Steven Reid sits out training as a precaution: http://www.fai.ie/index.php?option=c...k=view&id=3550
Steven Reid sits out training as a precaution: http://www.fai.ie/index.php?option=c...k=view&id=3550
cant help but worry when ya see something like thatQuote:
Originally Posted by tetsujin1979
I'm dreading the thought of another eastern European mis-adventure, with the home side starting out all guns blazing, shots from distance, our defence all at sea, mishap falling over calamity.
IMO we got a massive get out of jail free card with the neutral venue in Mainz. This allowed the game to be a simple 11 vs 11 on a football pitch, and one of the dodgiest trips in Euro football negated. We could take control of the game like we did, and play it on our terms. Don't see this happening on Wednesday. But I believe in the manager and the set-up so far, and maybe he'll continue to surprise us. Another early goal would be lovely.
1-1.
Reid has developed in to an excellent midfielder. Irelands best player in our last couple of games. Fingers crossed he'll be ok.
I predicted 2-1 for the Georgia game with Doyle and Keane the scorers. Close.
Im gonna go for a 1-0 victorty on wednesday. We looked fairly well organised on Saturday and I think we can keep a clean sheet provided there are no silly mistakes.
Robbie Keane to score in a tight anxious game and Irelands first real away win in god only knows how long.
I agree with kingdom kerry. A tight game, Robbie to score , back 4 and Given to defend well again. One worry would be Kilbane with the blinkers on. There were times against Georgia he seemed a little unsure of himself with time on the ball. Solid and fearless when attacking it though.
I think it’s very difficult to forecast this one. My heart tells me that we will get a result over there in an extremely tight and exciting game. My head tells me that we will be lucky to get away with a draw. There are no easy games anymore and Montenegro is one of the more difficult teams in the so called minnows of football. There will be a very passionate and hostile crowd behind them. I just feel very uneasy and anxious over this match compared to any of the others in the group. I really hope my heart wins this battle.
Trap will not change a winning team unless Reid fails to make it which I don't think he will so same to start for me . Before the first game I had us down for a 1-1 draw it could be that or 2-2 and so draw it will be , again 4 points from our first two games is a good return .
Don't know why people keep dismissing Cyprus. They hammered us last year and embarassed us in Lansdowne. They also have a club team that qualified for the champions league, something we have never managed to do. So Beware.
Tomorrows game looks like a draw to me. A win would be a fabulous result.
i think were giving this montenegro team a bit to much respect. yes it will be difficult but i havent seen this team play yet. if we do our stuff on the day im sure we will be more than capable of getting a result. maybe bulgaria arent as good as we think. we have to believe in our own ability. ive seen vucinivic play for roma and he isnt prolific in front of goal. remember a few years ago we faced a far tougher game when they were still yugoslavia and were unlucky to be beaten 1-0. lets not go overboard on this team.
I think we're fearing them because we know so little about them, beyond the abilities of 1 or 2 of the players. We shouldn't go into the game worrying what they will do, rather we should fly on in & play our own game; you can only give a team so much respect.
2-0 to Ireland
A lot of people just cannot come to terms with the fact that cyprus actually have a good team at the moment.I suppose just because historically they were the whipping boys they just cant get their heads around it.Yes hopefully we will beat them but just expecting to beat them when Italy just about did is disrespectful.Our media is becoming just like the british media i.e.not show respect to opposition teams.I suppose it is not surprising when so much of it is british owned and the irish journalists are doing what their british counterparts do to climb the greasy pole.Quote:
Originally Posted by drummerboy
I think we'll win tomorrow or alternatively we'll be the better team, be controlling the game for most of the match, deserve the win then give away an equaliser in the last couple of minutes to allow Montenegro to get an undeserving draw after Trap makes some shocking substitutions and brings on some dodgy players (McShane and Miller for a start).
It helps us that their manager appears to be totally clueless about us by suggesting we never give up which as we all know is perhaps our greatest weakness, we always seem to give up in the last 10 minutes.
However, if Stephen Reid is injured and Trap plays Miller instead (why we have way better midfielders?) we'll be beaten.
think reid will be fine - dont think there's to much concern over him.
The build up to Montenegro is a bit like the trip to Israel in March '05. Fear rather than cautious respect was the prevailing attitude before that game.
fear for the same reason now, as was then, we knew if we came away with a win in that game we were in control of our destiny. Just like now, we would be in a serious position with two wins away from home and then cyprus at home. Its always better to have points in the bag than games in hand in International football. 9 points from the first 3 games especially when 2 of those were away from home, make a huge difference.
In these small groups it's important to outperform your direct opponents on a game to game basis. In a 40 game club season it's not as important on how you & your direct rivals do away to, say Aston Villa, but as Bulgaria has already dropped 2 points in Montenegro then that leaves us the opportunity to outperform them by 2 points. It's sounds simplistic but that's how it is. So far Bulgaria can't improve on our haul from Georgia away. That's how I look at it anyway!
Quote:
Originally Posted by youngirish
In my opinion you can only dream of controlling the game for most of the match.We always have at least 5 man upfront and never was under pressure in friendly matches we played so far and match against Bulgaria.Against Bulgaria we had 58% possesion at the end.Also,one of the reasons we ended up 2-2 draw is that our players tried to score third goal and did not come back to defence.On the other hand Ireland is much better team than Bulgaria.I am sure of that.Every Montenegrin player said the same on the press conference.You are of course favorites.Every one of your players play in one of the best European leagues.Majority of Bulgarians on the other hands play for crapy teams like Levski,Sofia...That of course does not mean that you will beat us.3-2 in our favor.
p.s.I dont know why are you comparing this Montenegrin team with Yugoslavia and Serbia and Montenegro since our most important players were to young to play back than.We,undoubtly,have better attack than Serbia today and they have better defence.On the other hand it was always like that;)(Predrag Mijatovic and Dejan Savicevic are Montenegrins).
:D:D:DQuote:
Originally Posted by youngirish
Due to heat and the ability of Montenegro and draw would not be a bad result and a win would be a fantastic result, itwould better the game on Saturday due to conditions and the fact that Montenegro will prove to be a better team than Georgia. This is going to be a tough group and one that we could finish last in if Staunton was in charge as every team seems capable of taking points of one another.
More possesion doesn't necessarily mean you are controlling the game. If we were 1-0 up (as we were against the Georgians) and your team are having most of the possesion but failing to test our goalkeeper while we looked dangerous on the counter attack then I would state in that situation that we were the team in control of the game. However if you were raining shots in on our goal then you would be clearly controlling the game. Possesion is only one aspect and not the most important one at that.Quote:
Originally Posted by Montenegrin