Ireland V Sweden(A) 22 March & Austria(H) - 26 March 2013 - World Cup 2014 Qualifiers

**Crosby87** · 26/03/2013, 9:34 PM

If you look at the way the remaining schedule shakes out, and assuming Germany is not going to roll over for SWE on 15 OCT, it shakes out do-able for us.
http://www.uefa.com/worldcup/season=...658/index.html

**Closed Account 2** · 26/03/2013, 9:36 PM

I think we would have lost that under Stan, I agree Trap's not setting Irish football alight and to say he's doing an average job is a bit generous, but Stan was many rungs further down the ladder.

**brine3** · 26/03/2013, 9:37 PM

Originally Posted by Crosby87

If you look at the way the remaining schedule shakes out, and assuming Germany is not going to roll over for SWE on 15 OCT, it shakes out do-able for us.
http://www.uefa.com/worldcup/season=...658/index.html

Of course it is still doable, that's why all is not lost if we get somebody who is positive and has basic communication skills in charge of the team.

**geysir** · 26/03/2013, 9:39 PM

We needed to win to make it doable, We didn't, we are out of the running. And we deserve to be out of it.

**Closed Account 2** · 26/03/2013, 9:40 PM

Who though? I don't see any credible candidates save Brian McDermott and even he would be a risk

**Grafter** · 26/03/2013, 9:43 PM

This campaign has eerie similarities with World Cup 2006 campaign.... and tonight's match with Israel 2-2 home game ....

**NeverFeltBetter** · 26/03/2013, 9:43 PM

Not worth sacking Trap now. Time for that, if they were going to do it, was October. Might as well let him see out this campaign, encourage him to blood new players. Still that faint hope it can all come right, but requires Ireland to do things they haven't been able to do under Trapattoni.

**geysir** · 26/03/2013, 9:45 PM

What's the panic with finding a new manager, there's plenty of time. This campaign is a write off.

**zero** · 26/03/2013, 9:45 PM

surprised at the number of people who think we are 'still in the running' after that.

i suppose we are if we have a succession of miracles. you could see it coming a mile off, sitting further and further back in the second half. the bizarre substitutions did not help.

no real point sticking with trap for the remainder - he'll be what, 77 come the next euros? just going through the motions til the end of this campaign now hoping to finish 3rd.

**SkStu** · 26/03/2013, 9:48 PM

Originally Posted by cfdh_edmundo

I think we would have lost that under Stan, I agree Trap's not setting Irish football alight and to say he's doing an average job is a bit generous, but Stan was many rungs further down the ladder.

I dont think Stans tenure is what we should be comparing our expectations against. That trap is many rungs above Stan says more about how terrible Stan was than how great Trap is.

Trap is a failure.

**BonnieShels** · 26/03/2013, 9:55 PM

Originally Posted by abcd

Massive setback, almost feels as bad as Macedonia in 99, but only ourselves to blame. After going a goal down we really got at them and it was obvious that while they are good technical footballers they were a pile of **** at the back. I thought we'd try and stay a bit more positive in the 2nd half but we sat back waiting for the inevitable. You might get away with it sometimes against teams like Armenia and so forth but if you keep sitting back eventually it comes back to haunt you. The substitutions or lack thereof were disappointing. Sammon was so bad he was useful for 60 minutes or so because Austria didn't know what to do with him. However, he needed to be called ashore at that stage. After winning the free kick in the corner on 90 minutes we made a serious hash of it when we could have at least run down the clock by a minute. We got away with home draws against Bulgaria, Slovakia etc. because they were so poor but Sweden are seasoned qualifiers and this result will give Austria hope so this result imo is fatal to our hopes.

This is it. I haven't felt so low in a while. As I said after the Swedish match I'm sick of drawing when we should win and going out and getting gutsy draws. We can play when we're allowed.

Sammon was useful as the Austrians hadn't a clue how to handle him and Long was magnificent in taking on the knockdowns when they came.

McClean had is best game in an Irish shirt. McCarthy's ability to spot some of the passes he made was something to behold at times.

But once we had them on the ropes we tired and Plan A wasn't gonna work when we were tired. Wessi or Doyle needed to come on at that stage. I had no issue with Green coming on or even Long going off but how the formation went at that stage was unacceptable.

For some people to write off that goal as bad luck or a bad deflection is a cop-out. When you allow a player the space that Alaba had to take a shot through a crowded box you end up with something like that. We had done everything right and again an Irish team failed to kill off an inferior opponent. So what that they can pass the pall, so could the Armenians but we were better than them tonight and changing our tactics from 60' onwards would have won that game handily.

I wanted to wait to see tonight out before making my judgement and we need a change at the top. NOW!
The only thing that Alaba's goal did was make me feel ill it hasn't affected my judgement on Trap.

That last 30' was why Trap should go. Not the equaliser. A pox.

**geysir** · 26/03/2013, 9:56 PM

Originally Posted by cfdh_edmundo

I think we would have lost that under Stan, I agree Trap's not setting Irish football alight and to say he's doing an average job is a bit generous, but Stan was many rungs further down the ladder.

I don't know. We got Germany as second seeds in that Euro Qual draw, that meant we were basically fcked before a ball was kicked. We beat Wales and Slovakia at home and drew with the Czech rep. we were playing 3 dead rubbers after the 2 away games. For sure Stan was a few rungs down the ladder but the qualitative differences between his results/performances and Trap's, were not that great.

**BonnieShels** · 26/03/2013, 9:57 PM

Originally Posted by Grafter

This campaign has eerie similarities with World Cup 2006 campaign.... and tonight's match with Israel 2-2 home game ....

Exactly what it felt like.

GAH to EASTER games!

**ArdeeBhoy** · 26/03/2013, 10:00 PM

Bah, surely?

**Murfinator** · 26/03/2013, 10:01 PM

Originally Posted by geysir

We needed to win to make it doable, We didn't, we are out of the running. And we deserve to be out of it.

We're 2 points ahead of Austria (dropped to kazakh) and 1 behind Sweden (gained at germany) in the mini table with 4 games to go. We're in as good a position now as we were ever likely to be in and the exact same as every other campaign. We were never able to beat Slovakia or Bulgaria home or away either who were both weaker to Austria or Sweden. Stop the hyperbolic nonsense.

**born2bwild** · 26/03/2013, 10:03 PM

Originally Posted by geysir

What's the panic with finding a new manager, there's plenty of time. This campaign is a write off.

Yes, this campaign is a write off. So Trap out now to give A N Other a chance to bed in before the campaign for the next Euros begins.

**zero** · 26/03/2013, 10:04 PM

Originally Posted by Murfinator

We're 2 points ahead of Austria (dropped to kazakh) and 1 behind Sweden (gained at germany) in the mini table with 4 games to go. We're in as good a position now as we were ever likely to be in and the exact same as every other campaign. We were never able to beat Slovakia or Bulgaria home or away either who were both weaker to Austria or Sweden. Stop the hyperbolic nonsense.

barring more than one miracle, we're out. deal with it.

**BonnieShels** · 26/03/2013, 10:04 PM

Originally Posted by Murfinator

We're 2 points ahead of Austria (dropped to kazakh) and 1 behind Sweden (gained at germany) in the mini table with 4 games to go. We're in as good a position now as we were ever likely to be in and the exact same as every other campaign. We were never able to beat Slovakia or Bulgaria home or away either who were both weaker to Austria or Sweden. Stop the hyperbolic nonsense.

If we had beaten Austria tonight like we should have we would be in an infinitely better position. We wouldn't now be under pressure to get 6 points against them in the remaining matches. Stop your faux-realistic nonsense.

geysir is right, we f**ked it up!

**elroy** · 26/03/2013, 10:06 PM

I think this is the night I finally lose patience with Trap. We have been here several nights before - Georgia, Cyprus, Slovakia, Macedonia are just three examples, where the fact pattern was very similar, but we got away with it each of those nights.

The vast majority of us freezing our balls off in the ground could see the change in approach from 65 mins or so. We stopped attacking, gave away the ball constantly and let the Austrians come on to us. And you know what the most annoying thing is, they were quite weak at the back and we were causing them serious trouble with set pieces. Why not keep attacking, keep an offensive attitude.

Changes were long overdue and when they were made, they were not up to scratch. For me, Long shouldve stayed on. I think Sammon offered very little and is a very poor mans Doyle. I wouldve liked to see Hoolahan on for a very tired Whelan, there was also a case for Wilson to be taken off as he looked unfit/tired in last 20 mins. Also wouldve liked to see either Keogh or Brady on for last ten mins to run at them while hitting them on the break.

A massive opportunity missed to really set us up in the group. We need to break this hoodoo of not winning at home. We cant rely on others this time - we must beat Sweden at home and possibly Austria away but certainly the Sweden win is a must. Looks like it will either be our group or group E that wont get a playoff spot.