It is our good luck I'd say.Quote:
Originally Posted by jbyrne
It isn't their bad luck though.
It is our good luck I'd say.Quote:
Originally Posted by jbyrne
It isn't their bad luck though.
I wouldn't start Whelan.
McCarthy looked a million times better without him.
He got it sailing again but I think his belittling of his own players was just absolutely unforgivable, his distrust of Wes in particular, and it'll be a long oul time before I'll let go of my grudge against him. He really set a negative tone around this team which I hope last night will finally banish.Quote:
Originally Posted by DeLorean
Got back late after the game last night, only starting to compose my thoughts now.
A team containing West Ham's second choice keeper, three championship defenders (including Burnley's second choice full back), and a striker who hasn't scored this season for his club and never for his country, beat the world champions.
The defence was organised superbly by O'Shea. Keogh was likewise immense. Christie was better going forward in the first half, but settled well in the second.
McCarthy came of age last night, anyone who think he's not an international class footballer should be forced to watch him on player cam last night, and then beaten soundly about the face and neck. Hendrick worked his socks off, didn't see much of the ball, but neither did anyone else.
I'd follow Jon Walters to the gates of hell after his performance last night. The German left full and left winger couldn't contain him in the last few minutes, and he fought for every inch they wouldn't give him.
Having said that, Hoolahan was MOTM for me. One of the most complete performances from an attacking central midfielder that I've ever seen - club or country. If there's any downside it's that he ran himself into the ground and I'm not sure he'll be able to reproduce that again on Sunday.
When I saw Murphy in the starting XI, I thought it was a mistake, but he might give their defence something to think about, and allow Long to take advantage as a fresh substitute.
Even when Long was breaking through, I was thinking "I've seen him with this chance before" but this time he did what he normally doesn't, didn't think about it, took one touch to give himself an extra yard and smashed it beyond the best keeper in the world. After that goal, I'm certain he can solve world hunger, clone dinosaurs and resolve the Syrian conflict.
Can't decide if it was better than Holland in 2001, and I'm not sure I want to pick between the two. They're both wonderful, wonderful sporting memories, and that's enough.
We took four points off Germany over the course of the campaign, but only one off Scotland. We conceded one goal to Germany, but two to Scotland. Football is a glorious, unpredictable, terrible, wonderful creature.
I think emmet Malone words it better than I ever could...Quote:
Originally Posted by osarusan
Quote:
Originally Posted by IT
An unashamed one in the pipe for those still under the delusion Robbie's only in it for his own caps and goals.
http://img.rasset.ie/000b381c-642.jpg
Was talking about this last night.Quote:
Originally Posted by tetsujin1979
The only thing that elevates the Holland goal for me is that it more or less secured qualification (if we beat a poor Cyprus team at home) At best, we're now still favourites for the play-offs now, which would have been the case had Long missed and the game ended 0-0.
But I agree the comparison is facile anyway. Long's goal deserves to be up there with Houghton and Whelan in 88, Sheedy in 90, Houghton in 94, McAteer in 01, Keane in 02, even O'Shea last year. Maybe Keane in Paris, though that was eventually overshadowed, or Keane in Bari.
With the rugby world cup on now, I think it's worth noting that a match like last night's would never, ever, ever result in an upset in rugby. The better team would simply power through. But football is nowhere near as clear-cut, and nights like last night will happen again, which is one of the great things about the game.
That's a brilliant photo. He's such a legend. And I mean that in it's proper context, not the term that's bandied about the place willy nilly.... :-)
Weren't we discussing here very recently whether we actually enjoy going to the games, after someone posed the question? I answered in the affirmative anyway, and last night, well, that's your reward for keeping the faith. I'm still high as a kite today.
In reference to a point a few pages back, I have to admit I was glad when I heard Poland had drawn level. It just relieved the agony of the next few minutes, after so many last second equalisers scorched into my pessimistic head. That said, when Muller missed that chance I thought the gods were looking kindly on us. I watched in amazement as the ball sailed into the south terrace instead of bulging the net as I had expected. There was another earlier chance, a header inches wide. I was directly in line with the flight of the ball and was fully expecting it to go in off the inside of the post. Magic stuff.
yeah i felt the same. i could relax a bit knowing a playoff was secured. those last few minutes were tough enough nevertheless!Quote:
Originally Posted by Stuttgart88
on your last point that is the beauty with football. You have to put the ball in the back of the onion bag. In rugby if you cant score a try then your out half can start finding a hole to score a drop goal or kick penalties to keep the scoreboard ticking over. same for Gaa if you cant get a goal then pop it over the bar for a point.Quote:
Originally Posted by pineapple stu
Great performance last night. All of the lads. yeah the football wasn't pretty at times but when we had the ball on the deck we looked comfortable. Maybe the germans underestimated us but who cares. All you need is 1 one chance and we took it.
also the other game ending 2-2 I think it will suit us. if we want to automatically qualify then we need to win or better a 1-1 draw. It is also a free shot. it doesn't matter if we lose as we are still in the playoffs(maybe seeding for the playoff maybe effective).
I like the idea that Ireland's game against Poland is basically a play-off to get to France, but whoever loses out gets a do over.
Rob Eliot drafted into the squad to replace Given.
I can't find any information online of Westwood being injured. What's the story there?
So was that Given's last competitive career game I wonder?
So I had a dream we beat the World Champions in a vital qualifier last night with a perfomance of Guts, Passion and intelligence in an amazing night at Lansdowne Road..
It's odd. Westwood has struggled a bit with injuries this season, but seems to have been okay the last couple of weeks. He could well be injured - but no journalist seems to have asked if he is in the various interviews so far.Quote:
Originally Posted by nigel-harps1954
Blog on last nights epic win for anyone interested.
http://afalsefirstxi.blogspot.ie/201...aying-long-gam
Joe Denilson already clarified this here-
That's brilliant. Great photo. I might tweet that, if you don't mind (I'll h/t you), as Robbie-slagging is really something that gets my goat. He's an Irish footballing legend. And, as Yard of Pace says, in the true meaning of the term. It's a word I usually tend to avoid using when referring to people but I'll make an exception for Robbie. He has brought the nation so much joy over the years and he shows he's also able to celebrate with a direct competitor when he's not at the centre of it. Yet people insist "it's all about himself" or throwing his toys out of the pram when things don't go his way for Robbie; nonsense. He's delighted for Long there.Quote:
Originally Posted by SwanVsDalton
Fair point. I suppose it's easy to curse the Polish equaliser in hindsight. Although after Mueller's shot went wide, I did begin to believe it was to be our night. We played down the clock so well also that the last few minutes were a bit easier to endure than some other encounters down through the years. I just didn't get the sense that Germany were going to get a goal in the dying moments, which is why the Polish goal peeved me at the time.Quote:
Originally Posted by Stuttgart88
Last November, I vividly recall standing dejected in Celtic Park after the final whistle with ecstatic Scottish supporters streaming out of the stadium around me and really thinking there was no way back from losing up there - even a play-off place looked a distant hope then - but now we're going to Warsaw and can secure automatic qualification with any result better than a 1-1 draw. What a turn-around.
Westwood has an injury issue, as far as I understand. O'Neill was asked about it the other day.
Just also wanted to mention that Hendrick has been a real star of O'Neill's tenure.
Why was Keogh wearing the bandage round his head for the first-half but not the second, by the way? Just adding to the old "lunatic hell-bent on destruction" look?
Nice to see a goal from "caveman football". There's more than one way to skin a cat. I haven't decided whether it was a masterful stroke to bring Long on late to replace the ineffective Murphy or whether he should start with him. The goal would seem to indicate the former. While I don't deny all the plaudits for Hoolahan, some are over the top as he did give the ball away twice in a dangerous position from which the Germans almost scored twice. On another day... Man of the match: Keogh/O'Shea followed by Hoolahan and McCarthy
The Dutch comparison is very true. Which was better? I bought Champagne all round after the Dutch game. I didn't last night. I think I enjoyed the Dutch the more because we were down to 10 men and we owed the Dutch big time after some terrible disappointments. Last night was a bigger surprise because we had no Roy Keane in the side and was against the Weltmeisters.
Days like that don't come around that often. Enjoy. Is it too much to hope for back to back victories and put that away hoodoo to bed? Probably but as ever the Poles only need a draw and that is a hard one for them: to stick or twist. Ask France when they only needed a draw against us.
I hate to break it to you BS but the North are through with a game to spare.Quote:
Originally Posted by BonnieShels
Keogh think he's Neymar. Or possibly the other way around.Quote:
Originally Posted by DannyInvincible
http://blogs.odiario.com/inforgospel...peoes-2015.jpg
Keogh got a bad, but accidental, kick in the forehead against Leeds a few weeks back. It was live on Sky actually, lots of blood and looked a really deep cut. He played on though and has been wearing it since. I don't know why he disposed of it at half time though, which was probably the main part of your question :)
It was actually the three substitutes that combined for our goal. It was Meyler who tidied up after Reus had nutmegged O'Shea, playing it back to Randolph just seconds after his introduction. It's a squad game indeed!
Is there anywhere or way I'd be able to re-watch the RTÉ coverage of the game? I thought the game would be on Sky Go Catch-Up but they just have a four-minute highlights reel, which isn't great for re-living the whole thing. I'm assuming it's on RTÉ Player, but Hola stopped working with that a good while back and I've not known any costless way around it since. Anyone else aware of anything or would anyone have a recording they could somehow send me?
I might as well just watch our game again, in a more relaxed mode, after the televised duel in Tallaght of course.Quote:
Originally Posted by OwlsFan
My impression was that we had done very well in the 2002 qual which had earned us 9 lives before that Holland game and we used them all to get through that game, but at the same time we played really good football with the emerging Duff, young Robbie and Roy in regal form.
Although Germany had a couple of gilt chances I thought they were outscrapped and there was nothing to compare with the many heart stopping moments v Holland, eg just after Kelly got sent off when Stan headed back to Given.
Other news
RTE have revealed that 920,000 viewers were watching RTÉ2 when Shane Long scored Ireland’s winning goal, with close to 1.6m viewers tuned in throughout the course of last night’s Euro 2016 qualifier.<br>
An additional 71,655 watched the match via the live stream on RTÉ Player.
Memories of scares from Netherlands game...
-Kluivert slotting just wide in the opening minutes when clean through. Thought it was in.
-Zenden with a fairly easy chance but didn't get enough elevation on the bouncing ball to put it over Given.
-The Van Nistelrooy penalty scare.
From last night...
-Boateng free header in opening minutes.
-Ozil missing the target with practically an open goal with Given stuck to the floor.
-Schurrle missing a very good chance after the lovely cross from Reus. Somebody said Brady did well to put him off, I'm not so sure. All Brady did was look at him really but at least he was back there.
-Hummels header that came at him kind of fast from a corner just after we scored. Thought it was in.
-Muller chance. Thought it was in (yet again!) and still can't believe he missed.
-Hummels heading straight into Randolph's arms in injury time. Either side of him and it was a goal.
-Loads of last ditch goal saving interceptions/blocks... O'Shea from Gundogan, Keogh in the six yard box, Ward a couple of times and Christie that I can remember.
In fairness, the game last night is much fresher in the memory!
The team we beat last night was a lot better than the Dutch team in 2001. We also had a better team back then. Prime Keano, Robbie, Duff, Dunne, Stan and Given etc.
Still cannot believe that we finally got a huge scalp in a competitive game. Just goes to show that energy, passion, commitment and a bit of luck can beat superstars. The argument of 'how can you expect a team made up of mid table PL or Championship players' to compete against the top sides has hopefully been put to bed. Northern Ireland have had some massive scalps in recent years, Costa Rica got out of a group of death at the World Cup last year etc etc.
We looked like a team had a plan and the players ran to a standstill. Also delighted for MO'N, he has delivered the shot in the arm the sport needed. It's games and results like that get kids falling in love with the game. I hope every kid in the country were out trying to replicating Shane Long this morning.
Buzzing.
Absolutely to see the kids around me and on the radio after completely amazed by it all is nothing short of fantastic. The more kids the Ireland bug bites the better.
The stars fairly aligned for us last night. I'm not so sure about all this criticism of the German performance. Sure they probably approached the game with arrogance but it's not like they didn't try a leg. They had a world of corners inside the first 20 minutes and it looked like a goal was coming any second. I seriously thought we would get gubbed and took to thinking to myself if I'd take a three nil loss if offered it around the 20 minute mark! Their passing was nice and neat and incisive for most of the game and in reality they created enough to reasonably expect to have won that with a bit to spare.
By contrast we only had the one clear chance and it wasn't even near being a chance when Long took off behind the Kraut back line. I feel Longs first touch is being overlooked in the euphoria. What an amazing touch to kill the ball from a long high punt while simultaneously setting it up perfectly for the strike with out breaking stride and sprinting full pelt! Did he mean to cushion it down to himself so perfectly and run on to it off his left knee?? Probably, but 9 times out of 10 that touch is running straight through to the keeper or is a fraction inside giving the advantage to the covering defender, or is a fraction to the right making a clean strike much more difficult. I doubt his controlling touch could have been more perfect to set up the hit and the fact he bobbled it off his knee right down into the turf while at full sprint and it ended up where it did is amazing.
There was a bit of talk about luck earlier. Yes, I believe we had luck in some way last night. Or like I said, the stars just aligned for us at last.
Yep, just saw the second half again and noted the Meyler involvement too.Quote:
Originally Posted by DeLorean
Actually, on watching the second half again on telly we were actually much better than I remembered at the game. It's probably the emotional involvement being there live. A lot of the time watching Ireland from the stands is like being tied to a chair while your favourite pet is being tortured.
Long's first touch was excellent alright, and well improvised. So much was made by rugby folk a few years ago about Zebo's heel flick against Wales - a nice piece of skill but hardly extraordinary - yet barely a mention of Long's touch last night.
And yes, it'd be churlish to day it was a lucky win but it was absolutely the case that the stars were aligned. When all the usual doom mongers here never give us a chance against whoever we're playing I usually respond by saying we'll get a few chances and we need to take them. This applies to anyone. Ok, so we got none against Spain in 2012 and quite frankly I think we really only got one last night, but it still applies. This type of result rarely happens but it happens all the time in football when a plucky underdog mugs a sophisticated superior team. I know, I'm an Arsenal fan :)
Ronnie Whelan, in fairness to him, made a big fuss about Long's first touch. The Sky Sports guys noted it also. I suppose Zebo's bit of skill was a bit unorthodox and off the cuff in Rugby circles and they're not really expected to be as skilful with their feet. You've a lot of mental issues when it comes to rugby Stutts!
Totally. See my post just now on the RTE Panel thread I think.
Edit: no, it was Jack Byrne.
But seriously, I think that there a big imbalance between how the two national teams are perceived, and my rugby mates agree.
The media / corporate Ireland / official Ireland / middle class dolly bird Ireland all annoy the fcuk out of me when it comes to sport!
Stutts, You would be one of the latex, dazzle shirt wearers that should be banned from rugby pubs and rightly so too!Quote:
Originally Posted by Stuttgart88
http://www.irishtimes.com/sport/rugb...lide-1.2385948
I caught Ronnie making a mention of the touch during the later highlights show but maybe I wasn't paying right attention to it. Never saw any Sky coverage. Read a few reports on the times and indo sites today and nothing from what I recall on the most vital touch in the whole game. The control on the run was 20 times more skilful than the finish itself which was super it goes without saying. As an aside I enjoyed Malachy Clerkins and Mary Hannigans pieces today, as I usually do with those two top quality writers. The indo website was full of cheap, rushed ********. No surprise I guess.
And on Stutts rugby points. Yeah, I'm annoyed with that ****e as well despite enjoying our rugby side and the epic games they play. The buzz that was evident from the BIG game last night though shows me that football/soccer is still the bigger draw for the ordinary Joe despite what script the media are trying to write and the ensuing herd like behaviour of the casual sports fan in this fair island.
I put on Off The Ball for the last few mins of the commute home from work today circa 7pm, the day after one of our most glorious victories in arguably the nations most popular sport and all I got was bluster and teeth knashing about how humid it was and then tension during the Irish Rugby press conference today. Barely a mention of MON and the lads. I'm sure it came later but still. The rugby talk scheduled in should have been jettisoned for analysis / celebration of a result the underachieving ruggers chaps can only dream of.
Well I am a happy bunny, just found the full match on-line and downloading as I type. :triumphant:
I found yesterday my usually download site had been shut down.
It was a pain to use anyway too, slow you could usually only get one half, so I hope they have learned their
lesson, ie if you provide a carp service the USA will shut you down for copyright infringement. :smug:
Was listening as well, they had Ray Houghton on after the eight o'clock news bulletin talking about what it's going to be like for Shane Long, people coming up to him in 20 years telling him they were at the game when he scored against Germany.Quote:
Originally Posted by Bottle of Tonic
I has written a reply.feck.stupid phone.dolly bird is class stutts.
My mate put up on Facebook yesterday we may be better at the rugby but coybig have shown they are the nations favourite. It's very true.
We're soccer people Darragh as gilesy said to Darragh Maloney. That made me feel good.
Ya those rugger clowns and Jersey tuggers and half the people who've never even played the sport jumping on the bandwagon I'm with stutts. When ye've been embedded with those gomeys for as long as stutts it gets to ye ye've a right to feel aggrieved.. What really annoys me is when they take delight in not knowing when Ireland are playing . or just downright dismissal
Where'd you find it? Is it RTÉ's coverage?Quote:
Originally Posted by tricky_colour