Today's Irish Independent

[Superhoops]

.......Funny thing is that Doyle and Keane are probably best served from a central position but our 2 most creative players are wide guys. That's an issue that needs to be addressed somehow. I did like Andrews' willingness to make himself available, not unlike Lampard or Gerrard, around the box to give them an extra option.

Great shout. Its a point I made to a few mates on Wednesday.

Although Doyle has the ability to attack a high ball from wide or deep (like the one he nearly scored from the other night) like Robbie he is better running onto balls played through from or just forward of central midfield.

However, you need players who can deliver that type of ball consistently.
Whelan for all his efforts is not up to it, I'm not convinced by Andrews but the man who certainly can do it is Andy Reid, its his natural game.

[irishultra]

or Keith Fahey.

[gspain]

Hopefully the good second half performance will give McGeady confidence in the Irish shirt. You could visibly see him grow in confidence after he went on that first run.

As far as Keane's concerned I think people are being a little harsh. It wasn't a vintage performance overall but all a striker can do is score goals. Alot of people on here say he doesn't produce the goods in big games. With 20 minutes left and Ireland going out the World Cup he got 2.

Doyle played well, worked hard and got his head on a few balls but in the end failed to penetrate the Georgian defence which is ultimately the most important thing.

Both McGeady and Keane are confidence players. Aiden will benefit greatly from Wednesday. Robbie will hopefully have a good few weeks at Tottenham with a manager who wants him. He will be much sharper for Bulgaria. His goals are still priceless. The cool head for the penalty and then a real striker's goal.

I thought Doyle's movement and laying off of the ball was superb.

[frog-gufc]

i would have given
given 6-nothing to do really
kelly 4-shocker
kilbane 7- good game supported left wingers all night
dunne 6- easy night
o shea 6- see dunne
duff 8-
mcgeady 8-
whelan 6-
andrews 7-
keane 7-
doyle 8-

[BigmanCas]

Bigman Cas - i am in complete agreement with Superhoops on mcgeady - i was at the game also and i thought mcgeady was bloody diabolical in the first half...absolutely awful. Big improvement in the 2nd - but first half he was terrible.

nothing against the lad...he was just poor in the first half of the game

"Mc Geady was diabolical in the 1st half"???? I was at the game myself. I am simply saying and agree that Ireland were very poor in the 1st half but Mc Geady was always trying to take the game to them. Now if you guys are making your judgements on a misplaced pass here, or a bad cross there in the first half then I am dissappointed (and I think most of you are). At least he was trying!!!, which is a lot more than I can say for a few of the lads in the first half. Mc Geadys mistakes were only conspicious because he was the only one trying them. Get off his back!

[Docboy]

I thought that McGeady was more than willing in the first half, taking on his man and trying to get crosses in. Far enough they weren't landing where they should but this Irish side doesn't exactly flood the box with people attacking the ball.

Second half he was our best player on the pitch, bringing the game to the Georgians at every opportunity and winning plenty of corners and free-kicks. Hopefully this performance will help him kick on and produce the goods on a regular basis. Some of the criticism of him is way over the top, perhaps due to who he plays for?

[elroy]

Bring back Gary Doherty, give us a presence up front

We continually play high balls to Keane when its clears that he is at his ball with through balls or balls played to feet. Admittedly the other night Keane's touch wasnt near good enough but he still came good. Ya he didnt play great but he got the goals that mattered and considering his confidence must've been very low he took that pressure peno very well.
For example, if Michael Owen was quiet for 90 mins and popped up with two goals, people would be singing his praises.......yet Keane still gets stick when he does the same.

On the other hand I dont think we play enough good balls into Doyle to make the best use of his aerial ability. He got one decent ball from Hunt late on the other night, from which he tested the keeper, but that was it.

[donalmcdonagh]

Im in total disbelief that anyone thinks McGeady was poor last night. Dont know what more the lad has to do to silence his critics.Himself and Doyle were absolutely outstanding last night

I agree...why are the views of the aforementioned journo's mirrored by so many people...It baffles me. The majority of Irish soccer watching public are so negative. We need to encourage, remember ronaldo when he started at Man U, he was the step over king but Zero end product, now look at him. Im not saying mcgeady will be that good but he will get a lot better with the right people around him. As for Doyle, he won every single header with AC Milan's best centre half, a world class defender, he was excellant. If the team can learn to feed of this in the right way we will get a lot of success. We are a work in progress.

Finally, I would love to hear some opinions on the sunday world journo R Curtis...I believe his writing skills and knowledge are absolute rubbish (i would like to use stronger language). Do people share this opnion. I bought the Sunday world for the first time in a long while and had to stop reading....terrible article. I reckon this guy got a job based on his A in honours english and his fondness for stupid comparison's (cant remember the literary term for this, sorry I got a B in pass English)

[Stuttgart88]

this Irish side doesn't exactly flood the box with people attacking the ball.

Important point.

Question: Robbie could/should have scored in 1st half with a flicked header to the middle of the goal where a header to the near post would have scored. Who fed him / how did the ball get there? I can't recall.

[razor]

keane also ran his socks off and did what he's there to do and scored two goals. decent performance and at least as good as doyle

Keane put in nowhere near the shift that Doyler did.

[Superhoops]

Important point.

Question: Robbie could/should have scored in 1st half with a flicked header to the middle of the goal where a header to the near post would have scored. Who fed him / how did the ball get there? I can't recall.

29th minute, Whelan free kick headed back across the goal into 6 yard box by Kilbane, Robbie flicked on and keeper made a good save.

[Junior]

I accept the broad point though. I think I said on this thread that Doyle & Keane are best served by central midfield than by wingers and this is an issue we need to address.

McGeady is well able to thread a through ball and is happy to cut inside from the left and shoot / link up play.

His shooting needs to improve from what I see at Celtic (though his few efforts on Weds were much better and either caused the keeper to work or had the fans thinking he'd scored!).

In a nutshell, if McGeady builds on Weds performance not only can he provide from the wings in the traditional sense but I believe he will be able to feed Doyle and Keane from a more central position.

Obviously its an attribute of S Ireland but I wont open that subject again on this thread.

[John83]

... sunday world journo R Curtis... I reckon this guy got a job based on his A in honours english and his fondness for stupid comparison's (cant remember the literary term for this, sorry I got a B in pass English)

Stupid metaphors.

Very few people have realistic expectations, especially of national teams. I look at the results the significantly more gifted teams get: Italy, France, England. We don't do that badly for what we have. People expect to win every time against weaker teams. It doesn't work that way. If it did, leagues would be really, really boring. When we lose, it's the end of the bloody world. When we win, we should have scored more goals, so and so is still rubbish, the tactics are wrong and someone's pet striker should be given a run. Very few teams rack up three and four nils over a qualifying campaign. Deal with it.

[viagogo]

never a game goes by that our captain doesnt get this kind of tripe thrown at him. keane also ran his socks off and did what he's there to do and scored two goals. decent performance and at least as good as doyle

The fact is that we were playing the poorest team in the group. Robbie Keane is our best player and he is not performing to his best. Doyle is. If we were playing Bulgaria or Italy on Wednesday night Keane would have done nothing. You say he doesnt deserve this kind of tripe thrown at him but why not? If he Keane plays like this for the rest of the campaign then he will not score another goal.

[Crosby87]

The fact is that we were playing the poorest team in the group. Robbie Keane is our best player and he is not performing to his best. Doyle is. If we were playing Bulgaria or Italy on Wednesday night Keane would have done nothing. You say he doesnt deserve this kind of tripe thrown at him but why not? If he Keane plays like this for the rest of the campaign then he will not score another goal.

Thats rubbish. We often play to the level of the opponent. Georgia came out hard and never gave up throughout. You cant even compare the game to a game against Italy. The whole buildup is different. Cold weather, must win pressure game, and they did. They will play MUCH more lose against Italy as the pressure will be on the Italians.
Gosh, you would think the team lost. They beat a fiesty team and lets move on, no? What do some of you do when you encounter true adversity in life? Scream and run for the hills or dig a hole and plop your heads in like an ostrich? This was positive result all told!

[eirebhoy]

The fact is that we were playing the poorest team in the group.

There really is no poor team in this group though. I read an article by Aidan Fitzmaurice saying we were playing a team with players from Rubin Kazan, etc. Rubin Kazan are the Russian champions.

[elroy]

The presence of Montenegro makes this group particularly difficult, imagine if we had the Faroes or San Marino instead. Cyprus and Georgia could also be considered at the upper end of their respective seeds.
Argubaly the only seed where we got a good draw was the second seeds - Bulgaria.

[Noelys Guitar]

There really is no poor team in this group though. I read an article by Aidan Fitzmaurice saying we were playing a team with players from Rubin Kazan, etc. Rubin Kazan are the Russian champions.

Exactly. And I fancy the Georgian's to do us at least one more favour in this group by either taking points off Italy or more points off Bulgaria.

[viagogo]

Thats rubbish. We often play to the level of the opponent. Georgia came out hard and never gave up throughout. You cant even compare the game to a game against Italy. The whole buildup is different. Cold weather, must win pressure game, and they did. They will play MUCH more lose against Italy as the pressure will be on the Italians.
Gosh, you would think the team lost. They beat a fiesty team and lets move on, no? What do some of you do when you encounter true adversity in life? Scream and run for the hills or dig a hole and plop your heads in like an ostrich? This was positive result all told!

Think you misunderstood my post. Was in Croke Park last Wednesday night and was thrilled to get the win. Anything less would have been disastrous. My whole point is that Robbie Keane has to do better if we want to get the automatic spot for World Cup qualification. Rather then moaning to refs, not passing the ball and putting his hand in the air he could put himself to better use by trying to build a partnership with Doyle. It is time he grew up.

[Uncle_Joe]

Finally, I would love to hear some opinions on the sunday world journo R Curtis...I believe his writing skills and knowledge are absolute rubbish (i would like to use stronger language). Do people share this opnion.

I think most people agree http://foot.ie/showthread.php?t=46919

I am amazed that Roy Curtis can earn a wage as a journalist. He is a WUM of the highest order. Being back home this weekend, gave me the opportunity to see if his standard of journalism has improved. It hasnt!
His article today is pure drivel! pure pathetic negative, self centered diatribe nonsense. He makes Dunphy look like balanced journalist.

I DONT LIKE HIM!!!!!!