Georgia V Republic of Ireland - Saturday, 2 September 2017 - World Cup 2018 Qualifier

[Lionel Ritchie]

So what is everyone predicting?

Ireland 1-1 Georgia
Serbia 3-1 Ireland

Panic ensues.

why did we cede home advantage to Serbia? Have Austria or Wales objected?

[KrisLetang]

The home team should be mentioned second. When you are hosting your infamous dinner parties do you serve yourself first? Have some manners dear man.

[NeverFeltBetter]

We'll win. Nothing spectacular, 1-0.

[IsMiseSean]

So what is everyone predicting?

Ireland 1-1 Georgia
Serbia 3-1 Ireland

Panic ensues.

A 'road game' to Serbia.

[KrisLetang]

Some scenarios:
http://www.punditarena.com/irish-football/irish-international-soccer/kmccarthy/predicting-irelands-position-group-d/

[nigel-harps1954]

A safe 8-0 win over Georgia after a nervy 80 minutes followed by throwing in the towel against Serbia. We'll sh!t the togs at home and only win 3-0.

[TrapAPony]

Georgia 1-1 Ireland
Ireland 1-0 Serbia

[mark12345]

Georgia 7 Ireland 8
Ireland 10 Serbia 11

That's what I think of predictions

[mark12345]

I have a feeling that our big lads will find the net from set pieces tomorrow night, and more than once. Duffy, Clark, Ward and Walters are all capable of causing Georgia problems, or any defense for that matter. Recalling the performance in Austria, Harry Arter was quite influential. I think we'll see a similar game from him tomorrow night

[tetsujin1979]

I've a strange feeling about Ward myself, think he might be a decent outside bet to score in 90 minutes

[KrisLetang]

I thought the game was tomorrow Tets.

[DeLorean]

Players who are one booking away from a suspension:

Ward
Whelan
Coleman
Walters
Duffy
Brady
Meyler
McGeady

[Diggs246]

Walters would be serious and we need one of Brady or Ward, the rest we can live with if they get suspended for Serbia

[KrisLetang]

Speaking of Coleman, when will he be back?

[DannyInvincible]

I fear tomorrow will be a really tight and cumbersome game. It'll be hard work and hard to watch. I don't think it'll be pretty. Just hoping we have enough to rise to the occasion and pull us over the line for a crucial three points. It would set us up nicely for what could turn out to be the group-decider on Tuesday night. Even if we do end up finishing second, three points tomorrow should certainly help ensure we won't end up being the ninth-best second-place finisher who'll miss out on the play-offs.

Georgia's manager Vladimir Weiss clearly regards Georgia as technically superior to us (https://www.rte.ie/sport/soccer/2017/0901/901594-weiss/):


"[Ireland] are a strong team, maybe not technical like our team, but they are strong physically."

He's probably justified in his thinking. They played better football than us in the home game that we scraped through.

Wes needs to start for us really in order to give us the best chance of snatching victory. Under O'Neill, we've won an average of 2.08 points per game when Wes has started (https://www.rte.ie/sport/soccer/2017/0830/901054-wes-hoolahan-martin-oneill-conundrum/), but have an average of 1.3 points per game when Wes hasn't been in the starting eleven. He's been crucial to so many important goals during O'Neill's tenure as well.


We have played ex soviet republics in 10 qualifiers ties, out of the 20 games played we only dropped points once, in a drawn game.
W19 D1 L0

Isn't Russia technically a former Soviet republic? We lost to them twice and have drawn with them twice in competitive games (all Euro qualifiers): https://www.11v11.com/teams/republic-of-ireland/tab/opposingTeams/opposition/Russia/

http://i67.tinypic.com/2w40gus.png

Who did we draw against out of the 20 you mention?


Speaking of Coleman, when will he be back?

Possibly by Christmas: https://www.thesun.ie/sport/football/1387026/everton-star-seamus-coleman-returns-to-training-after-breaking-his-leg-as-right-back-bids-to-make-sensational-early-return/

He's back in outdoor training.

[DannyInvincible]

As far as I know that's irrelevant. As he was born in England and didn't have an Irish passport until recently (if he does) he has to apply for a change of nationality. UCD player Maxi Kouogun was born in Cameroon and wanted to play for Ireland at underage level but couldn't because Cameroon wouldn't cooperate with FIFA to transfer his nationality.

Danny or geysir might have a better explanation than I do.

From what Yann Hafner told me (http://foot.ie/threads/147164-Eligibility-Rules-Okay?p=1805272&viewfull=1#post1805272), I understand article 7 applies to Hogan as he is assuming a new nationality. As far as I know, this means that the English FA must confirm to FIFA - via the provision of some sort of documentation or statement - that Hogan was never fielded by them in order to establish or substantiate his eligibility to play for the FAI. How long this process might take, I'm not sure, but I would imagine it could be anywhere between a number of days and a few weeks, depending on the urgency of the association concerned.

Here are two posts of mine on Maxi Kouogun's case (that may feature some helpful/relevant info, as far as Hogan's case is concerned) after I consulted Yann Hafner about it at the time:


I asked Yann what he thought of Kouogun's case and he speculated that the delay might be due to the national federation of Cameroon having (and failing up to now) to provide FIFA with a statement confirming that Kouogun was never fielded by them.


Had sent Yann another email just to pose some further questions but he's re-stated that, based on available info, Kouogan's case "seems perfectly legit". There should be no issue, as far as FIFA are concerned, in granting an exemption, so long as procedural matters are satisfied. Interestingly, he did inform me that the exemption mechanism was introduced only about three or four years ago, around 2013. I hadn't been aware of this.

I also raised the matter again of what actually effects a switch and he seems to be of the thinking now that it is the granting of the switch request, which would mean Jack Grealish, just to use an example, is now irreversibly tied. Yann's thinking appears to have changed although he didn't speak to the head of the PSC about it unfortunately. This would seem to conform with statements from FAI sources (if I recall correctly) a few months ago stating that once Grealish's switch would be granted, there'd be no going back on it. Indeed, it would also conform with the literal wording of article 8.1 which states that a player "may, only once, request to change the association for which he is eligible to play international matches".

Yann was merely speculating as to the reason for the delay there, mind. Perhaps geysir is in the know when he says that FIFA were simply waiting for proof that Kouogan wasn't imported for football reasons?

Nevertheless, in the case of Hogan, I still think (based upon what Yann told me previously) that the FA would have to provide a statement, although I don't believe his assuming of Irish nationality would be regarded by FIFA as a formal switch of association considering he's never played for any association at all yet, to the best of my knowledge. In theory, it's possible Hogan could acquire an Irish passport now, line out for us in an upcoming friendly and then switch to England at some point in the future.

[DeLorean]

Who did we draw against out of the 20 you mention?

I remember we drew 0-0 in a qualifier at home to Lithuania. I think it was the campaign when Romania stream rolled our group.

I guess technically you're right about Russia. My crude political and geographical mind would kind of consider Russia to have been what was left once all the others broke away though. :)

We could do with John Aldridge today, I'd say he racked up half his international goals tally against the former Soviet countries, Latvia being his most prominent victim.

[DannyInvincible]

Ed Leahy reckons (https://www.rte.ie/sport/soccer/2017/0902/901693-preview/) O'Neill may go with Wes based on the following comment by O'Neill: "We have to keep the ball well in these [warm] conditions."


Did Martin O’Neill unintentionally show his hand ahead of this away encounter in Georgia?

The Ireland manager will rarely release even the most minute of details ahead of kick-off but perhaps his reference to the expected warm weather in Tblisi, saying, "we have to keep the ball well in these conditions," is an indication that Wes Hoolahan may be given the nod to start.

Ball retention is one of Ireland’s perennial weaknesses, and has been evident throughout the campaign, yet whenever Hoolahan plays, the entire team takes on a completely different complexion.

I hope he's right.

[Olé Olé]

Could be right. I think he will play Wes or Hourihane in midfield. Hourihane is such a goal threat away from home when none of our forwards are really firing.

[tricky_colour]

So what is everyone predicting?

Ireland 1-1 Georgia
Serbia 3-1 Ireland

Panic ensues.

Just hoping for a win from the Georgia game, we are expected to win, well we are 4/5 so it is a almost a coin flip to win.

The only headline out of that one is a bad result for Ireland. If we win it is expected, mind you I am not even sure of that!

[passinginterest]

Randolph
Christie
Clarke
Duffy
Ward
Whelan
Arter
Brady
McLean
Walters
Long

4-4-2 or Brady in the middle 3 with Walter right McClean left and Long down the middle?

[Closed Account]

Away from home, you'd imagine the latter, i.e 4-2-3-1

[Olé Olé]

No McGeady is interesting. We have good options for a goal from the bench in the form of Hourihane and McGeady. Can see Murphy coming for whichever of Walters and Long runs themselves into the ground first.

Good flexibility. Can have Brady staying close to Long at 10 or else have him playing box to box like against Italy. I think it will go between 4-3-3 and 4-2-3-1. 4-2-3-1 most likely but we don't have a natural 10 in there but it'll be Brady there if we play that.

[tricky_colour]

link?

[passinginterest]

Great start. Not sure how Clark has got away with that though. It's a free out 99 times out of a hundred these days.

[tricky_colour]

Took me ages to get a working link!

[shakermaker1982]

We need to get the ball. So so deep. I know it's hot but no point constantly inviting pressure.

[Colbert Report]

Quiet on here today. Duffy and Walters playing very well.

[shakermaker1982]

Glenn Whelan running through porridge

[osarusan]

Same as usual...almost like it's the gameplan to just hand away 60 or 70% of possession.

[backstothewall]

Duffy and Clark look good as ever.

Apart from that it is awful. Whelan's legs have gone and the style of play is horrid. Not only are the Georgians much easier to watch, but it is obviously much better to let the ball do the work in this heat.

[passinginterest]

I can't understand how it's even possible to be this bad. Brady should never play in the middle either. Totally lost the couple of times he's played there.

[passinginterest]

On the plus side Duffy looks like he could score from every set piece. Could be a hat trick in it for him.

[NeverFeltBetter]

Strange game plan to set up like this, inviting the Georgians on at every opportunity. They aren't so good as to be treated with such fear. Ireland have had as many clear chances as they have.

[NeverFeltBetter]

For a while or seemed like sitting back was fine, because Georgia were woeful coming forward, wasting every ball. But after 20 minutes or so the defence just started to look more ragged than they should have, heat or no.

[DannyInvincible]

Terrible. I don't think we've strung more than three or four passes in a row together. We're playing pure hoofball. The early goal - which was fortunate and down to calamitous defending/goal-keeping - calmed the nerves, but we've done absolutely nothing since and Georgia got a deserved equaliser. They sliced through us with ease. They've completed 334 passes and have had 76 per cent of the ball. We've completed 62 passes.

We look dangerous only from set-pieces. McClean really should have placed his header better from the Walters cross. Otherwise, it's been abysmal. Shocking game-plan and the half-time whistle came as a relief as we've been under such pressure. Hoolahan needs to come on. Brady has't had the ball at his feet at all.

[mark12345]

For a while or seemed like sitting back was fine, because Georgia were woeful coming forward, wasting every ball. But after 20 minutes or so the defence just started to look more ragged than they should have, heat or no.

Crying out for Hoolahan and McGeady to be brought on at half time. Let's see if our manager does the right thing

[OwlsFan]

The Georgia game will be another away game where we will have to withstand a lot of pressure, grow frustrated about how badly we are playing and then hopefully nick one and then have a few goal line clearances.

Not terribly surprising. Let's hope we'll nick one.

[samhaydenjr]

Same as usual...almost like it's the gameplan to just hand away 60 or 70% of possession.

It's worse than that - according to the BBC, at 30 minutes we had 18% possession! This is the sort of figure you'd expect playing away to Germany or Italy (as I type this Pat Fenlon notes we're not playing Germany of France). And while Georgia are a better team than their position in the group might suggest, this is a game we should win, especially after getting an early goal. If we win, we can go all-out for first in the final three games but if we draw or lose, we'll be nervously looking over our shoulder at whoever wins between Wales and Austria, particularly if it's Wales - and that will be just for the right to a play-off where we could get Spain, Italy or Portugal! Half-time possession stats - 76% for Georgia. Second half we have to be better by a couple of orders of magnitude

[tricky_colour]

On the plus side Duffy looks like he could score from every set piece. Could be a hat trick in it for him.

Yes there is not point in us sitting back we should have stayed on the attack and out scored them.

We can't defend, not for 90 mins anyway, always goes this way when we get and early goal and then sit back.

[mark12345]

24 per cent possession in first half. That's a winning recipe for sure

[samhaydenjr]

24 per cent possession in first half. That's a winning recipe for sure

Speaking of recipes, the only thing that could explain this is a bout of food poisoning through the Irish team

[DannyInvincible]

Doesn't look like much has changed for the second half. Baffling.

And we're under pressure once again... It's gonna be a long half.

[samhaydenjr]

From what I've been hearing about our inability to hold possession, I went and checked the Wiki page for their stadium and my suspicions were confirmed, we're playing on artificial turf and just as against Mexico, we haven't adapted at all

[passinginterest]

Think Whelan hit the nail in the head about the space for the Georgian's. Front 3 trying to press but the two defensive mids are sitting on top of a back 4 that are barely moving outside our 18 yard box.

[DannyInvincible]

If it settles into this pattern again with us on the backfoot, it'll be very difficult to lift us out of that. Half-time was the perfect opportunity to effect a change and start exerting more pressure on Georgia.

[pineapple stu]

This is Serbia away bad.

Truly awful stuff

[DannyInvincible]

From what I've been hearing about our inability to hold possession, I went and checked the Wiki page for their stadium and my suspicions were confirmed, we're playing on artificial turf and just as against Mexico, we haven't adapted at all

We've not even tried to play it around on the ground though. We've just been lumping it. It almost seems instinctive.

[NeverFeltBetter]

This is all very reminiscent of performances under our last manager unfortunately. Playing like we don't believe we can play. Where's our confidence gone?

[tricky_colour]

corner!