A lot of people who actually work with Robbie seem to think he is a good leader, perhaps they have a better insight, what with actually being in the dressing room and all. Keane played well today, we're desperately lacking Steven Reid in the middle. Andy Reid wouldn't have made a jot of difference, just as he never did against the likes of Cyprus, Switzerland and Russia.
Ireland has no midfield. Simple as that. If that could be sorted we would have a very good side.
Have been reading some 'outside' reports on the game and it seems that the general consenus is that we were lucky to have gotten away with a draw. Firstly, I was at the game and all I feel is bitter disappointment that we did not kill bulgaria off. saying that i do not feel that we were inferior (apart fom midfield where petrov gave us a lesson) and we should be up there level with italy. As has been trotted out a thousand times, our midfield is crap and even if we do get to the WC does Trap, Brady etc seriously think that we wont get steamrolled with Gibson/Whelan in the middle! Full backs were sh!te too. Paul mc shane has no right to be in that squad ahead of foley, o dea, kelly etc. Kilbane i'm not too sure about.
Was reading some bulgarian media reports on the game and the vibe is all about 'unlucky' bulgaria and how they beat us with a depleted squad especially without 'MANCHESTER UNITED STAR BERBATOV!' :rolleyes: I disagree that the depleted bulgaria team should be praised for achieving this result as we were missing 3 three crucial players - s reid, duff, finnan (4 if you count baldy head from man city). Had these been available i believe we'd have stuffed bulgaria. The Times (english) leads with the headline 'KILBANE MISTAKE BRINGS REPUBLIC BACK DOWN TO EARTH' and pretty much suggests that our lofty position in the table has been as result of luck or over achievement. If anything we've underachieved for the calibar of team that is available, which leads me to question traps selection policy. not happy with it at all. Finally, the result tonite and the performance of our midfield has only heightened my dislike for that baldy little****** who through his own sense of self importance or lack of patriotism plays out of his skin for his club but refuses to play a handful of matches for his country especially when it is in such dire need of a quality midfielder. Like seriously, how much of an a$$h0le and how selfish must you be to turn your back on playing for your national team. I wouldn't be the biggest fan of roy keane but i find it hard to believe that even he would leave us in the lurch as much. I mean s ireland must have watched the match tonite and thought 'god, i could really help out here and do a far better job in midfield'. if he is any sort of a decent, proud irishman he would be on the fone to FAI to make himself available. but we know this wont happen. I don't know the chap but i'd go as far to sat that i reckon he probably takes an egotistical delight in seeing us struggle and know that he could solve alot of problems -a bit like the hot girl in a club who dangles herself in front of you and then buggers off, delighting in the fact that you want her and can't have her. it must be an irish thing that we produce such ar$eh0le soccer players, then again maybe just a Cork thing....
Where is this guy today?Quote:
Originally Posted by BigmanCas
BigmanCas was just sticking up for Kilbane, and I don't disagree with him.
Kilbane and the left-back slot is a worry for me whenever I watch Ireland play, but I'm not entirely convinced that Delaney would be leaps and bounds ahead of him. Take a look at some of the QPR supporters' forums...if he can't be steady at that level how will he do with us?
If a quality centre-half emerges (St. Ledger?), then we can push O'Shea to left back, but for now it is a trouble position with no obvious solution.
I'd like Ward to be given a run there in a friendly sometime.
When you haven't qualified for anything in 8 years, then you learn that you have to play a different way in order to turn it around. While I am disappointed that we don't look to kill teams off, the table shows that we haven't done too badly. We are capable of getting a point on Wednesday, Italy attacking wise, aren't Brazil.Quote:
Originally Posted by conlonn
The alternative was this campaign under the previous coach, and we were out of it halfway through last time. That was with Andy Reid and Stephen Traitor playing.
We have 3 away games coming up, Bulgaria have 3 at home. Whoever fares best, will progress.
Pride!! How do you bring pride to a team by getting a player who doesn't want to play for it :rolleyes:Quote:
Originally Posted by sheao
I have to laugh at many of the comments on this Forum. Trapp is rubbish (numerous league titles and European trophies)! Answer: Bring in players who are not getting their games for Premership and Championship sides like Reid (75th minute substitute last game, Garvan no long getting game at Ipswich, Scannel not getting his game either etc etc).
A few facts: We have 2 reasonable forwards and 1 good centre half another reasonable one and an excellent keeper. The rest of the team are journeymen, although Duff and McGeady on their days can be good. We have two poor full backs and two poor midfielders. There might be a tweak or two to slightly improve the scenario but nothing major so we have to live with what we've got. We must therefore play to a system which is what Trapp is doing.
We lost the 3 points by a flukey OG and perhaps should have won with Doyle's chance near the end. Such are the margins between success and failure. The Irish rugby team won because Wales missed a peno in the last minute and are celebrated as "heroes" - they would have been called chokers if the peno had gone over.
Frankly, I am not interested in "performances" or "entertainment" If you want the latter go to the cinema or theatre. I want results and if we get to the play offs and qualify after terrible games, Trapp will be my "hero". People are now brought up on Sky TV and hype and instant gratification.
We didn't get a win but we're still in the driving seat for a play off position. We have to match that result in Sofia.
I have seen it all before as a Wednesday fan. Cr+p sides so you sack the manager and then get cr+ppier and then sack the manager and then find yourself in the 3rd division. We have a manager (who is not perfect) with tons of experience who is getting the team playing to a system. He sorted out the mess that was the first half and we played much better in the second and we should have won. The difficult tests are to come but it is way TOO EARLY for the knee jerk reaction of some fans here.
People need a reality check. I was happy with the point. Our players are simply not good enough. Most of them can hardly hold down a place with bottom of the table premership teams. Bulgaria are a decent side. We had as many chances as they had if not more. Its certainly not easy on the eye, but it would not surprise me in the least if we managed a draw on Wednesday. We really miss Stephen Reid.
Whilst i agree our players are simply not god enough, it would absolutely shock me if we got a draw on wednesday. Im expecting the Italians to be all Italian and dispatch us coldly with a 2-0 winQuote:
Originally Posted by drummerboy
Well Said ... agree completely.Quote:
Originally Posted by OwlsFan
Was at the game last night.It was the biggest load of crap I watched in a long time. McGeady worked his socks off but he was ****.The only 2 positives were Doyle and McGeady and as I said McGeady is a tryer but5 he is ****.
Spot on, we've a good chance of getting a draw in Sofia, and then it's just down to us beating Cyprus and Montengro. If we do, Bulgaria need to at least draw one of their games against Italy and hope we don't do similar. Not a bad position to be in at all.Quote:
Originally Posted by OwlsFan
And you're right about Garvan et al, we tried throwing in youngsters who have never played in Europe, or even the Premiership in some cases, in the middle of a campaign under Staunton, and I don't particularly want to go back to the times of Jonathan Douglas, Alan O'Brien or Joey O'Brien in midfield any time soon.
We've a good chance of getting a draw in Sofia???? What planet are you on?? We were lucky to get a draw in Dublin, and we were only missing one player. Bulgaria were mising their first choice centre half, their first choice striker and their best winger.Quote:
Originally Posted by Jicked
We were missing Finnan, Steven Reid, Damien Duff (and Steven Ireland?). We do have a very good chance in Sofia, they will not break us down easily at all, and Duff and McGeady will have more room to do damage on the break with more space afforded to them, which will help us both offensively, but also help to ease the pressure on our poor central midfield. If we got beaten by more than one goal in Sofia I'd be very, very surprised.
Spot on.Quote:
Originally Posted by weldoninhio
So we were lucky to get a point yesterday? Despite restricting Bulgaria to one good chance and one own goal? And creating chances for Keane, McGeady and Doyle ourselves?Quote:
Originally Posted by FarBeag
And we were only missing one player? despite having Duff, Finnan, S Reid and Ireland unavailable?
Finnan has not played much at all this season and is not going to make a lot of difference, Steven Reid is out long term so prob won't be back even for the return match in June. I presume you popped in Steven Ireland as a joke, since he doesn't play for Ireland.Quote:
Originally Posted by Jicked
Oh my f ucking god.Quote:
Finnan has not played much at all this season and is not going to make a lot of difference, Steven Reid is out long term so prob won't be back even for the return match in June. I presume you popped in Steven Ireland as a joke, since he doesn't play for Ireland.
So it doesn't count as being missing a player if its a long term injury?? But it does count as missing a player when a Bulgarian is out due to long term injury (Petrov) Riddle me that one.
Also, on one hand we have people saying McShane is one of our worst full backs ever, you are in another thread championing Stephen Carr's recall on the back of 3 games in the Championship since he retired after becoming incredibly awful, and yet the return of one of our most consistent and experienced players both at international level and with years of European football behind him (including a Champions League medal) "is not going to make a lot of difference"
What planet are you from?
We were lucky to get away with a point yesterday yes. We were outclassed again, this time by a second string Bulgarian team. Who was playing at home again? What was the possession percentage? Wake up and smell the coffee man. Bulgaria will hammer us in Sophia. The players they have waiting to come in are far superior to ours. Italy will have a field day on Wednesday.Cyprus will beat us on their grass and we may grab a couple of points from our remaining home games.This is the real world not some fantasy one.Quote:
Originally Posted by Jicked
I'm from planet Earth, and i have a longer memory than a goldfish!! I was responding to your comment "We've a good chance of getting a draw in Sofia" (remember that) and since Stephen Reid won't be available for this i omitted him. Martin Petrov should be back for this game!!!!!Quote:
Originally Posted by Jicked
I never championed Stephen Carr to start from Ireland, i merely said that he has done well in his past 3 games and i believe players should be picked on form. Also a left back is not gonna make much of a difference, unless its Cafu or such like. Steve Finnan is an excellent player, but Cafu he is not.