2014 World Cup

[BonnieShels]

Great goal. CR have been great.

FYI CBC are using ITV's team. Peter Drury on commentary.

[DannyInvincible]

Its the best World cup in my memory anyway, its been fantastic so far

All that's missing is someone converting a direct free kick.

[Razors left peg]

All that's missing is someone converting a direct free kick.
Very true actually :)

[pineapple stu]

Mad stat alert - it has even apparently brought us Brazil's first ever own goal at a finals.

Italy seriously struggling here.

[Razors left peg]

Costa Rica showing that a smaller nations can compete. I bet their manager didnt tell them that they had no chance of beating Italy or Uruguay before they even started the tournament

[BonnieShels]

He apparently said the opposite.

They were brilliant. An absolute tactical masterclass.
Beautiful.

[DannyInvincible]

I wouldn't afford Costa Rica that much credit for their victory there really. The Italian's lost on purpose; that's Italian tradition for you... :p

How far can Costa Rica go now? And to think we're unbeaten against them! :cool:

[pineapple stu]

I wouldn't afford Costa Rica that much credit for their victory there really. The Italian's lost on purpose; that's Italian tradition for you... :p
But what about Italy's tradition of scoring in every World Cup game going back to the last time they didn't?

Wouldn't be at all surprised to see Uruguay beat Italy on Tuesday now. Uruguay on the up, Italy on a downer. Unthinkable after the first series of games, when Uruguay were a shambles and Italy did so well. Mad stuff.

Costa Rica will play Colombia, Ivory Coast or maybe Japan/Greece in the last 16. Entirely surmountable.

[BonnieShels]

Hopefully Colombia and CR top their groups and avoid each other in the next round.

[BonnieShels]

Kenny v Eamonn
Deadly.

[CraftyToePoke]

He did. Which made his comments to ITV at the end more laughable.

What I found funny there was him being asked if Hodgson should keep his job after his own gaping inability to lay a glove on Pirlos performance followed by two game costing errors last night.

[Razors left peg]

I think I hate the Swiss more than most in World football. I'll never forget the night under Kerr when we failed to qualify and they made the playoffs. Their fans were the most miserable bunch Id ever seen. I remember being devastated in the pub afterwards and the Swiss fans looking like they didnt give a toss made me even more p1ssed off.

[BonnieShels]

Eamon was a joke with Kenny. Absolute crap coming from him. Kenny was right. For all of JT's leadership qualities he would have been a disaster to bring.

Thing is though, wasn't this the world cup with zero expectations? And yet they land in a tough group and get beaten by two better teams and there's soul searching going on.

Gerrard is getting away with it. The narrative is all "team related".

[BonnieShels]

I think I hate the Swiss more than most in World football. I'll never forget the night under Kerr when we failed to qualify and they made the playoffs. Their fans were the most miserable bunch Id ever seen. I remember being devastated in the pub afterwards and the Swiss fans looking like they didnt give a toss made me even more p1ssed off.

Yip. I walked through Temple Bar that night and there were some Swiss about. Coulda decked them. Only problem is I hate France as much. So this is a Kerry-Meath conundrum if there ever was one.

[Razors left peg]

Yip. I walked through Temple Bar that night and there were some Swiss about. Coulda decked them. Only problem is I hate France as much. So this is a Kerry-Meath conundrum if there ever was one.

At least the french fans enjoyed being cheating f***ers!

[pineapple stu]

Did the Swiss keeper just completely ignore the penalty rebound there?

Another good game, this.

[BonnieShels]

My feed froze at the penalty

[Razors left peg]

So did the keepers after he saved it

[pineapple stu]

Lol!

Have to say, wasn't convinced by France against Honduras. But this performance is very good. Even if Switzerland haven't been great.

[Razors left peg]

The French are missing about of individual class that the likes or Ribery or Nasri could bring, but they look a much better team without them. They are strong all over the pitch, dont think anyone will fancy meeting them

[Stuttgart88]

That's what often fascinates me about footy. The best players don't always make the best team.

So, what was Kenny vs Eamon about? Selecting JT or not?

[Stuttgart88]

Having seen Kerr on Setanta and reading about him here, it saddens me that he no longer plays any meaningful role in our national organisation anymore.

[Razors left peg]

Genuine question, I dont mean to knock Kerrs underage achievements in anyway, but how much of it was down to great coaching or a great bunch of young players coming through?

If Kerr were to step back into his underage role today would his coaching methods be outdated or would he still do well. He'd be a lot better than Paul Doolin or Noel King Im certain, but Im curious of what peoples opions are.

[pineapple stu]

Genuine question, I dont mean to knock Kerrs underage achievements in anyway, but how much of it was down to great coaching or a great bunch of young players coming through?
A lot of the players did very little since.

Two from the U-20 bronze medalists won international caps. Duffer and Glen Crowe (capped twice). Compared that with the English team - knocked out in the last 16 - where five players went on to win England caps, including Carragher and Owen. Or the Argentinian team that narrowly beat us in the semi, which had Walter Samuel, Cambiasso, Riquelme and Pablo Aimar. Or France, who had Sagnol, Silvestre, Gallas, Henry, Trezeguet, Landreau and Anelka, but only got to the quarters.

Kerr has to have done something right.

[Razors left peg]

Very true about the u20s, the u16s and u18s had a decent number of players that went on to win a lot of caps.

[pineapple stu]

wiki doesn't have squads for the u18s (though I know Richie Dunne and Robbie Keane were on it) and only partial squads for the u16s (including Andy Reid and John O'Shea), but can't compare them to the other countries.

Germany had Deisler in their team against us in the u18s. I think he was really highly rated, though injuries meant he was retired by the age of 27.

4-0 France now; Switzerland a complete shambles in defence.

[Razors left peg]

How is Senderos a professional footballer

[Closed Account 2]

The Swiss are in real trouble here, their goal difference could be a real problem if they end up level on points with Ecuador or Honduras... to say nothing of their confidence going into the Houndras match

[Razors left peg]

wiki doesn't have squads for the u18s (though I know Richie Dunne and Robbie Keane were on it) and only partial squads for the u16s (including Andy Reid and John O'Shea), but can't compare them to the other countries.

Germany had Deisler in their team against us in the u18s. I think he was really highly rated, though injuries meant he was retired by the age of 27.



Ok so Kerr was exceptional to do what he did back then, so that leads to my other question of would his coaching methods work today or would they be outdated? Has Kerr got all the FIFA coaching badges etc, he wouldnt have need them back then

[pineapple stu]

I presume he has badges given he's had two full international jobs (Ireland and the Faroes)

No idea on your questions in general though.

A free kick has been scored!!

[DannyInvincible]

France were lethal on the break. Very convincing performance, although they slacked off a bit to concede the two late on. Took the sheen off it slightly. Pity Benzema's final effort won't count; lovely finish.


Did the Swiss keeper just completely ignore the penalty rebound there?

He did. Was stunned at that myself. Completely unprofessional. He should have thrown himself across the face of the goal. I know they were two goals down at the time (or was it three?), but it looked like he'd just given up completely.


A free kick has been scored!!

Phew! Praise the lord! Proper order restored. Although it should never have been. That wall was a joke. Was it Benzema who lifted his leg in a lame dog-about-to-take-a-**** fashion?

[Stuttgart88]

Ok so Kerr was exceptional to do what he did back then, so that leads to my other question of would his coaching methods work today or would they be outdated? Has Kerr got all the FIFA coaching badges etc, he wouldnt have need them back then
I think he'd have earned the right to be the guy in charge though, the guy who oversees the system, who appoints the coaches and to whom the coaches are accountable. I also think he'd be the kind of guy to build bridges between all the conflicting factions in Irish football and who'd push to join everything up properly. He knew the LOI inside out but also the schoolboy and intermediate games too.

[geysir]

That's what often fascinates me about footy. The best players don't always make the best team.

So, what was Kenny vs Eamon about? Selecting JT or not?
It's not the particular issue that matters, just Kenny stands his ground, picks his spot on the wall and keeps staring at it while he stands his ground with an intelligent intensity against a bumbling Dunphy.
So far it's 2-0 to Kenny and he's walking on water.

[Razors left peg]

I dont disagree with any of that at all Stutts, it is a sin that he doesnt have some sort of job in the game when you see some people involved as coaches or whatever

[ArdeeBhoy]

MO'N rubs it in?
<a href="http://youtu.be/J125_gQwVDU" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">
http://youtu.be/J125_gQwVDU


(http://youtu.be/J125_gQwVDU)

[NeverFeltBetter]

Valencia (the other one) with the miss of the tournament so far in this late game. Decent enough stuff so far, both teams going for it.

[pineapple stu]

Nothing compared to that penalty rebound miss in fairness! Don't think anything could match that.

But yeah, should have been a goal.

Game's picking up alright. Have to say I enjoy Brian Kerr on commentary. Nice mix of knowing what he's talking about and occasional dry humour.

[geysir]

MO'N rubs it in?

'I use to be a player once, now i'm an older gentleman ...........but with 2 EC medals in my pocket' ;)

[Razors left peg]

Jesus, Adrian Chiles is a complete bell end

[DannyInvincible]

Crikey, how did that ball ever make it past four Hondurans and through to Enner Valencia at the back post? Very poor defending.

[pineapple stu]

Sneaky little kiss from the Ecuador manager to his assistant there. Oh, these Latin types.

[NeverFeltBetter]

Love Brian Kerr on commentary. An LOI reference a game, this time in comparison to Ecuadorian right backs (paraphrasing): "Reminds me of some bad LOI matches I was watching 20 years ago, bad pitches....And I don't mean a Dublin side. Or Sligo."

Hondurans love to get stuck in. Little restraint.

[DannyInvincible]

Is Kerr commentating on RTÉ?

[pineapple stu]

He is, yep.

[NeverFeltBetter]

Gotta love the guy who handles the ball into a the net from an offside position, then complains so much about it getting disallowed that he gets booked.

[bennocelt]

I think I hate the Swiss more than most in World football. I'll never forget the night under Kerr when we failed to qualify and they made the playoffs. Their fans were the most miserable bunch Id ever seen. I remember being devastated in the pub afterwards and the Swiss fans looking like they didnt give a toss made me even more p1ssed off.

Not a whole lot of pre match atmosphere here, but i can imagine at work there will be a lot of ribbing from the French. They care about their league and teams anyway, well supported all things considered :)

[geysir]

Not a whole lot of pre match atmosphere here, but i can imagine at work there will be a lot of ribbing from the French. They care about their league and teams anyway, well supported all things considered :)
Swiss French support Switzerland or France?
or are you referring to French French?

[NeverFeltBetter]

Amazing game here. All semblance of decent play has gone by the wayside, some baffling decisions, not least this: https://vine.co/v/MTHeqnvd0te

Honduras fouling at every opportunity too. Such a dirty team.

[BonnieShels]

A lot of conclusions to draw from this World Cup re presentation:

RTE
Bill "Okie Dokie" O'Herlihy: Bill is Bill. Nothing much to say here. He's retiring. He'll be missed.
Darragh Moloney: A decent presenter. Can control the panellists and lead the conversation. But no Bill.
John Giles: Still no better reader of the game. I don't care if he doesn't know the finer details of names or say, where they play. He analyses a game live like no other. A national treasure.
Eamon Dunphy: Out of his depth at this stage. His argument with Kenny Cunningham was another low-point. Souness would have decked him if he tried that. Childish and patronising. His time is nigh.
Liam "Chippy" Brady: Some decent input. Good as a buffer for Dunphy's bull.
Didi Hamann: We all know what he can contribute but does it well. Like him a lot.
Kenny Cunningham: The new star in the making. A wonderful analyst with pinpoint statements and no crap. When he gives an opinion based on conjecture he informs us as much. No bluffing just facts. The true heir to Johnny. Getting more comfortable on the air too. Murdered Dunphy the last night.
Ossie Ardiles: Haven't seen enough to comment. From what I remember of WC2010 he was great. Bar that accent.
Ronnie Whelan: You'd never guess that this man was one of the most talented footballers ever to emanate from Ireland or Britain. It's almost like he doesn't know anything about soccer outside of the game you happen to watch him "analyse". his contributions to the Spain-Netherlands game were particularly awful. The man at the bar would know more than this charlatan.
Richie "I wanna be like Eamon when I grow up" Sadlier: Easily the most negative man on the planet. The problem is that he’s not the worst pundit. If he just toned it down and didn't troll he would be the better for it.
Brad Friedel: Haven't seen sight nor light of him. Has he turned up to RTÉ at all?

Dream Team: Giles, Cunningham, Hamann

ITV
Adrian "Gombeen" Chiles:A absolute shyster. One of the most terrible presenters in all of football, nay, sports bradcasting. Stunted, lacking in knowledge. A terrible presenter. No wonder Roy abandoned ship.
Matt Smith: Lacking any knowledge or presence. A terrible presenter but a Bill in comparison to Chiles.

In saying that ITV's pundits are actually somewhat decent...
Lee Dixon: Really warmed to Dixon for his CL punditry and his presence with Roy was actually solid. Two massively impressive players with great careers and completely deserving of respect. Can analyse the game well.
Andros Townsend: The big shock of the whole World Cup. Andros is actually a very good analyst of the game. All the more impressive given he should be playing at this World Cup. Have enjoyed his contributions.
Glenn Hoddle: Outside of the England games I've enjoyed Hoddle. It does show in general, that the better the player the better the analyst.
Martin O'Neill: His put down on Chiles was classic. Calm and collected as we already know he is; no surprises in his punditry. Very witty. Dare I say, very Irish. Every panel needs one of us.
Patrick Vieira: I would have loved for him to be in the studio wth Roy. Decent analyst but his accent drives me mad. Almost unlistenable.
Fabio "Hairy" Cannavaro: Not bringing much to the table other than that piece. And a WC winners medal.
Ian "Wrighty" Wright: Almost nothing can prepare you for the awfulness of this guy. Atrocious.
Gordon Strachan: Not someone I thought I would have warmed to as quickly as I did. Insightful. To the point. Daycent.
Gus Poyet: It was a shame the Uruguayan couldn't be truly honest when his national team beat England. Hasn't been a bad addition.

Dream Team: Hoddle, Dixon and Strachan

BBC
Gary Lineker: He's no Chiles. But I REALLY dislike him as a presenter. Smarm everywhere.
Alan Hansen: Dreadful as always. Never says anything of note. Thank God he's finally retiring.
Alan Shearer: Completely growing into the role of "senior" analyst bar one or two biased opinions re England (which is to be expected) he was spot on. Starting to enjoy is presence. Annoyingly.
Thierry Henry: Yes I despise him for "you-know-what". Yes I hate his smugness. But boy is he knowledgeable and on the ball. Wonderful pundit. Dang. BBC are causing me a crisis of conscience.
Clarence Seedorf: Again decent. At ease as a pundit. Doesn't hide behind cliche. Can actually be fairly funny to boot.
Robbie Savage: THERE. ARE. NO. WORDS. Horrific co-commentator and analyst.
Rio "de Janeiro" Ferdinand: Not great. Not bad. Some of his punditry is clearly auto-cued. But he's no Robbie Savage.
Juninho: Thankfully I have missed him. But what I have seen has been desperate. Token Brazilian for the Beeb.
Mark "Lawro" Lawrenson: Thankfully on co-commentary duty so I don't have to listen to him pluralise all team names and talk in cliche. And that HAIR! Eugh. One of the worst pundits out there. If he was a team he'd be like your Port Vales, your Drogheda Uniteds, your Roda JCs...

Dream Team: Shearer, Henry and Seedorf

CBC
CBC do sport well. Well, sport that Canada are good at so that’s essentially the Winter Olympics or the NHL. World Cup coverage is another kettle of fish altogether. Hindered by awful pundits (Craig Forrest, really?) and that incredibly annoying habit of North American sports of staring straight into the camera like a rabbit in a headlights when talking. Atrocious.
Thankfully their commentary is provided by ITV for the games that BBC are showing live. That makes sense if you've been watching.

[pineapple stu]

Am I the only one who usually mutes the telly and heads out into the sun during half time, and so doesn't really give a rat's arse about the punditry?

Always thought people gave out about a bit too much about what's a necessary evil to fill a void.

Still, interesting list Bonnie!