Ireland ask FIFA to be 33rd team in WC

[yapster]

Yapster, bringing your anti-Keane bias over from footymad I see.

No son, just stating a fact. Doyle and Duff are guilty as well. O'Shea had a chance as well but O'shea being O'Shea you wouldn't really expect him to score anyway.Keane hesitated and fluffed the easiest chance of all at the most crucial stage of the game and as being the captain and the most experienced striker and player in the side he should have scored .

[Stuttgart88]

Ireland had numerous chances to kill the game and didn't take them and after Keanes appalling miss the game was up for Ireland and we never looked like scoring after that in fact the French were getting closer and closer to scoring in the end. If it went to peno's I honestly couldn't see Ireland winning it.

Before the Gallas goal France had started to get some territory for the first time in the match and had a good shout for a penalty denied (correctly I'm told), but I don't think "closer and closer to scoring" is correct at all.

There's no correlation whatsoever between the outcome of a shoot-out and performance in ET.

I don't think anyone denies the fact that we missed too many chances. With regard to Keane's "appalling" miss, I haven't seen a replay yet but my instinct was that Lloris had been so good in the previous 1-on-1s he had faced (Keane & Whelan in Dublin, Duff in Paris) that Keane felt he had to take it around him. Credit to the keeper - he was the most influential player over the 2 games in my opinion.

I think it has to be pointed out that the world media picked up on the "cheating" aspect before the FAI started making its complaints. It was front & back page news globally. The FAI don't have that sort of clout.

endabob1 is spot on in his assessment of the "33rd team" request in my opinion.

[elroy]

Before the Gallas goal France had started to get some territory for the first time in the match and had a good shout for a penalty denied (correctly I'm told), but I don't think "closer and closer to scoring" is correct at all.

There's no correlation whatsoever between the outcome of a shoot-out and performance in ET.

I don't think anyone denies the fact that we missed too many chances. With regard to Keane's "appalling" miss, I haven't seen a replay yet but my instinct was that Lloris had been so good in the previous 1-on-1s he had faced (Keane & Whelan in Dublin, Duff in Paris) that Keane felt he had to take it around him. Credit to the keeper - he was the most influential player over the 2 games in my opinion.

I think it has to be pointed out that the world media picked up on the "cheating" aspect before the FAI started making its complaints. It was front & back page news globally. The FAI don't have that sort of clout.

endabob1 is spot on in his assessment of the "33rd team" request in my opinion.

To the detriment of my health I have watched the game back a few times now and imo:

The challenge on Anelka by Given was def a peno in my book, in the reverse angle you can see clear genuine contact, as opposed to say Anelka leaning into Shay.

Agree with you re Lloris, in particular he made excellent saves from Whelan (in first leg), Duff and Keane. In contrast Shay had relatively little to deal with. In relation to Keanes miss, he had time to take it first time and shoot to the keepers left, it wouldve been a tight angle and who knows. Im not sure if a greater case can be put forward for one option over the other.

I felt that night in Paris and still now having watched it back that our chance was gone after normal time, well at least our chance to win it other than pens. The French were on top in the last few mins of normal time and this continued in the second half. They had vastly more possession and territory. Perhaps the Irish lads were simply wrecked after the performance they had put in, but imo pens was our only hope at that stage.

[SkStu]

good article.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/8418549.stm

[yapster]

keanes chance was very difficult given the tight angles involved. he has never been good at one on ones. the defender did very well to get back at duff to deflect his chance and doyles header chance was nothing more than a half chance at best.

we created lots of chances over the campaign and scored 4 goals against the two finalists in the last wc final

It all means nothing if you get nothing son.... It all came down to one game at the end and Ireland had probably the most clearcut chances in most of all the games they had but failed to take them and that is why Ireland are not going to SA. Keane & Duff are the so called experienced and technically gifted players in the team but when Ireland needed their guile & experience the most they hesitated & fluffed their chances.They both lack the mental toughness & disicline needed in top footballers and thats why Liverpool got shut of Keane and Duff is playing for Fulham.

[Stuttgart88]

They both lack the mental toughness & disicline needed in top footballers and thats why Liverpool got shut of Keane and Duff is playing for Fulham.

Duff's finishing has always been a weakness. Go to the Robbie Keane thread - you'll see a frequent ctiticism over the years is his execution rate in 1-on-1 situations. I wouldn't say that's mental toughness, I'd say it's lack of clinical ability in front of goal. Their all round play was superb in that game and you've got to give credit to the French keeper who played out of his skin.

[elroy]

thats why Liverpool got shut of Keane

i think many pool fans would've loved to have Keane around this season! Keane was shafted there, look at the number of chances Ngog has been given compared to how long Keane was given. Keane a far superior player. Given time Keane wouldve been a very useful player for the pool, particularly with Torres injury record.

[superfrank]

Keane was shafted there, look at the number of chances Ngog has been given compared to how long Keane was given.

N'gog is only 20, iirc. He's still learning and he does chip in with a few goals. There's plenty of reason for him to be used.

[yapster]

i think many pool fans would've loved to have Keane around this season! Keane was shafted there, look at the number of chances Ngog has been given compared to how long Keane was given. Keane a far superior player. Given time Keane wouldve been a very useful player for the pool, particularly with Torres injury record.

Keane isn't exactly doing it for Spurs this year is he? Keane never devoloped as a player sadly. He failed at Inter,Leeds & Liverpool and now it seems he will be sold by Spurs before the season is out. The man had so much potential at 17 but sadly he never improved on his game cos if he had we would be in SA. Duff had a clearcut chance as did Keane and as I said they should have put those easy chances away but sadly as that clown Roy Keane said they failed to take the next step mentally!!

[SkStu]

Wolves - 29 goals in 87 appearances
Coventry - 12 goals in 34 appearances
Inter Milan - 3 goals in 14 appearances
Leeds - 19 goals in 56 appearances
Spurs (I) - 107 goals in 254 appearances
Liverpool - 7 goals in 28 appearances
Spurs - 14 goals in 33 appearances
Ireland - 41 goals in 96 appearances

a goal every 3 games and all time 10th top goalscorer in the premiership. yeah its a crying shame that Robbie never fulfilled his potential.

what more do people want from an Irish player?!

[Bluebeard]

Wolves - 29 goals in 87 appearances
Coventry - 12 goals in 34 appearances
Inter Milan - 3 goals in 14 appearances
Leeds - 19 goals in 56 appearances
Spurs (I) - 107 goals in 254 appearances
Liverpool - 7 goals in 28 appearances
Spurs - 14 goals in 33 appearances
Ireland - 41 goals in 96 appearances

a goal every 3 games and all time 10th top goalscorer in the premiership. yeah its a crying shame that Robbie never fulfilled his potential.

what more do people want from an Irish player?!

Is a Christmas card every once in a while too much to ask for?

[yapster]

Is a Christmas card every once in a while too much to ask for?

Or put away a sitter that would send his country to the World Cup....

[SkStu]

Or put away a sitter that would send his country to the World Cup....

didnt he do that already against Iran in 2001?

[superfrank]

He failed at Inter,Leeds & Liverpool and now it seems he will be sold by Spurs before the season is out.

I think that's a very unfair summary of his time at Inter.

He was bought by Marcello Lippi, but Lippi was sacked a few games into the season. The new manager, Marco Tardelli, didn't think he was that good and he was frozen out of the side. That's why he left. He could've just sat on the bench and picked up his wages every week but instead he left cos he wanted to play football, same as what happened at Liverpool.

I think at Leeds it could be argued that he failed but then again he didn't get to stay around for too long as the club imploded and had to off-load a lot of players quickly.

The whole Liverpool mess is bizarre. AFAIK, there's been claims that Benitez didn't want him, etc. The whole squad rotation thing up there didn't help him but he did score a few goals. I remember he scored a good goal against Arsenal which got them a point but then Benitez dropped him for the next game. It's hardly his fault Benitez is so intent on rotation. Again, like at Inter, he has more ambition then to sit on the bench and get paid.

This time around at Spurs, Defoe is banging them in. While Darren Bent is gone and Pavlyuchenko is off-form, Crouch has been doing well when he gets in the side and he offers a lot more than Keane as a target man. AFAIK, he's scored more goals than Crouch in fewer games this season, as well.

Pavlyuchenko will be the first to be sold by Spurs. I don't see him leaving them this year, tbh. He'll get his chance.

Or put away a sitter that would send his country to the World Cup....

It was hardly a sitter. He had a lot to do and the ball was moving quickly. He tried to be smart, maybe it was the wrong option but I'd trust the judgement of someone with his goalscoring record.

Besides that, he did very well with his finish earlier in the game and he has a great record for Ireland with 41 goals in 96 caps. He's got crucial goals against big sides like Germany, Italy, France, Spain and Netherlands as well as numerous other important goals against lesser sides. He does the job for Ireland and that's what most people on here would be worried about.

Also, anyone who scores 100 goals in what is considered to be the best league in the world must be doing something right.

[back of the net]

good article.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/8418549.stm

Cheers SkStu,
thats a very good article and has a put a smile on my face

Roll on the Euro's lads...bring em on

[yapster]

didnt he do that already against Iran in 2001?

yes against ****e opposition, that was 8 years ago anyway,


Franks point about Keane making the wrong decision with his chance sums it up really.Keane had time to lift it over the keeper but hesitated and lost his head.For a player of his so called guile & experience in International football to lose his head is criminal to say the least. Keane has scored goals yeah but it's his giddiness and missing howlers that puts managers off. Alex Ferguson was asked about Keane in 1998,he said he would put him in the reserves for at least 2 years so he could learn how to play.

[SkStu]

i think Robbie Keane went on to emphatically prove Ferguson wrong (after the move to Coventry) by scoring 12 league goals that season and going on to become the 10th highest goalscorer in PL history.

My point on Iran is that Keane has already scored the goals that got us to the WC and the goals that got us to the second round in the WC. Why does it not count now?

Any other country of our population would kill to have Robbie Keane and i guarantee that we'll all will miss his goals when he is gone. Enjoy him while you can lad, he's not the first great striker to miss a sitter and he wont be the last.

Im so proud hes an Irishman and that we produced such a talented player who is so dedicated to his country.

[yapster]

[QUOTE=SkStu;1299502]i think Robbie Keane went on to emphatically prove Ferguson wrong (after the move to Coventry) by scoring 12 league goals that season and going on to become the 10th highest goalscorer in PL history.

My point on Iran is that Keane has already scored the goals that got us to the WC and the goals that got us to the second round in the WC. Why does it not count now?

Any other country of our population would kill to have Robbie Keane and i guarantee that we'll all will miss his goals when he is gone. Enjoy him while you can lad, he's not the first great striker to miss a sitter and he wont be the last.

Im so proud hes an Irishman and that we produced such a talented player who is so dedicated to his country.[/QUOT


The 10th highest scorer in the EPL

Ferguson was right about him as Keane has failed at the top clubs, O'Leary even dropped him ffs.

He wasted his talent son by being thick-headed and not improving on his game and as I said he wasted a glorious chance to put his country into the World Cup when he was needed most.

[NeilMcD]

He wasted a chance, wow string him up and kill hilm, but he also scored against Italy away, France away, Cyprus away, all vital goals too and he scored against Cyprus at home and Georgia at home both winners. So without his goals we would have been in serious ****.

Keane is a huge player for us and along with Dunne and Given our most important players, we just lack a player of equal talent and experience in midfield to compete a pretty impressive spine Any player can be knocked, there is no player out there who is perfect and knocking a player is not analysis if you do not take into account all the positives and say that they outweight any little negatives that may exist.

[NeilMcD]

yes against ****e opposition, that was 8 years ago anyway,


Franks point about Keane making the wrong decision with his chance sums it up really.Keane had time to lift it over the keeper but hesitated and lost his head.For a player of his so called guile & experience in International football to lose his head is criminal to say the least. Keane has scored goals yeah but it's his giddiness and missing howlers that puts managers off. Alex Ferguson was asked about Keane in 1998,he said he would put him in the reserves for at least 2 years so he could learn how to play.

When someone proves that you are talkilng rubbish you will just change the goalposts of your argument until your the definition of doing it for ireland is so narrow that it only means that a player scores against france in the stade de france in november to send his team to the world fup finals in south africa in 2010