Poland V Republic of Ireland - Saturday, 11th October 2015 - Euro 2016 Qualifier

Just starting a specific thread for the game tomorrow as the Germany one got it's own thread.

Will be interesting to see how Poland will approach this; will they play a very tight game in the hope of securing the low-score draw they need or will they play a riskier game and go for the win? Interestingly, it was when Poland sat back in the game in Dublin that we really dominated that game, so perhaps their best form of defence would be to attack us from the outset.

Striker Arkadiusz Milik, defender Maciej Rybus, and midfielder Tomasz Jodlowiec are all injured for Poland, whilst we've got a few players coming back in.

Is it better to go all out for goals/victory, but possibly risk conceding with more space for Poland to exploit at the back, or is it best to play safe and hopefully snatch a win, mindful of the fact that a draw (as opposed to a loss) would be good for us in terms of making the seeded draw for the play-offs, if that is where we end up? What are the chances of a draw, as opposed to a loss, making a difference in this sense and potentially having wider significance for the play-off draw? If it's likely we'd be seeded or unseeded either way, no reason to be concerning ourselves about this. Ranking aficionados; will we know any better after tonight's results? (Netherlands are away to Kazakhstan and 0-0 at the minute; I understand it would be preferable for them not to make the play-offs.)

I'm quietly confident we can do the business. Thursday was such a massive (and long-needed) confidence-boost. The players must surely feel they have the beating of Poland, who are very much at our/Scotland's level. Should be a tight game, but not so nerve-wracking in the sense that we're still guaranteed a play-off spot. I hope we do ourselves proud anyway and don't come out of it ruing what could have been.

I'm buzzing already; cannot wait!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I5PT65I2ny8

https://scontent-lhr3-1.xx.fbcdn.net...13&oe=569297DB

Another one to rouse the passion:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zdnZgmwA9h4

Is this the official match thread?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by geysir

Is this the official match thread?

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Ha, aye, that's kind of the idea. The Germany match got a specific thread despite the original joint-Germany/Poland thread, so I thought it appropriate.

We have to just go there and play as well as we an for the full 90 minutes.

Our last two visits to Poland were 0-0 draws, a 3-3 draw before that.

Bizarrely our last win in Poland was in 1976 a 2-0 win with an England born Grealish playing in midfield (Tony Grealish)!!

Not sure how to approach this, can't recall too many away games with opposition that are second or third seeds in the group where we scored twice away from home. Would be inclined to start conservative, perhaps until half time and then become more adventurous. The longer the game goes on and we are not behind, the poles are bound to get very nervous.

Apologies, this started out as something else, but turned into one of those state of the nation type posts.

Well, here it is.

It feels great to be on the eve of a big game again. The Germany game was big but really only because it was Germany. There was no anticipation of a result (which of course made it all the better), but this is the real McCoy. A game against a serious side for high stakes. Realistically the last time we had this a certain cheating **** of a Frenchman ruined it in the end.

Incredibly the Henry handball was 6 years ago. We played the home leg in Croke Park. We've had 2012 since then but our group of death really killed us and i think most people knew it before we started, excluding the usual combination of hope and delusion, which i was guilty of myself.

But this is big. Really big. And eminently doable.

If not a great result, the way Poland ended their game in Glasgow will be a great boost to them. But we can still go there and win. I hope the way those very possibility of this was sprung on us will be good psychologically for the players. Almost like how... ...how many times do you see a team plod along all season in the football league in England, then put a run together in April, scrape into the playoffs, and end up getting promoted at Wembley in May.

With the Rugby as well, tomorrow could be a great day (or an awful day). In case you haven't gathered, I can't fecking wait

The Nation Hold's It's Breath...

Surely if ever there was a game to go for it, this is it? Given a 2-2 draw or better would take us through, we should be going out there to score two goals, even at the risk of conceding?

My Team for tomorrow

----------- Randolph ----------

Coleman Keogh O'Shea Brady

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

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

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

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

I've stuck to the system O'Neill seems to have settled on. I've put Long in for Murphy. Murphy did nothing wrong, but Long has earned the chance, and if we need an impact off the bench, McClean offers that.

Admittedly it's tough on Billy-Ray Christie. But Coleman is too good to leave out.

that;s my thinking too Charming, go all out to score at least two. if we lose we can point at the performance and say we made a decent fist of it, and still have the play offs to fall back on.
if we draw or win we're through

For me the game is all about Lewandowski. The way he is playing there will be little stopping him, but we might be able to stop the other 10.

If the chance Muller had falls to him he will score in this form. We need to stop them getting the ball to him. In short that will mean hassling and pressing everything they try to do, and starve him of the ball. From the start to the end, we have to do what a great man once told us to do.

Put 'Em Under Pressure

P.S. He will probably score no regardless. We will need to get at least 2. So within the pressing game, we have to attack.

Lewandowski won't score tonight.

I don't think Hoolahan will play. I also think there's going to be wholesale changes from the starting 11 in the Germany game.


---------------Randolph---------------

--Coleman--O'Shea--Keogh--Brady--

---Whelan---McCarthy---Hendrick---

----------Walters---McClean----------

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

Quote:

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Originally Posted by nigel-harps1954

I don't think Hoolahan will play. I also think there's going to be wholesale changes from the starting 11 in the Germany game.


---------------Randolph---------------

--Coleman--O'Shea--Keogh--Brady--

---Whelan---McCarthy---Hendrick---

----------Walters---McClean----------

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

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Oooh. Ballsy!

Hoolahan surely has to be accommodated? Maybe not as deep as he was against Germany but surely in the number 10 spot with, at least only, Walters just ahead.

I've long been an advocate that if a player is fit enough to start after coming back from injury, then they start. If they come off the bench and something then goes wrong, then it's a wasted substitution. If you plan to substitute them anyway, then no real harm one. With that in mind, I was thinking the team might line out something like this

Code:

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          Randolph
Coleman O'Shea Keogh Brady
      McCarthy Whelan
 Walters  Hoolahan  McClean
            Keane

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With Long, Christie and McGeady to come off the bench

Good luck today. Im watching the game with Canice Caroll. It's going up in the ratings against Bengals Seahawks. I think it has a shot to beat the nfl.

Nervous but hope we go for a win. As has been noted, why not go for it!

Team:

Randolph
Coleman Keogh O'Shea Brady
Whelan McCarthy Hendrick
Walters McClean
Long

Wes apparently not fully recovered.

ok with me. hopefully mcclean doesn't do anything silly early on.