Bulgaria had all the possession, well most of it, yes. But how many times did they cut us open? The real world is that our system is better suited to playing away from home anyway. We won't be beaten by Cyprus in Nicosia, I fancy us to get a point in Sofia too.
Again, we hardly beat an injury ravaged Cyprus in Dublin. I think you might be drunk.Quote:
Originally Posted by Jicked
Yeah, a left back can't make much difference, because that is where we put our mate who's a bit rubbish when we play 5-a-side. Sure what difference does it make if it's McShane or Finnan.
Have. You. Got. Someone. Looking. After. You ?
Edit: a 1-0 win and a few blocked shots in the last ten minutes of a game does not mean we hardly deserved to beat Cyprus for gods sake.
Fine.You are entitled to your opinion and i hope you are right but i doubt it somehow.
We will be doing well to get 2nd spot. It's okay to draw with a good enough team at home if you have already got an away result against them. Now it adds a bit of pressure but not a heap.
The game looked a bit similar to the Cyprus game but in the flesh we look far from an effective force. There should of been enough in our team to nail the game in the first half instead we looked more clumsy, uncoordinated and out of sorts.
Ironically we have performed better under Stan against the Czechs and Germans at home.
.
Funny enough our best performance in the last few years was under Stan when we hammered Sweden in Dublin
Do NOT go there :DQuote:
Originally Posted by FarBeag
Yeah, I watched Georgia on TV and thought it was better than most people thought. I was in Dublin yesterday though and my God I could barely believe my eyes. I'm one of the more positive people around here but that was garbage yesterday. Nobody wanted the ball and nobody could even do the basics - you know, stuff like passing the bloody ball.Quote:
Originally Posted by geysir
McShane may be able to stop people playing football but he is not up to being a full back at that level. Did anyone notice that their full backs played a lot of the game deep in our half? Our full backs couldn't develop a photograph let alone develop play. O'Shea was culpable too, but did a midfielder ever show for him? Once even?
Whelan & Andrews did bits & pieces well at times - for about 10 effing minutes! The other 80 they were outplayed.
Hunt has no finesse whatsoever. No touch, no awareness.
McGeady didn't look fit. No blame to the front two - the service was appalling. It was like Italia 90 all over again - Bonner to Quinn / Given to Doyle.
Totally bankrupt performance. I'm not sure whether it's tactics or lack of ability but I think it's a bit of both. I'd say McShane is the most talentless full back playing anywhere in Europe last night. Full backs are an essential part of a team's attacking balance and both of ours were awful.
Coleman & Moloney did a far better job on Friday than our 2 last night and Eddie Nolan looked like he was happy on the ball, unlike O'Shea.
The group still looks manageable wrt 2nd place but we need a couple of good away results. With performances like last night it won't happen.
We really need Mc Shane out of the team for the game against Italy on Wed. Other than that there does not seem to be anything in the squad that can improve the team at this point.
I think Stephen Reid Carsley, Andy Reid and Ireland and Finnan S. Kelly and Foley would all impmrove the team if they were brough in for Whelan, Hunt and Mc Shane and Kilbane long term.
I said before yesterday that we would draw with Bulgaria and beat Italy and I stand by that. We are set up as an away team. Italy will not score on Wednesday and we will sneak one.
PS Im not saying that we are a good side but Bulgaria are very very average. A Keano-Holland midfield would have secured a 3-0 win yesterday despite the managers cautious approach.
We will certainly do all not to get beat as thats Trapps MO weather home or away weather azzuri or a pub team,but if anyone thinks that Mcshane Killbane Whelan S.Hunt Andrews or half the sub bench are up to international football you are as deluded as the muppets who appointed Trapp,he compares whelan to cattuso says it all for me,kilbanes ball watching is schoolboy stuff,Mc shane is very lucky to be making money playing football worst Irish player ever and thats saying something and S.Hunts energy is no excuse for his lack of abilty.This side are due to be embarrased badly at some stage and the sooner the better for me so that we can get rid of Trap, Brady and the rest of the imposters who are picking a sub standard Irish squad.next ill be told we dont have the players well your wrong we dont have the management and as for our no sub till its too late ****** i give up.we have been garbage under Trap.Que the deranged muldooner response.........................
Steven Reid is a huge loss. Then Finnan.Quote:
Originally Posted by NeilMcD
That was a totally dysfunctional "team" last night.
Ireland were muck and I think that along with me and everyone else in the stadium that that was the general consensus.
Paul McShane was an absolute joke. I have never seen a more poor excuse for a footballer. Thankfully my Mam has been called up for Wednesday night to replace him!:D
Glenn Whelan............was he playing??? Too quiet for a centre-mid!
and as for McGeady.......absolutely terrible, his worst game in an Ireland shirt!
Again I must go bac to Trappatoni's substitute policy or lack of it. The three mentioned above should have been hauled off with at least 20 mins to go.
There has to be changes in Italy otherwise were gonna get stuffed!:(
How Kevin Foley isn't getting a chance is beyond me?
Well, spot on so far.Quote:
Originally Posted by ken foree
Given that there'll probably be no changes to the squad, I'd select Gibson over Whelan to partner Andrews and hope to jaysus he plays as well as he can. Just drill in to him to look for it, find men, keep it moving...
A far more balanced XI for Wednesday would be:
Shay
Foley-Dunne-O'Shea-Delaney
McGeady-Gibson-Andrews-Kilbane
Keane--Doyle
You can point to the full backs' lack of experience all you like but nothing could be worse than the two that played on Saturday. Thse two are at least naturals in the position, bringing essential balance, & each can get forward when appropriate.
I'd play KK LHM because Hunt was basically a poor man's Kilbane last night, and Kilbane is only a poor man's Tony Galvin.
Honestly How would people feel If S.Ireland did come back now. firstly if he came back now ppl will prob say its so late, if by a freak of nature we qualify people will say hes a glory hunter. Ireland wouldnt of got the ball last night cause all we did was hoof it long and if he plays and we do this ppl will say hes crap anyway.
This is a good point.Quote:
Originally Posted by Manblue
I think it is interesting how Trapattoni seems interested in Steven Ireland returning to the team, even though he seems to want only defensive midfielders in the team. If he returned, would we suddenly start to pass the ball out of defence, or continue to hoof it long?
that match last night needed a reid, a fahey, a garvan to get on the ball and dictate. how can you pick two defensive midfielders who shirk away from the ball in a two man midfield? I'd understand if he was playing 3 in the middle but with two of the exact same players in the middle it doesn't look good for us. We'd be knocked out in the playoff by an anyway decent team. Sweden, Scotland, Poland, Belgium any of them.
Trap isnt interested in him, hence why he only made on attempt to get him back,Quote:
Originally Posted by osarusan
I dont think we would pass it out because we dont have the other players capable of doing it.
I honestly think that S. Reid is the player we most missed.
To use a rugby analogy, there's no point in having a great no. 10 if your pack turn the ball over every time they go into contact. In both codes, securing good possession is a prerequisite to your most creative players playing well.