How the rest of the world see us....

[jbyrne]

Croatia will play a 442, as will Ukraine, and England will play a 4411 with wingers.

my response...

who else in the competition will play with two up front and 2 out and out wingers?

[mypost]

You make a good point about the population of Ireland v Melbourne, but look at Holland. Eight million people - somehow they learned to play the correct way.

What is the "correct way", apart from getting results? 14 results we've got now in a row. And it hasn't all been rubbish football either. One of them was a 5-0 win. Another was 4-0.

I said before Spain can have 99% possession against us, as long as we get a result. Give me a point now and I'll take it. The rest of the world will have to take it too.

[AlaskaFox]

my response...

I don't think our formation is all that different from the 3 I mentioned. Our CMs are probably more defensive, but our wingers are encouraged to cut in, like Srna will do for Croatia or Yarmolenko will do for Ukraine.

[BonnieShels]

What is the "correct way", apart from getting results? 14 results we've got now in a row. And it hasn't all been rubbish football either. One of them was a 5-0 win. Another was 4-0.

I said before Spain can have 99% possession against us, as long as we get a result. Give me a point now and I'll take it. The rest of the world will have to take it too.

Cheers dude. You responded how I wanted to earlier when I lost network on the phone.

[Charlie Darwin]

I've noticed a lot of the tournament previews are highlighting our apparent lack of creativity. Yet I don't know what you'd call our ability to create good chances from very limited possession except "creativity". Duff and McGeady may not produce much in the way of Youtube highlights, but between our four front players we always seem to create a few very scorable chances each game. What we lack is ball retention.

[backstothewall]

And should we be proud that we are hacks? I'm proud of the lads and will be kicking every ball on Sunday, but to say we should be proud of the way we play? That's a lesson I missed along the way.

Why wouldn't we be proud? We've punched above our weight at international level despite sparse resources by getting in our opponents faces, outworking them, and making life difficult for them. Such phrases are clumsy and crude, but for what its worth I feel the football we have played down through the years reflects our national character and the virtues of the Irish nation well.

[youngirish]

You make a good point about the population of Ireland v Melbourne, but look at Holland. Eight million people - somehow they learned to play the correct way.

Holland has about twice that figure so is not a small country in population terms at least.

[magicman]

Why wouldn't we be proud? We've punched above our weight at international level despite sparse resources by getting in our opponents faces, outworking them, and making life difficult for them. Such phrases are clumsy and crude, but for what its worth I feel the football we have played down through the years reflects our national character and the virtues of the Irish nation well.

Couldn't agree more. There was nothing more satisfying when playing or coaching then coming up against a superior team and, through hard work or good tactics, beating them. I understand why people get frustrated watching it, everybody does, but I couldn't be more proud watching us punching above our wait and frustrating the hell out of others!

[ArdeeBhoy]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=omD4O...&feature=share

[Stuttgart88]

I just got emailed a funny tricolour photographed with its owners in Dublin airport with "Angela Merkel thinks we're working" printed on it.

[bennocelt]

I just got emailed a funny tricolour photographed with its owners in Dublin airport with "Angela Merkel thinks we're working" printed on it.

that would be funny to see, any chance of putting it up?

[geysir]

From Thailand

[DannyInvincible]

that would be funny to see, any chance of putting it up?

[BonnieShels]

That pic is all over Facebook.

[Stuttgart88]

That rules me out so

[ArdeeBhoy]

http://ballsoutinpublic.wordpress.co...irish-group-c/

[peadar1987]

Not to mention the fact that there is no rugby, gaelic or hurling in Holland, it is only football and hockey. With 4 times our population. Think Georgia, Norway, Finland or Singapore for places with similar populations to us.

[ArdeeBhoy]

And cycling and speed-skating.

Norway good at skiing and winter sports, Finland similar and quite useful at ice hockey.

But hopefully pretty handy at soccer for our size...

[bennocelt]

And darts, the Dutch are crazy about darts. When I lived there they had posters of darts players everywhere. Heck if we are talking about the gah........

[Irish_Praha]

And darts, the Dutch are crazy about darts. When I lived there they had posters of darts players everywhere. Heck if we are talking about the gah........

I'm not sure if darts has robbed Holland of any potential soccer superstars