Republic of Ireland V Greece - Wednesday, 14th November 2012 - Friendly

[Crosby87]

Swan did you at least score? During the game I mean?

[Supreme feet]

Forde - Hadn't much to do, one good save from a long range shot.

Coleman - Outstanding. Seems to have settled into the RB role, really growing in confidence.
O'Shea - Poor. Too many long balls as usual, fell asleep for the Greek goal.
Clark - Hadn't much to do, no major clangers. Experience will do him good. Deserved a booking for that challenge, but it wasn't the 'horror tackle' that the Greeks made it out to be.
Ward - Again, too many aimless balls forward, and always vulnerable defensively.

Whelan - Awful. Never knows what he is going to do before he receives the ball, no vision, no technique. Some of his passes were truly dreadful. Offers nothing.
(Andrews) - Did the simple things well enough, put himself about more than Whelan, but nothing more than a workhorse.
McCarthy - Pretty tidy. Still growing into the international game, but the talent is there, at least.
(Meyler) - No better than Whelan/Andrews, on this evidence. Some shocking passes. The search for young central midfield talent continues.
McClean - Awful. He will have better games, but he's in danger of turning into a less likeable version of Kilbane in his younger days. Some wasteful shooting, poor vision and abysmal crossing.
Brady - Some nice touches and link-up play with Coleman. Good technique and movement, hopefully he'll kick on with regular football at club level.
(Hoolahan) - Thought he did well, always looking for the ball and using it intelligently.

Cox - A lot of running, little effect. Limited. Getting more game time than he deserves. Certainly not a winger.
(Keogh) - As above.
Long - Pity he was taken off at half-time (must have been an agreement with Steve Clarke, surely?). Good pace, led the line well, may have worked better with Hoolahan if he had stayed on. Certainly offers more of a threat than Doyle.
(Doyle) - Best days seem to be over, sadly. No goal threat. Won a few 50-50s, but we need more than that if we're looking to eventually play one up front in big games.

Overall, a 6/10. We have played worse under Trap. Passed and kept the ball well at times, didn't always resort to hoofball, and a few of the young lads showed up well. Lack of penetration is a big worry.

[shakermaker1982]

We are just going to go through the motions until the Trap stands down at the end of this campaign.

Only unearthing a young Roy Keane can help the cause and let's face it that isn't going to happen. Investing heavily in youth football across the island is the only way forward from here. World Soccer ran an excellent piece on Mexico a couple of issues ago about how they focused on the under age national teams and it's now starting to pay dividends. Obviously their population and playing pool is much larger but club sides do work together to help the national cause. Something isn't right with the set up in Ireland at present and heads need to be banged together to come up with a solution. Where is the next Damian Duff going to come from? Are talented kids playing rugby instead?

[geysir]

I don't mind that we stuttered and struggled to be fluent with trying something different, a basic passing game against a team who can defend and pass the ball blindfolded.
I would mind if the opportunity was dismissed to build upon this experience like it has been in the past.
I didn't expect Hoolahan to come in the game after half time, impose a passing fluency and every other player would tune in.
I'm not convinced at all that Trap has the wherewithall to organise our team this way but definitely as long as he's around I hope he persists. So far he has applied himself with a wishy washy deference to the alternatives to relentless hoofing.
I was impressed with Brady for an out and out rookie at club senior level, he has the makings of fine player. I'd hope he will be around the squad until he's ready for a starting place. I'm not perturbed by McClean, poor at times but who knows he might be on a learning curve, if not then so be it.

[SwanVsDalton]

A good friend of mine once said, a Country's football team is a good representation of its people.

There is a general feeling of disinterest amongst the Irish public with regards to the national football team and that resonates in the teams performances.

Maybe not you individually, but sum up all those "individuals" and you get the point.

Its not an "i'm not more metal than you" argument, if that's what you are reading from it.

To sum up, there is a general malaise affecting the Irish team at present, and it could be charactierised from a support point of view as well. All stakeholders appear somewhat disinterested*

Funny that everyone who thanked your post didn't attend the game and/or missed some of it though And incase you were wondering I didn't attend the game, but I didn't have a choice, I did ensure though that I got to see all of it. As bad and as dour as it was.

*There are always exceptions

I hear that point but I still think it would be better made, say, by the flat atmosphere/empty seats last year when playing Slovakia at home in a must-win qualifier rather than last night's dour fest at the end of an international year when morale's taking a bit of a shoeing.

Also, in general, you're preaching to the choir here - must of us round this forum have likely seen more than our fair share of dour Irish friendlies. I think we've paid our dues if we skip out every once and a while!

Swan did you at least score? During the game I mean?

It was a goal fest 16-15 victory and I only managed one - a long range optimistic effort that the keeper should've kept out. Hit the post a couple of times. In line with Ireland, it wasn't my night in front of goal but we did at least win!

[ArdeeBhoy]

Like us all, myself included (Wouldn't even watch a home friendly on TV, FFS), PO'S has also missed 'many' games, so my spies tell me.

So what...

[geysir]

Did he not lose his way (at least) once, trying to get from the pub to the ground?

[Stuttgart88]

There's a big bandwagon element to Irish sport and particularly football, but even with that in mind it's worth noting that the public isn't stupid.

They know full well what they're going to get served up and they know that the game counts for nothing.

Home performances under Trap have been dross for the most part and the economic climate is crap.

I'd always go myself if I was living in Dublin but on the evidence of the last 3 years' home games, it'd be out of a sense of duty and loyalty and not in the expectation that it'd be time or money well spent. Anyone living beyond the pale or overseas is fully justified picking and choosing in my opinion.

There's plenty of better football to watch in Ireland and on TV for the punters to choose from.

[paul_oshea]

Like us all, myself included (Wouldn't even watch a home friendly on TV, FFS), PO'S has also missed 'many' games, so my spies tell me.

So what...

What spies, just cos i don't hang around with the ones you hang around with, doesn't mean I haven't gone :evil:

Did he not lose his way (at least) once, trying to get from the pub to the ground?

that was only 15mins fast walking.....

[Predator]

Based on last night's performance, Trap must realise that Glenn Whelan's days are numbered. He looked robotic in the centre alongside McCarthy, lacking any kind of "fantasia" to get his head up and look around. His simple passing is quite poor too. He often plays a pass through the air, which is more difficult for the recipient to control, when a simple along-the-ground pass would suffice - that is schoolboy stuff.

[jbyrne]

There's a big bandwagon element to Irish sport and particularly football, but even with that in mind it's worth noting that the public isn't stupid.

They know full well what they're going to get served up and they know that the game counts for nothing.

Home performances under Trap have been dross for the most part and the economic climate is crap.

I'd always go myself if I was living in Dublin but on the evidence of the last 3 years' home games, it'd be out of a sense of duty and loyalty and not in the expectation that it'd be time or money well spent. Anyone living beyond the pale or overseas is fully justified picking and choosing in my opinion.

There's plenty of better football to watch in Ireland and on TV for the punters to choose from.

there are only about 6 home matches a season so not a huge commitment for a fan. yes, a lot of the time the football isnt great but i cant see myself ever prefering to stay at home rather than go to a home match. i saw some positives last night that i feel i would have missed if watching on telly. its also great to meet up with the lads i have gone with to matches for years, compare our expectations before kick off and then discuss what inevitably went wrong over a few pints afterwards (paid for it this morning though!)! you just cant beat the feeling of attending a live match

[jbyrne]

McClean - Awful. He will have better games, but he's in danger of turning into a less likeable version of Kilbane in his younger days. Some wasteful shooting, poor vision and abysmal crossing.

traps insistence on playing our wingers on their wrong side greatly contributes to this. its baffling really particularly for a very direct wideman like mcclean. his strength is knocking it past a player and whipping the ball in. having to check back onto his stronger foot takes away his threat

[punkrocket]

Lack of penetration is a big worry.

What do you expect with Long Cox?

[DeLorean]

I'd always go myself if I was living in Dublin

I would as well.

it'd be out of a sense of duty and loyalty and not in the expectation that it'd be time or money well spent.

This is where we differ. I don't feel a sense duty at all. I pick and choose games that suit me, whether it be at home or away. I'm 100% selfish in my decision making. If it's a trip that appeals to me, I will look into it. Stockholm in March is a must and Vienna appeals to me also. Shoot me down but Cologne probably depends on our qualification chances. Life is too short and money is too hard to come by to be throwing away on a sense of duty if you ask me.

I might be overly cynical but it always makes me cringe a little when I hear people talking about 'going to support the team' as if it's the only reason they're there. I go because I love football and there's usually a lot of craic involved. It's for me I go, not the team. That's not to say I don't support them when I'm there, or that I'm not a bit depressed when they lose. Fair play to those who spend all their money and give up their time soley for the Irish team, and not their own satisfaction but I'd be lying if I claimed that was me.

[paul_oshea]

traps insistence on playing our wingers on their wrong side greatly contributes to this. its baffling really particularly for a very direct wideman like mcclean. his strength is knocking it past a player and whipping the ball in. having to check back onto his stronger foot takes away his threat

Do you think he believes perhaps that it improves their game and adds an extra dimension? As though, when he speaks of young players, he thinks they are u12.

[jbyrne]

Do you think he believes perhaps that it improves their game and adds an extra dimension? As though, when he speaks of young players, he thinks they are u12.

id say its a defensive thing. i've lost count of the times over the years that our wingers in very promising positions in behind the oppositions full back messed up the cross or had to check back onto their stronger foot thereby wasting the chance to get in a decent cross

[tricky_colour]

Missed it as at work but have it recorded- worth watching later?

Yes it was a pretty good game, I thought, we had a quite a bit of possession and I was on the edge of my seat at times
thinking a goal was coming, however as you know the scoreline you might not get the same effect, I have seen a lot
worse Ireland matches lets put it that way. A few incidents in the match worth seeing.

[tricky_colour]

Coleman was brilliant, thought Clarke had a very good game too. McClean woeful, again. Seriously don't get all the hype about him

Possibly a bit of second season syndrome, he was always a bit of a rough diamond but there seems more rough than diamond at the moment.

[trevy]

What was the attendance for the game? It looked a poor enough crowd but can't really blame fans for not turning up for friendlies the way we are playing at the moment.

[DeLorean]

16,256. Not great on a night we received an award for our support