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Call me a Bohs fan but Shels were also quite lucky! ;)Quote:
Originally Posted by eirebhoy
The draw in Split got them through and Deportivo were only back training.
But you know what, those results do show that there is more quality in the LOI than the average person (who does not attend games) will admit.
(cf Bohs wins V Aberdeen and Kaiserslautern and Cork's run last year).
If we play like we did in the entire 90 minutes against Israel we'll beat the Swiss. :)Quote:
Originally Posted by Tuff Paddy
Agreed. Israel have been blessed with luck which may well last them the entire way through the campaign. But we played them off the pitch and they had nothing to offer. We'll do the same to the Swiss but they don't seem blessed with the same luck. Here's to a 2-0 win and laying that particular bunch of demons to rest.Quote:
Originally Posted by eirebhoy
Yes we are more than capable of beating the Swiss. We need a drastic improvement in recent performances (I include the Israel game in that - despite a number of chances we didn't actually play that well, particularly in the second half)
I know we can only focus on our team - But who is to say that the Swiss won't step it up a gear, they haven't looked great so far and so they are due to improve - they do have some decent players.
If we manage a win - it will take our best performance so far in the qualifying campaign to get it.
I disagree. If we play like we did in any of our home games so far bar the Faroes I can't see us not winning.Quote:
Originally Posted by Junior
On paper yes, but you keep talking about games and stats like it were an algebraic equation and not 11 versus 11 on a given day. So far the evidence is clearly that Ireland is lagging behind Israel and Switerland in playing to their potential. We have to prove it on the field of play, and we have to do it starting now.Quote:
Originally Posted by eirebhoy
Are you forgetting the Cyprus game, very flattering scoreline! Flat performance and our defense gifted at least 2 clear cut scoring chances.Quote:
Originally Posted by eirebhoy
Judging by the players we both have and our peformances to date in this group, we are the better team.Quote:
Originally Posted by Qwerty
Agreed, if you consider that you should at least draw all your away games, and win all your home ones, we've only dropped points against Israel, and have the arguable best run in left in the Group, along with Israel (Faroes twice and Swiss away).
Haven't seen all the Swiss performancesQuote:
Originally Posted by eirebhoy
However,
1)- They were the better side against us in the last match.
2)- They had a similar performance against the faroes away as we did.
3)- I believe they were under the cosh against France for large parts of the game, though they got the same result as we did?
4)- They hammered the faroes at home - we didn't
5)- They Got lucky against Cyprus at home, we were more convincing but not by much.
6)- They drew with Israel away (Think they were winning 2-1) - pretty similar to ourselves?
I love your confidence eirebhoy and I hope it rubs off on the team and fans like me, but I've been kicked in the balls too many times to think we can beat these without a 110% performance, better than anything to date.
You're spot on mate. We're a much better side than the Swiss but we haven't shown it yet. I suppose I believe we're a better side more than I can actually prove it. I think the great nights are yet to come but we'll have to pull the finger out and play like we did against the Israelis at home. We through absolutely everything at them like the good old days but it just didn't come. I think it will against the Swiss and the French.Quote:
Originally Posted by Junior
I wouldn't say it was similar to ourselves. We controlled the game in Tel Aviv while the Swiss were under the cosh plenty of times. Home advantage should be enough to do it. We will be dominating this game and its only a matter of the defence being on their toes for the Swiss break and our strikers on form.Quote:
Originally Posted by Junior
Firstly it a big assumption that we'll dominate followed up by a very big IF our defence and strikers are on form....................still not convinced.Quote:
Originally Posted by eirebhoy
But enough of my realism, we can do it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Well Cunningham and O'Brien are always on form. Hopefully Finnan is first choice at right back by then. That leaves O'Shea. :oQuote:
Originally Posted by Junior
BTW, we will dominate. A lot of it is down to psychology and the Swiss will respect us more than they ever had when playing us. They'll play on the break. We'll be all out attack.
While the optimism on the board is still gratifying, the fact remains that by the time we play Switzerland, the result could be academic, to be honest, I'd feel terrible going into the game knowing only a win would guarantee qualification
Until we go 1-0 up, then we'll drop deeper and deeper trying to protect the lead until we concede the equaliser.Quote:
Originally Posted by eirebhoy
My summary is based on past performances. What is yours based on?
If the Swiss are as poor as we are making them out to be, then:
1-How come they beat us so comfortably in the last game of the Euro campaign and were the better team in the drawn game in this campaign?
2-What chances Israel beating Swiss in Basle and then they would be guaranteed at least second, if not first?
Also passed performances. We did get deeper and deeper against the Swiss because they were putting a lot of pressure on us and our concern was not to concede while they had nothing to lose. We have now lost our lead 3 times in this campaign. The players clearly learnt from the previous Israel match as every time we got the ball in Lansdowne we attacked. Now they know that even a 2 goal advantage isn't good enough so they'll try and score whenever they have the ball.Quote:
Originally Posted by Junior
Because it was 2-2 at that stage and it was a game that we obviously had to win!!!! prior to that we made a defensive substitution in Kavanagh - we haven't learned anything IMO.Quote:
Originally Posted by eirebhoy
If we are 2-0 up and still attacking gung-ho against the swiss i'll eat my hat
It was the wrong subsitution but it certainly wasn't defensive. We played 4-4-2 for the entire match. Kerr didn't want to risk an our of form Elliott. He was wrong but he wasn't going defensive.Quote:
Originally Posted by Junior
before the substitutionQuote:
Originally Posted by eirebhoy
Robbie - Attacking
Duff - Attacking
=2 attacking players
After substitution
Duff - Attacking
Kavanagagh - Defensive
= 1 attacking player
Its defensive in my book!
If he didn't have the faith in Elliott, he shouldn't be in the squad. He could have put the Doc on. It wouldn't have been pretty but it would have been attack minded.
I don't look at that substitution as being defensive so much as being unnecessarily disruptive. Basically it was 3 changes not 1.Quote:
Originally Posted by Junior
Kavanagh for Kilbane
Kilbane for Duff
Duff for Keane.
And before the substitution we had stepped off the gas as well - we didn't lose the impetus so much as throw it away, but we still could and should have won the second half. The second half was bad luck really. The substitution may have been close to the turning point but wasn't what prevented us winning the game.
I almost missed the last few words "I'll eat my hat"Quote:
Originally Posted by Junior
What about if Ireland do need the 3 points after a draw with the French. Kerr decides that Morrison and Elliot are not fully match fit but lets Elliot start & he makes no impression, replaced by Kavanagh after 30 mins.
Crowd noise drops a bit not least because some Foot ie members on the Nth tce are now busy typing out angry posts about cautious Kerr tactics on their laptops.
Claims that Kerr is settling for 2nd place. Foot ie members are aware that with the goal difference Irl have only a 50/50 chance (based on the permutations) of taking 2nd place if they draw with the Swiss.
With Duff now hovering around in a free role, 2 goals are scored in 10 mins, the second, a stranger goal has never been seen, a goalbound ball bounces off the back of Keane's head back across the goal line and deflected into his own net by a perplexed Zubeholer.
Nevertheless a deja vu type panic sets in amongst the crowd alleviated a bit by Referee's performance, he remains oblivious to Yakin's frantic acrobatic attempts to gain a penalty. Yakin leaps into the air at the slightest contact and finishes it off with a 5 turn rollover, impressive stuff indeed compared with the Duff flop or the Kilbane fling.
In the 2nd half Kerr could do no wrong, conducting a tactical team performance for 45 minutes which stifles any Swiss initiative. The Swiss could not pass through midfield. Ireland hold possession. Into injury time the tense crowd tentativly raise a few bars of You'll never beat the Irish.
Wort a few hats?
Jaysus who would have thought that the ''Boring ol' hurt nobady pain in the arse god I hope we beat them Swiss'' would get 108 replies.... :)
I have to say you've lost me a bit. did we win or draw? :DQuote:
Originally Posted by geysir
Despite us not actually going gung ho whilst 2-0 up, for you, i'd still eat my hat & may be even buy you a pint - sure we'd be off to Germany at that point and you'll never beat the irish!!!! :D
Must say supporting man city and following him in the reserves, I was really hoping Kerr brought on Elliott in the Israel game. Plus I'd predicted (hoped) he'd score in a win for us on a Irl-Isr prediction thread here!
Having said that after having some time to get over the dissapointment of that draw I think Kerr has been a bit hard done by. On here and in the media. When he first took over one of his aims was to mould an Irish team whose players could easily interchange and whose range of formations could stretch beyond 4-4-2. With that in mind, the switches involved in "the Kavanagh substitution" should not have been sooo difficult for international players and team-mates to come to terms with. The second half also highlighted for me what a fantastic delivery of the dead-ball Graham Kavanagh brought to the team. (Any future debate between Kav and Holland should be in Kav's favour IMO)
With this in mind and the gut feeling I have that the boys will really turn it on when the going gets tough this Autumn, I think we'll roll over the Swiss ;) on the way to 4 wins from our last 4 qualifying games! Come on Ireland!!!!!!
the people banging on about the swiss amazing youngsters ...well is reto Ziegler the same Ziegler that has only started carling cup games since Andy Reid Signed for spurs :D swiss aint good, we aint great, but we are better
We have a better players no questioning that,we have better support ditto ,we are playing at home with a chance to go to the world cup in Germany with what should be over 40,000 pationate supporters cheering us on.What can stop us going there? Answer..no one only ourselves particulary if we win the two other games.Quote:
livehead1 the people banging on about the swiss amazing youngsters ...well is reto Ziegler the same Ziegler that has only started carling cup games since Andy Reid Signed for spurs swiss aint good, we aint great, but we are better
well I'm convinced by that argument!Quote:
Originally Posted by livehead1
i'd hate to think that was sarcasm!!Quote:
Originally Posted by Feech
I'll let you be the judge of thatQuote:
Originally Posted by livehead1
;)
you lookin thru swiss tinted glasses. we are a better team its plain to see. no swiss player cost 17million or none of their goalkeepers would interest top european clubs or none of their defenders are at clubs such as man utd etc..the list is endless. we gotta beat a team like this simple as
I think there must be a pair of green tinted specs knocking around as well!Quote:
Originally Posted by livehead1
"defenders at clubs such as Man Utd" ffs gies peace...........
Guess that makes their 2 wins and one draw against Ireland in the past 2 years look even better then!Quote:
Originally Posted by livehead1