Ireland 0 - Holland 4 Reaction

**Qwerty** · 16/08/2006, 11:10 PM

Pre-season friendly? Definitely a wake-up call.

The bottom line is we haven't been this weak in CM and CB for 20 or 25 years. Dunne and maybe S.Reid are the only decent options at this level in those positions. These are the key positions, until we strenghen these areas we won't get anyhwere.

Andy O'Brien can do a job if he is alongside Dunne but his club career is on a downward trajectory.

Kavanagh has failed at this level period, I'm sure Eirebhoy will disagree but I've seen enough. I don't see the point in persevering with him at 31. Sadly Jonathan Douglas or Alan Quinn are the only current alternatives, maybe Colin Healy can have a fairy tale return? not that he set the Ireland team alight.

O'Shea should be kept at left back, Kilbane has to be benched.

4-5-1 - we are so weak in CM we need an extra body in there.

It's odd that we have never had as many players to choose from but there are very few outstanding players.

**DmanDmythDledge** · 16/08/2006, 11:19 PM

Originally Posted by Qwerty

Pre-season friendly? Definitely a wake-up call.

The bottom line is we haven't been this weak in CM and CB for 20 or 25 years. Dunne and maybe S.Reid are the only decent options at this level in those positions. These are the key positions, until we strenghen these areas we won't get anyhwere.

Andy O'Brien can do a job if he is alongside Dunne but his club career is on a downward trajectory.

Kavanagh has failed at this level period, I'm sure Eirebhoy will disagree but I've seen enough. I don't see the point in persevering with him at 31. Sadly Jonathan Douglas or Alan Quinn are the only current alternatives, maybe Colin Healy can have a fairy tale return? not that he set the Ireland team alight.

O'Shea should be kept at left back, Kilbane has to be benched.

4-5-1 - we are so weak in CM we need an extra body in there.

It's odd that we have never had as many players to choose from but there are very few outstanding players.

Would changing the formation to 4-5-1 be the best move though? Upfront is where we have our best options and it would be a waste not to take advantage of the situation. I don't think an extra body would make that much of a difference in CM, maybe slighty more possession, but teams have played with the standard 2 centre midfielders before without difficulty so I don't see it as a problem now. I'd like to have seen the two Reids together in CM before the qualification begins to see how that would have worked.

Also what I think what we lacked tonight was a leader on the pitch, someone that would motivate the team. Richard Dunne would usually be good at this but I feel you always need someone in midfield that will get stuck into the opposition but I just didn't see that tonight or against Chile.

Also did anybody else John O'Shea being made captain for the second half

**gustavo** · 16/08/2006, 11:21 PM

Very disappointing result and performance by all accounts. only saw brief highlights They looked a cut above. At least now we go into the Germany game with zero expectations which might be good . Anyone know why Robben was booed?

**DmanDmythDledge** · 16/08/2006, 11:24 PM

Originally Posted by gustavo

Anyone know why Robben was booed?

Presume his reputation for being a diving cheat- he was booed from before kick off.

**gustavo** · 16/08/2006, 11:35 PM

Originally Posted by DmanDmythDledge

Presume his reputation for being a diving cheat- he was booed from before kick off.

Jeez thats laughable

**Eoingull** · 16/08/2006, 11:39 PM

Van Persie was also booed at the start of the game...I can only presume it's because of their Premiership links...which, of course, is silly at an Ireland international. Jaysus, Holland really were a cut above our lads. Unlike the commentary I saw on RTE when I got home, I actually thought Ireland were trying to compete, but they just weren't good enough. Congratulations to the several thousand supporters who left when the fourth goal went in.

**4tothefloor** · 16/08/2006, 11:45 PM

I posted ages ago in a thread about the future that we are in big trouble. I was shouted down by the delusional who think Kavanagh is a good midfielder - well there's your evidence tonight. The man is a joke and hasn't played one good game for Ireland. He's absolutely useless and is not up to this level. All he does is make rash challenges and pass the ball sideways, or hoof it up field

John O'Shea shouldn't be left near the defense. Play him in midfield or leave him out. Kevin Kilbane should not be starting. Playing Steve Finnan at left back to accomodate that ***** Steven Carr is a joke and I fear a bad sign of things to come from Staunton. All I can think of as an explanation is that he is good buddies with Carr - other than that I don't understand why this water carrier, pathetic excuse for a defender is back in the setup. Why come back if you're not going to try???

Clinton Morrisson up front was poor and I feel it might be time to relegate him to the role of impact sub, because he's no longer doing the business from the start.

I've said this all along, I think Staunton should concentrate on bringing in and playing the likes of Paddy McCarthy, Alan O'Brien, Joey O'Brien, Stephen Ireland, McGeady, Stephen Kelly, Jon Douglas, Liam Miller, even Stephen McPhail. Fingers crossed for Paul McShane at WBA, although it beggers belief that Paddy McCarthy is not even in the squad considering the riff-raff that is. Forget about Kilbane and Kavanagh etc 'cos (a) They're not the future, and (b) We are not going to qualify with these players anyway...

My team for Germany:
Given
Finnan Dunne O'Brien Harte
O'Shea
McGeady A Reid S Reid Duff
Keane

Waste of time IMO playing 4-5-1 because Robbie Keane cannot play that role. He needs a strike partner. Duff would have to be a link between midfield and up front. But after tonights shambles and the rubbish against Chile, it looks like 5 in midfield 'cos the confidence will be shot after tonight.

BTW, what a joke Steven Reid as captain

**Forever Dreamin** · 16/08/2006, 11:55 PM

Originally Posted by Eoingull

Congratulations to the several thousand supporters who left when the fourth goal went in.

Why? Why go if you dont suport the team through thick and thin?

I know im probably a lot older that most on this forum but in my 35 yrs watching Ireland this is the worst result ever in terms of scores, but i still say drawing with Lichesntein, Israel etc were worse.

Yes we go to Germany expecting a hiding now and maybe thats for the better, we dont handle the favourites tag well. Also reality is we had our 4 best players missing and when you have only 4 quality players you wont manage with that.

Watch the johnny come latelys now not purchase their tickets for Czech and San Marino at home.... knowing theyll get tickets for croker!

See you all in stuttgart

**theworm2345** · 16/08/2006, 11:55 PM

All we lacked was experience, a few flashes of good individual play, but we didnt have the experience up front or in the middle that Holland had (excluding Huntelaar). Hate to say it, but Brian Kerr never lost a match 4-0, hell, he never even lost a match at all until 365 days ago (it is midnight in Ireland, right?), against the future world champions

**pineapple stu** · 17/08/2006, 12:03 AM

Originally Posted by Dodge

Kerr out!!!

Worst.

Performance.

Ever.

Rational analysis - whenever we got the ball in the Dutch half of the field, I thought we were alright. No more. Other than that, it was embarrassing. I'm flying out to Stuttgart in 15 days. I was looking forward to it.

**Eoingull** · 17/08/2006, 12:10 AM

Sorry "Forever Dreamin"...I was being sarcastic...I haven't quite got the hang of putting the smiley faces, etc at the end of my post. I think it's sinful not staying until the end. It's also disappointing to hear folk boo their own National team...something I never have, and never will do.
I don't get the jibe about the tickets. Are they that easy to come by that people can pick and choose which games to go to? I missed the boat re. block booking back around 1999/2000, and find it a real struggle to get any competitive international tickets.

**Soper** · 17/08/2006, 12:21 AM

All I know is Ireland wouldn't have lost 4 nil to Holland if they had Eircom League players in the team.

Terrible performance, and Germany will slaughter us.

**pineapple stu** · 17/08/2006, 12:23 AM

Was thinking just that midway through the second half. Take O'Shea out and replace him with Tony McDonnell or Alan McNally (or your own centre-half's name). We wouldn't have been noticeable worse, and he might have cared.

**dfx-** · 17/08/2006, 12:25 AM

My second last trip to watch Ireland was at four years ago against The Netherlands. The difference in fortunes was staggering to watch.

Netherlands didn't have to do much, a free header, a hopeless mistake, a counter attack and a throughball against a terrible defence. It could've been and should've been more and they had 20 minutes to spare.

I wouldn't however look in the short term towards abject failure..because as players come back, they might at least make it competitive.

However if that is the second best side that Staunton can put out in the midst of injuries, the long term future of Irish international football is bleaker than Waterford's league prospects.

**pineapple stu** · 17/08/2006, 12:26 AM

Originally Posted by d f x-

However if that is the second best side that Staunton can put out in the midst of injuries, the long term future of Irish international football is bleaker than Waterford's league prospects.

And John Delaney can't control UEFA like he can the eircom League.

**Closed Account 2** · 17/08/2006, 12:28 AM

What a load of balls tonight was. I hope/think with Shay, Damien, Robbie and big Dunney back we'll be a much more solid outfit.

Its negative talk but Germany away is our hardest fixture, even if we slip up there we can still make 2nd.

I think tonight was a shocker, but I'm convinced it's physically impossible for us to play that badly ever again...

It's still early days for Stan, but he needs to stem the tide pretty quickly. I have to say, I dont think a team managed by Aldo would have been that weak - or if they had he would have given them the mother of all roastings at half time.

**Soper** · 17/08/2006, 12:54 AM

In fairness, the fact that our 'second best side' is brutal is down to Stauntons squad selection, and isn't indicitave of the actual players we have that don't get selected for whatever reason, e.g. having the cheek to play in their countries league.

Our team was on the decline, it still is, and we need to start using one or two league players properly.

**DmanDmythDledge** · 17/08/2006, 12:57 AM

Originally Posted by Soper

In fairness, the fact that our 'second best side' is brutal is down to Stauntons squad selection, and isn't indicitave of the actual players we have that don't get selected for whatever reason, e.g. having the cheek to play in their countries league.

Our team was on the decline, it still is, and we need to start using one or two league players properly.

Have to agree with that. Daryll Murphy never set the world alight when he was with Waterford but he still performed well and got his fare share of goals. 2 games(I think) for Sunderland, and although he scored in them he's in the squad. (Was he in the squad originally?)

**dfx-** · 17/08/2006, 1:09 AM

I don't understand how throwing on those players at half time 0-2 down to a far superior side could either help the side, the crowd, the press reaction or the individual players' confidence "going forward".

**Soper** · 17/08/2006, 1:10 AM

Staunton is wrong, of course, and he better realise that soon or risk turning the team into even more of a laughing stock than it is now.(In response to what d f x had said originally)