Slovakia v Republic of Ireland - 8th October 2020 - Euro 2020 Playoff Semi Final

[Exgrad]

Seems Lobotka is out, confirmed by J Fallon on Twitter.

Bit of a lottery really isnt it? Case amongst the backroom staff in the Ireland camp could have finished us off.

[Razors left peg]

Im getting more and more confident as this game gets closer. Most of our players have started the season pretty well. In Kennys first 2 games we kept possession much better than we have done in years but we werent sharp up front and didnt take chances when they arrived. If we continue to keep the ball that well I think we definitely have the fire power up front to get goals. The midfields ability to pass the ball forward into dangerous positions does concern me a bit but if we go player for player with Slovakia we are the better side. We dont even have to worry about a hostile crowd.

Im going for a weirdly comfortable 2-0 win

[seanfhear]

Im getting more and more confident as this game gets closer. Most of our players have started the season pretty well. In Kennys first 2 games we kept possession much better than we have done in years but we werent sharp up front and didnt take chances when they arrived. If we continue to keep the ball that well I think we definitely have the fire power up front to get goals. The midfields ability to pass the ball forward into dangerous positions does concern me a bit but if we go player for player with Slovakia we are the better side. We dont even have to worry about a hostile crowd.

Im going for a weirdly comfortable 2-0 win
Comfortable ~ ~ ~ The Republic of Ireland Football Team does not do Comfortable ! !

[Razors left peg]

Comfortable ~ ~ ~ The Republic of Ireland Football Team does not do Comfortable ! !

Last time I can remember comfortable was in playoffs against Bosnia.

[tetsujin1979]

Seems Lobotka is out, confirmed by J Fallon on Twitter.

Bit of a lottery really isnt it? Case amongst the backroom staff in the Ireland camp could have finished us off.

Clearly he hasn't seen Paul's post

[Demesne Lad]

Pavel Halapa has conceded that Lobotka hasn't travelled, according to the web page edition of paper Novy Cas this evening. I don't suppose it's a cunning plan to spring him on us by surprise tomorrow?

[paul_oshea]

I was thinking the same. Geysir on the "he's the Slovaks to lose" puts doubt in my mind.

[geysir]

Last time I can remember comfortable was in playoffs against Bosnia.
For real comfort, just remember Estonia.

[Razors left peg]

For real comfort, just remember Estonia.

Had totally forgotten about that! Slovakia are not a great team, we should be going there confident

[pineapple stu]

In the end of the day, they finished bottom of their League B group just like we did. This tournament is designed for tight matches. Yes, we're a team in decline, but 24 hours out of a play-off match, I think you can forgive a little absurd optimism starting to creep in. :)

[Razors left peg]

In the end of the day, they finished bottom of their League B group just like we did. This tournament is designed for tight matches. Yes, we're a team in decline, but 24 hours out of a play-off match, I think you can forgive a little absurd optimism starting to creep in. :)

If we werent absurdly optimistic we wouldnt be football fans!

[jbyrne]

Pavel Halapa has conceded that Lobotka hasn't travelled, according to the web page edition of paper Novy Cas this evening. I don't suppose it's a cunning plan to spring him on us by surprise tomorrow?

dont all players have to be in the country latest 24 hrs before ko?

[Razors left peg]

https://youtu.be/5vVu9Q2EgHc

Doyles goal from 2007 against Slovakia might be one of the best we've ever scored

[jbyrne]

Im going for a weirdly comfortable 2-0 win

didnt see too much in sk first two games to support such confidence. if we can rediscover our sound defence we have a chance of getting a draw and possibly going through on pens. will be a very nervous night i feel!

[Exgrad]

Skriniar now tested positive for covid, per Daniel McDonnell on twitter, so hes out and not sure what that means for rest of their squad.

[Razors left peg]

didnt see too much in sk first two games to support such confidence. if we can rediscover our sound defence we have a chance of getting a draw and possibly going through on pens. will be a very nervous night i feel!

You didnt think that us having the larger amount of possession in games for the 1st time in years was something to build on?

[Bielsa´s irish]

this is a tremendous scandal. how many of them out?

[Razors left peg]

Skriniar now tested positive for covid, per Daniel McDonnell on twitter, so hes out and not sure what that means for rest of their squad.

If they had another couple players test postive could it be called off?

[Exgrad]

Well they've only had one player test postive so far, Lobotka is just being quarantined and cant leave Italy, hes tested negative. Not sure if Skriniar in Italy or had joined up with squad yet?

[pineapple stu]

If we werent absurdly optimistic we wouldnt be football fans!
"In the largely illogical world in which football fans live, there's hope." A line I wrote about another Irish team travelling to Bratislava hoping to beat the odds. :)

(They lost 1-0 though...)

[jbyrne]

You didnt think that us having the larger amount of possession in games for the 1st time in years was something to build on?

kinda... but we created very little and looked wide open at times

[Eirambler]

You'd have to imagine he's in Slovakia given how close we are to kick off. Unless the positive test result was held back from the public domain for a few days. Similar to Scotland earlier today any close contacts might also have to drop out. Presumably if it had ruled out a few more players they would have had to forfeit the fixture, but that seems unlikely at this stage.

Hopefully everything is OK on our side after the positive test from the FAI staff member yesterday. There are next to no Irish journalists over there so news is very slow to filter through, there's a bit of an 80s behind the iron curtain feel about the whole thing. You'd wonder whether these playoffs will actually be finished as planned next month and whether the tournament will be able to go ahead next year in its current form, spread across so many countries.

[Diggs246]

You'd have to imagine he's in Slovakia given how close we are to kick off. Unless the positive test result was held back from the public domain for a few days. Similar to Scotland earlier today any close contacts might also have to drop out. Presumably if it had ruled out a few more players they would have had to forfeit the fixture, but that seems unlikely at this stage.

Hopefully everything is OK on our side after the positive test from the FAI staff member yesterday. There are next to no Irish journalists over there so news is very slow to filter through, there's a bit of an 80s behind the iron curtain feel about the whole thing. You'd wonder whether these playoffs will actually be finished as planned next month and whether the tournament will be able to go ahead next year in its current form, spread across so many countries.

Thanks for ruining my night!

[Razors left peg]

kinda... but we created very little and looked wide open at times

We created a few chances that if we had taken it would have had a very different outlook. It was pretty poor in last 2 games no doubt but I seen enough to think we are moving in right direction

[paul_oshea]

It seems like skrinirar has it too
https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.independent.ie/sport/soccer/slovkia-play-off-plans-thrown-into-disarray-after-key-defender-milan-skriniar-returns-positive-covid-19-test-39599178.html

There's no excuse now lads. And I don't want to hear any come 10pm tomorrow night either .

[Diggs246]

It seems like skrinirar has it too
https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.independent.ie/sport/soccer/slovkia-play-off-plans-thrown-into-disarray-after-key-defender-milan-skriniar-returns-positive-covid-19-test-39599178.html

There's no excuse now lads. And I don't want to hear any come 10pm tomorrow night either .

Agreed
Winners or losers nothing inbetween

[seanfhear]

Opportunity Knocks ?

[paul_oshea]

The upcoming Euro 2020 playoffs that include the Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland and Scotland will go ahead as long as a team has 13 players available, including one goalkeeper.

https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/soccer/international/euro-playoffs-will-go-ahead-as-long-as-teams-have-13-fit-players-1.4363834

[geysir]

The Faroe Island protocol won't work this time. If a whole team is placed into quarantine according to local covid regulations (as Slovan Bratislava were in Thorshafn) and therefore unable to fulfill the fixture, the game shall be rescheduled.

[paul_oshea]

Ya I can't read that article but they've left months opened either next month or just before the euros to complete. No game will be forfeit( this time around at least)

[NeverFeltBetter]

Better to play them now, if they are in any way weakened. But very concerning all the same. Hard to social distance on a football pitch

[tetsujin1979]

What happens if a player tests positive while the team are still in Slovakia?

[Diggs246]

What happens if a player tests positive while the team are still in Slovakia?

Now that would be quite the doozy

[Fixer82]

They'd have to stay there. Or get the club to send out a private jet with a fully hazmat suit adorned pilot.

[seanfhear]

Its all getting ridiculous now ~ ~ maybe they should just Toss a Coin ! !

[Trequartista20]

It's been reported that Kevin Long and Cullen miss out on the matchday 23.

[tetsujin1979]

Cullen doesn't surprise me, he's been isolating since testing positive, so he might not be match fit.

[Trequartista20]

Possibly true in regards to Cullen, but it inevitably leads to questions over why he was called up at all.

You would have thought Long would have made the 23 as reliable central defensive cover. As it is, Derrick Williams is all we have as cover for both centre-back positions and left-back. Which seems to constitute a rather unnecessary risk in context of a potential 120-minute game when you're permitted 10 outfield substitutes.

[Diggs246]

Possibly true in regards to Cullen, but it inevitably leads to questions over why he was called up at all.

You would have thought Long would have made the 23 as reliable central defensive cover. As it is, Derrick Williams is all we have as cover for both centre-back positions and left-back. Which seems to constitute a rather unnecessary risk in context of a potential 120-minute game when you're permitted 10 outfield substitutes.

What? 5 subs no?

[Diggs246]

Sorry u mean 10 on the bench!

[Trequartista20]

Yes. I meant players you can name on the bench, ie 10 outfield players plus 2 keepers.

[John83]

Yeah, I'd agree with that. It's risky not to bring Long unless he's picked up a knock in training or something.

[Diggs246]

The cullen decision is more ridiculous he was brought in to replace arter. If james gets injured. The famous 433 formation is even more problematic. Jason molumby would be the only option. Dont get me wrong he is a good player but as of today I would pick cullen in the DM role all day long ahead of him

[paul_oshea]

Its unlikely James will last 120, so not having a like for like replacement for him seems naive, but i guess molumby is that...

[Diggs246]

My view is that james and ditzy will be the players who will do the business for us today

[elatedscum]

i think they have a 25 man squad because there are 3 games, and if someone picks up a knock, you can't necessarily quickly and easily replace them, because they have to have been tested for covid at certain points etc. etc. (maybe a u21 could move across from 21s to senior).

Available to come on in centre midfield are Byrne, Molumby and Browne - and possibly Brady. Personally I'd have Cullen in there for that deep position (ahead of Browne), but maybe they had a look at him in training and thought he wasn't ready. The only other option to be called up in that position was Glen Whelan I think. Personally, I'd rather have Cullen.

As for the Kevin Long call, it's basically position for position and they've left out one centre half to have both Idah and Shane Long on the bench. I think in the last 500 games i've watched, i haven't seen both centre halves get injured etc. If they want Williams as their first choice replacement, then I have no issues with it...

P.S. It could be worse for Slovakia... https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/54446356

[Olé Olé]

Sure what's all the complaining about Cullen for so- don't we have Keith Andrews there to do a job!

[Trequartista20]

Yeah, I'd agree with that. It's risky not to bring Long unless he's picked up a knock in training or something.


i think they have a 25 man squad because there are 3 games, and if someone picks up a knock, you can't necessarily quickly and easily replace them, because they have to have been tested for covid at certain points etc. etc. (maybe a u21 could move across from 21s to senior).

Available to come on in centre midfield are Byrne, Molumby and Browne - and possibly Brady. Personally I'd have Cullen in there for that deep position (ahead of Browne), but maybe they had a look at him in training and thought he wasn't ready. The only other option to be called up in that position was Glen Whelan I think. Personally, I'd rather have Cullen.

As for the Kevin Long call, it's basically position for position and they've left out one centre half to have both Idah and Shane Long on the bench. I think in the last 500 games i've watched, i haven't seen both centre halves get injured etc. If they want Williams as their first choice replacement, then I have no issues with it...

P.S. It could be worse for Slovakia... https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/54446356

As well as both centre-halves, Williams is also supposed to cover at left-back too - that was my point. Anyway, let's hope this is a non-issue.

[Kingdom]

Byrne is in.

[Kingdom]

As well as both centre-halves, Williams is also supposed to cover at left-back too - that was my point. Anyway, let's hope this is a non-issue.

Come on - the cover for LB is in the form of McClean and Brady, who have both played there for club and country.