World Cup Qualifying - Group D

I think O'Neill as Kingdom says cant spot these things as he is too emotionally involved, keane should be talking to him, or guppy or someone, it was glaringly obvious against Sweden too but he did nothing about it. Thats when our worst can be eradicated then and only then. Game management is more than just hte players knowning when to go down, when to foul, when to hold back etc, its about the management getting the tactics/subs/system and formation spot on and changing when needs be. Oneill has a plan B, but he doesn't have a plan when something is unfolding around him that needs to be addressed right away.

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Originally Posted by BonnieShels

One day we'll be the team on the end of the upset.

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One Day?

We've never lost in Cyprus, or Macedonia, or drawn in Liechtenstein.

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Originally Posted by Real ale Madrid

One Day?

We've never lost in Cyprus, or Macedonia, or drawn in Liechtenstein.

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With Georgia. Not in general.

But for McGeady we could have already had it.

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Originally Posted by BonnieShels

One day we'll be the team on the end of the upset.

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Congratulations! New Level Achieved: Paul O'Shea.

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Originally Posted by BonnieShels

With Georgia. Not in general.

But for McGeady we could have already had it.

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I get you now - didn't exactly hammer them in Dublin either. Tough games.

So who do we think will retire - there's been nothing since they came home - I guess everyone is on holiday. Likely to be announcements at the Oman game perhaps.

Keane - I'm not so sure he will retire from international ball if he's still playing club level.. plus if there's an acceptance he won't play much I'm not against him being there to help maintain experience in the squad
O'Shea - similar but I have a feeling he'll go now that Seamus is on field captain
Mcgeady - don't think he will retire yet - international football is the main positive in his career
Shay - definite retirement

any others?

Whelan and Hoolahan have been suggested but I think not and hope not respectively.

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Originally Posted by DeLorean

Whelan and Hoolahan have been suggested but I think not and hope not respectively.

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I'd suggest that both to an extent consider themselves to have unfinished business with Ireland. I can imagine a scenario where they are both around for the whole of the next campaign and becoming gradually less influential as it goes on. Can't see either "retiring" formally.

Given at Euro 2024.

http://www.avsforum.com/photopost/da...11114-154.jpeg

Ian Lawlah?

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Originally Posted by Stuttgart88

Jonathan Wilson on the success of 3-5-2 at this Euros:

https://www.theguardian.com/football...onathan-wilson

This is why I think we should look at it. Not because of an ideological predilection (though I admit I love 352) but because it’d suit us, it’d suit our players and their strengths, because nobody would be asked to do a role that doesn’t suit him. I loved the balance of our 2002 side, a 442 with square pegs in square holes, partnerships and combinations in every key segment. Wales have this lovely balance in their system and I think we’d have it if we used it.

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Originally Posted by BonnieShels

Like you I love 3-5-2 and have been so frustrated over the years as to why we don't play it given the available players.

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3-5-1-1 (with a diamond). I do like the look of it. Keogh and Clark are probably mobile enough for now to pull it off and Hendrick and McClean would be ideal for working back and filling the gaps. You could try swapping McClean and Brady also or obviously play a more traditional 3-5-2 with two strikers instead of having Hoolahan.

http://www.footballuser.com/formatio...07_Ireland.jpg

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Originally Posted by dynamo kerry

I'd suggest that both to an extent consider themselves to have unfinished business with Ireland. I can imagine a scenario where they are both around for the whole of the next campaign and becoming gradually less influential as it goes on. Can't see either "retiring" formally.

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I agree, a la Kevin Sheedy in the USA '94 qualification

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Originally Posted by DeLorean

3-5-1-1 (with a diamond). I do like the look of it. Keogh and Clark are probably mobile enough for now to pull it off and Hendrick and McClean would be ideal for working back and filling the gaps. You could try swapping McClean and Brady also or obviously play a more traditional 3-5-2 with two strikers instead of having Hoolahan.

http://www.footballuser.com/formatio...07_Ireland.jpg

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Play that against Oman and watch us fly.

Unless that's Long in goal and we're playing Herbert Chapman stylee.

Wow. Wales really have a few things to put right in this qualifying group. They beat Austria in 1975 and Moldova once in the 90's. Apart from that their record against these particular teams in competitive internationals is dire. Some examples.

1994-10-12 Moldova 3-2 Wales
1994-11-16 Georgia 5-0 Wales ... Neville Southall, Gary Speed, Dean Saunders, Ian Rush and interestingly Chris Coleman played in this one. Unbelievable. Okay Georgia had Kinkladze and Ketsbaia at the time but still.
1995-06-07 Wales 0-1 Georgia
2012-09-11 Serbia 6-1 Wales
2013-09-10 Wales 0-3 Serbia

I have no doubt that these results are less relevant than their recent excellent Qualification campaign and Finals. Just saying that they can put these things right and probably will.

According to wikipedia - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2018_F...p_D#Discipline - Duffy is suspended for the group opener against Serbia, but so are Kolorov and Matic.

We'll take that!

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Originally Posted by DeLorean

We'll take that!

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Strange Matic isnt listed here for some reason...was he injured? He played the game beforehand
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serbia..._football_team

Nothing to fear in that squad with those two missing we should be looking to win that game in my opinion.

Probably injured, unavailable anyway. He's on the list underneath it. He threatened to quit international football unless the attitude of his teammates improved after they lost 4-1 to Czech Rep in a friendly last November.

Didn't realise Mitrovic is only 21, looks a lot older.

I'd still take a draw.

A draw in Beograd will be a result I'd walk away with every day of the week. They are going to be up for this group after their last two disasters, and with the under 20 prospects.

Also, I've been espousing the merits of a 352/3411/343 as a cure for our ills for about 18 months now. With the options we have on the flank, and at centre back, it's disappointing that we haven't given it a run-out yet.
I'd state that it could be a runner with Whelan as the stopper for the likes of Moldova and Georgia also, keeping the system and playing more on the front foot. We've a lot of players that are interchangeable around the pitch. We need an interchangeable formation.

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Originally Posted by Kingdom

A draw in Beograd will be a result I'd walk away with every day of the week. They are going to be up for this group after their last two disasters, and with the under 20 prospects.

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agree. when was the last time that we beat any team of any sort of quality away from home in a qualifier? was it Scotland in 87??

We probably treated it as a must-win at the time but the victory in Armenia turned out to be a pretty impressive result in hindsight.