Randolph was brilliant no doubt about it. But I'd give it to Arter. How many times did he break up a Danish attack? And how ineffectual was Eriksen on the night because of Harry?Originally Posted by pineapple stu
Why the hell would I watch Holland?
Randolph was brilliant no doubt about it. But I'd give it to Arter. How many times did he break up a Danish attack? And how ineffectual was Eriksen on the night because of Harry?
I've probably watched more minutes of Irish matches than yourself. I think the FAI are starting to take us for granted.
I’m gonna go out on a limb here. I think O’Neill plays Hoolahan on Tuesday. Different game plan
Wes absolutely should start on Tuesday night. Danes will be expecting more of the same but they'll get a rude awakening when Hoolahan is picking passes behind their backline. Pray to God that Murphy doesn't start or be anywhere near that team. His worth to our cause is non existent. Great Trier but Long can do everything he does and a lot more. Scott Hogan cannot be too far away from a start
If Randolph was motm, it was a ****e match.
Which it was.
He had one good double save early on. His fumble shortly after gifted Sisto a chance. And he had little to do afterwards. His one real save - which was a tame enough tap over - came after he was given motm. Then he handled crosses well, which I'd expect.
I have no idea who you give the award to in a match like that. But it's a bad indictment of the game that it went to Randolph, with all due respect to the guy.
Agree. Brady's first free kick was pathetic, but the other 3 or 4 we're better. Overall he had no bearing on the game. Left back Is his best position, but he's not going to displace Ward now. Brady is almost expendible now, crazy as that sounds. It should also be said that Hendrick was completely ineffectual. Does Meyler get his spot on Tuesday? Might not be a bad idea
There's an element of truth in what you say. You have to give the team credit, a lot of it, and let's be fair, MON deserves a lot of credit too, for our ability to keep Wales and Denmark off the scoresheet in successive games. But is it a crime to find a teammate with a pass or to look to play a couple of one- twos in the opposition half.? We have a long way to go in the development of our football, but if we win Tuesday night no one will care
less of that. You watch Ireland, you're a fan. You don't, then you're not. There are no degrees of fandom.
I think Meyler is definite to come in. Which makes giving Wes a start awkward. Who do you drop? Before the match I would have said Arter but not now. O'Dowda?
Long for Murphy?
Btw, I think Wes would make a real difference. The Danes ain't great and he makes us better against teams like that. Particularly when he's fancied in home games. I reckon a goal is so much more likely with him. It never reaaally seemed likely last night.
Well I'm fed up of being told that if I don't like the football then I should go watch another team. Some of the Ireland fans remind me of American Republicans refusing to criticise Trump. And whoever criticises Trump, they accuse of being unpatriotic.
Fact of the matter is that all of Ireland's greatest results came when we had ball playing midfielders on the pitch and tried to play a bit of football. Yet we keep getting stuck, as a nation, in this defeatist narrative that we can't play football and that our only hope is shutting up shop and scoring off a set piece. But this team scored in crunch games against Germany, Sweden, Bosnia, Wales, Austria, Serbia from open play. I believe we can play, and I'm fed up of managers who don't believe we are any good. If the managers have no belief in the team, then why are they managing the team?
Yes you’re right Mark,that does sound crazy.Probably because it is crazy.Brady isn’t having his best season by a long shot but he has qualities that none of our other players have,he can beat his man and pick a pass.Also,he and Hendrick have a brilliant understanding.Jeff was quiet last night offensively but he broke up play well in his deeper role and helped the ball on in those rare moments he got forward.he can be quiet for an entire game but can produce moments of magic all by himself.he’s undroppable plain and simple,first name on the sheet every game. Agree on Brady’s free kicks,
they’ve been very frustrating especially when we’ve a nuclear weapon like Duffy just waiting for quality deliveries.i thought O’Dowda’s set piece deliveries haven’t been bad.
I agree with all the points you make about Brady. But that's the frustrating thing about it. We know what he can do but he doesn't do enough of it for Ireland. Not his fault 80 per cent of the time due to the way we are set up. I think we can get an awful lot more out of him. How to do it is the question
O’Neill mentioned that we need more creativity in the second leg which might suggest a start for Wes
Republicans refusing to criticize Trump? They do nothing but. They are the biggest back stabbers on two feet. And don't even get me going on the Democrats. Anyway let's keep this to football, it's a llot less complicated
Unfortunately Long showed why he's not a top-level striker by properly getting himself offside before the pass could be played - shot was the only option.
Here they come! It’s the charge of the “Thanks” Brigade!
First of all, it's hard to criticise the players for their performances, because quite simply we've not one iota what is expected of them by the manager. Given the anti-football that we play, and consistently play without any real change to the personnel, the logical assumption is that the manager wants the team to play this way.
As someone said last night, the question marks about Randolph just don't go away. Case point 1, the palm back into the box, gifting Denmark a second chance. Case point 2, the poor Clark clearance - that was Randolph's ball all night long, he never called. Case point 3, the brain fart in the first half where he called for the ball through at the edge of the box, didn't commit himself fully and Duffy had to clear leaving Randolph stranded. Does he make great saves? Yes, but he is not the best keeper we have. I'd keep him on Tuesday and then Rob Elliot deserves a run.
There are little things that annoy me about how we play. If O'Neill thinks that we're better off without the ball that's his call. However it's the consession of territory that annoys me. He obviously is afraid of our lack of pace at the back and is willing to allow us to defend inside the 18 line and then work the set-pieces. This will be the rock that we flounder on. Sure it narrows the space in behind for someone to get through, but drawing the guts of 16/17 players into and around your own penalty area is not clever. All it takes is one deflection, or one loss of concentration, or one misjudgement (see N.Iron penalty) and the game plan is undone.
How many times did Schmeichal, Kjaer and Bjelland bring the ball up to and over the halfway line with no challenge being made? I lost count. At least in the second half Arter made the effort to put the pressure on. And for me that's a crucial point. Early on in (maybe the 3rd minute) we put the ball out for a throw on the camera side, about 5 yds up from the Danish box. Our defenders (incl. Christie) had dropped about 20m inside our half. It was totally unnecessary. If we held the line at halfway, it condenses the space that Denmark have to play with. Makes it easier for us to pressure them. This is simple stuff. O'Neill obviously wants the back 4 and the middle 5 to be compact, but that isolates the target man completely as it either leaves 30/40m between Murphy and midfield, or it forces Murphy back into our half (as happened last night) and it then means when we get the ball, the natural conclusion is that we've to punt it upfield to nobody due to the sheer pressure placed on the player receiving the ball as everyone is in our half.
It is so frustrating and it's so easy to remedy.
People need to give Hendrick a break. It was obvious last night he was being tasked with protecting the inside channel between Christie and Duffy, the inside channel that Serbia scored down. He had a defensive mandate all night and he performed that task well. Did he see the football, no, but that is his manager's doing.
O'Dowda gave a glimpse of what he could be for us when he got the ball to feet. 2 or 3 times he took lovely touches and went for a slalom. All 3 times he was felled.
I'd like to see a little ingenuity for some of our free-kicks. A number of occasions Denmark had dropped off so much there was maybe 35/40 metres between the ball and the huddle in the box. We had 2 men over: play it short, attack the space, draw a defender out, use the overlap, and increase the chances of working an opportunity.
I thought Kvist played well for them, as did Delaney.
Tuesday night:
----------Randolph---------
Christie Duffy Clark Ward
----------- Meyler----------
--O'Dowda-Arter-McClean
-----------Hendrick--------
-------------Long----------
Wes for O'Dowda, Brady for Arter, and as usual Murphy for Long if we're desperate late on. I see this one going right through to penalties. In that situation, I wonder will he hold one or two substitutes back for the extra-time and penalties? I suspect that is why we didn't see Wes last night. Wasn't necessary to push for a goal, and he could need to play for the full 90 on Tuesday.
Here they come! It’s the charge of the “Thanks” Brigade!
Shot was not the only option. McClean was available on the left.
The shot was a terrible decision. But if we are talking half chances here.
I agree with you about his footballing intelligence. It's not as good as it should be. But I wouldn't throw him to the dogs over that effort. The pass to Long was the obvious one - and he was looking for it, you could see the camera pan to him afterwards - but Long was clearly offside. I feel it was worth the shot. Momentum was with him.
Here they come! It’s the charge of the “Thanks” Brigade!
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