Belgium V Republic of Ireland - Saturday, 18th June 2016 - Euro 2016 Group E

my take on it is that if walters was held back for the first game it was just as likely that he would aggravate his injury against belgium. given that a result in the first game was so crucial, starting him there was a calculated risk.

i would agree that not bringing another striker - or a different one to murphy - was perhaps the wrong choice but we might end up needing all the bodies we brought regardless. i think it's to our advantage that italy play sweden tomorrow. ideally italy win that and then rest players v us...

Media chat seems to be McClean to benefit from Walters' injury

Keogh demands that Clark is dropped.

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He's badly positioned isn't he? I thought he could have put it into row Z. Clarkey's not been getting sleep and might be a bit tired. 5 days is a short turnaround between games. I won Player of the Year ar Derby so I'll be ready if I get the call.

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https://img.rasset.ie/000c6742-800.jpg

Just kidding. Defenders union as players rally behind Clark.

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“I thought the centre-halves defended very well and I thought Clarkey was unlucky because it’s a natural reaction to try to defend a cross,” said Keogh (below).

“If Ciaran had left it or missed it, there was a Swedish lad behind him.”

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https://www.rte.ie/sport/euro-2016/2...6086-clark-og/

All geared up and ready to jump on plane tomorrow. Nervous and exited!!! Might bump into some of ya there!

At Melbourne airport about to fly home. Can't wait to watch.the game in ireland tomorrow with family and friends.Giddy with excitement, COYBIG!

Wilmots' management under fire

https://www.theguardian.com/football...mment-76562051

I read earlier that Courtois might be replaced by Mignolet for his criticism of Wilmots.

Get Conor McGregor to fire up the lads again with a motivational speech and we can beat these lads.

Would an Italy victory in this game against Sweden be ideal for us or what are people thinking?

That's what I think

Sweden have improved considerably and Italy look stifled.

Has anyone noticed if many tickets are floating around for this? Just arrived in Bordeaux today so haven't seen anything yet.

Are Italy guaranteed first due to beating Belgium?

We can still get 7 points.

Hi,

Just going through the papers here. They dont seem to rate Ireland at all, really. I have been going through the sports sections of most Belgian/Flemish papers for the last 2 weeks and Ireland have never been mentioned , twas full of stuff about the Italians but very little about us. Even though their performance against Italy was not good, they still don't consider or even think that Irish are of any competition to them.

I just don't think it is the papers either. Since the draw has been made nobody and I mean nobody that I know or met, has given the Irish a hope in hell of beating 'them'. They seems to consider us as a kind of fodder, an easy 3 points while they deal with the Italians and the Swedish and from what I read today, this has not changed, even after the Italian match.

So, how can we beat them?? Well it seems that most Irish supports & journos are whistling the same tune: THEY ARE NOT A TEAM: The Belgians are not ready to work for each other. They are not a team to be honest about it, its the same thing as is here in this country. Its the Flemish speakers vs the French speakers and if they are not willing to negotiate over things like pensions and governments they they will be able to work together on a field of play. It is their greatest failing that they cannot get on together. So the Irish need to show how we are a team and how team spirit is importance to us and push it into their face.

Fellaini, Nainggolan, Lukaku, Benteke, Origi, Carrasco, Dembele and Witsel off the top of my head aren't ethnically French (Walloon) or Dutch (Flemish) so why would it matter to them?

De Bruyne is half-English on top of that.

I'd also love to know on what grounds Belgium think they can be so arrogant; what have they accomplished in football?

Italy too. We have faced them how many times over the last 20 odd years and the games have been evenly matched every time.

They're both equally deluded.

In saying that, I think we will probably end up getting one point from these two games.

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Originally Posted by TheOneWhoKnocks

Fellaini, Nainggolan, Lukaku, Benteke, Origi, Carrasco, Dembele and Witsel off the top of my head aren't ethnically French (Walloon) or Dutch (Flemish) so why would it matter to them?

De Bruyne is half-English on top of that.

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That as it may be ethnically, given the nature of the Belgian divide, growing up in either region would embed certain divisions anyway. And with a certain African bias towards French-speaking Wallonia you can guarantee that it would exist within them anyway.

I fail to see how you could think otherwise?

That you have issues with English- and- Northern- born nationals on the basis that they weren't born in the "Free State" but can gladly cast aside the place-of-birth of Belgians as if it has no effect on their politics or outlook because of their ethnicity is rather bizarre!

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Originally Posted by BonnieShels

That as it may be ethnically, given the nature of the Belgian divide, growing up in either region would embed certain divisions anyway. And with a certain African bias towards French-speaking Wallonia you can guarantee that it would exist within them anyway.

I fail to see how you could think otherwise?

That you have issues with English- and- Northern- born nationals on the basis that they weren't born in the "Free State" but can gladly cast aside the place-of-birth of Belgians as if it has no effect on their politics or outlook because of their ethnicity is rather bizarre!

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Exactly, I know fellas from Derry, for example, who are of African and Indian descent but who support Ireland and would have no sense of affiliation with NI.

I'm pretty sure Congo and Kenya aren't French colonies.

There doesn't need to be any cultural reasons for egotistical footballers to be at each other's throats when they are holed up together like this.

Look at Wesley Sneijder and Robin Van Persie as a textbook example.

Besides De Bruyne and Courtouis have more personal reasons for hating each other.

Don't see the connection between my opinion on the granny rule and this either TBH.

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Originally Posted by DannyInvincible

Exactly, I know fellas from Derry, for example, who are of African and Indian descent but who support Ireland and would have no sense of affiliation with NI.

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Naturally enough.

Essentially, the diaspora anywhere are free to support thon "motherlands" but the Irish must remain contrary to this. Seems legit.

Conte confirms he'll be playing the stiffs against Ireland. Huge incentive for us now to get a good result tomorrow.