Republic of Ireland V Gibraltar(A) 4th Sept & Georgia(H) 7th Sept 2015 - Euro 2016 Q

I'm glad to see Whelan's performance recognised.

With the suspensions it's hard to try and guess what MON will select for Germany. Meyler straight swap? McCarthy Could deputise for Whelan though Wilson could be risked in that role too. Arter and O'Kane might come into O'Neill's plans, and Quinn is close enough to the team all the time anyway.

With McClean out I'd be inclined to put Wilson left back myself and pick Brady LHM. Let Brady focus on his attacking threat and leave the job of defending against the best team in the group to a genuine defender.

It's weird, in one sense we want the Poles to beat Scotland as that'd be that for 3rd place. It'd be nice to still have second place to play for on 11th October but that's less likely. I'd still take 3rd place right now if offered tbh, but I've always been risk averse!

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Originally Posted by Stuttgart88

With McClean out I'd be inclined to put Wilson left back myself and pick Brady LHM. Let Brady focus on his attacking threat and leave the job of defending against the best team in the group to a genuine defender.

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Would be more inclined to use Wilson as a direct replacement for Whelan and keep the back four intact.

We got the win which was the most important thing. But the performance was dire, even the second half. The whole atmosphere around this Ireland team is flat even the crowd couldn't get going. O'Neill's football would put you to sleep. We need more passion and drive in the team. MON needs to take the hand brake off and have a go at teams! We'll get third and it won't go to the last game. Scotland will crack against Poland and the Poles will win.

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Originally Posted by ifk101

Yes, but assuming Scotland and Poland draw, and we lose to Germany, isn't our final game with Poland set up for a draw?

Because with Poland 3 points ahead of us, a lost to us would put us ahead of them on head-to-head. If they secure a draw they qualify, if we secure a draw we're in the play-offs.

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Ah, of course; the Warsaw Pact scenario.

It's fairly simple for me now, the ideal (realistic) scenario is that Scotland can't catch us going into the final round, but we can catch Poland. Realistically we need a draw against Germany for that to happen, with Scotland and Poland cancelling each other out as well. Wins for ourselves and Poland will obviously set up that scenario as well but that's getting into far fetched territory. If we can't get something from Germany, then we're probably just better off if Poland end Scotland's interests, otherwise the final game will be torture. That said, winning in Poland might be a smaller ask than many off our playoff possibilities.

The prospect of that torture in Warsaw is what has me wishing for a Scotland defeat at home to Poland. Just give us third place and let that be that! Seriously though, I'm not wasting my time hoping for or guessing outcomes of the remaining games. Everything is contingent on everything else. A draw at home to Germany might not even be a good result, or it might be ideal.

the FAI website has the Germany game down for a 8.45pm ko. surely this is wrong? anyone confirm?

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Originally Posted by brine3

If Keane isn't getting the goals, then you might as well play Long. He offers you pace, he hustles like Keane can no longer hustle, and he has aerial ability. He is a handful for defenders, which can help stretch defences and open up opportunities, either for himself or for others. The Georgia match tonight was a game of two halves. When Long came on he helped to stretch the Georgian defence and make room for others.

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Very hypothetical but if Keane were in Long's position for the ball from McClean then I'm 99% certain he'd have finished it.

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Originally Posted by jbyrne

the FAI website has the Germany game down for a 8.45pm ko. surely this is wrong? anyone confirm?

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It's down as 8:45-on uefa.com as well - http://www.uefa.com/uefaeuro/qualifi...431/index.html - but I had assumed that was CET?

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Originally Posted by tetsujin1979

It's down as 8:45-on uefa.com as well - http://www.uefa.com/uefaeuro/qualifi...431/index.html - but I had assumed that was CET?

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8.45 would make no sense. my money is that the FAIs site is an error

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Originally Posted by jbyrne

the FAI website has the Germany game down for a 8.45pm ko. surely this is wrong? anyone confirm?

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Someone using cut and paste on the FAI website. It's 8.45 CET so 7.45 our time.

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Originally Posted by brine3

Shane Long's chance wasn't that easy. Robbie Keane missed an easier chance in the same game, yet Long gets stick...

The problem here is that you are measuring 28 year old long against the standards of a 28 year old Robbie Keane. I'd pick that Robbie too. But 28 year old Robbie Keane doesn't exist any more. He's 35 now and in this campaign he has scored zero goals in 303 minutes (five full hours) against the non-Gibraltar teams.

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Shane Long's chance was easy. Which chance of Robbie's do you refer to? The one early in the first half? At least he got something on the ball, Long hit fresh air.

Worst thing is, I don't like entering these debates because I love Long. In fact, I'd like to see Keane and Long up front together as it would provide the best of both worlds. But that would mean Walters wouldn't play and Walters is pivotal at the moment. His goals in 2015 alone have earned us 4 valuable points at home.

Long's chance wasn't that easy. But he still should have done better.

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Originally Posted by GypsyBlackCat

We got the win which was the most important thing. But the performance was dire, even the second half. The whole atmosphere around this Ireland team is flat even the crowd couldn't get going. O'Neill's football would put you to sleep. We need more passion and drive in the team. MON needs to take the hand brake off and have a go at teams! We'll get third and it won't go to the last game. Scotland will crack against Poland and the Poles will win.

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I don't understand the passion thing that everyone speaks about, and the crowd? If we've now got a nation of prawn sandwich heads who were reared on the snorefests that are Primera Liga or Saturday evneing MOTD highlights, then, yes, it's not great. We'll soon end up like the moronic masses who have to be told when to sing and how to behave (a la Russia, Croatia and Germany).

Agree with the Scots cracking, I think the result in Georgia finished them. Strachan out!

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Originally Posted by pineapple stu

Long's chance wasn't that easy. But he still should have done better.

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Ok, maybe it wasn't that easy (the ball was coming at pace etc.) but he should have got something on it. It actually pains me to be critical of the chance but I'm just disappointed he didn't put to bed the notion that he's not a finisher. He took his goals against Poland and Gibraltar this year. That one against Georgia was there for the taking too.

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Originally Posted by Olé Olé

Very hypothetical but if Keane were in Long's position for the ball from McClean then I'm 99% certain he'd have finished it.

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That was a very difficult ball moving at pace.

It's unfair on Long that every time he gets even a half chance, people start saying, "Keane would have scored that". Arguably the worst miss of the night was from Keane himself, yet here we are talking about Shane Long not back heeling in a ball that was moving at serious pace. That was not an easy move for any striker to pull off.

I'd question, at that stage of the game, if Keane would even have been in that position. He was taken off for a reason, it was clear that the Gibraltar game had taken a bit out of him. He offered very little in the half that he played. It was absolutely the right call to sub him, and Long made a much bigger impact than Keane did, even if he didn't score.

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Originally Posted by Olé Olé

In fact, I'd like to see Keane and Long up front together as it would provide the best of both worlds. .

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How many games have Keane and Long started together, does anyone know?

Is there anything to be said for a (yeah I know it's MLS, but....) back in form Kevin Doyle?

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Originally Posted by brine3

That was a very difficult ball moving at pace.

It's unfair on Long that every time he gets even a half chance, people start saying, "Keane would have scored that". Arguably the worst miss of the night was from Keane himself, yet here we are talking about Shane Long not back heeling in a ball that was moving at serious pace. That was not an easy move for any striker to pull off.

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And some of the stuff that has been said by you about Keane hasn't been unfair on him? Come off it.