Ireland V Germany(A) 11th October & Kazakhstan(H) 15th October 2013 - World Cup '14 Q

**IsMiseSean** · 14/10/2013, 4:38 PM

Anyone know the rules regarding yellow cards?
If memory serves me correctly Coleman & Whelan are on YC, will another see them suspended for the opening game of the ECQ?

**ArdeeBhoy** · 14/10/2013, 5:30 PM

With any luck Whelan won't still be in the frame for the next Euros...

**shakermaker1982** · 14/10/2013, 6:11 PM

I just want a proper side put out tomorrow night with players looking to play some football.

Forde

Coleman Clark Dunne Wilson

McGeady McCarthy Gibson Reid

Keane Long

We don't need 5 in midfield against these guys so stick with the basic 4-4-2.

**the bear** · 14/10/2013, 6:51 PM

Just play this team Noel, we might even learn something

___________________Forde
Coleman____Doc________Clark_____Wilson
_____________Gibbo_____McCarthy
_________________Hoolahoop
McGeady________________________Pilkington
__________________Long

**Stuttgart88** · 14/10/2013, 7:11 PM

Yes, we might learn how futile it is picking a player who has already returned to his club due to injury.

**Grafter** · 14/10/2013, 8:06 PM

How low could the crowd be tomorrow night? 15 - 20000? Carling Nations Cup attendance?????

**Crosby87** · 14/10/2013, 10:39 PM

And what about the friendly Vs Hungary? I guess if there is a new manager it would be a little exciting but there will be some empty seats for that massive clash. Rumors abound Stutts is going to tear his raincoat off and go streaking at halftime too which would make matters worse.

**DannyInvincible** · 15/10/2013, 1:00 AM

Originally Posted by Crosby87

And what about the friendly Vs Hungary?

Serbia, you mean?

**Crosby87** · 15/10/2013, 1:20 AM

oopsie. that would be the indos error actually, is where i read it.

**DannyInvincible** · 15/10/2013, 1:28 AM

Just noticing Kazakhstan have a defender by the name of Mark Gorman in their squad.

Call him up, Noel!

**ArdeeBhoy** · 15/10/2013, 2:17 AM

Surely, more a question for the Eligibility thread...

**paul_oshea** · 15/10/2013, 10:57 AM

How have they got that guy? What is the connection I am intrigued!

Keanes comments this morning p1ssed me off. Look at Denmark/Switzerland/Sweden. More often than not they qualify.

**ArdeeBhoy** · 15/10/2013, 11:03 AM

Why, what did he say now?
All those countries are lot more organised that we often are.

**Stuttgart88** · 15/10/2013, 11:06 AM

Originally Posted by paul_oshea

Keanes comments this morning p1ssed me off. Look at Denmark/Switzerland/Sweden. More often than not they qualify.

The old "lower expectations" and "we haven't got the players" arguments are strawmen. We absolutely do have the players to at least compete for second spot and to not make the football look like a hot potato.

If the players themselves believe they're not good enough to compete for second spot in a qualifying group then they should question how much they're earning.

**DannyInvincible** · 15/10/2013, 11:08 AM

Originally Posted by paul_oshea

How have they got that guy? What is the connection I am intrigued!

He's not actually Irish, in spite of the name. He was born in Almaty.

Keanes comments this morning p1ssed me off. Look at Denmark/Switzerland/Sweden. More often than not they qualify.

These comments, I'm guessing?: http://www.rte.ie/sport/soccer/inter...-expectations/

The 33-year-old said: "People in England talk about the FA trying to change the structure and trying to play a lot more English players, and they are slowly suffering from that.

"We are going to be at the bottom of that, we are going to suffer as well from that, so if that does change, then it's only going to benefit us as well.

"We need more players to be coming through playing at a higher level. At the moment, that's not the case. Obviously, there are a few, there's no question about that.

"The expectation level has always been high in Ireland, that's just the country that we are, that's the way we have always been.

"There's no harm in having expectations, but sometimes you have to look at the reality as well, and the reality is at the moment we are just not right there."

He's become a public apologist for disappointing team displays of late.

**Stuttgart88** · 15/10/2013, 11:13 AM

Another case of the headline not really reflecting the story though, no? "We are just not right there" is probably fair enough, but many would have you believe we expect to be qualifying by right. We don't.

Right from the draw for this group it was obvious we were up against a superpower and a regular qualifier so we'd have our work cut out. Second place would have been a very very good achievement.

But even in that context the group was an unmitigated disaster. It's not unrealistic to expect better with the players we have.

**ArdeeBhoy** · 15/10/2013, 11:14 AM

Hmm, be more inclined to agree with Robbie...don't think we do have the players currently, to be amongst say the top 10-15 European teams that will qualify for Brazil.
Could have made a better fist of some performances and results but ultimately we're not good enough and suspect this will be the case for the next two World Cups. The Euros are another matter, but ultimately a lot less interesting, especially if 2020 goes in the direction it suggests.

**BonnieShels** · 15/10/2013, 11:15 AM

Originally Posted by DannyInvincible

Just noticing Kazakhstan have a defender by the name of Mark Gorman in their squad.

Call him up, Noel!

Given that his name is Gorman I would have initially guessed there were Jewish origins there as the Irish diaspora in Kazakhstan isn't one of our more famous invasions.

There’s a good few Gormans in Israel. Nothing to do with our lads. I learnt this after watching the Dave Gorman Collection on BBC 2 about ten years ago.

http://www.hebrewsurnames.com/GORMAN

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gorman_(surname)

**shakermaker1982** · 15/10/2013, 11:17 AM

McGeady yesterday and now Keane waving the white flag.

Christ no wonder we don't have players turning out for Man Utd, Arsenal etc nowadays if that is the prevalent attitude within the squad. I liked Strachan's comment on the BBC website about how his players need to start working harder and stop feeling sorry for themselves about how difficult it is with the number of foreign imports in the game.