Player by Player rating of the lads this campaign.

Henry wasn't seen while O' Shea was on the pitch.
I feel O' Sheas injury has cost us our place as Henry got a new lease of life when Sheasy went off!

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by CarrickFan

Quite a comprehensive post for someone who feels so disassociated with players who either work or were born in another country and who struggles to identify with our national team.

---

Good man Sherlock Holmes, you must have checked every post ive made to hang me out to dry. Maybe it was the one about Kilbane having such pride for the jersey and being born across the water? Remind me not to post anything before i check that i doesn't clash with any of my past posts.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Billy-Green

Good man Sherlock Holmes, you must have checked every post ive made to hang me out to dry. Maybe it was the one about Kilbane having such pride for the jersey and being born across the water? Remind me not to post anything before i check that i doesn't clash with any of my past posts.

---

Billy-green there has been a misunderstanding im afraid i was in no way talking about you or any of your posts..my post was in reference to the original creator of this thread..apologies for not being clearer.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by highlight100

Player of the group stages - Richard Dunne
Best Newcomer - Liam Lawerence

---

Would agree with this and O'Shea as most improved player.

I know Robbie doesn't take all his chances but 6 goals from 12 games and 2 of them coming away to Italy and France is not to be sniffed at. We will miss him sorely when he retires because at the moment I can't see anyone coming through that would be so prolific but hopefully someone will step up to the plate in the next few years.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by carloz

Think St Ledger deserves a 9. Excellent in pretty much every game he has played for us, despite being thrown in at the deep end half way through the campaign. Remember this is from a player that hasn't played 1 minute in the Premiership

---

St Ledger has to be the Best Newcomer to the squad/team by far, a fanatstic find, just wonder why it took Trap so long to call him up.

Only a matter of time before he is playing in the English Premiership, Italy or Spain.

Remember I was the one pushing for his inclusion to the squad whilst many on here were all for the likes of McShane, Bruce and O'Dea.

I rest my case! :)

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by the doc

St Ledger has to be the Best Newcomer to the squad/team by far, a fanatstic find, just wonder why it took Trap so long to call him up.

Only a matter of time before he is playing in the English Premiership, Italy or Spain.

Remember I was the one pushing for his inclusion to the squad whilst many on here were all for the likes of McShane, Bruce and O'Dea.

I rest my case! :)

---

No honest assessment could give St Ledger a 9 for this qualification campaign. Indeed a 9 means he was world class in each of the games he played in - and he clearly wasn't but none of our players were either.

I thought St Ledger did well in both games against France although he lead with his arse in trying to stop Anelka's shot. Otherwise he was exposed at times in the other games he played in and it cost us goals. Without Dunne by his side he was all at sea against South Africa - if they had a striker they would have put 3 or 4 pass us that day.

At the end of the day Dunne was our most important defensive player before the start of this campaign and he still is. What we have learned is that both Josh and St Ledger can complement Dunne in the centre of defence. Can either replace Dunne in the team - questionable.

I don't think we have found any real quality in the players Trapattoni has brought into the squad. In this regard, the failure of McGeady to make the step-up from club football to international football is disappointing and come the start of the next qualification campaign, our key players are still the usual suspects.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by CarrickFan

Billy-green there has been a misunderstanding im afraid i was in no way talking about you or any of your posts..my post was in reference to the original creator of this thread..apologies for not being clearer.

---

Apologies on my behalf too, it was straight after mine so i just assumed.....maybe im paranoid :o

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by mkbucks

Henry wasn't seen while O' Shea was on the pitch.
I feel O' Sheas injury has cost us our place as Henry got a new lease of life when Sheasy went off!

---

While O Shea has been by our most improved player, I believe Henry is not a patch on what he once was and saw no visible improvement in his game throughout the two play off games.
If you watch O Shea closely he is very much inclined to stand off an opponent and give too much space. His positional sense can be questioned also.

The current Henry isn't what he once was, he's far better than it. His performance last season was the best of his career, he was simply magnificent.

He was a bit sluggish in the games against us as he was just back from an injury that had him out for a few months, he hadn't a full 90 minute game under his belt coming into those matches so you can't reasonably expect him to be playing 210 minutes in the space of 3 days at full tilt.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by ifk101

No honest assessment could give St Ledger a 9 for this qualification campaign. Indeed a 9 means he was world class in each of the games he played in - and he clearly wasn't but none of our players were either.

I thought St Ledger did well in both games against France although he lead with his arse in trying to stop Anelka's shot. Otherwise he was exposed at times in the other games he played in and it cost us goals. Without Dunne by his side he was all at sea against South Africa - if they had a striker they would have put 3 or 4 pass us that day.

At the end of the day Dunne was our most important defensive player before the start of this campaign and he still is. What we have learned is that both Josh and St Ledger can complement Dunne in the centre of defence. Can either replace Dunne in the team - questionable.

I don't think we have found any real quality in the players Trapattoni has brought into the squad. In this regard, the failure of McGeady to make the step-up from club football to international football is disappointing and come the start of the next qualification campaign, our key players are still the usual suspects.

---

God your so negative!

Disagree with what you suggest, I don't think he was exposed in the games, yes teams got throug the defensive unit, but you have to accept that will happen at times in games.

As for the South Africa game, thought he did well.

Are you Dunphy in disguise?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Murfinator

Kevin Kilbane - 3 - Not a natural left back so you can forgive him to an extent but showed to be a weak spot throughout and really struggled defensively. His saving grace was the away leg to France where he was downright magnificent both in attack and defence. Realistically needs to be replaced as a starter.


Paul McShane - 3 - McShane's campaign was as frustrating as the last. One moment he can do something brilliant, the next something ridiculous and you're down a goal. Sloppy covering led to Henry's hand of god incident which is what we'll all probably remember from him this campaign. Still young, and he's got himself a starting position at Hull so I wouldn't rule out his future chances just yet.

.

---

These guys are not the same score - there is at least a 5 point differential between them - I'm not sure where that leave McShane if the range is 1-10!

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Emmet7

Keane - Once more showed in Paris that he needs 4 golden opertunities for every goal he scores. Has a high individual scoring rate for Ireland but I am convinced it's at the expense of the team. He'd prefer to shoot from an impossible situation than lay it off to someone better placed. Does not link up at all well with Doyle and prefers to have a striker alongside him who will set him up for goals but not the other way around. Notoriously self-centred for club and country and probably one of the reasons Ireland hardly every score more than one goal in big games.

---

i got to this comment and i didnt bother reading anymore. FFS this annoys me so much its unbelievable. people that agree with this have not got a notion about football IMO. head in the clouds.

Keane was our most pivotal player for the last 10 years and will remain so until he hangs his boots up(a day i will dread). My personal highlight of this campaign was the efforts and emergence of glenn whelan. totally under-rated but i thought he was brilliant. gritty, commited and can pass a ball, scored 2 goals. i was really pleased with him.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Duggie

i got to this comment and i didnt bother reading anymore. FFS this annoys me so much its unbelievable. people that agree with this have not got a notion about football IMO. head in the clouds.

Keane was our most pivotal player for the last 10 years and will remain so until he hangs his boots up(a day i will dread). My personal highlight of this campaign was the efforts and emergence of glenn whelan. totally under-rated but i thought he was brilliant. gritty, commited and can pass a ball, scored 2 goals. i was really pleased with him.

---

Keane blew it in Paris, it really is that simple, and I'm also sick of listening to people like you with no clue about football who say Ireland can win games with our forwards not scoring.

Had Keane converted that simple chance when he was 1 on 1 with the keeper, we'd all be celebrating now.

You don't win games without converting chances, it's a simple rule, which obviously has escaped you.

I admire what Keane has done for Ireland and he has scored some crucial goals, but he also soaks up possession with only the odd goal to show for it. Penalties don't count as goals from open play.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Emmet7

Keane blew it in Paris, it really is that simple, and I'm also sick of listening to people like you with no clue about football who say Ireland can win games with our forwards not scoring.

Had Keane converted that simple chance when he was 1 on 1 with the keeper, we'd all be celebrating now.

You don't win games without converting chances, it's a simple rule, which obviously has escaped you.

---

oh shut up, who tucked away our goal in the first half and the other 40 the last 10 years. ya lets bench robbie that will get us scoring. total waste of time you posting, u talk complete sh1te.

You'll miss him when hes not here any more!

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Duggie

oh shut up, who tucked away our goal in the first half and the other 40 the last 10 years. ya lets bench robbie that will get us scoring. total waste of time you posting, u talk complete sh1te.

---

And we have a winner for the most immature poster on foot.ie.

Duggie take a bow.

As for the 40, many of them were penalties which even you would have a good chance of scoring. Many of the rest were scored against the likes of San Marino, Georgia, Albania, Cyprus and so on. Harly top notch opposition.

I said on here before the second leg in Paris, the inability of our strikers to score goals and convert chances would cost us the tie. Ultimately I was proven right, as our strikers had at least 3 clearcut chances apart from the goal.

As for Keane, with the game in the balance he started looking for the fancy goal...go around the keeper when he should have stuck it wide of him, try for a 25 yard screamer when he could have played Doyle in. Same old story with Keane.

Anyone remember the fancy flick he tried for Liverpool in the Champions League when a simple volley would have done the job.

I think Keane was right to try and round Lloris - the French goalie proved himself exceptionally fast coming off his line previously and Keane absolutely did him. Pity he did himself too with a slightly heavy touch. Unlucky imo.

Sure he could have shot but so what? No 'but?!/if!/maybe??!?!' is going to overshadow what has been an immense campaign for our captain. I've had my doubts too but Keane has been brilliant under Trap - passionate, leading by example and still popping up with crucial goals.

In this campaign Keane got six goals (almost half our total, just the one penalty) contributing 10pts as well as almost beating the French. His scoring stats previous to this are screamingly obvious and hardly need reiterating - although the penalities argument hardly adds up to a hill of anything. Nor does the usual cry of 'Keane only scores against small nations.' Such as those footballing minnows of Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Holland and Yugoslavia.

Meanwhile slamming Keane for not getting two when he scored one while, in the same sentence, arguing the team should score more is patently ridiculous. Keane scores most of the goals for a side who score very few. This is actually an achievement.

The rest of the team could take the pressure off him by contributing a few more. Or we could defend better and not concede silly goals. Either way the whole argument conveniently ignores Keane's statistical record. Speaking of which...

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Emmet7

Anyone remember the fancy flick he tried for Liverpool in the Champions League when a simple volley would have done the job.

---

96 games for Ireland and you have to reach for a Liverpool example?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Emmet7

As for the 40, many of them were penalties which even you would have a good chance of scoring. Many of the rest were scored against the likes of San Marino, Georgia, Albania, Cyprus and so on. Harly top notch opposition.

---

Ridiculous that anyone could criticise Robbie's scoring record for Ireland! 41 international goals is remarkable. Think of all the other great Irish strikers that never got anywhere near that!If not for the goals against the clearly appauling opposition that you named in this campaign alone we wouldn't even have been near the play-offs.

Robbie is a victim of is own reputation, I hear so many people dismiss him saying 'Keane is ****' while they say that Doyle is a great player when I ask them about him.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by fionnsci

Ridiculous that anyone could criticise Robbie's scoring record for Ireland! 41 international goals is remarkable. Think of all the other great Irish strikers that never got anywhere near that!If not for the goals against the clearly appauling opposition that you named in this campaign alone we wouldn't even have been near the play-offs.

Robbie is a victim of is own reputation, I hear so many people dismiss him saying 'Keane is ****' while they say that Doyle is a great player when I ask them about him.

---

Exactly fionnsci, Keane still had to put them away. In my opinion it doesn't matter who the opposition is. We should be happy that he's scoring for us, because Doyle doesn't do it often. That doesn't mean that we can't criticise his consistent blowing of chances! Still, I'm happy we have Keane in our team!

Would Nicolos Anelka have tried to round the goalie in that situation, or Henry?

That's the difference, these guys know how to convert every chance they get.

Anelka had half a chance in Dublin and was able to put it in the net with the help of a deflection. The Gallas chance was only a half chance in Paris, but they scored.

The French only need one or two half chances. Torres only needs one or two half chances.

The Irish forwards and wingers got 4 - 5 chances in Paris and converted one. That's the main reason we aren't going to South Africa. And yes it is a case of ifs/buts/ands. Losing teams and supporters usually end up talking about ifs/buts/ands.

The whole campaign was thrown away because Robbie Keane tried to be fancy. His stats throughout the campaign are pointless now.

If I was Trap I would be going balistic at Robbie and telling him to cut the fancy sh*t and stick the ball in the net. There was no way the goalie would have had time to react given that Robbie was so close to the goal. It was one of the easist chances I have ever seen.

He wasn't unlucky, he was just crap at finishing the chance and in my opinion showing off which he is prone to do. If Torres, Drogba, Henry or Anelka had that chance, it would be a certain goal.

And I stand by the assertian Robbie needs lots of clear cut chances to score one.

As for his goal against France and also in Bari against Italy, both were put on a plate for him by Duff and Folan.

At the highest level, you have to take your chances or eventually you end up losing. That's not just my opinion, it's a fact.