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

[amaccann]

Ask any Brit right now if he/she would have rather won vs the Swiss (AT HOME) or played Beautiful football? They did neither, but I am sure where the answer is, because I just talked to more than a few who are here on vacation. And they are ****ing mortified. "We do nothing well." Said one.

Good post Owl. Let's not forget, if we all had to show real names, and age, the tone of this board and all sports message boards on the world wide web, would be vastly different. Credibility would take on a much more important roll than say, I live in my parents basement and so can have a million posts on internet websites, instead of using it as its original intention, like a fan does who actually enjoys the precedings.

Right, so because people like me call into question the manner in which we gain this otherwise good result, I'm dismissed as a proper fan, and assumed to be some antisocial internet troll. Classy.

Well if it makes you feel any better, my name's Andrew; I'm 30 years old, living in Dublin but from the North originally; have been supporting Irish soccer since being in single digits, and watched manys a good & bad day for Ireland. It still doesn't make matches like Saturday's any less turgid to watch & leave me with a concern that Ireland's brand of football will only take is so far and no further: and whether that's the finals of Euro 2012 remains to be seen.

There may only be a handful of teams that can play "nice" football, but there's a helluva lot of teams around us in the mid-table of the rankings who don't resort to row-z tactics in the 30th minute.

[shakermaker1982]

I don't think there is anything wrong with criticising some aspects of that performance amaccann. It was a great result but we could have made it so much easier for ourselves if we just kept the ball. I just don't understand this lumping it long into areas where there isn't an Irish shirt. It's just bizarre and only invites more pressure on the team.

I think we can play better and there is nothing wrong with striving to improve.

I have to say it is a nice feeling that everything seemed to go our way last night. We've played well in the past, deserved a result and ended up with nothing.

[Stuttgart88]

I sympathise fully with Andrew, but am still happy enough. We had something to defend so we defended it. It was a crap pitch (I'm surprised nobody has mentioned that yet), it was end of season and it was a banana skin. We fecked up there twice before so right now I'm delighted with the win. I do want to see us playing more expansive football, and looking like we're capable of playing like we did in Paris for even short periods would be nice. There were missed passes aplenty last night and that bugs me. But that's the icing on the cake, the cake is getting the points and we doing well enough on that front.

[shellyriver]

I keep hoping that with every new game, the Irish team will justify the tag of the best players from Ireland. However, game after game, this side, shows a zombie like willingness to trudge forward, in its zombie determination to keep to the programme.

What a horrible game. A flukey goal by Keane in first half and a dreadful piece of defending in the second, allowed Keane in for second. Fair play to Keane, he took the chances, but Macedonia are cack.

Is the current midfield partnership the most limited Irish duo ever?

Whelan, a donkey, no touch, no pace, no awareness, got nothing from him but pointing to other players to do something he should do. Andrews, is hapless. Hunt, huffed and puffed, attempting to shut them out, but really it was Keystone Kops footie.

The back four, what a laugh. Kilbane got caught out almost everytime. Kelly, say no more, simply the worst player on the pitch. O'Shea, is he clueless or what. O'Dea was ok but is there anyone on the back line capable of a bit of basic communication and/or leadership?

Cox, fair enough, got a goal, but was utterly absent after that. Why Long wasn't on at the beginning to benefit from any crosses is baffling.

Some posters seem to criticise McGeady -- ehm, he's the only Irish footballer on the park. Ehm, you need two or three other players of his standard to be able to string a few passes together. He was forced down the wing on his wrong foot, with absolutely no one to pass to.

Great three points. Dreadful game, and as for the future -- this is hardly inspiring.

The standard of Irish international football is back to where it was in the 1980s in relative terms.

[Lionel Ritchie]

I keep hoping that.....

Uhm ...this post deserves proper deconstruction and I don't have time tonight. But it reads like a piano falling down a staircase. So for now just two things ...Cox DIDN'T get a goal (dubious offside) and if Irish football could only get back to where it was in the 1980's I for one would be pretty pleased about it.

[MeathDrog]

I keep hoping that with every new game, the Irish team will justify the tag of the best players from Ireland. However, game after game, this side, shows a zombie like willingness to trudge forward, in its zombie determination to keep to the programme.

What a horrible game. A flukey goal by Keane in first half and a dreadful piece of defending in the second, allowed Keane in for second. Fair play to Keane, he took the chances, but Macedonia are cack.

Is the current midfield partnership the most limited Irish duo ever?

Whelan, a donkey, no touch, no pace, no awareness, got nothing from him but pointing to other players to do something he should do. Andrews, is hapless. Hunt, huffed and puffed, attempting to shut them out, but really it was Keystone Kops footie.

The back four, what a laugh. Kilbane got caught out almost everytime. Kelly, say no more, simply the worst player on the pitch. O'Shea, is he clueless or what. O'Dea was ok but is there anyone on the back line capable of a bit of basic communication and/or leadership?

Cox, fair enough, got a goal, but was utterly absent after that. Why Long wasn't on at the beginning to benefit from any crosses is baffling.

Some posters seem to criticise McGeady -- ehm, he's the only Irish footballer on the park. Ehm, you need two or three other players of his standard to be able to string a few passes together. He was forced down the wing on his wrong foot, with absolutely no one to pass to.

Great three points. Dreadful game, and as for the future -- this is hardly inspiring.

The standard of Irish international football is back to where it was in the 1980s in relative terms.

We had quite a good team in the 1980s.

[Noelys Guitar]

Fair enough so who should Trap pick? McCarthy was a no show. Gibson was a no show. Foley and Coleman have failed to impress so far in their albeit short stints. Ward is no better than Kilbane at left back (I see Ward as a much improving forward player). This is what we have when down to the bare bones. Fahey has a case for inclusion but again touch and go with Andrews. Long came on and did OK. Certainly no better than Cox. If would be fantastic if 2/3/4 medium to top class players come through the ranks or declare but at the moment the team playing yesterday was the best available and turning up. The zimmer frame fans remember Irish teams containing world class players playing free flowing football drawing with Spain 3-3 and yet leaving Landsdowne kind of deflated. Because we knew in our heart of hearts we would go away from home and lose. And never in a million years would we beat Russia (USSR) away. Yet, I fancy this team of journeymen to win in Russia. We now have a bunch of mainly journeymen footballers who believe in their manager and his tactics and who are willing to put in that extra 10%. That is how we are joint top of this group.

[SwanVsDalton]

In terms of footballing quality and history, I'm not sure where we should really expect ourselves to be. But I always like to look at our neighbours in situation's like this - England, world footballing powerhouse, offer up desultory home draw against Switzerland; Scotland struggling in a group where they should really be pushing for second place; NI stagnating; Wales, nowheresville.

Considering our size, playing pool and relative history in football we're doing quite well. And I can't remember us ever playing a particularly attractive brand of football since we've never had particularly technically skilled players, with a few exceptions.

We're a limited team and we probably always will be. We could probably play a slightly nicer brand of football but, realistically, it would only be marginally nicer to look at given how technically limited the majority of our players are. And the trade off for a bit more aesthetic ball would likely be a nosedive in results - so I'll stick with results every time.

Particularly since results breed positivity which breeds confidence which is the basis for the team actually going out and playing some better football...

[shakermaker1982]

I keep seeing this population thing cropping up from time to time on here and in the media and yes Ireland is a small country but so is Slovenia, Uruguay, Croatia, New Zealand, Denmark and Trinidad. Guess what they've all qualified for recent major tournaments. Montenegro is level on points with England at the moment and has a population of just over 625,000!!

[Charlie Darwin]

We're not really far away from any of those teams though. All struggle to qualify for tournaments like us but, along with Uruguay and Croatia, once we do actually qualify we tend to do quite well. It's getting over the hurdle of qualification that's the issue for most sides.

[pineapple stu]

Also, I don't think it's fair to compare NZ or T&T's qualification campaigns with ours. Much weaker competition in Oceania or CONCACAF.

[Sullivinho]

Anyone interested in witnessing the might of CONCACAF can catch the Gold Cup which starts on Eurosport tonight.

[BonnieShels]

Bleugh!

Don't you just wish sometimes that the actual might of Europe and Samerica was properly and appropriatly dealt with in wc qualifiers.
Though... we may as well have an intercontinental tournament as it stands.

Copa America starting next month. Oh yeah!

[paul_oshea]

Фудбалски викенд во Македонија ! Интересни три дена, ви благодарам на сите

[geysir]

What's the last word there Paul, cute or c*unt?

[tricky_colour]

I keep hoping that with every new game, the Irish team will justify the tag of the best players from Ireland. However, game after game, this side, shows a zombie like willingness to trudge forward, in its zombie determination to keep to the programme.

What a horrible game. A flukey goal by Keane in first half and a dreadful piece of defending in the second, allowed Keane in for second. Fair play to Keane, he took the chances, but Macedonia are cack.

Is the current midfield partnership the most limited Irish duo ever?

Whelan, a donkey, no touch, no pace, no awareness, got nothing from him but pointing to other players to do something he should do. Andrews, is hapless. Hunt, huffed and puffed, attempting to shut them out, but really it was Keystone Kops footie.

The back four, what a laugh. Kilbane got caught out almost everytime. Kelly, say no more, simply the worst player on the pitch. O'Shea, is he clueless or what. O'Dea was ok but is there anyone on the back line capable of a bit of basic communication and/or leadership?

Cox, fair enough, got a goal, but was utterly absent after that. Why Long wasn't on at the beginning to benefit from any crosses is baffling.

Some posters seem to criticise McGeady -- ehm, he's the only Irish footballer on the park. Ehm, you need two or three other players of his standard to be able to string a few passes together. He was forced down the wing on his wrong foot, with absolutely no one to pass to.

Great three points. Dreadful game, and as for the future -- this is hardly inspiring.

The standard of Irish international football is back to where it was in the 1980s in relative terms.

However we did win 2-0 with a goal disallowed, so 3-0.

Lets face it Russia only beat them 1-0, so that's a positive. Also a clean sheet sway from home.

So that the inspiration, we did better than Russia by 2 goals!! (1 disallowed!).

[DannyInvincible]

Anyone interested in witnessing the might of CONCACAF can catch the Gold Cup which starts on Eurosport tonight.

Costa Rica winning 5-0 at the minute against Cuba, who appear to be employing a very fluid mix of school-yard tactics and the original pyramid formation with one at the back - sometimes none at all - when not dropping like flies at the slightest of touches. Watching this makes you appreciate our "limited" footballers so much more. Should be compulsory viewing for the pessimists.

And then there was this:



Only in CONCACAF.

Edit: 5-0 a final result, for anyone who could care less.

[BonnieShels]

Or would it be from where the offending player was positioned inside the box at the moment the penalty-taker struck the ball? All very technical, this.

It is. And it all depends on who is committing the original infringement. In all cases the penalty kick must proceed and only then can a decision be made.

So last night what should have happened is that we should've been awarded an indirect free kick from where the infringement occurred before the ball was in play as they didn't score a goal from the kick. Now whilst technically the infringement occurred the second the Macedonian player crossed the line into the penalty box I assume the free would be given from the spot where the referee saw the infringement occur.

If Macedonia scored that penalty and the infringement was noted then the kick would have been taken again. Can't say I agree with this aspect of the rule as the offender is still part of the attacking team and therefore they should be penalized.

[Fergie's Son]

We simply don't have the players nor do we currently have the footballing culture to play the "beautiful game". There really is no benefit from being the Wigan or Blackpool of International Football. The fact is, we won a tricky away fixture that we typically lose or draw. We did so in tough conditions with a weakned team. I'll take that any day. We're not in with a legitimate chance to qualify for a tournament we haven't graced since 1988. All this from a small country which a strong and diverse sporting culture where football is not the far and away dominant sport. I find it quite impressive. Other than Denmark, we rank very well when compared aganst similarly situated countries.

Lastly, England were utter muck yesterday and Russia struggled to beat this lot so let's keep it in context.

[tricky_colour]

There is a download available here:-

http://www.4matches.co.cc/2011/06/ma...d-04-june.html

Useful if you had to watch on a crappy stream!!