Republic of Ireland V Denmark - Saturday, 13th October 2018 - UEFA Nations League

[backstothewall]

Is it any more obvious on telly what the formation is than it is in lansdowne rd?

[shakermaker1982]

3-5-1-1

[TrapAPony]

Are you all still awake at HT? That was worse than watching paint dry. Woeful stuff.

[johnnyc]

What sport is this again?

[passinginterest]

One position I wouldn’t have said we’re short on is center mid. Yet for some reason Cyrus Christie is trying to pretend to be a footballer in there!! Completely wrecking my head. It’s making it hard to retain any of the ball because he’s got the positional sense and footballing brain of a jack russle terrier who’s just escaped into the pitch to chase the ball around.

[mark12345]

3-5-1-1


The majority of our lads are living up to their potential so far.
Potential for giving the ball away needlessly that is.
I think I have the count up to 43 at half time, but I missed the first 30 minutes.

[boovidge]

I'd have definitely taken 0-0 at half time before the match.

[seanfhear]

One position I wouldn’t have said we’re short on is center mid. Yet for some reason Cyrus Christie is trying to pretend to be a footballer in there!! Completely wrecking my head. It’s making it hard to retain any of the ball because he’s got the positional sense and footballing brain of a jack russle terrier who’s just escaped into the pitch to chase the ball around.Who are all these quality centre midfielders ?

[shakermaker1982]

Williams on. Christie off please.

[Cathalsmart]

We look like a bloody amputee team when we get the ball...

[passinginterest]

Who are all these quality centre midfielders ?

Not necessarily super quality, but actual midfielders, playing every week, at championship level at least. Hourihane, Browne, Williams are all there.

[shakermaker1982]

McClean and Christie make up 2 of the 3 Centre mid slots now 😂.

We need to keep the ball. At the moment it’s attack vs defence.

[Cathalsmart]

Lol the amateur players Denmark had v Slovakia have a better understanding of football than we do!

[mark12345]

Williams on. Christie off please.

Now why would you go and put on one of the most creative midfielders we have?
You are not supposed to use your head when it comes to this Irish team

[passinginterest]

At least swap Hendrick and McLean and bring on just about anyone instead of Cyrus (nothing really against him as a pretty one dimensional full back he’s just a million miles away from being a midfielder)

[passinginterest]

I give up. Take off the actual midfielder. Sure why not, it’s not like we actually use the midfield anyway.

[mark12345]

I give up. Take off the actual midfielder. Sure why not, it’s not like we actually use the midfield anyway.

Shane Long looks knackered. But he's left on

[Cathalsmart]

The fustrating thing is Denmark without Eriksen really are bang average and we make them look like pot 1 side...

[passinginterest]

To be fair Robinson has done well and Stephens grew into it as the half went on. Some improvements at least.

[mark12345]

Agree. They are better than what started. But the days of blaming O'Neill and Keane are over. It's the players fault all day long

[tricky_colour]

Peno!!

[mark12345]

One or two players aside, this is one the most brainless group of players ever to represent Ireland. If you give the ball away the first ten times, and you can't get it back for five minutes each time, then why do you continue to do it?

[shakermaker1982]

Better last 20.

Stevens & Robinson put in performances to challenge for a starting place on Tuesday.

Christie & McClean aren’t able to play CM. McClean shouldn’t be undroppable. If he doesn’t suit the system then bench him.

[Fizzer]

We look like a bloody amputee team when we get the ball...

In what way TOWK?

[seanfhear]

Peno!!Certainly not a booking for diving . Sometimes it may not be a penalty but it may not also be a dive .

[johnnyc]

Was MON sticking two fingers up to all those clamouring for Doherty, by keeping Christie in the team (in a ludicrous position)? We had three central midfirlders that didn't get off the bench. One of them arguably being our best player in the last game. Baffling.

[geysir]

Hard to credit that shambles is from a management team in their 3rd campaign. It was almost as poor as the pathetic sky sport studio effort. Personally I don't like the 3 at the back, in our case it's an admission that we definitely don't do centre midfield as well as throwing players into a scrambled 'make it up if you can' game plan.
I do appreciate the effort and zeal of the players the overall impression is of an honest bunch of players who have no decent guidance about their duty within the shape and formation of the game plan they are supposed to be playing.

[Stuttgart88]

Hard to credit that shambles is from a management team in their 3rd campaign. It was almost as poor as the pathetic sky sport studio effort. Personally I don't like the 3 at the back, in our case it's an admission that we definitely don't do centre midfield as well as throwing players into a scrambled 'make it up if you can' game plan.
I do appreciate the effort and zeal of the players the overall impression is of an honest bunch of players who have no decent guidance about their duty within the shape and formation of the game plan they are supposed to be playing.I quite like 3 at the back but generally agree with the rest of this. The composition of midfield was daft, and Stevens is a better wing back than McLean. Christie said he hasn't played midfield since he was 14. He did OK at times - two or three great deliveries - but overall there were probably 4 square pegs in round holes today. The players may not be great but at least pick players in roles that suit them. I'm just beyond fed up with O'Neill.

[backstothewall]

I've just got home. Truly awful. It's getting harder to justify the drive for this with every passing game.

[shakermaker1982]

Our central MF players need to be braver. When Jeff moved back he was constantly trying to get into position to get on the ball. I thought he made a difference there. His positioning without the ball might need working on but it’s worth looking at.

Our defenders will never be comfortable on the ball and step out with it so the onus is on MF to start our attacks. Otherwise it’s lump it down the channels.

[Bungle]

That was utterly depressing. More of the same rubbish football. We must be nearly the only national team in Europe that has no confidence to spread the ball bar someone like gibraltar. Game management is absolutely non-existent. Shane Long is a good lad but he is completely devoid of confidence and even though the other options are poor i wouldn't have him near the team.

I lay so much of the blame at mon. Yes we have a limited bunch but so do most national teams in europe and they keep the ball. Whatever about denmark, i would wager that we would have no more than 40% of the ball against a team like georgia if we played them today in the aviva. Northern ireland who are more limited attempt football and aren't bad to watch.

Not a new opinion but this managerial team needs to go asap. I would love a young vibrant coach who puts in a lot of the younger players that may be playing u23 football like parrott but who could be breakthrough players in the next 12-18 months. A bit like wales with some of their young lads.

[brine3]

Seems like I made the right decision not to tune in then.

[mark12345]

I've just got home. Truly awful. It's getting harder to justify the drive for this with every passing game.

Every passing game? If only the Irish lads knew it was a passing game (instead of hoof ball every time you get it).
You question whether you should drive (a long distance I presume) to see those lads represent Ireland?
Bit of a waste of time you reckon?
Can't help comparing you with Declan Rice and the decision he is supposedly mulling over.

[mark12345]

Seems like I made the right decision not to tune in then.

Yeah it was the right decision. I felt like an idiot the for the last several games and nothing on display yesterday changed that feeling.
Very telling for me was Harry Arter in the opening ten minutes of the game.
He came short to pick up the ball from the center backs and full backs and even one or two midfielders.
He must have done it 15 - 20 times. He was obviously looking to build something.
But each time he was ignored by the passer for a 'safer' backward or sideways pass.
Said it all for me.
Time to stop blaming O'Neill and Keane. It is the players who cannot play.

[Cathalsmart]

Yeah it was the right decision. I felt like an idiot the for the last several games and nothing on display yesterday changed that feeling.
Very telling for me was Harry Arter in the opening ten minutes of the game.
He came short to pick up the ball from the center backs and full backs and even one or two midfielders.
He must have done it 15 - 20 times. He was obviously looking to build something.
But each time he was ignored by the passer for a 'safer' backward or sideways pass.
Said it all for me.
Time to stop blaming O'Neill and Keane. It is the players who cannot play.

That’s adorable, thinking MON and co would play better football if they had better players. The pair of them can’t coach teams in the modern era and that won’t change even if they have better players, it’s the fact they are turds.

[backstothewall]

Every passing game? If only the Irish lads knew it was a passing game (instead of hoof ball every time you get it).
You question whether you should drive (a long distance I presume) to see those lads represent Ireland?
Bit of a waste of time you reckon?
Can't help comparing you with Declan Rice and the decision he is supposedly mulling over.

That's a fair point. Ironically we look like a totally different side with him in the team.

[IsMiseSean]

McClean shouldn’t be undroppable. If he doesn’t suit the system then bench him.

Couldn't agree more with this. He has been woefully poor for a while now. His set pieces last night were a disgrace.
The FAI tweeted a picture of McClean squaring up to a Dane after the Hendrick incident with the caption 'Passion' - embarrassing stuff.

[jbyrne]

a bit of over reaction to last nights game here i think. denmark are currently ranked 10th and even without eriksen are a very good team. we looked more solid than we have for the last 11 months and the last 20 mins saw some decent enough build up play from us. a decent step steadying the ship imo... 6.5/10 performance for me.

the north with all their alleged better football regularly end up with less than 40% possession. not all that rosy for them as is made out.

the reaction here to christie in ctre mid is disappointing and smacks of contradiction. on the one hand mon is accused of being conservative and out of touch but when he tries something new, like chistie in ctre mid, is ridiculed. alaba plays full back for his club but ctre mid for his country. not putting christie in the same category yet but i thought he won the ball back well on a number of occasions and his athletisim around the midfield was good. no harm trying it and should be given more than one match before the knives are produced! worth another look for me.

i liked the look of our defence last night and throw mccarthy, coleman and brady into the mix and we may see much better by the euro qualifiers proper. re- capturing rice would be a real bonus

[Diggs246]

a bit of over reaction to last nights game here i think. denmark are currently ranked 10th and even without eriksen are a very good team. we looked more solid than we have for the last 11 months and the last 20 mins saw some decent enough build up play from us. a decent step steadying the ship imo... 6.5/10 performance for me.

the north with all their alleged better football regularly end up with less than 40% possession. not all that rosy for them as is made out.

the reaction here to christie in ctre mid is disappointing and smacks of contradiction. on the one hand mon is accused of being conservative and out of touch but when he tries something new, like chistie in ctre mid, is ridiculed. alaba plays full back for his club but ctre mid for his country. not putting christie in the same category yet but i thought he won the ball back well on a number of occasions and his athletisim around the midfield was good. no harm trying it and should be given more than one match before the knives are produced! worth another look for me.

i liked the look of our defence last night and throw mccarthy, coleman and brady into the mix and we may see much better by the euro qualifiers proper. re- capturing rice would be a real bonus

Total over reaction i agree. It was just a dreadful game. If and I know its a big if, we beat Wales. I would fancy us not to get relegated. The big criticism i have is he should have played S. Williams and Robinson not starting was mad

[jbyrne]

Robinson not starting was mad

robinson was very good but to be fair to mon there wasnt a lot in his last two performances to suggest he could make the impact he did last night.

some players can be better suited as an impact sub. too early to tell though

[Cathalsmart]

'I was about 14 the last time I played in midfield.'

- Cyrus Christie

[jbyrne]

'I was about 14 the last time I played in midfield.'

- Cyrus Christie

niall quinn said the same about goalkeeper before saving a penalty for man city in 1991.

ditto john oshea in 2007 for man u

[Olé Olé]

That’s adorable, thinking MON and co would play better football if they had better players. The pair of them can’t coach teams in the modern era and that won’t change even if they have better players, it’s the fact they are turds.

"Turds". TOWK.

[Stuttgart88]

a bit of over reaction to last nights game here i think. denmark are currently ranked 10th and even without eriksen are a very good team. we looked more solid than we have for the last 11 months and the last 20 mins saw some decent enough build up play from us. a decent step steadying the ship imo... 6.5/10 performance for me.

the north with all their alleged better football regularly end up with less than 40% possession. not all that rosy for them as is made out.

the reaction here to christie in ctre mid is disappointing and smacks of contradiction. on the one hand mon is accused of being conservative and out of touch but when he tries something new, like chistie in ctre mid, is ridiculed. alaba plays full back for his club but ctre mid for his country. not putting christie in the same category yet but i thought he won the ball back well on a number of occasions and his athletisim around the midfield was good. no harm trying it and should be given more than one match before the knives are produced! worth another look for me.

i liked the look of our defence last night and throw mccarthy, coleman and brady into the mix and we may see much better by the euro qualifiers proper. re- capturing rice would be a real bonussorry, jb, I thought it was desperate, but I agree with some parts of your post.

O'Neill is just chancing it and is ignoring clear evidence from friendly games.

We didn't even try to seek possession in the first 20 minutes of the second half.

McLean has played left wing back and left back before. He has never looked good there.

Stevens is clearly our best left back and left wing back in my opinion. He has shown this in the last few games.

Midfield is lacking the courage to get on the ball. Against the USA Horgan was showing up everywhere looking for the ball and seeking to use it constructively. He also has a good understanding with Stevens. He was cut from the squad.

Christie actually did ok. I quite like him. But O'Neill is forcing round pegs into square holes all over the pitch. In the absence of Rice and McCarthy, Shawn Williams has shown he's the player most comfortable looking for the ball from the back 4 and using it elegantly. He'd have been a better pick in my opinion.

I don't think Hendrick was used well. That may be down to the player but he looks lost to me and O'Neill is on the record as saying it's up to the players to figure out their roles.

I've a few other minor gripes but O'Neill just isn't learning from previous games. I think it's inconceivable that we will improve in any meaningful way if he stays. I didn't like his remarks about accommodating Doherty being the reason behind the odd selection. If Christie and McLean aren't to be used in their natural positions they shouldn't be picked.

O'Neill is also bull sh1tting when he bemoans lack of a clinical scorer. No great goalscorer would even get a sniff of the ball in this set up.

[mark12345]

Thanks

[mark12345]

a bit of over reaction to last nights game here i think. denmark are currently ranked 10th and even without eriksen are a very good team. we looked more solid than we have for the last 11 months and the last 20 mins saw some decent enough build up play from us. a decent step steadying the ship imo... 6.5/10 performance for me.

the north with all their alleged better football regularly end up with less than 40% possession. not all that rosy for them as is made out.

the reaction here to christie in ctre mid is disappointing and smacks of contradiction. on the one hand mon is accused of being conservative and out of touch but when he tries something new, like chistie in ctre mid, is ridiculed. alaba plays full back for his club but ctre mid for his country. not putting christie in the same category yet but i thought he won the ball back well on a number of occasions and his athletisim around the midfield was good. no harm trying it and should be given more than one match before the knives are produced! worth another look for me.

i liked the look of our defence last night and throw mccarthy, coleman and brady into the mix and we may see much better by the euro qualifiers proper. re- capturing rice would be a real bonus


A bit of over reaction? I am surprised there is not a mountain more of criticism on here for what is one of the worst teams in Europe (and to think that some people on here choose to blame MON and RK first, before
the players on the pitch, is actually laughable). Denmark may be ranked wherever but what was to stop the Irish lads playing like Denmark did last night?
After all none of the Danes are playing for the Real Madrids, Man Citys, Barcelonas and Bayern Munichs of the world. They are the same level of player as our lads yet they passed us to
death last night. And their intelligent play almost won them the game. At no time did we ever look like threatening them if it was not from a free kick or a throw in (and we made a real hash of some of the free kicks).
Look, when you plant Shane Long at center forward and belt the ball long to him within the first 30 seconds, then the opposition know that we don't have much going for us and boy were they right.

Best thing that can happen for Irish football is a Welsh victory on Tuesday night. Time to tear it all down and build a different model. I am hearing good things about the U-19's and U-17's, let's hope they can
actually play the game, not like this bunch.

[Diggs246]

My new screen saver

"Best thing that can happen for Irish football is a Welsh victory on Tuesday night"

[jbyrne]

sorry, jb, I thought it was desperate, but I agree with some parts of your post.


my main points were:

- over reaction to how bad it was:
i stick by this. some positive performances from our defence, stevens and robinson, when they came on, and christie.

- we looked more solid than we did for past 11 months:
we did

- criticism of mon over picking christie in midfield:
christie was probably the pick our ctre mids. definately from a defensive point of view.

- the additon of coleman, brady and mccarthy may see us much better by the start of the euros proper:
obvious

- getting rice on board would be a real bonus.
also obvious.

nothing i say above suggests brilliance or close to it but if i see improvement in certain areas and some light at the end of the tunnel i will call it.

saying that wales beating us would be good for irish football isnt over reaction???? please....

[Cathalsmart]

My new screen saver

"Best thing that can happen for Irish football is a Welsh victory on Tuesday night"

Would rank Martin and Roy resigning just above that tbh.

[Cathalsmart]

"turds". Towk.

towk?