Republic of Ireland v Georgia - Thursday, 6th October 2016 -World Cup 2018 Qualifier

[nigel-harps1954]

Bray are part-time; not sure about Sligo. There's a difference between having a big wage budget and being full-time.

Does Bolger have a family? (I don't know) Many LoI players would be happy to go for a 52-week contract and the chance of career progression. The chance to play in Parkhead, maybe get spotted and move on like Sammon/Hoolahan. Lots of reasons. And if he goes from €500 to £1,000 a week as you suggest (and I appreciate these are makey-uppey figures), then he's more than doubled his salary - even assuming Cork are on 52-week contracts (which they might be if they're full time?). Not all players will want to, but I still think more would take such an offer than not.


Dundalk are one team skewing the standings, and don't speak for the entire league, or how Pat's/Galway/Bohs - lower mid-table teams - would fare in the SPL. That's my point. By all means take Celtic out when looking at UEFA rankings - but you have to take Dundalk out for a fair comparison then.

I think we'll have to agree to disagree on this one.

Sligo are full time, Bray definitely have full time players in their ranks.

[Stuttgart88]

Bohs' midfielder Larry Wyse used to always get targeted by Hoops fans. Even after he left and played for Athlone(?).

Larry Wyse
Larry Wyse
Larry Larry Wyse
He gets the ball
He does f*** all
Larry Larry Wyse

In NYC during the World Cup in ’94 we sang a different version outside the UN building

Boutros Boutros Ghali
Boutros Boutros Ghali
Boutros Boutros Boutros Boutros Ghali
...and so on

[tetsujin1979]

It would be about half that figure at best.
Average spl salary figures are misleading. The spl is one of the most unequal leagues in Europe when it comes to salaries, here's some recent figures average salaries paid by clubs (http://stv.tv/sport/football/clubs/celtic/1321105-celtics-average-wage-bill-is-25-times-higher-than-ross-countys/)


Here's a bit useless tittle tattle but on-thread tittle tattle.
Georgia's new coach is Vladimir Weiss, who has a father named Vladimir Weiss and a son named Vladimir Weiss, all footballers.
Weiss the 3rd played against us for Slovakia back in March, also played against us in the Euro 2012 qualifier in October 2010

[pineapple stu]

I think we'll have to agree to disagree on this one.

Sligo are full time, Bray definitely have full time players in their ranks.

What does a full-time player mean though?

The difference between a full-time set-up and a part-time set-up is huge - in terms of time for team training, match prep, gym and cardio, etc, etc. You can't do that with just one or two full-time players.

But if a club has one full-time player in their ranks, how does that help them if the other ten are all coming from work? And how many full-time players do UCD have? Most of them are students with no other jobs - does that count?

I think you overestimate Bray. And underestimate the SPL. Overall, like for like, it's a better league than the LoI. But I suspect Dundalk and Cork would do quite well in it.

[geysir]

Weiss the 3rd played against us for Slovakia back in March, also played against us in the Euro 2012 qualifier in October 2010
We can just call him The Holy Ghost.

[Stuttgart88]

Here's a bit useless tittle tattle but on-thread tittle tattle.
Georgia's new coach is Vladimir Weiss, who has a father named Vladimir Weiss and a son named Vladimir Weiss, all footballers.3 Weiss men.

[IsMiseSean]

Came in here looking for news on the Georgia game and I end up reading through a debate on the SPL vs LOI and the family history on the Weiss'.
Didn't the Crosby lad get banned for bringing threads of topic? :rolleyes:

[TheOneWhoKnocks]

Came in here looking for news on the Georgia game and I end up reading through a debate on the SPL vs LOI and the family history on the Weiss'.
Didn't the Crosby lad get banned for bringing threads of topic? :rolleyes:

I'm struggling to think of a single post Crosby made that was on topic to be honest.

[geysir]

3 Weiss men.
Weiss' cube.

[samhaydenjr]

It would be about half that figure at best.
Average spl salary figures are misleading. The spl is one of the most unequal leagues in Europe when it comes to salaries, here's some recent figures average salaries paid by clubs (http://stv.tv/sport/football/clubs/celtic/1321105-celtics-average-wage-bill-is-25-times-higher-than-ross-countys/)


Here's a bit useless tittle tattle but on-thread tittle tattle.
Georgia's new coach is Vladimir Weiss, who has a father named Vladimir Weiss and a son named Vladimir Weiss, all footballers.

I know that the SPL salaries are skewed dramatically by Celtic, and the article you linked to brings a bit more clarity to the discussion - but even at that, the wage of the average player at the lowest playing squad is around the same as the best-paid player in the LOI Premier earns. And if Adam Rooney earns the average salary of an Aberdeen player, he would be getting paid 140000 pounds and scoring regularly over the course of two-and-half seasons against fully professional defenses, whereas Sean Maguire is probably being paid somewhere between 15-25000 euros and has only been scoring consistently for one season against defenses that are likely to include some part-timers at least. Which is why Adam Rooney would be a better choice as our back-up striker, for now at least

[samhaydenjr]

I'm struggling to think of a single post Crosby made that was on topic to be honest.

Well that's ice hockey concussions for you ;)

[paul_oshea]

3 Weiss men.

That's so bad its good.

And yes no one is an 80s rovers fan so stop making jokes no one cares about :P

[paul_oshea]

Weiss' cube.

Weiss cubed, no?

Weiss' script?

[pineapple stu]

Came in here looking for news on the Georgia game and I end up reading through a debate on the SPL vs LOI and the family history on the Weiss'.
Didn't the Crosby lad get banned for bringing threads of topic? :rolleyes:
True. :)

I think we're all a little bit worried about actually talking about the match. I'm not really confident at all after that Serbia shambles, the rake of injuries and how we struggled past Georgia twice last season - I think they're due a bit of luck against us.

Can easily see us dropping two points here. Maybe three.

[TheOneWhoKnocks]

We aren't missing any players who would be guaranteed to start.

Georgia are - Lobjanidze and Kankava.

Perhaps MON is getting his excuses in early.

[OwlsFan]

Bohs' midfielder Larry Wyse used to always get targeted by Hoops fans. Even after he left and played for Athlone(?).

Larry Wyse
Larry Wyse
Larry Larry Wyse
He gets the ball
He does f*** all
Larry Larry Wyse

In NYC during the World Cup in ’94 we sang a different version outside the UN building

Boutros Boutros Ghali
Boutros Boutros Ghali
Boutros Boutros Boutros Boutros Ghali
...and so on

Went to school with Wyse's brother or cousin (can't remember which) so didn't join in the chants.

[OwlsFan]

Weiss cubed, no?

Weiss' script?

A word to the weiss, give up when you're ahead.

[DeLorean]

I think we're all a little bit worried about actually talking about the match. I'm not really confident at all after that Serbia shambles, the rake of injuries and how we struggled past Georgia twice last season - I think they're due a bit of luck against us.

Yeah, I'm not sure if I'm nervous because the loss of any points from these two game will probably be catastrophic, or if it's because I think we might slip up.

In theory, we should have enough at home tonight, especially if we pick the right team. I'd happily take another shambolic performance with such a positive result though.

[DeLorean]

Just to add to the apprehension, I'd kind of forgotten that Georgia beat a very strong looking Spanish side away from home in the run up to the Euros.

Spain 0-1 Georgia (http://ie.soccerway.com/matches/2016/06/07/world/friendlies/spain/georgia/2221229/)

[Kingdom]

I'm not positive about tonight, I firmly believe if we continue in the ideals of playing football the way O'Neill wants us to play, then our luck will run out soon. As others have said, if we drop points tonight, then it's a big blow.

[pineapple stu]

This doesn't really make sense, but my main concern is that we've beaten Georgie 7 times out of 7, without ever putting in a convincing competitive performance.

Mar '03 - 2-1 (A) - a late Gary Doherty winner, albeit that we were the only team to win in Georgia in that campaign
Jun '03 - 2-0 (H) - the only time we've beaten them by more than a goal in a competitive game
Sep '08 - 2-1 (N) - their keeper with an outrageous howler for Whelan's first goal in Mainz; their consolation was in injury time, but I don't think that game was ever comfortable.
Feb '09 - 2-1 (H) - we were losing for 75+ minutes before Keane saved us with a brace, one of which was at best a debateable penalty call.
Jun '13 - 4-0 (H) - a friendly in which they were rubbish. I suspect Conor Sammon was the invigorating force, given it was the only one of the 7 games he played. :)
Sep '14 - 2-1 (A) - a late late McGeady wonderstrike
Sep '15 - 1-0 (H) - a scrambled Walters goal in a dour game I think? (Missed the first hour)

Obviously huge credit to the team for continuing to grind out the wins - but even leaving aside current "one-pass-per-minute" form, our luck surely can't hold through another two games? The law of averages says Georgia are due something this campaign.

[geysir]

Is the game a sell out?

Georgia will be a measure of where we are compared to the last campaign.
The reasonable expectation is that we should be able deal with a team like Georgia, better than we did in the euro qualifiers.
Weiss is just in the door, we have a settled set up and playing at home.
Georgia played well in all their away games in the last qual campaign, only well beaten one time with 3 late goals being scored in added time in Poland.

[DeLorean]

The law of averages says Georgia are due something this campaign.

If you're seeking reassurances, go ask any Mayo person about the law of averages. :)

[Stuttgart88]

Is the game a sell out?

Georgia will be a measure of where we are compared to the last campaign.
The reasonable expectation is that we should be able deal with a team like Georgia, better than we did in the euro qualifiers.
Weiss is just in the door, we have a settled set up and playing at home.
Georgia played well in all their away games in the last qual campaign, only well beaten one time with 3 late goals being scored in added time in Poland....but they also played very well last month, by all accounts being very unlucky not to take something from Austria. If anything they looked better than last campaign. I'd bite your hand off for a repeat of our 1-0. I'd bite both your hands off for better.

[Kingdom]

...but they also played very well last month, by all accounts being very unlucky not to take something from Austria. If anything they looked better than last campaign. I'd bite your hand off for a repeat of our 1-0. I'd bite both your hands off for better.

I didn't see them v Austria, but it's reported today that Arveladze thinks they've regressed under Weiss, and were only capable in the final 20 mins. I detected that there might have been a touch of spite due to one of his pals getting the bullet over money, then Weiss comes in.

It's very simple for me tonight. O'Neill makes a big statement about what he sees as the route ahead with Hoolahan. And that's not a dramatic statement. With Arter out, if he wants to try and pick Georgia apart, then he should play Hoolahan.

[geysir]

...but they also played very well last month, by all accounts being very unlucky not to take something from Austria. If anything they looked better than last campaign. I'd bite your hand off for a repeat of our 1-0. I'd bite both your hands off for better.
The result is one thing and the minimum, but more of the same dumbed down banality from the last Georgia game would be just torture.
It's reasonable to expect MO'N to have us performing better as a team.

[paul_oshea]

Yeah, I'm not sure if I'm nervous because the loss of any points from these two game will probably be catastrophic, or if it's because I think we might slip up.

In theory, we should have enough at home tonight, especially if we pick the right team. I'd happily take another shambolic performance with such a positive result though.

As catastrophic as they may be, its the performances where we get a draw and are happy with against similar teams I think is the bigger catastrophe.

Drawing against teams we should beat is actually ok if we beat teams of our similar level, its more significant to our final standings. Ill be annoyed with anything other than 6 points however if we finish with 4 and had beaten Serbia we would be in a better position than if we do get 6.

[paul_oshea]

I'm not positive about tonight, I firmly believe if we continue in the ideals of playing football the way O'Neill wants us to play, then our luck will run out soon. As others have said, if we drop points tonight, then it's a big blow.

I agree completely, but its still far better than we did under Trap at any stage, or the few that went before it - save kerr half campaign.

[paul_oshea]

...but they also played very well last month, by all accounts being very unlucky not to take something from Austria. If anything they looked better than last campaign. I'd bite your hand off for a repeat of our 1-0. I'd bite both your hands off for better.

Not according to various media, austria were 2up till the last 15-20 minutes and controlled the game for the marority of the time bar those last few minutes. So even the average better teams than Ireland get the willies from time to time :)

Just bite his hands off, for the better good of course.

[OwlsFan]

Just bite his hands off, for the better good of course.

We should be able to win hands down then :)

Usual nervous vibes before a game but with Wes pulling the strings and Walters and Long giving them a hard time up front, I predict a 2-0.

[DeLorean]

As catastrophic as they may be, its the performances where we get a draw and are happy with against similar teams I think is the bigger catastrophe.

It's definitely a bigger catastrophe to drop points against Georgia (home) /Moldova (anywhere) than to draw in Serbia.


Drawing against teams we should beat is actually ok if we beat teams of our similar level, its more significant to our final standings.

Yeah, hopefully we can beat Serbia at home to top up our very welcome and undeserved point in Belgrade.


Ill be annoyed with anything other than 6 points however if we finish with 4 and had beaten Serbia we would be in a better position than if we do get 6.

I'd be delighted with seven points from our first three games, and would have been before a ball was kicked. If we end up with any less than that all of my frustration will be aimed at tonight or Sunday.


But I think we know where each other stand at this stage. :)

[paul_oshea]

Lets see Sunday night, where Serbia stand, and come back to that one Delores! I think Serbia will be doing very well to have more than 5 points after Sunday.

Forgetting Mayo for a minute(they really are an exception :D ) the law of averages says we are due dropped points at some stage against this team/kind of team. Surely we should be beating someone of our similar level too at some stage and we still can't do it - germany are not our level ; )

And your first point, i wasnt saying dropping 2 of 6 points was a good thing either, but I'm not sure if that's what you are getting at.

[DeLorean]

I was just responding to you saying it's a bigger catastrophe to draw against similar level teams (presume you were talking about the draw in Serbia) than Georgia/Moldova. I think that's what you were saying anyway.

What'll be will be with Serbia's results from now on. Of course it's possible that Austria or Wales could win there, but I saw it as a really tough game that we were more likely to lose than win. Therefore I was and still am very happy with a point.

For Serbia to be on more than five points after Sunday they have to win both their matches... of course they will be doing very well for that to happen - they can't do any better!

[paul_oshea]

No thats not what I meant, i was conditioning it, with my use of "if".

Ya sorry I think they will be doing well to get anything in Austria, but they are home(i got confused by a post on another thread), I was expecting them to lose Sunday but they are home so will probably grab a draw.

[backstothewall]

For me this group with be very close the whole way through but any side who take anything less that 12 points against Georgia & Moldova won't win it.

[swinfordfc]

Ireland have to win tonight to have any chance of progressing! ..... End of matter!

[Fixer82]

Jun '13 - 4-0 (H) - a friendly in which they were rubbish. I suspect Conor Sammon was the invigorating force, given it was the only one of the 7 games he played. :)


Actually I think he played pretty well in that game and got two assists. Open to correction on this

[pineapple stu]

Wasn't one the lovely slide-rule pass to Keane across the six-yard box, which McClean made an arse of in the Euros against France?

[Fixer82]

Wasn't one the lovely slide-rule pass to Keane across the six-yard box, which McClean made an arse of in the Euros against France?

Yes indeed. Think he had two in that game. Actually thought he generally did well alongside Keane. Terrible in the air for a big man though.

[tetsujin1979]

That sound you can hear is DeLorean having a coronary somewhere: http://foot.ie/threads/180052-Republic-of-Ireland-V-Georgia-Sunday-2nd-June-2013-Friendly?p=1887446&viewfull=1#post1887446

[Fixer82]

Just watched it back. Actually the first of those passes was (drumroll)....James McClean

[DeLorean]

Wasn't one the lovely slide-rule pass to Keane across the six-yard box, which McClean made an arse of in the Euros against France?

My thoughts exactly! And he had possibly less time to think than McClean the way the ball broke to him, although maybe that helped and McClean was in a more high pressure environment to be fair to him. Sammon was very tidy there though and I'm sure he had a similar assist in the qualifier against the Faroes, where he also played it inside the defender and on a plate for Keane*.


*For more on this please see Achieved Match Threads folder. :p

[MickeyNed]

I'm heading to Australia this weekend. Any suggestions as to the best way to catch the Moldova match?

[tricky_colour]

Just to add to the apprehension, I'd kind of forgotten that Georgia beat a very strong looking Spanish side away from home in the run up to the Euros.

Spain 0-1 Georgia (http://ie.soccerway.com/matches/2016/06/07/world/friendlies/spain/georgia/2221229/)

Yea I notice that but though it was best not to mention it!!

Mind you only a friendly.

Could be tough game.

[DeLorean]

Randolph
Coleman
Duffy
Clark
Ward
McCarthy
Hendrick
McClean
Brady
Walters
Long

[Closed Account]

Randolph
Coleman
Duffy
Clark
Ward
McCarthy
Hendrick
McClean
Brady
Walters
Long
http://imageshack.com/a/img922/1538/KnZ1vB.png

The old 'Trident' formation, pioneered by Poseidon himself.
Duffy gets the coveted no.7 jersey.
Ireland Subs:
Lawlor (GK), Rogers (GK),
Christie, O'Shea, Keogh, McShane, Pearce
Whelan, O'Kane, Meyler,
Hoolahan, Hayes

[liamoo11]

Great. Wood have liked wes ahead of McLean. Delighted with that centre half pair def our most dangerous at set plays. Super to see McCarthy back

[Stuttgart88]

That's an, eh, exciting centre back partnership! I wouldn't have given any odds on that combination being picked.

No Wes.

Hard to see how they'll line up. Brady playing in Wes' spot?

Long notionally up front by himself, Walters roaming right mid / forward, McClean same on the left?

[TrapAPony]

Definitely enough there to beat Georgia & Moldova. Glad to see Whelan finally benched. Strange to have no strikers on the bench though. What is wrong with O'Dowda?? Bit ridiculous.

[TheOneWhoKnocks]

No strikers on the bench!