Italy V Republic of Ireland - Wednesday, 23rd June 2016 - Euro 2016 Group E

[SkStu]

Well lit was better that he passed to Wes than cross than cross himself. Seems to the thing to do, play to you strengths.

McGeady is better at close control of the ball. so better to get the ball to the players who have an end product.

Agree.

[Kingdom]

Out of this world. I can't recall a better, composed, thoroughly deserved victory in a competitive match over a top-tier country.

Fair play to the coaching ticket. They deserved the criticism for Whatever it was they were trying to do against Belgium which didn't work,and this was Sweden performance⁴, so credit it where it is due.
The team was as right as it could be. I asked for Coleman to be replaced, and he was outstanding tonight. There was a comment on radio that Roy Keane was spotted having a very long and one-sided conversation with Coleman before kick-off, and obviously something clicked. Duffy and Keogh have the makings of a good partnership. Keogh made two wonderful covering interceptions in the first half, the second denying a certain goal. I don't care if Duffy is rudimental, agricultural, call it what you want. I want a centre half that's a colussus in our box, and in the opponents box, and his partner can be the covering, footballing centre-half. as an aside.. I felt Randolph was jittery tonight, not surprising I suppose.

The balance was right in midfield too. The Whelan call was huge, but let's be fair, we've all said that there isn't/shouldn't be room for the two in the same team, and with the greatest of respect to Glenn, McCarthy was always going to get the chance. Jimmy Mac (as we're calling him here) was very Whelan, but his use of the ball was pivotal to how we played. Simple, simple and then simple again. It says a lot that within a minute of him going off, we were opened up for the first time.

The only negative for me was Murphy. I agree the ball stayed up top a lot more, but I think it was as much down to the game we played rather than Murphy's influence. Long was excellent in the Walters role, unfortunately he didn't get much of an opportunity in the Long role (not a typo). Coleman was never exposed and in the second half in particular there was some really beautiful exchanges between himself Long, Hendrick and Brady.

Surely we can see that the high-pressing is something we're good at, effective at, and condenses play as far away from our goal as possible? That has to be the template going forward, and we've the players to persist with it. I appreciate that analysing things in the next few days might simmer the euphoria somewhat, probably due to Italy's selection, but hopefully the curve is back on the upswing, and the excellent performance (Germany > Poland; Sweden> Belgium) doesn't get followed up by a shocker.
14 heroes out there tonight. Keane mentioned words/phrases such as courage, balls, whites of the eyes in his media briefing the other night. Wes Hoolahan should be shoulder-lifted when they get back to Dublin for the absolute heroic minute following probably the best chance ever created in a major tournament for an Irish player. That's courage personified.

[tricky_colour]

We played with plenty of heart with Trap.

Great result tonight, but in all honestly we played an Italian reserve team, that had nothing to play for.

That said, I'd love pay back against the French!

They could not play because we were all over them, we put pressure on them unlike 2012 when we
sat back and admired their passing.

[tricky_colour]

Also Coleman was captain today, has he been captain before I think maybe he has?

[tricky_colour]

SEAMUS COLEMAN INSISTS he is “not bothered” by recent remarks made by ex-Ireland assistant boss Marco Tardelli.

The ex-Italy international, who was former Irish manager Giovanni Trapattoni’s number two between 2008 and 2013, suggested Ireland players lacked football intellect and were inept tactically, but Coleman did his best to dismiss the former World Cup winner’s comments, saying: “I’m not really bothered what Marco thinks.”
The Donegal native’s manager Martin O’Neill similarly attempted to brush off the criticism: “I think that Marco is entitled to his opinion,” the 64-year-old coach said rather diplomatically.

[tricky_colour]

Be great if we could put the French on the plane back home.

[BonnieShels]

No hard, but I just don't see how anyone into football could be put off by Northern Ireland's story. I'll be supporting them against Wales, and have everything crossed McGinn can do Derry City proud again!

And on you go.

Firstly it's neighbourly one-up-manship. It would kill me to see them there and not us.

Secondly they are a team that has filled me with dread since I was a kid. Pure unadulterated misery. The worst kind of support and the worst kind of association. I'm Welsh on Saturday. Hows that for a story... ranked below the Faeroes?

But f**k them... we're through. ALLEZ LES VERTS!!!

[BonnieShels]

Excellent performance and result. Italians as typically Italian as ever, cheat for 88 minutes whilst doing the bare minimum needed and try to nick a goal. Backfired on them tonight.

Bring on Northern Ireland I say, hope McGovern gets nice and drunk celebrating qualification and starts seeing double balls during the match.

Don't we all.

[Razors left peg]

Never been prouder of the team than today. I thought we were done with about 20 mins to go. Looked like we were tired and out of ideas but my God did we dig deep!

I made it to the first game in Paris and all I can say is that the fans over there deserve it. Its a massive cliche to say that we have the best fans in the world, and the majority of the time its absolute bullsh1t, but in France they are doing the country proud and Im delighted for them..... but jealous that Im back home in the States and not still over there!!!

We have the basis of decent team going forward. McCarthy, Coleman, Hendrick, Brady, McClean, Long are gonna be around a while and we have a few decent lads coming through. Delighted that we have O'Neill in charge, he has shown that he is not afraid of making huge decisions like dropping Whelan and O'Shea tonight!

[SwanVsDalton]

Well. Isn't this a good night?

Random, jumbled 'we fecking did it!' thoughts:

a) We had to win and we did, despite a situation which to my mind would strike our pressure-averse squad as totally freaky-deaky. That is so, so good.

b) O'Neill made some bold changes which paid big, slamming dividends performance wise - McCarthy excelled without Whelan, Duffy and Keogh were very good, Murphy (who has seriously limitiations) did a great job of tying up Italian defenders when he was there. Well done management, well done. McCkean was super too. The changes made real diffs.

c) The Italians were gash, but sack em - sure they had a referee to back em up.

d) I wasn't keen on the McGeady introduction *at all* but I thought his positioning and awareness for the goal was top notch.

e) A fourth win out of 21 major tournament games, by my count. And when it mattered most. Well done lads.

Bring on les Bleus.

[thischarmingman]

We played with heart something, lacking in the Trap ages.

That comma!

[samhaydenjr]

Utterly phenomenal - watched the game in a Toronto bar more in hope than in expectation and was thinking towards the end of the game "well at least we're going down fighting" and was looking on the bright side that the performance along with the potential emergence of the likes of Jack Byrne, Callum O'Dowda, Kevin Toner, Ian Lawlor, Alan Browne, Derrick Williams, Darragh Lenihan, Josh Cullen, Scott Hogan and others as immediate options for the National Team boded well for the coming World Cup qualifiers. And then Hoolahan scuffed his shot and I started cursing our luck...and then Hoolahan redeemed himself with that peach of a cross and Brady raced through with eyes on the ball and the prize to send us into ecstasy. Can't wait until Sunday. One more thing...on the question of where our expectations should be of our national football team, it may yet be a bit fanciful to aspire to be Italy or Spain or Germany but there's little or no reason why we can't aspire to be at the level of Croatia or even the current Belgium team if we get our coaching of youngsters right.

[thischarmingman]

So with Ireland through to the last 16, we've managed to emulate Trap's team of four years ago, right?

[tricky_colour]

That comma!

Yea was too lazy to fix it lol!

So with Ireland through to the last 16, we've managed to emulate Trap's team of four years ago, right?

Surely we have beaten it? Or maybe not I forget the format, was it 8 groups of 4 with two going through?

I guess you are right then!

[Real ale Madrid]

So with Ireland through to the last 16, we've managed to emulate Trap's team of four years ago, right?

Yes emulated, if you can call qualifying wins v Germany / Bosnia and a tournament win v Italy - emulating doing the double over Armenia and hammering Estonia.

Last night was like an exorcism of the ghosts of 2012. Hoolahan with a goal and an assist this tournament confirming what most of us already knew.

A great night.

[Siberian]

The GAA should cancel all fixtures this Sunday so everyone can enjoy what will be a great national occasion . Looking forward to the Irish fans joining in singing 'Le Marseillaise'!!

[DannyInvincible]

Hendrick has been my player of the tournament so far as well. He had an awful game against Belarus, but was brilliant both last night and against Sweden. A real stand-out performance so far.

I'm still not one hundred per cent convinced by Randolph. He's not howler-prone or anything and I don't want to be too harsh, but I just think he lacks a cutting edge to fully protect the goal.

Worth noting that Italy hit the post immediately after McCarthy came off for Wes, so we were undoubtedly a bit disjointed in that area of the field temporarily as a result.

Delighted for Wes that he "redeemed" himself with the cross and that we won as a result after he'd fluffed what was really the chance of the decade. It was the sort of chance that, because he had so much time to decide what he was going to do, but absolutely needed to get it right, it seemed he thought about it way too much.

But that cross for Brady about a minute later then when he could very easily have been completely and utterly despondent... Sheer perfection.

McClean worked his socks off up until the final whistle. What a workhorse. Although others have criticised him, I thought Duffy was strong and put his presence to good use. Coleman was on form and led well. He's captained us in a friendly against Italy before, no? And in a competitive game against Germany, I think...

Murphy did OK, perhaps aided by the fact he wasn't so isolated. Was delighted for McCarthy as well as he did put in a good shift and both O'Neill and Keane appreciated that. They made a point of making it known to him. I think that was important after the criticism he received for his performances in the first two games as I'm sure his confidence was dealt a bit of a blow. Worth mentioning McGeady's role in the build-up to the goal as well.

Anyway, we've broken the "white jersey curse" and we've also won a competitive game that Shane Long has started. Pretty sure someone mentioned something about us never having won a competitive game that Long had started...

What's the Walters injury situation like now, by the way?

There's no pressure at all on us now for Sunday and I am going to bloody enjoy it. Last night was emotional. Even had my ma and sister texting me from a holiday in Budapest telling me they watched it in an Irish pub and were on the cider as a result. My ma and sister never watch football, nor can I recall my ma ever having touched cider before in her life, ha. Bring on the hosts for some payback for 2009!

Great shot of Brady in front of the fans behind the goal, this:

[Siberian]

Hendrick has been my player of the tournament so far as well. He had an awful game against Belarus, but was brilliant both last night and against Sweden. A real stand-out performance so far.

I'm still not one hundred per cent convinced by Randolph. He's not howler-prone or anything and I don't want to be too harsh, but I just think he lacks a cutting edge to fully protect the goal.

Worth noting that Italy hit the post immediately after McCarthy came off for Wes, so we were undoubtedly a bit disjointed in that area of the field temporarily as a result.

Delighted for Wes that he "redeemed" himself with the cross and that we won as a result after he'd fluffed what was really the chance of the decade. It was the sort of chance that, because he had so much time to decide what he was going to do, but absolutely needed to get it right, it seemed he thought about it way too much.

But that cross for Brady about a minute later then when he could very easily have been completely and utterly despondent... Sheer perfection.

McClean worked his socks off up until the final whistle. What a workhorse. Although others have criticised him, I thought Duffy was strong and put his presence to good use. Coleman was on form and led well. He's captained us in a friendly against Italy before, no? And in a competitive game against Germany, I think...

Murphy did OK, perhaps aided by the fact he wasn't so isolated. Was delighted for McCarthy as well as he did put in a good shift and both O'Neill and Keane appreciated that. They made a point of making it known to him. I think that was important after the criticism he received for his performances in the first two games as I'm sure his confidence was dealt a bit of a blow. Worth mentioning McGeady's role in the build-up to the goal as well.

Anyway, we've broken the "white jersey curse" and we've also won a competitive game that Shane Long has started. Pretty sure someone mentioned something about us never having won a competitive game that Long had started...

What's the Walters injury situation like now, by the way?

There's no pressure at all on us now for Sunday and I am going to bloody enjoy it. Last night was emotional. Even had my ma and sister texting me from a holiday in Budapest telling me they watched it in an Irish pub and were on the cider as a result. My ma and sister never watch football, nor can I recall my ma ever having touched cider before in her life, ha. Bring on the hosts for some payback for 2009!

Great shot of Brady in front of the fans behind the goal, this:

Love the bit about his ma going on the cider

[DeLorean]

Bring on Northern Ireland I say, hope McGovern gets nice and drunk celebrating qualification and starts seeing double balls during the match.

The way he's playing he'll save em both anyway.

[osarusan]

Turkish fans last night.