanak today is suggesting Russian officials approached their Armenian counterparts with a view to paying for a guaranteed win, and that the game has long been rigged.Can you add to this?

[Jicked]

I can't. The guy I heard it from might if you ask him: http://twitter.com/#!/jamesappell sportswriter who's a self-proclaimed Russophile. His knowledge of the Armenian dailies might be somewhat better than mine.

[rebelmusic]

From GreenScene -

Russia deny match fixing claim

3 February 2011 28 views No Comment Written by Michael
Ireland’s two Group B opponents, Russia and Armenia, have moved to distance themselves from match fixing allegations made in the Armenian tabloid Zhamanak.
http://www.armradio.am/pic/Russia%20Armenia%203.bmp
The paper claimed that Russian authorities had made an unspecified “lucrative economic offer” to Armenia ahead of the game.
Armenian Football Federation President Ruben Hayrapetyan also strongly denied the claim by Zhamanak at a press conference in Yerevan on Thursday. He accused the paper, known for its pro-opposition reporting, of trying to discredit the national team, which, he said, is finally showing some good football.
Despite both countries denying the rumours, Zhamanak stood by the allegation in its Thursday edition, stating that “A government that has been giving Russia everything can also be expected to throw the football match with Russia,” it claimed.
Nikita Simonyan, a veteran Russian-Armenian player and current vice president of the Russian football union, dismissed the bribe talk completely. He stated, “We are waging a serious fight against corruption and fixed matches… This is ridiculous,”.
Currently Armenia sit just two points behind Russia, alongside Ireland and Slovakia in what is a very tight group. The result in Yerevan will have big consequences on who will gain the automatic qualifying spot.

[Stuttgart88]

I heard that the Russians offered to buy 4,000 Vantage Club seats from the FAI if they were given a 3 goal lead in Dublin.

[Yard of Pace]

And I heard when they saw who our centre midfield pairing was going to be they withdrew the offer...

[Noelys Guitar]

The KGB allegedly used ESP on foreign entities/individuals. "You must play Green and Whelan. You must play Green and Whelan. Get rid of rotund chap. Get rid of rotund chap".

[paul_oshea]

when did russias secret service start employing vietnamese/cambodian/korean mercenaries?

[Wolfie]

I heard that the Russians offered to buy 4,000 Vantage Club seats from the FAI if they were given a 3 goal lead in Dublin.


And I heard when they saw who our centre midfield pairing was going to be they withdrew the offer...

An inspired "One...Two" there, Bill.

[geysir]

The Armenian president has stepped in and ordered the Armenian team to beat the Russians.
Ադրբեջանական նավթային ընկերությու (http://news.am/eng/news/46742.html)



I bet most of you thought I was kidding.

[paul_oshea]

How? I mean how did you find it, apart from having UTF-8 to post those characters.

What do people think when they see this photo -> http://news.am/eng/news/45547.html

Lets hope the Armenian president is liked more than the egyptian president.

[geysir]

I am not smart enough to talk in terms of utf-8 or even have the remotest clue clue what it is.
A plain man like myself uses copy and paste of armenian text into the reply option url link in the post.

[paul_oshea]

I wouldn't describe you as plain or simple geysir.

[elroy]

We have to win this one. No more to be said.

26-Mar-11 Ireland v Macedonia
26-Mar-11 Andorra v Slovakia
26-Mar-11 Armenia v Russia

Fact. Home win against Macedonia is a must and an away win if we want to top the group.

The ironic thing is the way we play Id be more confident of an away win at the moment.

[Noelys Guitar]

I like this build up to the Armenia v Russia game. Armenia hammered Slovakia above and beyond the 3-1 scoreline. They could do themselves and the rest of the group a big favour by beating or drawing with the Russians.

[Charlie Darwin]

It's really hard to gauge Armenia. We dealt with them very comfortably, I felt, but Slovakia were torn apart by them even though they seemed fairly solid when we played them.

[Spudulika]

The Russian media dealt with this accusation with a resounding guffaw, if that can be hear. On Russia 2 Sport News they reported it, likening the situation to the Eurovision Gazprom apparently bought, plus the World Ice Hockey Championships where a Canadian journo claimed the reason Russia won gold was because they'd bought off their opponents. Nothing would surprise me, though Armenia wouldn't like down like that. Oh, and it also referred to the English claims that Russia had paid bonuses to Croatian players for winning against England to send them through to the Euro's in 2008.

Regardless Ireland's fate is in their own hands. Beating Macedonia and Armenia, not losing to Slovakia and Russia and we'll be in at least a play off.

[paul_oshea]

Excuse my ignorance and i know its a poor country but wouldn't Russia be fierce rivals a bit like our relationship with England?

[Charlie Darwin]

A little bit, but they're mainly upset with Turkey and Azerbaijan.

[ArdeeBhoy]

Having been there can echo that. Don't forget they and Azerbaijan refused to play each other when drawn in the same group, at least once, I believe?

And we were told they're still 'officially at war' when we were there. Though there was no obvious evidence of this.

[Spudulika]

Head up to the border Ardeebhoy. Remember the Azeri's regularly send in troops across the border and there are regular threats against Armenia from that side. The Armenians aren't blameless, they can be eejits as well, but the Azeri's really want to give them a tonking and are trying to outdo them in everything - the latest 2 are tennis and chess, mad as that sounds.