Read on twitter someone layed their bet and stuck 120 on the draw at 999/1 at 4-0Originally Posted by tricky_colour
I agree Neville has raised the bar on sky (which wasn't too tricky) but yep he is doing a good job. The exception rather than the rule.
ITV are the first broadcaster that have finally started to bring on board some of the decent european football journalists on to their CL programmes. The likes of Raphael Honigstein, and the French guy Philip Auclair (sp? Something like that anyway). A breath of fresh air.
I'm not saying the punditry on the RTE panel is top notch or anything but its good TV. Anyway off topic I know...
Speaking of football journalists being pundits. Graham Hunter on Revista is excellent.
Amazing comeback from Sweden; just seeing the result now.
On our game - very good performance and result. Even at 0-0 at half-time, I wasn't massively worried; we were playing well and getting better chances. Credit to the Faroes - they played very well, but so did we for a change. Anyone who doubts Keane's contribution to the team after that game is an absolute moron; some lovely creative touches and was involved in more than one of our goals (the backheel flick to set McGeady free for the eventual own goal was a lovely touch). We played some nice ball, scored a couple of well-worked goals (and theirs was a nice goal too, though it did show up the aerial weaknesses that Kazakhstan exploited too) and overall played quite well. The Faroes' biggest home defeat in five years, said Billo afterwards, even though Spain and Italy have visited.
Only disappointment for me was the Cox for Brady sub, though Cox did quite well.
Just watched a bit of the replay,thank goodness for the 3 points.
No Somos muchos pero estamos locos.
Have found it tough to get back into posting here, but will give it a go.
Friday night was a shambles for many reasons; the manager, the fans, football culture on this island, the CEO, the players. Everything that has been going wrong was bubbling away during the summer, and culminated in last Friday night. Think of it as ground zero for Irish football, and how we move forward is going to be key to our status in European football .
Ironically enough, being torn a new one by an exceptionally gifted international side shouldn't instantly mean doom and gloom, the failure to play competently against such luminaries as Estonia, Kazakhstan, Armenia, Slovakia, Georgia etc etc over the past 4 years should be the cause for concern.
We have a sports mad young population. We have event junkie status as adults. We have to re-invigorate football and the league in this country, and how the schoolboys integrate into the FAI. It is scandalous when you think of the number of boys that go through clubs like St Kevins, Home Farm, Cherry Orchard etc and have nothing to aim for at Senior Level. The League needs to be shown to be a viable destination for kids playing football.
Or at least educate the kids that Mainland Europe has more to offer in a football sense, than slumming it around the dreggs of English football. But we'd need a strong, independent, sober, moral and humble CEO for that, one in touch with reality and that is something we don't have at this moment in time.
We cannot use the argument of the Premiership anymore. The Scandanavian countries have as many games shown yet their leagues are good financially, attendences are good in comparison to the population and they compete continentally on a club level and national level.
As for the game v Germany. It is obvious to anyone that attends Ireland games, that JOSh is not captain material. He just doesn't lead, doesn't inspire confidence and is prone to mistakes. None of the other back 4 were candidates either. Personally speaking I felt Keith Andrews should have been captain. He is courageous, self-aware of his own limitations, but honest as the day is long.
That was the first mistake. I'll put my hands up and say I would have gone with Darren O'Dea to partner Josh. Without feeling he was good, he had performed competently in his appearances up to now. But he was cruelly exposed. I would have picked Stephen Kelly at right back and Wilson left back, but going with Ward (who played ok!) I'd have put McGeady left - he'd built up a decent partnership with Ward - and Coleman right, as at least that would have given double protection down the German left, where any gob****e could have seen they were going to be strong.
Midfield confused me. If we weren't going to play football, then Fahey shouldn't have been selected. He should have picked Meyler.
If we were intending to play football, he shouldn't have had Fahey at the base of 3 - that should have been james McCarthy.
And while Walters up top battled well, and was willing, he was outnumbered and bullied a bit by Mertesacker and Badstuber. Long would have run them ragged, but probably with the same net result.
As for tonight....The team he picked. Didn't find it as attacking as seems to be general consensus. Two wingers, two forwards and one midfielder deep-lying. Nothing off script there. The first half was laid out from the first launched ball by Wilson. Lazy, thoughtless and worst of all, obvious. Why play long ball against a team of bulky fishermen who want you to play hoofball? Je ne comprende pas! Coleman was excellent on the ball, O'dea was actually decent on the ball, Brady was quiet and Aiden was Aiden. Andrews had a horror show.
Second half we immediately got the ball on the deck, and James McCarthy decided to take centre midfield by the scruff of the neck. Cox added little I thought, Andrews probed deeper and I thought McGeady was excellent second half. Coleman was super again.
There's not a whole lot of point analysing a wake to be honest. We got the win, as we always should have done. A couple of things I felt I noticed.
I don't believe in Wilson at left back (very rash opinion I agree) - he looks every inch a centre half to me. Twice he was caught on camera pulling the back 4 up into line. In other words, leading. I would get Greg cunningham into the left back slot now. Not next campaign, not 2014. Now. Play him against Greece, against Poland (the poles in particular are strong on the flanks) and have him ready for Sweden in March. He's a left back out-and-out; not a centre-back-cum-defensive-midfielder-cum-left-back like Wilson, or whatever Ward is supposed to be. Or put Kelly there.
Groom Wilson and Duffy for centre back. Assume Dunne is gone. That leaves O'Shea, Ledger, Wilson, Duffy and any of the other 21's that can make the step up. This stuff has to be done sooner rather than later, and to be quite honest, if this campaign is fcuked anyway, I'd rather get our next generation up to speed now, to hit the ground running in 2014.
Something else from tonight....We changed formation totally after the hour mark. McGeady, Walters and Cox played a kind narrow three behind Keane, and subsequently Long. McGeady in particular came very central and we almost had a vertical line of mcCarthy-Andrews-McGeady-Keane.
The central playmaker role is the one best suited to getting the best from McGeady in my opinion, and would go a long way to offering us penetration from open play.
I think we have the players to play good exciting football. I think we have to be less snobby about our players. If Cox is slated for being a championship player, does that mean we discount Chris McCann, Hendrick, young O'Brien etc etc?
The metronome role in our team is the one we need to solve, i.e. the player that keeps the ball moving and prevents the hoof. Doesn't have to be a tackler, a good metronome will cut out passes rather than having to rely solely on the tackle. That player could be McCann, or could be Garvan, but because that player is outlawed in England we overlook him? That's what makes the selection of Green and Cox so wrong...is that there was much better alternatives already there.
I think it's time for the manager to go. I'd thank him, but wouldn't be geneflecting either. I think we can dramatically slash the wage bill and still attract a decent calibre of manager. I'd have two selection groups: a British candidate and European candidates.
There needs to be a cull in the group of players we have. I think we need to broaden our horizons so to speak, and I think I'd be open to an unusual formation if it can be used to suit our best players. You need an edge sometimes in International games. Our edge most of the time was our desire, our will, our passion, commitment, call it what you want. European qualification is so so much tighter now, that we need a different edge, whether that is formationally or tacticallty. We need something. I think Keane's days in International football are over. To play up top you need incredible mobility and strength or speed. Unfortunately they are assets he doesn't have.
We have a number of good single striking options, we have a number of play making options and some central midfield options. We also have a few players that could be best classified as utilities.
Would something along the lines of Bielsa's 3331 formation work for us.....i.e. a stopper such as Ledger flanked by two defenders comfortable (uish) centrally or on the flank, supplemented by a crusher such as Meyler deployed in front of them, again flanked by two athletic runners, with dexterous playmakers in front of them again?
Westwood
Kelly Ledger Wilson
Andrews Meyler McCarthy
Brady mcGeady McClean
Long
Just a thought.....
Here they come! It’s the charge of the “Thanks” Brigade!
Good post Kingdom - would agree with most of it although I really don't get the slagging of Cox. Feel sorry for the guy continually being played out of position, but think he has a really good touch and is an effective striker.
Think the 3331 might be a tactical stretch too far for our players though. I'd imagine our defenders getting pulled all over the place.
Ou-est le Centre George Pompidou?
We've seen a dozen or so lads head off to various European countries in the last few years and by and large the experience has been a disaster.
If we want to improve the quality of players, then we need to improve the youth setup in Ireland. If we keep continuing to send our players to the UK or Europe, very often they will just end be chewed up and spat out.
I think you have this sort of backwards. It's not that our youngsters are unwilling to go to Europe (though most would prefer England) - it's that European teams don't bother scouting here.
I think the notion of a single captain is a bit outdated. It doesn't really matter who is wearing the armband when you have the likes of Keane, Dunne and Given in the side. On Friday we just lacked leaders full stop, with the notable exception of Andrews and Walters.As for the game v Germany. It is obvious to anyone that attends Ireland games, that JOSh is not captain material. He just doesn't lead, doesn't inspire confidence and is prone to mistakes. None of the other back 4 were candidates either. Personally speaking I felt Keith Andrews should have been captain. He is courageous, self-aware of his own limitations, but honest as the day is long.
Nice post, good reading. Just wondered where, if anywhere, you see Ciaran Clark in the shake up for this spot?
Robbie Keane is so delusional and desperate to boost his stats that he's convincing himself that he has scored other player's goals. The sooner he ****es off to LA and stays there the better.
You've got no fans.
Any link to see the game highlights lads?
fbtz.com/forum
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FZuibkL8Xw8
No sense in linking there, registration is closed.
My Guarantee
Am looking for old Irish matches on VHS, PM me if you have some and I'll upload them here
would love to see if thats true - 120 quid on a bet like that, really
For completeness, the Faroes were not the bottom seeds, Kazak were. This is primarily due to the success Kerr had.
I wonder if the games were reversed with the German game last night and the Faroes game on Friday, would Trap get the sack?? Because I dont think he will now. And a part of me feels he probably deserves to see out this campaign.
Good result tonight and the players showed good resolve to come back from a mauling. We still look very shaky and short of confidence which is a worry. Dont think we can do without Sledger and Dunne at the back - another poor goal conceded.
Good to see the likes of McCarthy and Coleman and to a lesser extent Wilson, get the ball down and play some clever football tonight. This positive was matched by the negative of poor possession retention from Andrews and McGeady.
Dont underestimate the confidence and presence Keane gives to the team. Fair play to him, he gives it all for us and despite the haters, he rarely has a game where he does not have some impact.
Sweden result is bad news for us. I can only hope the Germans remember this and look for revenge in the away game (even though they will be qualified by then). The double header against Sweden and Austria in March is massive now. Need four points from there and to qualify will more than likely need to do what we havent since 2001, beat a team seeded above us.
Lovely, now that the cracks (or massive, gaping holes) are papered over, I can start planning my trip over for the next Qualifiers.
My Guarantee
Am looking for old Irish matches on VHS, PM me if you have some and I'll upload them here
The Swedish result means, in essence, our qualification campaign is over. We can pretend otherwise but we are likely done. As such, time for a change and a focus on new players and systems with an eye on the expanded Eurosi in 2016.
There is no such thing as a miracle cure, a free lunch or a humble opinion.
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