Ireland V Sweden(A) 22 March & Austria(H) - 26 March 2013 - World Cup 2014 Qualifiers

[ArdeeBhoy]

It's going to be a tight game.
We could just about afford to lose, but we'll need 6 points v.these two teams in September if we do. Praying for a home win tonight, mind.

And at that game, that night in Skopje;a tad depressing.
:(

[ArdeeBhoy]

I have been wondering why we seemed to hit so many over-hit balls in the final 3rd V Sweden
and have reduced it to two possible causes:-


a) Our players are crap :p

b) The pitch was doctored. It looked to me like the grass was cut much shorter in the final The sort of dirty trick only the Swedes are capable of. Looked like it was cut progressively shorted causing through balls to run on a couple of yard more than normal.

I expect they will have mown the evidence away by now though.

It wasn't doctored. And they relay the pitch, 5-6 time s a year. Including since last weekend when their National Bandy Final was played.

[tricky_colour]

I'd say our chances are evens.
1/3 a chance for a win, 1/3 for a draw, 1/3 for none of the aforementioned.

The book makers make us slight favourites with odd of 6/4 5/4 and 7/7
Then it's about 2-1 or 9/4 for the either the draw or Sweden

[tricky_colour]

It wasn't doctored. And they relay the pitch, 5-6 time s a year. Including since last weekend when their National Bandy Final was played.

Well it may not have been intentionally doctored but it they relay different parts of it differently then some bits will be faster than others.
It doe look a bit patchy with some bits cut shorter than others. I was just looking at a replay and there is one bit where the ball
seems to get stuck under Robbies feet and the grass there looked longer and greener.

[peadar1987]

Well it may not have been intentionally doctored but it they relay different parts of it differently then some bits will be faster than others.
It doe look a bit patchy with some bits cut shorter than others. I was just looking at a replay and there is one bit where the ball
seems to get stuck under Robbies feet and the grass there looked longer and greener.

I saw that too. McClean is quicker than Walters, so they had our right wing mown shorter, that way McClean kept getting the ball trapped in his feet whereas Walters wasn't able to catch the through balls.

[tricky_colour]

I'm weirdly nervous about this game, more than I have been for an Irish game in a while. Not so much about the result (well, relatively speaking), but with how the team will play. It sort of seemed against Sweden that a corner might have been turned in terms of mentality, tactics and putting trust in the players to actually play a bit of football as opposed to watching the other team do it. But the re-inclusion of Whelan (after Green's showing I mean) and choice of Sammon makes me worried that we'll end up back at the hoofball.

Dropped points here would be a total disaster and the Austrians shouldn't be pushovers.

I have similar fears if we play Whelan and McCarthy, that leaves us with out anyone in the midfield to
put pressure on Austria when they have the ball.

I wonder if we would have been over run so much in the midfield in the Euro's if Paul Green was playing.
Paul seems to be the only one who puts any pressure on the opposition midfield without him we only ever
win the ball back deep in our final 3rd meaning a return to hoofball.

[tricky_colour]

I saw that too. McClean is quicker than Walters, so they had our right wing mown shorter, that way McClean kept getting the ball trapped in his feet whereas Walters wasn't able to catch the through balls.

Yes that confirms what I just said about Robbie getting the ball stuck under his feet, that happen on McClean's side of the pitch.
The other side was like an ice rink in the final 3rd!!

I think we have been done!!

I have only just managed to get a decent quality video of the game, the pitch was just a blur of mushy green on the stream
I watch live.

[geysir]

I have been wondering why we seemed to hit so many over-hit balls in the final 3rd V Sweden
and have reduced it to two possible causes:-


a) Our players are crap :p

b) The pitch was doctored. It looked to me like the grass was cut much shorter in the final The sort of dirty trick only the Swedes are capable of. Looked like it was cut progressively shorted causing through balls to run on a couple of yard more than normal.

I expect they will have mown the evidence away by now though.

According to the RTE's campaign montage of pieces of brilliant play by Wes, his overhit pass was perfectly struck but the inrushing Andy Keogh was out of position :)

[CraftyToePoke]

Functioning stream anyone ?

Please

By please I mean now

For the love of God

[Fergie's Son]

Not showing it live here for some reason.

Stream would be appreciated.

[ken foree]

seconded! many many thanks in advance, the sweden streams were great.

[tricky_colour]

According to the RTE's campaign montage of pieces of brilliant play by Wes, his overhit pass was perfectly struck but the inrushing Andy Keogh was out of position :)

Again that was on the fast side of the pitch which confirms Peaders theory so a number of incidents confirm the theory.
it would be quite a simple trick to pull off. As in golf the speed of the green can make a dramatic difference.
Balls don the right just never seemed to slow down where as on the last they just seemed to stick in the grass.

[tricky_colour]

Not showing it live here for some reason.

Stream would be appreciated.

http://www.coolsport.tv/stream16.html

[shakermaker1982]

McClean please stop taking corners!!!!

[tricky_colour]

0-1 no Green to protect the centre backs.

Same old stuff they have free run of our midfield because they know our midfield is incapable of winning the ball.

People say Green loses the ball but at least we have it occasionally with him

[shakermaker1982]

Oh my God

[Maroon 7]

Suicide from Clark. He did the exact same thing playing for Villa a few weeks ago. Cost them a goal as well.

[NeverFeltBetter]

Struggling big time. Austrians dominating midfield. McClean getting into space but using it very well.

[SkStu]

ballsack.

[Fergie's Son]

Lost the stream at 1-0 down. Depressing stuff.

[paul_oshea]

a moment of madness.an error as i said.clark did the same against sweden too.need a goal beforr half time

[SkStu]

im sure the doc is molesting himself silly after that Clark gaffe.

[tricky_colour]

Get McCarthy and Whelan off and put on Green and Hoolahan.

[tricky_colour]

YES!!!

Better bury this

[NeverFeltBetter]

Get in. Lucky break.

[tricky_colour]

This has gotta go in. (and it did)

[paul_oshea]

that defending was awful.they are useless at the back.

[cavan_fan]

a moment of madness.an error as i said.clark did the same against sweden too.need a goal beforr half time

is this a competition for dumbest central defender who plays in claret and blue

[Closed Account]

Their keeper looks dodge. They are playing the better football though. Is there something wrong with us that we can't string a few passes together without looking like we're always panicing.

[Fergie's Son]

So 1-1. Seems like a rough match to watch.

[tricky_colour]

**** I forgot we are at home!!

[paul_oshea]

i think wolohan would destroy these lads at the back.good going forward but woeful at the back.

[paul_oshea]

is walters injured.he is very slow to react

[paul_oshea]

that murfinator hasnt a clue.thwy are useless at the back.at 6 and 7s

[NeverFeltBetter]

Marvelous bit of build-up there, shame it didn't go in.

[paul_oshea]

the lad trap wouldnt play for ages is doing evreything.the guy he picks and everyone cant understand is doing nothing.

[Fergie's Son]

Any other stream, even a text one?

[SkStu]

stream lost for last 15 minutes... how has Sammon played?

[SkStu]

Any other stream, even a text one?

same here...

im using this as an emergency!

http://www.extratime.ie/fixtures/detail/18853/1/

[paul_oshea]

did my post not say it all.awful

[Fergie's Son]

"Watching" it on Football365. Seems like we are playing better.

[Closed Account]

Made in Stoke

[tricky_colour]

TES!!!!!!;)

[SkStu]

sorry...missed that... extratime said...

"Long and Sammon are doing real well winning everyball in the air"

[NeverFeltBetter]

And that's why McClean shouldn't take corners again.

[SkStu]

Get FCKN IN!

[ken foree]

Eeeyahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh get innnnnnnn

[tricky_colour]

Could not believe that, I just saw the ball in the back of the net, and I'm thinking "Ball in net = goal hmmmm"

[NeverFeltBetter]

Alright, bit of a mixed half. Taking advantage of Austrian weakness in defence, we should be good enough to win this game now. Defence not the rock it was in Stockholm and we should really use the CM's a bit more. Long doing well. Sammon not up to much. McClean fairly wasteful.

[tricky_colour]

And that's why McClean shouldn't take corners again.


Yea I was just thinking, (as I have thought before) his delivery is sub-standard 1 in 3 are wasted, one under hit one over hit and one about right.