Republic of Ireland V Oman 3rd September 2014 & Georgia 7th September 2014

[AlanOB]

Totally pointless using a 4-5-1 with Whelan as an anchorman against a side that were 5-4-1 in the defensive phase, making us unnecessarily a man light in the attacking phase.

Also meant that Keane was a lone striker with no ten in behind, a role that he is patently unsuited to.

Worse still, O'Neill showed no intention of changing it, instead using his subs to make straight swaps and freshen things up. And as someone else pointed out, his final sub, planned before the equaliser, could be interpreted as a "we have what we hold" move.

In short, we got out of jail in a big way. After going 4-2-3-1 for the majority of the friendly games, he bottled it today against a side with negligible attacking intent.

http://tacticstruck2.wordpress.com/2014/09/07/georgia-1-2-ireland-mcgeady-compensates-for-unnecessarily-conservative-management/

[the doc]

On tonight's performances and ours, I'd say we could be struggling to finish 3rd in the group.

Serious doubts about our management and team tactics!

Come back Mr Trapattoni all is forgiven!

[DannyInvincible]

Serious doubts about our management and team tactics!

Come back Mr Trapattoni all is forgiven!

What more would Trap's tactics have achieved? This evening's tactics (away from home) weren't all that dissimilar to the type Trap would employ, other than us holding on to the ball a lot better tonight.

[tricky_colour]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RsSdhWq1JzY

It''s the McGeady spin!!!

[Stuttgart88]

I can't deny that I'm critical of and disappointed in many parts of tonight but we also must be the only country in the world who beat ourselves up over having a gifted talent win a match for us.

The only difference between Trap and O'Neill tonight is that Trap would be delighted and change nothing, whereas we don't know yet whether O'Neill will think the same or whether he copped on to what could be done better and will modify things. Only time will tell and whereas my suspicion is that not much will change there's more than a decent chance O'Neill will take stock of the competitive games to make revisions. He deserves the benefit of the doubt after one game.

[backstothewall]

People being unnecessarily hard on MON for me. I'd imagine the thinking behind Walters on the right was either to do something the Georgians wouldn't be used to dealing with, or to target a weakness they had identified in their left back. And low and behold there was a flick on from Walters on the right in the build up to the 1st goal.

Via Robbie, the final ball that slipped McGready in to finish was played by McCarthy. I do tend to agree with the point Giles made about all our creativity being ahead of the ball, but to play devils advocate for a second, if he had been sitting deep he wouldn't have been in position to play that ball. Sadly we only have one James McCarthy.

The constant harking back to Hoolahan also frustrates me. He is 32 now, will be 34 by the time of the Euros, and it's not as if the great clubs of Europe were beating their way to East Anglia to secure his signature when Norwich were relegated. Robbie Brady is younger, playing at a higher level, offers a threat at set pieces, and is a better option for me. It would seem Martin O'Neill agrees.

I did agree with Giles though. What went on ahead of the ball was an aside compared to the problems we had in midfield. I thought Glenn Whelan should have been hooked shortly after half time. With the possession we enjoyed, IMHO it was crying out for Gibson to come on and pick up pinging passes around the park where he left of against Oman.

[Charlie Darwin]

To be fair, I think the hankering for Hoolahan is not so much because he's a great player but because he's a different sort of player who has gifts we are in short supply of. I don't think anybody would claim he's on the same level of Nasri or whoever.

[Charlie Darwin]

Highlights starting on RTE for anyone who hasn't had enough excitement after the live game. Think they'll be showing highlights of the other two games as well.

[bennocelt]

I will add the hurling's quite good in fairness
Ha, it took me a good half hour to get used to the slow pace of the "saccar"

[backstothewall]

To be fair, I think the hankering for Hoolahan is not so much because he's a great player but because he's a different sort of player who has gifts we are in short supply of. I don't think anybody would claim he's on the same level of Nasri or whoever.

I appreciate that, and it's not like I'm claiming Brady is on the same level as Neymar, or that Gibsons passing ability would have him mistaken for Pirlo in midfield. But Brady is as capable as producing a bit of magic as Hoolahan, and he was the 1st man O'Neill put onto the park. Maybe a bit later than some, myself included, would have liked, but if we're down to debating if the sub came 10 mins later than some would have liked, and we won the game anyway, it's not much to be getting our knickers is a twist about.

It was a great win. Either Scotland or Poland will drop points there. Georgia away is the fixture that will cost someone of them dearly.

It won't be us!

[NeverFeltBetter]

There was some hoofball, but nowhere near as much as would have occurred under Trap. Far more short passing and use of the centre midfield area, thank God.

[geysir]

It's hard to credit the negativity around the performance, it was bad enough to have ronnie whelan obsessively whining and moaning for 90 minutes and getting paid for it. This is us playing away against a run of the mill eastern block country, who were built up to be a difficult team, who could play better technical football than us, a team that made better teams than us struggle mightly even for a draw.When has it ever been any different, when have we ever played better? Charlton? Kerr? McCarthy? Trap? I can't recall any markedly better performance against these type of countries in a qualifying group campaign. The 2 outstanding goals does set it apart though, it's a bit of an upgrade from a Cascarino header in a crowded box or a gammy Gary Docherty intervention.
This performance is as good as it has ever been and yet we know we can play a good deal better and will play better
I never got for one minute that we were settling for a draw and we got the 3 points with an outrageously skillful goal. It's a time for looking at the half full glass.

[amaccann]

I can't remember a single away game against Eastern European opposition in the last 20-odd years that hasn't turned into a heavy slog and a collective feeling of 'phew, got away with that one' Macedonia anyone? (ok, it's a few hundred miles away from Georgia, but shush). The performances left a lot to be desired, but within a historical context it was par for the course in my eyes. We have never hammered these sorts of teams, never when they were unknown quantities and new nations post-Berlin wall, and never when their squads made for a whistlestop tour of European footballing nations.

I guess it didn't help that there was 10 months of waiting around for this moment, it was always going to disappoint bar a 6-0 thumping. Watching the highlights package and its sensible (if a little dour) analysis from Kenny Cunningham though just highlights the sort of shrill, negative attention-seekers that populate the 'first team' of RTE's panelists. It has been said over and over again but Dunphy and co. add nothing to the discussion except loud obnoxious negativity, which is not the same as cold criticism; it never can be. The sooner they retired or are retired the better, as far as I'm concerned they're as poisonous to the health of Irish soccer as someone like John Delaney.

[Charlie Darwin]

I appreciate that, and it's not like I'm claiming Brady is on the same level as Neymar, or that Gibsons passing ability would have him mistaken for Pirlo in midfield. But Brady is as capable as producing a bit of magic as Hoolahan, and he was the 1st man O'Neill put onto the park. Maybe a bit later than some, myself included, would have liked, but if we're down to debating if the sub came 10 mins later than some would have liked, and we won the game anyway, it's not much to be getting our knickers is a twist about.

It was a great win. Either Scotland or Poland will drop points there. Georgia away is the fixture that will cost someone of them dearly.

It won't be us!
Oh, sorry, I wasn't accusing you of anything like that, just saying Hoolahan has the ability to pick a pass that most of our players don't have. McGeady could be the answer, depending on whether he gets a run there for Everton with Barkley out. His winning goal today was a result of him pushing into the centre.

[NeverFeltBetter]

They went as far as to complain about being branded "negative" today. I turned off. Giles is OK, the rest, they're worthless, so is Whelan, so is O'Donoghue. Just nasty, unjustifiably bitter people, who think people are complaining about their reasoned critique when it is frequently anything but.

[Charlie Darwin]

It's hard to credit the negativity around the performance, it was bad enough to have ronnie whelan obsessively whining and moaning for 90 minutes and getting paid for it. This is us playing away against a run of the mill eastern block country, who were built up to be a difficult team, who could play better technical football than us, a team that made better teams than us struggle mightly even for a draw.When has it ever been any different, when have we ever played better? Charlton? Kerr? McCarthy? Trap? I can't recall any markedly better performance against these type of countries in a qualifying group campaign. The 2 outstanding goals does set it apart though, it's a bit of an upgrade from a Cascarino header in a crowded box or a gammy Gary Docherty intervention.
This performance is as good as it has ever been and yet we know we can play a good deal better and will play better
I never got for one minute that we were settling for a draw and we got the 3 points with an outrageously skillful goal. It's a time for looking at the half full glass.
I'm inclined to agree with you but I don't think they're technically better by any stretch, just perhaps better drilled to utilise their technical skill. They gave the ball away constantly with poor basic skills for which we'd be slating Whelan et al.

Your point on McGeady's winner is good. When in recent memory have we been having a bit of trouble and been able to say we have a player who is capable of doing something amazing to break the deadlock? Think of Alaba's goal in Dublin, Ibrahimovic against numerous teams, Lewandowski, McGeady has the assets to be our matchwinner. Portugal were without Ronaldo tonight and they got beaten at home by Albania. These are teams not much better than us who have somebody that elevates them higher. We shouldn't turn up our nose when we benefit from the same.

[Razors left peg]

Been thinking about it for a few hours now and Im struggling to think of a better Irish goal ever thank McGeadys winner tonight. The skill and finish were fantastic.

Given the context of the timing of the goal can anyone think of a better goal?

[tetsujin1979]

McGeady's goal nominated for goal of the night on Sky Sports: http://www1.skysports.com/watch/video/9460377/goal-of-the-night-contender-mcgeady

[swinfordfc]

McGeady's goal nominated for goal of the night on Sky Sports: http://www1.skysports.com/watch/video/9460377/goal-of-the-night-contender-mcgeady

The Albania winner was special as well ..... against Portugal!

[Charlie Darwin]

Been thinking about it for a few hours now and Im struggling to think of a better Irish goal ever thank McGeadys winner tonight. The skill and finish were fantastic.

Given the context of the timing of the goal can anyone think of a better goal?
Better as in technically, individually better? I'm struggling too. Whelan v USSR maybe. As a team goal, I'd say Robbie v Germany 2002 is up there, as is McAteer's v Holland the same year. Both terrific goals from a standpoint of players choosing the right option and executing it under pressure.

[Razors left peg]

Better as in technically, individually better? I'm struggling too. Whelan v USSR maybe. As a team goal, I'd say Robbie v Germany 2002 is up there, as is McAteer's v Holland the same year. Both terrific goals from a standpoint of players choosing the right option and executing it under pressure.

Whelan is one of my favorites ever, but the fact that he shinned it takes from it a bit.
Robbies against Germany was probably the most exciting ever considering what it meant, but technically is was just a long ball, flick on and decent finish.
McAteer was a great finish but was terrible defending given how much space he had.

The way McGeady controlled the ball, the turn and the finish tonight ,under pressure away from home was special I think

[Charlie Darwin]

Aye, but I think you're taking too many marks off for Robbie's goal being route one. The punt upfield (Shay?) and Quinn's knock-down were inch-perfect, and Robbie's control and finish were exceptional against a brick wall of a goalkeeper who was putting in probably the best run of form in World Cup history. It wasn't pretty but it was a technically excellent goal, just as McGeady's was a technically excellent individual effort.

[tetsujin1979]

Robbie Keane's goal VS Holland in 2004 is a personal favourite: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xl9ukGgaXjw

[Razors left peg]

Dont get me wrong, Im not critisising Robbies goal at all, and I might be getting a bit carried away with McGeadys goal because it just happened tonight but from a pure skill point of view I think McGeadys is the best Ive seen

[Razors left peg]

Robbie Keane's goal VS Holland in 2004 is a personal favourite: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xl9ukGgaXjw

That was a brilliant goal.... was that just a friendly though? I cant remember

[Crosby87]

Well that guy on Celtic did say Aiden was the next Ronaldo, right?
This was a great weekend. Ireland win and Notre Dame kick the **** out of Michigan. Awesome.

[tricky_colour]

Robbie Keane's goal VS Holland in 2004 is a personal favourite: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xl9ukGgaXjw

Granted that was a rocket form Keane, nice sound effects on it too, very empathetic, however it is essentially
one strike of the ball albeit a brilliant one. Aidens has more build up and more elements of skill. There is quality ball in from
Coleman, great first touch, I think the defender may have got a nudge on the ball or Aiden, then with his back to goal
he does a brilliant spin combined with a top class finish. We don't score many like that.

[Colbert Report]

McGeady's goal was magic, I'd rank it up there alongside Kevin Doyle's left foot finish against Slovakia back in 2007, which is my personal all time favourite Ireland goal.

[tricky_colour]

Spare a thought for Georgia though, from their point of view that was a real sickener, their no 16 just drops to his knees
thinking like WTF! Would have been a decent result for them, they have not faired too well against us recently.

By the way I think we were playing 4-1-4-1 with Keane and Whelan being the 1's McCarthy and Quinn centre-midfield
McGeady and Walters on the wing but with flexibility McGeady was drifting more central as was Walters with when
the wing backs got forward. Only seen a bit of the game were I could make out the players clearly though.

Quite different from Traps flat 442.

[ArdeeBhoy]

Lucky doesn't come close but they won!
An awful performance/great result from someone who was, er, there...

[ArdeeBhoy]

Our 'passing' was generally shocking. Embarrassingly poor.

[pineapple stu]

Keane against Holland in 2001 has to be up there in our best ever goals. Or McAteer in the same game. Don't think we've ever scored better team goals.

Or Holland's goal in Lisbon the following month? A cracker out of the blue in a game we should have been out of sight in.

[brine3]

The first against Holland in Amsterdam in 2000 is still my favourite... loads of passes in the build-up, including a double one-two between Carr and McAteer, complete with a backheel from Carr... watch from 30 seconds in here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z9kctnluEzU

Second one is brilliant too, Holland keep trying to clear the ball but Roy Keane keeps intercepting it. Dutch genuinely didn't know what to do.

I also like the Robbie Keane goal in Paris, great work from Duff up the wing.

[Jovial Rambler]

I think MON will have taken much more from that performance than from a 3 or 4 nil stroll.
it has been a great night for him, in that he got 3 points, while having been able to learn valuable lessons(hopefully)
This will not be the team or system that will be used against Gibraltar.
However, he may have been thinking of employing the same team and tactics against Germany. Hopefully tonight will cause a slight rethink.
Embrace the late goal. It is a much better feeling scoring these than our usual conceding them.

[dr_peepee]

I think I'm unduly transferring my disappointment in McCarthys performance onto the rest of the players. I really thought that his assist for the goal was going to spur him into being more assertive. His contribution belies his actual playing experience at this stage.

[DeLorean]

He was played completely out of position so his experience wasn't worth a jot really.

[Stuttgart88]

Been thinking about it for a few hours now and Im struggling to think of a better Irish goal ever thank McGeadys winner tonight. The skill and finish were fantastic.

Given the context of the timing of the goal can anyone think of a better goal?
My thoughts exactly. Best Irish goal I've ever seen. Other contenders being McAteer in Amsterdam and maybe Kennedy at home to Yugoslavia, certainly in terms of being "telegenic".

[jbyrne]

My thoughts exactly. Best Irish goal I've ever seen. Other contenders being McAteer in Amsterdam and maybe Kennedy at home to Yugoslavia, certainly in terms of being "telegenic".

mcateers goal v holland 00 was great but the build up to robbies goal that day was superb

[DeLorean]

It's definitely the best goal technically that I have seen Ireland score. No point in comparing it to team goals really and it was on a different level to some of the shots I've seen mentioned, given the ridiculous piece of skill that went before it.

[Stuttgart88]

I think MON will have taken much more from that performance than from a 3 or 4 nil stroll.
it has been a great night for him, in that he got 3 points, while having been able to learn valuable lessons(hopefully)
This will not be the team or system that will be used against Gibraltar.
However, he may have been thinking of employing the same team and tactics against Germany. Hopefully tonight will cause a slight rethink.
Embrace the late goal. It is a much better feeling scoring these than our usual conceding them.
Yes, that's the key. Was O'Neill happy with that (Trap would) or is O'Neill thinking of adjustments? He may not be but he deserves the benefit of the doubt after one game.

Going back a couple of pages, Hoolahan uses the ball better than anyone else we have in an opponents' half. I don't give one jot if Barcelona aren't scouting him or if he'll be 34 in two years time. We don't play qualifiers in two years time, we play them now.

Possible losers from last night:

Forde
Wilson
Ward
Keane
Walters
Possibly even McCarthy
4 at the back

Possible winners from last night:
Westwood or Given
Delaney, Keogh or McShane at Wilson's expense
Wilson or Clark, at Ward's expense
Gibson, Hoolahan and Reid all credible options for one midfield place
Whelan - I thought he did very well actually
Long and Doyle, at Keane's expense and maybe also Walters
Pilkington over Walters
Quinn has cemented his position as valuable option
3 at the back. If you ain't got a great left back, maybe the answer is not to use one?

Obviously McGeady is man of the moment.

Brady and McClean are non-movers. Close to the team but only one likely to start at any given time.

[Stuttgart88]

mcateers goal v holland 00 was great but the build up to robbies goal that day was superb

Yep, both goals were amazing.

[DeLorean]

Forde just isn't good enough really. Far too many goals conceded are falling into the 'he could/should have done better' category. Given's recall was a strange one but he would be my back up to Westwood right now.

Ward played reasonably well but an awful piece of defending very nearly cost us the two points, and probably will down the line. I think it's something we might just have to put up with though as Wilson is still our best bet to accompany O'Shea. I'd prefer to have a liability playing left back than centre back. Maybe Clark or even Delaney could be an option for left back but both seem highly unlikely to be considered.

Taking McCarthy out of a position where he has really excelled over the last year or so seems daft, even more daft when it wasn't rectified when it clearly wasn't working, nice assist aside.

Long has to start in Germany... Scotland caused them some real problems in behind.

The starting team for Gibraltar is intriguing.

[Kingdom]

To me, in a game we're trying to win, picking Glenn Whelan and James McCarthy together is non-sensical. James has played solidly now as part of a fluid midfield under Martinez, being a breaker, a recycler of possesion and a presser. Not a creative force, or the attacking focal of a trident. It was a stupid decision. If, as it's alleged, his fitness was under question, then it's an even more stupid decision.
I thought Whelan was fine, as he's always been. Quinn was nice in patches too, but he is definitely more lightweight, even if he does try to get stuck in. I felt three of the back four were gash, both off the ball and on the ball. Coleman was fine, but he's never going to be the Coleman of Everton playing for us, either defensively or offensively, because we've no cohesion in the back 4 and the standard of player in each position is drastically worse than the Everton equivalent*. That said I don't think he'd a bad game. He offered plenty going forward, and considering we've jettisoned wingers (in the trad sense) he got more than his fair share of crosses into the box, two of which in particular were absolutely delicious and required excellent headed clearances by Georgian centre-halves.

It's disappointing that we didn't break more behind/down the side of their back 3, because the full-backs weren't exactly hectic. Had we a good right midfielder and a good left-back, that would have made a difference, as it was the two sitting in the middle for georgia were able to flood back to press McGeady and isolate Keane. Hoolohan and Reid would have made a huge difference.

*it's little things that I've constantly said here. The positioning of the two centre-halves, the fact neither is a leader, the fact neither has any remote idea of how to distribute the ball effectively from the back or how to do it in conjuction with the midfield triquartista (ie Whelan). Absolving OShea of the blame for the goal is wrong. He challenged the player, then inexplicably let him turn on the ball without so much as getting close to him, within 30 yards of our goal. Shocking defending of the highest order. Had Ogirshvilli laid the ball off, or been shepherded into the corner for Wilson to take over, I'd say fine, blame Wilson. That didn't happen. Ward didn't cover himself in glory there either.

Keane understandably was not at the races. Much quicker tempo, isolated, and our passing, both quality and selection wise, was not good enough. That said, I don't think Robbie exactly took up great positions too.
Everyone knows I'm a McGeady fanboy, and to me he's a delight to watch, if we utilise him correctly, he'll qualify us for Euro 2016. He's our most important player now, and as such to see him getting gang-pressed onto the flank where he's double-marked and wasted is annoying. British people, and by extension Irish people, have this horrible tendancy to not relinquish a train of thought, once it takes root. McGeady will always be hated by the dumb fan, for his lack of end product, and because he turns back on himself. He doesn't defend either. What a load of tosh! A number of times, and this is happening with increasing regularity, he'll break with a ball, make the hard yards, then HAVE to check back, because there is noone in support, or only Robbie in the box. It's an obvious tactic that was used by Trappatoni to relieve pressure, and O'Neill seems to be making the same.

There must absolutely be changes for Gibralter. Personally speaking, I just don't rate Forde. He's a good keeper, but he has poor distribution, and while he's a good shot-stopper, he's not what he should be. Westwood is the best all-round keeper we have, by an absolute mile, he's first-choice at club-level again, and if we're going to play half-football, half-hoofball - or to be more precise, play a game whereby one of our tactics is to launch balls from the keeper - then you need the keeper that can best do that. Westwood is that man. Forde is a more than adequate backup. I'd also have the City kid in the frame for 3rd choice**

Given Gibralter are not going to be an attacking force of any kind - any worries I had previously have been totally wiped away- I would advocate playing Glenn Whelan alongside either John O'Shea or Damien Delaney. Let Whelan sit in front of one centre half. He's reserved enough when playing the screen anyway, and I think having two stoppers that cannot keep possession flowing is pointless for a game like this. at least Whelan in theory could carry the ball out from the back, while not worrying too much about defensive responsibilities.

Let McCarthy do the donkey work such as pressing and harrying, breaking play up and leave Gibson and Reid (or Stephen Quinn) the responsibility of making things happen. Hoolohan and McGeady as central attacking points with the licence to roam and interact with attacking full backs (essentially wing-backs or wide midfielders) Coleman. and McClean or Brady.

I would have thought Long was more suited to the single up front, but he was so bad yesterday it was startling. Keane up front could work again at home, but I wouldn't be averse to having a target man such as Doyle up there, or pandering to what I suspect is a sullenness of Shane Long.

The problem with that is that it's bat-sheet crazy, untested, and therefore probably unworkable. It's

If all are available:

Westwood

O'Shea/Delaney

Whelan

Coleman McCarthy Reid Brady/McClean

Gibson

Hoolahan McGeady

Long/Keane


**on the subject of keepers, recalling Given has ****ed me off severely. I don't understand it at all. He's got to be rusty. His powers were on the wane when he was first choice three years ago. If he was coming in to augment or coach then I'd kind of get on board, but McDonagh is more than capable. It has annoyed me greatly, and a little similar to the obervastion on Man Utd's stuttering start down to Van Gaal insisting so many new faces needed to be introduced undermining the confidence of the existing players, what would the recall of Given done to the current pecking order of keepers.

[pineapple stu]

The starting team for Gibraltar is intriguing.
Keane has a great record against the minnows; he has to start there. Should bag a couple. After that, arguably much of a muchness. Our reserves should be good enough to comfortably see off Gibraltar (with all due respect to them). Keep the main team so ideas can be reinforced.

[dr_peepee]

He was played completely out of position so his experience wasn't worth a jot really.

I don't buy the 'Out of Position' thing really, in this case... I took from MO'Ns prematch interview that he had more of a license than Glenn Whelan. He wasn't burdened by the responsibility that Whelan had, so he could have put in a more assertive, dynamic display. Gerard 'light' if you will. These are fuzzy, non committal tags I'm applying, I know. But you know what I'm getting at. If anything it should have been the easier role to full fill from a midfielder with his attributes.

Aside from the back four and Glen Whelan it all looked a bit ad hoc further up the pitch. That could possibly even be a good thing, all things considered, provided the players apply themselves in the right way.

I dunno. I can say though that if, player for player, the performance was exaclty the same, except for a little more visions of potential from McCarthy, I'd feel alot better about the result. I'd feel like we've an extra gear to tap into, if we have an oppertunity to put to bed those teams in the little mini league behind Germany.

[jbyrne]

we should use the Gibraltar game to play the team and tactics to be used against germany 5 days later. when scotland had a go at germany in the 2nd half last night they unnerved them a bit and could have nicked a draw. we must do the same..... just have a go. nothing to lose as no one else contending for 2nd place will pick up points in Germany

[Kingdom]

Forde just isn't good enough really. Far too many goals conceded are falling into the 'he could/should have done better' category. Give's recall was a strange one but he would be my back up to Westwood right now.
Agree completely. I like him, I think he'll be fine if we were really, really stuck, and we're playing minnows, but for me against the big boys, it needs to be better. For me, better is Westwood.



Ward played reasonably well but an awful piece of defending very nearly cost us the two points, and probably will down the line. I think it's something we might just have to put up with though as Wilson is still our best bet to accompany O'Shea. I'd prefer to have a liability playing left back than centre back. Maybe Clark or even Delaney could be an option for left back but both seem highly unlikely to be considered.


Thing about Ward is that he's never been good there, either for us, or for club. He's always been ok at best. If he continues there he will definitely cost us points. It's either disappointing that after a year, we've ended back at Ward because :

A) he's the best we've got
B) Management haven't tried harder. or thought outside the box more.

What are our centre back options at present: JOSH, Wilson, Keogh, Pearce, Delaney, Clark? More or less. Duffy in the wilderness. I wouldn't consider either of two you mention at lb, because it's not their position, they're centre-backs full stop.


Taking McCarthy out of a position where he has really excelled over the last year or so seems daft, even more daft when it wasn't rectified when it clearly wasn't working, nice assist aside.

As dumb a thing to do as I've seen in a longtime.


Long has to start in Germany... Scotland caused them some real problems in behind.

I genuinely worry about where we will finish in this group. I think it's taken as given we'll get null points from Germany, 6 from Gibralter, and now 6 from Georgia. I think there is a huge worry that we'll finish behind both Poland and Scotland. Scotland are organised, but starting to look good on the ball, and they've had better results under Strachan already than we've had in nearly a generation.

[pineapple stu]

we should use the Gibraltar game to play the team and tactics to be used against germany 5 days later. when scotland had a go at germany in the 2nd half last night they unnerved them a bit and could have nicked a draw. we must do the same..... just have a go. nothing to lose as no one else contending for 2nd place will pick up points in Germany
Dunno if that's entirely possible. For a start, Gibraltar will play an entirely different game compared to Germany. They'll be sitting back defending in numbers and we'll need to break that down, whereas Germany will look to attack in waves and we'll need to counter quickly. Not really comparable. We'll get nowhere countering against Gibraltar.

[Charlie Darwin]

How anybody could think Forde was in any way culpable for the Georgia goal in baffling.

[Mr A]

How anybody could think Forde was in any way culpable for the Georgia goal in baffling.

Agreed. Thunderous dipping shot, damn all he could do about it.