Czech Republic 1-0 Ireland post match discussion thread

[paul_oshea]

http://www.breakingnews.ie/sport/mhcwqlcwkfey/

doesnt make it any better readin. still it should only be one actual change to the team on wednesday ( at least, whether or not thats a good thing ) reid in for ireland.

[passinginterest]

http://www.breakingnews.ie/sport/mhcwqlcwkfey/

doesnt make it any better readin. still it should only be one actual change to the team on wednesday ( at least, whether or not thats a good thing ) reid in for ireland.

So it'll be Douglas in for Ireland then, Shay Given and Richard Dunne dropped, Robbie Keane at centre half and John O'Shea up front...

[Closed Account 2]

Does this mean Doyle is fit ? I read he had picked up a knock in Bratislava

[Stuttgart88]

Ireland missing is no loss in my mind. Yes he scores but is also largely responsible for us being overrun in midfield anyway. I just said on another Fourm that he's like Lampard, great at arriving late to score but totally ineffective unless he's got at least one (usually 2) midfield enforcers behind him.

Will Staunton make any call ups? I think Garvan should be out there myself, and maybe now O'Dea or O'Halloran.

[TerryPhelan]

Given these injuries, not to mention the shapeless, anaemic display on Saturday, the team should surely line out as follows:

--------------------Given

O'Shea-----Dunne--------McShane------Kilbane

McGeady-------Reid--------Carsley---------Hunt

----------------------Keane-------------------

----------------------Doyle--------------------

McGeady, O'Shea and Kilbane were all absolutely shocking against Slovakia, but who do we have to replace them?! Depressing times. Can't see past a Czech win on Wednesday. :(

[Stuttgart88]

Maybe Andy Keogh for McGeady on the right?

I'd love JOS to be dropped but we're too threadbare now.

[Wolfie]

Will Staunton make any call ups? I think Garvan should be out there myself, and maybe now O'Dea or O'Halloran.

Is that lad Geary at Sheff Utd still knocking about?

[macdermesser]

Is that lad Geary at Sheff Utd still knocking about?

now you are really scaping the bottom of the barrel .. he's not going to throw in an uncapped player

i have no clue what he is going to do .. probably stick with kelly out of stubbornness

[Tipp Townie]

McGeady, O'Shea and Kilbane were all absolutely shocking against Slovakia, but who do we have to replace them?! Depressing times. Can't see past a Czech win on Wednesday. :(

Sorry Tel, i cannot agree with you about Kilbane. After Dunne he was was possibly our best player. He was never 'shocking'.

[tetsujin1979]

confirmed: http://www.fai.ie/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2399

[as_i_say]

well we're so thin now that for the first time ever (ever ever) im going to say that John o sh!te should start with Kelly being dropped. kelly was worst player on pitch with oshea close second.

Which is unusual for John as he normally IS the worst player on the pitch.

[youngirish]

well we're so thin now that for the first time ever (ever ever) im going to say that John o sh!te should start with Kelly being dropped. kelly was worst player on pitch with oshea close second.

Which is unusual for John as he normally IS the worst player on the pitch.

I thought O'Sh!te was way worse than Kelly personally. I also thought McGeady and Carsley were worse. In fact I didn't think Kelly was that bad.

[as_i_say]

actually yeah what am i saying-he was!

[OwlsFan]

rong Grandmother;
STAUNTON REVEALS IRELAND MIX-UP


Republic of Ireland boss Steve Staunton has found himself at the centre of an embarrassing mix-up over a family bereavement which has ruled Stephen Ireland out of Wednesday's Euro 2008 qualifier against Czech Republic in Prague.

Ireland was told by FAI officials shortly after Saturday's 2-2 draw in Slovakia that his maternal grandmother, with whom he was particularly close, had died. He was still under that impression when he flew back to Manchester the next morning.

It was not until he arrived back home in Cheshire that Ireland discovered it was in fact his paternal grandmother who had passed away.

In the meantime, the FAI issued a statement which led to the wrong grandmother being named as deceased in the first editions of some newspapers.

Staunton said the FAI officials who had broken the news to the player after the match in Bratislava had been misinformed.

He revealed: "I was up half the night [sorting it out]. It's not on his mother's side, it's on his father's side. We were given the wrong information. It's his grandmother, we send him our best wishes and that's the end of that.

"I spoke to Stephen this morning. The grandmother's in London and the family don't know whether to move her back to Cork. That's their own business so I think everybody should let it lie and respect the family."

The absence of Ireland will leave Staunton with a midfield dilemma ahead of the match against the Czechs which his side have to win to stand any realistic chance of progressing from Group D as runners-up.

Charlton's Andy Reid is the obvious choice as a straight swap for the Manchester City man in the middle although the employment of Jonathon Douglas in a more holding role is another option.

In defence, Liverpool's Steve Finnan is now a certain absentee and his absence means Stephen Kelly is set to continue in the left-back position in which he put up a creditable performance in Prague. And the 24-year-old is relishing the opportunity to start such a high-profile game.

Kelly said: "I think I performed well enough to keep my place and we'll have to see what the manager's decision is. But all the decisions he has made so far have been great.

"We know that Wednesday is a huge game for the country and we just need to perform. What happened in Slovakia on Wednesday was unfortunate and we can't have that lapse in concentration."

[shelbourne1904]

So it'll be Douglas in for Ireland then, Shay Given and Richard Dunne dropped, Robbie Keane at centre half and John O'Shea up front...

You are as bad as Stan.Robbie Keane is the best keeper available and also has no experience at any level in that position so should be automatically put in goal.Im also not sure that Given doesnt deserve a place on the left wing as he is a natural right footed speed merchant.

[ken foree]

Kelly said: "I think I performed well enough to keep my place and we'll have to see what the manager's decision is. But all the decisions he has made so far have been great.

erm... anyone want to take a hack at that??

[cheifo]

Oh lord help us not Johnathan Douglas.Stuttgarts right, Garvan should be out there.

[cheifo]

erm... anyone want to take a hack at that??
He is a right back.Usually good at attacking, not so good definsively.

[ken foree]

He is a right back.Usually good at attacking, not so good definsively.

i mean the last sentence?

[Noelys Guitar]

Given these injuries, not to mention the shapeless, anaemic display on Saturday, the team should surely line out as follows:

--------------------Given

O'Shea-----Dunne--------McShane------Kilbane

McGeady-------Reid--------Carsley---------Hunt

----------------------Keane-------------------

----------------------Doyle--------------------

McGeady, O'Shea and Kilbane were all absolutely shocking against Slovakia, but who do we have to replace them?! Depressing times. Can't see past a Czech win on Wednesday. :(

You never know with Stan. I have a feeling he will stick with Kelly. Not play Hunt with Kilbane on the left again.. Play Gibson instead of McGeady. And Reid for Ireland. He might even choose to play Douglas instead of either McGeady or whoever.

[Stuttgart88]

You never know with Stan.
You just don't do you? I'm not even going to try and guess Wednesday's team.

[Noelys Guitar]

rong Grandmother;
STAUNTON REVEALS IRELAND MIX-UP


Republic of Ireland boss Steve Staunton has found himself at the centre of an embarrassing mix-up over a family bereavement which has ruled Stephen Ireland out of Wednesday's Euro 2008 qualifier against Czech Republic in Prague.

Ireland was told by FAI officials shortly after Saturday's 2-2 draw in Slovakia that his maternal grandmother, with whom he was particularly close, had died. He was still under that impression when he flew back to Manchester the next morning.

It was not until he arrived back home in Cheshire that Ireland discovered it was in fact his paternal grandmother who had passed away.

In the meantime, the FAI issued a statement which led to the wrong grandmother being named as deceased in the first editions of some newspapers.

Staunton said the FAI officials who had broken the news to the player after the match in Bratislava had been misinformed.

He revealed: "I was up half the night [sorting it out]. It's not on his mother's side, it's on his father's side. We were given the wrong information. It's his grandmother, we send him our best wishes and that's the end of that.

"I spoke to Stephen this morning. The grandmother's in London and the family don't know whether to move her back to Cork. That's their own business so I think everybody should let it lie and respect the family."

The absence of Ireland will leave Staunton with a midfield dilemma ahead of the match against the Czechs which his side have to win to stand any realistic chance of progressing from Group D as runners-up.

Charlton's Andy Reid is the obvious choice as a straight swap for the Manchester City man in the middle although the employment of Jonathon Douglas in a more holding role is another option.

In defence, Liverpool's Steve Finnan is now a certain absentee and his absence means Stephen Kelly is set to continue in the left-back position in which he put up a creditable performance in Prague. And the 24-year-old is relishing the opportunity to start such a high-profile game.

Kelly said: "I think I performed well enough to keep my place and we'll have to see what the manager's decision is. But all the decisions he has made so far have been great.

"We know that Wednesday is a huge game for the country and we just need to perform. What happened in Slovakia on Wednesday was unfortunate and we can't have that lapse in concentration."

You could'nt make it up!

[as_i_say]

Send in



The clowns.

[carloz]

Why is Jonathon Douglas getting such flack here, it isnt his fault Stan got the stupid notion to play him aginst the Slovaks. Any time he has played for Ireland he has been 100% committed and although far from the most gifted player has done a decent job. I also remember him making a fantastic saving tackle at the back post a couple of minutes before their equalising goal. Cut the guy a bit of slack, he does little to warrant the abuse

[rambler14]

Stan made Douglas play right mid saturday night, douglas is a centre mid and in my opinion a bloody good one. Remember when he came against the czechs in landsdown road and pushed Paul McShane for Man of the match all the way.

[DmanDmythDledge]

Stan made Douglas play right mid saturday night, douglas is a centre mid and in my opinion a bloody good one.
He played centre mid. Ireland moved out onto the right.

[rambler14]

Douglas came on for Ireland who when taken off was playing right mid as Darron Gibson was in the centre with Lee Carsley.

[DmanDmythDledge]

Douglas came on for Ireland who when taken off was playing right mid as Darron Gibson was in the centre with Lee Carsley.
Sorry, you're right. Thought he came on for McGeady.

[carloz]

well i agree with you 100% rambler. I hate the way he is getting abuse over the weekend. It was Stan that felt the need to bring on a third defensive midfielder. Douglas does not deserve to be attacked for his managers tactical inemptness. IMO Douglas has an excellent engine and has always looked classy playing for us, unlike messrs O'Shea and mcGeady with the exception of Denmark.

[rambler14]

O'Shea would be a good player if he wasn't fcuked arond with so much. One minute hes a right back, then a centre back, then a left back, then a centre mid, then a striker and then a goalkeeper. Club and country hes been messed around with and it doesn't seem fair. Last season with United I thought he was brilliant because he either played right back or centre mid. He was an unsung hero last year for united. It seems to me that Stan never plays him in the position hes played with united the week b4, since the start of the season O'Shea has played centre mid, yet Staunton geets hold of him and once again changes his position.

[The Legend]

am i the only one that thinks that Ireland should still make himself on wednesday... sad about his grandmother but i dunno, i've seen people play a game with less notice when a parent died.

[Wolfie]

now you are really scaping the bottom of the barrel .. he's not going to throw in an uncapped player


I wasn't suggesting Geary would be a starter.

He'd never throw in an uncapped player against the Czechs as Paul McShane would confirm.

[paul_oshea]

well what do you think?

I think it could be the best thing for us, but also the worst thing for us. We havent gone down and come back and won, yet i fear for us going ahead first. But maybe the floodgates could open as we go searching for an equaliser, but if that didnt happen and we got one, it would certainly put the czechs on the backfoot and worry them.

[noby]

Well that's that clarified.

[youngirish]

I reckon it'll be a disaster if we got 1 down. We'll cave in. The confidence, tactical awareness from the manager, concentration and fitness required to be good at peggin teams back is totally absent within our team.

[paul_oshea]

well imagine, if your head was acting like that all day today Noby!!!! I cant help it I am a thinker!!!! No work being done by me today....

[smellyfeet]

[QUOTE=paul_oshea;769236]well what do you think?

Put John O'Shea up front:eek:

[wooman]

o sheas going to score the winenr from a corner 2nite and prove us all wrong

[shakermaker1982]

if O'Shea gets the winner tonight then I'll never slag him off again. In fact I'll design my own t shirt in dedication to the man and wear it to every (ok most) game!!!

[Stuttgart88]

Stan will take off an attacker and bring on Kevin Foley.

Foley will then score one and create one and I'll wear mittens at work to stop me posting shyte on the internet.

[youngirish]

Stan will be forced to initiate his master plan B and roll on Gary Doherty who he cleverly brought into the squad under a cloud of secrecy as a replacement for S Ireland.

Douglas will also replace Robbie Keane while Andy Reid will be replaced by Nicky Colgan in the centre of the park.

[ifk101]

I had a dream....that keane scoreds a drop volley into the corner of the net tonight.

This will happen if we go one down ;)

[paul_oshea]

i think stan should play this at half time:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j_eUCLewLtA&mode=related&search=

[billybunter]

if we go 1-0 down we'll have to score 3. (to allow for their 90th minute equalizer that wold have brought it to 2-2.

[Dodge]

Put John O'Shea up front:eek:
Put paul o'shea up front. Get him to ask the Czech centre halves the question above. They'll get dizzy with confusion leaving the path clear for open goals galore

[Pablo]

if we go one down we'll loose.

Theres an idiot calling the shots so he'll probably bring on a full back.

[danonion]

Stan will be forced to initiate his master plan B and roll on Gary Doherty who he cleverly brought into the squad under a cloud of secrecy as a replacement for S Ireland.

Douglas will also replace Robbie Keane while Andy Reid will be replaced by Nicky Colgan in the centre of the park.


Close, but I'd go for plan C where he throws on Gary Doherty in a Czech republic strip and has him attack the referee.

[elroy]

I think the key is to keep it tight to start with, remember the Czechs will be nervous the longer the game stays level, one goal and they're fecked. I think if we're going into the last 25 mins at 1-1, 0-0, it wouldnt be the worse thing in the world.

Though remember a 0-0 draw is as bad as a defeat tonight, so there's merit in going for it from the off and have a high scoring game.

[cavan_fan]

I think the key is to keep it tight to start with, remember the Czechs will be nervous the longer the game stays level, one goal and they're fecked. I think if we're going into the last 25 mins at 1-1, 0-0, it wouldnt be the worse thing in the world.

Though remember a 0-0 draw is as bad as a defeat tonight, so there's merit in going for it from the off and have a high scoring game.

On past performance a 0-0 draw seems quite a likely result. We'd be 3points behind the Czech's. But they have a tough set of matches ahead, Germany away, home to Slovaks and away to Syprus. None of these is a guaranteed 3 points by any stretch.

On the other hand we have Germnay at home (one point is quite likely), away to Wales (who seem demoralised at the moment, so 3 points should be possible) and Cyprus at home whcih seems to be a big change difference to Cyprus away.

There are loads of ways we coudl qualify with a draw, it's harder but not impossible.

Just to check with people: If we do end up level on points with the Czechs a 0-0 draw tonight would mean they qualify, a 2-2 draw or more would mean we qualify, a 1-1 draw would mean it would be down to goal difference in the group (and they currently are plus 14 and we are plus 4).

[FarmHoop]

o sheas going to score the winenr from a corner 2nite and prove us all wrong

He'll score a deft chip like that he scored against arsenal 2 years ago;)