Just incredible. I was doing my GCSEs last time we won a tournament game.
Just incredible. I was doing my GCSEs last time we won a tournament game.
Sean St Ledger/the doc
Up your hole :) !!!!!
England in the quarters boyos!
Also - Apres Match! Nailed it. Brilliant! :-)
The missus thinks I'm watching the French game in Tubber, Co Clare. The missus is wrong.
I was a year our of my leaving cert. End of college first year. The first time.Quote:
Originally Posted by thischarmingman
---
As much as it galled me to see the Representative Team of the Irish FA get through (and somewhat the Welsh), it must be a ball ache to be Scottish tonight.
Have to agree with Dunphy, probably the best winning goal we have ever scored in a major championship. Brave by O'Neill to pick.this team. Happy for Hoolahan too as if we hadn't scored he would copped it.for his miss. Lastly, this could be our starting team come the WC qualifiers as none of these players will.be retiring after this campyaign.
I've just stopped crying. What a beautiful moment. So happy for Robbie and Wes. Amazing stuff. You know what I loved? The Irish fans, at about the 75' mark, at 0-0, raising the fcking roof with the Fields of Athenry. That's when we need it, that's when it means something. When the team needs the push to keep going and pushing through the pain, heat and exhaustion.
Love you all.
Still shaking with emotion after that! Pure, raw pride watching that display of pure, raw pride. This could be the game that kickstarts a new era. We can beat anybody.
F*ck Schillachi indeed.
That was glorious.
Brady in tears with his family at the end is as iconic as sight as it comes.
No hard, but I just don't see how anyone into football could be put off by Northern Ireland's story. I'll be supporting them against Wales, and have everything crossed McGinn can do Derry City proud again!Quote:
Originally Posted by BonnieShels
Beat France. Beat England. Beat Spain. Beat Belgium. Beat Trap over the head with the trophy. Get revenge on everybody for everything.
Our first ever tournament win in white.
Unbelievable night, it is right up there with anything that has happened in the past, maybe even better.
Not only the result but the performance, we dominated the match and the possession, we were not play off scraps and a wing and a prayer.
Anybody got a gif of the goal?
First things first- cursing my luck for only going two games and for those two games to be the first two. That was just phenomenal.
So many good performances. I'm really struggling to complain about someone. Long and Murphy soldiered well and provided us with good outlets. Long stretched the Italians and Murphy's hold-up play was excellent. That was probably their exact respective remit.
But I thought the other 9 were awesome. In particular, though, Brady and Hendrick. Those two lads were awesome. How many times did they drive at the Italian defence with absolutely no fear? Hendrick did it in the opening minutes of the game and was unlucky with his shot. He did it time and time again. Brady did so too and finally got his and our reward. They are really gifted players. Hendrick has been, across the three matches so far, our best player in my book. But the move into the middle for Brady gave him a new lease of life. How gifted can you be to play LB, LM and CM in the bloody Euros?
McClean is a sheer testament to hardwork. He was superb. Liam Brady said he was his MOTM- not for ability but for sheer determination. I'd give it to Robbie Brady but I know what Liam means.
Hats off to Hoolahan. Missing that sitter would have seen him blamed for the draw. He made up for it emphatically with that ball. Great man.
What about O'Neill? Scalps of Italy and Germany. Domination of Sweden and Bosnia. Made Brady and Hendrick undisputed starters. Wait till he gets Jack Byrne into midfield with them behind Long. And Duffy centre back. Christ.
Buffon's a class act.
https://twitter.com/hashim0307/statu...rc=twsrc%5Etfw
Keane looked delighted. Incredible scenes at the end.
That's the spirit Keane meant when he said he wanted players who called for the ball to really want it. Absolute legend!Quote:
Originally Posted by Olé Olé
And I think McCarthy embodied some of Keane's spirit and tackling too. A lot more than he did in the last two games and repaid their faith.Quote:
Originally Posted by Eminence Grise
F**king magic.
The Turks must be disgusted at the Italians but f**k the Turks.
I thought the whole team were pretty feisty today.Quote:
Originally Posted by Olé Olé
Well done to McGeady, he was on the ball looking for Wes and picked him out.
Given how effective Hendrick (my joint Irish player of the tournament with Wes) and McCarthy were together, does that spell the end of Whelan as a starter? I am thinking that it must.
We're so vulnerable without Whelan though Stu, Italy would have never been allowed hit the post had he been there.
McGeady did play an important part in the goal, nothing to grab the headlines but an important contribution, very similar when he kept the head to feed Hoolahan in Gelsenkirchen. He absolutely deserves to be there.
I dont wish to put a downer on things but I will anyway ;)
Italy didn't have much to play for, would the result have been different it they had?
Ironically it was only when they had go at us that we stuffed them! :cool:
Indeed, I've always held a grudge since bursa in 1999. Suck it up Johnny Turk.Quote:
Originally Posted by osarusan
Oh they definitely were. But I think there was a marked increase in McCarthy's feistiness and he won some Keane-esque tackles in the same spot that Keane did in his day.Quote:
Originally Posted by thischarmingman
Hendrick is awesome. I can't fathom how he's in and out of the Derby team (even injuries taken into account). Tardelli said that he'd be able for Serie A. Hopefully a few managers from there took notice tonight.Quote:
Originally Posted by SkStu
Hendrick can be a bit streaky form-wise to be fair but he's never out of favour for long. He's been like a man possessed since the playoff second leg against Hull. Our most consistent performer over the three games for sure, kept showing against Belgium even when things weren't going well.
We played with heart something, lacking in the Trap ages.
I'm truly "not sure if serious" with that first paragraph Del...it was the only time all game to that point that they had a true sight on goal. I thought our midfield did more than enough from the defensive perspective.Quote:
Originally Posted by DeLorean
As for McGeady, he made two important attacking passes in his cameo - the two more simple things he tried actually. Along with his trademark frustrating crosses and wasteful end product. He is very lucky to be there. Due to his contribution to us getting out of the qualifying group, he deserves the loyalty that O'Neill showed him, it is questionable if he deserves to be there on merit:
Not unlike a slice of bacon.Quote:
Originally Posted by DeLorean
https://production-media.gousto.co.u...bacon-x200.jpg
Quote:
Originally Posted by DeLorean
Just saw your post in the France thread. Phew!Quote:
Originally Posted by SkStu
Fair enough. I haven't watched enough of Derby to comment on the consistency of his form. I thought he was our best player against Sweden and Belgium and second to Brady tonight. Brady could develop really well in the middle. Hope he gets a good move but it'd be difficult for any manager to know what they're purchasing now: LB, LM or CM?Quote:
Originally Posted by DeLorean
I was playing on the fact that every time we concede a goal in his absence somebody says it wouldn't have happened if he was there. We're a much better side without him.Quote:
Originally Posted by SkStu
I can't think of anybody more deserving of a place that isn't there, so in the regard I don't think he's lucky. I think there are probably two or three players in the squad who are actually lucky.Quote:
Originally Posted by SkStu
I thought you knew me better than that. :( :pQuote:
Originally Posted by SkStu
We played with plenty of heart with Trap.Quote:
Originally Posted by tricky_colour
Great result tonight, but in all honestly we played an Italian reserve team, that had nothing to play for.
That said, I'd love pay back against the French!
Excellent performance and result. Italians as typically Italian as ever, cheat for 88 minutes whilst doing the bare minimum needed and try to nick a goal. Backfired on them tonight.
Bring on Northern Ireland I say, hope McGovern gets nice and drunk celebrating qualification and starts seeing double balls during the match.
Quote:
Originally Posted by SkStu
Well lit was better that he passed to Wes than cross than cross himself. Seems to the thing to do, play to you strengths.
McGeady is better at close control of the ball. so better to get the ball to the players who have an end product.