Collins out injured and O'Dowda in to replace him. Did Kenny not get the foot.ie memo regarding the prohibition on interchanging squad players of a different profile?
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Collins out injured and O'Dowda in to replace him. Did Kenny not get the foot.ie memo regarding the prohibition on interchanging squad players of a different profile?
I was just saying in the scott hogan thread. If we need a goal surely hogan is the better option?
What will be interesting to see if Portugal give us all that room again on the flanks. If they do we could actually beat them
Two massive losses and he is out. Dead man walking
Picking up tickets tonight.. getting excited for this game.. really would love to see a win in front of a full crowd. It would be a huge boost for all of Irish football. We need something to fall in love with again.
Have you considered getting a dog ?Quote:
Originally Posted by Insidetherock
I wouldn't be expecting anything really, Portugal should be too good to be caught out twice and are well motivated with the table the way it is. A competitive loss would be fine for me. This is all about Luxembourg (and boy does it still feel weird to be saying that).
Agree with you but our team will be well motivated too - to prove that being 1-0 ahead against them in the 90th minute wasn't just a fluke. Portugal will sit back a bit more. We'll sit back less. That might suit us better in some ways. We're v unpredictable though at the minute, so I reckon a draw would be decent, a win would be great and the siginificance of a loss will depend on the performance. It is really about Lux though.. they must be punished for the trouble they caused us earlier in the group or it will all feel very much back to square one with Kenny being just as much of an unknown quantity (in terms of results) as he was when he took over.
Hope this is OK mods.
This is an aside from the game itself, but will be important for a lot of people from Ulster or north Leinster.
They are planning to close the Port Tunnel for maintenance at 10pm on Thursday, just as the game gets out. They did this after the Qatar game and I ended up traversing dark residential roads in the north inner city trying to find my way to the old N1 to get away.
Senator Niall Ó Donnghaile from SF is kicking up a stink about it online trying to get the work delayed by an hour or so if anyone wants to add to the bandwagon he's trying to get going on Twitter.
Totally ridiculous.. something similar wouldn’t happen for GAA or rugby match.Quote:
Originally Posted by backstothewall
If it is closed, and you need it, you can use Google maps but turn tell to avoid tolls and it’ll bypass the port tunnels.
Depends where you’ve parked, I guess you went across the east link and then tried to go across east wall to north circular road. If simplicity is the most important thing, you could just go down the quays instead of going through east wall.
I’d probably weave through the south side, wherever traffic was best, end up through Christchurch, north king street and out the N1.
Not in a million years.Quote:
Originally Posted by elatedscum
The port tunnel is what allows me to go to games. Before it opened it really wasn't practical to. Fighting my way across the city before and after a game was just impossible.
Molumby out tomorrow with a hamstring strain and Omobamidele faces a late fitness test after picking up a knock at the weekend.
Molumby will be a loss, hes been playing well for WBA recently. We might miss his energy in last 20 mins
Think he's a lose in the sense that he'd have been seen as the one to replace Hendrick if he were injured. But he only came on in the 89th min the last time against Portugal and Knight offers energy. Probably offers a bit more energy in midfield imo and would be better in attacking areas.
I used to park at Malahide and get the Dart down from there. Until I came back one night after the game and they were loading the car onto the back of a truck that is. Shoulda gone to Specsavers. Bang to rights though I think I came out evens though having got away with it for a couple of seasons. Croke Park was a lot easier, always got a space in the car park at that chapel at the top of the hill. It made the wee 10 yard runs that you do on the way to a match so much easier
I think we’ll do ok, but I’d be very (pleasantly) surprised if we were to win. A draw would be great. We really need to beat Luxembourg though. As a Kenny supporter I’d fear for him if we don’t win that. I think the noise around another defeat to them would probably make his position untenable.Quote:
Originally Posted by texidub
Ive no idea how tomorrow will go, I just hope we put in a good performance. You are right on the Luxembourg game though. We need to win and play well in that game for sureQuote:
Originally Posted by TonyD
I'm worried we're set-up for a big fall tonight. Sold out Aviva, seems like expectations are really high. RTE preview is calling for a bit of measured expectations, but that's a rare sight. If we lost 3-0 tonight I wouldn't bat an eyelid, but some people seem to think we should be disappointed with anything less than a point.
It's a weird one alright. There seems to be an air of confidence about the squad and optimism among the fans. An early Portugal goal and there could be a very audible bursting of the balloon and then who knows? It's not like the confidence and expectation is built on a massive amount, it would be a genuine test of the belief within the squad if they do go behind early and manage to respond. It should be a pretty spectacular atmosphere so hopefully it's tight and the crowd and players can really respond. I'm looking forward to it, but there is a slight sense of dread, not too far in the background, that it could all go horribly wrong.
Any thoughts on the team? There's probably a few pretty close calls and Omobamidele is an injury doubt. Biggest call might be the wingbacks, Coleman right and Doherty/McClean/Stephens left, or Doherty over Coleman on the right? Presumably Hendrick and Cullen will start, but it could be Knight or McGrath in there with them. Knight probably slightly more dynamic, McGrath slightly more creative. Robinson has to start and hard not to see Idah beside him.
If Coleman and Omabamidele are both out is there an argument for going to a back 4?
None whatsoever as Doherty and McClean in a back four spells disaster. Egan and Stevens are in poor form at club level where they play a back four. Collins is more than good enough to fill in and you could say he's performed better than Omobamidele has at club level.Quote:
Originally Posted by backstothewall
Is Coleman a doubt? If so, I think Doherty and Stevens will be the wing-backs and he'll risk Collins in centre half if Coleman isn't available. On the other hand, if he has Doherty and Coleman available, he'll play one at centre half in the absence of O'Shea and Omobamidele.
Think it's gonna be:Quote:
Originally Posted by passinginterest
............................Bazunu
...Omobamidele - Duffy - Egan
Coleman - Hendrick - Cullen - Doherty
.................Robinson - McGrath
...............................Idah
Think we'll go back to how we set up in the first game with Omobamidele starting rather than O'Shea. But it is hard to call because McClean has been good, and Coleman might not be able to start both games. Knight or McGrath is a toss of the coin. Knight offers you energy in midfield all night to press Portugal and McGrath is more comfortable on the ball and has been playing good for us.
Kenny said the other day that Coleman might not be able to start both games because of hamstring issues and both games being four days apart. Had something like four hamstring injuries in the last year and last one was when he played back to back games for us in quick succession.Quote:
Originally Posted by John83
Séamas needs to look after himself. He can’t be playing too much football if he is having fitness problems. Surely a fit Doherty has to be as good as Séamas not being spot on fitness wise ?Quote:
Originally Posted by JR89
Well more talk this morning that Coleman won't be starting and will start against Luxembourg instead. Omobamidele and Horgan don't make the squad for tonights game anyway.Quote:
Originally Posted by seanfhear
if all fit, thats the team surelyQuote:
Originally Posted by JR89
Anyone else have fears that Gavin has a mare tonight?
Its a terrible feeling I have, please prove me wrong Gav B
dont think he will play both of coleman and doherty unless coleman goes into the back 3 now that Omobamidele is out. more likely that collins will come in for omobamidele
mcclean will start left wing back i suspect
Gavin’s fairy god-mother usually does a very good job.Quote:
Originally Posted by Diggs246
Is stevens in that bad of form that McClean could be considered better for the left wing back position ?Quote:
Originally Posted by jbyrne
The P-Stu Jur is still out on him. I still amn't overly confident, and going on his performances bar his positioning from set-pieces and general ability in the air he has done very little wrong. But reading about him elsewhere I feel he is due a couple of errors, and its either going to be tonight or Sunday. And its not a case of proving one wrong or right, its a case of identifying whether or not he is actually a consistent and smart keeper.Quote:
Originally Posted by Diggs246
I predicted a 1-1 or draw the last game, I think this time we will lose, the pressure on Portugal is not the same as the first game a draw and a win at home against Serbia sees them top the group. They won't be as gung ho and I think we'll be more open and out in our play, which will make things easier for them. Wouldn't be surprised by a two goal deficit and we don't score.
Egan, Stevens, Doherty, Hendrick, Cullen, and Idah are a booking away from missing the Luxembourg match.
mcclean has done well in his last few appearances. will be hard to leave him out. playing very well for wigan too. saw something on sky sports a couple of weeks back where the lads in the studio were describing him as way too good for L1Quote:
Originally Posted by seanfhear
yeah agreed - somewhat reluctantly. He's a funny one. I'd say for every good game he's had for us he has frustrated the hell out of me in at least two others. Until about a year or two ago I used to more or less support his inclusion then I switched to being horrified at his inclusion. Now I'm back to "ok, probably pick him but the good McClean had better turn up".Quote:
Originally Posted by jbyrne
Squad confirmed. Omobamidele confirmed injured, along with Molumby. Horgan other squad member not included (essentially replaced by O'Dowda)...
Bazunu
Doherty
Collins (Could be Coleman but unlikely)
Duffy
Egan
McClean/Stevens (Could be Coleman and Doherty at wing back but unlikely)
Cullen
Hendrick
McGrath/Knight
Idah
Robinson
A few days ago, he essentially said both Doherty and Coleman had injuries recently and would only play one game each, obviously that was before the A.O. injury, but most likely he'll play Coleman v Luxembourg and Doherty tonight...
Really small axe to grind but Ciaran Clark should have been in the squad. Would give you an out and out centre half on the bench...
Horgan being left out of the squad is slightly strange given O'Dowda wasn't in the original squad, and Kenny likes the Horgan option. Not a bad decision necessarily as Horgan had a couple of poor games; just a strange one.
How many centre-halves do we have in the squad? Kenny seems to like playing a risky games with regards CB injuries.
Four CBs with Manning and Stevens as cover for LCB.Quote:
Originally Posted by pineapple stu
Assuming he starts the three obvious ones, you've basically got Coleman and Manning on the bench who can play there, but isn't the preferred position of either. I'd guess Scales will be called up after the game as cover - i really can't fathom the Ciaran Clark stuff.Quote:
Originally Posted by pineapple stu
genuinely much less problematic than what we've seen with Trap or O'Neill but nonetheless he's playing regularly in the premier league at centre half. he's started 9 of their 11 games. just makes no sense...