ireland 1 romania 0

[tarzan_bray]

Last night's game was rubbish, found myself drifting off a few times because of boredom, basically it was a typical end of season friendly hyped up because of Roy's return, the FAI were some cute hoors making us all buy those tickets just to see the Brazil game, roll on the competitive matches

[carnstien]

There is no point in bashing Morrison, he is not an international class striker but until someone else comes along he stays in the team. Last night his finishing was woeful but in fairness he held the ball up well and won quite a few long balls in the air.

Andy Ried and Liam Miller will be two world class players. There passing and composure on the ball was a joy to behold and there all round game was light years ahead of those muppets Kilbane and Carsley who were our wingers for the qualifiers.

With O'Shea, Carr and Duff to return the future is looking bright.

Maybury will definately be dropped and I reckon it will be between Holland, Finnan, Miller and Ried for the chop also.

[only1kilbane]

yeah was agreeing with your thread at start when you were talking about clinton he did hold the ball up very well as is the best we have at the moment . Then you ruin all your good work by calling kilbane ( best player in last few games ) a muppet.

What a clever comment . The competition for places is excellent now it gives Brian big problems but good problems

[carnstien]

yeah was agreeing with your thread at start when you were talking about clinton he did hold the ball up very well as is the best we have at the moment . Then you ruin all your good work by calling kilbane ( best player in last few games ) a muppet.

What a clever comment . The competition for places is excellent now it gives Brian big problems but good problems

Ok, maybe he isn't a muppet, but he is extremly limited. Watching some of the things Andy Ried could do with the ball last night made me realise how talentless Kilbane is. Ried had the ability to pick out sublime 70 yard passes and make it look easy, Kilbane has never hit a 70 yard pass in his life.

I conceed that Kilbane is definately worth having in the squad, but he should be behind Ried and Duff in the pecking order on the left and in my opinion should be behind Keane, Holland, Ried and Miller in the pecking order in the centre.

[Slash/ED]

yeah was agreeing with your thread at start when you were talking about clinton he did hold the ball up very well as is the best we have at the moment . Then you ruin all your good work by calling kilbane ( best player in last few games ) a muppet.

What a clever comment . The competition for places is excellent now it gives Brian big problems but good problems

Are you related to Kevin Kilbane?

Judgeing by the fact that you're woefully biased towards him, your username, the fact you even seem to be under the illusion he had a good world cup and can't accept when anyone says that he just maybe, maybe shouldn't get his game for Ireland.

The fact is he's a tryer, he works his arse off, but he just acks the quality to play at this level. When you compare him the people we do have in mid field he's simply not good enough to get in there. A good squad player alright, but nowhere near good enough to start for us.

[carnstien]

Are you related to Kevin Kilbane?

Judgeing by the fact that you're woefully biased towards him, your username, the fact you even seem to be under the illusion he had a good world cup and can't accept when anyone says that he just maybe, maybe shouldn't get his game for Ireland.

The fact is he's a tryer, he works his arse off, but he just acks the quality to play at this level. When you compare him the people we do have in mid field he's simply not good enough to get in there. A good squad player alright, but nowhere near good enough to start for us.

Agree 100%

[only1kilbane]

ok so you wont admit that he did a very good job when he was put into centre mid in the last couple of friendlies no ? Not related to the bloke but do think he should be in our team every game. A midfield of him keane duffer and miller/areid is looking a good bet to me though im sure you will all disagree. I think Brian will go with kilbane in the centre as well imo ..

[tiktok]

i think Kilbane has been our best player recently. He's obviously not going to replace Duff on the left (unless Kerr decides the Duffer will be a better option upfront with Robbie), but his recent performances IMO mean he shouldn't be dropped.

You can say he's limited and giving it his all isn't enough, but the passion he's shown in recent outings is exactly what we were missing in CM at the swiss game and right through the qualifiers.

Miller Kilbane Keane Duff/Reid (depending on where the former plays) across the middle have what it takes.

[Slash/ED]

Duff Miller Keane Reid

Sorry he's not better than any of them, therefore he doesn't get his game. It's not a case of 'dropping him', and he'd certinaly be in my squad, but he's just not going to force himself into that mid field. Passion isn't enough to get into an international team for christs sake, or I'd be the new Maradona. I thought we'd moved on from that. Anyway, like him or not, we have that commodity in spades now with a certain players return from retirement.

[Declan_Michael]

Has it become fashionable to slag off Kevin Kilbane all of a sudden? Yes, I watched the World Cup and he didn't play well at all. But as Roy Keane sympathisers will tell you, its in the past. Kilbane has had an excellent season with Everton. Can you find me another Irish player - except, say Duff who has had such a good season? You would think we had a team of world beaters. Yes, Kilbane is not the most naturally gifted but he offers commitment, experience and good form. Has Steve Finnans form in a Liverpool jersey justified international starts? Is either Connolly or Morrisson the right partner for Keane? Does Liam Miller have enough experience for a big international match? Does Andy O'Brien's form at Newcastle inspire you with confidence? Lets look at the BIG PICTURE.

[Slash/ED]

Erm, the bigger picture being that we have four better players in mid field then? I'm not slagging him off personally, I'm just saying we've four better players than him who should start. If that's slagging Kilbane off than it's also slagging off every Irish mid fielder eligble to play for us. Why are you whaffling on about right backs, centre halfs and strikers exactly?

To answer your question about Miller, yes.

[Declan_Michael]

Erm, the bigger picture being that we have four better players in mid field then? I'm not slagging him off personally, I'm just saying we've four better players than him who should start. If that's slagging Kilbane off than it's also slagging off every Irish mid fielder eligble to play for us. Why are you whaffling on about right backs, centre halfs and strikers exactly?

To answer your question about Miller, yes.

I'm "whaffling on" about other positions because maybe some players there are not performing brilliantly. You can play fantasy football with the midfielders all you want but there will be plenty of times when injuries, suspensions and "domestic commitments" crop up. The big test comes when the experienced players are picked for the qualifiers rather than a few tin pot friendles at Lansdowne.

[sorbothegreek]

I was watching the game last night with a guy from the Ukraine. He'd be a big football fan back home and the thing is, he wouldnt know the historys or reputations of any of our players and i just thought it was interesting to hear a few of the comments that he had on a few of them.

He thought Robbie Keane was the strangest striker he had ever seen, and said that he looked like a fellow that was playing in the schoolyard and that had never been coached.

Couldn't believe that Clinton Morrison was playing for a Premiership club, when his beloved Rebrov was sent packing after a few games for Spurs.

He thought that Reid was not a bad footballer, but was "Very FAT". And he will be good when he gets fit.
Shay Given was also accussed of suffering from "fatness".

When poor Alan Maybury had the ball, it was hard to make out what he thought because he was laughing all the time.

And as for the black sheep, He said "this is the man".

[Slash/ED]

I'm "whaffling on" about other positions because maybe some players there are not performing brilliantly. You can play fantasy football with the midfielders all you want but there will be plenty of times when injuries, suspensions and "domestic commitments" crop up. The big test comes when the experienced players are picked for the qualifiers rather than a few tin pot friendles at Lansdowne.

Obviously if there's injuries/suspensions and whatnot Kilbane and the others I've left out will be in contention to play, what kind of a daft comment is that? You seem to think I've a personal vendetta against Kilbane, I actually like him, he's just not in the strongest mid field Ireland have.

Who do we drop from that mid field, Duff Miller Keane Reid, to play Kilbane than?

[Declan_Michael]

Obviously if there's injuries/suspensions and whatnot Kilbane and the others I've left out will be in contention to play, what kind of a daft comment is that? You seem to think I've a personal vendetta against Kilbane, I actually like him, he's just not in the strongest mid field Ireland have.

Who do we drop from that mid field, Duff Miller Keane Reid, to play Kilbane than?

No personal vendetta's I just know that both Kilbane and Holland have taken unneccessary stick from some quarters. You'd think they were the only two players who had bad games for Ireland.

[Roo69]

The big test comes when the experienced players are picked for the qualifiers rather than a few tin pot friendles at Lansdowne.

You said it, the big test comes in WCQ, but there is no bigger test than the WCF itself, when Kilbane bottled the chance of a lifetime to knock spain out.

Just a few other points.
Kilbane has had a very good season with Everton and has been on of there most consistant players, BUT, IMO i think we have better players in our squad than him, which make Ireland play better. I would have Ried, Miller, Keane, Duff and Holland all ahead of him.

O'Brien for me has been our most improved player over the past few matches, thought he was brilliant against Brazil and did very well last night.

[tiktok]

Who do we drop from that mid field, Duff Miller Keane Reid, to play Kilbane than?

either Miller or Reid. depending on moves over the summer (if they get regular first team football at a higher level), and how they play between now and the qualifiers in friendlies.

I think by the time the WC rolls around ,the midfield you've cited will be our first choice midfield, but at the moment I'd sooner have Kilbane's passion and experience in qualifiers than playing two inexperienced young lads. Until we're seen more of them in friendlies and at club level it'd be either/or for the two of them.

[Slash/ED]

either Miller or Reid. depending on moves over the summer (if they get regular first team football at a higher level), and how they play between now and the qualifiers in friendlies.

I think by the time the WC rolls around ,the midfield you've cited will be our first choice midfield, but at the moment I'd sooner have Kilbane's passion and experience in qualifiers than playing two inexperienced young lads. Until we're seen more of them in friendlies and at club level it'd be either/or for the two of them.

But we will have seen more of them in friendlies and club level by then.

This experience argument is just plain wrong. We heard it back as far as Basle, "Oh we can't play Reid and Miller because of their lack of experience, we need the experience to get us through" and look where it got us then. Experience is no substitute for ability and Reid and Miller have plenty of that, they're both class and both should be regulars for Ireland, easily.

We have the experience in the mid field I've mentioned anyway. They must have 100+ caps between them.

Robbie Keane was once an inexperienced young lad, but we threw him in (Mainly due to having no other options really) and he game up with the goods against teams like Yugoslavia in crucial crucial qualifyers as a teenagager, because he was good enough. Miller and Reid are good enough, so experience or no, they should play.

And Declan, I agree certain players seem to attrack stick no matter what while others are above it when it comes to the Irish team, which is unfair most of the time. Kilbane isn't useless as some people would have you believe, I just think we have four stronger players.

[tiktok]

But we will have seen more of them in friendlies and club level by then.

but right now we haven't. if Miller proves himself as a capable central midfielder he'll probably get his shot, but all i've seen so far is potential, not the finished product, so for me Kilbane is ahead of him

[Slash/ED]

but right now we haven't. if Miller proves himself as a capable central midfielder he'll probably get his shot, but all i've seen so far is potential, not the finished product, so for me Kilbane is ahead of him

But by then we will, and we're talking about who should start then not now. I've no doubt at all Miller will show what he's capable of, like he did yesturday, in the matches between now and then, barring injuries of course, and based on that, he should play by the time we play Cyprus.