Best Ireland Performance Ever?

**stiffler** · 20/11/2009, 5:52 PM

All things considered, i believe that Wednesday night in Paris was Ireland's greatest performance ever on a football field.

Forget about Henry-gate, forget Roy mouthing off, the players to a man played outta their skins and should receive due recognition.

I don't think that performance has ever been matched before. Fair dues to Trappatoni, the whole back room team and most importantly, the players.

**Closed Account 2** · 20/11/2009, 6:39 PM

I'm tempted to agree, in the last 15 years it's hard to pick a better match in terms of our performance. Maybe Italy in 1994... but that was on a neutral venue with (more) experienced players. What surprised me about the game in Paris was the way in which we played - we passed the ball superbly, the midfield closed them down and didnt give them time on the ball, the defence halted most of their attacks and supported our own attacks very well. The only downside was we were perhaps not clinical enough in front of goal - but it would be hard to blame Keane, Duff and Doyle when they ran so much for the whole game.

I wish we could all just forget about Roy Keane, I used to respect him but after what he said today it's clear his just a bitter, twisted man. He doesn't care about Irish football and it sounds like he wanted us to go out!

**Stuttgart88** · 20/11/2009, 6:40 PM

Hannover 88 comes close, but similar outcome.

**tiktok** · 20/11/2009, 7:29 PM

Given the circumstances and the quality of the opposition definitely the best I've seen since 88

**jmurphyc** · 20/11/2009, 7:34 PM

Originally Posted by tiktok

Given the circumstances and the quality of the opposition definitely the best I've seen since 88

I wasn't old enough to remember 1988 so it would definitely have to be the biggest for me.

**irishultra** · 20/11/2009, 7:36 PM

Spain in 02 world cup is up there.

**SkStu** · 20/11/2009, 7:39 PM

Originally Posted by stiffler

All things considered, i believe that Wednesday night in Paris was Ireland's greatest performance ever on a football field.

Forget about Henry-gate, forget Roy mouthing off, the players to a man played outta their skins and should receive due recognition.

I don't think that performance has ever been matched before. Fair dues to Trappatoni, the whole back room team and most importantly, the players.

its in my top 5 in terms of performance for sure.

(no order)

v. Russia 88
v. Spain 02
v. Italy 94
v. Holland 01
v. France 09

**tiktok** · 20/11/2009, 7:42 PM

Originally Posted by irishultra

Spain in 02 world cup is up there.

Thought about it, but since Duff dived for the peno I decided against it

**jmurphyc** · 20/11/2009, 7:46 PM

Originally Posted by SkStu

its in my top 5 in terms of performance for sure.

(no order)

v. Russia 88
v. Spain 02
v. Italy 94
v. Holland 01
v. France 09

I'd have Germany 2002 in there too.

**SkStu** · 20/11/2009, 7:47 PM

ill put the last 5 minutes in there but the rest of the game was poor performance overall in fairness...

**geysir** · 20/11/2009, 8:02 PM

To put this game in context, if we had got the result that matched the performance, it would have been the first time ever such a feat was achieved and achieved against the last WC runners up. It would have been a thoroughly merited win as well as the biggest shock achievement in International football since Greece won the Euros.

**lopez** · 20/11/2009, 8:26 PM

Yes. Best in my time following Ireland abroad since 1981.

**zinedineontour** · 20/11/2009, 8:30 PM

Deffo the best performance that I have seen since going to Ireland games since 85. Every man stood up to be counted. World class performance from the lads.

**noddy102** · 20/11/2009, 9:42 PM

Best Irish performance ever.

**bennocelt** · 20/11/2009, 9:47 PM

No way, not at all - Italy, England and Russia are still way ahead
France didnt play at all remember - no Benzema and Ribery injured so nothing to really fear. Should have won with all the chances we had.
France are 14/1 to win the world cup which says a lot really

**irishultra** · 20/11/2009, 9:51 PM

Originally Posted by bennocelt

No way, not at all - Italy, England and Russia are still way ahead
France didnt play at all remember - no Benzema and Ribery injured so nothing to really fear. Should have won with all the chances we had.
France are 14/1 to win the world cup which says a lot really

oh well then

benzema isn't good. eamonn dunphy seen him score a few goals against british teams in cl last year and took a fixation to him. he has struggled to adapt in spain and gignac is ahead of him in that team on merit.

what france had against us was basically typical france. ribery or no ribery.

**geysir** · 20/11/2009, 9:57 PM

'France didn't turn up' piece of wisdom from bennocelt

Predictable, as in it was predicted in the pre match thread that should Ireland put in the necessary performance you would still even get posters downplaying our effort by saying the French didn't play/turn up/perform.

**Brian Boru** · 20/11/2009, 9:58 PM

Magnificent performance. But Spain 89, England 88 and Italy 94 were better. Granted that no cheating b..tards were playing for the latter 3 teams.

**Stuttgart88** · 20/11/2009, 10:00 PM

Originally Posted by geysir

'France didn't turn up' piece of wisdom from bennocelt

Predictable, as in it was predicted in the pre match thread that should Ireland put in the necessary performance you would still even get posters downplaying our effort by saying the French didn't play/turn up/perform.

Absolutely. You can't win.

We're rubbish.
Therefore anyone we beat must be rubbish.
Therefore there's no merit in any victory.