Slovakia 2-2 Ireland Post Game Discussion Thread

[WembleyGreen]

Morbo & Edmundo, does the phrase "grasping at straws" or in your case 'betting slips' ring a bell or two? 20 years since we won a game away against anyone of any consequence, I was in San Marino and saw what transpired first hand, it's left me scarred for life! Win your home games, win aginst the goal fodder of the group and then try and at least draw against the so called contenders. We've haven't even managed this, losing in Cyprus was bad, drawing against the Czechs was 2 points dropped at home and with Germany to come I can't share your rose tinted bookie specs! Sorry!

[Paddy Garcia]

There is an interesting tactical analysis in The Times' The Game today. It shows 3 pictrures in the run up to the goal, with key players ringed.

The captions are:
1. Dawdling Douglas - Jonathan Douglas , the Ireland substitute watches Marek Cech advancing yet shows no desire to track him.

2. Douglas continues to jog back while JOS the right back moves left to help the central defenders.

3. Too late. Douglas tries to get back but Czech fires in Slovakias late equaliser as O'Shea dives across in vain.

[DmanDmythDledge]

There is an interesting tactical analysis in The Times' The Game today. It shows 3 pictrures in the run up to the goal, with key players ringed.

The captions are:
1. Dawdling Douglas - Jonathan Douglas , the Ireland substitute watches Marek Cech advancing yet shows no desire to track him.

2. Douglas continues to jog back while JOS the right back moves left to help the central defenders.

3. Too late. Douglas tries to get back but Czech fires in Slovakias late equaliser as O'Shea dives across in vain.
Can be seen here (http://extras.timesonline.co.uk/pdfs/football_euro_qualifying.pdf). Disproves the theory that O'Shea turned his back to the ball.

[Ordinary Fan]

Shocked at the choice of the starting 11 and stunned by the substitutions. Reid had to start as Doyle and Keane want the ball to feet.
Hunt is a great impact sub as he has proved in the last 3 competitive matches. Does Stan never watch the videos of our previous games.

Two great Goals for Ireland, but both goals conceded could have been avoided by better organisation.

[macdermesser]

3rgkKAItJ24

At least we had these few moments of unbridled joy ...

[paul_oshea]

anyone had the match notice how carsley after such a crap performance i might add, didnt even bother to come over to the fans? says it all to me really.

[paul_oshea]

looking at teh stuff on youtube, what was dunne putting the ball across the defence like that, he should have cleared the thing out or back up the field.

But looking at douglas and JOSH that just ****ess me off even more.....again.

[Stuttgart88]

I think there's a suggestion Dunne was pushed. Stephen Kelly certainly said so. I can't look at youtube at work.

[paul_oshea]

I think there's a suggestion Dunne was pushed. Stephen Kelly certainly said so. I can't look at youtube at work.

Ive looked at it too many times already so I cant look again :D but that may be the case actually, it looks as though he is turning his head to see where he is aiming it but that could actualy be him turning his head around as he was pushed. However from looking at it, he definitely aims the ball over that way, whether that was a reaction of being pushed or not I dont know..... anyhow there was so much space over on osheas side, terrible defending from both of them arrrggggggh its just frustrating even thinking about it. good finish but terrible defending.

[Tipp Townie]

I'm useless at finding stuff on Youtube; can anyone post a link to the Slovak eqauliser, or tell me how to find it? For some reason i feel compelled to watch it again, just to see exactly what went wrong :mad:

(ps. Macdermesser; mate, quality footage of Doylers goal and the 'pit' afterwards!)

[macdermesser]

I'm useless at finding stuff on Youtube; can anyone post a link to the Slovak eqauliser, or tell me how to find it? For some reason i feel compelled to watch it again, just to see exactly what went wrong :mad:

(ps. Macdermesser; mate, quality footage of Doylers goal and the 'pit' afterwards!)

cheers Tipp. Posted the link to the goals below ... not for the faint hearted ..

5RAykt7bWFs

[tetsujin1979]

I think there's a suggestion Dunne was pushed. Stephen Kelly certainly said so. I can't look at youtube at work.


Ive looked at it too many times already so I cant look again :D but that may be the case actually, it looks as though he is turning his head to see where he is aiming it but that could actualy be him turning his head around as he was pushed. However from looking at it, he definitely aims the ball over that way, whether that was a reaction of being pushed or not I dont know..... anyhow there was so much space over on osheas side, terrible defending from both of them arrrggggggh its just frustrating even thinking about it. good finish but terrible defending.
According to Dunne himself, it was just bad luck
from http://www.independent.ie/sport/soccer/euro-spot-is-ours-for-the-taking-1075927.html

This time, it was a header skewing off the side of Richard Dunne’s temple that opened the door for Marek Cech’s cruel equaliser. Dunne would like it known that his eyes were open at the time, his mind was clear, there was – he is insistent - no lapse of concentration. What happened simply happened.
There was no mystery. “It wasn’t down to concentration,” he explained yesterday, his voice carrying the faintest thread of exasperation. “They (Slovakia) just put an overflow of men up front. A long ball came up and I went for a challenge with a header. The ball came off the side of my head and went across the goal. It could have gone to any one of five of our men or any one of five of theirs.
“Unfortunately, it landed on their lad’s left foot and he connected with it nicely and buried it. I don’t think it was concentration or anything bad. It was just an unfortunate moment.”
Dunne insists that talk of a recurring theme here (Ireland have now spurned leads in four Group games) have not pierced the team psyche.
“Not really. I actually didn’t realise that ‘til now,” he said when told of the statistic.
“It’s not something you keep going back to. The only thing that we can really take from it is the disappointment of conceding in the last minute.
“If we’re in the same situation again on Wednesday, I’m sure it’ll be in the back of our minds and we’ll be trying that extra bit harder not to let this one slip.”

[paul_oshea]

ya but an experienced defender never heads the ball back across the defence he should never have been aiming it there.

remember when fat arse harte did the same against romania and Giles and Dunphy tore into him saying a defender should never head the ball across teh defence in a situation like that. it wasn't identical to dunnes but same type. He should have headed it out for a throw in or back up the field, if he doesn't realise that was poor judgement then he is a thick.

[Morbo]

Morbo & Edmundo, does the phrase "grasping at straws" or in your case 'betting slips' ring a bell or two? 20 years since we won a game away against anyone of any consequence, I was in San Marino and saw what transpired first hand, it's left me scarred for life! Win your home games, win aginst the goal fodder of the group and then try and at least draw against the so called contenders. We've haven't even managed this, losing in Cyprus was bad, drawing against the Czechs was 2 points dropped at home and with Germany to come I can't share your rose tinted bookie specs! Sorry!

Trust me, I'm not going to be putting any money on Ireland to qualify, not at 23/5 and with Stan in charge anyway but my point was the Czechs are not 100% guaranteed of qualification, the bookies aren't usually too far off the mark and by their estimation Ireland probably have a 6 or 7-1 shot of qualifying(which isn't good but you shouldn't be happy with a 3rd place finish when qualification is still a slim possibility), the bookies specs are not rose tinted, they always beat the punter on the long run and if they think Ireland have a 6 or 7-1 shot then I am inclined to believe them, if you think the bookies are well off the mark then by all means bet against them.

[WembleyGreen]

Morbo, according to the Indy today Boylesports reckons less than €1000 has been placed on Ireland to win tonight as opposed €25,000 on the Czechs, see the link:http://www.independent.ie/sport/soccer/even-the-punters-are-scared-to-back-stan-1076818.html
I never bet on Ireland in any sport the one time I did we lost and I swore then I'd never do it again!

[Morbo]

Yeah I never bet on Ireland either, never bet with you heart. Anyway I'm not surprised virtually nobody is betting on Ireland after our last performance, the knee jerk reaction by fans was to think we will get hammered by the Czechs(which is definitely a possibility).
I expect a better performance tonight though, we usually put in a decent performance right after a bad one but it probably won't be enough, not with our current team selection, I put my money on a draw at 14/5 which was surprising attractive odds considering Ireland's inability to hold onto a lead and the fact that the Czechs only really need a draw, of course I'd be delighted if I'm wrong and Ireland win

[The Legend]

f**k it, i think we're going to win...... get in lads!

[Adrianovic]

Wales winning 3-1 out there makes our 2-2 draw look a really poor result.

Ade

[dancinpants]

Slovakia pull one back against Wales 3-2 now.

4-2 Wales now.

[tetsujin1979]

finished 5-2