Republic of Ireland V Turkey, Italy, Costa Rica & Portugal - May/June 2014

[BonnieShels]

Phew!

[BonnieShels]

FFS how was that a free kick?

It was a nothing challenge on the Golden Boy. That's how.

[pineapple stu]

Hm..

Long night ahead

[BonnieShels]

Ah jaysus!

[TheOneWhoKnocks]

Where the f*** was Kelly?

[Razors left peg]

This could be a cricket score

[pineapple stu]

2-0 is a cricket score.

[/pedant]

[tricky_colour]

What a fecking fluke!!

Portugual have the luck of the Irish!!

Both their goals were pretty lucky we can win this :)

[tetsujin1979]

there are some decent passages of play on the right wing. but by and large, it's Portugal in control

[Razors left peg]

:nerd::nerd::nerd:

[Stuttgart88]

Wes doesn't look phased. Pity about the rest of them.

Ok, McGeady likes the ball too.

[pineapple stu]

there are some decent passages of play on the right wing. but by and large, it's Portugal in control
I think we have to acknowledge that it's basically a reserve team from us, compared to a Portugal team who are putting the final preparations on a game against Germany on Monday. This is about experience for our squad members, and given our squad has fairly little strength in depth (I think), it'll be a good exercise. Unless we start getting to 6-0 or 7-0!!

Stream just frozen?

Edit - disregard. Didn't miss a goal at least.

[pineapple stu]

There's my UCD flag in the crowd! WTF?!

[tetsujin1979]

I think we have to acknowledge that it's basically a reserve team from us, compared to a Portugal team who are putting the final preparations on a game against Germany on Monday. This is about experience for our squad members, and given our squad has fairly little strength in depth (I think), it'll be a good exercise. Unless we start getting to 6-0 or 7-0!!

Stream just frozen?

Edit - disregard. Didn't miss a goal at least.

Especially in defence.
Watching on a US stream, commentator making a decent fist of pronouncing the names, on both sides

[tetsujin1979]

Ronaldo, giving away possession there. #overrated

[tricky_colour]

OMG!!

[BonnieShels]

Finishing work at 9pm EST which basically means I'm gonna miss the entire second half as my cycle homes is 45 minutes long.

I expect good debate and comment in the intervening period.

[Razors left peg]

This game is making me want to tear my hair out. Again we give the ball stupidly and Ford make a balls up.

We are defending worse than Ive seen in a long time. Keogh, Kelly and Ward are shocking players

[pineapple stu]

That is an impressive moustache on Almeida. Can only have distracted our guys.

[Stuttgart88]

I think I can attribute blame to about 5 players for that one.

[BonnieShels]

Ward can go f himself at this stage.

[pineapple stu]

Finishing work at 9pm EST which basically means I'm gonna miss the entire second half as my cycle homes is 45 minutes long.

I expect good debate and comment in the intervening period.
You could put in a bit of overtime?

Just saying like... :)

[tetsujin1979]

Portugal score with ten men, same as Costa Rica

[TheOneWhoKnocks]

Weak, weak defending again..

No commanding presence in there.

[BonnieShels]

You could put in a bit of overtime?

Just saying like... :)


Nah. I'm getting away with watching it as it is. I plan on doing this for the World Cup so I'd rather not arouse suspicions at this stage.

[TheOneWhoKnocks]

Commentator saying that Richie Keogh has played majority of career at RB and is finding the step up hard.

[tetsujin1979]

American commentators saying Ireland have had some positive play but lacking a cutting edge up front.
US playing Portugal on 22nd June

[pineapple stu]

Interesting commentary there. "Missed by Ward again...McGeady's been done again on the [Portuguese] right hand side"

We're not too bad going forward; certainly better than under Trap. But we're a shambles at the back.

[BonnieShels]

Thank God that's over.

[TheOneWhoKnocks]

Nights like tonight really make you appreciate what Shane Long and even Kevin Doyle do. Some decent build up play, just nobody up there to link it up.

[SwanVsDalton]

The defending has been woeful. Coleman, O'Shea, Dunne and Wilson look increasingly priceless.

[tricky_colour]

8:0 is 100-1, good value there!!

[Crosby87]

Thoughts from the front:

Forde is awful.
All the irish around me are saying hoolie needs to play deeper.
Staff is yelling at mcgeady to shoot more.
I was right behind mcclean when he got tied up with neto, his leg went one way, his knee the other, I was nervous when he came up limping.
Its kinda hot out I dont know why ireland put those collars on their tops.
Keogh is the whipping boy amongst the irish in the stands.
MOL looks like he has lost some weight.
It annoys me that the porto keeper has one pink shoe and one powder blue shoe.
Varela and Almiela are too tall. We need some height.
Sorry about any misspellings ive had a few belts. Porto fans seem really friendly, almost pathetically trying to be positive about the BIG to some irish fans....
I snuck in a flask of grey goose and passed it around but now im nervous about germs.

[TheOneWhoKnocks]

Ironically, I would say Keogh wasn't so much at fault for the own goal but the other two........

[ArdeeBhoy]

We're not too bad going forward; certainly better than under Trap. But we're a shambles at the back.

Tbf that was always going to happen. Plus the former's 'football' became unwatchable.

Still say goodbye to 0-0 draws for the next, say, 5 years?

[Charlie Darwin]

Commentator saying that Richie Keogh has played majority of career at RB and is finding the step up hard.
Not sure Curtis is fully up on his facts. We've been a disaster in defence. Front four have been better.

[tricky_colour]

Thoughts from the front:

Forde is awful.
All the irish around me are saying hoolie needs to play deeper.
Staff is yelling at mcgeady to shoot more.
I was right behind mcclean when he got tied up with neto, his leg went one way, his knee the other, I was nervous when he came up limping.
Its kinda hot out I dont know why ireland put those collars on their tops.
Keogh is the whipping boy amongst the irish in the stands.
MOL looks like he has lost some weight.
It annoys me that the porto keeper has one pink shoe and one powder blue shoe.
Varela and Almiela are too tall. We need some height.
Sorry about any misspellings ive had a few belts. Porto fans seem really friendly, almost pathetically trying to be positive about the BIG to some irish fans....
I snuck in a flask of grey goose and passed it around but now im nervous about germs.


Looks like the Portugal keeper swings both ways ;)

[Yard of Pace]

But we're a shambles at the back.

We are, but Coleman, Dunne, Sledge, O'Shea, Delaney, Wilson and maybe even McShane would all be ahead of the current 4 in there, so I'm not TOO worried. If anything I hope this drubbing consigns Ward and Kelly to the nether regions of the stand-by list or worse.

[Supreme feet]

Nights like tonight really make you appreciate what Shane Long and even Kevin Doyle do. Some decent build up play, just nobody up there to link it up.

Yep, they would have made a world of difference to those gaping holes in our 4th choice defence.

[Closed Account]

Going as expected. McGeadys flick in the first minute sums up the irish attitude. Summer holidays tomorrow.
Portugal building up to biggest month of a lot of their careers. Forde, Ward, McClean and Walters have been very poor. McGeady has been his usual self. Marmite. Hoolahan, Hendrick and Meyler arent letting themselves down at least.

[TheOneWhoKnocks]

Not sure Curtis is fully up on his facts. We've been a disaster in defence. Front four have been better.

I think he only started playing CB regularly a three or four years ago and he's 28 in a couple of months.

[Razors left peg]

We at least have others to come in at the back I suppose. Wilson, Coleman, O'Shea and Dunne have to be first choice. I actually am shocked at just how bad Keogh is

[Stuttgart88]

Our GK and back 4 all play in the championship FFS, and of the two deep midfielders one is Championship and the other 16th in EPL. Hardly surprising defence has been porous.

Only positives really are that Meyler, Hendrick and Wes seem to be on same wavelength in attack. Wes looks as if he could play for Portugal. McGeady is good going forward but can't cover for Ward's weakness.

Walters looks lost up there by himself, McClean gets in good positions but does eff all.

[pineapple stu]

We are, but Coleman, Dunne, Sledge, O'Shea, Delaney, Wilson and maybe even McShane would all be ahead of the current 4 in there, so I'm not TOO worried. If anything I hope this drubbing consigns Ward and Kelly to the nether regions of the stand-by list or worse.
Absolutely. I'm trying to turn that into a positive from this game tbh. Better up front than the past few years; the defence irrelevant as they won't be playing.

[TheOneWhoKnocks]

Hopefully St Ledger gets his career back on track and pushes Keogh out of the reckoning. There is still hope for Pearce. Damien Delaney at least is a lot more commanding and physical than Keogh.

[tetsujin1979]

anyone know if this is accurate: https://twitter.com/OCowzer/statuses/476522478454726656

Ireland likely to drop out of top 75 in world rankings with a loss here. 2018 WC qualification draw in 12 mths, Ireland heading for 4th seed

[TheOneWhoKnocks]

We at least have others to come in at the back I suppose. Wilson, Coleman, O'Shea and Dunne have to be first choice. I actually am shocked at just how bad Keogh is

MON's body language tells me that he is planning for life without Dunne. Do you think these performances may have changed his mind, Razor?

[nigel-harps1954]

Pure and utter cack performance.

[Stuttgart88]

We at least have others to come in at the back I suppose. Wilson, Coleman, O'Shea and Dunne have to be first choice. I actually am shocked at just how bad Keogh is
McCarthy, Gibson, Reid, Brady too.

I still think Doyle might be the biggest winner of this set of 4 games.

Anyway, you can't take on Portugal with a second tier defence. Keogh talks a good game but, as expected, is no better than 5th choice. He asked to be noticed, he got what he wanted.

[Closed Account]

I think he only started playing CB regularly a three or four years ago and he's 28 in a couple of months.
Yes, I'm pretty sure he speny most of his time at Carlisle and Coventry at right back.