Republic of Ireland V Sweden - Monday, 13th June 2016 - Euro 2016 Group E

[DeLorean]

Six days!

Honestly, I'd take a draw. Opening with a 1-1 hasn't served us too badly over the years.


I'd go with:

-------------- Westwood -----------------

Coleman --- O'Shea --- Clark ---- Brady


----------------- Whelan -----------------

------- McCarthy ---- Hendrick ---------


----------------- Hoolahan ---------------

---------- Walters ------- Long ----------



Barring injuries, the only differences I could envisage to O'Neill's selection would be Randolph and maybe Keogh starting. McClean for Hendrick a possibility too but I don't expect that to happen.

[OwlsFan]

I wouldn't take a draw because I would be surprised if we get anything from the Belgium/Italy games. You don't mention Duffy. I think we might need his height in the box in what is otherwise a small team.

[DannyInvincible]

I feel very much the same about Duffy. I think he's as solid at the back as Keogh and Clark, but he also offers a big threat at set-pieces.

[DeLorean]

I'd like to think it will be Clark and Duffy when the WCQ's roll around. I'd have no issue with Duffy's selection in the Euros either but think maybe O'Shea's experience could be important. Clark has been our best performing defender in my opinion and you'd imagine Keogh can't be too far away as he was an ever present from the Germany game onwards in qualifying. Duffy's ability to get his head on everything, in both penalty boxes, is a brilliant additional string to his bow though, I agree. I'd certainly have him ahead of Keogh but if I was to select him it would be ahead of O'Shea, not Clark.

We thought a draw at home to Poland would be a disaster... it wasn't. We thought a draw at home to Scotland was fatal... it wasn't. On paper sure, Belgium and Italy look the more daunting outfits, but I think there's everything to play for in those games. A draw would set us up fairly nicely in terms of having something to build on, particularly if it's one of those draws where we equalise after chasing the game. Obviously the concession of an equaliser five minutes into stoppage time wouldn't do much for us mentally, so the manner of the draw is important of course.

I think we might be overestimating how difficult it will be to get a result against Belgium/Italy in comparison to Sweden a small bit.

[Stuttgart88]

Robbie Brady quoted in this morning's papers about how brilliant Duffy is as a target to aim for his set pieces.

[Wolfman]

Except we need a win. If we wanted to progress.

[DeLorean]

Robbie Brady quoted in this morning's papers about how brilliant Duffy is as a target to aim for his set pieces.

Not surprised. The thing with Duffy is that he's not just big and strong, he really knows how to use his strength and attacks the ball so aggressively. He can turn an average cross into a very good one so it would take the pressure off Brady needing to be pin point accurate.

[DeLorean]

Except we need a win. If we wanted to progress.

So it's impossible that we could get something from Belgium/Italy?

[osarusan]

So it's impossible that we could get something from Belgium/Italy?

I'd expect 0 points from those games.

[DeLorean]

Fair enough, and I'm sure the bookies agree with you. Personally, I think we've as good a chance of 1 point (or more) from Belgium and/or Italy as we do of getting 3 from Sweden. I don't think there's that much difference in the challenge provided by all three, although we should have more possession against Sweden you would hope. I'd expect their games against each other to be extremely tight also.

[punkrocket]

I quite fancy getting something from Italy. They are not the best they've ever been, we have a decent enough record against them and they owe us for last time in Poznan.

[Real ale Madrid]

If we beat Sweden then we should rest the entire starting XI for the Belgium game. 4 pts would get us through.

[backstothewall]

In the event that a draw is enough for both sides in the Italy game I would be amazed if any other result happens

[jbyrne]

I quite fancy getting something from Italy. They are not the best they've ever been, we have a decent enough record against them

many fans said that the last euros and Italy got to the final beating us along the way

[osarusan]

Fair enough, and I'm sure the bookies agree with you. Personally, I think we've as good a chance of 1 point (or more) from Belgium and/or Italy as we do of getting 3 from Sweden. I don't think there's that much difference in the challenge provided by all three, although we should have more possession against Sweden you would hope. I'd expect their games against each other to be extremely tight also.

I think Sweden, apart from Ibrahimovic, are absolutely average, but Belgium and Italy are quite a bit better.

Anybody for an 'Irish games: score predictions' thread?