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this won't be a very popular choice here.......but Givens hat-trick against Russia in '74 was still one of the best irish performances i've ever seen (Giles and Brady (on his debut) in mid-field. In retrospect, probably one of the best mid-fields ever in world football! If only we had some proper organisation in those days. Russia were really one of the top teams at the time too. Christ I feel old!
True but McGraths performance alone was incredible.Quote:
Originally Posted by irishultra
I found my old video recording of the Ireland-Italy '94 game last year, and watched it. It struck me that the standard of football (from both teams) was fairly poor by modern standards. Not very many well-constucted moves by either team (bar when McGrath made three consecutive blocks and when Sheridan hit the bar). Football has really improved in terms of pace, technique and intensity since '94. Which makes Wednesday night even more remarkable.
edit - oh, and the Italy game wasn't 'backs to the wall' by any means. We should've been two up after an hour. England '88 was backs to the wall alright!!!
Sometime between Saturday night and Tuesday morning this thought occurred to me:
During Celtic's run to the UEFA Cup Final in 2003, they faced Blackburn Rovers and Liverpool.
Against Blackburn, Celtic won 1-0 at home, but were expected to face a much tougher game at Ewood Park after being outplayed for long periods in the first leg, despite the home advantage. Celtic went on to win comprehensively 2-0 to become the first Scottish club in ten years to overturn English opposition.
In the quarter finals, they drew 1-1 at home to a Liverpool side that expected to go through in the return leg at Anfield. Celtic won 2-0 (including one of my all time favorite goals from Hartson)
Both times, Martin O'Neill set the team out in the second leg, after learning from the mistakes, and taking advantage of the knowledge gained, in the first leg.
I believed that Trapattoni would likewise have learned from the first leg against France, and would put that knowledge to use in the second leg in St Denis. The clear difference between the sides in Croke Park was Anelka. He was simply head and shoulders above everyone else on the pitch in terms of passing, movement, creativity and his performance deserved a goal, even if it was fortuitous.
On Wedensday, he was faced with a well marshalled, solid and organised midfield, linking well with the defence behind it, and this playmaker of the side was reduced to almost ineffecuality. Trapattoni had dealt with the main threat, and set out his side to deal with it, while not sacrificing the creativity that would be needed to grab the precious away goal.
Some people on the forum asked during Staunton's reign, and even during Kerr's what the Ireland side would be like under a manager who knew how to organise a team. Well Wednesday night's performance was your answer, and the culmination of 18 months of preparation, study and dedication from the management team.
Make no mistake, this wasn't just one of the greatest performances I have seen by an Irish team, this was one of the greatest performances by any team facing a markedly superior side. France brought on Champions League veterans in Malouda and Gouvou. We brought on McShane. That tells you the difference in class in the sides.
France were the better side on paper. Well, paper players win paper cups.
The goal aside, defensively and in midfield yes. Richard Dunne was immense, John O'Shea played the game of his life, St. Ledger hardly put a foot wrong and I think Kevin Kilbane actually did enough to stay at left back.
Midfield, Andrews was outstanding, 10/10, Whelan did well, Duff was quality once more and Lawrence, excellent, setting up the Keane chance.
Doyle played very well, better than Keane in my book.
However, the only weakness as throughout the campaign is our inability to actually convert chances and possession into goals, to put the ball in the net. We were by far the better team and we should have scored 4 goals in my view. Roy Keane is right in that respect.
We didn't sit back, we just didn't take chances.
The Robbie Keane miss was really unforgiveable. Taking more than one touch in that situation, really it's about time he grew out of that immature habit. As a striker you should never take more touches than you need to put the ball in the net.
That bit of showboating may have cost us the match, more so than the dodgy goal. And it's showboating like that, that lead people to say, Robbie isn't among the top finishers in the game.
Italy 1994 Holland 2001 and Spain 2002 were better displays.
As Duff said on Monday, Ireland would have to be at the top of their game and France have an off-day in Paris. Both happened.
France were a shambles in normal time in Paris. Not taking anything from our performance but everything in context.
I dont know about those games being better performances. I agree that France were not in great shape, but nor were the Dutch in 2001. We didnt have players with a vast amount of experience on Wednesday, we were trailing 1-0 (inc away goal) from the first leg, we had to totally change from our normal more conservative style of play, we were away (as opposed to home or neutral)...
About 10 years ago in the euro qualifiers I remember being very impressed with Ireland when they beat Yugoslavia, after that performance I thought they would have easily qualified, watched it in a dodgy Toronto bar filled with upset Yugoslavians ,had restrain myself from celebrating, it was 2-1. This 2nd leg against France and the 2002 WC game against Spain as well as the one against Yugoslavia are my top three.
The greatest performance i've ever witnessed from an Irish side. Especially considering that virtually everybody, especially the majority of posters on this site, gave us little or no chance of really taking the game to the French like we did. It was the monumentous display that Ireland supporters have been crying out for. I've always said that we have the players to become a real force in Europe - or at least a top tier two side anyway - and one of the best things about it now is that it shoved the words of the ManYoo bandwagoners down their throats, these people who proclaimed 'knowledgably' that Ireland are sh!t. Those people (and we all know them) are ironically the very people that are now discussing replays and cheating with such vigour. Well fu*k the begrudgers because the team proved we can be class. Trapattoni is the miracle we needed and I pray we'll show our true potential in the Euros. quarter or semis for me. OUR team earned the respect of the world this week. For that we as supporters should swell with pride. Éire Abú!
France wont do much or anything in the world cup, just like how crap they played in the last Euros. If you think they are great thats your opinion. They were there for the takingQuote:
Originally Posted by geysir
and Benzema is awesome
I don't think anyone really thinks he's one of the best finishers in the game. Anyway, I haven't seen it since wednesday but my guess at the time was that as Lloris had already made 3 blocks in similar situations he felt he had to take it around him. Watching live it loooked like he should have hit it first time.Quote:
Originally Posted by Emmet7
Shame.
How anyone can say Holland 2001 was one of our top five performances is beyond me. Definitely one of our best results but in terms of performance you couldn't put it into the same class a Wednesday or some of the other games mentioned on here.
It was a great achievement to go down to 10 men so early in the game and still manage to go a goal up and hang onto it until the end but that is exaclty what we did in that game, hang on. On another day Holland would have scored 2 or 3 goals.
Yeah Holland 01 and England 88 were both backs to the wall jobs. I think England 91 and Russia 88 are games were we dominated against top opposition and also Spain 92 in Seville was a great performance too.
I'm too young to remember 1988 so can't comment but this performance was certainly one of the better ones I've ever seen, in particular with the original 8 in defence and midfield, they were magnificent and if we can continue showing that level of courage than there's no reason why Andrews and Whelan can't continue to boss the midfield are throughout the coming campaigns.
That said I thought Given was sloppier than usual, Doyle played well but not great and Keane had a very good game alright but that miss was a howler to be fair, only black mark against him really.
The 2-1 win over Yugoslavia in the qualifiers for Euro 2000 was one hell of a performance
Are we mixing up great performances with great results?? This was our greatest result in modern times, we have beaten a top team away from home in a competitive game!! Italy 94, England 88, holland 2001, all probably seemed like greater wins because of the circumstances, but we defended for long parts of those games.( Italy 94 producing the greatest player performance i ever saw from Paul McGrath).
Wed game was the best performance i have seen from an Ireland team. We restricted them to a couple of long range shots and smothered their midfield.
Can we do that though for a full campaign??....I hope!!!
Following from where we were on Saturday night, away from home against France I cant remember being at a match where we played better. We may have had better results but that performance was incredible.
yes, i was going to include that game. Keane and Kennedy with excellent goals. The atmosphere in Lansdowne that night after we won was special. I was convinced that we were back and going to qualify after that game.Quote:
Originally Posted by Disgrace
Nobody has mentioned the 1-1 draw with england at wembly in the european championships when we really should should have beaten them easily. Sadly a familiar story!!
:D spot on France didn't perform!!!..that is even more credit to our players, magic performance, work rate, tempo, play, mixed with pride and passion.Quote:
Originally Posted by Stuttgart88
Top Drawer, roll on the Euro Qualifications ;)