Bookings

[eirebhoy]

Just thought I'd list those players on a booking going into the latter stages of the group.

Ireland
Morrison
Cunningham
Reid
Kilbane
Duff
O'shea
Roy Keane

France
Makelele (now retired)
Rothen
Mavuba
Silvestre
Vieira
Sagnol

Swiss
Wicky x 2 (misses Israel match)
Haas
Magnin
Lonfat

Israel
Afek
Balili x2 (misses Swiss match)
Davidovitch
Soan
Gershon
Autate (Dudu)
Benayoun
Golan
Katan
Tal
Yechiel

[eirebhoy]

Israel in Yellow Card shocker!

CYNICAL C UNTS
and they've already had 3 or 4 suspensions in the group.

[dancinpants]

I think it is quite possible for them to get a draw in Switzerland and also to drop points themselves in the Faroes.
Anyone agree?

Defo agree with ye TP. Faroes are capable of taking a point from their home game with Israel. All these draws are goin to their heads and they'll take the Faroes for granted.

[De Town]

Israel
Afek
Balili x2 (misses Swiss match)
Davidovitch
Soan
Gershon
Autate
Benayoun
Golan
Katan
Tal
Yechiel
I believe Mr. Dudu got booked in the 3rd minute of injury time on Saturday :rolleyes: :mad:

[eirebhoy]

I believe Mr. Dudu got booked in the 3rd minute of injury time on Saturday :rolleyes: :mad:
Sorry, thats Autate (Dudu Awat). Post edited.

[M@ttitude]

Sorry, thats Autate (Dudu Awat). Post edited.
Eireboy.. do you work for rte or any any press??? if not apply now.. fact monster..

[Stuttgart88]

I think it is quite possible for them to get a draw in Switzerland and also to drop points themselves in the Faroes.
Anyone agree?
Was thinking exactly the same thing.

[concanta]

I can totally see that ahppening too - I think that may be Israels downfall - for us - a win is a win and to be honest in the conditions last night - I dont think any international team would of done much better

[Dawn_Run]

Ireland
Morrison
Cunningham
Reid
Kilbane
Duff
O'shea
Roy Keane



So, realistically, we could be lookin at missing Keane, Cunningham, Kilbane and o Shea for the Cyprus game :rolleyes:

[concanta]

that would be a nightmare missing them palyers but - take one game at a time - if we can beat france that will put us in pole position - I still think that we can get a result ni cyprus with a few players missing - Cyprus are very hit and miss

[onenilgameover]

So, realistically, we could be lookin at missing Keane, Cunningham, Kilbane and o Shea for the Cyprus game :rolleyes:


We'd be better missing the likes of Keane or Cunningham for the Cyprus match rather than the Swiss showdown...........

Keane is gonna get stuck into the French and P Viera and the chances of him coming out of that game without a yellow are gonna be slim in my estimation. He must of said something harsh after Morrisson disallwed goal last night. That was a kick in the teeth in a stomach churning first half...

[NeilMcD]

yeah it was a sloppy booking I think he will not be playing in Cyrpus I think that is a given and one other player will not be playing there either.

[eirebhoy]

We'd be better missing the likes of Keane or Cunningham for the Cyprus match rather than the Swiss showdown...........

Keane is gonna get stuck into the French and P Viera and the chances of him coming out of that game without a yellow are gonna be slim in my estimation. He must of said something harsh after Morrisson disallwed goal last night. That was a kick in the teeth in a stomach churning first half...
Whatever about Keane, I wouldn't be confident going into any game without Cunningham. We could do without O'Shea, Kilbane and Morrison against Cyprus. We need everyone else or we're getting too complacent. Cyprus are not that bad. The players will just have to play it safe in Cyprus and then run amoc against the Swiss. :)

[Stuttgart88]

All top of groups EB? Point taken.

On yellow cards, did anyone else squirm when Duffer pulled that guy's shirt yesterday?

PS: I think you need to edit your post on Cunningham :)

[onenilgameover]

Whatever about Keane, I wouldn't be confident going into any game with Cunningham. We could do without O'Shea, Kilbane and Morrison against Cyprus. We need everyone else or we're getting too complacent. Cyprus are not that bad. The players will just have to play it safe in Cyprus and then run amoc against the Swiss. :)


I know your right...its been an obvious hole in the defense when he has been out. not getting complacent about the Cyprus game. just don't want us to worry about yellows too much goin into the French Match. I think we will take Cyprus with a depleted squad though. Better pitch nice weather etc should stand to us. I think they will be clever in Cyprus all the same. Great the way the fixtures worked out and fair play again to the FAI for that. Like your new sig. :)

[onenilgameover]

All top of groups EB? Point taken.

On yellow cards, did anyone else squirm when Duffer pulled that guy's shirt yesterday?



So so suprised he didn't get pulled off at 2 nil...Having said that very pleased with kerr today. he might not have had much of an option but thank god he played Elliot! :)

I thought Keane might have lost the head at the start of the second half too. He took a swing at some guy and I closed my eyes and when I opened them the ref was just telling him to cool down...scary stuff...still three points...

[Kingdom]

Yeah when I saw RMK getting a yellow staright away I thought that's him out of the Cyprus game.

Who knows by the time the Cyprus game comes around, Steven Reid or Aiden McGeady might hve displaced Andy Reid on the right. Personally I think he is a liability on the right hand side of midfield. Those foolish pundits on RTEnglish were saying Carr was poor and all their chances came on his side. They did, but he had absolutely no help from Reid unlike on the left where Duff helped Harte out plenty of times.

I don;t think the yellow cards will hurt us. I thought Kenny was bad last night, and he might not be picked against France. I know it's only 3 minths away but he is getting on. If the players are playing similarily prior to the French game then no problem but pre season might not be kind to him.

[eirebhoy]

I don;t think the yellow cards will hurt us. I thought Kenny was bad last night, and he might not be picked against France. I know it's only 3 minths away but he is getting on. If the players are playing similarily prior to the French game then no problem but pre season might not be kind to him.
Without Roy Keane's mental side to his game he probably wouldn't have even made it in the professional game, never mind become on of the best in the world. Its all well and good being a great football but nothing can replace the organisational skills of Kenny Cunningham. He's certainly in our top 3 most important players and will be until after the WC. Andy O'Brien would look nothing like the player he is without Cunningham beside him. Even O'Shea had one of his better Ireland games last night in a position he rarely plays.

http://members.boards.ie/eirebhoy/Kenny2.jpg
http://members.boards.ie/eirebhoy/Kenny3.jpg
http://members.boards.ie/eirebhoy/Kenny1.jpg

[Kingdom]

Without Roy Keane's mental side to his game he probably wouldn't have even made it in the professional game, never mind become on of the best in the world. Its all well and good being a great football but nothing can replace the organisational skills of Kenny Cunningham. He's certainly in our top 3 most important players and will be until after the WC. Andy O'Brien would look nothing like the player he is without Cunningham beside him. Even O'Shea had one of his better Ireland games last night in a position he rarely plays.

Eirebhoy,
I agree 100% with everything you say about Kenny. I like him, think he has a great footballing brain on him and as you say is a superb organiser. And yes alongside Given, Keanex2 and Duff, is a vital cog in the team. The point I was trying to make(badly) was, that over the summer and pre season a player of Kenny's age, regardless of how good, is more susceptible to injury or, to being dropped. Birmingham could well recruit defensively during the summer and Bruce is prone to dropping players when he shouldn't/

[eirebhoy]

I just dread the thought of O'Brien been partnered by anyone other than Kenny. :(

[carnstien]

Who knows by the time the Cyprus game comes around, Steven Reid or Aiden McGeady might hve displaced Andy Reid on the right.
Haven't really seen McGeady play but you'd be off your head to put S. Reid in instead of Andy. Andy is ten times the player, Stephen can't even pass the ball in a straight line. Anyway I think if anyone's going to replace Andy Reid on the right it will be Finnan when he comes back from injury.

[onenilgameover]

I thought Kenny was bad last night, and he might not be picked against France. I know it's only 3 minths away but he is getting on. If the players are playing similarily prior to the French game then no problem but pre season might not be kind to him.

No way will Kenny be dropped. He has been a rock. He missed judged the flight of the ball in the wind and rain once or twice last night but did little else wrong and hasn't done much wrong fro a long time now. He will retire from international football after lifting the World Cup... :) I supose he might sleep with it too...ye know start a tradition

[NeilMcD]

Carnstein you make some good points but I do think you think a team should be made of 11 passsers of the ball. There is more to football than just passing. The best players in the world can all pass brilliantly but sometimes when you have limited players you need to mix it a bit. Stephen Reid is not as good a passer as Andy Reid but his is much more athletic and gets about the pitch bettter etc. There are lots of things that make up a great footbaler. Roy Keane has become one of the best midfielders in the word through attitude and fitness etc and also then became a great passer of the ball. Mick Mc Carthy played great for Ireland but was not a great passer of the ball. In an ideal world we would have a team of 11 passers, ball winners, great strikers of the ball, strong, athletic with never say die spirit but we are not lucky enough to have this. It is all about balance I suppose. That is why Kerr goes with Duff, Keane, Kilbane and Reid as that midfield gives us trickery and skilly, athlticism, height, tenacity passing and craft. What it actually lacks is more goals.

[Stuttgart88]

Cunningham's organisational / motivational skills are those of a born leader. Just look at how Upson became rated at Brum after he joined if you want another example.

[eirebhoy]

Haven't really seen McGeady play but you'd be off your head to put S. Reid in instead of Andy. Andy is ten times the player, Stephen can't even pass the ball in a straight line. Anyway I think if anyone's going to replace Andy Reid on the right it will be Finnan when he comes back from injury.
I'm suprised so many people haven't seen much of McGeady. When a promisising youngster is playing on TV (Elliott, Whelan, Flood) I make it my duty to watch them. If I wasn't a Celtic fan I'd say I still would have seen McGeady play at least 10 times by now.

[Stuttgart88]

My main interest in watching televised football these days is watching Irish players in action.

McGeady has shown great talent but has often been ineffective. Not surprising for a growing 18/19 year-old playing in a physical league. I'd be amazed if this guy doesn't become a star. A good start to the SPL in August could have him in great shape by September / October though I can't see him in any Irish starting XI.

We should have seen more of him in green, not necessarily competitivey, by now IMO.

[tetsujin1979]

Eirebhoy,
I agree 100% with everything you say about Kenny. I like him, think he has a great footballing brain on him and as you say is a superb organiser. And yes alongside Given, Keanex2 and Duff, is a vital cog in the team. The point I was trying to make(badly) was, that over the summer and pre season a player of Kenny's age, regardless of how good, is more susceptible to injury or, to being dropped. Birmingham could well recruit defensively during the summer and Bruce is prone to dropping players when he shouldn't/

Bruce has stated on a number of occassions that Cunningham is the most underrated player in his side, and that the defence as a whole play much better with him starting than without him at all. He's captain of the side, despite not being the side that won promotion, and has brought Upson from Arsenal also-ran to England outsider. I'd be shocked if he's dropped from either the Ireland or Birmingham sides, although I wouldn't be surprised if he was "rested" against Cyprus to prevent a booking