Holland -v- Ireland predictions, etc.

[eirebhoy]

Well we are without 18 members of Kerr's first choice squad(Carr, Kenny, Harte, Breen, Dunne, O'Shea, S Reid, Kennedy, Delap, Roy Keane, Kilbane, Kavanagh, Duff, Healy, Kinsella, Miller, McAteer and Connolly). So, Kerr doesn't have much of a selection headache, he said he'll play his best 11. The team should be something like this:

____________________Given________________________

Finnan_______O'Brien_______Cunningham_______Maybur y

Barrett_________Holland_________???????_________Re id

_______________Keane_______Morrison_______________

Who Kerr will play in the centre is anyone's guess. His first choice will probably be Douglas but if he's still not fit than Quinn should get it.

This is Holland's last match until the EC so they should have a full strenght team. Also their last two matches have been really poor performances so they should be really up for this. Holland should easily win this IMO, I don't want to predict a score though. :(

[eirebhoy]

Douglas has also been sent home with an injury.

[1MickCollins]

I think Holland will get their act together and get the win. Kinsella to start alongside Holland, for this game Kerr will go with experience.

[eirebhoy]

I think Holland will get their act together and get the win. Kinsella to start alongside Holland, for this game Kerr will go with experience.
You must have missed my list of absentee's. He's unavailable due to his sons first communion.
:)

[dynamo kerry]

so who is available to play there

quinn?

reid?

barret with rowlands on the right? ( this is probably the most far fetched though)

[tricky_colour]

Certaintly the bookmakers think Holland will win this as they are 7/13,
draw 13/5 and an Ireland win a whopping 13/2 (6.5-1).

Holland are ranked 4th in the world at the moment!

The biggest away friendly defeat was 3:1 by Holland unless you include
the Nigeria game!

A good bet might be a 3:1 (10/12-1) win for Holland, with that bet it will be a
while before you know you have definately lost your money.

You can also have 33-1 on a 2:0 win for us and 100-1 for an
even more optimistic 3:0 win :rolleyes:

Anyway I will have a small flutter for a 2:1 win at 20-1, you never know ;)

[1MickCollins]

so who is available to play there

quinn?

reid?

barret with rowlands on the right? ( this is probably the most far fetched though)

Kerr to partner Holland in midfield, Bonner on the bench alongside Hughton!

[the 12 th man]

reckon we will raise our game considerably for this match considering the opposition and the venue (dutch crowd normally create good atmosphere)

dont rule out "shock" win for us.

i predict 2-1 win for us

[tiktok]

hope you're right, definitely think we're worth a tenner at 13/2 though

[Slash/ED]

I can only see us loseing fairly comfortabley with the team we have left to be honest.

[eirebhoy]

Andy Reid to score first 20/1.

If your putting a bet on do it on paddypower.com, they refund all bets if the last goal is a header.

[Declan_Michael]

If UK residents don't already know this game is on Channel Five :)

[dynamo kerry]

Kerr to partner Holland in midfield, Bonner on the bench alongside Hughton!


ok that's the most far fetched :)

[tricky_colour]

If UK residents don't already know this game is on Channel Five :)


Unfortunately where I live in the UK I only get half decent reception
on C5 when the weather is cloudy and damp.

It is forecast dry and sunny tomorrow so I will barely be able to see the picture.
Still it will be miles better than the radio which also has poorer reception
the better the weather!!!

I should be able to pick out the fuzzy green blobs from the fuzzy orange
blobs quite easilly though :)

Stilll it is nice to C5 to cover the match.

It will be easy to pick out Morrison, but I expect Matt Holland will be lagely
invisble unless he scores :D

[ger121]

Gonna go for 3-1 to Holland. It will be a gutsy performance by Ireland but they'll have to much class for us.

[blobbyblob]

1-0 Ireland, Clinton to notch
Given to have the game of his life

[czarner]

If anyone's interested, the match is being shown on Polsat Sport (they've been showing all the Dutch friendlies of late) here in Poland. Great for those of us who can't get any time off for a hectic weekend in the Dam <sob>

BTW whats up with the FAI website? - it seems to be down.

[ger121]

If anyone's interested, the match is being shown on Polsat Sport (they've been showing all the Dutch friendlies of late) here in Poland. Great for those of us who can't get any time off for a hectic weekend in the Dam <sob>

BTW whats up with the FAI website? - it seems to be down.

It's been like that for two or three days, maybe they have gone bust!!!

[tricky_colour]

If anyone's interested, the match is being shown on Polsat Sport (they've been showing all the Dutch friendlies of late) here in Poland. Great for those of us who can't get any time off for a hectic weekend in the Dam <sob>

BTW whats up with the FAI website? - it seems to be down.

Yep its been unavailabel for a few days now.

It hardly fills me with any confidence.

Also I would like to know the teams starting line up
before I part with my hard earned ;) cash

[tricky_colour]

Dam I couldn't get my bet on, Ladbrokes closed their
online book early!!
Also the kick off was listed as 7:30 on some listings :eek:

[tricky_colour]

Wish I got that bet on it looks faitly evenly matched
so far.
Robbie hit the post and he tried to do too much (again)
when he had another chance!!

Good work by Kenny for the penalty appeal.

Great match too.

[tricky_colour]

GGGGGGGGGGOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLL


Cracking goal from Robbie

1:0 :D

Wish I got my bet on though

[tricky_colour]

Crikey Morrison missed a sitter, should be 2:0

[tricky_colour]

Well Blobbyboy predicted 1:0 Ireland, he is in the money
if he placed a bet on 88mins. (2 too go)

[dynamo kerry]

here- what happened to seedorf- my radio coverage keeps cutting out

[tricky_colour]

Was Seedoorf the guy who walked off?
Alledgedly a hamstring there.

[dynamo kerry]

Was Seedoorf the guy who walked off?
Alledgedly a hamstring there.
hah- some chance- I reckon he bottled it

[Slash/ED]

He didn't look injured.

[tricky_colour]

hah- some chance- I reckon he bottled it


Yes, he appeared to be walking perfectly OK, maybe a slight hint of
a limp.
He appeared to dance down the stairs with ease :D

[thejollyrodger]

great result by Irealnd HAHAHAHAHHAH :D :D :D

[jofyisgod]

Great game, great goal and a great result.

Kenny was amazing, as usual, and all credit to Alan Maybury. World class, the lot of 'em. They all deserve a memory like that one, well done guys.

Hit the roof with the goal, jeez.

IRELAND!

[Emmet]

Keane, and Cunningham were superb. I didn't realise Barrett's first touch was as good as that. The ball came to him at speed several times and stuck to him like glue......defensively he was very good as well. What do people reckon about the world cup qualifiers? On this form, I can see us winning the group.

Emmet

[Emmet]

ps - I thought the shot of the guy sleeping after six minutes was superb!!

[Plastic Paddy]

Just admitting I was wrong...

I'm sure there's more than one person hereabouts that would like a signed copy of this confession. ;)


That team unrecognisable from the Unity Cup nonsense.....

Didn't stop us forking out top whack though, did it? :eek::rolleyes:

Quiet night in for you tonight, M?

:D PP

[tricky_colour]

ps - I thought the shot of the guy sleeping after six minutes was superb!!


Yes they must have had a camera fixed on him the whole match!!

They showed a clip of when the goal was scored and you could
see the guy next to him slowing rising in his seat anticipating
a goal, the sleeping guy only appeared to wake up when he heard
the roar of the crowd.

He must have had a rough night!!

[bitored]

Brilliant brilliant performance - first class all round.... they were all fantastic but Robbie Keane!! - what is the man on - he was amazing tonight!
On this evidence there can be no doubt that O'Brien and Cunningham have to be first choice central defence pairing. And after the last couple of games -but particularly tonight - Graham Barrett fairly laid claim to starting on the right.
I'm all optimistic again! Wish we were playing France next week.

[Plastic Paddy]

the sleeping guy only appeared to wake up when he heard the roar of the crowd.

He must have had a rough night!!

In the Bulldog with some purple haze since opening time this morning, more like. ;)

:D PP

[Slash/ED]

It was a good workmanlike preformance, which was to be expected when in the mid field the flair players were all missing, bar Andy Reid who just oozes class. Bring Duff, Keane, Miller and Kilbane back into contention for a mid field start, bring Carr, Breen and O'Shea back into contention for places at the back and we've the makings of an absolutley excellent side. We should be able to make the world cup and do very well in it, there can be no excuses if we don't.

[Sheridan]

Great game, great goal and a great result.

Kenny was amazing, as usual, and all credit to Alan Maybury. World class, the lot of 'em.
Maybury?

MAYBURY??

MAYBURY???

But look here, Maybury??

[Slash/ED]

Have to agree with Sheridan really, Maybury was poor, but there were a lot of positives to be taken from the game. Maybury wont be around when the qualifyers come around in all likelyhood.

[Sheridan]

Have to agree with Sheridan really, Maybury was poor, but there were a lot of positives to be taken from the game. Maybury wont be around when the qualifyers come around in all likelyhood.
I shouldn't think so. In fairness, he's not a left-back.

I hope people won't get too carried away by this result; remember how Ireland beat the Dutch in a friendly on the eve of USA '94 and people were crowing about going all the way in the World Cup etc etc - the Dutch put them in their place when it mattered. Friendlies, to be blunt, don't mean sh*t.

Still, a good result with a shadow XI, great performances by Given, Cunningham, Finnan and (for his goal, at any rate) Keane. However (and not that one wishes to be churlish, but...) if Maybury, Quinn and (game though he may have been) Barrett are international footballers, I'm a Dutchman. And that's self-evidently not the case; if I was, I would have been selected ahead of Kluivert.

PS: Slash/Ed - great performance by your chaps last night, Hoolahan and Byrne in particular. Hoolahan (my fav. player in the league) was man of the match imho; I was almost willing him to score the cracking goal he deserved near the end when he slalomed through half our team, only for Robbie to save (instead of doing so twenty minutes earlier, when it might have made a difference :rolleyes: )

[supasparx]

A.Quinn worth a place?
I think he's great cover for Keane. Plays really well when defending.
Think we're looking great for the WC Qualifiers!

[Slash/ED]

PS: Slash/Ed - great performance by your chaps last night, Hoolahan and Byrne in particular. Hoolahan (my fav. player in the league) was man of the match imho; I was almost willing him to score the cracking goal he deserved near the end when he slalomed through half our team, only for Robbie to save (instead of doing so twenty minutes earlier, when it might have made a difference :rolleyes: )

Wes is back to the form that earned him an Ireland call up, he was poor last year but has been class this year even when out of position. There's few better sites than in the EL than watching Wes when he's on top. For your side, Derry were apparently absolute rubbish against Bohs and with only one down this year i'd be fairly optimistic if I were you that you could catch them. Dublin are the better team from what I've seen this year imo.

So as not to post totally off topic, today was a good preformance from Ireland in workmanlike way. There were players out there who, while they really haven't the quality to play at this level, worked their arses off and that upset the Dutch. However, imo the likes of Barrett, Quinn and Maybury shouldn't be considered when the real matches come around. However, put the likes of Duff, Keane Miller, O'Shea and the rest back into the side and we've a very good and well balanced side imo.

[1MickCollins]

I shouldn't think so. In fairness, he's not a left-back.

I hope people won't get too carried away by this result; remember how Ireland beat the Dutch in a friendly on the eve of USA '94 and people were crowing about going all the way in the World Cup etc etc - the Dutch put them in their place when it mattered. Friendlies, to be blunt, don't mean sh*t.

Still, a good result with a shadow XI, great performances by Given, Cunningham, Finnan and (for his goal, at any rate) Keane. However (and not that one wishes to be churlish, but...) if Maybury, Quinn and (game though he may have been) Barrett are international footballers, I'm a Dutchman. And that's self-evidently not the case; if I was, I would have been selected ahead of Kluivert.

PS: Slash/Ed - great performance by your chaps last night, Hoolahan and Byrne in particular. Hoolahan (my fav. player in the league) was man of the match imho; I was almost willing him to score the cracking goal he deserved near the end when he slalomed through half our team, only for Robbie to save (instead of doing so twenty minutes earlier, when it might have made a difference :rolleyes: )

Ah now don't be so quick to write players off - this was Alan Quinn's second start and you are saying he isn't international class? Do you remember when Andy Townsend first played for Ireland and i think he went on to be a very good player? The guy is young and will develop. The same applies to Barrett who has a lot of potential as well. International football is different to club football it takes 10-15 games to really know.

Reid needs to improve his fitness levels but is a very exciting player.

[thejollyrodger]

Barrett, Quinn and Maybury

I wouldnt write off these players just because it wasnt a competitive match, but I think kerr should defintley use them against some of the weaker groups in our group. Who wants to risk injuries and bookings from our best when these players are good enough

[dynamo kerry]

true- we still dont knwo if stephen reid is going to develop further

he couldnt have a worse season

for ye lads who actually got watch games instead of listening

did maybury look at all like he imporved over the week?

[Slash/ED]

I wouldnt write off these players just because it wasnt a competitive match, but I think kerr should defintley use them against some of the weaker groups in our group. Who wants to risk injuries and bookings from our best when these players are good enough

You run the risk of dropping silly points doing that though, and the whole point is imo, those players while they do try very hard, aren't good enough against the better international sides anyway.

[dynamo kerry]

why would we want to rest players anyway- we never h ave before (except keano maybe now)

and don't we usually drop points against the weaker sides as it is - no chances- full team every time

france and maybe brazil could do that but let's not get carried away here

[thejollyrodger]

like cypress and (correct me if im wrong, are they in our group) faroee islands?? the only difference is going to be the goal difference. They might not the world class but work hard.

[Slash/ED]

Why risk it, unless our players are on a booking there's no point just randomly resting players really, it can only backfire.

And goaldifference, like you said, is an issue. Remember 2002, the only reason we didn't qualify automatically was because we didn't score enough against the minnows.