Republic of Ireland V Switzerland 25th March & Slovakia 29th March 2016 - Friendlies

[paul_oshea]

They had 8 changes in their team, so i doubt its their strongest. The squad seems pretty decent but their defense is pretty shambolic, marginally better than ours I think. A combination of the swiss defense and the Slovak attack would be a potent force at the Euros.

I've re-watched the McShame goal a couple of times, and its actually a serious bit of skill to do what he did especially with the angle he was at. I actually think he thought he could safely pat it back to Randolph. Either way a serious bit of innate skill. I say innate because it was all in the subconcious somewhere.

Good to see the consensus on ward, although a couple of posters in earlier posts mentioned they thought he was solid(I thought SkStu-we know his bias - but i could be wrong). Lets use this cull to rid the squad of the dead-wood that have been around for a while now. Start with Ward and McShane, cruel but unless we are desperately stuck in friendlies i dont think they should be near the squad. I do like McShane though.

I don't hate or loathe Whelan btw, I just think he is an extremely lucky player. No one realises he is actually a golfer.

SVD I think that post earlier of yours was the first funny post you've ever had, do it more often, you're actually more normal(and even fun) than you let on.

On O'Kane don't be all prematurely ejaculating yourselves here(as there is a tendency to do), he was decent but I think in the bigger scheme of things and over the course of say 30 caps we would see he is fairly average. We have a lot of average midfielders who don't really set us alight, but hoolahan is the exception, i still really wish he had worked on his upper body strenght. Look at messi how strong he is for the size of him, i think it would add so much more to wessis game if he had that. I say this cos I think he has the skill to take on players and run past them, but not the strength to match. Too late now though, and he still is easily able to compete at this level for another couple of years so I hope he doesn't call it quits after the Euros.

I think our defense is going to be our strongest asset coming into the World cup, going on the last couple of games. We could certainly do with unearthing another Striker between now and the "business end" of the WC qualifiers. I also hope MON stays on, but I'm begining to feel that he isn't going to.

We can look to the Euros with optimisim.

[paul_oshea]

Oh and one final thing. THe argument for 6-8 years previously that "we dont have the players" has been well and truly put to bed now(and i dont think our player ratio of PLiv1 is much different). Those managers, frauds sorry masquerading as managers!

[DeLorean]

Good to see the consensus on ward, although a couple of posters in earlier posts mentioned they thought he was solid(I thought delores and SkStu-we know his bias - but i could be wrong).

Definitely wasn't me... I thought 'solid' was a very generous assessment also.

[paul_oshea]

Duly edited, I wont mention anymore names

[Fixer82]

Late to the discussion but just wanted to say that McShane is not an international player. He's too slow and he dives in too much. He likes the blood and guts stuff taking man and ball but, as for the first goal, at international level you can be made look silly doing that. He never should have dived into that tackle.

I like Whelan but he made too many unforced errors last night. O'Kane looked composed.
Wessi class as always.

On a side note, I had a fiver put on a year ago for Rob Elliot to make the Euro squad. FML!

[DeLorean]

Duly edited, I wont mention anymore names

But I can't speak for Delores

[DeLorean]

On a side note, I had a fiver put on a year ago for Rob Elliot to make the Euro squad. FML!

Tricky's gonna faint when he sees this!

[Deckydee]

Hi All,

May I ask why the bagpipes where played at the start (according to the commentary it was wrap the flag around me)

Is this a new thing? Cant say I have seen it before, loved it and would love to see it at the EUROS.

Just curious

Thanks

[geysir]

Was that close to their best starting XI last night? They seem a pretty old team, the commentator mentioned that something like seven or eight of the guys that started last night were in their World Cup squad in 2010. That's not that unusual or anything I'm just kind of wondering how they've improved so much? Experience? They did seem pretty impressive in qualifying bar the home defeat to Belarus.

They were were missing 4 or 5, had virtually a rookie midfield alongside Hamsik. I don't know why they have improved so much in this campaign over their last one, new coach? They have a good depth in their squad and are more consistent.

[tetsujin1979]

Hi All,

May I ask why the bagpipes where played at the start (according to the commentary it was wrap the flag around me)

Is this a new thing? Cant say I have seen it before, loved it and would love to see it at the EUROS.

Just curious

Thanks

think it was for the end of the Easter celebrations. Doubt we'll see it again

Also, the anthem was well sung, one of the best I can remember.

[Deckydee]

think it was for the end of the Easter celebrations. Doubt we'll see it again

Also, the anthem was well sung, one of the best I can remember.

Thats a shame, I thought it was lovely

[DeLorean]

Injuries aside, is this our starting team for the Euros?

- - - - - - - Randolph - - - - - - -

Coleman - Keogh - Clark - Brady

-Hendrick - Whelan - McCarthy-

- - - - Walters - Hoolahan - - - -

- - - - - - - - - Long - - - - - - - -

[SwanVsDalton]

SVD I think that post earlier of yours was the first funny post you've ever had, do it more often, you're actually more normal(and even fun) than you let on.

Thanks Paul but if Glenn Whelan has taught me anything, it's to always ignore the rabble's demand for entertainment.

[TheOneWhoKnocks]

You can tell it bruised SVD's ego hyping Glenn Whelan up as some kind of Didier Deschamps like figure to all us peasants and then watching yet another abject performance like that.

The continuous sarky comments are clearly just a defence mechanism.

But yeah it must be because we hate poor Glenn: great protector of defence and oasis of calm on the ball.

[Stuttgart88]

Injuries aside, is this our starting team for the Euros?

Very close to it I reckon.

[Stuttgart88]

You can tell it bruised SVD's ego hyping Glenn Whelan up as some kind of Didier Deschamps like figure to all us peasants and then watching yet another abject performance like that.

The continuous sarky comments are clearly just a defence mechanism.

But yeah it must be because we hate poor Glenn: great protector of defence and oasis of calm on the ball.

I find SvD quite amusing and humble. You on the other hand are just petty and tedious. You're rank hypocrite too. You don't have the sole right around here to be sarky.

Whelan played awful last night. We know. Despite that it's fair to have a different opinion on his value to the team in previous games. Personally I think he finished the campaign reasonably well but as much as anyone would love someone else to emerge and take on his role. Neither Quinn nor Meyler came anywhere close last night.

And Paul, you're around here long enough too to know how to make a point constructively without constantly having to pick out someone's previous opinions like a 6 year old. With only one obvious exception I'll engage with anyone around here constructively. When it comes to that exception I'll call him a cnut when he's being one, like he has been for the last day or so.

[tetsujin1979]

Gentlemen, remember the rules, attack the post, not the poster. There will be no further warnings.

[SwanVsDalton]

You can tell it bruised SVD's ego hyping Glenn Whelan up as some kind of Didier Deschamps like figure to all us peasants and then watching yet another abject performance like that.

The continuous sarky comments are clearly just a defence mechanism.

But yeah it must be because we hate poor Glenn: great protector of defence and oasis of calm on the ball.

Look man, nearly all of these posts haven't been directed at you and I've been good humouredly sending myself up, as well as the view I'm some enormous Glenn Whelan lover. Bit of craic, or so I thought...

I haven't said one provoking thing to you (merely offered a differing view) and you're continually playing man (me) and not the ball.

Please quote a post where I was "hyping Glenn Whelan up as some kind of Didier Deschamps like figure to all us peasants" or delete the above.

It's simply untrue that I've ever written anything approaching that (or what you've alluded to previously in this thread). It's just generalised hyperbole. My views are pretty well documented, and your post isn't representative of them.

I'll happily have a mature discussion about the pros and cons of Glenn Whelan in his thread, if you like. Your call TOWK.

I find SvD quite amusing and humble.

First Paul, and now Stutts?! This is a real red-letter day in the SwanVsDalton household.

[Stuttgart88]

This was the consensus for France in the car on the way back to Belfast tonight

Randolph, Given, Forde

Coleman, Christie, O'Shea, Keogh, Clark, Duffy, Wilson, Ward

Brady, Whelan, McCarthy, Hoolahan, McClean, McGeady, Arter, Hendrick

Murphy, Walters, Keane, Long

I'd have Westwood in the squad all day long. I'd be inclined to pick Doyle and having to leave someone out would have me leaning towards McGeady or Murphy.

Places most at risk if I was picking the squad: Forde/Given, Ward, Wilson, McGeady, Murphy. Players who are close to making it would be O'Kane, Hayes and Pilkington. I think O'Kane has snuck ahead of Meyler in the reckoning. Gibson is not in the picture for me at this stage.

[DeLorean]

I think it's fair enough at this stage to let McGeady's Sheffield Wednesday form dictate whether he gets in or not. It's still his place to lose (just about) but he needs to show something.