Positives From Saturday

After a few days to recover from Saturdays disappointment i think we can take a few positives from Saturdays game.

Ian Harte had a fine display.
We created a load of chances- dunno how we didnt score.
Doherty was actually quite impressive.
We chased a game with only 10 men for 15 minutes.

Were still doing as well as France /Switzerland/Israel in drawing with each other.
Weve two "big" games left which are both at home.

Im hoping one of the "big" teams will get a win against another "big" team leaving one team odds on for top spot and two fighting for second.( Pity it wasnt us who did it on Saturday :( )

Harte didn't do much wrong, but was rarely tested, most of the Israeli threats came down out right, on to John O'Shea.

Agree with Doherty, he came on and showed we do have a plan B, how it didn't work is beyond me.

I think if we played the way we did in the first half we have a good chance against the French and Swiss, they're not going to cheat, dive, kick and go down faster than a cheap Leeson St. hoor!

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Originally Posted by tetsujin1979

I think if we played the way we did in the first half we have a good chance against the French and Swiss, they're not going to cheat, dive, kick and go down faster than a cheap Leeson St. hoor!

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That's right, I'm really confident about the two big matches at home!

I'm pleased by the Harte's display, his goal was very important, for the team and for him. I hope he could be back constantly in the 22-men for every match..
About Doherty, I hope that BK'll let play him on wed, near Clint.

There is a lot of over reaction that came out after the game. I never like seeing Duff moved up front but calling for Kerrs head is ridiculous. We are unbeaten in the group with 4 games to go, our fate is in our hands - would we not have taken this scenario at the start of the campaign ? With two of our remaining games being Cyprus and the Faroes we have to be confident of going through. Ireland are playing the best football of any team in the group and Im sure the Swiss and French would have seen the game and be far more worried about us than we are off them. O'sheas problem was well documented but we have to be pleased with the performance of the returning Harte. Morrisons off the ball running and effort on saturday pulled the israeli defence all over the place. Doherty (whether he likes it or not) is a top class target man and Kilbane is impressing more and more in the middle. Add that to duff, Robbie, RK coming back and us looking solid in every other position and we are very much favourites to win this group.

The death of Ireland has been greatly exaggerated !

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Originally Posted by wallis

Kilbane is impressing more and more in the middle.

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You have to be having a laugh. Kilbane was shocking against Israel. As was Holland. Kav wasn't on the pitch 5 minutes before he had contributed more than those two had in the whole game.

I really don't know how Kilbane or Holland have managed to make it as international footballers. Both of them are woeful.

Kerr simply has to realise this (he won't) and play Keane and either Andy Reid or Kav in the middle. If he doesn't realise it this team will never fulfil its potential.

I'll tell you the biggest positive to take from that game, 99 Sunday's out of 100 we would all be happy as Larry with Ireland top of the group and in a great position to win it. But, with the most bizarre amount of luck I've ever seen one team get in a match, it just wasn't to be.

A freekick that never was which Israel scored a header from outside of the box which was basically hit and hope.

1 or 2 incidents which we should have got penalties from.

Sloppiness by O'Shea that he would get away with week in week out in the premiership. It was actually a miskick by Given that gave the Israeli's possession.

Duff blocking the ball from going over the Israeli line.

The keeper diving in front of an O'Shea header which somehow hit him underneath his arm.

A red card for O'Brien after the keeper grabbed him by the neck.

Israeli fouls upon fouls that gave the match no rhythm.

And while Kerr (in hindsight) made a wrong substitution, if we won this game comfortably (as we would have any other day) it would have been ignored. One of the best managers in world, Jose Mourinho, played Duff up front against Barcelona. Duff has actually played up front a few times now for Chelsea. Nothing is said about Mourinho.

"You have to be having a laugh. Kilbane was shocking against Israel.
I really don't know how Kilbane or Holland have managed to make it as international footballers. Both of them are woeful."

Now you are having a laugh. You honestly believe KK was shocking on saturday ?? did you watch the game ?

He was man of the match against the French (supposedly our toughest game) and has been the dominate player in the middle of the park for most of this campaign. The guy is strong in the tackle , good in the air and wins most of the possession for Ireland.

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Originally Posted by eirebhoy

I'll tell you the biggest positive to take from that game, 99 Sunday's out of 100 we would all be happy as Larry with Ireland top of the group and in a great position to win it. But, with the most bizarre amount of luck I've ever seen one team get in a match, it just wasn't to be.

A freekick that never was which Israel scored a header from outside of the box which was basically hit and hope.

1 or 2 incidents which we should have got penalties from.

Sloppiness by O'Shea that he would get away with week in week out in the premiership. It was actually a miskick by Given that gave the Israeli's possession.

Duff blocking the ball from going over the Israeli line.

The keeper diving in front of an O'Shea header which somehow hit him underneath his arm.

A red card for O'Brien after the keeper grabbed him by the neck.

Israeli fouls upon fouls that gave the match no rhythm.

And while Kerr (in hindsight) made a wrong substitution, if we won this game comfortably (as we would have any other day) it would have been ignored. One of the best managers in world, Jose Mourinho, played Duff up front against Barcelona. Duff has actually played up front a few times now for Chelsea. Nothing is said about Mourinho.

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Mourinho was slated for his substitutions in Anfield. I still think even if we'd got away with it we'd still be rightly querying Kerr's substitution. Kerr's tactics brought luck into it where it shouldn't have been a factor in my view. I actually feel sorry for him though. He could have got away with it and didn't. Nobody slated Martin O'Neill for Celtic blowing the league.

But yes there are positives. We actually played really well for 70+ minutes. Set pieces were impressive for a change, mainly Kav's corners. And yes, we are in pretty good shape to qualify. But how frustrating is it that we could have it in the bag by now practically?

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Originally Posted by wallis

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He was man of the match against the French (supposedly our toughest game) and has been the dominate player in the middle of the park for most of this campaign. The guy is strong in the tackle , good in the air and wins most of the possession for Ireland.

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He's a hacker that plays his heart out and is excellent at disrupting the other team's play but he lacks in the skill department. He's supposed to be our creative CMF player alongside Keane but I have't seen him create or score anything. He was great against France because he broke down so much of their play but against the "weaker" teams we need someone more creative to tear apart their poor defence. It's time Kerr adopted the "horses for courses" approach of O'Sullivan and leave him out for the weaker teams where we are expected to score a few goals.

I think thats what we need in the middle. Someone to break up the play and then get the ball out to Duff and Reid. Most top sides have someone of this ilk -Hamann, Viera, Makele, Scholes etc. Makele struggles to kick a ball in a straight line but he is the one who wins the ball for the Lampards and Coles to do something with. Ideally I would like to see someone come through and become our playmaker to make use of the ball that he wins (McGeady ?). Ok , he is not the greatest player in the world but during this campaign he has been one of our top players and his form has contributed to Everton making the CL. He was outstanding against the french for the very reason that he got stuck in and didnt give Dacourt a moments peace. I think that a centre midfield of him and RK feeding our creative players of Duff and Reid is as good as anything else out there at the moment.

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Originally Posted by wallis

I think thats what we need in the middle. Someone to break up the play and then get the ball out to Duff and Reid. Most top sides have someone of this ilk -Hamann, Viera, Makele, Scholes etc. Makele struggles to kick a ball in a straight line but he is the one who wins the ball for the Lampards and Coles to do something with. Ideally I would like to see someone come through and become our playmaker to make use of the ball that he wins (McGeady ?). Ok , he is not the greatest player in the world but during this campaign he has been one of our top players and his form has contributed to Everton making the CL. He was outstanding against the french for the very reason that he got stuck in and didnt give Dacourt a moments peace. I think that a centre midfield of him and RK feeding our creative players of Duff and Reid is as good as anything else out there at the moment.

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2 of the point you have made are total rubbish. Firstly Scholes is not used by United to break up play, he is a creative attacking midfielder, who is fairly woeful in the tackle to be honest.

Secondly, I don't know where you are getting the idea that Makelele is a poor passer. The guy is outstanding at winning the ball but his passing is excellent, unlike a certain Kevin Kilbane. He always finds his man and NEVER gives the ball away, much like Roy Keane.

The points made by Irish_Praha are totally acurate in my opinion. You are wasting your time having Kilbane on the pitch against the likes of Isreal and the Faroes because he will create NOTHING. A midfield of

Duff - Andy Reid - Roy Keane - McGeady

would tare average sides like the Faroes or Israel to shreds. Playing Holland and Kilbane, players who simply can't use the ball, in central midfield, against these kinds of sides is simply poor management.

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Originally Posted by carnstien

Playing Holland and Kilbane, players who simply can't use the ball, in central midfield, against these kinds of sides is simply poor management.

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They were playing perfectly well together until they were separated. Midfield was in total control up until then. No?

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Originally Posted by Stuttgart88

They were playing perfectly well together until they were separated. Midfield was in total control up until then. No?

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I cant agree with you totally on that. I thought they were poor from the start. Reid and Duff played well in first 25 along with Keane 'dropping' but that papered over the cracks that soon emerged.

reid's ball, keane's goal. the best of the lot

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Originally Posted by carnstien

Duff - Andy Reid - Roy Keane - McGeady
would tare average sides like the Faroes or Israel to shreds.

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going forward yes, that midfield would cause all kinds of havoc. Tracking back and defending, nope, not a hope. As much as duff has improved the defensive side of his game, he's still very much an attacking player as are both McGeady and Reid, Keane in his prime would struggle to cover for three midfielders, never mind now. Even when France played with Pires and Wiltord, they still had 2 defensive midfielders in Vieira and Makelele to cover back for them.

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Originally Posted by tetsujin1979

going forward yes, that midfield would cause all kinds of havoc. Tracking back and defending, nope, not a hope. As much as duff has improved the defensive side of his game, he's still very much an attacking player as are both McGeady and Reid, Keane in his prime would struggle to cover for three midfielders, never mind now. Even when France played with Pires and Wiltord, they still had 2 defensive midfielders in Vieira and Makelele to cover back for them.

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Defending against what? World class opposition like The Faroe Islands!!!!

Give me a break, we would have so much of the ball and rip them apart so badly that they wouldn't stand a chance, they wouldn't even have a sniff of the ball!

I'm not saying to play that midfield against bloody Brazil, but what we need against the likes of The Faroes, Isreal and Cyprus is a midfield full of creativity and most of all able to use the bloody ball!

And I wouldn't exactly hold France up as a shining light as how football should be played these days...

What is the craic with McGeady these days? Why the under 21's? Hes getting first team football at celtic and he is an exciting player. Has he been added to the squad for the faroes match?(A match he could come on and really shine in) :confused:

Kerr's using him this season the same way O'Neill used him last season, sparingly. Probably could do damage against the Faroes, but with Duff and Reid in the squad we don't really need him. You could ask the same question about Flood, in the Man City team but not called up to the seniors yet.

http://www.etims.net/index.php?optio...id=860&Itemid=

This is what some Celtic fans think of McGeady's season