Republic of Ireland V Italy - Saturday, 10th October 2009 - World Cup 2010 Q

**mr.untitled** · 10/10/2009, 9:23 PM

just back from the pub here boston, very prud, bring on the playoffs!!!

**mr.untitled** · 10/10/2009, 9:25 PM

Originally Posted by Ambaiste!

I've said from the start that unless we qualify automatically then we will lose a playoff to a mid-ranked European side. We were ahead twice in that match, once with only three mins plus injury time remaining, and twice we lost the lead, and with it our slim chance of automatic qualification. That is a clear sign of being no good under pressure, and the play off games are nothing if not pressure games.

I hate to say it but we are doomed.

ffs, that was italy, why bother with an attituide like that

**Noelys Guitar** · 10/10/2009, 9:25 PM

Originally Posted by Ambaiste!

I've said from the start that unless we qualify automatically then we will lose a playoff to a mid-ranked European side. We were ahead twice in that match, once with only three mins plus injury time remaining, and twice we lost the lead, and with it our slim chance of automatic qualification. That is a clear sign of being no good under pressure, and the play off games are nothing if not pressure games.

I hate to say it but we are doomed.

Which side has beaten us in a competitive game recently? Italy the world champions? Bulgaria? We have nothing to fear going into these play offs. And as the resident Scotsman on Fox Soccer said last night no team will won't to draw the ROI in the play offs

**sligofan4ever** · 10/10/2009, 9:27 PM

Dissapointed by that. We did well at times, but really should've done better from the amount of posession the Italians wasted. I felt sorry for St.Ledger, I was saying all game hes done very well for his first home start and capped it off with a great header, but you could tell when the camera was on him after the game he was absolutly devasted. Great goal by Whelan aswell, can many people say they were actually expecting that

The main thing is we're guaranteed 2nd place. The play-off seeding is a very bad idea but you never know how it could go for us. For example, Sepp Blatter wants our best teams (on paper) going through to the world cup, but in 2002 we made it too the quarter finals, while France didnt even pick up a point in the groups, so really its not always the 'better teams' that do well in The World Cup.

**Ambaiste!** · 10/10/2009, 9:29 PM

Originally Posted by mr.untitled

ffs, that was italy, why bother with an attituide like that

Originally Posted by Noelys Guitar

Which side has beaten us in a competitive game recently? Italy the world champions? Bulgaria? We have nothing to fear going into these play offs. And as the resident Scotsman on Fox Soccer said last night no team will won't to draw the ROI in the play offs

Italy only needed a point, they got it. We were within a few minutes of getting a win and giving ourselves a real chance of automatic qualification by putting pressure on them against Cyprus. But, we threw it away, and will do the same in the playoffs, it's the Irish way unfortunately.

**A face** · 10/10/2009, 9:30 PM

Originally Posted by mr.untitled

ffs, that was italy, why bother with an attituide like that

Originally Posted by Noelys Guitar

Which side has beaten us in a competitive game recently? Italy the world champions? Bulgaria? We have nothing to fear going into these play offs. And as the resident Scotsman on Fox Soccer said last night no team will won't to draw the ROI in the play offs

Lads, its just getting too hard to qualify now, its just a bit beyond us i think

**Deckydee** · 10/10/2009, 9:34 PM

I hope not. But I cannot see us qualifing on these types of performances

**razor** · 10/10/2009, 9:35 PM

Originally Posted by sligofan4ever

I felt sorry for St.Ledger, I was saying all game hes done very well for his first home start and capped it off with a great header, but you could tell when the camera was on him after the game he was absolutly devasted.

Hard to blame him, he was at least 3 or 4 yards off Gilardino for the equaliser, gave him way to much space.

**backstothewall** · 10/10/2009, 9:37 PM

Great performance. Good result. we matched the world champions for goals, possession, chances and performance. We have a different style to them, but we by no means looked out of our depth.

Andy Reid was told it was lights out at 11. He was playing guitar at 2am, then gave the manager a mouthful of abuse. No successful manager would ever put up with that, and every other player was able to follow a simple instruction. His weight was also a symptom of his bad attitude. He will have to prove his attitude has improved, which he is doing an excellent job of with Sunderland. If he can keep his weight under control, keep his temper in check, and keep his performance levels up, he will get his chance when the manager feels the time is right, and that is how it should be. Trapatonni has won it al. Dunphy is a fool, as is Johnny Giles (an awful football manager).

**mr.untitled** · 10/10/2009, 9:37 PM

Originally Posted by A face

Lads, its just getting too hard to qualify now, its just a bit beyond us i think

we are unbeaten under trap, we held the world champs at home and away, Trap has turned an average bunch of players into a good team. Nobody in the playoffs will want to draw us....believe

**MeathDrog** · 10/10/2009, 9:38 PM

All they had to do was not concede for 5 minutes, irrespective of how much they deserved the lead or how well they played until then.

John O' Shea had a great game but what the hell was he doing up forward for the last goal. A lack of cop on.

In the playoffs at least.

**strangeirish** · 10/10/2009, 9:39 PM

Replay this a few times, then give the negative vibes a kick up the hole. We can do it!

Yes we can!

**Straightstory** · 10/10/2009, 9:51 PM

Disappointed at draw tonight, but Italy probably would have beaten Cyprus anyway. Interesting to see size of crowd v Montenegro on Wed.
Don't expect us to qualify v play offs. We've been really, really lucky to get this far.

**Jicked** · 10/10/2009, 10:02 PM

Just home, couldn't believe that ending. Heartbreaking. How has Shay saved us so many times before and yet doesn't get near their two goals?? And what the hell were we doing with anything less than 11 men behind the ball in the 89th minute?! Oh well, in reality Italy would always have won the group by beating Cyrpus on Wed, and after the heartbreak tonight, watch the lads be a lot more switched on in the last minute of a playoff game if we need it. Great performance and a great night, we've come so far in two years under Trap, I'm sure we've more big nights in the next two years.

Oh and don't even bother talking about Dunphy, he's not a football analyst, he's a professional wind-up merchant. If he's not being "controversial" and talking out of his arse, he's less of a talking point and so gets less cash from his tv appearances and newspaper columns. It's fairly simple, it's not in Dunphy's financial interests to be anything other than controversial even when there's clearly no need to be.

**old git** · 10/10/2009, 10:02 PM

Originally Posted by Noelys Guitar

Very happy with our performance. Should have won the game and very surprised we continued to attack after the second goal. We can get through the play offs against any team.

what match were you watching .. we were great for 20 mins and then we let italians take over we had 2 shots on target both from set pieces we never created a chance from open play.. performance excellent for 20 mins and them seemed to switch off .. terribley disapointed we did not win game but no way we deserved to win it over 90 mins 2-1 up in 87 mins a good team should be able to hold onto ball and see out last few remaining mins to win game ... honestly think we need a bit of luck with draw for playoffs

**Jicked** · 10/10/2009, 10:08 PM

Originally Posted by old git

what match were you watching .. we were great for 20 mins and then we let italians take over we had 2 shots on target both from set pieces we never created a chance from open play.. performance excellent for 20 mins and them seemed to switch off .. terribley disapointed we did not win game but no way we deserved to win it over 90 mins 2-1 up in 87 mins a good team should be able to hold onto ball and see out last few remaining mins to win game ... honestly think we need a bit of luck with draw for playoffs

So what you mean to say is we dominated the World Champions for twenty minutes with a midfield that was McGeady-Whelan (Stoke) -Andrews (MK Dons two years ago) -Lawrence (Stoke). Spain could hardly muster a chance against Italy in the last European Championships when they had what most would consider one of the most creative and fluid teams in recent history. But sure when it's Ireland we should be slicing through them because Dunphy said they're not as good as they used to be?

**as_i_say** · 10/10/2009, 10:08 PM

Anyone who isnt immensely proud of what as been achieved in this group needs their head examined. 9 games unbeaten

Andrews-Blackburn, not a regular
Whelan-Stoke, not a regular
Hunt-Hull
Kilbane-Hull
Doyle-Wolves-doomed to relegation
Lawrence-Stoke
St Ledger-Middlesboro

A team mostly made up of average journeymen with a realistic chance of qualifying. Bloody superb effort.

**old git** · 10/10/2009, 10:09 PM

Originally Posted by backtowalsall

Great performance. Good result. we matched the world champions for goals, possession, chances and performance. We have a different style to them, but we by no means looked out of our depth.

Andy Reid was told it was lights out at 11. He was playing guitar at 2am, then gave the manager a mouthful of abuse. No successful manager would ever put up with that, and every other player was able to follow a simple instruction. His weight was also a symptom of his bad attitude. He will have to prove his attitude has improved, which he is doing an excellent job of with Sunderland. If he can keep his weight under control, keep his temper in check, and keep his performance levels up, he will get his chance when the manager feels the time is right, and that is how it should be. Trapatonni has won it al. Dunphy is a fool, as is Johnny Giles (an awful football manager).

disagree on performance after 20 mins we let italians take over , no we we matched them for possession as we kept giving them the ball and i thought they were the better team just doing enough to get a result... on andy reid drinking/ playing guitar abusing manager agree it was wrong but i am sure he has apologised for behaviuor he has also slimmed down alot.. would you rather see rowlands ( who!!) or reid coming on for final 15 mins or even starting game for ireland

**da bishop** · 10/10/2009, 10:16 PM

good result,decent performance.TRAP has worked a wonders with the players available to him,dunphy and co a disgrace,what an idiot he was tonight.we have one world class player GIVEN,and given the amount he had to do tonight was hardly his best performance.short memory some people,but i still have a 5....2 ,DRUBBING IN MY HEAD,from times past and i dont want to see us back there.

**old git** · 10/10/2009, 10:19 PM

Originally Posted by Jicked

So what you mean to say is we dominated the World Champions for twenty minutes with a midfield that was McGeady-Whelan (Stoke) -Andrews (MK Dons two years ago) -Lawrence (Stoke). Spain could hardly muster a chance against Italy in the last European Championships when they had what most would consider one of the most creative and fluid teams in recent history. But sure when it's Ireland we should be slicing through them because Dunphy said they're not as good as they used to be?

no we dominated because we got stuck in worked hard passed the ball around and then switched off or maybe italy got back into game because midfield of mc geady/ whelan / andrews / lawrence are not good enough to dominate intl teams . but be honest we have not got to many options in this department.. don't bother with dunphys rants and opionions.. before game i would have been delighted with draw just extremly disapointed we threw away 3 points after leading twice and not playing well