Republic of Ireland V Scotland - Saturday, 13th June 2015 - Euro 2016 Qualifier

[TonyD]

Yep McCarthy was non existent again.

Whelan was Whelan.

Why do the midfield always pass the buck to the centre backs to get moves going? Receive ball, turn and go forward. Whelan doesn't even look up, he's obsessed with giving it back to guys who by default (because they are defenders) are not as comfortable on the ball than a regular midfielder. This happens for 30 seconds with them all tapping around before its passed back to Given so he can whack it upfield. DRIVES ME NUTS.
.

This is spot on. Given rolls the ball to full back/centre back, they play it to midfielder who panics if there's anyone within 20 yards and give it straight back to the defender, back to Given who thumps it up the pitch, giving possession away.

[hoops1]

Ten years in charge and all..............yeah sure Even recognising what the problems are is something that hasn't been done previously. You think the rubbish we are watching at least the last ten years is down to what have done in that time. Its because of neglect over decades. Plus as they said in the studio its going to get worse before it gets better.

[TheOneWhoKnocks]

https://twitter.com/McDonnellDan/status/609793744582389761

[mark12345]

Even recognising what the problems are is something that hasn't been done previously. You think the rubbish we are watching at least the last ten years is down to what have done in that time. Its because of neglect over decades. Plus as they said in the studio its going to get worse before it gets better.

Absolutely - it will get worse before it gets better. Let me tell you, I played LOI level in Ireland before I emigrated to America. I fancied myself as a half decent player at home, but to be real honest I learned more in six months in America (playing against the Portuguese, Polish, Italians, Greeks and South Americans) than in all of my life at home. When I look back at all the blood sweat and tears I put into my game at home and saw what I could have been doing (like learning how to shield a ball properly, changing direction, moving into space, retaining possession) I realise how much time I had wasted.

[elroy]

Depressed. Think we deserved the win today. Lost all effective threat when hoolohan taken off.

What's more, seeing NI get results with arguably a much weaker squad demonstrates what we could and should be achieving.

For me the Georgia v Scotland game is now huge. We need the scots to slip up there and then we'll be very much back in it. Otherwise it's going to take a very good finish from ourselves including a draw with Germany and a win in Poland.

[peadar1987]

If anything needs to be ripped up, it needs to be the underage system in the country. Set up a proper grassroots regionalised pyramid structure for all age levels, with appropriate pitch sizes, etc. The FAI to oversee things, if you're not under the umbrella of their system, you don't get any club development funding, no priority for international tickets, no players selected for underage squads. Maybe then we'd produce the odd technically proficient player (apart from the odd accident like Coleman or Duff). The Dutch are playing 3/4/5 a side on a quarter pitch until the age of at least 14 or 15.

[backstothewall]

Just home. ****ed off beyond belief. The missus is now taking the hump with me because i'm in such a foul mood.

Those blaming O'Neill need to get real. The tactics worked really well. The Scottish defence was struggling with the route 1 game we inflicted on them in the first half, and we were well worth our lead. I very much doubt O'Neil told them to see how quickly they could make a complete balls of everything they had worked so hard for in the first 45mins. The players were responsible for this. Not O'Neill

Ratings

Given: 6 - Did everything that could be expected of him, which was very little in truth. Nothing he could have done about the goal.

Coleman: 6 - Clearly our best player, but some of his crossing tonight was awful
O'Shea: 3 - When he isn't wrestling with his man, he's pulling his shirt. I haven't seen a replay, but he looked very lucky not to give away a penalty. It's time to take Old Yeller out back
Wilson: 5 - Always looks like he has a mistake in him, today no exception
Brady: 6 - Reluctant to go to hard one him. He does a job there, but he's not a left back.

Whelan: 5 - He does what he does, and he does it well, but there is never any urgency about him. The role he plays is a bit like a scrum half in rugby. Sometimes even though the pass is accurate, the length of time it takes him allows the opposition to get organised. I was a fan at a time, but i don't see what he offers these days.
McCarthy: 6 - Busy, won a lot of ball and is one of our better footballers. Not his best game by any means, but there were a lot worse
Hendrick: 5 - Yellow pack McCarthy

Walters: 7 - Our best player on the day. Scotland never got to grips with his physicality.
Murphy: 6 - Did well in the first half. A lot of what applied to Walters applied to him. But faded badly in the second half. O'Neill was probably right to take him off when he did.
Hoolahan: 7 - Did really well. He always plays some lovely touches. At the time I could understand why he was sacrificed, but we missed him when he was gone.

[TrapAPony]

For me the Georgia v Scotland game is now huge. We need the scots to slip up there and then we'll be very much back in it.

Scotland won't slip up. As a matter of fact I wouldn't be in the least bit surprised to see them beat Poland in Glasgow also. We left our 2 home matches v Poland & Scotland behind us. We are all but out.

[elroy]

Scotland won't slip up. As a matter of fact I wouldn't be in the least bit surprised to see them beat Poland in Glasgow also. We left our 2 home matches v Poland & Scotland behind us. We are all but out.

Well if the Scots do beat Poland that may keep us in it if Germany also beat the poles which I definitely think they will. In that scenario we would be most likely two points off Poland going into the last game against them. Right now I'd probably take such a scenario

[Crosby87]

The last ten minutes really annoyed me.

[RiffRaff]

This is a complete disaster. If people are really looking at possible outcomes where we might qualify, they are fooling themselves. The top 24 football nations in Europe will be competing at Euro2016 and we will not be one. This is shocking and outrageous. The FAI, instead of appointing management teams for each individual campaign, need to appoint someone who will be spend 2 campaigns developing the upcoming players and promoting the LOI as a viable option for our squad players. O'Neill and Keane have failed in their objective, that's all I can say about them

[geysir]

I suppose Murphy over Long was the big issue, but I can't fault a player like Murphy who gave everything and then some more.
I thought O'Neill set the team up well. I was happy enough with the way we played, trying to out scot the scots, but after they scored that total fluke of a goal, I fast forwarded much of the recording so I could get to watch the Faroes stream. Up to then I thought the crowd were behind what the team were trying to do. I suppose it was up to us to respond after they equalised and managing to do so from that gilt edge chance would have transformed perceptions, but it wasn't to be.

Scotland are an ugly team, just horrible, I don't like their coach, probably the only coach in the world that club fans were very glad to get rid of, after winning 3 league titles in a row, I really don't like cummy players like naismith and fletcher, weasily looking for the cheat angle all the time.
I don't mind having double standards, If McCarthy felt he had to elbow the bejaysus of some scot player's face then I trust he had good cause to do so.

[backstothewall]

Just watched the RTE panel bit from after the game. Shocked to discover that Ronnie Whelan gave his man of the match award to Robbie Brady.

Did i miss something? All I saw from him was a passable performance by a midfielder playing out of position at left back, and a succession of crap crosses.

[TheBoss]

If we are being honest about the game it was 2 pretty average teams not showing great quality on the ball, these games can go either way on any occasion.

Whats with all the panic about Ireland's hopes pretty much over, I think now Ireland have to target Poland for that playoff spot, cause they have to go to Germany and Scotland, so its not unrealistic to say that Poland would get 1 point from those games then beat Gibraltar and have a do or die match against Ireland in Warsaw, in which a draw will qualify them. I think if Ireland beat Georgia, Gibraltar and Poland, they will make the playoffs.

[tricky_colour]

Just watched the RTE panel bit from after the game. Shocked to discover that Ronnie Whelan gave his man of the match award to Robbie Brady.

Did i miss something? All I saw from him was a passable performance by a midfielder playing out of position at left back, and a succession of crap crosses.

Too right, me made one decent cross, then bizarrely after finally putting in a decent dead ball, giving me some hope, Hendrick started taking the corners (from the left anyway).

Howver I just realised Brady put in the corner for the goal, the shock of which seem to have cause a short termed memory loss!!

[tricky_colour]

If we are being honest about the game it was 2 pretty average teams not showing great quality on the ball, these games can go either way on any occasion.

Whats with all the panic about Ireland's hopes pretty much over, I think now Ireland have to target Poland for that playoff spot, cause they have to go to Germany and Scotland, so its not unrealistic to say that Poland would get 1 point from those games then beat Gibraltar and have a do or die match against Ireland in Warsaw, in which a draw will qualify them. I think if Ireland beat Georgia, Gibraltar and Poland, they will make the playoffs.

*If* we can step up to the plate we still have a chance.

[shakermaker1982]

Was just watching the RTE post match analysis there and Dunphy's point about kids needing less coaching had me scratching my head.

The rest of Europe have been advocating more A qualified coaches for kids, particularly when they are in that crucial development phase and Dunphy is rambling on about little lads like Wes needing to play street football.

Non competitive football and having fun is important and as pointed out this is going on in Ireland now.

Do we have enough indoor venues when the weather is *****. So 99% of the year?

Are we losing lads to rugby and the GAA?

[liamoo11]

Scotland were so poor they will lose to Germany and drop points in Georgia and against Poland . Criminal not to pick long and mcgeady was huge loss. U can only afford one of murphy or Walters in the side at maximum just no pace or guile there. Brady was far more impressive than Coleman who's crossing was woeful . Thought McCarthy got on a lot if ball and certainly dominated brown. Our centre half a were far better than Scotland's and that will b there downfall .

[ArdeeBhoy]

That was pure awful.
Go MO'N go...

[pineapple stu]

The FAI, instead of appointing management teams for each individual campaign, need to appoint someone who will be spend 2 campaigns developing the upcoming players and promoting the LOI as a viable option for our squad players.
This is all drivel. You don't develop players at senior international level; the international game isn't the pinnacle any more. And promoting the LoI for our squad members will achieve nothing and be impractical anyway. Why would, say, Jon Walters (wage maybe £10k per week) want to play in the LoI (wage - maybe €500 per week) and what would he or the national team achieve as a result?

[the doc]

That was pure awful.
Go MO'N go...

I hear you fella, should never of been given the job, common knowledge in the game he was a spent force.

No doubt people will be pointing to other reasons such as our lack of youth development.

But that's just a red herring, I know a few people who are involved in youth football academy set ups around Europe.

To be successful you need to invest both time and money, not as we have done previously embarked on a long term plan to develop players and football around the country only for the suits to pull the money out time and time again.

Theres so much I could say but not on here!!!!!!!

[Stuttgart88]

Look. Even if the senior international team was phenomenally successful we should be constantly reviewing grassroots structures and practices. The FAI is a dysfunctional body unable or unwilling to take full strategic ownership of the sport it is supposed to be in charge of. There are a lot of reasons for this, but that's the point of the Governance and JD threads to discuss. Grassroots, the LOI and the senior team should all be part of the same thing.

Back to the game. The big issue for me was the omission of Long. I wasn't fussed about Murphy playing but thought Long should have started over one of the two that did start. To me it didn't matter which. Taking Hoolahan off made no sense. I think O'Neill did exactly what Strachan would have wanted him to do, both at the start and at the end.

That said, Scotland offered feck all and only a shot that was so bad it took a deflection off a guy who was barely even trying to block it got them back in. Strachan bringing on Anya is cited as a stroke of genius but he gave us some trouble but no more than you'd expect in an international game.

Cymru's automatic Welsh Reference Detector will pick this up and disagree, but I watched Wales on Friday and didn't see that much different to what we had, bar a world class pace merchant. As far as each game panned out, Belgium gifted Bale a chance (which he took expertly) and created maybe one more chance themselves. Belgium created half chances which may or may not have gone in. Result 1-0. We created a few decent chances, took one in debatable circumstances, ceded a few half chances and conceded one goal from a deflection. Other things remaining the same, we might well have won that game with a better bounce of the ball. Scotland got lucky. They were far more impressive in both Germany and Poland.

[Stuttgart88]

I hear you fella, should never of been given the job, common knowledge in the game he was a spent force.

No doubt people will be pointing to other reasons such as our lack of youth development.

But that's just a red herring, I know a few people who are involved in youth football academy set ups around Europe.

To be successful you need to invest both time and money, not as we have done previously embarked on a long term plan to develop players and football around the country only for the suits to pull the money out time and time again.

Theres so much I could say but not on here!!!!!!!


I'm confused Ted. Lack of youth development is a red herring, but an important one?

[TheOneWhoKnocks]

http://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2015/jun/13/martin-oneill-ireland-scotland-european-championship-qualifier


Eleven years ago the notion of O’Neill coaching what is essentially a Championship team in international shirts was ludicrous. Not so on a June evening in Dublin where he was seeking to invigorate an Irish campaign and move the narrative away from one of disquiet towards the FAI’s chief executive, John Delaney.

Don't understand the analogy. As bad as we are, we always put out a team that has at least 9 Premier League players.

Why should anyone take anything Ewan Murray says at face value anyways? The man looks like he spends more time looking in the mirror putting on make up than he does watching football.


In direct opposition here, O’Neill not only faced the man who replaced him at Celtic – with budgetary constraints attached after years of lavish spending – but someone more obviously suited to international football. Gordon Strachan’s obsession with coaching detail contrasts markedly with O’Neill, who wouldn’t be a regular at taking club sessions. It is partly to O’Neill’s credit that he stepped into this environment, one that would not have seemed a logical one for his management style. His alliance with Roy Keane was even more tricky to fathom.

OK.... this is more agreeable.


O’Neill’s deployment of Daryl Murphy rather than Shane Long in attack may have raised eyebrows but the reality is the Southampton man has not performed to anywhere approaching his true capabilities, consistently, when on international duty. The identity of Ireland’s centre-forward was partly immaterial; it seemed the approach would always be to hit the front as quickly as possible.

Because he hasn't been given a chance! He has started about a third of the games he has played for Ireland and has never started consecutive competitive games. The majority of the time he does play, he impresses. Do your research.


And yet, during the opening stages, Ireland’s overall play was vastly superior to their opponents’. The hosts were sharper, slicker and more menacing. When the opening goal arrived it was on account of dreadful officiating but nobody could reasonably argue O’Neill’s men did not merit their advantage. They were, that said, lucky to have 11 men at their disposal after James McCarthy’s elbow to the face of Russell Martin.

Guess we can stop dining on the Hanley/Long incident now. McCarthy was lucky in hindsight and Walters goal was blatantly offside. We get the breaks and we still can't capitalise. They acknowledge their mistake in starting Ritchie and he makes way promptly at the break. We never acknowledge our selection errors until it is too late and the damage is irreversible.

[Closed Account]

Don't understand the analogy. As bad as we are, we always put out a team that has at least 9 Premier League players. Having Premier League players doesn't necessarily equate to a Premier League team. The 11 we started yesterday, in my opinion would probably fall between top of Championship, bottom of Premier League.,

[the doc]

I'm confused Ted. Lack of youth development is a red herring, but an important one?

Come on now Dougal, next thing you will be asking Mrs Doyle to explain it to ya!

Drink! Drink!

You know what I meant Father Stutts

[TheOneWhoKnocks]

They're still playing in the Premier League - arguably the best league in the world - every week though. They are playing at the highest possible standard of club football.

We would be absolutely ****ing ourselves if we were drawn in a group with say Greece, Turkey or Portugal but the bare facts are that those teams struggle to dispatch teams like Faroe Islands & Liechtenstein and toil through qualification groups. Aside from Arda Turan & Ronaldo, they don't have a world class player between them. They fill out their teams with players playing in Russia, Turkey, Greece and Portugal. Most of the teams in these countries, aside from five or six teams in each country, would also be interchangeable with top level Championship teams. Portugal have just brought back a 37 year old Ricardo Carvalho from Intl. retirement and still start players like Postiga, Quaresma and Hugo Almeida who have all completely flopped at any meaningful level of club football over the last six or seven years.

I am rambling a bit here but the crux of my point is that you cannot read too much into whether our players are contending for European places or engaged in a relegation battle at domestic level. Long can't get in the team and he is our highest placed domestic player. Everton & Stoke have most of our established Intl. players and they are regulars in mid-table. Though they got relegated, McShane, Quinn & Meyler barely play for the national team. Brady was the one player yesterday who certainly didn't lack for confidence so you can't say relegation affected him.

International football - particularly in Europe - is a pretty poor standard across the board. We are not the team we were but look at Holland and where they draw their players from now. Look at France (lost to Albania yesterday). It's endemic.

We just have a ****poor attitude about approaching things and I don't know how we are going to get out of this cycle. We have beaten one half-decent team in a competitive game over 15 years. If we had to play Greece or Romania next week, we would be bricking it!

[Closed Account]

I am rambling a bit here but the crux of my point is that you cannot read too much into whether our players are contending for European places or engaged in a relegation battle at domestic level. Exactly, the analogy made was that O'Neill is in charge of a group of players who wouldn't look out of place in the Championship. That is all.

[Stuttgart88]

I partially agree with TOWK. Not picking Long was bizarre. The players are at least as good as Scotland's and many other teams we fail to get the better of in qualifying. Strachan believes in his players. O'Neill not only doesn't trust his but he publicly says as much. There's nothing wrong with privately doubting your squad but telling them you don't have much confidence in them is unforgivable. Scotland, Wakes, Iceland and NI probably can't wait to play good opposition these days. We're afraid of modest opposition at home and have been since Mick left.

[SkStu]

What did O'Neill say about not trusting his players, Stutts? This was my biggest problem with Traps tenure.

[TheOneWhoKnocks]

Exactly, the analogy made was that O'Neill is in charge of a group of players who wouldn't look out of place in the Championship. That is all.

I think it's a bad analogy. I don't see how it's analogous to the discussion. We have Wilson, Whelan, Walters, Coleman, McCarthy, McGeady, Gibson, Long and Keane as the main players in the team. None of those players are familiar to a relegation battle. You say the bottom end of the PL is similar to the top end of the Championship but even so, those lads don't play in the bottom end of the PL. Even O'Shea who has had a lean two years with Sunderland has spent over a decade at Man Utd and amassed over a hundred Intl. caps; with that experience he shouldn't be overawed by playing at this level nor affected by his teams placing in the PL.

I found what Murray said to be very condescending TBH.

Furthermore on its analogousness. Poland are the second best team in the group. They have Lewandowski, Kuba, Krychowiak and Piszczek. Lewa is world class, arguably, and even he is fit to be off-loaded by Bayern. Kuba and Piszczek are very good players, not miles away from what we have, and they have been severely affected by injuries. Then there is Krychowiak. Apart from that there is a hodgepodge of players playing in China, Poland, Russia, bottom feeding German clubs, no-one that would, as you say, "look out of place in the Championship".

I don't see the relevance.

Germany. It's the only team in the group and one of a maximum of 8-10 in Europe who would look largely out of place in the Championship. Don't mistake me they are much better than us, but before we even play them we are losing the psychological battle. I feel we don't even consider the possibility of beating them. Even Scotland beat world class France & Italy teams shortly after their Intl. successes! We just don't have the bottle to go toe to toe though.

I mean look at the game six odd months ago. They had a novice at RB in Antonio Rudiger; struggling domestically at club level with Stuttgart. We didn't try to exploit this at all. Philipp Lahm might as well have been playing. Durm, Ginter, Boateng, Bellarabi, Draxler - not world beaters I am sorry. No out and out striker. Mario Gotze & Bastien Schweinsteiger their best known players and they lose their places at club level.

Even now, from top to bottom, the organisation to the media to the fans talk as if we will be taking a hammering in Dublin.

We just downplay our qualities too much and play up the opposition too much. It needs to stop. And as has been said by others, we need to stop trying just to cancel out the opposition and nullify their strengths. We just have to focus on ourselves and maximise our qualities! Exploit anything you see as a potential weakness in the opposition. Whether it is Antonio Rudiger of Germany or Matt bleedin' Ritchie of Scotland!

[Stuttgart88]

It's that old chestnut again " we haven't got the players". For what? Win groups - absolutely we don't have the players. You'd want to be bonkers to think we should be winning groups with the players we have, unless we get lucky with our number one seed.

But do we have the players to be competitive against any second, third or fourth seed? I think we do. You don't need a Roy Keane in your side to think you can have a good go at beating Scotland at home without thinking your best option is a long ball.

I'm not critical of O'Neill's belief in set pieces. Almost every big home Champions League result at Celtic was won from a penalty, a free or a Larsson or Sutton header from a Thompson corner. I'd love if a stattto here can go back over each home goal scored in a CL group stage under O'Neill.

I think we are where we deserve to be so far but the frustrating thing is that we have been architects of our own downfall at home to Poland and away in Scotland, and to a large extent again yesterday. I think we lack a bit of professionalism and that includes our attitude.

[TheOneWhoKnocks]

Maybe it's time to play one of or both Coleman and Brady in wide midfield to get the most out of them and play Ward at full back.

I think we all overstate how bad he is sometimes (me included). He is solid enough.

Northern Ireland's RB plays for Fleetwood Town in League One and he has took to this level like a duck in water.

[mark12345]

A lot of very good comments on here lads. But what is the take away from all of this discussion? For me it is the fact that we need to change the coaching system at home - that's priority number 1. Look at the players Uruguay, Chile, Holland, Belgium produce. All smaller nations with populations of 10 million or under. And in terms of playing for the shirt, as someone pointed out, we could do with a bit of the same sort of pride shown by Costa Rica in last year's World Cup. Another take away is that we have to invest in / change drastically / and then support the LOI. Strange as it may sound the road to Irish international success, as has been stated by several former footballers, is through the LOI.

[nigel-harps1954]

The English system for our young players is no longer an option. I've pointed this out elsewhere, here's a rough breakdown of exactly why.

Of the 14 players that played last night, five of them made their senior starts in the League of Ireland, Coleman, McClean, Hoolahan, Murphy and Long. Three of those are arguably our better performers in the last couple of years at club and international level.

Of the rest of the squad, Forde, Quinn, Meyler and Ward also played League of Ireland. 9 players from 15 Irish born in the squad came through the League of Ireland.

8 of the rest are players in born in different countries.

Only 6 Irish born players came through youth systems in the UK in the entire squad, of which only Brady and Hendrick are under 30 years of age.

It's time investment and focus was placed on the League of Ireland. The FAI really need to step up here.

[Stuttgart88]

I agree Nigel and clearly the whole shape and organisation of our game and the FAI needs to be addressed. But that's not to say we shouldn't debate the way we approach these games.

In fairness a lot of what I read in the papers this morning was complimentary about the first half. That's probably reasonable. Goals and results change everything.

[Spudulika]

Yesterday evening I felt so depressed that I wanted to go to bed and sleep for a week. How Ireland turned a lead into a draw is beyond me, though they didn't lose, which is vital. I do not blame JD, MON, RMK or anyone involved with the National team with the fact that we didn't manage to turn over a decent Scottish side. Only a short time ago were were thrilled with a draw against Germany, and beating the crap out of a good Polish side and getting a draw. Of course our players play with fear, it's not the management, it's everything associated with our team. Our media, the stunts by media, by "fans", the ott reaction to every little decision. Yet all the time our game rots from the had down and @rse up.

ED had it very correct last night but didn't go far enough in shutting up RS. The DDSL and all the other little moneymaking fiefdoms in Irish football are tearing the soul out of the game. We supporters of the LOI decry the lack of effort by the FAI in promoting and developing the league - yet how long ago was it since the LOI clubs re-signed with the FAI? The same clubs we support sold out the supporters because they'd rather pass the buck.

And our media and JD and fans all pontificating about FIFA and corruption - when we cannot organise a proper developmental system in our own country with accountability and transparency - because we're all a bunch of self-interested lumps who want everything done for us. In other words - humans! So until we change how football is organised within our own country, we're never going to get another generation as we had in the 1980's/90's/00's.

And sitting watching Russia play a good Austria side - Russia lost their 2 centre backs within 10 minutes and one sub is a 19 year old who's played CL and Cup only for CSKA, yet he's a good skilled kid. And beside him is another novice. Would any of our 18/19 year olds be able to step up to the senior side, or would our management just do what is right and blood them - and pay the price later?

[Stuttgart88]

I love the self interested lumps bit. I think we have got all the raw ingredients to make a big success of our game. Even the LOI with some imagination, backing and, in my opinion, strong politicking at UEFA level can be turned into something at the very heart of a national success story. But most fans are instant gratification junkies that want things done for them but who won't give anything back.

But for those who harp on about how great the rugby and GAA guys are and how they engage kids so well and how sh1t everything football related is, this piece by Liam Mackey on Friday really heartened me:

http://www.irishexaminer.com/sport/columnists/liam-mackey/martin-oneills-ireland-at-tipping-point-336731.html

The evidence for the latter can be found at Cabinteely FC in south County Dublin today where the club’s mini-World Cup reaches its climax. Running for the last10 days and playing host to over 1,100 hundred young boys and girls assigned to 108 teams, the 26th staging of this inspiring community event suggests that if trickle-up was a stronger force than trickle-down, the very top of the football pyramid would be a lot prettier to behold.

Down here at the base, meanwhile, the spectacle is simply a joy to behold, the Cabinteely club, in conjunction with local sponsors, advertisers and, most of all, an extremely hard-working volunteer corps, making the running of a tournament of considerable complexity seem exactly like what it so successively provides – child’s play.

And, of course, there are many other clubs around the country doing no less sterling work, if not quite on the same scale as this.

To them all, I doff my cap.

I should, however, declare a personal interest here:

my seven-year-old daughter’s team, the mighty Niger, are up against the no less mighty Libya in a semi-final in Cabinteely today, leaving me with just one small question: Should events conspire to see Niger eliminated in perhaps contentious circumstances, to whom do I need to speak about, um, compensation?

Answers on the back of a brown envelope, please.

[mark12345]

Of course our players play with fear, it's not the management, it's everything associated with our team.........ED had it very correct last night but didn't go far enough in shutting up RS. The DDSL and all the other little moneymaking fiefdoms in Irish football are tearing the soul out of the game. We supporters of the LOI decry the lack of effort by the FAI in promoting and developing the league - yet how long ago was it since the LOI clubs re-signed with the FAI? The same clubs we support sold out the supporters because they'd rather pass the buck....... So until we change how football is organised within our own country, we're never going to get another generation as we had in the 1980's/90's/00's.

Good to see a comment like this. At least we are beginning to identify the forces which are inhibiting the development of players in Ireland. I am not that familiar with the DDSL but have heard nothing but negativity about them from a lot of people I trust. So if you are reading on here (members of the DDSL) will you pay heed to these comments? Will you do your part by changing your ways and allowing young kids to develop properly? Decades and decades of doing things the wrong way were manifested on the pitch at the Aviva last night. You can help. Let's hope you do.

[MeathDrog]

By the way, not sure if this has been mentioned, but the moment after the Scotland goal was the most surreal moment I've ever experienced in Lansdowne Road.

Are we the only professional team in sporting history to celebrate an away goal with music via the PA system? I reckon we might be. It was a disgusting moment.

[nigel-harps1954]

By the way, not sure if this has been mentioned, but the moment after the Scotland goal was the most surreal moment I've ever experienced in Lansdowne Road.

Are we the only professional team in sporting history to celebrate an away goal with music via the PA system? I reckon we might be. It was a disgusting moment.


But sure Celtic are Irish, so really, Scotland are kinda Irish so it makes it okay.

The amount of cringey Irish flags with Celtic badges and 'Hail Hail' all over the place was embarrassing too. Biggest contradiction of the day really. I respect anyones right to support whatever team they want, but leave it at home on a day like that.

[TheOneWhoKnocks]

I was going to go on another tangent but I decided not to veer off-topic, suffice to say that Irish people long for the approval of Scottish people and it's rather one-sided.

Go to Scotland and it's like being home with the amount of Irish people spoofing around over there.

In all my years in Ireland I have only ever met one Scottish person.

Edit: One of my college lecturers was Scottish. Lovely Woman. Still, only two.

[Stuttgart88]

Good to see a comment like this. At least we are beginning to identify the forces which are inhibiting the development of players in Ireland. I am not that familiar with the DDSL but have heard nothing but negativity about them from a lot of people I trust. So if you are reading on here (members of the DDSL) will you pay heed to these comments? Will you do your part by changing your ways and allowing young kids to develop properly? Decades and decades of doing things the wrong way were manifested on the pitch at the Aviva last night. You can help. Let's hope you do.i have heard that the NDSL is extremely progressive, almost a model of international best practice, but that they are just eaten by the DDSL vampire squid.

[mark12345]

i have heard that the NDSL is extremely progressive, almost a model of international best practice, but that they are just eaten by the DDSL vampire squid.

Disappointing to hear that the DDSL have such a monopoly / negative influence. I guess the only thing that can be done is to call them out on this as much as we can. Because unless we can effect change at the youth level we will be looking at years and years of abject performances from the national team.

[tricky_colour]

Yea maybe we spend too much time looking at the frailties in our team rather then looking for weaknesses in the opposition.

[paul_oshea]

I thought it was going to be a 1-1 draw, we are so predictable really. I'm surprised the odds were as decent as they were on a 1-1 draw!

After the draw was made for these groups, I felt Wales and SCotland were better than us forgetting about anything about individual players, which was the counter argument at the time, citing Strachan and some decent results for Scotland both home and away i feared they would get the upper hand on us. They have and it's been so predictable, O'Neill didnt need to be bold at home he needed to be bold in that away game, and we are caught out again, just like we were under Trap.

I am still trying to understand the selection with the formation, one negates the other, if playing hoolahan then play speedy forwards and wingers, don't play him with walters and murphy, I really dont see the point in that. I thought Wes got very tired towards the end and he wasn't tracking back so I know why he was taken off, but we should have gone with a different formation. Walters did well but he is part of the problem in that we just lob it up to him and although he does his job, that job is not very effective in producing anything of merit.

We were so laboured and slow, lacked any urgency, a few people used the word urgency to me, and its something we have lacked for a very long time. We were drawing, needing a win and lads were trudging over and no one wanting to take a throw, and then no one coming for a throw, there is a distinct lack of a leader on the pitch to command the ball and drive the players. And if we are going to play as a set piece team and that's all we are going to do, its the only game plan then Please God make sure we have it drilled and rehearsed again and again. Countless times we over-hit, or under-hit, taking the wrong option of going low when we should have gone high etc. We lacked co-ordination. I really didn't think we played that well in the first half, we created little, and had few shots on goal, we had possession and held onto the ball, but I think that clouded how we played overall. I was really hoping that O'Neill would have instilled in them to go out and finish them off, but the usual dopey sloppiness comes back to haunt us. I'd love to see an accumulation of all those type goals we have conceded.

I also don't agree with O'Neill saying we didnt want half time to come. We did we were so slow and drawn after we scored, I was praying for half time to get us going again. Whats really worrying, and again mentioned in the past is O'Neill is definitely not seeing what most of us are seeing out there.

Brady looked very tired in the second half and he really looked like he didnt want the ball he just kept crossing straight away with the head down without really thinking or looking. I think that shows that the team don't really know what the role is or how they should play and its hit(hoofed) and hope!

[hoops1]

i have heard that the NDSL is extremely progressive, almost a model of international best practice, but that they are just eaten by the DDSL vampire squid.

They probably are, the difficulty they have is that the DDSL clubs have the name to attract all the best players. So they wouldn't be working with the same quality. But plans are afoot to break the stranglehold of these clubs and transfer it to the LOI clubs, not before time

[IsMiseSean]

One thing that really annoyed me was Given refusing to role the ball out to Coleman or Wilson and waving his arms about indicating he's kicking it long. Especially after they scored, we had plenty of time to score. We should be trying to play not lump it forward in the 50th minute.

[Stuttgart88]

Paul and Sean, would just one willing and able central midfielder change all that? I think it could.

Paul is right about picking Wes with the front two he picked. He's not the only one who made the point either. I referred to it as picking a mallet as the weapon of choice but also packing a penknife just in case the mallet doesn't work. But if you pick Wes surely you pick someone who makes the clever runs.

[paul_oshea]

Ya but we said this before the game as well.

I think with the more sensible options, and a more brave approach we would be sitting in a lot better position than we find ourselves in. Sadly I dont think Kerr/Trap/MON could give us that. I do think Strachan would have if he were in charge, or other similar ones. It's funny most people on here laughed and ridiculed strachan yet he is doing a much better job than oneill is for us, and getting Scotland to at least a play-off, for the first time in a very long time.

I'd be interested to see that stat you mentioned, because I do think luck plays a part but over the course of a campaign it evens itself out, and we are solely focused and told to play for the set pieces, yet we get very little from it.