Ireland V Germany 12th October & Faroe Islands 16th October 2012 - World Cup 2014 Q

[Paddy Garcia]

RE Fahey

He looked shattered by the time he was taken off, its just not his game. Point taken though, he didnt play well in possession.

I don't know why we don't use blood transfusions like everyone else - ideally German blood!

[BonnieShels]

It's only a few days ago people were calling for JOSH to be played at CB.
Make your mind up!

In Trap we must trust

I speak for all Ireland fans?

Awesome!

[NeverFeltBetter]

My overall opinion of Robbie Keane's worth, when Long remains stuck outside the starting line-up, is going to be heavily influenced by this game.

Good attacking line-up. I would still have questions about Brady's experience, but I said before that a team like the Faeroe's was a good one to start your international career proper against.

I do think we will win, I expect a bit of cop-on and commitment after Friday. Any news on what the weather will be like?

[Sullivinho]

ideally German blood!

Careful now...

[Colbert Report]

Anyone know where one can watch the match here in Canada? It doesn't appear that GOLTV are showing it at all.

[boovidge]

McGeady is lucky to be retained. I'm losing pateience with this fella. I'm beginning to think his tricks and gimmicks would be best suited to the freestyle circuit.

He can rip teams to shreds if given a bit of room to run with a counter attack. Our style of play doesn't suit him at all. However, he did easily unlock the Andorra defence last time so I'd definitely have him in against another minnow.

[tricky_colour]

Don't think Kelly should be starting ahead of Coleman, not until he's starting regularly again at Fulham
O'Dea for Clark is the only change I'd make there.

I agree with you about Clark and O'Dea but not Coleman, I don't recall him making any mistakes in particular and he played a key role in the goal.
I don't know for sure if he is a better defender than Kelly, I certainly can't recall any blunders but I am pretty sure he is better going forward
and if we are not going forward against the Faroes who can we go forward against?

[tricky_colour]

Glad to see Brady is starting, at least Trap is reading my stats posts!!

[geysir]

I'd expect the Faroes to play a pressing game higher up the pitch,
but after they go a goal ahead they tend to fall back to protect it, then Ireland should get the bulk of possession.

Anybody want to guess Westwood's distribution?
Hand passes to back 4 V Hoofs upfield
3 completed sideway/forward passes V Ball sent back to Westwood or hoofed upfield by back 4

[Fixer82]

Hand passes to back 4 V Hoofs upfield

Heard he was a daycint half-back in his day alright

[tetsujin1979]

I'd expect the Faroes to play a pressing game higher up the pitch,
but after they go a goal ahead they tend to fall back to protect it, then Ireland should get the bulk of possession.

Anybody want to guess Westwood's distribution?
Hand passes to back 4 V Hoofs upfield
3 completed sideway/forward passes V Ball sent back to Westwood or hoofed upfield by back 4

Munster will never forgive Back. Ever. He knows what he did.

[OwenGoal]

Maybe some of you have seen this before but I found this stat on Opta:

Republic of Ireland have attempted fewer tackles than any other European team in this qualification campaign (24).[

Overall, I think Trap should go but if someone could just persuade him to address fundamental issues of his tactics/management style, I think he would still be worth a shot. Let's face it, none of the alternatives being presented are inspiring. They might bring about some improvement in a CPR kind of way, but they'll come with other problems.

Sadly, I think he's too set in his ways to change. FAI should have grown a pair and dealt with him before hand. Maybe if Denis O'Brian had sent around a man in in ill-fitting Primark suit late at night. Tis all too late now.

[paul_oshea]

Ha ya that dirty hand in. That was typical of that England team though. They have lacked that "professional" anything to win attitude for a while. All stemmed from johnson i suppose, should we open up that cheating debate again, murfinator will duly oblige i'm sure.

[SwanVsDalton]

Republic of Ireland have attempted fewer tackles than any other European team in this qualification campaign (24).[

Illuminating. I'm not really sure why, but in the last year or show the team has changed from stand off-ish, disciplined but obdurate and strong to completely standing off their men at all times and simply sitting in their zones without having the gumption to really compete for the ball when it gets in dangerous areas.

We've conceded a remarkable amount of goals from ping-pongs in and around the box, whereas before I'd expect someone (probably Dunne) to bang it clear.

Players are to blame for not taking responsibility, management is to blame for not nipping it in the bud and giving them a rocket by dropping those underperforming.

[SwanVsDalton]

Why has Trap changed his phillosophy/policy/system? He is playing all these attacking players? Playing players we always wanted and discarded his own defensive approach? Do you think perhaps he wants the sack?

Is it not just a reaction to being under severe pressure?

Also I'm not all that sure he's been more attacking last two games, so much as he has finally trusted players who happen to be more attacking (McCarthy and Coleman). It could've been Meyler and Kelly in a not so removed parallel dimension, but seems he's actually gone with the guys who have first team games this season.

The inclusion of Brady/Wilson isn't all that more attacking than classic Trap selections (Duff/Kilbane).

The proof in the attacking pudding will be how we play ball tonight. I'd like to think if he's actively making an effort to change our mentality, it'll be represented in keeping the ball and building attacks.

[brine3]

Maybe some of you have seen this before but I found this stat on Opta:

Republic of Ireland have attempted fewer tackles than any other European team in this qualification campaign (24).[

Dunne did the tackling of 11 men.

[pineapple stu]

Maybe some of you have seen this before but I found this stat on Opta:

Republic of Ireland have attempted fewer tackles than any other European team in this qualification campaign (24).

*Waits for Stuttgart88 to tell us how many tackles Barca have made this season.*

[Stuttgart88]

I've no idea whatsoever.

I think fewest tackles attempted (not made, attempted) is a telling stat. We don't even try to tackle.

[Noelys Guitar]

What changed against Germany from say the Croatia game? We didn't concede an early goal against Germany but around the half an hour mark in both games we fell further and further back. And never recovered a foothold in either game. I can remember Andy Townsend saying that under Charlton when Ireland scored a goal or started to come under sustained pressure the team as a unit would push further up the pitch, not drop further back. Thats what we have to start to do again.

[Stuttgart88]

I think the Germany game showed just how important Duff was for us in these games. He was about the only player we had capable of receiving the ball to feet and retaining it, buying the time needed by our players to catch up and get into space. I thought this was really noticable at the Brazil game in London. We fell to pieces when he went off. We were semi-competitive up to that point. Our Euro nightmare might have been worse without Duff.