Macedonia V Republic of Ireland - Saturday, 4th June 2011 - Euro 2012 Qualifier

[shakermaker1982]

O'Shea struggles as a DM and he's composed on the ball. McShane would drown in the middle of the park.

He's a better CB than FB. Maybe the Trap and other managers feel he'll cause less havoc for his own team if he isn't playing CB? He can tackle, head but lacks football intelligence to truly prosper.

[French Toasht]

What amazed me was that they'd had a goal disallowed about 20 seconds earlier. Very rare to get caught cold twice in the space of a minute but that's what happened to us.

The signs were there all second half - we dropped off them to a ridiculous degree and repented at our leisure.

We did the very same thing against Croatia away. For the whole of the second half we sat back and Davor Suker scored the inevitable goal in the last minute.

In fact things really unravelled in the second half of that campaign. After starting so well with home wins against Croatia and Yugoslavia (which is probably the best attacking performance by an Irish team I've seen in the last 15 years) and then we had horror shows away to Croatia, Malta and Macedonia.

[BonnieShels]

After starting so well with home wins against Croatia and Yugoslavia (which is probably the best attacking performance by an Irish team I've seen in the last 15 years).

That was a stunning game. One of my all time favourites. Capped by the stunning goal from Mark Kennedy.

[Crosby87]

Whatever happened to Kennedy? Or Ger Crosley?

[French Toasht]

Whatever happened to Kennedy? Or Ger Crosley?

I think this really was the death knell for Kennedy's international career. Never really featured after this.

http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/f...me-696455.html

[paul_oshea]

What amazed me was that they'd had a goal disallowed about 20 seconds earlier. Very rare to get caught cold twice in the space of a minute but that's what happened to us.

The signs were there all second half - we dropped off them to a ridiculous degree and repented at our leisure.

Thats what we do in all games under Trap. And you're point is?

And thats against what was a very similar defence but better midfield!!

[Yard of Pace]

I think this really was the death knell for Kennedy's international career. Never really featured after this.

http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/f...me-696455.html

I'm sure it was a big factor but I remember reading an interview on the back of the IT sports section on a Saturday with Babb where he was giving out that Kennedy had been forgiven for this incident but he hadn't. In the same interview he was saying how he was so much quicker than any of the other Irish defenders at the time.

[SwanVsDalton]

Thats what we do in all games under Trap. And you're point is?

And thats against what was a very similar defence but better midfield!!

Key word in Wolfie's statement is 'degree' - we don't drop off teams to the same extent or regularity we did under McCarthy.

[French Toasht]

I'm sure it was a big factor but I remember reading an interview on the back of the IT sports section on a Saturday with Babb where he was giving out that Kennedy had been forgiven for this incident but he hadn't. In the same interview he was saying how he was so much quicker than any of the other Irish defenders at the time.

Well he only played 4 games for Ireland after that incident as opposed to Babb's one game (Russia away). And it was a year after that incident before he got 1 of his last four caps for Ireland. Considering his international career ended age 25, I think his demise can only really be attributed to that incident, whereas Babb moving away to Portugal, would not have done a lot to help his international prospects, and thus the reasoning for his absence may not be as clear cut.

[EastTerracer]

Well he only played 4 games for Ireland after that incident as opposed to Babb's one game (Russia away). And it was a year after that incident before he got 1 of his last four caps for Ireland. Considering his international career ended age 25, I think his demise can only really be attributed to that incident, whereas Babb moving away to Portugal, would not have done a lot to help his international prospects, and thus the reasoning for his absence may not be as clear cut.

Kennedy's attitude was pretty terrible at that stage of his career. I think he only realised in his Cardiff days that his career was coming to an end and he had never lived up to his potential. For a player with great ability he could have produced so much more at club and International level.

The great goal against Yugoslavia was actually a great summary of his career. He didn't play particularly well in that game and then pulled a goal out of nowhere late in the game. I remember Joe Kinnear and Dunphy sitting in the RTE studio on the South Terrace and both agreed that Kennedy should have been substituted long before he scored the goal.

He was asked in an interview a number of years ago if he felt that his career had been disappointing and he responded with something along the lines of no, he'd had a great career, played for Liverpool and made a load of money. He's looked a much more professional player in the last few years (at Palace, Cardiff and briefly at Ipswich) but unfortunately it came too late for his international career.

[Colbert Report]

Tough to keep track of all the injuries/withdrawals, so what's the likely starting line-up for Saturday's match? Thanks.

[Stuttgart88]

Jay O'Shea has been called up to replace Keane

My guesss is it'll be, based on media murmurs and training etc:

-----------Given------------
McShane--O'Shea--Sledge (if fit, or else O'Dea)--Kilbane
McGeady--Whelan--Andrews--Hunt
-----Keane---Long---

[TrapAPony]

Tough to keep track of all the injuries/withdrawals, so what's the likely starting line-up for Saturday's match? Thanks.

Trapattoni's likely lineup is :
Given
McShane
O'Shea
St.Ledger/O'Dea
Kilbane
McGeady
Whelan
Andrews
Hunt
Long
Keane

Would much prefer if Foley and Ward were right & left back myself though.

[Crosby87]

Some of the Macedonian Players were in Germany and could have possibly been exposed to E Coli (And bad music) and may then I suppose have to be quarantined.
We would need a doctor to order that. I recommend Dr Peepee at times like this.

[SwanVsDalton]

I recommend Dr Peepee at times like this.

Sounds like a TV ad for over-the-counter STD relief.

[BonnieShels]

Some of the Macedonian Players were in Germany and could have possibly been exposed to E Coli (And bad music) and may then I suppose have to be quarantined.
We would need a doctor to order that. I recommend Dr Peepee at times like this.

Some Macedonian players were meant to meet the wrath of elroy but that didn't happen.
I can't picture a Macedonian with a Spanish cucumber in Germany. It just doesn't sit right.

[legendz]

Wasn't Ward playing a more advanced role for Wolves over the last few weeks. I have doubts defensively on Foley and Ward.

[Charlie Darwin]

He was playing behind Fletcher in Doyle's absence. Seems to have been preferred to Ebanks-Blake there. Elokobi has never convinced me but McCarthy seems to like stronger, faster full backs.

[ArdeeBhoy]

Don't think I have ever been as gutted about a football match as I was after the last minute equaliser that denied us entry to the Euros. Henrygate doesn't even come close. Remember how the group was so tight at the top, that that goal meant that from being on the verge on automatic qualification, there was now a real possibility we would not even get a playoff. The Yugoslavia v Croatia match was a later kick off so we had to sit through an agonising half hour of that match, praying that Croatia wouldn't score.

I also remember despite the fact that the Macedonians had nothing to play for, they took particular joy in our misery in light of the "I've had a Macedonia" T-shirt for the worst trainer episode. They took great joy in taunting our players after the match, even if it did mean they had just put their bitter rivals Yugoslavia automatically into Euro 2000.

T'was there. Yes it was gutting, but the crowd were all pro-Serb and kept calling us 'NATO', as we were English-speaking.
Plus the literal scrum to get out of that dump had to be seen to be believed.
So no fond memories of this.

And the combination of a depleted team and Trap's tactics means we should expect a draw at best. And the fecking play-offs, at best, once again.
If it's the latter, really don't care after last time....

[ArdeeBhoy]

Velice Sumulikoski* started for Sibir and played until the 68th minute when he was replaced by Tomáš Cížek. Sumulikoski also picked up a yellow card in the 48th minute which was his fourth yellow card of the season. That means he will be suspended for the next game because of a yellow cards suspension but he would have missed that game regardless of the suspension because the next match for Sibir in on June 4th and Sumulikoski will be with the Macedonian national team at that time for the important qualifier against Ireland.

This lad would know our players best as he spent a season with Preston, the season before last, as a squad player.

Was the Macedonia captain, though don't know about now.