Georgia V Ireland - Saturday, 6th September 2008 - World Cup 2010 Q - Mainz, Germany

[FarBeag]

Great result if not the best game to watch. One thing for sure Steven Reid needs to stay fit, best Irish player on the pitch. I was happy with the back four until the organisation was upset by the changes. Steven Hunt ran himself into the ground and I was surprised with Whelan as he is a better player than I thought.I hope he can keep this up as he also is a better option than Carsley.

The only negatives imo besides the late goal is that Miller and Keogh are seen as the better option than Andy Reid.

We do need to improve for Wednesday though and keep our concentration for 90min +

[conlonn]

2 examples, one from many years ago.

The substitutions wouldnt have been made if we were only 1-0 up.

Trap is still unbeaten as manager.

yes true. They should win on Wednesday also which is the perfect start.
On a positive note for me they can improve another 25% over the course of the qualifying campaign.
They will need to to compete with Bulgaria and Italy

[shakermaker1982]

job done and if we had kept a clean job it would have been a solid 7 out of 10 performance. I thought we looked shaky at defending set pieces though and I hope we work on that over the next few days.

I thought the two full backs were solid and Reid/Whelan looked accomplished in the centre of the park. Obviously Wednesday's game will be trickier and we'll need to improve to have any chance of getting 3 points but I'm happy enough with the performance. Still early days but at least we don't resort to lumping the ball long every time the back 4 get the ball.

Marks out of 10? 6 being average performance or in Given's case not having to do much.

Given - 6.
Finnan - 7.
Kilbane - 8
Dunne - 6
O'Shea - 6
Hunt - 6
McGeady - 6
Whelan - 7
S Reid - 7
Doyle - 7
Keane - 6

[Maroon 7]

job done and if we had kept a clean job it would have been a solid 7 out of 10 performance. I thought we looked shaky at defending set pieces though and I hope we work on that over the next few days.

I thought the two full backs were solid and Reid/Whelan looked accomplished in the centre of the park. Obviously Wednesday's game will be trickier and we'll need to improve to have any chance of getting 3 points but I'm happy enough with the performance. Still early days but at least we don't resort to lumping the ball long every time the back 4 get the ball.

Marks out of 10? 6 being average performance or in Given's case not having to do much.

Given - 6.
Finnan - 7.
Kilbane - 8
Dunne - 6
O'Shea - 6
Hunt - 6
McGeady - 6
Whelan - 7
S Reid - 7
Doyle - 7
Keane - 6

Thought McGeady would be worthy of a 7 to be honest. Put in the cross for Doyle's goal. Put in a great corner which O'Shea headed over. Put a great long pass through for Keane that eventually led to Whelan having his shot for his goal. He had a very good second half. Only dodgy spell was when he was over on the left wing for the final 15 minutes of the first half.

[shakermaker1982]

He also gave the ball away on numerous occasions. He was steady enough. He's a skillful player and I'm hoping the best is to come from him in a green shirt.

[Maroon 7]

He also gave the ball away on numerous occasions. He was steady enough. He's a skillful player and I'm hoping the best is to come from him in a green shirt.

Well he's on the same rating as Hunt and I thought he definitely had a better game than Hunt did anyway.

[irishultra]

It will do. Not great by any means, but decent. Its easy to say Georgia were not upto much...results indicate they are a tough nut to crack. It was an away game in Fifas eyes, so its a massive 3 points.

To be honest I thought we were playing in 2nd/3rd gear...and feel we can really pick it up. I'm nervous about the Montenegro game. I don't understand Reid being so far down the pecking order. Hunt did what he does, but by god is he annoying to watch at times. With Duff, we will be a much better proposition.

Trap's changes were mind boggling, but its a results business and we got what we needed. Another 3 in the next game and we will be flying.

[conlonn]

2 examples, one from many years ago.

The substitutions wouldnt have been made if we were only 1-0 up.

Trap is still unbeaten as manager.

Israel away in qualifiers too is another conceded late on

[irishultra]

They beat Scotland in the last qualifers and drew with Ukraine. Only got beaten 3-2 away to Ukraine as well. Well done lads.

[Stuttgart88]

Not impressed: good in parts, poor in parts. Steven Reid is a massive player for us and we need him fit. I thought our ball retention was awful at times and we lacked cohesion. I still think Trapp has to learn who our best players are. I think if we can play ugly and keep winning for the time being we'll develop well but we're still vulnerable and whilst I think we merited our win we rode our luck at times too. I'd like more leadership ahead of our defence.

I didn't agree with the substitutions much and if that had been Stan we'd be livid. In Trapp I trust however

There were good points at times too but I wasn't convinced. Obviously we look at all things Irish very subjectively and critically, but stuff it, we won and I'm delighted.

Our best players? Reid & Kilbane for me.

[OwlsFan]

Not impressed: good in parts, poor in parts. Steven Reid is a massive player for us and we need him fit. I thought our ball retention was awful at times and we lacked cohesion. I still think Trapp has to learn who our best players are. I think if we can play ugly and keep winning for the time being we'll develop well but we're still vulnerable and whilst I think we merited our win we rode our luck at times too. I'd like more leadership ahead of our defence.

I didn't agree with the substitutions much and if that had been Stan we'd be livid. In Trapp I trust however

There were good points at times too but I wasn't convinced. Obviously we look at all things Irish very subjectively and critically, but stuff it, we won and I'm delighted.

Our best players? Reid & Kilbane for me.

Agree with most of that. Hate the 5 in midfield substitution to close down a game - usually backfires and Miller Was pleased with the back 4 and Stephen Reid. McGeady gave the ball away far too much (nice cross for the goal and the pass to Robbie though). Not sure how Whelan got MotM. Was quite anonymous at times. Hunt puts himself about - like the curate's egg. Good in parts. Keane was very quiet as well and I wouldn't have noticed Doyle apart from his goal.

But 3 points is all that matters.

[EastTerracer]

It's been clear since 2002 that Stephen Reid was always going to be important to us. He had a couple of decent sub appearances under McCarthy (and a world cup appearance) and a storming game in Brian Kerr's first game in Scotland but he has been dogged by injuries ever since and only played a handful of games for us. We desperately need him to stay fit.

On Andy Reid I think Trapp will get to know his abilities over time but then the question is how to fit him into the system. He won't get up and down the wing like Duff, McGeady and Hunt but I think Trapp wants a solid, no nonsense centre of midfield rather than flair. I hope he can work it out.

Someone posted earlier that Robbie Keane is overrated but IMHO he is still our most important player. He was unlucky to hit the post today and other than that didn't get much of the ball (which he can't be blamed for).

When we went 1-0 up there was definitely a strategy of playing out the game like the Italians would. I think the manager had more faith in our ability to do that than the fans (he hasn't gone through the last 3 campaigns the way we have). I was really nervous for 15 or 20 minutes but the second goal did ease the nerves a bit.

A good start but we need to keep improving on the performance. Everyone did their job today - no complaints on effort from anyone. Hunt tries his heart out but needs to pass more (he can't beat them all). At times he gave the ball away but I think it was one of McGeady's best games yet.

Given the injury he got just seven days ago I think Kilbane was my personal star today.

3-points away to start - brilliant. Let's go and get 3 more on Wednesday.

[backstothewall]

Given - 6* Hard to mark, had little to do but pick the ball out of his goal
Finnan - 7
Kilbane - 8
Dunne - 7
O Shea - 7
McGeady - 8
Whelan - 8
Reid - 8
Hunt - 8
Doyle - 8
Keane - 7

[the-blue-harp]

i dont know if andy reid is down the pecking order or just the way the game panned out his services weren't required. If we were a goal down, then he would have thrown on andy reid.

andy reid will figure in montenegro.

[mypost]

We got the win, even if the traditional late goal conceded took some of the gloss off the result. It's the first game of the campaign, so criticising the team is nit-picking. We've won the first game for the first time since 2004. It's very much a work in progress at the moment. It wasn't pretty but it was effective.

[Galwayman]

Good to get the 3 points from tonights game anyway. Like a lot of other posters I do find it strange that Andy Reid is not in the starting eleven.Whelan did okay tonight but I'd much prefer Reid in the centre of midfield. We find it hard enough to keep possession of the ball without excluding our best passer of the ball.
Whelan is a workhouse but lacks the touch of class that Reid brings to the table.
The one negative for me were the substitutions. I know we were 2 goals up but the idea of resting a defender for the last 10 minutes of a game baffles me.Okay Finnan is in his thirties and hasn't played any first team football this season so far but my belief is that you tinker with your back four at your peril.
It's going to be hard for a player coming in off the bench to get to the pitch of the game straight away - especially a disaster waiting to happen such as McShane. The defence had done well up to that point. I predictaed straight away that Georgia would pull a goal back - straight away mcShane was skinned and they almost scored.

Anyway the results seem to be going our way tonight so far with the other 2 games draws. Montenegro will be a serious test on Wednesday night!!

[Carrigaline]

I serious can't believe how negative some of you are. We were away from home, a potential banana skin and we totally controlled and dominated the opposition. I don't think there was a man on the pitch that played poorly tonight either! The 2-1 scoreline definitely flattered Georgia.

Given - 7
Finnan - 7
Kilbane - 8
Dunne - 8
O Shea - 7
McGeady - 7
Whelan - 8
Reid - 8
Hunt - 7
Doyle - 8
Keane - 7

Roll on Montenegro!

[mark12345]

IT WAS A GOOD SHOWING IN MANY DEPARTMENTS, BUT what about the constant long balls to outnumbered Keane and Doyle - if it doesn't work first few times then why keep trying it.

Don't want to be too pizcky though - there was a lot of discipline in the performanzce at times and Reid and Hunt were brilliant. I've been on Kevin Kilbane's back for a while but he was solid tonight - still don't subscribe to all the hype about him being the Iron Man though. He remains a limited player but it worked out for him tonight and we all knew for years that his best position was left back - shame on the previous managers.

Let's all reserve judgement however until after the Montenegro game - they'll be a different proposition altogether.

[FarBeag]

I serious can't believe how negative some of you are. We were away from home, a potential banana skin and we totally controlled and dominated the opposition. I don't think there was a man on the pitch that played poorly tonight either! The 2-1 scoreline definitely flattered Georgia.


Roll on Montenegro!

I think that people are being realistic rather than negative. To be fair both teams were away from home and the best team won but just about. I think it could have been a different score line in Tbilisi so we can count ourselves lucky.

There are no easy games in this group and we can only lose out on not qualifying ourselves. I think a win on Wednesday is vital but it will be a far more difficult task than to-day so prepare for a nerve racking 90 minutes or so. We have to improve on today; there is no doubt about this. We done our job today and hopefully will top the group come Wednesday night if all goes well?

[irishultra]

Yeah I agree with that. I am over the moon with the 3 points, but if we were to play like that against Cyprus away we would be ripped apart...again.