Jack Grealish has announced his retirement from international football.
http://www.independent.ie/sport/socc...siretires.html
Last edited by tricky_colour; 07/06/2015 at 2:58 PM.
Yeah, that's embarrassing alright! I wonder do the Olé Olé crowd know how much proper English football fans laugh at them?Originally Posted by DannyInvincible
Ha! May I (re)tweet that, tricky?
Not that it'll happen in a competitive game but Arter and Hendrick midfield was very unsettled. I've said it before that I worry about Hendrick on the ball there. He seems very good at one touch stuff but when he has to take a second and there are bodies around he seems to panic. Arter looked lively but a lot of his touches resulted in England regaining possession. Not meaning to be too harsh on them though. They'll definitely add something going on and beside either McCarthy or Whelan they'd be more settled.
I think our best midfield would still be McCarthy, Whelan and Hoolahan but I'm not sure does it suit to play all 3 because O'Neill would still fancy two wingers (2 of McGeady, Walters and McClean with the two former looking most likely) which means Hoolahan would be playing more of a 10 role in behind, probably, Keane. That results in having one striker in a home game which is not preferable either, I don't think. In terms of Hoolahan's potential involvement against Scotland, I see it as positive, in that regard, that he wasn't involved because he's known to have been carrying a knock so maybe he has been rested.. Wishful thinking.
McShane made one error out on the right then came in and made a lovely sliding interception which got good distance in it's clearance. If we were going with a 3-5-2, I think he'd be ideal to start. Don't see it happening though. There were a couple of times we were caught in possession at the back but I think that was down to the nature of the game in that England seemed to be fairly unpredictable in their pressing which was probably due to the fact that it was a June friendly.
0-0 was the fairest result and it was a good, injury-free (I hope/think) run-out against good quality opposition. All that means that we can expect maximum exertion and enjoy a bit of home passion on Saturday, I hope.
Last edited by Olé Olé; 07/06/2015 at 2:41 PM.
England team headed to crackbird en masse after the snoozer, players tweeted.
Robbie Keane is maintaining his climb up the LA scene as Claudine recounts adventures with A listers backstage at U2s LA show last week. Honestly, who would want to see U2 anymore? Is it 1994?
No Somos muchos pero estamos locos.
That game needed a goal....
Ground very flat. Need to take our chances next week. Still not sure what our strongest 11 is, quite a few spots still up for grabs.
Thought O'Shea had a good game.
I think you're spot on there re O'Shea. I don't think he made any error on the floor and anything aerial he seemed to be fully able to cope with.
Sure!!
We we better with Whelan on.
Yep, I just think that Whelan plugs gaps, gaps that seem to appear when he goes off or isn't there! De Lorean put this argument down, quite well too, but I still think there's some truth to it.
That was probably the boring performance we needed ahead of next week, but our lack of attacking threat is worrying considering we need to win. Brady's deliveries were excellent and, as O'Neill said after, they'll be vital if we're to get anything from Scotland.
no injuries - played reasonably well against a team ranked far higher than us. england it has to be said were very poor.
our play deteriorated in the last half hour. i didn't feel walters did much when he came on - had a couple of opportunities but never looked like capitalising. a good afternoon for brady who must be in prime position now for that left back slot. overall a good exercise, if a poor enough game.
http://www.balls.ie/football/the-vag...sh-fans/295883
LOL.Hopefully we can play the booing of Sterling off as racism to try and avoid embarrassment
Think the team in the second half more or less coalesced in the team O'Neill will play next week - with Whelan and McCarthy in the middle, McGeady and McClean and Walters/Long up front.
Murphy may have played himself into contention with a productive day, albeit I'd like to see him take those chances. I suspect O'Neill will stick with Walters.
It was a very flat game. Feel like England barely turned up, they were exceptionally sloppy. A lot of players got caught in possession repeatedly. But a decent exercise nonetheless. Thought we did quite well in stretches and we can definitely lift it for next week's intense occasion.
The referee was a bit strange at times - haven't seen it on TV, but thought that free out against Walters in the last minute was ridiculous. I'm prejudced though cause he reffed a Derry match a couple of weeks ago and was completely mince.
Ou-est le Centre George Pompidou?
They were not replaced with like for like.
We didn't have a CM after McCarthy and Whelan went off. I really don't know how it survived.
Before they were subbed, we had a holding midfield of 2, but it has to be said that technical ability was completely absent. That starting 11 are 2 technical players in midfield short of a team who can compete for qualification,
Possibly that can be rectified by moving Brady more forward and Hoolahan. Overall, I think we can take Scotland.
Positives
Westwood.
Witnessing the evidence of Murphy's radical transformation from a donkey to something decent
McGeady, looks injury free and sharp
Brady's in-swinging free kicks on his left foot
You've hit a couple of nails on their head there, geysir.
Murphy had two chances and should have done better with the second but did very well with the first. Given the goals he has scored this season and the physical presence he provides, could he be the best option against Scotland? Especially given that he probably has scored when playing against many of their Championship defenders this season and that we're relying on Robbie heavily for a goal.
I fancy MON to pick the following, if he goes with Murphy:
Given
Coleman O'Shea Wilson Brady
Walters McCarthy Whelan McGeady
Murphy Long
I think that's a decent side that can take the game to the Scots but not too frail defensively. I suppose one drawback is the exclusion of Hoolahan and the deficit of possession that this normally inflicts on our performances.
EDIT: Also, nice to see Brady looking defensively assured. The Scots are bound to go with Matt Ritche, it appears. He's a man playing with a lot of confidence and managed an excellent tally of 15 league goals there for Bournemouth. Beating Sterling, even an out-of-sorts Sterling, can surely boost the confidence for Brady, especially combined with some threatening set pieces that haven't always been apparent since the USA game.
Did anyone notice the Scots went with Anya at right-back against Qatar? That might be another match up down the right that goes in our favour after McGeady looked sharp today. Not to mention the fact that he won't be playing with the whole crowd on his back. I think he'll be very, very warmly received. I intend to make plenty noise for him anyway.
Last edited by Olé Olé; 07/06/2015 at 6:41 PM.
Our midfield was woeful after whelan and mccarthy went off, it was like we had a big gaping hole in the middle, hendrick and arter both play further up field, at times i counted 5 up front and 5 in the back and nothing in the middle. It wasnt to do with Whelan, don't get sucked into that way of thinking. I felt we played more 4-3-3 in the first half with mccarthy, whelan and hendrick but they were saying it was 4-4-2, not really what i saw, he barely played out on the right wing.
Brady and McGeady good, but we were very poor in the second half, which was a bit disappointing, long didnt do much and walters is just too slow, if mcgoldrick and murphy to a lesser extent had taken the right decision/ball we would have had a goal. I also think Long/keane would have done better with that headed chance. McGoldrick was not really at the races today and lost the ball a little too often, all the players did, but geysir has pointed out before that Wilson is consistent in his ability to make at least one error per game. Coleman is begining to follow that suit too. BRady still confident messing about in the back considering his mistake against Poland.
England were very poor, but in spurts they showed they could open us up easily, in a competitive they would have beaten us well.
Given is definitely a worry for me, i always felt he slowed the game up, he still does that, but he is too slow now, and he does not inspire confidence in defence, westwood was a lot better and his clearances and balls out were a lot better, plus his kickouts were too.
What really irked me was how poor that performance was overall in the second half, lads were trying to play their way into contention and they were half arsed, half bothered most of the time, see Vardy he got stuck into everything, typical of a first capper or someone trying to play their way into contention, I really couldnt understand the lack of motivation or urgency, all these words are very shallow, everytime going into games great talk, but nothing shows. I can't see that changing against Scotland. Not sure where we will nick a goal from either(only hope is a set piece from brady), i hope we can, but i am not sure where it will come from.
Last edited by paul_oshea; 07/06/2015 at 6:36 PM.
I'm a bloke,I'm an ocker
And I really love your knockers,I'm a labourer by day,
I **** up all me pay,Watching footy on TV,
Just feed me more VB,Just pour my beer,And get my smokes, And go away
http://www.the42.ie/harry-arter-bour...48337-Jun2015/
I'm obviously not going to judge him after 30 minutes in an Ireland shirt but I don't know where the 7 out of 10 ratings and glowing compliments for Arter are coming from (not talking about here necessarily).
He was enthusiastic and energetic but there was no poise or composure in his performance at all, reflected in the way he shot well wide when he could have put Long through. He also gave the ball away under little or no pressure a couple of times. The way he left pockets could have been punished on a different type of day but England weren't up to snuff.
Still an option for the future. I'd put it down to first day nerves but, so far, I wouldn't see much between Arter & Quinn.
Positives:
(a)restricted England, apparently one of he top teams in Europe, to 1 shot in the first half and a few half chances in the second.
(b) John O'Shea commanded the defence and would be my man of the match.
(c) In fact the whole defence played well.
(d) unbeaten by England since......(?)
(e) Westwood got a game as did some others like Arter.
(f) Reception for Big Jack.
(g) Brady getting better at f/b.
Negatives
(a) Pathetic booing of Sterling by Liverpool fans. Defies belief at an Irish international game.
(b) Some small amount of boos for GSTQ but within acceptable proportions. Was at the game so don't know how loud it came across on TV.
(c) Lack of movement when we have the ball - Hoolahan seems to be the only one (I know he wasn't playing) who seems to know how to show for the ball.
(d) I see a lot of pro McGeady comments. I thought he faded badly after a good first half and gave the ball away carelessly on occasions. Heresy?
(e) Where were all the people around me at previous internationals I have been at. Over at Anfield it would appear.
Do we get some FIFA ranking points for that or do they come in brown envelopes?
I would be worried that we will find it difficult to break Scotland down without Hoolahan. Alas I have to go to a party of an old friend in Durham and will miss the game. The last competitive home game I missed was against Russia: hope that's not a bad omen.
Forget about the performance or entertainment. It's only the result that matters.
The trust is gone with Given, and has been for a long time.
He has been past his best for nearly 5 years now and shouldn't really be considered as a regular starter anymore.
He was at fault for the last two goals of the Euro 2012 campaign, against Armenia and Estonia at home respectively.
He was an abomination at the European Championships. It was like watching him using a stairlift for the first Croatia goal he was that slow to get down to it. I lost respect for Given when he later admitted to not being 100% during that tournament. It was a selfish thing to do. I get the whole 'last chance saloon' aspect of playing in the Euros, but if he really felt like that then why is he back again.
I'm maybe being slightly harsh on him for the Poland game but I thought he could have done a little better for the goal. His stance was wrong to start with but to be fair it was a decent strike. Forde got slack for the fluke against Georgia so Given should come under scrutiny in this campaign too.
I would be fearful of Given starting on Saturday and letting in a clanger, fcking up everything in the process. That's the worry for me. Don't get me wrong, Given was one of my favourite players growing up and at his peak he was the 3rd best keeper in the world, but time to move on. Please.
You've got no fans.
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