Post Match and looking ahead

[Stuttgart88]

I'm just disappointed we didn't take the chances we made: 3 maybe 4 clear cut ones if you include the 2 shooting chances Andrews had which he could have done better with. In fact Dunne really should have directed that second half header on target instead of glancing it to JO'S. So that's 5.

Sure France had all the play and controlled the ball well but we still had the chances and hopefully will get some more.

The way Anelka celebrated his goal suggests to me that they think the job is done. It probably is but maybe we'll get a deflected goal of our own to put the frighteners on them.

I wonder what tactical variation we may have. If it's still up for grabs with 20 mins left could we play 3 at the back? Or just tell the full backs that they're to go forward? I'd love to see a way of having McGeady, Duff, LL and Hunt all having a go at them.

[byrner01]

I'm really gutted. I just think we had a great chance here to qualify for the world cup and give everyone a great lift. But if we don't have our best players on the pitch, we are only defeating ourselves.I know we have gone on about it enough, but seating in Croke park last night that game was crying out for Mr Ireland . Someone that's not afraid to get one the ball and spray it around. And one with a good engine for tracking back getting the tackles in . I'm just frustrated i suppose that we have a player like this that does not want to play for his country, doesn't seem right at all. Anyway i don't think its over for us , its just got twice as difficult now.

[Irish_Praha]

Tough to come out being a goal down, chances for both teams were just about even.
Anyone who thinks the French were strolling around in the low gears just have not got the foggiest about how international football is played.
We played better than I expected, the players did their best against a very good team.
Considering the opposition, I'd say it's the best performance we have managed at home since beating Holland in 2001.

Fortunately we have another game, I'd expect the French to be strong enough but who knows.

That was a great result and atmosphere but contrary to common belief Ireland didn't play so geat that day. It was more of a smash and grab job. Last night I would say we played better defensively than in the Holland game, we just didn't have the luck of that day or a manager sending on 5 strikers and still only sending high balls into the box that were bread and butter stuff for Dunne and Stan.

[FarBeag]

It’s a pity. Don’t think Evra will ever make a save again like he did form Lawrence who ran himself into the ground btw. They were also very aware of us being dangerous from set pieces so never gave anything away inside their half, but it all ifs and maybes!

We have to go out all guns blazing on Wednesday from the start and see what happens. The French will be fresher as they did sod all running around but let the ball do the talking. Jesus I wish we could pass the ball like that.

Atmosphere was good but why oh why do people insist on leaving 10 minutes before a vital qualification game finishes?

[zinedineontour]

Well, that was like paying 50 snots to watch Henry and Anelka pass it to each other for 90 minuted

Hard to say it but Domenech's tactics were superior. With TH and NA playing off the stirker, but out wide, we had no idea how to stop them

Anelka gave the balla way once in 90 minutes - remarkable performance and Henry won every ball in the air

Robbie Keane is really struggling - keeps giving it away and is more interested in being hard done by than in actually playing


Men and boys

Robbie Keanes best performance for a long while in an irish shirt. His workrate was excellent and there was far less moaning and he got on with it last night. We dont have the players to play expansive football but the lads were unlucky on a couple of occasions and we are far from out of this tie.

[Irish_Praha]

Well pretty much everything has been said about Ireland's performance in the last 6 pages.

Before last nights game I would have given us a 40/60 chance of getting through. Now it's probably down to 20/80; very difficult but not impossible.
Trap has some very difficult tatical decisions to make for Wednesday.
We know we need goals but if he sends an all attacking team out it could be a disaster and we could be totally hammered by the French.
If we play a system like last night I think it will be very tight again with a draw or a 1 goal win for one of the teams but France will more than likely go through. I think Trap will just stick to the current system and hope for the best. Folan is not by any means a world class player but it's a shame we don't have him available so that we could start with a formation similar to what we were using against Italy away at the end.

I still have some hope, maybe we manage to get any early goal and then the French heads drop; but history says we will sit back and they will eventually get an equaliser.
Anyway the second tie still has some twists and turns left it in without a doubth.

[zinedineontour]

Apart from leaving Benzema on the bench (or was he injured?)

France def stepped it up a bit in the second half, with Evra and Sagnol more into the game.
Still France dont look any great shakes and they wont go too far in any world cup. ireland have a chance to score in Paris but it will be difficult.

Taking off Doyle was bizarre.

And from watching on TV the crowd didnt seem that good - very quiet overall - but I bet it was very different at the game?

(still - better than the Limerick crowd at the Andy lee fight - woeful!!)

The crowd last night was class best atmosphere at croke park for an ireland game. Even the lads on sunday supplement this morning from england were saying how good it was. It was far from quiet.

[bennocelt]

The crowd last night was class best atmosphere at croke park for an ireland game. Even the lads on sunday supplement this morning from england were saying how good it was. It was far from quiet.

Just my opinion, all I heard was ole ole - but you can never tell on TV

[noddy102]

Well pretty much everything has been said about Ireland's performance in the last 6 pages.

Before last nights game I would have given us a 40/60 chance of getting through. Now it's probably down to 20/80; very difficult but not impossible.
Trap has some very difficult tatical decisions to make for Wednesday.
We know we need goals but if he sends an all attacking team out it could be a disaster and we could be totally hammered by the French.
If we play a system like last night I think it will be very tight again with a draw or a 1 goal win for one of the teams but France will more than likely go through. I think Trap will just stick to the current system and hope for the best. Folan is not by any means a world class player but it's a shame we don't have him available so that we could start with a formation similar to what we were using against Italy away at the end.

I still have some hope, maybe we manage to get any early goal and then the French heads drop; but history says we will sit back and they will eventually get an equaliser.
Anyway the second tie still has some twists and turns left it in without a doubth.

I agree that Trap is likely to stick with his same formation and style of play, and that for any alternative would likely result in France finding many holes in our midfield and defence and getting a few more goals.

I think our best chance lies in France approaching the second leg defensively... we have been able to control the game when losing against Italy away (albeit they had 10 men), all because Italy were happy to sit on their 1-0 win. If Domenech chooses this approach (which I admit is unlikely), then maybe we have a chance.

Whatever happens on Wednesday, we have to get an early goal... that much is true.

[geysir]

Whatever happens on Wednesday, we have to get an early goal... that much is true.

Obviously we need a goal but we are not under pressure that it has to be an early goal.

There is not much for Trap to change or much that we can do to change.
We can be set up in a similar way and achieve a different result.
Maybe Trap will fine tune some aspect, maybe Duff will pull off a bit of magic.
We are solid enough and well capable of scoring.

[OwlsFan]

A few things that seem to have been missed. Doyle was crocked late in the first half and limped for 5 minutes thereafter. He was never the same after that and I expected him to be subbed earlier. I thought up to that he had done very well, winning most things in the air.

i was at the game but studied in on video this am. Whelan tracks Anelka for the build up to the goal and then loses him at the crucial moment.

Lawrence was excellent. A real find for someone not getting his game regularly.

Messrs Giles and Drunkphy wanted us to attack in numbers. Could you imagine what France would do to us in a quick counter-attack (e.g. like Itlay did in the last minute).

Apart from the start of the 2nd half and a 10 minute spell leading up to the goal, we matched the French. I don't recall a save by Shay other than one or two right at him.

We are suited for away games. I go to Paris not without hope. I think we were always going to have to go to France and score there. Nothing has changed except we'll have to score more than them.

[jo84]

One thing which always contributes to the Atmosphere is the anthem. Last night, I noticed that they played a much slower version of Amhrán na bhFiann, compared to the high-tempo version they'd been playing at recent matches.

This makes it much easier to sing along to at the top of your voice, and so the anthem sounded better than ever when being sung by the crowd last night.
Just wondering did anyone else notice this?

Kudos to whoever directed the band to play this slower version.

[stiffler]

Moving forward, we need to sort out the problematic left back position. Kilbane has been a great servant for many years, though his time is near an end.

[as_i_say]

Yeah I'm Killers biggest fan however his time is up and he could easily have been responsible for wednesday being a dead rubber. But the fact remains we dont have anohter left back to replace him.

Just on the scrap at the end, apparently that noodle headed nob factor Willie Sagna refused to shake hands with Andrews. There was also some gloating going on which Dunne didnt take to kindly too. Don't be surprised if we are out of it with 10 mins to go on Wednedsay that a couple of French get flattened.

[head the ball]

This tie is far from over.
I thought we played excellent for most of the match. (as Trap keeps saying we are not Brazil, we have to play to our strengths i.e. keep game tight)Thought the atmosphere was great too.
The French will be even more cocky going into the 2nd leg. Trap will I'm sure play the exect same team, keep it tight for 65 mins and then let loose a bit. provided we dont concede beforehand the french will be getting nervous.
One good setpiece is all we need. pressure is off us now.
The big thing is not to concede first.
Roll on Paris.

[soccerboy]

we're still in with a shout,d atmosphere was amazing,thought we had the better chances but tired in the last 20 particularly in the middle,andrews not really up to it....leon best was shocking when he came on,totally out of his dept...!!if we somehow manage to nick an early goal in paris the french will be rattled,they know if they concede again they'll need 4 to go through,i think whoever gets the next goal in the tie will advance...!!

[KR's Post]

How will they need 4 if we get 2?????

[rambler14]

I was too tired to post when I got home so I left it till today.

I'll be brutally honest and say that I thought Ireland were useless. Only 6 players can hold their heads high after last night. Shay Given, John O'Shea, Sean St Ledger, Kevin Kilbane, Liam Lawrence and Kevin Doyle. St Ledger and Liam Lawrence excelling as Man of the Match candidates.
The rest were terrible. I thought Andrews and Whelan were over-powered too easily in midfield. Duff wouldn't take on the corner flag nevermind take on Sagna. I thought Richard Dunne had a nightmare and as for captain fantastic Robbie Keane.......he spent more time on his hole waving his hands in the air than he did being involved in the game. The subs made no impact what so ever. I made a joke when Leon Best came on I said "Here come Georgie's nephew" well if he was George Best's nephew Georgie is currently spinning in his grave.

But thats all seperate as two factors fecked us all together:
-Trappatoni's tactics.......THEY STINK! Use the wings for feck sake!

-The Referee. Worst I have seen in Croke Park. him and his officiating team were a disgrace. His performence brought me back to the e-mail received by the RTE panel on the Web Extra show after the Italy game about the possibilty of referee bias toward the seeded team. Well last night was proof of it existing. I mean at one stage Evra cleared the ball off the line after a deflected shot by Andrews which hit Diarra along the way and what did the ref give??? A feckin goal-kick!

[Hibernian]

TBH lads im not sure how people can say we played well.

We should have been beaten 5 or 6 nil to be honest. We are pure and utter rubbish as far as I could see. We were second to the ball for every ball even the tackles we were second best, never won a 50/50 ball all game.

I taught players attitude was very poor and be honest im not looking forward to going to Paris. Have feeling we going get thumped. We were meant be home team last night but it was men against boys in the play and attitude. So much for this French team having problems. Austria beat France 3-1 yet were did not look like we were going score once.

it was lucky goal but it was goal that was coming long way from when it was scored.

The players now need stand up and be men. But if 80,000 amazing fans cant get team going then I dont know what can.

[jmurphyc]

TBH lads im not sure how people can say we played well.

We should have been beaten 5 or 6 nil to be honest. We are pure and utter rubbish as far as I could see. We were second to the ball for every ball even the tackles we were second best, never won a 50/50 ball all game.

I taught players attitude was very poor and be honest im not looking forward to going to Paris. Have feeling we going get thumped. We were meant be home team last night but it was men against boys in the play and attitude. So much for this French team having problems. Austria beat France 3-1 yet were did not look like we were going score once.

it was lucky goal but it was goal that was coming long way from when it was scored.

The players now need stand up and be men. But if 80,000 amazing fans cant get team going then I dont know what can.

We had 3 or 4 very clear cut chances. France had less than that. Had Lawrence put the ball in the back of the net in the first half we may well have won.

The reason why we were second best to a lot of balls wasn't because the players weren't trying, it was because France are individually better, and because they flooded the midfield with players. Whelan and Andrews were often largely outnumbered as Duff and Lawrence were back trying to stop the full backs.

The players' attitudes was far from poor. They gave their best and started fighting with the French at the end. They then went on a lap around the pitch to clap the fans. All that shows that they care. To use a cliche, sometimes your best just isn't good enough. The evidence from after the game suggests that they will continue to give their all and we are by no means out yet.