player preparation

Big match on wednesday night - now im not the kind of person to begrudge a player a night out in dublin, but i'm not sure if a player should be in around town 4 nights before a game that could be one of the most important for years

- i aint gonna name the player(s) at all - but i just want to know what others' opinions are on this

are we expecting a bit much of footballers these days? or are some of the players taking the **** if they're out around dublin few days before game (drinking obviously)

My guess Robbie Keane in Temple Bar with 2 birds and 2 double vodkas and red bulls?

is this a joke?!

gaelic players...none county level, can sometimes go 4months without a drink and a 40K a week player, at international football, ahead of one of the biggest games in the recent history of irish football is out on the lash 4nites before it..feck sake

ya dar, something tells me its robbie keane too. and then he will miss a sitter on wednesday. :mad:

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by oconghc2

Big match on wednesday night - now im not the kind of person to begrudge a player a night out in dublin, but i'm not sure if a player should be in around town 4 nights before a game that could be one of the most important for years

- i aint gonna name the player(s) at all - but i just want to know what others' opinions are on this

---

Whats your source?

if any of the squad (ill ask kerr tomorrow) are out tonight and we lose Im starting a hate campaign

I know of a fella in Sligo who got drunk watching an Ireland WC match, then went to play for his local team right after, and scored a hat-trick :)

But then the next week he did the same and broke his leg.

(Pointless post, I apoogise.)

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by geysir

Whats your source?

---

have heard that robbie was out over the last week but it was another player we saw ourselves - not rolling around, but red eyed and in a chipper!

dont like this whole naming thing because i know i was a bit ****ed off after the faroes game away when pictures started sprouting up. Still, like someone mentioned there bout GAA (club players even) it makes you ask questions about some players! This is exactly the comparison I thought of when we saw him!

Somehow i doubt Cunningham or Kilbane were out - honest enough players, i think they realise the importance and honour playing for your country.

yeh it was me...jst feckin spit the name out!

I know know what my guess might be, especially if he was seen in a chippy
(but a KFC would have confirmed it :p ). I don't think it matters too much
as long as it is not the night before the game, the players have to relax
afterall. Infact in the case of the late great Brian Clough I believe it was
compulsory!! And remember he took Nottm Forest to two European cup wins,
back to back, a club which now 'plays' in the third tier of English football
apparent stop gap on it's journey into the Conference.

I can't find the full story but I think this quote some it up:-
http://www.spiked-online.com/Articles/0000000CA6F9.htm


"although it is hard to imagine Arsene Wenger forcefeeding his stars a few beers the night before a big match"

This made me laugh too:-

"Memorably he accused Peter Lorimer of conning referees and told Eddie Gray that if he had been a race-horse he would, given his injury record, have been put down" :)

A great manager with an even bigger head than Mourinho, and considerably less money!!

RIP.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Soper

I know of a fella in Sligo who got drunk watching an Ireland WC match

---

I swear, it was'nt me :o :D

Out relaxing 4 days before a game - big deal. Bearing in mind top premiership teams almost have games every Wednesday in CL and then on Saturday in EPL, I suspect they too grab a chance to relax before their next match. Relaxation is part of preparation before a big game or any major event in one's life if you want to give it your best shot. Now if it was the night before or a couple of night's before that might be a different matter.

i agree owls fan its in Ireland on sunday today which is a total rag.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by OwlsFan

Out relaxing 4 days before a game - big deal.

---

I don't know. I got a txt from a mate in Ireland this morning saying Robbie, Harte, Doc and one other were photographed at 4am in Lillie's & Robbie photographed leading a Karaoke in Firhouse. He didn't say what day though - if it was in the middle of the week it's maybe less of an issue.

I'm sorry but if these guys are preparing properly, like proper athletes, they should be in bed at a good hour and be in tip-top condition to make the most of training. Mentally & pysically. Kerr only gets the players together sporadically and set-pieces & set moves require a lot of concentration to get 100% right. The 3 players named above are 3 that are lacking match fitness too so they should be the ones making extra sure they're in mint condition.

Anyone can tell you that being out late, being hungover and then exerting yourself leaves you open to being run down and more prone to picking up a bug or a strain. There's a bug in the camp already (Kilbane's virus) so this makes it doubly irresponsible.

These guys are carrying the hopes of thousands of us and this is the respect they're showing us? I'm livid actually. Assuming they were drunk, Robbie & co might as well be saying **** you right to my face. Even if they weren't drunk 4am is simply too late.

I don't think going out several days before a game makes any difference,
these guys are under a lot of pressure, being too wound up before a big
game is probably counter productive.

Pished me off to but I'll reserve my judgement until Wednesday night. If it doesn't work out then there will be a few players with very serious questions to answer. Does anyone know if Kerr sanctioned this night out? Was it mentioned on the web cast today? I'd love to know what Roy thinks :eek:

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by The Bit O'Red

Pished me off to but I'll reserve my judgement until Wednesday night. If it doesn't work out then there will be a few players with very serious questions to answer. Does anyone know if Kerr sanctioned this night out? Was it mentioned on the web cast today? I'd love to know what Roy thinks :eek:

---

kerr was on tv earlier saying that he didnt mind at all and that it was the same as going out on a monday night before a sat game so he was fine with it. i think its wrong, by all means go out and unwind 5 days before a big game but not till 4am... especially with training the next day!

These are super fit players.I couldnt give a rats if a player was out five days before a match.I live in firhouse and would of heard if robbie keane was around doin karioke.Give it a break.It would not affect a player on wednesday if they were out on saturday.Some of yous on this board are acting like mothers.To be honest i think most of yous are looking for an excuse if we get beatin on wednesday night.If we get beaten its because were werent good enuf not because a player went out for a drink 5 days before a match.What you want them to do sit in with roy keane the life soul of boredom.These guys are in their 20's.They all live in england if came home for a few days and if i got too see my mates id be out getting ****ed aswell.And the whole faroe party what was wrong with that.End of season.Im glad too that the players are havin a laugh if the were thinkin about a match every day till that game they would go insane.

Taxi driver that just dropped me home said he picked up Robbie Keane and Ian harte at 5am fri morning and brought them to Robbies apartment in Citywest. They said there was no curfew in force that night so guess they fely they were doing no wrong.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Cowboy

Taxi driver that just dropped me home said he picked up Robbie Keane and Ian harte at 5am fri morning and brought them to Robbies apartment in Citywest. They said there was no curfew in force that night so guess they fely they were doing no wrong.

---

ah sure a taximan would never lie !! friday morning ? sure whats wrong with that did the team not assemble till friday ?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by zinedineontour

ah sure a taximan would never lie !!

---

a valid point but he was not saying it in bad way so he seemed credible, said Harte wanted to get some food rather than drink more. Is it true a female passenger went to the papers next day?

The taxi man doesn't have a clue - It wasn't Ian Harte that was with Robbie...

then who was it and how do you know this?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Cowboy

then who was it and how do you know this?

---

Who cares ? just the media trying to find another way of trying to destroy team morale so that they can give it the big 'I told you so' if it goes wrong.

Journos - scum of the earth. The same ones who were running the team down during McCarthys world cup campaign and sharpening the knives when we were 1-0 down to Cameroon were first on the bandwagon at the final whistle going on about the 'spirit and togetherness of the irish'. Makes you sick.

No doubt the same thing is coming this week - I havent read a positive report yet about Wednesday or anyone daring to suggest we can win it.

ah at the end of the day who gives a toss ... it was friday ffs ... let the lads let their hair down and enjoy themselves .. their young lads ... they have enough time to get themselves ready and brian aint the kind of manager to let the lads out and get ****ed all the time ... some people are just looking for a story thats not there ...

Normally on an international weekend Ireland would have played on Saturday. If we had played you would expect the players to be out on the town on Saturday night. Lots of time left to prepare for Wednesday's game. You have to remember this IOS rag is English-owned, and hense its main concern is to stir up some controversy, with a pic of Robbie Keane on its front page when thousands of people have lost their lives in the US. Says it all really.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by zinedineontour

ah at the end of the day who gives a toss ... it was friday ffs ... let the lads let their hair down and enjoy themselves .. their young lads ... they have enough time to get themselves ready and brian aint the kind of manager to let the lads out and get ****ed all the time ... some people are just looking for a story thats not there ...

---

well said Sir