Ireland V South Africa - Tuesday, 8th September 2009 - Friendly - Thomond Park

**Tipp Townie** · 08/09/2009, 8:28 PM

Yep Best did well for 10mins or so after he came on, but then the supply dried up. Lawrence can be pleased with his shift- great goal and some nice touches.

I thought Nolan had a bit of a mare to be honest, almost always lost the ball when it came to him. Ledge looked a little shaky i thought. And Keogh was pretty anonymous, although arguably he's out of position.

**boovidge** · 08/09/2009, 8:31 PM

Originally Posted by Jicked

Overall I'm pretty happy with that night's work.
The archetypal Trapattoni performance. Think of all the possession SAfrica had and then remember they didn't have a single shot on goal in the whole game. Let them have as much of the ball as they want in certain areas but don't give them an inch in the final quarter, and crowd the box when in defence.

We didnt look that comfortable at the back and we'll be facing alot better strikeforces than South Africa's.

**tricky_colour** · 08/09/2009, 8:34 PM

Largely a defensive performance the S Africans had a lot of possession but few chances on goal with so many defenders back, you never felt they could score.

**Jicked** · 08/09/2009, 8:34 PM

Originally Posted by boovidge

We didnt look that comfortable at the back and we'll be facing alot better strikeforces than South Africa's.

I thought we did look pretty comfortable, you have to remember the way we're set up to play. Them having possession around the edge of our box doesn't mean we're not comfortable when we have two banks of eight between them and the goal. Not once did they really get past either bank of defence and create a chance.

**geysir** · 08/09/2009, 8:41 PM

Has Ronnie got all the stock phrases flowing on tele-pronter

**Stuttgart88** · 08/09/2009, 8:46 PM

Originally Posted by geysir

To call us a - one pass then hoof it or lose it - team is grossly unfair.

We do a lot of running as well

Very good.

Hey, I saw Iceland U21 were 4-0 up against NI U21 at HT tonight.

I didn't see a Geysirsson on the scoresheet.

**irishfan86** · 08/09/2009, 8:50 PM

Not many positives to take in terms of our play, but we defended well with a back four that has hardly played together.

If Liam Lawrence has jumped ahead of Keogh in the winger pecking order the exercise will have been well worth it.

**geysir** · 08/09/2009, 8:52 PM

A much more confident Lawrence tonight. The free kick just exemplified that.
Not bad progress from his first game. He was the biggest plus of the night.

With Folan, you'd have to applaud the way he has adapted to the team and becoming a genuine sub option after minimal game experience.

**Stuttgart88** · 08/09/2009, 8:56 PM

More positives than negatives for me. Seriously.

Negatives:
The usual gaping hole in midfield. Andrews puts himself about but just doesn't use the ball well enough. Gibson just has to be more assertive. He's got the ability so show the willingness to get on the ball. All the time. Demand it as Houghton was saying. Gibson really needs to get out of his comfort zone.

Failure for the ball to stick upfront, but that's largely down to the failings in CM. The balls forward are from deep and are speculative & inaccurate as a result.

Positives:
The shape without the ball. Instead of pressing the ball we simply set ourselves across the pitch and give the opposition little way through. Very disciplined & organised. Very boring to watch but effective.

A lot of the younger lads did well:

Kelly looked comfortable, SSL looked good, McShane looked confident - good on him -, Nolan didn't unimpress if you know what I mean but didn't do much to catch the eye either, O'Dea looks a player. Westwood has a confident demeanour & took a tough catch when called upon. Narrowed the angle properly for their chance late in first half.

Lawrence did well enough but not enough to be a starter. As if86 says, has to be ahead of Keogh in that position though.

Keogh - not fair to rate him. Thankless job playing so out of position.

Best impressed.

So, for me - a useful look at younger player (almost all in defence) and again nothing wrong that a better CM wouldn't put right.

**Tipp Townie** · 08/09/2009, 8:58 PM

Originally Posted by geysir

With Folan, you'd have to applaud the way he has adapted to the team and becoming a genuine sub option after minimal game experience.

Totally agree

**Stuttgart88** · 08/09/2009, 9:00 PM

Did anyone see Gibson's hands as Lawrence struck the free? I couldn't tell if he raised them in anticipation of the goal, or in frustration that LL took the free directly rather than lay it off to Gibson. I think it was the latter.

**thepiedpiper** · 08/09/2009, 9:19 PM

Originally Posted by Stuttgart88

Did anyone see Gibson's hands as Lawrence struck the free? I couldn't tell if he raised them in anticipation of the goal, or in frustration that LL took the free directly rather than lay it off to Gibson. I think it was the latter.

He was raising them to complain that SA fella had ran from wall again.

**Stuttgart88** · 08/09/2009, 9:26 PM

Originally Posted by thepiedpiper

He was raising them to complain that SA fella had ran from wall again.

yeah, that was probably it. Good point.

**paul_oshea** · 08/09/2009, 9:41 PM

lads can i get on rte.ie

**geysir** · 08/09/2009, 9:41 PM

yeah, that was probably it. Good point.

Not probably but most definitely.
How on earth could you have gone for the least likely option in the first place.

**paul_oshea** · 08/09/2009, 9:42 PM

i mean anyone know a stream

**Tipp Townie** · 08/09/2009, 9:42 PM

Originally Posted by Stuttgart88

Nolan didn't unimpress if you know what I mean but didn't do much to catch the eye either

I dunno, i really thought Nolan looked quite poor i'm sorry to say.

I suppose in terms of defensive organisation we did well as a unit, which he was a part of. But i remember about 4 occasions where he had the ball in quite a comfortable position and contrived to lose it either with poor control/awareness or a bad pass.

**Keen2win** · 08/09/2009, 9:48 PM

So was yer man that ran on when we scored wearing a Celtic or Shamrock Rovers jersey?

**geysir** · 08/09/2009, 10:06 PM

Between the 2 full backs, only Kelly pushed himself forward into some reckoning.
Some positive play from him out there as well a few wild passes. At least he got forward and looked competent.