Republic of Ireland V Brazil - Wednesday, 6th February 2008 - Friendly

The row at the corner of the canal and Cusack was nearly in the exact same spot as the one during the Cypress game. Saw the schooligans pulling their scarves over their faces after the game at back of stand and heading for Jones' Rd. Went back into Cusack and out onto Clonliffe Road. The Gardai were preventing people from the Canal end getting out onto Clonliffe Road. The poxy Mexican Wave is becoming a nonsense. Ruining anyones chance of enjoying the game.

As for the game, I thought Brazil played within themselves, while we seemed to be content to let them play it around in front of us. Surprised Brazil didn't test Given with some shots from outside the box, they seemed to be obsessed with getting around the back of us. Thought McGeady should have been delegated to pick up the right back when he was bombing forward on the opposite side to the play. Kilbanes job has to be to tuck in behind the centre halves on the cover.

As for the goal, Carsley just got squared up to much with Robinho.

The centre of midfield never got going and we were relying on Duff and McGeady to create openings. But if we're going to rely on these two then we need a big centre forward to get on the end of crosses.

Finally thought Givens might have been a bit generous and given a few more subs a few minutes near the end.

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Originally Posted by Billsthoughts

A lad I work who is a Real Sociedad fan went to the match. His first time seeing Ireland. He couldnt get over how technically inept they were. He was genuinely baffled at the way they played or attempted to play that is.

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What was he expecting?? :confused:

If you're looking for technical ability and sexy football, you don't watch us. You watch games like Portugal v Italy, or Spain v France.

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Originally Posted by geysir

:confused:
Has paranoia taken you over. There is no pleasing some people until the whole world agrees with them.
Have you read the thread or just focussed on the 2 or 3 posters who were negative about McGeady?
The vast majority of posters on this thread thought that McGeady had from a good game to MOM.

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Yeah, probably. I was hungover to hell today and typed that with Mr. Paranoia sitting on the couch here beside me. Major uncertainty and his mate the fear are still hanging around the kitchen. They're up to no good.

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Originally Posted by Bottle of Tonic

Yeah, probably. I was hungover to hell today and typed that with Mr. Paranoia sitting on the couch here beside me. Major uncertainty and his mate the fear are still hanging around the kitchen. They're up to no good.

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I think you need to go and lie down.

Can anyone identify Given's assistants?

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Originally Posted by DeNiro

Can anyone identify Given's assistants?

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Mo and Curly, I believe.

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Originally Posted by tricky_colour

A ball which he hiimself won, net effect zero.
Couple of misplaced passes?? Thats about par for an attacking player.
Look at Duffs first three crosses, all useless. No comment about that then.
And he almost created a goal scoring opertunity, probably our best chance of
the match when in came in from the centre right of the box.
What had we created up until then - answer nothing, zilch.
The only think I can recall was Kilbane getting past a man or two down
the left, but that ending in nothing I can recall.

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Ok you have me. He was defintiely a 9 then........

because he nearly created a goal. to use your words "net effect zero".

I didnt comment on any of the other players, positive or negative, I just found your grading of Hunt ridiculous. As I said he did put in two decent crosses but that was it.

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Originally Posted by DeNiro

Can anyone identify Given's assistants?

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Paul Clement I believe

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Originally Posted by Bottle of Tonic

Yeah, probably. I was hungover to hell today and typed that with Mr. Paranoia sitting on the couch here beside me. Major uncertainty and his mate the fear are still hanging around the kitchen. They're up to no good.

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Sounds more like a dose of the DeeTees :)

Atmosphere was rubbish, and has been for a long time now, qualifiers included. We have no songs, apart from the incredibly annoying and almost retarded 'stand up for the boys in green'. And we seem to have made the huge mistake of seating every annoying little bol**x in the corner between the Davin and Cusack as that's where the pathetic Mexican waves are emanating from. Who are the crowd in that corner?

Does anyone have this game on tape? I was wondering where I could get a copy of it.

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Originally Posted by mypost

What was he expecting?? :confused:

If you're looking for technical ability and sexy football, you don't watch us. You watch games like Portugal v Italy, or Spain v France.

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oh alrite...glad ya cleared that up...:rolleyes:

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Originally Posted by mypost

What was he expecting?? :confused:

If you're looking for technical ability and sexy football, you don't watch us. You watch games like Portugal v Italy, or Spain v France.

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Watch those games and 50% of the games will be players rolling round in agony pretending they're injured and lots of diving.

Perhaps you find that sexy ;) ?

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Originally Posted by 4tothefloor

And we seem to have made the huge mistake of seating every annoying little bol**x in the corner between the Davin and Cusack as that's where the pathetic Mexican waves are emanating from. Who are the crowd in that corner?

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Seems to be the schoolkids' section though it seems to be much more full of skangers than in Lansdowne.

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Originally Posted by Billsthoughts

a Real Sociedad fan went to the match. His first time seeing Ireland. He couldnt get over how technically inept they were. He was genuinely baffled at the way they played or attempted to play that is. What we saw last nite and what we have seen for a long time has been below par. Is it too much to ask that our international team can put their foot on the ball and use it intelligently?

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On this point, and especially in the context of the possibility of us getting an Italian manager, it's interesting to read some of the UK press dissecting Capello's first match in charge of England, whose players play in the same league as ours by and large. Powell in the daily Mail was his usual xenophobic self and Simon Barnes in The Times was surprisingly so as well ("pah, what's wrong with up and at 'em? We invented the game" type shyte).

This piece from the Independent says it all though:

Fabio Capello's right-hand man, Franco Baldini, has criticised the lack of "technical skill" in the England squad – and said that the players have to get used to double training sessions while on international duty so that they can improve their passing.

Baldini, who holds the title of England's general manager under the new regime and is a major influence on Capello, acknowledged that the tougher approach, working the players harder before games, might not go down well with Premier League managers.

"We need more technical skill," Baldini said. "We have to practise, practise, practise. Unfortunately, we have the players just for a few days every two months and so, on this occasion, we made four training sessions [instead of two]. Maybe some managers here [in England] will not approve of this, but we have to try at all times so that we can do that."

Baldini's ideas are certainly a reflection of what Capello truly thinks and he added that the English game needed to change drastically. "We are trying to play more with the ball because the English culture is after two, three horizontal passes the crowd is asking for the ball [gestures through the air[," he said in the wake of the 2-1 friendly victory over Switzerland on Wednesday evening.

"We have to try and play more. We have to play with more confidence because it's easier to play when the ball is at your feet. So we have to try and incorporate this confidence in our game, in our self, to give us more chances. Some things were good in this game, some things not. But it was good enough from my point of view."

Funny thing is that Ireland actually has some technically good players who do like to pass the ball. Carsley's distribution was shocking but the rest of our shortarse midfield options are all good ball players but lack presence. McCaffrey's U21s (me going into broken record mode again here) played crisp passing football so we do have this type of player coming through. Even in 2002 without Keane we passed the ball well. We can do it.

However, with the futures of our young players so entangled in the English game I really hope that the FAI's technical develoment plan is bringing up our kids to play the way they do in Europe.

I saw a great programme the other day comparing football in this era to the fifties in england and basically saying not much has changed. Best part of it were the clips of the Hungarians 6-3 win at Wembley. Has anyone ever seen these? amazing play. Deffo think we need to set up a few academies in Ireland and take control of our own youth development. But who do we have that would have any experience of youth development.....????:)

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Originally Posted by Billsthoughts

But who do we have that would have any experience of youth development.....????:)

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Brian Kerr ;)


Other national sides were looking to learn from us at one stage. But not anymore :D

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Originally Posted by Stuttgart88

Funny thing is that Ireland actually has some technically good players who do like to pass the ball. Carsley's distribution was shocking but the rest of our shortarse midfield options are all good ball players but lack presence.

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When I think of technical ability I think of purely a players ability with their feet. Nothing more. imo what British and Irish players lack is the movement, quick decision making, basic tactical awareness and intelligence. One touch football would usually be basic 10 yard passes. You don't need to be especially technically gifted to play that kind of pass. The brain is the most important thing. Ambrosino and Gattuso are not great technically but they can play very quick one touch football with Milan and Italy.

I'm sure it goes back to the fact that our younger players play on huge pitches. Being fast and fit is a lot more important for our players at that age than to be techincally gifted. It's completely different in Brazil where they play in tiny area's.

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Originally Posted by eirebhoy

Nothing more. imo what British and Irish players lack is the movement, quick decision making, basic tactical awareness and intelligence. One touch football would usually be basic 10 yard passes. You don't need to be especially technically gifted to play that kind of pass. The brain is the most important thing.

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Yep, and also the courage to make yourself available for that easy pass, having the confidence to look for the ball even if you're not in loads of space. I used to prentend I wanted the ball but never really did!

I read an ex-Celtic player after they lost in Benfica this year, citing ball retention as an alien factor in Celtic's away performances. He said Benfica would get the ball, work it wide and if a good option wasn't available they'd work it back into the middle again and go to the other side and keep the cycle going. Celtic would get the ball, work it wide and if nothing was on it'd go back to the centre back who'd hoof it!

This season in the CL I thought Celtic were outclassed in every single match. All it takes is Nakamura being in the team for home games against the likes of Benfica and Shakhtar to change that though.

Anyway, our brainless one dimensional play is the main reason why I'd love Trapattoni to get the job. A proper coach who'd change that.