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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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

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Originally Posted by Stuttgart88

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

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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.

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Originally Posted by Wolfman

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

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

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Originally Posted by DeLorean

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

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I'd expect 0 points from those games.

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 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.

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

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

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Originally Posted by 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

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

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Originally Posted by 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.

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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?

If we beat Sweden and Italy and Belgium both lose, ah no draw what does that mean?! :D

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Originally Posted by jbyrne

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

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I was just about to say the same myself but I suppose the beauty of football, and many sports, is that the better side on paper doesn't always win. Belgium are ranked 2nd in the world and Italy 12th so it's a bit of deja vu from Poland but this time the third team is ranked below us (33 vs 35). So the odds are two defeats and a draw but our green brain cells try to tell us it will be better than that.

If you are sad like me and love to fill in Euro 2016 spreadsheets you will probably end up with a couple of third place teams scraping through to the last 16 with 2 points.

One win and you are very likely to make it.

If we were to beat Sweden, obviously they would then need to beat either Italy of Belgium to finish ahead of us in the group. Two draws in those games would be use to them.

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Originally Posted by jbyrne

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

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Yes, I think I was one of them.
Depends what mood they are in, they blow hot and cold, some great tournaments and some poor ones. They are getting on a bit, as are we, but a speed merchant like Long could cause their defence problems.