Quote:
Originally Posted by FarBeag
Looks like you could have done with a few lessons. maybe next time your in play school you can ask :)
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Quote:
Originally Posted by FarBeag
Looks like you could have done with a few lessons. maybe next time your in play school you can ask :)
Don't know if you saw his press conference when he was talking about aQuote:
Originally Posted by kerr's tribe
move to a different club but it was quite funny, he got quite a few
laughs out of the journalist's, don't remember exactly what he said though.
now now children, keep it on topic or adam will come on and beat the sh!te out of you both..... :D ;)
Personality too, this is getting better.... :D didn't see it I'm afraid :mad: Should've got my brother to tape it on SKY :eek: fecker wouldn't prob waste a tape though :rolleyes: Anyone hear what the man said, did he mention "Julie"? heh heh :oQuote:
Originally Posted by tricky_colour
Didn't see the match, just a rubbish commentary, but I note that whilstQuote:
Originally Posted by BobbySands
Harte was on the pitch we didn't concede (or score for that matter) a goal.
But as I said I didn't see the match so can't really draw any conclusions.
Look Jollypodger or whatever your are called.I am sorry for giving my opinion on a threat that you started but if its for specially invited guests you should have made that clear ,instead of slagging me off about the way i tried to give my opinion on a game that was played to-night.You are obviously a very insecure sad individual who is craving attention.Won't say anymore in case i regret it,so get back in you box and play with your tractor. :D
I think its more, we didn't concede when Holland went off as we went from 10 men to 11. :)Quote:
Originally Posted by tricky_colour
Agree on the smugness point. Playing the Italians now could turn out to be a masterstroke from the FAI as it exposed our weaknesses, only problem is I don't know if we can do anything about it before France.Quote:
Originally Posted by BobbySands
Re Harte, I'd play him in front of O'Shea, but thats not saying much. Harte still has the infuriating ability to get himself at least 20 yards out of position a few times every half (I counted at least two). But again, he isn't O Shea and for that we must be thankful.
If we beat the French it will be passion and fight that does it as despite Kerrs best efforts at playing continental type football, with very few exceptions we just don't have the players.
Quote:
Originally Posted by kerr's tribe
I am afraid I only caught it halfway through but he seemed very relaxed
and jovial, there was quite lot a laughter from the the journalists, unfortunately I missed exactly why. They went on to ask him if he was
willing to take a pay cut (which he took quite well), can't remember what
he replied to that either :rolleyes:
My memory must be going :eek:
We need to stop playing these like fecking competitive games! Our opponents aren't, so it's completley pointless. Elliot should have gotten more time, now if there's an injury we'll be told he doesn't have the experience. Very frustrating.
A few conclusions from the match:
- Matt Holland. What does he bring to the team? I still haven't figured it out.
- Shay Given. We'd be far up a certain creek without him.
- Kevin Kilbane. Absolutely ****e one half, good the next.
- Damien Duff. Looks like the summer rest has done him well.
- Richard Dunne. There's no fooling me, he's still the same Honeymonster he used to be.
- Andy O'Brien. Sublime again. McGrath-like positioning. When Kenny quits, we're in good hands.
- John O'Shea. Better than Harte at left back and better than Holland at centre midfield.
- Andy Reid. Too many failed gallery passes and ballooned shots from distance. Fantastic talent, more discipline please.
- Clinton. Frustrating to watch, but always in the right place when it counts. The Irish Pipo Inzaghi.
Those are the main things that I will take from this match.
O'Brien has played himself into the back four.
As for O'Shea, midfield is obviously not his position, of course he looked lost. He is still well in contention for LFB. There is a need for some height at the back. Despite what some of your girlfriends might say, size does matter. There has to be at least 2 big guys at the back with Kenny, especially with having 3 midgets in midfield.
Look at Italy they have a good blend of sizes, they know you don't win games with a team full of Gattuso's.
A player has to be really really good to compensate for being small eg Gattuso. But if a player is tall then he only needs a little bit of skill. Look at Kilbane, just a hint of skill every now and then and he is on the team tearing up and down the pitch in the green shirt of Ireland. :-)
Quote:
Originally Posted by thejollyrodger
From the comfort of the barstool or couch?
Don't comment on what you haven't seen live...............Clint worked his ass off in a difficult formation......................................... ..... then again I;ve seen your comments on the U21's V NI :)
You mean to refer toQuote:
Originally Posted by soccerc
"Givens is a diaster.. very poor last night"
yes someone does need some IT lessons :-)
Andy Reid
Who Ate all the pies? Who ate All the pies? I think the answer is Andy Reid :D
Outplayed for most of the first half.
O'Brien has kept his place for France.
Agree Holland was very poor - Kilbane must start in central midfield if we play 4 4 2. I thought Kilbane played very well. Clinton waqs not enough but there isn't really another option. O'Shea did well at left back but was lost in midfield. Cunningham and dunne was run ragged in the first half.
Still it was only a friendly - no harm in being exposed once we get it right for France.
I'm perfectly happy with that exercise. We played really well for 60 minutes and, as said above, we won't be going into the French game feeling smug. Weaknesses were exposed which we can work on.
It was worth trying the formation but it proves that while it really suits Duff & Reid it isolates the front man. As soccerc says, Clinton worked his ass off & I actually think he performed a difficult job very well.
It was also worthwhile giving Steven Reid a lengthy run out and, for once, in his best position.
The French will have learnt little other than we were poor at defending set-pieces (again) and were vulnerable to early long balls.
I'm hoping Dunne's performance reflected his injury / fitness. But I'm getting the impression that he's a great "backs-to-the-wall" defender (like at Highbury, OT and Chelsea last year) but maybe not so well suited to an open game. Andy O'Brien definitely improves our defence.
I actually thought O'Shea did well in midfield & even if others don't agree it was definitely useful to see him there.
Elliott, as I consistently say, has a real eye for goal and his time will come soon. Niall Quinn pointed out that he has a great knack of losing his marker.
The biggest downside for me was not being able to be there and having to put up with Paul Dempsey doing his Bill O'Herlihy devil's advocate impression after the game. Some Irish in my local in NW London didn't even know our player's names. O'Shea was getting a pasting from one drunken idiot every time Andy O'Brien touched the ball.
Good match last night considering how poor friendlies normally are.
OBrien was solid when he came on. Holland didnt do enough before he went off injured to displace Kilbane from the centre of the park for the french game
For what its worth the team I would go with against France is below, I reckon its what Kerr will go with as well except he will probably play Finnan in midfield instead of reid and have oshea at left back. Fingers crossed for the next couple of weeks that we dont pick up any injuries
Given
Carr - OBrien - Kenny - Finnan
Reid - Kilbane - Roy - Duff
Morrison - Robbie
Quote:
Originally Posted by Stuttgart88
I agree with that, he always looks a class act when I see him for City and looks nervous when I see him in the Green. Very frustrating because he's a great defender on his day.
I think he's much better than O'Brien in the Premiership but O'Brien is showing him how it's done in th eInternational arena. A lot of it last night could be put down to his match fitness alright though, I saw him after about 25 minutes and his jersey was soaking compared to a small few patches on everybody else's.
Plenty we can do before France.Quote:
Originally Posted by OneRedArmy
Revert to 4-4-2. It's what we know and play best. The two Keanes back in. RK and Kilbane in the centre. Holland was anonymous before going off. We won't end up playing long balls into Morrison and completely ignoring Duff in his best position on the wing. This will also give more protection to our defence.
O' Brien in for Dunne. Apart from the fact that Dunne obvioulsy wan't match fit I think O' Brien brings more composure to the defence and has better positional sense.
Full backs, Carr on the right and Finnan on the left. IMO Finnan is a better defender than O'Shea even when playing on the left (however I will accept he didn't have his best game last night). Finnan will definitely give us more options going forward.
The most pleasing thing for me was how well Morrison played. Held the ball up really well and was unlucky with a couple of good strikes. The guy never seems to stop running for the 90 minutes. Definitely our best option to play up front with Keane. Elliot looked good when he came on and would be a good option late on in the French game if we need a goal.
All in all I thought it was a good run out and was good preparation for the French match so long as Kerr has the sense to play 4-4-2 in September