I would draft Carr in as well. Not going to happen as he is in retirement and Trap will only pick from those previously selected in his squads. So if SSL is out then it will be Kelly at RB. Carr played well on Saturday apart from that last minute slip up which cost Birmingham the game.Quote:
Originally Posted by Lenny82
O'Shea and Dunne to resume their centre half partnership, Bruce on the bench to come on. Kilbane or Nolan at left full, Kelly at right full
Set your faces to stunned - I can now exclusively reveal the cause of many of our poor results in qualifiers over the years.
My trips to the pub.
Just check this list of woe and suffering - all down to my watching the game in the oul battle cruiser:
Austria (away), Macedonia (Away - twice),Belgium (Away), Croatia (Away), Swiss (Away), Israel (Away), Spain (World Cup), Turkey (Away).
I'll be watching at home on Saturday.
To think we could have won the World Cup if it wasn't for you and your selfish drinking habbits!! Plenty of crap results not on the list that I presume you watched at home, still though seems the safer bet alright.
I think Wolfie is on to something. I've avoided one particular pub after bad experiences against the Swiss (x2) and Cyprus away last time out. On the plus side one of of the lads who takes 1 of my tickets from by block booking booking has only ever seen Ireland lose once (to Brazil, missed other games on account of various ailments) and rest assured he will be going to see the Italy and Montenegro game!
I have a similar superstition. However, on careful analysis I finally twigged that our poor results were more as a consequence of us being sh1t rather than where I chose to watch.Quote:
Originally Posted by Wolfie
That said, I returned to the source of one particularly bad run of form to watch the Georgia away game. Since then I have watched any game I haven't been to in the same pub with the same 2 punters - 2 guys I didn't know prior to the game in Mainz - and we're on this good unbeaten run. That's where'll I'll be watching on Sat.
How could I forget Cyprus away last time. I was in the pub for that one, too.Quote:
Originally Posted by shakermaker1982
On the plus side - I've also had a handy knack of getting us a goal by heading to the jacks for a slash.
For example, our equaliser against Belgium in 97 - yep, my trip to the jacks was down to that one.
Israel away - Clinton Morrison's goal I hear you say - nope - that was down to a Wolfie widdle.
Now that's the sort of crazy talk that could not only destroy your credibility but get you locked up, Stutts. :)Quote:
Originally Posted by Stuttgart88
Stutts what pub is that and I might join you and your 2 punter NBFs
and jinx it?? what are you, nuts?Quote:
Originally Posted by paul_oshea
Yes - we've sad too much already. Everybody keep up their usual superstitious behaviour supplemented with round the clock praying, please.
Best not drag this topic any further from its moorings.
Now, what do you make of that whole Stephen Ireland thing?
When all is said and done in regards to the upcoming match, some might argue that a threatened jinx in the making, is highly relevant.
Paul's capacity one day, to find a pub on the other side of London altogether and another day manage to get lost on his way from the pub to the match stadium just around the corner, is sure evidence of a jinxer.
Best excuse ever for not letting Paul O Shea join you.Quote:
Originally Posted by tetsujin1979
Ireland to win 2-1 or 3-1 (still not confident we can keep a clean sheet). Thankfully the days of Stan are behind us and the improvement we've made under Trap along with the motivation for revenge and a chance to have a go at Italy for top spot in the group should be enough to pull us through.
Speaking of superstitions I watched the 2006 match in Kilkenny on a stag and also going on a stag this weekend but it's in Killarney so hopefully won't be an issue. Getting nervous already!
Had a dream last night that we won 2-0. Caleb Folan and a Glenn Whelan free-kick. Hmm...
Not to mention the counting down the clock technique......the last game against bulgaria been the perfect example.
Look at the clock, half hour to go, 29 mins to go, 28 mins to go, 27 and so on and so on. I never live every min as much as an Ireland game and of course for 99% of our games, we never comfortable for any of it.
Of course you think the closer you get the full time the more confident you'll get of a result.........but from past experiences (in particular twice in the one week not that long ago) am more of a wreck when we hit the last five mins.
You could be onto something here, the lad has started the season well for Stoke (missed the first game i know but other than that has done well).Quote:
Originally Posted by Supreme feet
Nah, last agme I watched with you we lost in Czech Rep. 1-0.Quote:
Originally Posted by paul_oshea
That has ruled out Barrett's in Cricklewood forever & you forever. I'm not sure was it the pub, you or both, but I'm not taking any chances.
A nation lets its breath out
Well played Stutts
Quote:
Originally Posted by tetsujin1979
Kelly should not be in the squad. Trapp knows he is a complete shambles. No way!!
He is far from a shambles. A lot of people here seem to base him totally on that mistake he made in the first minute at home to Georgia. He played every single minute of the 2006/07 premiership campaign, and is no back in the premiership with a team in the Europa league. Id rather have him in the team than Darren O'Dea, a player who couldn't hold down a position in one of the worst ever Celtic defencesQuote:
Originally Posted by BigmanCas
I think the truth is somerwhere in the middle.
Kelly can be a decent enough player but he totally lost his nerve in the first half against Georgia. It was correctly pointed out here that Dunne & O'Shea were culpable for that goal too but Kelly was partly to blame and was a bag of nerves afterwards. You could tell he just didn't want to be anywhere near the ball.
He actually played well against the Czechs a few years ago, on the left I think.
I think your dismissal of O'Dea is harsh. I think regular game time will do him the world of good. I think he'll be a good player for us in future.
How many of the goals we have conceded this campaign been due to blatant errors?
Georgia away was a last minute goal. Can't remember the source - any blame?
Georgia at home - shambolic defence
Bulgaria at home - o.g.
Italy away - Keogh loses possession cheaply / Keogh (or McShane) loses runner
Bulgaria away - KK ballwatching
Very frustrating. If we cut out the errors we might actually be quite good at catenaccio!
To be fair to Kelly he was just after a long time out and it's really not the type of ball you want to be dealing with in more or less the first minute of your return. I felt sorry for him to be honest and have no problem with him being in the side if necessary, let alone the squad.
More good news:
Their first choice goalkeeper Antonis Giorgallidi is out injured and to be replaced by Aris Limassol Goalkeeper Sofronis Avgoustis.
Cypriot daily Politis states that Anorthosis Famagusta defender Andreas Constantinou is likely to miss the game against Ireland after failing to overcome a knock he sustained in a recent league game against Ermis
from eleven-a-side
"However, during Tuesday’s squad training session at Malahide’s Gannon Park, Celtic winger Aiden McGeady and Fulham’s Damien Duff lined up in a “probables” side.
Giovanni Trapattoni rarely keeps his cards close to his chest regarding team selection, so at this stage it looks as though Hunt will have to content himself with a place on the bench in Nicosia"
i really hope this is the case. shows that trap is going for the win and i love seeing mcgeady in the team. can cause them big problems and hopefully one of these days can hit the net for us. fingers crossed sat night.
2-1 to ireland, thats if we play andrews instead of gibson
jeez surely gibson wont start this game. andrews and whelan has to be.Quote:
Originally Posted by frog-gufc
Yeah I think it's a perfect match for McGeady. He'll tear them apart!! Hunt is a useful option if all else fails too.Quote:
Originally Posted by Duggie
ya totally agree, expecting a big game from aiden. possibly bring on hunt for the last 20 mins. hopefully we will be 2-0 up at that stage !!Quote:
Originally Posted by DeLorean
Thats good reporting!Quote:
Originally Posted by elroy
Of course I used to get the Politis delivered to my door every morning but the paper business is not doing well here any more.
Hopefully Sofronis Avgoustis gets a bit of the yips and looks more like Timis Howardis.
since Kilbane has been identified as the weak link, I'd prefer duff to start in front of him, he's more defensively sound than McGeady. Bring Hunt on for whomever is playing worse with about 20 minutes ago to tear into the Cypriot full backQuote:
Originally Posted by Duggie
I have to admit that soccerrepublic.ie rather than me reading a copy of Politis was my source :DQuote:
Originally Posted by Crosby87
SR is a good site for providing the opinions of the other side, no harm to know about the other team in advance. Other quotes included Okkas going on about how they are going for a win against Ireland and how playing for Cyprus means alot to them.....in response to the backlash after the albania hammering.
I’m going to go out on a bit of a limb here and predict this as Wee Aiden’s best performance for Ireland to include a goal and will back Aiden to score and Ireland win 2-1…if we do score 2, I hope the second is in the 90th minute instead of two after 10 minutes.
Suffering is acceptable but only when there is reward!
Dunne is 13/1 to score at any time with Paddy Power, he's already scored twice in the qualifiers, so it's damn tempting
Twice in the last 2 games I had unplaced 'dunne for 1st goal' (E.w) betslips in my pocket at 40/1.
Raging... dont know why I didnt back him at the last minute.
Can Lighting strike 3 times...? Possibly I should write the slip and not put it on....
a positive kind of a jinx
Yes, but wasn't our good friend Dudi Awat deputising for the number 1 goalie for Israel?!Quote:
Originally Posted by elroy
Whose a tw@t?!
Does anyone think trap might play with just one up front??
A defeat will be a disaster... A draw not so bad!!
I've got a feeling we might see Robbie up front on his own on saturday and also witness a 0-0.
Hopefully I'm wrong and we win, any score will do!!!
Think he'll stick with two up front. Very doubtful he'd change the system with so few matches left. Don't like the way he's talking about not losing himself, there are 3 handy pts for the taking if you ask me.