IF It Goes to Penalties!!

John Giles predicts it will go to penalties (but given that he didn’t know as of 8:30 this morning if the away goals rule applies, I don’t think he’s thought too deeply!)

Anyway, if it does go to penalties, who are your picks to take the penalties and who will Trap have picked (already, I hope!)

If, on the pitch, I’d go with:

Keane
Doyle
Dunne
Whelan
Hunt

Trap will go Keane, Doyle, Whelan, Andrews, McGeady/Hunt

I’d worry for McGeady Andrews and Doyler missing, don’t know why, just a feeling.

I don’t expect penalties because I’d say if it goes to extra time in France, there will be a winner, ps. it is my understanding that the away goals rule doesn’t apply in extra time?

I know why you are worried about McGeady hitting a pen cause his last 2 were really poor, 1 did just get in though!!

I am bricking it about the whole game :eek:

Come on You Boys in Green!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I think if it gets to penalties the maximum number of substitutions will have been made so the final 11 could differ significantly from the starting 11. Here's my prediction for what it's worth:

Keane
Hunt
Whelan
Gibson
McGeady

Hunt takes them fairly regularly at club level so he would be in. KD, going on form and past matches, will probably be subbed off after running himself into the ground so probably wont be on the pitch. Robbie definitely will and I can see Whelan given the responsibility too. The rest are a crap shoot....could be anyone.

I would like to see:

Keane
S Hunt
Doyle
Whelan
Lawrence


I reckon it would be

Keane
Whelan
Andrews
Best
Lawrence/McGeady/Hunt

whichever of the last 3 are on the pitch.

McShane
O'Shea
Kilbane
Folan
andy o'brien (will get a call up due to an injury to a defender)

The fact that Given saves the odd one these days is probably the biggest boost. We're fairly well fixed in that department in fairness. Keane, Hunt, McGeady and Doyle have all been takers for their clubs at some point, Whelan and Gibson are good strikers of the ball. My biggest fear is that fellas would step up to show they have the balls and may not necessarily be the best men for the job eg. Kilbane, O'Shea, Andrews, St Ledger and even Dunne, who burried one for City against Aalborg.

I'd say that Saint Ledger would have the plums to stand up and be counted.

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Originally Posted by DeLorean

The fact that Given saves the odd one these days is probably the biggest boost.

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I hope he does better than in Korea when he went the wrong way 5 out of 5 :(

On the basis that this is a home and away fixture with the away goals rule, the chances of it going to penalties is not that high. I get the shakes even thinking about it.

There is the chance that we keep 2 clean sheets in a row, and don't break the French down.

When was the last time we kept consecutive clean sheets?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by DeLorean

The fact that Given saves the odd one these days is probably the biggest boost. We're fairly well fixed in that department in fairness. Keane, Hunt, McGeady and Doyle have all been takers for their clubs at some point, Whelan and Gibson are good strikers of the ball. My biggest fear is that fellas would step up to show they have the balls and may not necessarily be the best men for the job eg. Kilbane, O'Shea, Andrews, St Ledger and even Dunne, who burried one for City against Aalborg.

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To be fair, Lloris is no mug himself in goals for France and with penalties being such a lottery, I think the keepers pretty much even themselves out.

It wont go as far as penaltys :D

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Originally Posted by Scram

John Giles predicts it will go to penalties (but given that he didn’t know as of 8:30 this morning if the away goals rule applies, I don’t think he’s thought too deeply!)

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I wonder what Gilesy is basing his prediction on. Given that this season he's watched a handfull of Champions League matches, the Premier League games from the Saturdays (as RTE don't do Sunday's games) and a few of our Internationals, although from the comments they made I doubt they were actually looking at the same games.

I'd say he's drawn the following conclusions:

Toulalon is pretty hard name to say.
He recognises the right back, but he can't remember where from.
France have poor temprement (the last time he watched them play they had a man sent off for headbutting)
That midfielder was at Portsmouth for a while but disappeared. Must have went to the Championship or something.

Dunphy will be sat beside him and take the time to declare that Trap not only ignores Andy Ried, he's also directly responsible for the banking crisis and couldn't understand why there was such a big fuss made about Stephen Gateley's funeral, as Ro's the talented one.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by HammerNThongs

To be fair, Lloris is no mug himself in goals for France and with penalties being such a lottery, I think the keepers pretty much even themselves out.

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I agree, but it would have probably been advantage France if Given hadn't improved a bit.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by DeLorean

I agree, but it would have probably been advantage France if Given hadn't improved a bit.

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Comparing the keepers is a waste of time anyway. It's the penalty takers is where it all matters and we saw how Frances last penalty shoot out went, didnt we!

If it goes to penalties I'll be a wreck.

I know Kilbane would volunteer for one (again) but I'd have my doubts whether he could convert it. The same goes for McGeady.

Keane is the only 1 I'd have complete confidence in. Let's just hope we have the game in the bag by then.

Stupid thread. it all depends on who is on the pitch.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by HammerNThongs

Comparing the keepers is a waste of time anyway. It's the penalty takers is where it all matters and we saw how Frances last penalty shoot out went, didnt we!

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Yeah they scored 4 out of 5 against the best keeper in the world, how confident would you be of ireland scoring 4 penalties.

In penalty shoot outs it nearly always goes the way of the bigger, better team. I can't stand this rubbish about not being able to practice them and them being a lottery.
How long does Pádraig Harrington spend tapping in putts from 2 feet away even though he could probably do it in his sleep, just to make sure nothing goes wrong on the day, it's all about getting in to a rhythm so everything feels completely natural to you on the day and so to minimise the pressure effect.
If every player knows exactly what they're planning to do and have been practicing drilling them in the same corner for 3 or 4 days you stand a much better chance than the old story of Suwon and just asking after 120 minutes who wants to take one and wishing them the best.

The Podcast on the Guardian stated that Given was the best peno taker within the entire squad :eek:

1. Keane
2. Hunt
3. Whelan
4. Duff
5. Doyle