France (H) match discussion thread

[beautifulrock]

lets keep our heads and keep the talk of firings to a minimum. We need to win the last two games, Cyprus is a potential banna skin, just ask Croatia who drew 1 - 1 away to Malta

[CollegeTillIDie]

Ireland V England in the play-offs... The visiting hooligans would help the IRFU demolish the old ground before the new Lansdowne Road emerges from the ashes...

[Jon'o]

How so? It isn't just France that we can't beat!!!

who else is there to have as manager??? are we going to sack Kerr and have another manager to take over the last two games with the possibility of getting through?? (sounds like euro 2004 anyone?)

[Jon'o]

How about Ireland v England in the play-offs?

Thought we were talking about the france match? FK england!!! :mad:

[CollegeTillIDie]

Ok whose going to start the ball rolling..?
The players who went on the **** last Friday are to blame...

Coming soon the Roy Keane six part Sunday Newspaper exposé

[Anto McC]

I do think Kerr should be sacked,be it now or after the two games remaining,irregardless of whether he gets us to the finals or not,He has constantly shown his ineptitude as a manager and tonight was no exception

[Adrianovic]

I don't think we should be so negative.

If we win our two games, barring an abhorration by the French, we will be in the play-offs.

From there, we are as good as any team likely to be in it and we can be on the road to Germany once again.

Ade

[thejollyrodger]

Ireland V England in the play-offs... The visiting hooligans would help the IRFU demolish the old ground before the new Lansdowne Road emerges from the ashes...


:D :D :D

[Jon'o]

I do think Kerr should be sacked,be it now or after the two games remaining,irregardless of whether he gets us to the finals or not,He has constantly shown his ineptitude as a manager and tonight was no exception

3 losses in 31 games???? i keep asking but who could replace him and do better?

[BobbySands]

Here it is....

France ? Well we all knew they would win the group.

Israel ? I hate the country and everything it stands for but you have to admire the team. Still in the mix but probably won't get there even though they arguably deserve a shout (think of us in the Charlton days.)

The Swiss ? Not that good but grind out what they have to.

Us (as in Ireland, not USA) We should've closed off this group when we had the chance. As it is we could possibly struggle to a play off place. We do have a decent team. Given, Duff, Roy Keane are top drawer. A. Reid, Carr and even Dunne are not far behind. I've been one of those who has been annoyed at club managers not showing our strikers the respect they deserve but I'm beginning to thing that maybe the two boys have been rumbled. It's just possible these managers know something.

Brian Kerr ? I like him. Give him another chance. I feel he's the kind of bloke who'd admit when he feels he's out of his depth. I certainly don't want a Brian Robson type there. Obviously the head of the FAI thinks differently. If they're not watched we could have the likes of Terry Butcher managing the team.

Anyway, I'm f'ing depressed. Hope youi're all feeling better.

[Anto McC]

3 losses in 31 games???? i keep asking but who could replace him and do better?

Me for a start,any other half-wit after that

[thejollyrodger]

barny the clown might do a better job :P

[CollegeTillIDie]

Oh by the way if we do part company with Brian Kerr. The next manager should be Lawrie Sanchez... he's now a legend :D

[dancinpants]

3 in 31? I wish people would stop clouding the issue by throwing out stats from stupid friendlies. Why not put up our competitive record? And instead of just quoting losses, quote the wins and draws aswell!!!

[beautifulrock]

I cant believe anyone is suggesting we change managers now, it just does not make sense. Lets see what happens in the next two games before we go down that road.

[thejollyrodger]

kerr hasnt done it at international level, I cant see things changing now...

However one improve I can think of tonight is : -
I would like to buy him a Mr Blobby outfit for the next game and make him wear it out in Cyprus - At least then the players would know not to listen to a fúcking word the man is saying :D

[Dan K]

I don't think we should be so negative.

If we win our two games, barring an abhorration by the French, we will be in the play-offs.

From there, we are as good as any team likely to be in it and we can be on the road to Germany once again.

Ade

Let's just hope the French and the Swiss don't settle for the draw that'll pretty much get them both to Germany.....

[CollegeTillIDie]

Well you can look at the glass has half full or half empty. Northern Ireland's result has given me a warm glow......

[Jon'o]

its easy to say sack the manager though is'nt it??? still left with the same players in the end a new manager will just give an excuse not to qualify for the next championships!

[thejollyrodger]

Thats what will happen.

[CollegeTillIDie]

There are two managers managing the international teams on this island. Brian Kerr and Lawrie Sanchez who began their managerial careers at Eircom League teams beginning with S.

[CollegeTillIDie]

And Sam Allardyce at Bolton began his career at Limerick City.....

[CollegeTillIDie]

The Eircom League ... great place to learn the Managerial trade

[BobbySands]

I've just finished my last beer so it's definately a case of the glass being half empty. Anyway, lets hope for the last six points.

[CollegeTillIDie]

The whole first half of the Qualification campaign by the French was an aberration.
They chose the Irish game to play at a semi-normal level.

[davey]

Too gutted atm for a considered response. We haven't won an important game yet under Kerr - that is the size of it. Lets see the campaign out before we start talking about alternatives.

[Closed Account 2]

its easy to say sack the manager though is'nt it??? still left with the same players in the end a new manager will just give an excuse not to qualify for the next championships!


But the trouble is we now face the possibility of finishing 4th which will be our worst performance in a qual. group for decades. Man for man we have a squad significantly stronger than the Israelis or the Swiss. The French have not been a world class side for most of the campaign.

We also had a stronger squad than the Russians or the Swiss last time, and finished behind both (although I accept that BK was only partially to blame for that).

We have never been good away from home against big teams, but traditionally we have been able to get points off smaller teams and do well at home against the big teams - that has not been true for us in this group.

[boysingreen]

Always the bridesmaid..........

[lopez]

I like Kerr - nice bloke who I've met - but his competitive record is about the worst of an Irish manager in 30 years. Eoin Hand - who was my previous nomination for the post - managed to beat Holland, France and the USSR in competive games, and as we all know should have come away from Belgium with a point that would have meant qualification. If a miracle doesn't happen, Kerr should go back to the youth teams.

[ollie]

Brian Kerr ? I like him. Give him another chance. I feel he's the kind of bloke who'd admit when he feels he's out of his depth. I certainly don't want a Brian Robson type there. Obviously the head of the FAI thinks differently. If they're not watched we could have the likes of Terry Butcher managing the team.


yea i'd like to give him to until the end of this campaign at least but he's being a bit too cautious for my liking in general.France were there for the taking and we didn't do it.

[ollie]

Well you can look at the glass has half full or half empty. Northern Ireland's result has given me a warm glow......
me too and scotland also winning but i'm still on a downer after the Irish game.ah well such is life

[RonnieB]

Annoyed wit hthe result. We played well in the fist half ubnlucky to have hit the post, a good save by given the game seemed to have 0-0 written all over it. Sat back to deep in the 2nd half and a great finish by terry henry.

Was all that seperated us really. A poor game and a poor result. I t is still all play for. See ye in cyrpus.

[Colbert Report]

Kerr should be fired and here's why. Reid should have been subbed about five to ten minutes BEFORE Henry scored. He didn't even sub him at all!! I love the guy but he does not the the fitness for the full 90. Same with Morrison, he subbed him far to late against the Israelis.

Yes, it's true we don't have the players we once had but Kerr is really to blame for f-cking around with the subs today. Why didn't Holland or S Reid go in for A Reid?? Why not give take Dunne or Cunningham or Carr off and give Elliott a run for the last five minutes?? Garbage.

[RedX]

The FAI got what they paid for..an non-experienced manager that could never cut it with the best..we had the players to beat this french team..i know people will say France had Zidane,Henry and all the rest but they were average tonight and would have been rattled if we went at them..i have never seen Duff,Robbie Keane and anyother attacking player we have been held back so much..this was due to tactics and not the french team..i feel sorry for Kerr in a way because its the FAI's fault for hiring him and being AMATEURS as always..Kerr will have to go but maybe its best after the group finishes..and without naming names there are plenty of guys out there that would do a good job for our country if the Amateurs in Merrion Square are willing to get them..

[Jon'o]

Why didn't Holland or S Reid go in for A Reid?? Why not give take Dunne or Cunningham or Carr off and give Elliott a run for the last five minutes?? Garbage.

Holland and reid were not on the bench for a start??? Kenny, O'Brien, Finnan, Harte, Doherty, Steven Reid, Elliott. were the subs

[VinnyL]

just home from the game, not even my usual pint in the local before i hit the sack i'm soo disappointed...

first of all, Kerr hadnt a clue what to do when we went one down, not a clue. where was elliot or ANY other forward, should have pumped them on for the last 15.

secondy, keano had a great game, as did dunne, kenny and the two full backs, but maybe they could have gotten furthur more.

midfield - keano was good, killer was very inconsistant, duff was shyte, couldnt do anything with the ball and reid had his worst performance in an irish shirt.

forward - clint as usual ran his socks off but did nothing... robbie - i'm not gonna even bother to comment,

the french goal was brilliant, only needed 1 chance and took it. crowd were class except for the fat racist in the East Terrace Row 5 seat 71, he quietened his mokey noises and racist chants after we turned on him... how do scumbags like this get a ticket.

i cant even talk really, lost for words, just a cup of tea and bed is in order...

[Green Tribe]

davey, i didn't hear you shouting in the pub, was listening out for ya though :D Was actually quiet i thought, maybe everyone was nervous, i know i was the first 5 mins until we started taking control. I am not too devastated to be honest, i was very annoyed at the defeat obviously, but i feel we played really well, only the last 15 mins did we run out of steam, our subs did not do much.

Duff was not getting the ball. Clinton did well, if only him and Robbie could have got the ball more often...and i wish those fcukers would stop pulling at clinton (maybe i should rephrase that! :eek: ) every opponent always rips the shirt of him and the ref rarely notices. :mad:

I was actually more disappointed after the Israel game/s, as we should have won one/both of them only for cheating ref/israelis/defensive decisions etc So this was not a huge shock for me, but i do feel that Germany is slipping away from us and i'm starting to feel like i did during the euro04 qualification. I just really hope that this groups gets weirder and things work out for us. It was clear how disappointed our players were after the game esp Reid, Duff and Given and also significant was the joy and huge relief on Henry's face after the game, he knows that his goal may turn out to be what saves them and gets them to Germany.

Glad our wee boys in green did the business in Belfast, Poland will be ever so grateful :D I just wish all the boys in green had won tonight.......Also, typical, I am going to the cyprus game and Clint won't be playing........maybe i can sit on the sidelines with him..... ;)

sniffle, slabber,

KT

[Green Tribe]

just home from the game, not even my usual pint in the local before i hit the sack i'm soo disappointed...

first of all, Kerr hadnt a clue what to do when we went one down, not a clue. where was elliot or ANY other forward, should have pumped them on for the last 15.

secondy, keano had a great game, as did dunne, kenny and the two full backs, but maybe they could have gotten furthur more.

midfield - keano was good, killer was very inconsistant, duff was shyte, couldnt do anything with the ball and reid had his worst performance in an irish shirt.

forward - clint as usual ran his socks off but did nothing... robbie - i'm not gonna even bother to comment,

the french goal was brilliant, only needed 1 chance and took it. crowd were class except for the fat racist in the East Terrace Row 5 seat 71, he quietened his mokey noises and racist chants after we turned on him... how do scumbags like this get a ticket.
i cant even talk really, lost for words, just a cup of tea and bed is in order...

:eek: :mad: the fcuker!!! that is NOT on, write to the FAI and complain about him, he will be banned from lansdowne, and then i and many other decent supporters who make supportive noise will move up the waiting list...

Please write in about him, you have witnesses, it is not fair that d!cks like him have tickets :mad:

[brine3]

Tonight's match was one of those that you would expect could go either way.

It's the four points thrown away against Israel that I'm still fuming about.

But how good was Roy? He wiped the pitch with Zidane, Makelele and Vieira. That was possibly his best Ireland performance... ever?

[TheOwl]

I don’t think we should be speculating about replacement managers before the campaign is finished, but I’m just back from the game and am annoyed, so I’m going to do just that.

There is a quality Irish manager out there, who is currently out of a job, and who may fancy the “part-time” nature of international management.

Martin O’Neill anyone?

Looks like Sven could be available soon too! But please good god keep him away from these shores.

[liam88]

Just found out my brothers girlfriend put a bet on France to win......last time I talk to her

[OneRedArmy]

Someone who has experoence of managing Premiership players. God bless Brian Kerr, but he hasn't the right experience to coax the performances out of the over-preened ponces we have that pass for a team. At least David O'Leary has an ego to match the best of them - why not give him his head? He might be ready to accommodate us now, after all... :rolleyes:

:ball: PP
How many true "Premiership" players are in the team!? We've far too many players who are either crap or out of form. France brought on Cisse, we brought on Gary Doc. Says it all really.

I think Kerr is being a bit over-ambitious in trying to play technical continental style football with players who for the most part aren't up to it. But I'm not sure anyone else could do any better. And as for O'Leary, on the basis that you could hold a meeting of all of his friends in football in a phonebox (quote Cascarino), that wouldn't bode well for squad unity.

We are a match for anybody when all eleven players are on form, but when Duff, Kilbane and Robbie go missing we are always going to struggle and the conveyor belt of talent coming through looks thin. If Willo Flood and Aiden McGeady are the great white hopes, then based on their U21 performances this week, we are in trouble.

Winning the nest two looks tough but isn't beyond us and then we'd be were most of us thought we'd be befoe the start of the campaign.

[tricky_colour]

Let's just hope the French and the Swiss don't settle for the draw that'll pretty much get them both to Germany.....


Don't think thats right, if the Swiss draw with France and we beat the Swiss
they are out and we are in a play off.

[Slash/ED]

A couple of things, our big hitters let us down. Duff and Keane, where were you? Nowhere to be found. Anyone who says Kilbane is in any way decent at this level is watching a different player, he can run all he wants there is NO quality there. O'Shea was awful.

On the other hand, Carr Dunne Cunningham and Given all played well in defence, Keane did the holding role well he just needs an in any way competent mid fielder beside to be creative. Reid was excellent I felt and Clinton worked hard but is lacking sharpness badly.

As for Kerr Garry Doherty? I'll say no more. The fact he's in the squad is an absolute joke, nevermind being replied on. There are plenty of better strikers than him out there, abroad and in our own league. He is an absolute joke, Kerr useing him constantly is even worse.

[pineapple stu]

But how good was Roy? He wiped the pitch with Zidane, Makelele and Vieira. That was possibly his best Ireland performance... ever?
Incredible performance. Every tackle...it was number 6 getting up. And some idiots will have us believe he's finished!!

Thought we were slightly unlucky in the game, though only slightly. Henry's goal was superb, completely out of the blue, Andy Reid hit the post. Thin line.

If we beat Cyprus (which we should do; they're not the team they once were when the could occasionally trouble the top teams) and Switzerland (hmmm...they're not a great team...and neither are we), then we're in the play-offs. That's all there is to it.

Those Israel games though. :mad:

[tricky_colour]

Our problem seems to be we fade in games, we were all the French in the first half
but we fizzled out a little in the second half, similar to other games where we took
the lead then faded.
Having said that a draw would have been a fair result, just one moment of genius
changed it, had Reid's free kick gone in.........
We should beat the Swiss though, they don't have any world class players to come back from premature retirement. The French team today is amongst the best in the world.

[Colm55]

Sems to be the same sceál with everyone tonight regarding the two isreali games... and i agree. A notable performance from the 'fast declining roy keane', Zidane (one of the best I ever saw) was shackled from the word go, Roy was immense, brilliant, don't think either side deserved the win, but football is lucky or unlucky, henry got one shot on goal and did the business, Duff i feel was marked out of the game esp if the likes of makelele/gallas was in the defense or calling shots (homework done). Defense was solid, french wasted a lot of balls forward, due to non availability of forward players. I often get the feeling that we perform based on the other teams ability - **** teams drag us down to their level, whereas we perform to top standards against the best opposition, we seem to have no consistency or as derek smalls (spinal tap) said it - luke-warm water, we can't seem to bridge that gap between the **** and the great, we can beat either but never live up to the potential, its poxy, and a poxy feeling after tonight, but we're not out of it yet and i'm looking forward with gutso to the remaining two games ....

[geysir]

First half was 50/50.
I would not like to hide behind the fact that it was a beaut of a goal from a subdued Henry that made the difference and contrast it with Robbie's great chance in 2nd half when the goal opened but he only half hit his shot. The lines may appear thin but not as thin as our squad looked last night. We can only defend behind our half way line while the French start effectivly closing down our back 4 and midfield. I thought a draw at least up to when Henry scored. Too many players were outplayed, Kenny, Dunne and Roy were outstanding.
Our hopes have sunk somewhat, not so much by the defeat but realising it will take some performances to win the next two games and you wonder do we have them. I would not want the last game against the Swiss just to be the fanfare media hyped consolation farewell to Roy and Kenny while we are held to a draw. First spot has gone now without question and we can only hope to be struggling for the scraps with Switzerland in October.
Tonight Thierry Henry IS having a laugh.

[yablazer]

Lets just beat cyprus and swiss. i know wev seen it all before, groups that wev had numerous chances of taking by the scruff of the neck but that always manage to let slip away with crap results. but lets just hope against hope that we mite break the mould and actually grind out a couple of good results and make the play offs. enough talk about getting rid of kerr until after the groups done. if he dosent get us to Germany i agree he needs to go, but while we still hav a chance lets get behind them.

.......but its just oh so familiar...........

[speedking]

If we can't win our last two games, we don't deserve to be in the world cup. Simple as.