Republic of Ireland V Russia - Friday, 8th October 2010 - Euro 2012 Qualifier

[CMcC]

Unfortynately 0 - 1 (Pogrebnyak 58')

[rebelmusic]

What i find weird was that during the play-offs a lot of people felt Russia were the worst team to get. Times change i suppose!

[shakermaker1982]

1-1 - Green.

Keane to miss a couple of chances, McGeady hits the post, Russia score with a deflection off Kilbane via Arshavin. He'll do that silly shush celebration and we'll all go home in tears.

Fingers crossed we get at em early and rattle them like England did at Wembley. I think they'll crumble if they went behind early. If we let them play however then it's going to be a long night....

[EAFC_rdfl]

2-0 whelan and keane

[Dodge]

I don't think anyone is suggesting they are a pushover ifk. Practically everyone thinks it'll ba a tight game. Which of course is Ireland's game plan.

[Philly]

Have a bad feeling about this one all week, hopefully I'm wrong but I really can't see us winning the midfield battle tonight and too many of our players aren't playing regularly/on form.

1-0 to Russia

[geysir]

I think we will need a player or two to come through between now and the end of the campaign, to make the (group topping) difference to the team. McGeady is one we are tentatively banking on. In this evening's game he is filling in for Duff and the omens are good for him to do well. I think we are worth at least a draw.

[lionelhutz]

2-0 Ireland - Lawrence and Keane the scorers.

It's optimistic in the extreme, but feck it, there's too much pessimism around.

[ifk101]

I don't think anyone is suggesting they are a pushover ifk. Practically everyone thinks it'll ba a tight game. Which of course is Ireland's game plan.

Yes but I was responding to your comment that they are nothing to fear. If you allow the opposition to have the majority of possession especially when you are playing at home, they're only going to grow in confidence and the likelihood is that they'll eventually make that possession pay. Russia will have the bulk of possession and they do have players to expose the weaknesses in our line-up for tonight.

Anyways in essence our tactics are a reaction to how other teams play - we want to stop the opposition from winning, i.e. we fear everyone.

[fu1ham]

I haven't paid much attention to the build -up, but I think our team is too old/ weak/ weakened by absences. Russia on the other hand are bad travellers and have a tendency to concede stupid goals. Nailed-on draw for me, then we lose the return.

[holidaysong]

1-0 Keane.

[geysir]

Lining up before the 1974 game against the Soviets -



If you look closely, you can see the silhouette figure of some guy hanging onto the roof across the road, as Givens scores.

[tommy_c12000]

I spent most of last nite twisting and turning in my bed trying to come up with a reasonable justification for Paul Green's inclusion in the middle of the park. He is a player who has forged out an average career for the last 10 yrs in the lower echelons of the Leagues with the mighty Doncaster for the most part and Derby more recently. His own club supporters don't even rate him if the posts in Derby County's fans forums are anything to go by. He is no spring chicken either so any hope of a meteoric transformation into an accomplished international midfielder appears far-fetched in the extreme (Keith Andrews is very average so using him as an example in a counter argument doesn't hold any credence here). He was terrible against Armenia and Andorra.

The only paltry argument that I can make is that perhaps it is "evidence" of the comprehensive scouting network in place that is allowing the management to unearth all these "diamonds." This is the reason in my humble opinion why Trapp is pushing for Green so much. James McCarthy has been a regular starter in the Premiership since January and has impressed every time I have watched him. It is an absolute no brainer. He should be starting tonight, not Green. It would be far less of a "risk" to start McCarthy than to start a nothing player who even looked out of his depth against the formidable Armenia and Andorra.

Fingers crossed Green will not be exposed too much 2nite. I also fear for the hapless Kilbane. Would it not make more sense to play a regular, accomplished premiership right back like Foley and switch O'Shea to left back where he has excelled for United on numerous occassions. But perhaps that is much too logical for the management team to contemplate. I think Ireland should do it tonight, 2-1. Despite my ever increasing frustrations with the management team, I will be giving my 100% backing to the Boys in Green 2nite. Best of luck lads!!

[Wolfie]

I think Ireland should do it tonight, 2-1.

If Ireland produce that result tonight, that's all the justification Trapp's team selection needs.

[Dodge]

Anyways in essence our tactics are a reaction to how other teams play - we want to stop the opposition from winning, i.e. we fear everyone.

Fair point. When I say "nothing to fear", I actually meant "nothing to be overly worried about". you always need fear

[tetsujin1979]

What i find weird was that during the play-offs a lot of people felt Russia were the worst team to get. Times change i suppose!

that was mainly because nobody fancied our chances of getting a result in Moscow in the depths of the Russian winter

[thischarmingman]

0-0 - which will prove costly in the long run.

This, exactly this.

[tricky_colour]

4:0 Ireland, hatrick for Keane but he gets sent off for excessive celebration

[tricky_colour]

Need a result, even Napoleon failed in Russia!!

[Charlie Darwin]

The thought of any of the Russian wingers running at Kilbane all night scares me, and I cannot believe that Trap cannot see that. Put John O'Shea at left back and play Foley, Wilson or Coleman at right back (obviously not McShane).

The thought of the Russian wingers running at Foley, Wilson or Coleman fills me with dread.

Watching Armenia v Slovakia on Setanta right now. The Armenians have dominated the opening 10 and are specifically targetting the full backs, just like they did against Ireland.