Ireland V Sweden(A) 22 March & Austria(H) - 26 March 2013 - World Cup 2014 Qualifiers

Paul, dress it up whatever way YOU want also. Call a spade a spade, with or without Ibra anyone with any sense would still be backing a comfortable home win. There is always a chance of course but we are not clinical, we dont appear to have the 'organisation' of previous campaigns, the side you quote has 3 players with any real experience in internaitional qualifiers (may be 4 if you include Long).

I will confess to only knowing of Sweden what I see in qualifier roundups, Ibra of course and Lustig at Celtic but gut feel and track record says this will be routine for them. I hope Im wrong of course...................

I'm largely on Junior's side because Sweden are simply serial qualifiers, by hook or by crook, although what Paul says about general player quality is true.

However, just to inject some optimism back into things: We're still unbeaten in away qualifiers under Trap.

We've a great record in Scandinavia: Off the top of my head in the last 20 years: 3-0 in Finland, 4-0 in Copenhagen, 0-0 in Norway, 3-3 in Copenhagen (from 3-1 up), 4-2 in Iceland. We beat Sweden twice in friendlies (Mick and Stan) at home.

I think we lost to Norway and Denmark away under Eoin Hand though.

What else?

Dead lucky in Iceland. A goalkeeper howlers galore facilitated win. A GUBU game.

Green started in the main XI in training again today alongside Whelan in midfield. Not looking good for Friday, especially considering the supposed 2nd XI hammered the first team in training today according to reports.

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Originally Posted by Fixer82

It's a massive game for Green. He has an opportunity to silence his critics.

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Why does he have critics? What has he ever done wrong for us? A limited player he might be although I can't recall a game where he's played worse than what would be considered an average performance for Whelan or Gibson.

Weren't Green and Whelan the CM partnership that performed so poorly in the home match against Russia back 2010, They were overrun in midfield hard to feel confident about this match on that basis at least.

I reckon if Ibrahimovic doesn't single handily destroy us Kallstrom will, I hope Trap doesn't over focus on the Zlatan threat and ignore Kim. The major concern is how effective both of them are from distance, very difficult to stop both of them unless you play a high line which Trap has never done.
Should be an entertaining game for a neutral, if we play positively they're vulnerable in midfield (like us) and slow at the back (like us) so there should be goals if our attacking threat is in anyways coherent. I think we'd need to score twice to get anything from it, I don't really trust McLean or Brady to get Keane into those positions. Duff continues to be a huge loss.

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Originally Posted by SolitudeRed

Weren't Green and Whelan the CM partnership that performed so poorly in the home match against Russia back 2010, They were overrun in midfield hard to feel confident about this match on that basis at least.

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Every midfield we field against a decent side is overrun. It doesn't matter the combination, none of them are good enough to play in a 2 against a 3.

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Originally Posted by geysir

Dead lucky in Iceland. A goalkeeper howlers galore facilitated win. A GUBU game.

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Ah but they got a goal that was blatantly offside

Will Sweden be playing a 3?

On the radio that McShane has played in the first team for training two days in a row. I can only assume it was at RB. If he starts ahead of Coleman Trap might aswell pack his bags. Could he put Coleman at RM for this one?

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Originally Posted by Stuttgart88

Will Sweden be playing a 3?

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Technically no, but their system is a lot more complex and fluid than ours. Ibrahimovic typically plays as a trequartista these days dropping deep as an extra and very effective possession option in midfield when it suits him. They'll have an advanced forward like Ranegie or Elmander to distract defences from following him so he tends to find obscene amounts of space, when Sweden are pushing he takes up a different role so it's really going to be like playing 12 against him.

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Originally Posted by redobit

On the radio that McShane has played in the first team for training two days in a row. I can only assume it was at RB. If he starts ahead of Coleman Trap might aswell pack his bags. Could he put Coleman at RM for this one?

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Given the inexperience of Brady and lack of form from McClean it'd be a very wise decision if he did. McShane is apparently playing well at the moment and has never been the disaster for us at RB that he has at CB, would be for that move.

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Originally Posted by geysir

Based on the Poland friendly, McCarthy's game was affected adversely by having Whelan around him. I think he's better served by having someone more mobile and alive.

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I never realised that Whelan had actually kicked the bucket, this explains a lot.

I'd love to see McCarthy and Hoolahan as part of a midfield 3 with a defensive man beside them, Green over Whelan hands down.

RIP Glenn Whelan

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Originally Posted by Charlie Darwin

RIP Glenn Whelan

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Rest In Possession

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Originally Posted by the bear

Rest In Possession

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Well you certainly can't say he died the way he lived.

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Originally Posted by Charlie Darwin

Well you certainly can't say he died the way he lived.

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True, he never used to get in the box

I thought McShane had pulled out injured?

You hoped more like ;)

I think the argument that on paper we are similar and the fact you guys put them ahead of us, is largely down to the system and tactics employed by us. Granted they probably have more experience as older heads, that's only the real difference. It doesn't matter what past teams did, its the current team that matters.

Great point - we have generally had an excellent record against the Scandinavians.

So, for the purposes of some much-needed optimism, I'm just sayin'...

Our recent record against Scandinavian sides:

v Finland (not strictly Scandinavian but what the hell): 3-0 win (2000 home), 3-0 win (2002 away)

v Denmark: 3-0 win (2002 home), 4-0 win (2007 away - and I was at it!)

v Norway: 1-0 win (2003 home), 1-1 (2008 away), 1-2 defeat (2010 home)

v Iceland: 4-2 win (1997 away)

v Sweden: 2-0 win (1999 home), 3-0 win (2006 home) - and that win was with Zlatan up front. For a whole 37 mins.

8 wins, 1 draw, 1 defeat... not a bad return, eh?!

Ciaran Clark is going to zlatanise Ibrahimovic and earn a big-money move to IFK Gothenburg off the back of it. Mark my words.