If we've managed to clone Ogbene and get away with him as a 12th man we might just have a chance!Quote:
Originally Posted by Olé Olé
If we've managed to clone Ogbene and get away with him as a 12th man we might just have a chance!Quote:
Originally Posted by Olé Olé
There is only two Ogbenes ! !Quote:
Originally Posted by Olé Olé
We all dream of a team with two Ogbenes, a team with two Ogbenes...
To me Ogbene and Brady as wingbacks seems the most likely setup with that lineup.
4-4-1-1 it seems. Ogbene and Szmodics wide, Azaz in the 10 position behind Ferguson. Brady left back and Scales centre back, probably Collins the other CB and O'Shea at right back (those two could be the other way around but that seems more likely). HH clearly has a curve ball or two in his team selections, I definitely didn't expect Azaz to start. Other than that, close enough to earlier predictions, a bit of a shuffle at the back with AO out and Scales in.
I wasn't far off. Azaz in for Parrott and Knight in for Molumby.Quote:
Originally Posted by Predator
Interesting to see him go for Knight over Molumby. The return of Cullen evidently changes the midfield dynamic. Was Azaz injured during the last window? I can't recall. Always striking to see players who weren't involved at all in the previous window suddenly starting in the next.
Azaz was fit last time, but Hallgrimsson didn't pick the squad. O'Shea and (more likely) McCarthy did and left us woefully short on centre mids once the decision was made to switch to three in the middle.
Why.. de f.. do I have to look at Robbie Brady.. again
Why...
Personally I'd have maybe shuffled the back four and put Scales at left back and Omobamidele in at centre back. But then Omobamidele hasn't been playing for his club at all. And Scales didn't look as confident for Celtic playing left back as he has at centre back. The other option is O'Shea at left back, but then you probably need to put Omobamidele back in at right back.
Basically there's no good option at left back, but I'm far from convinced that Brady is the least worst one.
Starting XI stats
https://www.instagram.com/p/DA89ob-IVsP/
That’s horrific from Collins …
A shame to give away that goal, considering we are actually playing decent for once.
What the hell was that goal disallowed for?
Must've gone out of play, definitely wasn't offsideQuote:
Originally Posted by brine3
We actually look better than this crowd.. what a sickener of a goal to give away
Some of the balls being played to Ferguson are ridiculous. I've no issue with a direct style of football but he's double or treble marked and it's being sent up to him to try to win a header.
With that said he looks a shadow of the player he was 2 years ago.
I'm not at all sure about O'Shea at right back.
Cullen is very important to us.
Can any other player take a free/throw/corner, other than Robbie Brady.. he'd sicken your hole, every single time grabbing the ball..
The first sign I'll take of leadership in that team, is when I see a player tell him eff off back to left back
Brady is by far our best free kick taker and can still cross a ball better than anyone else. Not sure why he's in the squad though, Ryan Manning surely deserves a run?
Tough to watch this. Don’t deserve to be behind but have done nothing to show we should be ahead. One stupid moment later and we’re behind. Aimless stuff. And Ferguson is not a target man.
Plus ça change…
did you not see him hit the top corner of the goal from a free kickQuote:
Originally Posted by Insidetherock
That's a shocking mistake from Collins. Very little positive to take from that first half. We look soft.
Ferguson isn't anything at the moment. I spent the last 10 minutes of the half watching him and Pohjanpalo in comparison with each other.Quote:
Originally Posted by SkStu
It reminded me of something Aaron Connelly said in his interview earlier. "Hard work beats talent when talent doesn't work hard".
We found a little step up since the goal, but you'd be very worried if we didn't. We still don't look like all that much of a threat. We could lose this 2-0, easy. Might salvage it, might not, but any loss and Hallgrimmsson is under huge pressure already.
Do you think that's about his confidence, fitness, or tactical instructions?Quote:
Originally Posted by backstothewall
Probably had a perfectly good goal ruled out by the replays at half time….
RTE panel mentioned reports from journos online that the team went off to boos from the Irish fans at half time.
that's harsh, they are playing wellQuote:
Originally Posted by John83
Cracking header from Scales !
A decent set piece from Brady. Wonders never cease!
g'wan. wel deserved
you're watching a different match! he's had some brilliant deliveries tonightQuote:
Originally Posted by backstothewall
We should be behind.. but we can win this
Has Finn Azaz done anything tonight?
There was an example there where Sammy Szmodics ran past him to close the ball down. That can hardly be tactical instructions.Quote:
Originally Posted by John83
A centre forward who's in form and scoring goals can get away with anything. A centre forward who's struggling in front of goal needs to be seen to be running his nuts off. That's the bare minimum and he's not doing it.
Parrott is scoring goals. To me this is fairly simple.
We seem to have lost control of the game since those substitutions.
We've been comfortably better this half, but Finland haven't exactly set a high bar to clear there.
Ferguson and Azaz were the right pair to sub off.
More subs... Interesting he's not made any changes in midfield. Happy with what he's seeing?
Delighted for Scales. One of the very, very few Irish players who's career is on the rise.
I'm struggling to think of a worse choice for Irish captain in my lifetime than braindead Collins - He shouldn't even be in the team let alone captaining it
I know Ferguson is only turning 20 but he'd want to get his finger out of his hole or he'll find himself playing league 1/ league 2 english football in no time at all.
Bradys only use is as a set piece taker but this isn't gridiron he's playing!
Can still win this as the finnish look fairly woeful
Another let-off.
Get in Robbie Brady !
Brady!
He's gotten a lot of criticism here. I haven't really understood it today.