Republic of Ireland V Macedonia - Saturday, 26th March 2011 - Euro 2012 Qualifier

[theworm2345]

This guy has been watching videos of McAteer

[SkStu]

some tackle gibson. impressed

[Stuttgart88]

Best tackle of gibson's career

[tricky_colour]

And first ;)

[ped_ped]

Impressed with Westwood so far.

[tricky_colour]

Dangerous with it at 2:1

They could score any moment, will we press on or try and defend the lead awaiting the inevitable late equaliser?

[SkStu]

equaliser is coming... i can sense it.

[Noelys Guitar]

Dunne looks knackered. It might be time to bring on Clark or Wilson. Having said that he jsut saved us with that interception.

[soccer8]

Dodgy lead we need the third....Shane Long is very strong in the air for a small guy....Gibson and Whelan very poor in the middle

[theworm2345]

Best tackle of gibson's career
Now he shows why he doesn't often tackle

With Dunne now suspended for next match someone needs to step up against Uruguay.

[SkStu]

sh1te tackle gibson... not impressed

[theworm2345]

Well done Westwood

[SkStu]

lucky.

[Maroon 7]

Should be 2-2. Westwood to the rescue. Living dangerously here.

[tricky_colour]

Westwood saved our bacon.

This game is getting far too interesting for my liking.

[ped_ped]

Serious stop from Westwood.

[SkStu]

we've really turned to sh1te. Why does this happen every game? Its just weird at this stage.

[theworm2345]

Fatty coming on for Gibson

[tricky_colour]

It's all macadonia and it's worrying.

[Irish_Praha]

Difficult viewing here. I want this game to end now. We have several players who are not fully match fit and will start tiring in the last 15 mins. Hope to phuck we can hang on.

[tricky_colour]

Will McCarthy get on considering how the game is going?

[passinginterest]

If McCarthy gets on I presume it'll be injury time for Keane. If it's earlier it'll be on right for Duff.

[Irish_Praha]

No sign of McCarthy at the moment. No strikers on the bench to bring on so maybe time to change it to 4-5-1 with McCarthy on for Keane or Long

[SkStu]

dont care what that tart Beglin says, that was a red for Popov

[tricky_colour]

Trap will not take any risks putting him on to get a cap.

[SkStu]

THAT is the McGeady we've been waiting to see. Great game imo.

[theworm2345]

Will McCarthy get on considering how the game is going?
Looks like it, I've got a Scottish commentator complaining about McCarthy and McGeady

[tricky_colour]

Talk of the devil!!

[ped_ped]

Poor free from Fahey. C'mon, there's a goal in Ireland yet.

[SkStu]

brilliant, fantastic McCarthy is on!!!! Mark the day. Yes!

[tricky_colour]

Edge of the seat stuff.

[Noelys Guitar]

Thank christ. 3 points

[Metrostars]

That'll do.

[SkStu]

lots of positives from that game but still a work in progress.

Congratulations to James McCarthy, Irishman.

[Sullivinho]

If surrendering the initiative was a sport in itself, we'd be world-beaters.
Duffer: magnificent. Well deserved man of the match.
Darron Gibson making the tackle of the night.
Westwood with a very passable Given impression.
Foley slightly tentative but generally Finnan-esque.
O'Dea solid. Fair play to him.
The McCarthy eligibility saga: they think it's all over......it is now.

No Dunne for Skopje.

[tricky_colour]

1 Slovakia 5 h 1 1 0 a 2 0 1 t 3 1 1 5 4 +1 10
2 Russia... 5 h 0 0 1 a 3 1 0 t 3 1 1 6 3 +3 10
3 Ireland.. 5 h 2 0 1 a 1 1 0 t 3 1 1 9 6 +3 10
4 Armenia. 5 h 2 1 1 a 0 1 0 t 2 2 1 9 4 +5 8
5 FYROM.. 5 h 0 1 1 a 1 0 2 t 1 1 3 5 6 -1 4
6 Andorra. 5h 0 0 3 a 0 0 2 t 0 0 5 1 12 -11 0

[ped_ped]

Can somebody edit the title to include 'McCarthy capped'? :p

[Crosby87]

Wow another heart attack.

Thoughts:
1. Hope Doyle is OK obviously.
2. Whelan was/is awful. Way overrated by many Foot.ie posters.
3. A few on here need to eat their medicine about O'Dea. He was great.
4. Will be hard getting another 3 off this team in that hot june weather....Without Honeymonster.
5. Ireland dick around with the ball way too much.
6. I can't be sure but I think when they put the camera on Trap yelling in McCarthy's ear before he went in, Trap said, In English: "Just go Fuc*ing play." Which is cool.

[Noelys Guitar]

These are not an easy team to beat. there was never going to be a 3 or 4 nil. I thought we played out the last ten minutes really well. The 20 min period before that was mostly awful, nerve wracking stuff. O'Dea played well. Great save from Westwood to keep it at 2-1. A half fit Dunne was a rock. McGEadys beest game for Ireland. Gibson made the second goal for Robbie who stuck it away. Duff put in a great shift. I always knew this would be a very tough match so three points is great.

[geysir]

Surprisingly we pretty much controlled the crucial last 15 minutes, a part of the game were least likely to control
I relaxed anyway when Fahey came on for Gibson.
3-1 would have been nice but ....

[Crosby87]

I guess if yesterday the offer was, We win 2-1, Russia draws nil, Mac gets capped......We would all take that in a heart beat.

[ped_ped]

I guess if yesterday the offer was, We win 2-1, Russia draws nil, Mac gets capped......We would all take that in a heart beat.

Agreed.

[geysir]

Brady gets in a knockout punch before Bill could deliver :D

[Sullivinho]

I guess if yesterday the offer was, We win 2-1, Russia draws nil, Mac gets capped......We would all take that in a heart beat.

Would have snapped that up, absolutely.

[Irish_Praha]

Thought the 3 "new" guys did well enough. O'Dea wasn't tested very much but didn't make any mistakes and looked composed on the ball. Westwood looks like a very capable back-up and replacement for Shay when the time comes. Foley got caught out a few times but a got in a few very important tackles in the middle. It was also refreshing to see an Irish right back allowed to get forward and put a few crosses into the box. I was also very impressed with how McGeady played, his step-overs and fancy dan stuff was exactly what we needed in the last quater of the game. Long never gives up and made some chances for team mates with from what seemed like lost causes. Again the biggest disappointment was our CMF neither of Gibson or Whelan had a terrible game but they offered nothing going forward. All this team needs is one solid CMF player who can take the game by the scruff of the neck and hopefully that will be McCarthy or Myler.

[geysir]

I hope James starts on Tuesday and performs to satisfaction. It is the only area of the pitch that needs immediate repair - apart from LB.
CM tonight had, at crucial times, a powder puff presence.

[Noelys Guitar]

We will miss Richard Dunne in the away game. His reading of the game is second to none. Although only half fit he made three interceptions as last man that were top drawer. Hopefully O'Shea and St Ledger will be back. And it is definetely time to give McCArthy a full game on tuesday.

[geysir]

O'Dea was grand I thought. Good decision to play him :)

[ped_ped]

Productive game altogether.

McGeady's first goal, McCarthy pinned down, and credible alternatives up front (Long), at right-back (Foley), at centre-back (O'Dea) and between the sticks (Westwood). Also, in the first half, some serious football played. I also felt, nervy as it was, Ireland were a lot more comfortable defending their 2 - 1 lead than they have been defending leads in games passed.

McGeady was excellent throughout.

Draw-back: centre-mid.

[Noelys Guitar]

O'Dea was grand I thought. Good decision to play him :)
It was a good decision. As was the instruction to shoot on sight. Trapatooni had obviously done his homework on their keeper (he did improve in the secondhalf)