This should have been a great week

[Noelys Guitar]

Playing the Germans at home. Keane, Doyle scoring for their clubs. Dunne, ireland and Miller(Not in Squad) playing blinders for their clubs. This match should have been to see who tops the group. Instead it is an anti-climax. Idiocy from Stan will be severly punished in this match. Again i have no idea what team he is going to play. It is a real pity Staunton is our manager as I would have fancied us to beat the Germans with someone else in charge.

[theworm2345]

Playing the Germans at home. Keane, Doyle scoring for their clubs. Dunne, ireland and Miller(Not in Squad) playing blinders for their clubs. This match should have been to see who tops the group. Instead it is an anti-climax. Idiocy from Stan will be severly punished in this match. Again i have no idea what team he is going to play. It is a real pity Staunton is our manager as I would have fancied us to beat the Germans with someone else in charge.
To be fair, it was never going to be who is going to top the group, but we certainly could've had a chance to at least qualify if Stan wasn't missing half of his brain

[NeilMcD]

Dont worry when we win on Saturday and beat Cyprus and the Germans beat the Czechs and we are back in it and then I wake up.

[BaZmO*]

I think there was always a good chance of us winning this match regardless of past performances and I still think we'll win on Saturday.

But in typical Irish fashion we'll lose against Wales in Cardiff.

[citizenerased]

lads forget about qualifiying in fairness!! I think we will beat the germans as they have the group sewn up and there is no pressure at all on us..i bet robbie will have a stormer

[Morbo]

The Germans may have the group sewn up but they mathematically they haven't qualified yet so I still think they will play their full strength team and get the point they need to secure qualification

[CJTheGull]

Slighty off the point but hopefully there won't be any trouble at the Germany game. I remember before the Welsh and Slovak games walking up Parnell Street to Croker and noticing a few Polish bars with lads outside smoking and drinking. I know Poland and Germany hate each other so it just crossed my mind there might be a bit of trouble there as I'm sure there's always a few fools feeling tough after a few beers.
Maybe being a bit paranoid but anyeway just a tought. Don't tell The Sunday World! :eek:

[Cymro]

The travelling German fans were excellent when we played them so there should be few problems in that area. However expect a lot of problems on the field as they are definitely the best side we've played in this group. Just as good a passing team as the Czechs and much more ruthless.

If you're to have any chance whatsoever you have to get in their faces and basically make life uncomfortable. Might not be glamourous but at least it's something of a leveller.

[drinkfeckarse]

Germany for me epitomise what we could be. The days of them having 7 or 8 superstars are gone. What they do have is a great work ethic and a team full of good players but no world beaters.

Great organisation and a good manager. I see no reason why we can't achieve something similar. Not with Stan in charge obviously but it just goes to show what we could do if we had the right people behind the scenes and the right man steering the ship.

I honestly don't think that man for man, they are all that better than us. A lot of it comes down to attitude and as we all know, they've always been supremely confident.

[Cymro]

You can't be serious can you drinkfeckarse? Germany have much better individuals than you do, no disrespect or anything.

They have Lahm who is one of the best fullbacks going.

They have Klose who is frequently underrated and has a phenomenal goal record in competitive internationals, particularly the finals of major tournaments.

They have Ballack, who, if he hadn't gone to Chelsea who seem to have a habit of making good players bad, would be rated as one of the world's best midfielders.

And overall their team is stronger than yours. Not by massive amounts but they are significantly stronger in every department.

This delusion that your manager is the single cause of your not leading this group is, well, delusional. The fact is you haven't achieved anything like what the Germans have ever in your history, and that's not down to your managers, some of which have quite clearly been competent (McCarthy for example). Certainly, a better manager would probably have you still in good contention to qualify from this group, but you have to accept also that your players aren't as good as Germany's and are no more than on a par with what the Czechs have.

[citizenerased]

The germans have alot better players than us, excellent unsung palyers like Frings, schneidter, Metzelder, mertzacker, sweinstieger, odonker and borrowski..their technique is light years ahead of what we have

[Noelys Guitar]

The germans have alot better players than us, excellent unsung palyers like Frings, schneidter, Metzelder, mertzacker, sweinstieger, odonker and borrowski..their technique is light years ahead of what we have

What have any of these players won outside of their own league? And they won't be winning 2008 either. The "technique" thing has been doing the rounds for years. Surely Chelsea (trying to offload Ballack ASAP), Real Madrid (German manager) Barcelona etc would be out buying all of these players if they are so good with their "technique". The Germans play well as a unit even when they have had poor teams. Their attitude is always spot on. Who showed the better "technique" in the WC 2002 game? Duff and Keane for most neutral observers.

[citizenerased]

actually metzeleder went to madrid in the summer, ballack has been conssitantly superb before he went to chelsea, like the world cup etc..The germans were excellent in the last world cup, one of the most attacking and vibrant teams to watch.They have sailed through this sham of a group with minimal effort....the fact of the matter is they have better players than us no matter which way ya dress it up...as for technique, we made wales look like brazil in patches when we played them, we could not maintain posession against san marino ffs...

Its a pity Robbie Keane and Damien duff havnt done f**k all since then for Ireland..as a matter of fact the last away goal he scored in a competitive game(not inc WC) was against holland in the amsterdam arena in 2000!! AND People wonder why we falter away from home...

[Noelys Guitar]

actually metzeleder went to madrid in the summer, ballack has been conssitantly superb before he went to chelsea, like the world cup etc..The germans were excellent in the last world cup, one of the most attacking and vibrant teams to watch.They have sailed through this sham of a group with minimal effort....the fact of the matter is they have better players than us no matter which way ya dress it up...as for technique, we made wales look like brazil in patches when we played them, we could not maintain posession against san marino ffs...

Its a pity Robbie Keane and Damien duff havnt done f**k all since then for Ireland..as a matter of fact the last away goal he scored in a competitive game(not inc WC) was against holland in the amsterdam arena in 2000!! AND People wonder why we falter away from home...

And they have won what? They did'nt win a very poor world cup on home soil.

[Stuttgart88]

Come on Noely. Spain has won **** all too. Are they not technically very good?

And "outside their own league"? What, like the Bundesliga isn't a good league?

Of course there are other factors involved in forming a good team, but having excellent players helps!

[Noelys Guitar]

Come on Noely. Spain has won **** all too. Are they not technically very good? Of coursse there are other factors involved, but having excellent players helps!

I believe Bolivian players overall are better technically than we are to be honest. But that is just one part of football. This German team is good but not great. They had every advantage during the last world cup but did'nt get into the final. I have seen some great German teams and this isn't one of them. I would have expected us to have beaten them at home with a proper manager and a near to full team. We don't and we won't unfortuanetely. Do the Germans have one truly world class player? And the answer to that is no.

[drinkfeckarse]

The germans have alot better players than us, excellent unsung palyers like Frings, schneidter, Metzelder, mertzacker, sweinstieger, odonker and borrowski..their technique is light years ahead of what we have


All very good players but not world class. A bit like us. I'm not saying that we have better players than them, we don't. My point is that they are not miles better than our 11 and if we had the right set up on and off the park, we could be reaching those heights. Big ifs I grant you but not unreasonable.

Btw, to include Odonkor in that list is a bit much. Average player.

[drinkfeckarse]

This delusion that your manager is the single cause of your not leading this group is, well, delusional.

Who said that?

[Cymro]

Who said that?

Noely's Guitar did.


This match should have been to see who tops the group.

Also,


All very good players but not world class. A bit like us.

I would disagree. Germany one or two excellent players and a good squad. You have one or two excellent players, three or four good ones and a largely average squad.

[bwagner]

Staunton should be executed at the square in Dundalk .then his body dragged up to the capital.

On a serious note we are a complete and otter mess under him and it wont get better with time trust me , the doubt was cast in the player's minds months ago.
With 3 games remaining in a campaign( 2 home games and a average away 1) we are already out ...jesus christ . what more do the FAI want !

Listen to him speak even ,Its so embarrassing....if he even had an interview could you imagine the answers he gave!

[citizenerased]

stan is a buffoon, a caricature, almost cartoon like...oh oh spaghettio..............Jaysus lads how did the FAI let it get to this the whole board should be sacked

[carloz]

And its only gonna get bloody worse. Even if we lost to Germany im sure Delaney would come on the news and say the irish fans were dancing in the street in support of him. I llok forward to the day that smug cnut is gone.... world class manager my arse

[drinkfeckarse]

I would disagree. Germany one or two excellent players and a good squad. You have one or two excellent players, three or four good ones and a largely average squad.

That's a fair assesment although IMO Odonkor and a few others are also. You seem to have misinterpreted my point slightly Cymro. I said there was no reason why we couldn't be the same as the Germans if we had the right set up. I wasn't trying to say we are as good as them now although player for player from 1-11 we are not a million miles away IMO.

I was trying to say that we should be. It's not all Stan's fault but a large proportion is. The squad don't know whether they are coming or going with him and his squad/team selections consistently defy any logic.

If we had a decent manager and backroom staff to lead the team properly and instill the right attitude then that would be worth a lot of points before a ball was kicked.

We have a home game on Saturday against a very good (but not top class) and well organised German team. Any decent manager would be hammering home to his players all week that he expects nothing less than a win. Getting the players psychologically ready is as important as getting them physically ready.

But I'd be fairly certain that the mindset of the players this week will be "I'll take a point" and that's because of the leadership and system that they are used to.

[bwagner]

Who gives a feck even if we win (which will mean fai and staunton will have ample waffle now to out themselves in a goodlight)
Draw - so what we are out anyways and home teams with 70000 can usually get a point especially since the Germans have qualified.
Lose - "Building" "Building" "Building" kids , 2010 etc .....yea right
2010 my anus - 4th or 5th in the group wouldnt suprise me or many of the supprters.

[Noelys Guitar]

Noely's Guitar did.



Also,



I would disagree. Germany one or two excellent players and a good squad. You have one or two excellent players, three or four good ones and a largely average squad.

If we had beaten Cyprus and Slovakia away (both achievable with this squad)that would have seen us with 19 points. The Germans have 22. Staunton picked a bizarre team in Cyprus and left out Reid and Hunt against the Slovaks.. So this match would have been to see who topped the group (providing we would have one by more than 1 goal).

[Stuttgart88]

This match should have been to see who tops the group.
Who leads the group as at Saturday night or who goes on to win the group? The way you wrote it I'd have assumed the latter.

[Noelys Guitar]

Who leads the group as at Saturday night or who goes on to win the group? The way you wrote it I'd have assumed the latter.

Topped the group this coming Saturday. 3 points in Cyprus and a win in Slovakia would have injected real pressure into this game. I would suspect that the majority of people on here would have predicted a win in Cyprus. And the Slovaks have proved to be paper tigers so that should have been another win. And I blame both results on Stan's selection policy.

[citizenerased]

there is no hiding, stan cost us this campaign by pure incompetence

[DaveyCakes]

What have any of these players won outside of their own league?

What have any of the Ireland squad won in any league?

[tetsujin1979]

What have any of the Ireland squad won in any league?
Surely you are taking the p**s?

[Cymro]

If we had beaten Cyprus and Slovakia away (both achievable with this squad)that would have seen us with 19 points. The Germans have 22. Staunton picked a bizarre team in Cyprus and left out Reid and Hunt against the Slovaks.. So this match would have been to see who topped the group (providing we would have one by more than 1 goal).

Germany didn't beat Cyprus away, so why would you assume you would? As for Slovakia, they are just unpredictable. Yes they have been poor at times in this group but they've also got some very good results. People point out on here that we beat them 5-2 in Slovakia and cite that as a reason that you should have done the same, but those people forget that Slovakia also beat us 5-1 in Cardiff.

They are dire defensively but are well capable going forward and look dangerous on the attack. Frankly the 5-2 in Trnava flattered us even if the same was true for their win in Cardiff. Over the two games, there really wasn't anything in it.

[SUB of the day]

Germany didn't beat Cyprus away, so why would you assume you would? As for Slovakia, they are just unpredictable. Yes they have been poor at times in this group but they've also got some very good results. People point out on here that we beat them 5-2 in Slovakia and cite that as a reason that you should have done the same, but those people forget that Slovakia also beat us 5-1 in Cardiff.

They are dire defensively but are well capable going forward and look dangerous on the attack. Frankly the 5-2 in Trnava flattered us even if the same was true for their win in Cardiff. Over the two games, there really wasn't anything in it.
What you are saying is, the Welsh and the Slovaks are both ****e.Lets go for two birds with the one stone in Cardiff, TOSHACK STAUNTON OUT OUT OUT!