Republic of Ireland V Switzerland 25th March & Slovakia 29th March 2016 - Friendlies

O'Neill said it looks like a very serious knee injury for Elliot, presumably a cruciate so. Disaster for him and possibly Newcastle, wasn't their only other goalkeeper that young fella who was a bit all over the shop in a game he played early on in the season, was it West Brom away? Think we might have discussed his performance on here for some reason, or else I'm going totally mad and it wasn't even a Newcastle goalkeeper! :) The obvious question should be whether or not this might open the door for Westwood a little, surely Forde and Given in the one squad would be nuts at this stage of their careers? Maybe Henderson could get another look if there is a strain in the relationship between O'Neill and Westwood.

Hoolahan is a joy to watch, by any standards he's just pure class. O'Neill tried to play down his influence afterwards, it was a bit Trap-like.

I really like the look of O'Kane, he's composed and tidy but also forward thinking. Huge potential I think. McClean is relentless, an unmerciful pain the hole to play against I'd imagine.

Poor McShane, he basically took both himself and Elliot out of the Euros equation. Harsh at it sounds! Have to feel for him, he did a ballsy interview afterwards where he went through the goals in detail and took responsibility, have to commend him for that at least.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by DeLorean

O'Neill said it looks like a very serious knee injury for Elliot, presumably a cruciate so. Disaster for him and possibly Newcastle, wasn't their only other goalkeeper that young fella who was a bit all over the shop in a game he played early on in the season, was it West Brom away? Think we might have discussed his performance on here for some reason, or else I'm going totally mad and it wasn't even a Newcastle goalkeeper! :) The obvious question should be whether or not this might open the door for Westwood a little, surely Forde and Given in the one squad would be nuts at this stage of their careers? Maybe Henderson could get another look if there is a strain in the relationship between O'Neill and Westwood.

Hoolahan is a joy to watch, by any standards he's just pure class.

I really like the look of O'Kane, he's composed and tidy but also forward thinking. Huge potential I think. McClean is relentless, an unmerciful pain the hole to play against I'd imagine.

Poor McShane, he basically took both himself and Elliot out of the Euros equation. Harsh at it sounds! Have to feel for him, he did a ballsy interview afterwards where he went through the goals in detail and took responsibility, have to commend him for that at least.

---

i think it's telling that when elliot went off it was randolph that came on rather than forde, despite the former having had the full 90 on friday. forde seemed not even a realistic consideration.

the other newcastle keeper is darlow and while not quite a novice didn't cover himself in glory in that game and is not well rated by forest fans (his former club). newcastle's next keeper is freddy woodman who is 19 or so. they might be eligible for an emergency loan - maybe shay could have come back in if butland wasn't injured!

Player thoughts ahoy.

Rob Eliot: Gotta feel for the guy. Hope he's ok to travel because he deserves to go and Given should be kept away from the team. Randolph didn't have an awful lot to do except watching Paul McShane's deft finish flash past him,

Cyrus Christie: Love this guy. All this gung-ho attacking is bound to get found out eventually but it's a risk worth taking because he fair terrorises opposition wing backs.

John O'Shea: Wasn't a great night compared to the exploits of Duffy/Clark the other night. Looked rusty. Will do better.

Paul McShane: Knows he's sunk himself. Should've stood off the guy for the first, bit of misfortune for the own goal but probably could've tried to get a proactive touch on it instead of letting it bounce off him. Can't travel.

Stephen Ward: Not a great night for Wardy either, and just when he'd cemented himself in the Championship's best team. Didn't have much protection in front of him, and the Slovaks were strong down that flank, but really struggled at times.

Glenn Whelan: Poor performance from my soulmate and spirit lover. Did make one overlapping forward run, his first since approximately 2009. All sorts of bad on the ball. 9/10.

Eunan O'Kane: Very busy and tidy, aside from one heart-in-mouth back header to Randolph. Thought some of his link up play with the forwards was superb. Has given himself a chance of going.

James McCarthy: Too slow getting over for the second goal. Did well apart from that, though didn't appear as busy as O'Kane.

James McClean: What a dog he is. Think he's the bristly bees biscuits, right up there with Glenn Whelan. Wound Skrtel up too, a bonus!

Shane Long: Great link up play and unfortunate too get injured. That touch for the second penalty, just pure goregous - Glenn Whelan-esque. His pace, in conjuction with McClean/O'Kane/Hoolhan's pressing, was key to our early domination.

Wes Hoolahan: The man. Second best player on the pitch after Glenn Whelan.

Man of the match: Glenn Whelan

The master of the unseen stuff that us mere mortals don't notice, Glenn Whelan, will be disappointed in his performance tonight after SVD convinced us all of how necessary he is to our fortunes.

Though he did have one influential moment when he intervened in a dispute between James McCarthy and an opposition player after a tasty tackle on Whelan.

We played much better football tonight than the win on Friday, but only came away with a draw. Football, it's a funny old game.
We did miss a striker in the second half without Long up front, and never really looked like scoring. Elliot can consider himself desperately unlucky, if the injury is as bad as suspected, he could miss out on the European Championships completely now - not that he was in the running for a start, but it's still an achievement to go. O'Kane looked solid, but is unlikely to go, simply because there's a lot of options in his position.
McShane could be considered the big loser on the night, at fault for the opener, conceding an OG, and turning in a performance like that after Duffy gets MOTM on Friday night, he really needs to impress in the last two months of the season to keep his place in the squad.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by TheOneWhoKnocks

The master of the unseen stuff that us mere mortals don't notice, Glenn Whelan, will be disappointed in his performance tonight after SVD convinced us all of how necessary he is to our fortunes.

---

He'd be in the dog house - but I just can't stay mad at lovely Glenn.

This was the consensus for France in the car on the way back to Belfast tonight

Randolph, Given, Forde

Coleman, Christie, O'Shea, Keogh, Clark, Duffy, Wilson, Ward

Brady, Whelan, McCarthy, Hoolahan, McClean, McGeady, Arter, Hendrick

Murphy, Walters, Keane, Long

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by SwanVsDalton

He'd be in the dog house - but I just can't stay mad at lovely Glenn.

---

Didn't get a mention in the build up, but it was his 70th cap.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by tetsujin1979

Didn't get a mention in the build up, but it was his 70th cap.

---

Wow. Good chance he'll get a ton too. Has a player more hated ever amassed so many caps for us?

I stick with hated, and it's not just because of what's said about him round here. He's the bete noire of this Ireland team, shorthand for everything a lot of Irish fans consider anti-football.

There was a guy behind me at the Bosnia home leg berating Whelan pretty much every five minutes, proper standing up screaming abuse at him. He was unknowingly screaming at James McCarthy at least half the time.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by SwanVsDalton

Wow. Good chance he'll get a ton too. Has a player more hated ever amassed so many caps for us?

---

John O'Shea?

Heroes: Long, McClean, Hoolahan, O'Kane

Zeroes: McShane, Ward, Whelan

Overall, decent performance and the only reason we didn't win is because we had a reserve defence out. Thought we'd struggle up front with McClean and Long but they did well in their 45 minutes together, and we'd have been well-placed to score a third in the second half had Long been fit. Have a feeling the game might be mirrored by the Sweden one in terms of us having a lot of the ball, but can't afford to be that open with Ibrahimovic there.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Charlie Darwin

John O'Shea?

---

Very unpopular with some, but don't think he evinces quite the same loathing.

Kilbane way back in his day had his detractors too, but Glenn provokes a real primal response.

It's really hard to think that anyone would hate a player that has served us so well. I love Glenn Whelan as I love any 70 capper for us but I do think he is a plodder who shouldn't be a starter and I do think he has kept more talented players off the pitch but he has really never let us down apart from Euro 2012 and he was not alone. Hate and loathing are very strong words...

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by SkStu

It's really hard to think that anyone would hate a player that has served us so well. I love Glenn Whelan as I love any 70 capper for us but I do think he is a plodder who shouldn't be a starter and I do think he has kept more talented players off the pitch but he has really never let us down apart from Euro 2012 and he was not alone. Hate and loathing are very strong words...

---

I know, strong words indeed, but no other player in my time supporting Ireland has come close to that level of dark feeling imo.

Brian Kerr on last night's game, loving Wessi and trusting our midfield.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by backstothewall

This was the consensus for France in the car on the way back to Belfast tonight

Randolph, Given, Forde

Coleman, Christie, O'Shea, Keogh, Clark, Duffy, Wilson, Ward

Brady, Whelan, McCarthy, Hoolahan, McClean, McGeady, Arter, Hendrick

Murphy, Walters, Keane, Long

---

would go with that with the exception of doyle ahead of murphy (fitness of doyle permitting).

I have my own issues with Whelan but am far more confident with him in the team than out of it.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by tetsujin1979

We played much better football tonight than the win on Friday, but only came away with a draw. Football, it's a funny old game.

---

Easily explained by the contrast in our defending all the same.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by DeLorean

I really like the look of O'Kane, he's composed and tidy but also forward thinking. Huge potential I think.

---

I actually thought O'Kane was only about 22, didn't realise he's 25. Would want to be delivering on that potential at this stage really.

Edit - I see he turns 26 the day of the Euro 2016 final... destiny?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by backstothewall

This was the consensus for France in the car on the way back to Belfast tonight

Randolph, Given, Forde

Coleman, Christie, O'Shea, Keogh, Clark, Duffy, Wilson, Ward

Brady, Whelan, McCarthy, Hoolahan, McClean, McGeady, Arter, Hendrick

Murphy, Walters, Keane, Long

---

Can't disagree too much with that. I'm fearful for the man from Antrim though. Wilson could easily be cut loose for an extra midfielder (O'Kane?) given that you've named Brady in the midfielders. Not saying I'd like to see it because I like Wilson and he's been solid and MON does like him.

There will surely be an injury or two then.

EDIT: Re O'Kane, I forgot about Judge. Different players and different formations between last night and Friday but O'Kane did himself a lot of favours, was name-checked by MON and he does love his Derry boys. Judge didn't get on the pitch last night and we look well-stocked in midfield.

Not taking the p*ss re the Derry boys. It's interesting to note that three of the big winners from this week were O'Kane, McClean and Duffy. I think, in terms of squad place considerations, O'Kane and Duffy have done themselves massive favours. And McClean has demonstrated how well his style of play can translate from the wing to up front which will do him no harm at all, given that he hasn't been an undisputed starter, even though a lot of us have admired his contributions and him (well me anyway).

I'm still laughing about his confrontations with Skrtel. When he got the scrape of a boot off Skrtel and squared up to him it was too brilliant. His yellow card was funny too. Whatever about the first tackle (by someone else, Christie?), McClean had no need to tear into the second player but he did. Hero.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by DeLorean

Easily explained by the contrast in our defending all the same.

---

That was one reason and unlike the impotent Swiss, the Slovaks could punish each mistake ruthlessly, each of their goals was superbly executed.
This is a much better Slovak squad than the one we met in the 2012 EC qual.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by DeLorean

I actually thought O'Kane was only about 22, didn't realise he's 25. Would want to be delivering on that potential at this stage really.

Edit - I see he turns 26 the day of the Euro 2016 final... destiny?

---

I'd say he was still in League 2 with Torquay United at 22. Lovely little player though. Hope he gets plenty minutes for Bournemouth but, as the commentators alluded to on Setanta, Howe is going with a 4-4-2 that only leaves room for Arter and Surman.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by geysir

This is a much better Slovak squad than the one we met in the 2012 EC qual.

---

Was that close to their best starting XI last night? They seem a pretty old team, the commentator mentioned that something like seven or eight of the guys that started last night were in their World Cup squad in 2010. That's not that unusual or anything I'm just kind of wondering how they've improved so much? Experience? They did seem pretty impressive in qualifying bar the home defeat to Belarus.