Hoolahan, if not injured, could have come on with 10 minutes to go in Georgia. They were knackered and we were the more likely to score. He would still have been fresh for tonight too.
Hoolahan, if not injured, could have come on with 10 minutes to go in Georgia. They were knackered and we were the more likely to score. He would still have been fresh for tonight too.
So if we draw tonight, we need to win in Wales.
If we draw tonight and in Wales, and manage to best Wales on GD and get second place, we will be eliminated as the worst 2nd placed team.
I'd say It's impossible to accurately project anything ahead about that worst 2nd place team situation. Far to many moving parts.
You seem to think that possession is the be all and end all. The Sheffield Wednesday v Arsenal game a few years ago springs to mind. Arsenal lost 3-0 but the possession figures were 71% 29% in their favour. http://www.bbc.com/sport/football/34578025Quote:
Originally Posted by mark12345
Wednesday's plan was almost identical to MON's. They didn't mind conceding possession, defended well and hit Arsenal on the break. The trouble with Saturday's game was while we defended well most of the time, we didn't for the one attack where they scored and we missed our chances and should have won 1-3 despite the dearth of possession. I am not going to defend players unable to control a ball, and careless passing and many apparently aimless long balls but it really doesn't bother me if the result is in our favour. There are those who go to a football match to be entertained. If I am watching two teams in which I have no interest, yes I'd like to be entertained. If I am watching MY team, I want to see it WIN and entertainment is very much secondary.
Those who say MON is tactically inept, they should have a look at his record. You don't win trophies on motivational skills alone. Villa went in to free fall after he left. He had a plan on Saturday but too many players were off their game and especially one of the so-called creative players, Arter. It was a poor performance but I think we've had enough good performances/results under MON not to throw the baby out with the bath water. I think he is conservative and I was annoyed that he paid the Austrians and the Welsh in particular too much respect when they came here but I think he's entitled to our support for the moment.
Let's see in 6 hours how things stand before we meet Caesar on the steps of the Forum with our daggers drawn.
I'd just like to say good luck, and we're all counting on you.
Supposed Lineup:
Walters
McClean
Brady Hourihane Harry F. Arter Horgan
Ward Clark Duffy Agatha Christie
Randolf
"Surely you cant be serious, I am serious and stop calling me surely"
How influential was former-assistant John Robertson to O'Neill's past successes? I don't know enough about Robertson or his past relationship with O'Neill to answer that, but it's just something worth noting as I do know it has been said that Robertson was really the one who provided the tactical nous in that duo. Robertson hasn't been with O'Neill since Villa. O'Neill's later stint at Sunderland, where he didn't have Robertson by his side, ended sourly with O'Neill getting the sack. He was then appointed Ireland manager, of course, also without Robertson by his side (although O'Neill has achieved some exceptional and momentous results as Ireland boss, granted).Quote:
Originally Posted by OwlsFan
Robbo did a lot of scouting for MO'N. I had heard rumours he was helping out with Ireland in the scouting department but not heard anything concrete.
MO'N isn't stupid. He knows football - when you spend that long with Clough it's inevitable. He has never been one for working with the players on the training ground 24/7 but nor was Fergie or Clough. Like Owlsfan says you don't get to that level just on charisma.
I expect a few changes tonight and a performance. I'm just hoping Whelan doesn't start. Let's get somebody mobile in there and make things uncomfortable for Serbia. If you let Matic dictate MF we are in trouble. Quality operator that needs to be shut down.
Playoff table doesn't look too good for Ireland foments one reporter.
http://www.independent.ie/sport/socc...-36101195.html
Not sure why the papers are talking about the play offs because if we win our last 3 matches we qualify as group winners, and if the team grew some balls all the matches are winnable. On the other hand a play off spot could see us come up against a better team than either Wales or Serbia. I though Serbia were there for the taking in our first game, we simply sat back after scoring. I also haven't seen anything about Wales to be scared of in this group.
So you are like this guy?Quote:
Originally Posted by RiffRaff
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qwq7BYOnDrM
Hoolahan and Meyler in for Whelan and Arter. Flight about to take off. Hope to land to good half time news!
Promising indeed. Formation though? Walters on wing?
Three wingers if Walters out wide though?
Interesting, there's goal in that there team! ;-)
4-3-3 RTE radio saying.
It's attacking. Where does Brady play?
At least under this regime if you play like muck there are changes next game.
Fair point, although as SvD indicated earlier, it's all very reactive rather than proactive.Quote:
Originally Posted by shakermaker1982
Sky Sports News have the following:Quote:
Originally Posted by pineapple stu
Randolph
Christie - Duffy - Clark - Ward
Meyler - Hoolahan
Brady - Walters - McClean
Long
Hoolahan defensive?
McClean there as per the end of Saturday seems more likely.
I'm...not convinced. Seems a bit unbalanced
RTÉ, meanwhile, have the following:
Randolph
Christie - Duffy - Clark - Ward
Hoolahan - Meyler - Brady
Walters - Long - McClean
I imagine it'll be more like the following:
Randolph
Christie - Duffy - Clark - Ward
Meyler
Hoolahan - Brady
Walters - Long - McClean
Vladimir Stojković starts in goals for Serbia. Unfortunately, the hapless Predrag Rajković misses out.
Hadn't realised Serbia are actually favourites to get a win tonight with the bookies. I'd assumed a draw might have been most likely outcome with the bookies. William Hill, for example, have Serbia at 8/5 to win, with Ireland at 2/1 to win and a draw at 19/10. Paddy Power have them at 13/8 to win with the odds of us winning or a draw both at 2/1.
God bless the kid in the Bohs jersey.
Anyone got a link to a decent stream?
I'm outside of Ireland.
The one I'm looking at is terrible.
Thanks.:D
This is more like it.
Much better tonight. Really good start. We're pressing and using the ball a lot better when we have it. The difference Hoolahan makes is absolutely huge. Meyler playing well too.
Sounds good. Is it on RTÉ player outside Ireland? Hopefully get to hotel in time for second half.
Doing well overall. Hoolahan's impact is obvious. Has an air of the Italy game to it, the way lads are flinging themselves around. If Christie could cross the ball we'd be set.
You could see something like that happening when Serbia finally got on the ball. Clinical strike.
Looking like more long ball since the goal. Nothing doing yet. Heads are dropping.
Ouch... Gonna be hard to claw a positive result back now
As I type we somehow engineer a chance from a nothing punt upfield and Serbia get a red card
Any chance o Neill will feck off tonight .....and apart from going bananas if we score my view won't change.
Every time the ball drops to them outside the box, they just smack it without looking and blaze it wide.
We could have not qualified playing football as opposed to the **** we've played.
Really good in the first half, and the more likely team to score right until the moment they did score. After that they went very defensive and we just struggled to break them down or create real chances.
I wouldn't be too critical really. They are experienced and were composed when they needed to be.
The only thing that I thought should have been better as some of the decision-making in the last 5 or 10 minutes. Too many hopeful shots when we should have kept it, and two full backs who were reluctant to just get crosses into the box from good positions, but instead wanted to go back into the midfield or back up the line, and we ended up sending in worse crosses.
And as always, we look so much better, more attacking, more composed, with Hoolahan in the team. So much better that it's hard to believe he doesn't play whenever he is able to.