Republic of Ireland V Bulgaria - Saturday, 28th March 2009 - World Cup 2010 Q

**weldoninhio** · 22/03/2009, 8:22 PM

Originally Posted by elroy

A sat night game will always get alot more than a wed night for obvious reasons. As always the hill will be empty but other than that expect the place to be full so i think it will be closer to the 70k mark.

At E50 a ticket?? No chance.

And i am great laugh to go out with.

**tetsujin1979** · 22/03/2009, 9:11 PM

Originally Posted by weldoninhio

At E50 a ticket?? No chance.

The rugby team got 80,000 at the last 2 home games at €90 a ticket!

**weldoninhio** · 22/03/2009, 10:00 PM

That was in a tournament that they had a very good chance of winning and one of those was against the aul enemy England!!!!!!

**richieos** · 22/03/2009, 10:27 PM

are you actually irish? you have very few positive things to say about our team

**mackannovic** · 23/03/2009, 4:44 AM

Rooney gets suspended, Berbatov instantly pulled out of Bulgaria squad. Coincidence or is it just those Man United physios and their approach to internationals??

**Razors left peg** · 23/03/2009, 6:44 AM

Originally Posted by mackannovic

Rooney gets suspended, Berbatov instantly pulled out of Bulgaria squad. Coincidence or is it just those Man United physios and their approach to internationals??

In fairness I think Berbatov left Craven Cottage with a protective cast on so the injury looks real anyway

**magnumpi** · 23/03/2009, 8:33 AM

anyone agree with Giles' contention that Berbatov being injured makes no difference? i can understand his reasoning, in that berbatov often just doesn't show up, but still a huge threat.

**Scram** · 23/03/2009, 8:38 AM

Originally Posted by magnumpi

anyone agree with Giles' contention that Berbatov being injured makes no difference? i can understand his reasoning, in that berbatov often just doesn't show up, but still a huge threat.

No, even if dormant for 80 minutes of a game, he is probaly more of a threat as a goalscorer than any player in the world. The threat alone would make any back four nervous.

**smasher** · 23/03/2009, 8:43 AM

Originally Posted by magnumpi

anyone agree with Giles' contention that Berbatov being injured makes no difference? i can understand his reasoning, in that berbatov often just doesn't show up, but still a huge threat.

I think its a shame that he's not playing. When going gets tough he vanishes, for club and country

**Stuttgart88** · 23/03/2009, 8:49 AM

Hard to know. He's undoubtedly class when he's bothered. Maybe his absence will make their dressing room a better place and maybe his replacement will have more aggression.

Anyway, like all eastern European teams I expect they'll be very accomplished on the ball and will move it around far easier than we ever do. But that's always been the case and yet we've often got good results at home. We should have beaten the Czechs - who are far better than Bulgaria - last time out with players like Douglas, McShane & Henderson, and Stephen Kelly at left back.

I hate this attitude of being afraid of respectable teams. We typically play better against these teams anyway.

I'm looking forward to it - these are the contests I've always loved in Irish international football.

**Pike B** · 23/03/2009, 9:50 AM

Originally Posted by magnumpi

anyone agree with Giles' contention that Berbatov being injured makes no difference? i can understand his reasoning, in that berbatov often just doesn't show up, but still a huge threat.

Agree completly. I think we'd have handled lazy boy no problem. Now we face the unknown. Could be more difficult.

**gwhite** · 23/03/2009, 9:51 AM

We should have enough in the tank to beat a Berbatov-less Bulgaria at home. I'm going for 2-0 to us.
I think there'll be plenty of Bulgars at the game too. There's quite a few of them working here in Brussels since they joined the EU and some of them who drink in my local are organising trips over. Add to that the ones living in Ireland and there'll be a couple of thousand at the game.

**geysir** · 23/03/2009, 10:29 AM

Going 2 ahead and staying 2 ahead? great if it happens.

I think we will be well up for the game and meet the challenge.
The team under Trap is inching steadily forward the more we play.
Peaks and troughs do my head in.

**ifk101** · 23/03/2009, 10:38 AM

I think we'll win if Whelan and Andrews give a good account of themselves in the middle. I suppose you can see certain similarities between us and Bulgaria in that Berbatov and Martin Petrov are as important to Bulgaria as Keane and Duff are to us. With both Berbatov and Petrov missing this game, we have a real opportunity to put a big dent in Bulargia's qualification hopes. Hopefully we can do that.

**drummerboy** · 23/03/2009, 10:59 AM

Well Andrews and Kelly both got game time at the weekend, both coming as half-time substitutes. Duff also started for Newcastle.

**Closed Account** · 23/03/2009, 12:00 PM

Nearly everyone got a run out at the weekend and I can't see anyone pulling out this week, maybe Folan as he has a tendency to.

Code:

Shay Given     Manchester City     Started, played whole game.
Dean Kiely     West Brom     Unused Substitute.
Keiren Westwood     Coventry City    Started, played whole game.
Alex Bruce     Ipswich Town 
Damien Delaney     QPR         Started, played whole game.
John O'Shea     Manchester United Started, substituted on 70m.
Kevin Foley     Wolves         Started, played whole game.
Paul McShane     Sunderland     Unused Substitute.
Richard Dunne     Manchester City     Started, played whole game.
Stephen Kelly     Birmingham City     Started on bench, introduced on 46 m.
Kevin Kilbane     Hull City         Started, played whole game.
Darren O'Dea     Celtic         Started, played whole game.
Aiden McGeady     Glasgow Celtic     Started, played whole game.
Damien Duff     Newcastle United     Started, played whole game.
Darron Gibson     Manchester United 
Glenn Whelan     Stoke City    Started, played whole game.
Keith Andrews     Blackburn Rovers     Started on bench, introduced on 46 m.
Liam Miller     QPR 
Stephen Hunt     Reading        Started on bench, introduced on 18 m.
Andy Keogh     Wolves        Started on bench, introduced on 54 m.
Caleb Folan     Hull City         Started on bench, introduced on 61 m.
Kevin Doyle     Reading        Started, played whole game.
Robbie Keane     Tottenham Hotspur    Started, played whole game.
Shane Long     Reading         Started on bench, introduced on 63 m.
Noel Hunt     Reading

reder · 23/03/2009, 12:04 PM

Im not even going to think about the Italy game until late on Saturday night. Forget about the razzle-dazzle tie against them and concentrate on the job in hand against Bulgaria. If we lose against Bulgaria the true benefit of a positive result against Italy will be lost.

I have watched Bulgaria in depth throughout the campaign and also researched the players added to their squad and firmly believe that a disciplined, organised performance with the level of commitment shown in the 2nd half against Georgia will get the job done. Bulgaria will come with all guns blazing and our lads must take control from the start. The nonsense that we saw at the start of the Georgia game cannot happen again. If we manage to get a goal within the first 15 mins, I am in little doubt that Bulgarian heads will drop and it could be a solid 2-0 win.

I fail to see the logic in what Giles said regarding Berbatov. He is a moany, lazy waster at times but he has the ability to turn a game with one moment of brilliance. His abscene is a nice plus to us.

**Pike B** · 23/03/2009, 12:24 PM

Originally Posted by reder

Im not even going to think about the Italy game until late on Saturday night. Forget about the razzle-dazzle tie against them and concentrate on the job in hand against Bulgaria. If we lose against Bulgaria the true benefit of a positive result against Italy will be lost.

I have watched Bulgaria in depth throughout the campaign and also researched the players added to their squad and firmly believe that a disciplined, organised performance with the level of commitment shown in the 2nd half against Georgia will get the job done. Bulgaria will come with all guns blazing and our lads must take control from the start. The nonsense that we saw at the start of the Georgia game cannot happen again. If we manage to get a goal within the first 15 mins, I am in little doubt that Bulgarian heads will drop and it could be a solid 2-0 win.

I fail to see the logic in what Giles said regarding Berbatov. He is a moany, lazy waster at times but he has the ability to turn a game with one moment of brilliance. His abscene is a nice plus to us.

I disagree. I think they'll sit deep and be negative. I hope your right though as it would suit us better.

**Brendan 82** · 23/03/2009, 1:07 PM

Think of it this way lads; If Berbatov was Irish, would you start him? Nuff said.

**tetsujin1979** · 23/03/2009, 2:20 PM

from http://www.manchestereveningnews.co....ed_for_bojinov
Hughes on Bojinov VS Sunderland at the weekend

Hughes said: "I was pleased for him that he was able to start a game in the Premier League and that he came through more than an hour.

"It was important for him. I felt it was good for him to get the start today from both a footballing and mental point of view."

It may be too soon for Bojinov to resume his international duties and there are question marks about some of the other walking wounded, too.