Our lads 3-0 The other lot

[tiktok]

Too many times he goes out wide to get the ball, and then when he gets it, hasn't a clue how to use it.
He's also a loud mouth always giving out to other players when the ball doesn't come to him, but I for one wouldn't blame the others for not passing to him out wide.

In this situation during the game he usually picked the ball up wide on the right wing, to be fair, he had to wait for Carr or Kavanagh to collect it because Reid kept drifting inside, But I thought he held it up and battled well.

As for the loudmouth comment, did you see the whining from his striking partner on the day ffs, I wouldn't blame him for giving out when the guy you're playing with seems intent on constantly stepping over the ball, when that tactic has never worked for the two of them.

Morrison isn't brilliant, and I hope we get a better partner for Robbie in the short to medium term but he gets unfair stick, from what I've seen in previous games, there's just no understanding between he and Keane, but he works hard, and he's the best we've got right now.

[Peadar]

Morrison really p1sses me off. Okay he did well for the goal, and had another few chances (he should defintely have put another one away), but its when he gets the ball in other areas that proves his downfall.

To be fair he was our best forward player on Saturday.
I like the fact that he is there to get on the end of crosses with this head.

[cullenswood]

To be fair he was our best forward player on Saturday.
I like the fact that he is there to get on the end of crosses with this head.

I agree he was our best forward on saturday, but Robbie Keane had a very bad day at the office and is obviously not match fit yet. He is however far and away Ireland's best striker.
Morrisson has been muck for the past 10 games and just cos he scored yesterday all that shouldn't be forgotten.
Unfortunately we don't really have anyone else to replace him.

[blobbyblob]

Robbie Keane had a very bad day at the office and is obviously not match fit yet.

How come he put in a MOTM performance the week before in the premiership and he was only on the field for 63 minutes.

No excuses. He had a crap game and Morrison played very well.

[Lionel Ritchie]

I thought Morrisson had a pretty good game -not withstanding his tendency to panic a bit as he pulls the trigger.
the header was sweet but he was completely unchallenged for it. There might be a similar bit of joy in Switzerland for him.

Thing that bugs me about the Ireland team in general though is we can never seem to turn the screw on these weak teams. While we should've been running in six against Cyprus -the swiss WERE running in six against the faroes. now the goals against one of those sides probably won't come into the reckoning ...but still.

[Pat O' Banton]

Thing is also it seemed like Kav was doing exactly the job for Ireland that Miller is doing with Manure, drop deep, show for the ball and move it on. Did release Duff with one brilliant 50/60 yard pass in the first half, over all think he did exactly what was asked of him.

Morrison I thought had a good game, outside the free header didn't and one he blazed over in the second half couldn't have done more with the chances that came his way. Looked v. lively and gave the Cypriot defence all sorts of problems.

Duff only really got going in te second half pretty much to be expected for a man whose had so little football this year.

Carr and Keane didn't really have good games, thought Finnan looked far more certain going forward then Carr did, as for Robbie I think it was just an off day no more no less.

Team looked settled at 3-0 and seemed as if they were conserving some energy for Wed night towards the end.

[Stuttgart88]

I thought that was pretty decent on Saturday. No more, no less.

3 points, a goal from Clinton & great performances from Reid and Duff. A good warm up for the real action I’d say.

I was expecting Cyprus to be much better than they were (“no easy games in international football any more” and all that).

I think KK has come in for a bit of unfair criticism. I think he adds more bite than Holland does. He covers more ground, wins more tackles and gets forward more. I think he complemented Kavanagh well on Saturday. He has pace and mobility whereas Kavanagh has composure and the ability to conduct play. With Duff out left and Reid floating around the midfield had a really good balance to it.

I’m glad Kavanagh got a chance to show what he’s about. His consistent omission from McCarthy’s squads in favour of Kinsella is baffling. He’s good in the tackle, composed on the ball and has a good range of passes. He does a lot of the uncomplicated stuff Keane does: he’s always the first to take the ball from the defence and he always makes himself available for a pass from his teammates at both ends of the pitch. Simple enough in theory but having this kind of player cuts out the temptation to play aimless long balls. I think it’s this type of role that Miller will make his own in the coming years.

Kav’s biggest failing is a lack of pace which is why I think KK will start on Wednesday.

We’re pretty well served in the middle now. Keane, KK, Kav, Holland, Miller, Delap. Healy might yet make the grade and there are promising young lads coming through too.

With O’Shea out I hope Finnan starts left back.

With regard to Clinton going wide – it was his cross that set up Holland’s goal vs Romania and his pin point cross that Robbie headed over against Brazil. I was hoping Lee would start on Saturday but Clinton justified his place. We know he’s not top rate so we’ve just got to hope he takes more chances. The fact that he misses a lot at least shows he has a good idea where to be. He’ll be more confident now. Robbie was brutal but hopefully 90 minutes in that heat will have done him good.

I’ve a good feeling about Wednesday but it’s a really hard one to call. We simply must take the chances that come our way. They looked good from set pieces against England.

I’d love to be a fly on the wall in the Irish camp this week. I’d say they’re absolutely steaming for revenge.

[razor]

I’d love to be a fly on the wall in the Irish camp this week. I’d say they’re absolutely steaming for revenge.

Aren't we all.

[Peadar]

Duff only really got going in te second half pretty much to be expected for a man whose had so little football this year.

Duff was given a bit more space in the second half, especially when O'Shea went off. All too often everyone piled over to the left and poor old Duffer was crowded out.

Team looked settled at 3-0 and seemed as if they were conserving some energy for Wed night towards the end.

I was only sitting on the North Terrace and I felt I should conserve my energy. The heat was unreal! It was hotter than if the game had been away in Cyprus!

[Pat O' Banton]

Duff was given a bit more space in the second half, especially when O'Shea went off. All too often everyone piled over to the left and poor old Duffer was crowded out.



I was only sitting on the North Terrace and I felt I should conserve my energy. The heat was unreal! It was hotter than if the game had been away in Cyprus!

Was in Cyprus last time, piled out of the hotel shorts, football top attire got to the ground and I was fcuking freezing.

[Peadar]

Was in Cyprus last time, piled out of the hotel shorts, football top attire got to the ground and I was fcuking freezing.

We were talking about that on Saturday.
Scorcher of a day, head off out to the ground in the middle of the dessert, sun goes down and the boys are shivering like Iraqis in Abu Ghraib!
I was so cold that night I had to take down my flag and wrap it around me.

[John83]

From the Daily Telegraph:

Ireland increasingly dominated possession but let themselves down with consistently poor final balls. Struggling to get into Birmingham City's first team, Clinton Morrison had not scored for his country for more than a year. But his goal drought ended in the 77th minute, when he met Duff's right-footed cross from the left by glancing a 32nd minute header just inside the far post.

[razor]

Clinton Morrison had not scored for his country

Thats hilarious alright.

[Schumi]

Duff was given a bit more space in the second half, especially when O'Shea went off. All too often everyone piled over to the left and poor old Duffer was crowded out.

A lot of that was down to Andy Reid roaming inside and giving no width on the right.

[Peadar]

A lot of that was down to Andy Reid roaming inside and giving no width on the right.

If that wasn't a tactic I'm suprised that Kerr left him get away with it.
If it was a tactic then Morrisson was the wrong player to have picking up the space on the right.
Andy O'Brien had to show him how it's done.
Well done Andy O' great work for the goal.

[Schumi]

If that wasn't a tactic I'm suprised that Kerr left him get away with it.

Yeah, I couldn't work out if it was deliberate or not but I don't think it was such a great idea either way. Whatever about losing the width on the right, it meant that Duff was left with much less room on the other side and also Stephen Carr ended up having to take the ball forward on the right and left a big hole behind him. There were a couple of occasions when the ball was given away that a better team could have punished us for that.

[Peadar]

There were a couple of occasions when the ball was given away that a better team could have punished us for that.

Chalk it down!
There were times when I saw the space open up for them and nearly had a heartattack! Then I realised it was Cyprus at their worst.
Israel would have given us more problems.

[eirebhoy]

Thing is also it seemed like Kav was doing exactly the job for Ireland that Miller is doing with Manure, drop deep, show for the ball and move it on. Did release Duff with one brilliant 50/60 yard pass in the first half, over all think he did exactly what was asked of him.

The holding role, the role that Holland is supposed to do. If Kavanagh gets the go ahead to partner Keane on Wedensday he'll be getting forward a lot more.

Someone mentioned his set pieces. I agree, they've been crap for Ireland which I can't understand as he got 6 goals and 7 assists in 26 matches last season, nearly all from set pieces.

[Junior]

Seems to be very positive feedback on Morrsion. Personally thought he was shocking. Put one away from 4-6 clear chances, 3-5 half chances. Not good enough, he simply won't get that amount of chances against the swiss or french.

Robbie was shocking. If he tries that fecking dummy again (the one that failed miserably half a dozen times) I'll shoot him, my mother could read what he was doing it was so bleedin obvious

[thecorner]

Robbie was shocking. If he tries that fecking dummy again (the one that failed miserably half a dozen times) I'll shoot him, my mother could read what he was doing it was so bleedin obvious

the free kick(passback) as well in the first half was dreadful