God what an awful match
McShane - Not a footballer
Gibson - Did little
Whelan - Did little
Keane - Very poor display
Duff - Very good
Doyle - Great
McGeady - Tried Hard
dunne - MoM
We won the match, but there were so many questions to be asked about our performance in the second half, you wouldn't know it from the post I'm about to make.
Playing a central midfield pairing with less than ten caps in a qualifier is a massive risk. They both did OK in the first half, really profiting from some awful clearances by Cyprus, and sitting back to watch the wingers do the damage.
Second half, lads, where did you go? I loathe to criticise Gibson because it was his first top line fixture of any denomination, when you consider he's played less than half an hour for United and only a couple of subs for us, yet it has to be said he was watching the game unfold around him.
When you're at home and slightly under pressure you look to centre midfield to put their foot on the ball and play a pass. It didn't happen. Whelan is a blocker who gives the centre halves protection and that's fine when you're next to Steven Reid, when he was asked to do some distributing he was found wanting.
I too was screaming at the tele hoping for substitutes. Andy Reid should have come on, if not for one of the central pairing, for Robbie Keane, who was no longer required for link up play.
Finally on the negatives, we looked criminally naive at full back on both sides of the pitch at times. Kilbane I can accept because he isn't a natural full back and is still learning the trade. McShane, well you could say the same thing, what is for sure though is that Finnan was missed. We're lucky Aloneftis didn't play.
Positives: We got stuck in early on and looked to try and win the game. Duff had too much class for Cyprus, later McGeady would follow him as both men beat their man and the covering defender, causing chaos. It's refreshing to see us penentrate out wide after some shapeless performances under Stan.
When Ireland were good, it was when the ball was played into Doyle and he made it stick. And he gave the midfield every chance, because he ran all night and put in some very intelligent runs, constantly stealing a yard to the ball on his marker. No goals, but they will come. Keane's link up play in the first half was good and at the end of the day, he scored the winner.
Last word goes to Richard Dunne. I was a bit too young for the Paul McGrath era, however the spirit, strength and intelligence that Dunne uses in a green shirt must surely be somewhere out of McGrath's playbook. Dunne charged down what looked to be a certain goal. I'm sure he's done it once already this campaign, if not twice. It is no coincidence he gets in these goal saving positions - it's his anticipation and his desire.
Ade
God what an awful match
McShane - Not a footballer
Gibson - Did little
Whelan - Did little
Keane - Very poor display
Duff - Very good
Doyle - Great
McGeady - Tried Hard
dunne - MoM
God how i would love to have seen the two of them play togetherOriginally Posted by Adrianovic
We kept losing possession because the ball was going from defence to one of the 4 attackers. Reid would have made a huge difference in our ability to keep possession. That's all I'm saying.
The Cypriots were wobbling badly at the back any time we really went at them. There was definitely more goals there for us. Granted though Trap is never going to go all out unless we absolutely have to.
With Finnan and the two Reid's in there we have the makings of a very good team but will we ever see it out on the pitch?
People keep saying that we were sitting back, but the fact of the matter is if Duff/Whelan, McGeady and Doyle finish those chances we're scoring 4 goals.
It came down to finishing, not a lack of creativity or offense.
We had a few decent chances near the end with the Cypriots pouring forward but for most of the second half they controlled the ball and could easily have had one or two themselves.
Not great from our central midfield pairing. But some of the comments are a bit harsh. Out of three competitive games glen had one bad. I dont think its time to say he is not good enough(jury still out) Gibson should not have been there as said earlier, he is won for the future. O brien or andy reid instead maybe?
The difference is that if steve staunton was still there that would have been another 5 - 2 result for cyprus. While i thought a few things where wrong the manager has galvanised an average team. I would be more on the Giles side of the fence than eamon and his over the top ranting. We have made a great start and long may it continue.
I still get the impression Trap doesnt know our players well enough yet. He knows how to organise a team but i feel he hasnt been to see enough of our players in games thus doesnt know what they are fully capable of. (Some of them anyway)
Well we rode our luck tonight - not for the first time inthis campaign.
Agree on the D's - Dunne and Duff were frankly superb & Doyle had a great game too.
The CM was overun for long periods and against a better team we would have been punished. We will pay if we can't do better in future. Garvan must be given an opportunity.
Although there is something about McShane that is appealing - honesty, commitment etc, I don't think I have ever seen a worse player in an Irish shirt. I can't understand how Trapp has stuck with him, O'Brien or Foley or anyone else. I though Paul Butler had a bad game for us, but nothing like as bad as McShane tonight.
Terrible performance. I expected it to be tight & predicted a draw but also expected Cyprus to be better. Even with Cyprus playing badly we were hanging in at the end.
With a few exceptions we lack intelligent footballers who can adapt quickly to new team mates & structures as well as making the correct decisions.
As an example McShane plays every week in the English Premier league but looks like a Sunday league player at International.
Maybe if he came on for Keane but he's really not a possession footballer. I've watched him for a number of years and he doesn't win the ball. Great passer but that's about it.
Just have to disagree.
There is no such thing as a miracle cure, a free lunch or a humble opinion.
Think the Gibson comments are harsh. I actually thought he looked for the ball fairly regularly - he just looked for it in his own half. He kept it simple while Whelan made some horrendous passes and decisions. Gibson's job wasn't to get forward and it's clear Trap sent him and Whelan out to sit and protect the defence.
Which they did fairly well - Cyprus controlled possession and created only two clear cut opportunities mainly because we were supremely well organised and disciplined imo. Meanwhile we had at least half dozen decent chances. If the forwards had of shown a bit more urgency in their finished, and Ireland had won by a couple, I doubt anyone would say the harsh things they're saying about the midfield.
Having said that it wasn't exactly great. Still I'm convinced we're moving in the right direction and I'm convinced that if that was anyone but Trap we wouldn't have won. Three points on the board, job done.
Ratings;
Given - 7
McShane - 5
O'Shea - 7
Dunne - 9
Kilbane - 6
McGeady - 6
Gibson - 6
Whelan - 5
Duff - 8
Keane - 7
Doyle - 8
Ou-est le Centre George Pompidou?
McShane was the weak link tonight.
We were always going to be under pressure in central midfield and that was definitely the case. I was a bit disappointed with Whelan, but it is hard to expect him to perform as well as he did against Montenegro and Georgia, when he's not playing for Stoke.
Gibson made a great home debut for me. It was a difficult game for him to be put into a cauldron, but he stepped up to the mark and kept looking for the ball, especially in the latter part of the game, which was very encouraging.
Dunne, Doyle and Duff were brilliant. Given was as usual equal to the task whenever called upon and O'Shea was very good too (really am starting to grow to his maturing abilities).
Kilbane was solid enough, McGeady too, but both made poor mistakes as well.
Keane got his 35th goal, so regardless of what else he did, he won the game.
7 points from 3 games is brilliant, and with Bulgaria drawing, we are in a great position. Shame about McGeady and Given getting late yellow cards... I think they are the first 2 yellows of the qualifying campaign so far?
Dear God no. Wouldn't be much better than the Kilbane/Ireland partnership from a couple of years ago.
Andy Reid is a bit unfortunate in that he is neither an out and out winger or a traditional central midfielder. He doesn't fit either description and Trap seems to want two solid centre mids and two out and out wingers to have a balanced side. In saying that I heard a rumour (my mother's aunt's cousin's father type thing) that Reids omission is to do with his attitude.
Comments on Whelan are a bit harsh as well. He was God's gift after the last two games and now he's suddenly rubbish. That said, the argument that he isn't playing regular football does carry some weight.
Your joking. As if Carsley would've made a huge difference. Steven Reid, fine, great player and a vital cog. But Carsley's, while a committed performer, is past it. And he wouldn't have protected the defence any better than Gibson or Whelan. He wouldn've got the ball, passed it square or given it away - much like Gibson or Whelan tonight funny enough.
I think the days where we can include words 'Carsley' and 'ran riot' in a sentence are long over - that is if they ever began.
Ou-est le Centre George Pompidou?
This team is still a work in progress, but I think we all know when the campaign ends we will have a much better team and whoever takes over will have a good squad and a good system to build upon.
We were lucky today but you have to give Cyprus credit, they have been improving over the last few years, when we played them at home under Kerr the scoreline showed 3-0 but they had 2 gilt edged chances to score. And look at the results and performances they have had since.
We don't have a big squad and Trapp is still learning about some of the players. I think Gibson or Whelan would have played much better if S Reid had been playing. Would Miller have made a difference? Would Andy Reid? We don't know.
But it's been a long time since and Ireland team could really control a game by passing the ball. I hope Trapp looks at going to 4-5-1 and bring in A Reid and maybe dropping Keane back in place of McGeady, that might work better especially away from home.
Last edited by Qwerty; 15/10/2008 at 10:46 PM.
One comment on the substitutions or lack of, it was a very tight game and I think the only change he could have made would have been to take Keane off.
If you insert another player in midfield particularly in amonst 2 rookies and disturb whatever relationship they have established then I think there is the chance of conceding a goal . I think Trapp played the percentages and got it right. If the brought on Reid and we conceded wouldn't it have been much worse
Well said. Totally agree.
Ou-est le Centre George Pompidou?
3 points in the bag so im happy. The performance of the the midfield two was dictated by Traps insistence that our full backs do not overlap our join the attack and that when our mdfield two pass the ball to one of the attacking 4 ( 2 wingers and forwards) they are to sit and not join the attack. With that set up the middle two have very little options and couldnt make runs forward to join the attack except for Whelan in 90th min. Most of their passes were back. They were also compounded by the fact that Cyprus played 3 in the middle and kept the ball well.
Have to say Dunne was immense.
Best post on here by a mile.
Posting Permissions
Bookmarks