Paul, I might actually go there too, as I'll be near Euston beforehand. Let me know if you're definitely going there. I've still to decide.
Paul, I might actually go there too, as I'll be near Euston beforehand. Let me know if you're definitely going there. I've still to decide.
on Long id be quite happy to see him start, i think he quite good tecnically, and is a good finisher. decent in the air aswell. im recalling his 2 finishes in the denmark friendly away like 2 years ago. his 2nd goal esp was a great finish.
yep.Quote:
Originally Posted by cfdh_edmundo
Stutts i worked out from door to door from canary wharf it will take me 35 mins so im definitely going there. I hope its not too busy as there are some lovely bar stools around the back side of the bar and a tele in the corner with the sound always up high. Will be aiming for 7.30 to be out of Citi by 7 at the latest.
OK, I'll let you know.
Last time I watched Slovakia v Ireland was in the Corrib. Half-decent result but it felt like a defeat. ENG game will be on in the main bar.
Yes and the last time you watched a game with me we lost....
Trap doing a Press conference now. Journo mate text to say he's indicating Fahey will play on the right with Long up front.
is that cos lawrence is injured?
so he is going with green and whelan. Does anyone think that stinks of stubbornness and ignorance, that he knows he needs to make changes but wont replace green or whelan who he brought through as though its an indictment on his regime? Or is he afraid if he puts gibson or fahey in the centre from the start we could be overrun and go behind too quickly? I would love to know what he is thinking, I can only assume he doesn't want to throw someone like wilson into the deep end so soon and thats all i think i can figure from him for def.
I hope Gibson gets a crack in this game from the start. He can belt the ball well and the Slovakian keeper is not the greatest so hopefully he'll get a chance to take a few shots at him. 2 of the Russian goals on Friday (and 75% of Frank Lampard's) were off deflections, but you don't get those if you don't take a shot in the first place.
Maybe play Lawrence in the middle if he gets over the injury? At least his distribution is good...
Probably looking back at the Armenian game and thinking Whelan and Green did OK. Mkhitaryan destroyed Slovakia on Friday but we kept him reasonably quiet so W & G did their jobs in that game. The best think about Long and Fahey starting (if rumours true)is that both players have played well and scored in recent games.Quote:
Originally Posted by paul_oshea
That door swings both ways though.Quote:
Originally Posted by Noelys Guitar
I'm sure the Slovakian midfield did a lot better against the Russians than we did.
Green playing again? Ludicrous. He offers nothing.
If he plays Green again and we get a pasting then the Trap will have to avoid foot.ie for a while!
We don't have the techical ability to do much of anything with the ball and that's down to English football and the Irish players that play there - Germany exposed all the limitations of the technically bankrupt English game just a few months ago, didn't they?Quote:
Originally Posted by geysir
So that leaves us with one way to play - Route One. And as much as I hate it we have to go with it (until we teach our kids from Dingle to Donegal to play proper football, and begin sending them to places like Portugal, Holland, France etc instead of England where they are drifting further and further down the food chain).
As for Friday's defeat I lay a huge portion of the blame on Trapattoni. He needed to employ a big man up front with Keane and Doyle (be it Murphy, Sheridan, Alan Lee of Palace or even John "Utility Man" O'Shea) and then our lumping of the ball forward at every occassion might have seemed just slightly logical.
Prehistoric I know, but if we're unwilling or unable to play football then we can't really call ourselves a football team can we?
Doyle is a better long ball target man than those you've mentioned. His leap, close control and strength means going long isn't usually an issue (and hasn't been for about a year and half). His poor performance, coupled with Russia's midfield preventing our middle four from adequately supporting him and Robbie, was the main problem on Friday.Quote:
Originally Posted by mark12345
Course we can. Charlton's team was a decent side who played non-stop hoofball and gave us our finest memories as Irish fans. But I bet you wouldn't interrupt Jack fishing to say his wasn't a football team...Quote:
Originally Posted by mark12345
Slovakian goalkeeper was magnificent against Armenia.Quote:
Originally Posted by Metrostars
Charlton's team was a decent side who played non-stop hoofball and gave us our finest memories as Irish fans. But I bet you wouldn't interrupt Jack fishing to say his wasn't a football team...
Couldn't agree more. I wouldn't stop Jack fishing to say his wasn't a football team. They were the best team we ever had in my opinion. They knew their limitations, the opposition's strengths and played accordingly. And what's more Jack made people fit into positions if he was short a player or two. Trap could take a leaf out of his book. Almost 16 years after Jack we're still happy in the knowledge that Route One is our best road to success, but I'm ok with that if we play accordingly.
Slovakia's result in russia was a travesty. The Slovak goal was dumbfounding brilliant. Shocking mistake by the keeper but a fine shot. How Russia didn't score I dunno,
Weiss not considering defeat
http://www.irishtimes.com/sports/soc...280867036.html
some comments from Ken Early's twitter account:
http://twitter.com/#!/kenearlys/status/27051470542http://twitter.com/#!/kenearlys/status/27051536735Quote:
trap says he told irish players to ignore the papers over the weekend to preserve their psychological condition.
http://twitter.com/#!/kenearlys/status/27051644801Quote:
robbie keane says sunday reports of bust-up with harry redknapp are "100% bull****"
http://twitter.com/#!/kenearlys/status/27052305712Quote:
ireland team unchanged except long/keogh for doyle, & fahey for lawrence who has a muscle problem - seems 90% likely long will start
Hadn't seen any reports of a bust up between Keane and Redknapp myself, anyone know what that's about?Quote:
trap waves away questions about performance v russia - "your jobs is analyse, critica, my jobs to predict, to decide before the game"
I'm being told now that Lawrence has a fitness test tomorrow. He starts if he passes it
confirmed on newstalk
Long to start, Lawrence to have fitness test tomorrow
I agree that Green can't start tomorrow. The reality, however, is that he will. As such we're in for a nervy match where we will be delighted for a draw.
Only change is Long with Lawerence having a late fitness test but likely to start.
I do now see where trap is going with this.
I admire his trust I must say, but trust can never be enough in this case.
Maybe Green will score a diving header again as we go on and win 3-0.
We need to get through this tomorrow somehow. It does not matter how, we just have to. Whatever about achieving a win we cannot lose or we are doomed imo. Come the next qualifier in the new year hopefully we will have blooded in McCarthy, Duff and Andrews will have come back, he will have forgiven Andy Reid and Gibson will have more Man u games under his belt. We can then say bye bye to Paul Green. This guy is brutal . I don’t care how much effort he puts in it does not change this fact. James O Connor is a much better player than he is in fact many of the central midfielders in the LOI are better than him. The thoughts of him in the line up tomorrow puts shivers down my spine. I am not at all optimistic, hopefully Traps luck has not completely run out.
The key tomorrow as ever is to take our chances. Send Dunne up early in the match for corners and free kicks. McGeady is getting closer to scoring a goal. Tomorrow would be an excellent time to start. Keane will get one or two clear chances and he has to take them in a game like this.
I never understood sending Sledge up for corners and free kicks. I know he scored against Italy but he really isn't that good at attacking the ball in the air and he doesn't look very tall. Dunne and JOSH are better options.Quote:
Originally Posted by Noelys Guitar
Absolutely. Scored two against Bulgaria last campaign when the delivery was good. Their own defensive monster (Skrtel) will be absent.Quote:
Originally Posted by Noelys Guitar
I think it's typical Trap conservatism. Keep your best defender at home to thwart any possible counter attack. I agree though he's a great threat from set-plays.Quote:
Originally Posted by JGKyne
I think Slovakia wins 2-1 on two less than stellar goals, people go crazy on this website and Stephen (we don't need him) Ireland is begged to come back through a seriously organized online petiton.
I also think Trap steps down a few days after the loss, frustrated with his percieved lack of options and tired of the Irish media.
Good news is I'm usually wrong about this stuff although I did win my office football pool this weekend.
It could just be as simple as Dunne not being able to make it back into defence in time after a set piece breaks down. He has been playing with a back problem, and doesn't want to aggravate it.Quote:
Originally Posted by SwanVsDalton
In fairness to Long he is quite good in the air and won a few knock-downs to Keane when he came on against the Rooskys
And...in fairness to Green he was thrown in at the deep end. From playing Scunthorpe to playing Russia. Big jump
I remember when Andrews first came on the scene people were calling for his head but now he's a definite starter when fit...
I don't think there's much interest in bringing Stephen Ireland back into the squad, never mind begging him to return. Even if we were to lose tonight, I can't see that changing and it would disappoint me if we were to stoop to such. As for Trap feeling he may have a lack of options, if that ever was the case, I'm genuinely not sure who he could blame other than himself.Quote:
Originally Posted by Crosby87
I think we'll get something out of tonight. In fact i think it's entirely possible there'll be three teams on seven points tonight and all.
Why cant we never come out like teams and say we are going to win, only one winner etc etc, instead from the off defeatist attitude. Look at russia last week, slovakia tonight. I could see us being 1 -0 up and hten conceding and being happy to play for the draw, it really does get frustrating after a while.
All the more reason why we should be on 10 after tonight.....Quote:
Originally Posted by Lionel Ritchie
Lads Russia are not going to slip up in Skopje if they play like they did against us.
Indeed, I have always thought we ought to petition FIFA for four points per Irish win after the Paris fiasco. :PQuote:
Originally Posted by paul_oshea