A bit like Celtic park in December 2014? Or Aviva in May/June(?) 2015?Quote:
Originally Posted by joe_denilson
A bit like Celtic park in December 2014? Or Aviva in May/June(?) 2015?Quote:
Originally Posted by joe_denilson
Why would they get anxious? 0-0 would be a good result for them - they don't have to win.Quote:
Originally Posted by joe_denilson
True, if they come out of it with a draw.Quote:
Originally Posted by Charlie Darwin
But I can't think of any reason for a Welsh player or management, at 70mins and the game in the balance, not to be thinking "big chance for 3 points here".
On the flipside, it'd be hard for the thought "draw isn't a bad result" not to creep in for the Irish players, irrespective if the management have said so or not.
Exactly, we'd likely be the ones getting anxious.
The Welsh would be anxious as this game has been marked by most as a must win game for them. Probably haven't got the nerves for the long haul.
Heartening the read the RTE report that McCarthy is battling to prove his fitness, that evokes an image of James in the gym at dawn, ice cold sea bathing followed by ice baths, press ups, squats etc.
You could look at it like that, I guess it's a matter of perspective. I always thought of it as easier to hold a team scoreless than chase a goal.Quote:
Originally Posted by Charlie Darwin
Where is Dr Peepee? Has he been trying to treat our injured?
We are in a great position going into this game. Its a chance to almost make a top 2 position guaranteed and the fact that we are at home we shouldn't be going in with any other attitude of beating Wales and going at them from the start. Theres no way we should be cagey and accept that a draw is a decent result.
After the Austria win and with Serbia and Austria to come to us, I feel that you're right. I feel we should feel that this is a game we should go for before those two come. 3 points could make us. Will the point difference between a draw and a loss break us?Quote:
Originally Posted by Razors left peg
And then.. I remember they have Bale and Ramsey and that bit of caution ekes back into my thinking.
For goodness sakes man don't tempt fate. Remember your gethsemane at half time of the super bowl saying how the Falcons would finally win one? I won't even mention your Hillary button on election morning.Quote:
Originally Posted by Razors left peg
Gunter: I couldn't kick a ball into the ocean but a first goal vs silly Irish would be sweetest of life.
https://www.rte.ie/sport/soccer/2017...welsh-veteran/
Haha in a great position you can go a put your foot on the throat of the opposition instead of trying to coast home like the Falcons or HillaryQuote:
Originally Posted by KrisLetang
agree with this. A lot of fear running through the conversation here. Even with our injuries we have enough to beat Wales. Sure, Bale is a talisman and they have quality in midfield and defence but they are very beatable. We also have no shortage of quality in areas that they are weak. I think the pace of Long will cause them trouble and I really think McClean and his work ethic and persistence will be vital. I hope McGeady starts in a free role as he might do to Wales what Bale might do to us.Quote:
Originally Posted by Razors left peg
Long story short, we have nothing to fear and we need to go out there with a plan to win the game. I predicted 3-1 to us a couple of weeks ago and I still think that is doable, despite the injuries, if we go out there in the right frame of mind.
I can see the attitude of being rightly worried about Bale. Any time we come up against a team that has one top class player he always seems to score against us, but I really think that we can get at them at the back too. We have decent pace going forward and I think we can win the midfield battle (especially if McCarthy is fit).
Well, Ledley might be missing:
Quote:
Originally Posted by RTÉ
http://www.rte.ie/sport/soccer/2017/...-ledley-wales/
Trap wouldn't like that.
we are also unbeaten in Dublin since May 2014 (a friendly v Turkey) and have claimed some notable scalps during that time.
A game we should have drawn. Glenn Whelan scored a perfectly good goal after about 50 seconds that was disallowed!Quote:
Originally Posted by SkStu
This is a group that we can finish first in, best opportunity since 1994 WCQ to qualify on a first class ticket.
I think 4 points is enough from this and the next game to stay ahead of the pack,
Wales Quiz on 42
http://www.the42.ie/ireland-wales-so...01099-Mar2017/
Don't know about that. After dropping four points in home games against Georgia and Serbia they're going to have to recover the damage somewhere, draws won't really do that. A draw and they'll probably be four points behind both ourselves and Serbia at the half way mark. Even Austria, who've had a horror start to the campaign, will be level with them.Quote:
Originally Posted by Charlie Darwin
When you say the right frame of mind, do you mean you think we should try to set the tempo and attack them from the start? I'm a little torn on that one. I'd love if we could perform like we did for the first 50/55 minutes against Sweden at the Euros, not giving them a second on the ball and creating chances. On the flip side though, Wales do seem to struggle most when teams just sit back against them and wait for the opportunity to hit them on the break, or late on as mentioned above.Quote:
Originally Posted by SkStu
Congrats on your 100th post 'new guy'. ;)Quote:
Originally Posted by KrisLetang
To be honest, if Ireland do sit back, I'll probably be happier with that. The games I have watched the Republic play this way - Belgium 0-3 in the Euros, Poland (away) 2-2 in the qualifiers for instance - they have looked incapable of holding off teams with attacking talent, which we undoubtedly have. On the other hand, when the team plays balls out from the start, for instance against Bos-Herz in the playoff, they seem to score early and take control of the game. Of course we are a different team ourselves than those teams named and you can't make direct comparisons, but I think if the game is more open and fast-paced, it probably favours Ireland. If it's more tactical, it probably favours us.
I am unlike most of you feeling cautiously optimistic about a Welsh win, but we will see.
This sums it up perfectly really.... well apart from being optimistic about the Welsh win!Quote:
Originally Posted by Cymro
I'm not normally confident about a win going into a game, but there are reasons to be optimistic. When you look at the likely starting XIs for each side, I feel like ours looks stronger on paper. This remains the case even if Ledley is out, as Huws is performing well for Ipswich at present. We also have options off the bench. I'm not saying our XI is stronger by a long way, but I'd have us slight favourites even allowing for home advantage.Quote:
Originally Posted by Razors left peg
This will likely be the Welsh XI:
Hennessey, Gunter, Chester, Williams, Davies, Taylor, Ledley/Huws, Ramsey, Allen, Bale, Vokes/Robson-Kanu.
In that team, two were in the Euro 2016 team of the tournament (Ramsey & Allen), 8 are PL regulars, one La Liga, and two Championship (three if Huws replaces Ledley). It's a strong side.
Where on earth did Wayne Hennessy get the impression that the atmosphere in the new Lansdowne Road is "hostile"?... :dunno:Quote:
Originally Posted by BonnieShels
Good side and Williams, Ramsey, Allen and Bale are all very good players.Quote:
Originally Posted by Cymro
I think we will have 9 PL players (Randolph, Ward, O'Shea, Coleman, McClean, Hendrick, Whelan, Long, Walters) in our starting line up.
A lot of our players stack up to your own (particularly if McCarthy and Brady were fit) but, unfortunately for us, Bale and Ramsey are a class apart. I'm just hoping that home advantage and using some of our hard running players to get behind your wing backs and stretch your centre backs will swing it in our favour.
I would be very surprised if Ireland were set up to sit back and let Wales have their way, possibly if it was away game after scoring a goal, but not at home.
If Wales don't win, their campaign is still badly stuck mid table 4 points behind us with an away game to Serbia next. We can take the draw if it happens, but there's no way O'Neill will think that before the game, he will want Ireland to be ahead on points when Serbia come here
We managed okay sitting back against Germany, taking four points and only conceding once in two games. Compare that to Scotland who were hailed for going toe-to-toe in an attacking sense against them (but conceded five goals and took zero points).Quote:
Originally Posted by Cymro
I suppose there's different ways of sitting back. We certainly didn't go "balls out" against B&H. We sat back to a certain extent, pretty much conceded possession but pressed the ball well in our own half. The difference between the teams on the night was discipline really. We kept our heads and made good use of our set pieces, they got frustrated and lost control of the game.Quote:
Originally Posted by Cymro
That's the kind of sitting back approach I would hope for against ye, but unfortunately it's hard to see us getting two much joy from set pieces this time around. I'm not sure if we've even got a player who can put in a decent free kick.
The only game I can remember where we went balls out, as you put it, was against Sweden at the Euros (maybe Italy & France too but that was in a more aggressive sense, rather than a footballing sense). We really took the game to Sweden, pressed all over the pitch and created all the chances for the first 50/55 minutes. Unfortunately we didn't get the kind of lead our dominance deserved and we looked a bit jaded the longer it went on. In the end I was relieved to hold on for a point.
RE: Ledley - how would we feel about a player missing a big game like this because of the birth of his child? The were saying on Newstalk last night that Ronnie Moran played a match for Liverpool on his wedding day, after the church and joined up again later at the reception. Now that's the kind of dedication you need. :)
If Wales lose, their qual chances nose dive. All the pressure is on Wales to win and Ledley is poncing around some hospital with flowers?
Rte reported that James didn't attend the funeral ceremony this morning, he returned from Derry last night and trained with the squad (including the Everton duo) this morning.
Ramsey has been brutal for Arsenal of late but I think Wales might be a welcome release for him. Internationals often offer an escape from a difficult club environment. His nonchalant defending cost Arsenal two goals from corners at WBA. Despite Geysir's view I can see Cymro's point from a few months ago: Bale might be the guy whose goals win games but when the team clicks it's largely down to Ramsey. That's how I understood his point anyway.Quote:
Originally Posted by Olé Olé
What's the weather supposed to be like? That seems to be the biggest concern on the Wales board for some reason. What, it doesn't rain there?
There is no doubt about Ramsey and Wales but the original point was me poking fun at the bizarre opinion expressed about an injured Bale not being missed that much because Ramsay would be missed more.Quote:
Originally Posted by Stuttgart88
Ah, ok.
https://www.rte.ie/sport/soccer/2017...stic-mccarthy/
Do I detect a pop at Arter somewhere in here or am I reading too much into it?
I don't think that was the initial point actually. I think the initial point was that obviously Bale would be missed really heavily, but if they had to do without one of the two it would be better if it was him than Ramsey. Still bizarre though if you ask me.Quote:
Originally Posted by geysir
Yes you are.Quote:
Originally Posted by TheOneWhoKnocks
Wales are saying all the opposite but they will 100% be going for 3 points. They've qualified for the semi-finals, and will want to top the group. To realistically do that they need to beat us tomorrow.Quote:
Originally Posted by Charlie Darwin
Just back from my pre-match lunch with my old and decrepit (apart from me) friends and to my amazement 7 predict a draw, 1 a win (me) and 1 a defeat (but he always thinks we'll lose). So out of 9, only only thinks we'll win. Looking at the odds from the bookies we are slight favourites and that's how it should be.