I agree with that to be fair. I always though Robbie was more clinical working off instinct, than when he had time. The idea that chances like Long's falling to Robbie is as good as a goal is far fetched, and nearly everybody on Sky & RTÉ last night would have you believe.Quote:
Originally Posted by brine3
Nonsense. I just thought it was an unconvincing finish that the keeper will have been disappointed to have let in.Quote:
Originally Posted by brine3
Others said it was class. I disagreed. Long doesn't fill me with confidence in front of goal but he's a menace to opposition defenders. That's a conundrum that needs solving. Long's confidence isn't low because some internet fan like me objectively criticises his finishing, it's because he knows full well he fluffed big chances last night.
Think he took the goal well. It was an very awkward chance, one that's easy to pull well wide or fire straight at the keeper. He aimed it gently towards the middle knowing that his body shape and positioning would angle it away from the keeper. Don't think he could have done any more with it but it was a bit unusual looking.
I think the message from all the posts above is that regardless of who we play upfront we need to create lots of decent half-chances rather than a few clear cut ones :)
It'd be nice if MON can make us look like a real threat from set pieces again. We may need to rely on them.
Apart from Romario and a few others, you often see strikers make a meal of one on ones. Like they're used to feeding off scraps and suddenly they have a whole banquet in front of them. There was a ball played across in the first half which was cut out which I'm sure Long would have tucked away. Anyway, there was a lot of talk in the media about last night being his big night. He fluffed his lines a couple of times. Let him do that now and put it behind him once the qualifiers start. And keep knocking them in for Hull.
Agree with Stutts on set-pieces. Can't remember a decent one last night apart from Wilson's header which was a harder one than Houghton made out.
And on credibility:
Wes is from the north inner city but I think that's a bit much. And also doesn't make sense. :)Quote:
Originally Posted by paul_oshea
Meyler had a free header from a corner shortly after he came on too. It was a better chance than Wilson's I think.Quote:
Originally Posted by Yard of Pace
This whole thread is a bit of a curates egg.
McCarthy and McGeady didnt come from the LOI its not necessarily through the English system I meant, just that those coming out of the LOI lack that technical ability.Quote:
Originally Posted by Charlie Darwin
Macedonia away, for every one i will counter, he intercepted and a lovely finish past the keeper. It was duff who had a worse miss in Paris one-on-one!Quote:
Originally Posted by DeLorean
You said our players would surely be better off testing themselves "against the best" across the water. I assume you don't consider playing in the Scottish Second Division to be "the best" and yet it produced McCarthy. The idea that players are better off in cattle market academies in England is ridiculous.Quote:
Originally Posted by paul_oshea
It was somebody else that mentioned the Paris miss. Yeah, I'm not saying Robbie has never scored a one on one, just saying he's missed plenty but you wouldn't think it listening to Ronnie Whelan & co. last night. God I hate Ronnie Whelan. Ray is annoying too but likable behind it all.Quote:
Originally Posted by paul_oshea
Pedantic point, but I think that the LOI is an unfair scapegoat. It reflects the lack of joined-upness of the whole structure and does as well as it can despite this.
Long: remember his brilliant backheel against Austria and header at Wembley? Scorer of great goals perhaps, but not a great goalscorer. OK, Austria hit the post but still...
Does anyone remember Cascarino's autobiography where he'd describe the voices in his head if ever given time to think about a goal chance? If anyone is the man to get Long's head right it's O'Neill. Many say O'Neill's best asset is his motivational ability. I still believe Long can become the man but he needs a few breaks. Look at his recent game against Villa - one great goal led to another. Last night could have been a career changer but instead he'll have those voices in his head next time he gets that kind of chance.
Meyler's miss was awful I thought. That had nothing to do with LOI or the English system. Goals like that are scored in the LOI and junior leagues all week. I played with a centre-back in Div 3C of the LSL who scored them regularly. A tall international CM should be able to.
Robbie: he exuded calm in several one on ones since Paris, mainly against weaker opposition. I think it is completely fair to think he'd have done much better than Long in those instances. That was the key message of the Georgia and Faroes games last year. I'd bet that Robbie believes in himself all the time in these situations. Even though the evidence is mainly against weak opposition (so by assumption waeker keepers) he is happy to draw the keeper and play a tidy chip. This isn't a strength that Long has.
Funnily enough, an old Irish teacher of mine once told us that, like the term 'scally', the origin of the term 'hooligan' to desribe a rowdy ruffian is to be found in the Irish family name, Hooligan, or Hoolahan even. That's probably self-evident, but I believe the terms were originally used to refer derogatively to members of Irish communities in cities like Liverpool and gradually caught on throughout the wider UK to refer to those perceived to be engaging in anti-social behaviour generally.Quote:
Originally Posted by Yard of Pace
As opposed to who? The former-LOI group in the senior squad are still better players than many other Irish players who've not come through the LOI. The reason we cannot rely on stronger players isn't really the fault of the LOI. The league can only do its best given its circumstances. It's a credit to it that so many former players are regularly selected in our senior squads.Quote:
Originally Posted by paul_oshea
Being involved with the English leagues are not the panacea for our technical woes.Quote:
Originally Posted by paul_oshea
Most all of our underage players (from u17 up) used in competitive games, are with English clubs. In contrast, on the continent, most all such players are still with home based league structure. Even the u21 squads from Norway Sweden Denmark, are mostly stocked with home based players.
Anyone got a link to highlights of last nights game?
I like Walters. Not a spectacular player, but I think he's the most intelligent striker of a physical ilk we have. Runs good lines in behind, stretches defences, opens up space for others and is a total work house. He's stronger and better at holding the ball up than any of our other striking options IMO.Quote:
Originally Posted by TheOneWhoKnocks
I don't think he's the best goalscorer but he's grabbed four in 22 apps and appears more of a threat than others when on the field. I don't think Murphy brings the above, and less besides. For instance, they're as slow as each other. Just my view of course.
I don't think so. I just think Walters is cut above the others. There's no point lumping all these guys in together. Walters has a quality to him which I don't think the others possess, at this moment. I'd criticism him all day for a bad performance, and he is limited, but I think he'd done fairly well in his relatively thankless stint in a green shirt.Quote:
Originally Posted by TheOneWhoKnocks
TOWK has been banging the Murphy drum for some time, over numerous posts. He also took Murphy's solitary contribution (a flick-on) and used it as a stick to beat Walters. Which is fine, but it's spin.Quote:
Originally Posted by paul_oshea
If Messi had scored the goal like Long did then we'd all be going on about what a genius Messi is and how he wrong-footed the keeper.
True, Duff's one actually counts as a miss, seeing as he shot the ball at the keeper. Keane just let the ball run out of play.Quote:
Originally Posted by paul_oshea
Messi has nothing to prove and Long does. If Shane wants us to to shut up, he could start putting away sitters. We're a struggling nation, we need a promising forward to turn into a goalscorer and we need it now.Quote:
Originally Posted by brine3
People can split the different on Robbie's goals and one-on-one's but, honestly, I just want a Premier League striker to score when he's clean through on goal. Twice. It's not too much to ask.
on rte player here: http://www.rte.ie/player/ie/show/10259899/Quote:
Originally Posted by Junior