Ireland V France - Saturday, 14th November 2009 - World Cup 2010 Playoff First Leg

[mypost]

Another one of the many who couldn't stop giving the ball away. Madness in our own box at one point.

Keane played well, laying passes off well to teammates and winning 50-50 tackles. Unlucky with his chance pre-Lawrence. Seeing his miss from the Davin Stand looked like a goalmouth scramble. Seeing it since on tv is heart-breaking.

[backstothewall]

do you still feel the same after the 2nd half
thought both andrews & whelan excellent in first half but we still need a bit more creativity in midfield also ..

I do actually. They were both superb. Like I said befoe the game, to get something we needed a perfect storm, the worst the French could play. In the first half thats exactly what we got, they were terrible, and our combative approach had them on the ropes. In the second half we played as well as we did in the first, but they were a different kind of animal.

Even at that we could have on. If the ball goes off St. Ledger for a corner, and Lawrence puts that away, we have a fomous victory

[Stuttgart88]

I thought Andrews had a super first half, less good in the second.

[Larks]

Didn't think doyle deserved man of the match. I don't blame trap for subbing him, he was looking tired. I do blame trap for bringing on Best to replace him. I really think Morrison should have been on the squad ahead of him.

[Duggie]

i thought duff was class on sat night. couldnt believe they took him off.

[Stuttgart88]

Best was told to help out midfield. Surely a midfielder would be better at helping out midfield.

It was crying out for Andy Reid between midfield & Keane, Trap's potential plan B from a year ago.

Ce'st la vie.

[jmurphyc]

If France stick to the same formation I'm hoping we have an extra body in midfield. I daresay that Keane and Doyle will start, so I'm hoping one of them will be deep most of the time in Paris. In the second half Paris were killing Whelan and Andrews in the centre through the sheer weight of numbers. We desperately need someone to help crowd the midfield, and like Stutts says, to bridge the gap between the midfield and attack. Otherwise we have very little chance.

[foureyes]

I have a feeling Henry demanded they change the tactics in the second half, he said as much in the post match interview, saying the players played in a way they preferred (rather than the way Domenech set out at the start). But maybe I am wrong.

i thought that too. when they came out after half time he was giving instructions to two or three players.

it's widely accepted that zidane did this in wc 2006. i think henry is trying to replicate that.

[twoenz]

i thought that too. when they came out after half time he was giving instructions to two or three players.

it's widely accepted that zidane did this in wc 2006. i think henry is trying to replicate that.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/b...ymond-domenech

It's been going on longer than just this match too.

[tetsujin1979]

Didn't think doyle deserved man of the match. I don't blame trap for subbing him, he was looking tired. I do blame trap for bringing on Best to replace him. I really think Morrison should have been on the squad ahead of him.

I was shocked when I read that yesterday, was convinced Anelka was MOTM
Put it this way, if Anelka had played for Ireland, we would have won.

[Uncle_Joe]

I cant honestly remember the last time a player for the away team got man of the match in lansdowne/croke park. Im sure it happened at some stage but then again maybe not

[tetsujin1979]

I cant honestly remember the last time a player for the away team got man of the match in lansdowne/croke park. Im sure it happened at some stage but then again maybe not

When Spain beat us 3-1 in the USA '94 qualifiers, one of their players got MOTM. After that I honestly can't say. Unless in the last France game in 2005?

[jmurphyc]

I wasn't there, but didn't Litmanen get MOTM against us a few years back? Which I assume would have been under McCarthy.

[dynamo kerry]

I wasn't there, but didn't Litmanen get MOTM against us a few years back? Which I assume would have been under McCarthy.

that makes sense. I was at that game. I seem to recall it being one of a few friendlies of annoying nature around that time.

scotland at home (loss)
greece at home(loss I think)
and that one

[Closed Account 2]

i live in Rush, Co. Dublin. I support Blackburn, ever since Dave Worrell was their youth captain, and Keith Andrews is the worst player EVER to play for us. You have my address, GO FOR IT!!

Corrado Grabbi, Kevin Davis, Barry Ferguson.... Though to be fair Blackburn are such an average side there are any number of flops I could have picked.

[geysir]

These days I think the award is for the Irish motm.

[twoenz]

It's given by Eircom, so I'd think it's just a home side award.

There was a spell that Paul McGrath got it for showing up.

[weldoninhio]

Corrado Grabbi, Kevin Davis, Barry Ferguson.... Though to be fair Blackburn are such an average side there are any number of flops I could have picked.

I'd swap Andrews for any of those. He might put in the occasional tackle, but he also dwells on the ball, gives away possession, can't complete a 5 yard pass and panics under pressure.

[Closed Account 2]

Corrado Grabbi ?? 30 games 2 goals.... and he was a striker. Andrews has got 4 goals in 40 odd games and he isnt even a goal scorer...

[czarner]

Didn't think doyle deserved man of the match. I don't blame trap for subbing him, he was looking tired. I do blame trap for bringing on Best to replace him. I really think Morrison should have been on the squad ahead of him.

I really wonder if anyone except Trap and/or the men whispering in his ear think Best should have been in there ahead of Morrison. Morrison isn't exactly a world-beater or anything, but he does have plenty of international experience and a decent goal-scoring record for us, including some important ones (away to Switzerland and Israel in the last WC campaign) and at least one classic (against the PRC - as long as you ignore the celebration). His work-rate in an Irish shirt could never have been faulted either, unlike Best's at the weekend. Can his exclusion since the start of the Trap reign be down to anything but pettiness on behalf of someone of influence in the camp? Seems to be a prominent feature of this regime...