Euro 2016 - now we've qualified

[Closed Account]

If Ireland didn't qualify would you guys be rooting for Northern Ireland, be ambivalent, or be rooting against them? Someone asked me that yesterday and I said I had no idea.
I'd echo DeLoreans sentiments. I'm from Mayo and ignorantly just think of the North as another part of Ireland.

I'm not saying that there wasn't a difference between Chris Brunt swinging in a free kick today than there would have been had it been James McClean, but I felt better that it was Brunt and not Gardner or AN Other. That being said, I'm mature enough to realise that none of it really matters. But a small bit small bit of tribalism helped us be competitive and get out of the primordial soup. A small bit.

[Closed Account]

I love the Irish Team, I love it when we are doing well and I hate it when we are doing bad/worse. And there are fine lines between them.

I celebrated like everyone, and I ain't no party pooper but I've just read this from the Irish News and it's the first time in any media all week(although I haven't read them all) that I've seen something I concretely agree with

AT the risk of sounding like a party-pooper, I felt Bosnia-Herzegovina were one of the poorest international teams to have ever played in Dublin.
Twice during the Lansdowne Road game, Bosnians players hoofed the ball from the touchline, behind themselves to the edge of their own box. They kicked the ball out of play unintentionally at least six times. At one point Pjanic rolled the ball to Glenn Whelan and threw his hands in the air in frustration. They were terrible. Whatever amount of possession they had, universally measured as two thirds, it was aimless.

I can't say they were worse than the Estonians, only because time dilutes stuff, but they were bad. After the first leg I commented how they looked afraid to qualify and the second leg further compounded my theory.Despite all this, it's hard to argue that the spirit of this Irish team is totally different to the one four years ago.

The difference in player standard is negligible but team spirit and camaraderie can carry you a lot further than one or two players playing in the champions league. To borrow a phrase, it's all about men-tal-it-eee

Edit: I'd love to read a Keith Andrews article on Ireland qualification. I always found him entertaining/forthwith.

[Stuttgart88]

Yep, Andrews is great. Very smart guy. Steven Reid too, and Hunt is way better than I'd ever have expected.

[geysir]

I love the Irish Team, I love it when we are doing well and I hate it when we are doing bad/worse. And there are fine lines between them.

I celebrated like everyone, and I ain't no party pooper but I've just read this from the Irish News and it's the first time in any media all week(although I haven't read them all) that I've seen something I concretely agree with

Twice during the Lansdowne Road game, Bosnians players hoofed the ball from the touchline, behind themselves to the edge of their own box. They kicked the ball out of play unintentionally at least six times. At one point Pjanic rolled the ball to Glenn Whelan and threw his hands in the air in frustration. They were terrible. Whatever amount of possession they had, universally measured as two thirds, it was aimless.

I can't say they were worse than the Estonians, only because time dilutes stuff, but they were bad. After the first leg I commented how they looked afraid to qualify and the second leg further compounded my theory.Despite all this, it's hard to argue that the spirit of this Irish team is totally different to the one four years ago.

The worst of Bosnia & H was seen after we went 2 up, it's disingenuous to highlight that as evidence of overall poor quality, the tie was lost from their perspective at that stage. It's not much different to highlight Keith Andrews freaking out against Italy or David Connolly freaking out against Belgium as evidence of how crap Ireland were. The discipline of some of their players was atrocious and had an obvious effect, but had they been half way functional we would have struggled. Pjanic was the player who lost it after going 2 goals down but I'd have him in the Irish team in a heartbeat, We were a superior team and they had no effective strategy to deal with out intense game, but I wouldn't be sticking my nose in the air about how poor the Bosnia & Hertz performance was.
Yet over the two legs they equalled us for shots, on and off target, and their ball retention under pressure was much superior to ours. They had us pinned back for 20 minutes in the 2nd half. Most observers thought our first goal was fortunate (not me) and that was pivotal. They have 6 or 7 players who would walk into our team.

[OwlsFan]

Sometimes people will find fault with the opposition when we beat them. It's been a trick of Messrs G & D for years. However, it's an old adage that teams are only as good as they are allowed to play. I have no doubt that the German team man for man was better than us or that the Bosnians on paper were better than us. But there is more to football than names on a sheet. We met both teams face to face and they blinked. We made them look poor by our tactics, our spirit, our endeavour, our intensity (thanks Geyser) and also our football. We didn't allow them play and that is also part of football: stopping the opposition from playing their game. The Bosnians may have been poor on the night because we made them look poor. Our defensive system was excellent. They couldn't break through it (until the last minute). I believe they wanted to qualify every bit as much as us - their supporters certainly did - but we prevented them from playing and we created our chances. Well done to us. Au revoir Bosnia.

[tetsujin1979]

If it happened in a cup tie, e.g. Southend beating Chelsea, would you say that Chelsea were terrible? No, you'd say that Southend showed up, were well organised, restricted the opposition's chances, and took their own when they came, and ultimately deserved the win. And that's what we did to Germany and Bosnia. Man for man they're better sides, but on the day we beat them. Doesn't matter what would have happened if/but/or, it's what did happen.

[Crosby87]

That's why you play the game as you've always said Tets.
What is the biggest upset in sports history? Is it USA over USSR in hockey at the 80 Olympics?

[backstothewall]

I think something that is being missed here is that temperament is a footballing quality of it's own. It's all well and good being a great technical players but that gets you so far. If you lose the head when faced with adversity that is as much a negative as more obvious failings like being slow or not having a great 1st touch.

People always raved about United getting late goals under Ferguson but it didn't happen by accident. A guy who threw in the towel like a few of the Bosnians did the other night would have been out the door.

I never saw them give up at any stage in qualifying. The late goals we scored were no accident either. At times in the group they had their excuses if they had wanted them, and if they had got on like the Bosnians last week we wouldn't have even been in a playoff.

Our lads might not be the technical equal of the Bosnians, but I believe we have better players overall, and I believe they proved that over 2 legs.

[DeLorean]

What is the biggest upset in sports history? Is it USA over USSR in hockey at the 80 Olympics?

A recent one but Japan beating South Africa in the Rugby World Cup must be up there.

[Fixer82]

A recent one but Japan beating South Africa in the Rugby World Cup must be up there.

Absolutely. What a game that was!

[DeLorean]

I think something that is being missed here is that temperament is a footballing quality of it's own.

People always raved about United getting late goals under Ferguson but it didn't happen by accident. A guy who threw in the towel like a few of the Bosnians did the other night would have been out the door.

Good point, it was interesting to listen to Jurgen Klopp after Liverpool conceded a late equaliser to Southampton a few weeks ago. He was talking about their heads dropping and that they still had another seven or eight minutes to get a winner, if they had the right mentality/temperament. Just compare that to United conceding a late equaliser to Watford the other day and Van Gaal's reaction afterwards, talking about how he was delighted they responded in the right way and created two or three chances themselves in the little time they had left, including the winner obviously.

[paul_oshea]

Go and Compete?

[paul_oshea]

If it happened in a cup tie, e.g. Southend beating Chelsea, would you say that Chelsea were terrible? No, you'd say that Southend showed up, were well organised, restricted the opposition's chances, and took their own when they came, and ultimately deserved the win. And that's what we did to Germany and Bosnia. Man for man they're better sides, but on the day we beat them. Doesn't matter what would have happened if/but/or, it's what did happen.

They would laud Southend at the start of the programme, and then well and truly dissected the faults with Chelseas individual players and as a team by th eend of it. You can't do one without the other

[Charlie Darwin]

They have 6 or 7 players who would walk into our team.
Like who? Pjanic and Dzeko, yeah. Besic maybe, although obviously not at McCarthy's expense. They have a lot of players who may be more naturally talented than our players but it doesn't follow they'd walk into our team. None of their back five would, Begovic included. Cocalic, no, Medunjanin, no, Lulic is at a big club but no. Don't get me wrong, if they click they probably have a level we don't, but man for man the real difference is the two Roma players.

[OwlsFan]

Go and Compete?

I agree. We'll prepare and go and do our best: we'll put 'em under pressure. The game is about being effective. Being aggressive. winning the ball. Getting on with the play. We'll put 'em under pressure.

[Real ale Madrid]

I agree. We'll prepare and go and do our best: we'll put 'em under pressure. The game is about being effective. Being aggressive. winning the ball. Getting on with the play. We'll put 'em under pressure.

I must say I agree with all this. One thing is for sure – it’s not going to be easy for us but it’s not going to be easy for them either.

[backstothewall]

We inflict our game on the people.

[SkStu]

I must say I agree with all this. One thing is for sure – it’s not going to be easy for us but it’s not going to be easy for them either.

you gotta give, you gotta give, you gotta give to win.

[Crosby87]

Ireland are 400-1 to win in Vegas. Might be worth throwing a few brass farthings on that eh? I would buy crackbird for the whole team. Speaking of crackbird, many are deep frying their turkeys today.

[OwlsFan]

Ireland are 400-1 to win in Vegas.

The heat will be terrible there though.