Republic of Ireland V Slovakia - Friday, 2nd September 2011 - Euro 2012 Qualifier

[Kingdom]

Only saw the last 30 mins on Friday night. That was depressing. But I was surrounded by drunken fools at a wedding, so passed it off as disappointment more than anything else.

Going through the match now on Player, and after 15 mins, surprisingly, we've played some good stuff, while Slovakia haven't been in the game at all. No chances for either team. Ominously, both McGeady and O'Shea look off the pace this early. No surprise really.
I'd a bit of read through here yesterday and some of the criticism bordered on the hysterical, so I said I'd follow the game and take some as close to accurate as possible statistics.

Given: + 2 short pass - 1 long
JOSH: + 7 pass, 1 tackle, 1 cross
Ward: -1 long, +5, 1 block challenge
Dunne: -1 long, -1 mid-range, 1 interception, +6 pass, + 1 long
Ledger: +3 pass, -1 long, +1 short, -1 long, +3 short, Interception, +1 short, Head won
Whelan: +12 pass, -1 long
McG: +1 Foul, -2 Block, -3 short, +1Block, 1 cross, 1 pass
Andrews: +1 long, -1 Long, +9 mid & short pass, -1 cross
Doyle: -2 short,-2 cross, +2 blocks, +1 foul, +8 pass
Keane: -1 short pass, 1 short pass, -1 short pass
Duff: 6 pass, -2 pass, _1 cross, 1 foul, 1 interception

Interesting....

For them, Hamsik has shown well, but Karhan is the pivot the whole team reverts around (just like they did in Croke pk, funny enough). The two centre halves have not kicked the ball long unsuccessfully.

[Kingdom]

Have watched to half-time now. Slovakia between 21 and 28 mins owned the ball, yet there two chances in the half were as a result of stray Irish passes. Then they were clearly on top again between 38 and 43 mins. However their use of the ball was quite poor once they attempted to probe into the Irish half, and they had plenty of stray balls themselves, putting 2 balls over our end line from close to halfway, and another3/4 over the sideline.
Doyle clearly looks ****ed off from about 35 mins when he misjudges a good pass by Dunne. THe only other sign of petulance is when he floors Durica, but I put this down to being blown for a foul a few moments earlier on Karhan when it was clear Karhan began fouling in the first place.
Contrary to what I was expecting, Whelan has had an excellent first half, being very industrious, efficient in his use of the ball and showing good options too. Robbie has been non-existant, Duff wasted more balls than did anything else, McGeady while doing very little offensively has been brilliant on the defensive, making a further 5 interceptions/tackles, and used the ball well mostly.
However, the back 4 have been absolutely shameful in their use of the ball, and it's not down to the two in the centre, it's down to either pure laziness, or tactics. Shay Given has kicked the ball long 5 times, each time the ball has been lost.
O'Shea has lost the ball 6 times, each by kicking it long, and bar once overlapping and getting in a cross for an unsuccessful bicycle attempt, has offered nothing going forward to his right winger.
Ward, like McGeady has fared much better on the opposite side, purely because the Slovaks are attacking that side. He's made 9 successful blocks or tackles, won 4 aerial contests, and gave the ball away least, but has still given the ball away. However, his partnership with McGeady already is an improvement on the one McGeady had with Killer, which is saying a lot when McGeady clearly isn't fit, given he was dispossessed twice from behind, displaying an obvious sluggishness (this is backed up by comments in the papers by mcgeady)
One run aside by Dunne, himself and Ledger need to look themselves in the mirror. Between the two of them, they've launched 13 hoofs that went neither to an Irish player, or were won in the air by an Irish player. Added to the full backs, the ball was propelled 25 times to the Slovaks. That's unacceptable at this level. Some, to be fair, were under pressure, but it's a small number, 3 maybe 4 times.
Andrews also didn't do well possession wise - far worse than his mate in midfield, although he did create the only chance.

Obviously stats don't paint the full picture. Ledger has looked clumsy so far, and knowing he got man of the match, is a little puzzling at this juncture. Dunne has looked assured while defending, but not so when counter-attacking. Ward got criticised by Whelan for tailing Weiss. The same thing happened against Russia where Kilbane got dragged about by Dzagoev I think, first of all going, then trying to rectify the mistake by trying to close down the overlap which lead to two goals, whereas against Slovakia, Ward has gone with, and stayed gone with Weiss, with McGeady and Whelan covering each time - McGeady doing so excellently twice. So it's not like some things weren't worked on.

Another comment on the opposition. If you were to put Ireland into the shape they adopted in the first half, and had Karhan and Hamsik in our side, the difference would be incredible. Karhan collects the ball, plays patterns with the back 4 for about 10 passes, then finds either Hamsik or Weiss and then goes for the return. It really is beautiful to watch. He is the boss, in the same sense Roy was; what it shows is that Dunne has zero trust in either Whelan or Andrews, as for all their showing, the same pattern breaks down in half time, and ends with a hoof.

[AlaskaFox]

Good research there Kingdom.

[geysir]

Good job Kingdom, it's the hardest task of all to revisit a game like that.
Ward should not be judged by that game alone, although he won't turn into a full back wizard, he'll do until someone better comes.

[Fixer82]

I thought Ward got unharshly criticised after Slovakia game.
He was poor going forward and got caught out of position once or twice but there was never a mention of at least 2 very important interceptions he made in the 1st half that would have otherwise put a Slovakian player through on goal if I remember correctly

[Sideline]

I thought both whelan and Andrews took up poor positions whenour defenders where looking for someone to help them out and show for a pass. Going long ball was then the only option they had.

[DeLorean]

Bumping thread.

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Closed thread.