European Championships - France 2016

[pineapple stu]

Main thing to come out of that game really is that we don't want to have to use our subs...

When you add in that the North beat Belarus 3-0 on Friday, that was a poor result. Can't have too many complaints about it either; started off well in either half, then let them back into it both times and they scored. Only bringing on some first-teamers - Long and Hoolahan - turned the game for us. Super assist for Ward's goal from Long. All a bit worrying.

O'Dowda did surprisingly well when coming on. Christie was good going forward but poor at the back. Given had no chance with either goal and pulled off one excellent save; couldn't really ask for much more. Quite happy he's going as it puts off the day when there's no-one in an Irish finals squad older than me. Westwood should be going of course, but I don't see why all the other keepers have gotten run-outs in the friendlies this year; Westwood has one cap in the last three years (45 minutes v England). And then he's squad number 1? Strange. Have they just taken the qualifying squad numbers and given Westwood Forde's number?

Anyways - 12 days to go!

[gastric]

Very funny p#ss take by Paul Howard! God Bless our John.

http://www.irishtimes.com/sport/socc...rt-1-1.2667490

[geysir]

Agreed. In a direct comparison, I thought Gibson showed more on the night. I know some of his long balls didn't find the man but the pitch was tight and at least he tried them. Meyler's passing was very, very simple. Walked out the gate thinking Gibson had won that battle.

Meyler's been around the squad for the whole campaign and has done well in a few odd jobs he's been given. I think Gibson had to make a case for himself and he looked heavy like he was treading water at times, his passing was off as if precision wasn't a priority, but it was an awful match for him to be making an outstanding impression, the team were a shapeless shambles last night.
Nevertheless there would be a hope that Gibson could gain a bit more sharpness whereas Meyler will always be Meyler, therefore Gibson would have been my choice also.

In one fell swoop our Derry contingent has been slaughtered, only two left standing.

[backstothewall]

The thing about Meyler is you get the feeling he could do a job just about anywhere at a pinch. In the absence of Marc Wilson his adaptability has maybe tipped the scales in his favour

[Fixer82]

I felt Gibson was trying too hard to make an impression. He kept moving the ball and tried a forward pass as much as possible, something Whelan doesn't do too much.gibson knew the clock was ticking and his body language when he was subbed said it all. He knew he wouldn't be on the plane. Felt for him.

[thischarmingman]

http://www.theguardian.com/football/...ayer-in-france

Profiles of every team and every player at the Euros:

Martin O'Neill's side are more positive than they were towards the end of Giovanni Trapattoni's reign, and the new coach has used the attacking Robbie Brady as a left-back in a 4-2-3-1 formation.
STRENGTHS

This is an extremely hard-working side (think Jon Walters) and Shane Long's speed and aerial power up front will trouble most defences.
WEAKNESSES

O'Neill's biggest problem is in central defence, where Richard Keogh is a definite starter but Ciaran Clarke, John O'Shea and Marc Wilson have all had difficult seasons.

[Stuttgart88]

A bit of a lazy description of the team especially the defence. I think it'll be O'Shea and Clark myself. Even if he's proved right about Keogh it's still a speculative call in my opinion. Duffy has quite a chance too. Wilson's difficult season isn't really relevant!

[Stuttgart88]

In fact I think central defence is where I am least worried!

Sorry for second post, can't see edit button on my mobile.

[CraftyToePoke]

Agreed, that's very casual. At least find out who's in the squad before penning words they are well paid for like.

[jbyrne]

some great memories from euro 88 in this programme last night...
http://www.rte.ie/player/ie/show/eur...4079/10580075/

[DeLorean]

Even though it's not too far off what I was advocating myself, the squad does look a bit stale. Arter probably was a big miss here I think. If he was there instead of Quinn it would instantly look a bit more fresh. Not only that, but he's more likely to have an impact if a game changer is required which, no doubt, it will be. We do have a bit too much of the same thing now and, as Stutts said, a few too many guys who aren't fully at it.

To be fair to O'Neill, it's not a great surprise, he told us that the squad was going to be made up of players that got us there for the most part, bar possibly one or two. Well I guess Westwood and Duffy are the two (in terms of game time in the qualifiers at least) and both are well worth their place.

You'd have to feel a bit of sympathy for Forde but I'm delighted common sense has prevailed with regards Westwood. It would be a toss up between Given and Forde for our number three, Given has played a bit more recently but has also had bigger injury issues. It's not going to make or break us but it's kind of sad that there's a little bit of resentment towards Given now amongst the supporters. That should have never become the case but it just seems like he can't let go and, ultimately, Forde has become the fall guy. That said, Given doesn't pick himself.

I wouldn't be overly concerned by Christie's performance last night, given the nature of the game he seemed to throw caution to the wind and probably wasn't as focussed on his defensive responsibilities as he should have been. For long spells he was our only attacking outlet on the right hand side with McGeady being so out of sorts. He put in a serious shift I thought but obviously sold himself a couple of times after scampering back from offensive positions.

Irwin3 - I think it's a bit simplistic to say Gibson won the battle with Meyler last night and therefore imply that he should go to France on that basis. Firstly, there wasn't a whole pile in it but Gibson was the more proactive of the two, but isn't he always? They obviously have very different attributes and Meyler was never going to be in the reckoning for getting hold of the ball and making things happen.

I'd have had no issue with Gibson making the squad, but there's a whole host of reasons why he hasn't. As has been noted, I've definitely seen him look leaner, he's played very little football this season, he didn't bother trying for a loan move in January and he hadn't played for us in a year and a half before last night, admittedly due to injuries mainly. His off the field issues probably haven't helped him either, certainly at club level.

Added to that, if this 'one for all, all for one' attitude it so important, he's hardly ticked that box in the past either. We all have our favourites and I know you're a massive fan of his but it's hard to have too much sympathy for him really. All things being equal though, he probably is a better player than Meyler I'd agree, and Quinn too.

O'Dowda's introduction was a real treat last night, it was exactly the impact I was hoping he might have. Going by the comments around me, the majority of the crowd hadn't even heard of him, yet there was a buzz from the third or fourth time he received possession, given how immediate his impact was. Sure, it would probably have been a hard sell for him to make the plane, but I think we could have done with an exciting option like that to give everybody a lift if he was introduced as an impact sub. I see he's been asked to stick around to train with the squad for a few days, I think O'Neill is managing this situation brilliantly, and I don't say that with any consideration for O'Dowda's dual nationality status.

I think Daryl Murphy has taken enough stick without me adding to it so I'll just try to find a positive. He actually can't be as poor as he's looked at times for us. You simply don't score 30 goals in the Championship by fluke. I wouldn't have selected him but he's there now so hopefully he can find a bit of confidence from somewhere and at least become a bit of a handful if required in France.

Maybe like Irwin3 (if he doesn't mind me saying), McGeady would always have been one of my favourites so it's sad to see him looking so short of confidence. Even at his most frustrating in years gone by it wouldn't show in his body language that much, but I suppose the season he's had would take it's toll on anybody. I was really hoping something would come off for him last night just to paper over the gaping holes in his performance a little. I'd like to see him go back to Celtic where at least he'll be appreciated by his own supporters, and rebuild what's left of his career from there. That's if they'd have any interest of course.

[Closed Account]

Long (49th) and Brady (50th) have done well on the UEFA player index of how the 552 players involved have played since January. No other Irish in top 100.
http://www.uefa.com/uefaeuro/season=...ers/index.html

Sweden (1) : Ibrahimovic (2nd)
Italy (8): Barzagli (39th), Bonucci (41st), El Shaarawy (42nd), Florenzi (58th), Buffon (60th), Parolo (66th), Candreva (74th), Pelle (98th)
Belgium (6): De Bruyne (47th), Mertens (54th), Alderweireld (68th), Mignolet (73rd), Hazard (82nd), Nainggolan (97th)

Goalkeepers: Westwood (25/66), Randolph (42/66), Given (56/66) (why did they only rank 66 and not 72?)
Full Backs: Brady (9/82), Christie (22/82), Coleman (26/82), Ward (28/82)
Central Defenders: Duffy (14/96), Clark (24/96), Keogh (32/96), O'Shea (75/96)
Defensive Midfielders: We don't have any according to UEFA (0/48)
Central Midfielders: McCarthy (18/56), Whelan (19/56), Quinn (35/56), Meyler (50/56)
Attacking Midfielders: Hoolahan (24/40)
Wingers: Walters (25/67), McClean (28/67), McGeady (67/67)
Forwards: Long (10/85), Keane (29/85), Murphy (62/85)

Hendrick fails to get a rating.., they've somehow missed 12 players.

Uefa Irish team based on ratings:
Westwood;
Christie, Duffy, Clark, Brady;
Whelan;
Walters, McCarthy, Hoolahan, McClean;
Long.

[AlanOB]

Jesus, where do you start with that Guardian "profile"? 4-2-3-1 formation? Wilson? Awful.

Tactical analysis on last night's defeat here, by the way, if anyone's interested.

[Stuttgart88]

Agree with virtually everything the Cranberries singer says above.

I think Quinn wasn't as effective as Arter in the Aviva but he has a bit of bite to him that Meyler doesn't have, the snapping at ankles thing. That's what I liked about Arter. Busy, industrious, even if he'd be a walking yellow card at a tournament.

The squad does look stale and apart from Coleman, McClean and Long it's a squad that lacks real pace too. That's why several weeks ago I nailed my colours to Pilkington's mast. It's lacking a bit of bite in the middle too, or at least it feels a bit that way after last night. McClean has perhaps too much bite. I hope he keeps things sensible.

I hope Gibson hangs around and gets sorted out. Even if he missed some notes last night he still looks to have a bit of class about him.

[paul_oshea]

I love the way AOB does this, dismisses anything out of hand to do some self promotion Previous.

[paul_oshea]

I think its the players in the formation as much as anything Stutts. I've said it before, you can't make these mass changes or bring in one or two lads you'd like to see with a raft of other players you wouldn't mind seeing. It just doesn't work, sometimes you're just over-egging the formation, or in this case undermining it based on the personnel.

I think the big difference with this squad and the 2012 squad, personnel wise I mean, that should make a big difference, is our pace. We were severly lacking of pace in the last one, but in this in our first 11 v our first 11 2012, we have serious pace. That's what gives us chances, and also sets up set pieces from which we can convert, and need to convert.

Outside of that pace we are very bad, just don't look as fragile defensively(although that team also had a decent defensive record heading into the tournament but injuries and age and weary legs in a horribly failing/failed system had finally caught up with them)

I think Hoolahan and Long will start against Sweden and Italy, Long likely to make a sub apperance against Belgium, and Hoolahan to come back in for the Italy game. I feel robbie can only make an impact one of the games, and maybe Italy might be where that happens, but he probably will only get sometime in 1 game. I think he will target the Italy and Sweden games first and foremost, and play a horrid defensive game against belgium.

[AlanOB]

I love the way AOB does this, dismisses anything out of hand to do some self promotion Previous.

I'm a sly old viper, me.

It's the age old pretty-ish girl with the massive best friend tactic.

[Stuttgart88]

Yep that's why I'm not beating up on Christie, for example.

I think Long would do well against Belgium if they are missing their best defenders. I'd start him in all 3 probably, unless O'Neill uses Murphy or Walters for 50 mins to unleash Long on a tiring defence. I'd say this approach is most likely to work against Italy.

[Stuttgart88]

One thing that struck me last night was how unable Murphy was to hold up any forward balls in the last third. Any good work done by midfield - and there was some - was rendered futile.

Given MON's comment recently about the importance of hold up play it shows how lucky Murphy is.

[tetsujin1979]

Sky have released a predictor wallchart: http://sky.thesportspredictor.com/fo...uros/wallchart
Ireland to go out in the second round to Spain