France V Republic of Ireland - Sunday, 26 June 2016 - Euro 2016 Round of 16

[pineapple stu]

So!

What does O'Neill do?

Very hard to drop anyone after tonight. But if Walters is back, I think we need him. Ward to make way?

O'Shea back in for Duffy maybe?

Whelan and Hoolahan for - who?

There's more players to come back in than deserve to be dropped.

Don't envy O'Neill tbh

[DeLorean]

It's great. And Hendrick and McCarthy avoiding yellows makes it all the better and more difficult. We're a better team without Whelan so that's an easy one, seems highly unlikely Walters would be ready also.

[eekers]

France have never played in the new Lyon stadium. You'd think they would have at least scheduled a friendly there looking at the draw.
Of the players in the French squad only the two Lyon full backs (who wont be playing) and Matuidi (10 minute sub appearance) have played a game in the stadium.

[Kingdom]

So!

What does O'Neill do?

Very hard to drop anyone after tonight. But if Walters is back, I think we need him. Ward to make way?

O'Shea back in for Duffy maybe?

Whelan and Hoolahan for - who?

There's more players to come back in than deserve to be dropped.

Don't envy O'Neill tbh

I do envy O'Neill. I ain't seen the Irish tv interviews, so cannot see whether O'Neill has said the changes for tonight were due to reenergise the team or due to poor performances.
The doc would argue that Keogh should have played with O'Shea instead of Clark. I'd have argued that O'Shea shouldn't have played at all, given his age, speed, form. I think it would be hard to drop either Duffy or Keogh. I think Duffy will relish the battle with Giroud on Sunday.

I'd drop Murphy immediately for Walters if Johnny is fit. It's a no-brainer, but I'd like to see Walters be the totem with Long and McClean supporting from wide. The midfield trio picks itself with Brady mc|C\arthy and Hendrick, with Wes and McGeady options off the bench.

France likely to go with
Lloris
Sagna
Evra
Rami
Koscielny
Kante
Matuidi
Giroud
and then a combination of Pogba, Griezemann, Payet, Martial or Coman.

They're good, but they're under huge pressure, and possibly don't know their best team or way of playing yet. We just cannot allow them to get the early foothold or territory (trying to avoid dipping into rugby parlence!)
We forced Italy into playing our game tonight by pressing them up top, forcing the keeper to kick long mostly when he clearly didn't want to. I still think we could close the gap between the top 3 and the back 4 when we don't have the ball, or when it goes dead high in the opponents half, but you need a very comfortable backline to do that (something we're still not settled on unfortunately) and a keeper who will sweep quite high.

[BonnieShels]

Given how tonight went the only change I would countenance would be Walters for Murphy and I'm saying that given that Murphy did what he needed to do.

I think the Keogh Duffy axis needs to stay. They worked well.

That midfield... touch it and be damned. Immense.

[osarusan]

I think O'Neill has to expect France to come at us much much more than Italy did. Similar to how Belgium did.

Is the best way to deal with that to pick a team to keep the ball and play higher up the pitch - do we have the players that can actually make that tactic work?

Or does he pick a team to deal with an onslaught?

[legendz]

The Irish media should be hounding the French manager and players in the prematch press conferences with questions on the Henry handball to the point where they get frustrated by the constant questioning about it. Let them not forget about it. Unsettle and ruffle their feathers!!

[DeLorean]

Not sure about that, I think it's us that could do without all the talk about it. It's a negative mindset I think even if it is supposed to be a motivational factor.

[legendz]

Not sure about that, I think it's us that could do without all the talk about it. It's a negative mindset I think even if it is supposed to be a motivational factor.

We'll have to agree to disagree. Most I've spoken to are seeing it as a motivational factor and an extra reason to beat the French. No better way than to knock them out as hosts and remind them of something they might prefer to forget.

[legendz]

The time Ireland beat England in rugby in the first clash in Croke Park. I'll be hoping for something of that spirit on Sunday. Ireland doesn't make many World Cups. Beating the French on their own soil as hosts and knocking them out will be fantastic if they can do it.

[Kingdom]

We'll have to agree to disagree. Most I've spoken to are seeing it as a motivational factor and an extra reason to beat the French. No better way than to knock them out as hosts and remind them of something they might prefer to forget.

Kind of like our attempts to exorcise the Tyrone ghost <shudders>

[backstothewall]

I'd go back to the diamond. McCarthy at the Base, Brady and Hendrick in the middle, Hoolahan sitting off Long and Murphy (or Walters if Big Jon makes it.)

Same back 5 as last night

[DeLorean]

We have to be very careful with this team selection I think. Last night was gruelling and France already have 72 hours extra rest on us, that's massive and they were even able to rest a couple on Sunday also. Even our fitter, younger and more athletic players were out on their feet. Hendrick was virtually gone with fifteen minutes to go.

Also, it's such a different set of circumstances awaiting us on Sunday, needless to say really. It will be the complete opposite of what we faced last night so I think it's too easy to just go with the same guys again because we played well/won.

All that said, I'm not sure where the freshness is going to come from. Introducing the likes of Meyler or Quinn for your McCarthy's or Hendrick's is probably too radical a downgrade, with all due respect to the two guys mentioned. We really should have brought Gibson I think.

[BonnieShels]

Kind of like our attempts to exorcise the Tyrone ghost <shudders>

[DeLorean]

Exactly... let's do this