Italy V Republic of Ireland - Wednesday, 1st April 2009 - World Cup 2010 Q

[eaststand85]

Fearful we could get a real hammering on Wednesday as Italy know if they beat us they're pretty much qualified. On that basis they'll be up for it and unfortunately as shown on Saturday night you can't generally get away with a back six containing no recognised fullbacks and your two central midfielders, all defending on the edge of the box and inviting the opposition on.

On the other hand they've been lucky in this campaign so far with a couple of jammy wins against Cyprus and Montenegro so hopefully the worm will turn and we can take advantage by scraping a 1-0 win. Come on Ireland!!!!!!

[gustavo]

I'd be happy with a draw to be honest , I am hoping that they will come out with renewed vigour and purpose and that Trap's style is well suiited for the underdog playing on the back foot as it isn't really suited for a team expected to go out and take the game to the opposition , Hope McGeady is fit , He could shine in occasions like this

[fergalr]

I'm looking forward to this match. My prediction - it won't be pretty and there will be a maximum of one goal.

You never know....

[Duggie]

when you look at the italian squad there no real goal scorer in it, maybe rossi. toni and gilardinho are out,so toni's arial threat is gone and gilardinho was having a really good season for fiorentina. pirlo has a good shot dangerous from free kicks. there not all that at the moment the italians.

[paul_oshea]

ya and we are definitely not even near that at the moment!!!

[Kingdom]

There is absolutely no basis on Saturdays performance to say we'll take anything away from Italy. That said, when we produce a poor performance (and there's been a few in the recent past) we normally bounce back strong.

I'm struggling with two frames of mind.
One is that Italy will absolutely demolish us with their techical ability and superior players and we'll get beat
2/3-0.
The other is that we'll give our best performance so far under Trap, and that we'll give as good as we get.

I reckon there's a goal for us tomorrow evening. I'd agree that Italy haven't been great so far. We're still unbeaten. I've this nagging feeling that we're going to nick a win. This is now a double horrible millstone hanging around our necks, the 22 years since a proper away win against a top seeded nation, and the failure to defeat an actual rival since 2001.
I reckon Doyle and Robbie and Aiden (if fit) can terrorise the Italian back 4.

Italy 0 - 1 Ireland

[Duggie]

ya and we are definitely not even near that at the moment!!!

looks like it will be pazzini and rossi upfront, id take that in fairness.

[Lionel Ritchie]

I have no idea which Ireland side is going to turn up.

Our best chance of winning it is if we score the only goal in the final minutes because when we score any way early we just freeze up.

This Italian team, world champs or not, are no great shakes mind.

[weldoninhio]

I hope we go and park the bus and play for a 0-0 - do an Italian Job on the Italians.

Unfortunately we have more a broken down hiace than a bus. Hasn't really been able to pass the NCT since 2002.

[The Fly]

I thought I'd bring some much needed levity to forum...........

............whatever some poster's opinions are on Hunt's merits as player in general or relative to Duff, they pale into insignificance next to a fella who posts under the name 'Javier' on the eleven a side forum/messageboard.

Javier, bless him, thinks we should deploy Hunt in central midfield - where, and brace yourself, he believes he could or would be the Irish Pirlo.

Always provides a little comic relief that Javier!

Maybe we should start a new thread named 'Javier Watch,'..........

Anyway here are Javier's suggestions for the match against Italy tomorrow night;

"i saw both games italy was very lucky to get a penalty that ireland did not get away vs macedonia."
err.....that's montenegro Javier

"Ireland played awful in midfield, last sat, no drive, no tactics, that is why players like DELAP AND ANDY REID are needed, THEN again, stephen hunt, can play in a free role - like pirlo , where he is more happy, as he did with reading,"
this follows on from his earlier suggestion that Trapattoni should be sacked if Delap and Reid do not make up the centre midfield against Italy

"mc shame needs to be replaced by kelly i think this time, but Trappatoni, is making to many mistakes with the formation and the lack of substitutions, CALEB FOLAN is needed to create confusion in the box, and young LONG is another tall mobile player that always performs when in the green shirt"
not sure if mc shame is a typo
the only place Folan might create confusion is in the stands,
and Long is apparently a tall player.

In fairness to Javier he is apparently from Argentina, so you can excuse spelling mistakes but would expect better football knowledge - a stereotype I know but...............
Maybe he thinks Irish surnames are given in a cryptically literal fashion - Long is tall, McShane is McShame............

Javier - always good for a laugh, I look forward to his expert analysis post Bari.

[Duggie]

I wouldnt mind seeing keogh come on in the last 15 - 20 mins upfront for maybe doyle if we needed a goal or were looking to win 1-0. has a good eye for goal and trap likes him.

[paul_oshea]

2:55 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cm84YD0NH30&NR=1

i hope they go to bed watching that over and over.

[rambler14]

I'm writing this from the airport waiting for my flight to Italy.....3-0 Italy

[Duggie]

I'm writing this from the airport waiting for my flight to Italy.....3-0 Italy

come on the green army

[paul_oshea]

lads have an awful feeling we are going to get a great result tomorrow, cos i cant fcuken get there now I think we could win this 1 - 0. my mind and everything else says we would be lucky to scrape a draw but i just have an awful feeling, that those of us here are going to miss a great great night.

[Stuttgart88]

What's happening Paul?

[OwlsFan]

Jack had the Indian sign over England. Dare we hope for Trapp and Italy?

[Morbo]

Originally Posted by The Fly

I thought I'd bring some much needed levity to forum...........

............whatever some poster's opinions are on Hunt's merits as player in general or relative to Duff, they pale into insignificance next to a fella who posts under the name 'Javier' on the eleven a side forum/messageboard.

Javier, bless him, thinks we should deploy Hunt in central midfield - where, and brace yourself, he believes he could or would be the Irish Pirlo.

Always provides a little comic relief that Javier!

To be fair to Javier I think Hunt would do a better job than Whelan in central midfield

[DotTV]

Italy have a load of injuries and they do actually fear Trap's influence. We could get a draw here.

[Mr Maroon]

when you look at the italian squad there no real goal scorer in it, maybe rossi. toni and gilardinho are out,so toni's arial threat is gone and gilardinho was having a really good season for fiorentina. pirlo has a good shot dangerous from free kicks. there not all that at the moment the italians.

They have Pazzini. He's on fire for Sampdoria and he scored on his Italy debut vs Montenegro.

I'd say it'll be

----------Buffon
Zambrotta-Cannavaro-Chiellini-Grosso
------Palombo - De Rossi
---Pepe/Quagliarella - Pirlo - Rossi
----------Pazzini