Republic of Ireland V Italy - Saturday, 10th October 2009 - World Cup 2010 Q

I was disappointed in central midfield again yesterday, some decent defensive work and Whelan's excellent goal notwithstanding.

I thought the full backs played well enough actually.

Can't criticise the forwards who were feeding off scraps and worked their ****** off yet again.

I think Given will be disappointed with both goals and, as said above, his distribution - particularly late in the game - was poor.

Dunphy sounds like he has lost the plot. A got a text after the game saying he was talking shyte.

Just think of all the points we have dropped due to dumb, avoidable errors. We'll need to iron these out to get through.

If the 2 games against Italy were our play off we'd be out on GD. We're close though.

Do yellows in the Monty game carry through to the play off?

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Originally Posted by irishultra

Dunphy is just an awful pundit. Listening him on the Champions League coverage is so annoying. Every season he comes out with the same stuff about the same English clubs. I mean his Ronaldo bashing just got tedious at the end.

'Italy are useless' just about sums up the depth of his analysis. He's a joker. I never watch their analysis anymore. They're not 'cutting edge' or anything like it, its a poor panel, which is past its sell by date.

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Just got to see the rte panel discussion today on the web - def time for Giles and Dunphy to go.
Italy are not the best at the moment, but i wouldnt agree with dunphy in saying they are the worst ever italian team

Dunphy kind of reminds me of Jimmy Hill when he was on the BBC all those years ago - a complete ****, but im sure many here tune in just to see what he is ranting about?

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Originally Posted by RiffRaff

Dunphy said last night that he didnt know who Rowlands was. Thats on top of saying that Carsley should be in the squad when he isnt getting a game at Birmingham, and that Keith Fahy is a full back. Is it too much to expect that someone who is being paid to be an expert analyser actually does some research???

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As an unpaid fan I make it my duty to know who these players are. As a paid pundit it's terrible that he doesn't know them and even worse that he hadn't researched him before going on the show.

When he actually does (or gets somebody to do) his research, the information is plagiarised from here.

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Originally Posted by bennocelt

Just got to see the rte panel discussion today on the web - def time for Giles and Dunphy to go.

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what a cockmuncher is Dunphy, Andy Reid is the new Roy Keane :rolleyes:
a publicity and notoriety obsessed cockmuncher.

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Originally Posted by ruben_sosa

what a cockmuncher is Dunphy, Andy Reid is the new Roy Keane :rolleyes:
a publicity and notoriety obsessed cockmuncher.

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And in no way helping Andy Reids case. I'm sure Reid is ****ed off today after learning of Dunphy's self serving nonsense. It has become 'wrestling" punditry.

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Originally Posted by John83

Qwerty, that didn't seem to be the pattern for the last goal last night - if anything, we were caught because we didn't sit back.

Whelan seems to have been replaced because he was at risk of a second yellow - he put in 1a couple of hearty tackles shortly before he was taken off.

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I was really referring to the first goal, it was demoralising watching it. And then at 1-1 magic we can have some of the ball now as all Italy need is a draw so they'll let us play again. They toyed with us. This was like the visit of Germany in the last campaign, they got what they wanted. We almost stole it but let's not deceive oursleves. They were by far the better team. They are streetwise and talented, we're not.

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Originally Posted by Qwerty

This was like the visit of Germany in the last campaign, they got what they wanted. We almost stole it but let's not deceive oursleves. They were by far the better team. They are streetwise and talented, we're not.

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That's kind of how I saw it too. They were far more cohesive. That's not to say they weren't given a game. We gave a really good account of ourselves as an underdog with inferior players in critical areas of the pitch. In a way though, that's what made it such a creditable Irish performance. They did just what they had to do gainst Cyprus, Monty, Georgia and Bulgaria - in most cases that was winning. In our case they got 2 draws. Well done us.

Fantastic atmosphere last night, missed dunphy et al afterwards though.

did anyone else notice how much Grosso bombs forward at every opportunity? he plays as an out and out left midfielder with Pirlo tucking in, must have some fitness and i think Trap was spot on to start Lawrence who done an awful lot of work off the ball.

we let the italians knock it around at times without them penetrating but still held our shape very well and i was content to let them have it where they did

Overall, desperately unlucky to concede the equalizer but i thought we were well worth the draw and were unfortunate not to win the game.

Nervous now about who the play-off's will throw up!!!

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Originally Posted by Row Z

did anyone else notice how much Grosso bombs forward at every opportunity?

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Yeah. Remember their goal in Bari? That was him - skinned Keogh on the right, ran at our defence along the goal-line and centred it past McShane to Iaquinta. I thought Trap would set Hunt on him this time, but Lawrence was a good choice too.

What's trap's plans for Wednesday I wonder? Westwood in goals, Best starting maybe? Italy gave us a run around at times, particularly in the middle of the park. With Whelan out, surely he might try Lawrence in there.

I think oshea was way over exuberant and when he got the header for their second goal he should have made sure of where he was directing hte header, he got caught out, and then they got in behind him and i saw the goal coming and i was literally a mile away!!

i think the talk about croker being crap for atmosphere will be well and truly banished. it was rocking last night especially after our second goal i just looked around to take it all in. its just a real pity we didnt get the win. I never saw an atmosphere like it before

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Originally Posted by paul_oshea

...i saw the goal coming and i was literally a mile away!!

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You watched the game from the botanic gardens?

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Originally Posted by John83

You watched the game from the botanic gardens?

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ok not literally, maybe i was over exuberant too. I would say though that you would need to be 1.5 to 2 miles away if you were in the botanic gardens.

was whelan crying here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BJ5aDs_zgPs
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=500lU...eature=related

Indeed you did, when they broke away the worst fears were realised! Couldnt believe it.

I feel better today than yesterday. Maybe its my NFL bets coming through but.....lets have at it. We can beat anyone in a home and home.

Haven't read the whole thread so not sure if this has come up but, whoever decided on that Ole Ole music after the goals needs shooting. Very embarrassing :o

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Originally Posted by Arnold Layne

Hwhoever decided on that Ole Ole music after the goals needs shooting. Very embarrassing :o

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Any stadium that plays any kind of music after a score should be blown up. That tune played at Twickenham after an England try is particularly horrible.

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Originally Posted by NeilMcD

Those were the best 3 minutes I have had since I last had sex.

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you haven't had much good minutes then lately :D