Republic of Ireland V Scotland - Saturday, 13th June 2015 - Euro 2016 Qualifier

[geysir]

Don't you think the fact that Westwood started the game v England, means it is likely that he was already marked down as first choice for the scotland game but just had to pass the test.

[paul_oshea]

No.

But it would be nice if you were right.

[Kingdom]

Anything other than a win and it's curtains. We're already behind in the mini-league of three. Settling for a draw just because it's better than a loss would be intolerable. We really have to win this. Well, Poland was a game that, all things considered, we needed to win to keep the pressure off, but this really is the final chance now.

I'd like to see Martin be daring and throw Westwood in goals. It shouldn't have to be a daring decision to make - Westwood is our best keeper - but Shay seems to be favoured for whatever reason. Shay didn't look convincing at all when he came on against England though. I would never wish Shay ill will or bad luck - he's the consummate professional - but I do hope that his handling and kicking in that game have given Martin some serious food for thought.

It's frustrating watching Coleman try to single-handedly force his own way into games for us. He's not even half as potent for us as he is racing up and down the wing receiving passes in threatening positions and knocking balls and goals in for Everton week in and week out. His abilities are absolutely wasted due to our tactical limitations.

I can't see McGeady not starting. Thought he played well against England and he's an O'Neill favourite (for good reason). I don't actually think Robbie will start. He's been out for a bit and Martin simply can't be so blind as to keep making the same mistake of sticking him in because he's a pedigree goalscorer without really thinking about how we'll get the ball to him to let him do what he does best in the first place. (If Robbie does start, so must the Wessiah.) I can see Long starting after getting us out of jail against Poland, even if he didn't do anything at all against England when he came on. Not that that was his fault either - our midfield and any semblance of up-field creativity simply disappeared during the second half - just like it isn't Robbie's fault when we can't even feed him scraps sometimes because of how we're set up. I'd love to see us go for something more imaginative than Walters the brute, but it'd be a surprise not to see him in the starting line-up.

Smashing post. I'd have a slightly different stance of Walters, but that aside, I agree completely.
Westwood, once he got regular starts at club-level, should have been parachuted into the team. Forde did little wrong, but for me just wasn't convincing enough to fully relax. Westwood has been absolutely magnificent for Wednesday this season, and admitted he could have moved to the PL except he liked Wednesday and was grateful for the faith and first team football. I've no issue with that. Personally I look at the PL, and I see at least half the teams he could play for comfortably as first choice. The really funny thing is he'd be more suited to Villa than Given such is their respective skill-sets, and how Sherwood plays football.

Obviously we're all great amateur managers, whereas MON has an actual contract, so I'd wonder is there little personality flaws that sway him against having proper faith in Westwood? Small things that we wouldn't see, or perhaps the interaction he has with the centre backs.

On Walters, I have to say I love him. I think he's a gem of a player. We're a long-ball team, irrespective of whether Wes plays or not. We'll play a bit in our half, string 7/8 nice passes together, the crowd will get restless, the ball will come to Marc Wilson who'll advance 5 yards get closed down and then whoooof, long ball. So put the totem up there for those long balls, and play the two nippers off him, whether it's McGeady and Long, or Long and McClean. Walters up top will ensure Greer and particularly Mulgrew if he plays there, will not get an easy ride.
I'd prefer to see Long on the right if we're going to play an attacker there, as his pace will be better utilised than Walters who is sluggish.

Westwood has a great kick from both hands and the ground and looks sharp. Surely O'Neill must be noticing that Given doesn't have the commanding effect he was probably brought back for? A long ball manager like O'Neill must surely notice Westwoods long kicking, and generally superior distribution of all kinds.

You would think so. It's do or die now for O'Neill. I caught a glimpse of an interview this morning where he's quoted as saying "if we cast off the shackles we should win"; Well Martin, it would have been easier if you said " if I cast off the shackles". Hoolahan has to start in the advanced midfield role.

I said at the start of the campaign, that this Euro group could define the side for a generation, given the age of key players, the fall in the rankings and seedings and just general demoralisation with the public. It was an eminently achievable target to qualify for Euro 16, yet if we don't win on Saturday, it won't happen. Being in pot 4 for the world cup and all that that should bring is a sobering thought.

That said, it's great to see so much excitement again on this forum.

[paul_oshea]

Has no one equated the coleman bit about not getting forward and why he can't get forward, he needs space to run into, and he needs to be running at a defender at pace with a head of steam built up. If we had someone who was giving him 1-2s out of defense and something to run onto we would see him far better utilised. The only way to achieve that is playing someone like wessi in a less advance forward role to pick the up ball up from defense, turn, and bring one of the wing backs into play.

Coleman does the odd time just take it out of defense hoof it ahead and/or skip by one player and a bit of a run, but he is at his most effective and best when he has built up a head of steam and has something to run onto in space, the counter-attacking football that Everton have used to good effect.

[DannyInvincible]

Has no one equated the coleman bit about not getting forward and why he can't get forward, he needs space to run into, and he needs to be running at a defender at pace with a head of steam built up. If we had someone who was giving him 1-2s out of defense and something to run onto we would see him far better utilised. The only way to achieve that is playing someone like wessi in a less advance forward role to pick the up ball up from defense, turn, and bring one of the wing backs into play.

Coleman does the odd time just take it out of defense hoof it ahead and/or skip by one player and a bit of a run, but he is at his most effective and best when he has built up a head of steam and has something to run onto in space, the counter-attacking football that Everton have used to good effect.

That's exactly what I was getting at, although I shall confer full credit to yourself as I know you will have said it years before Seamie and I were even born.

[nigel-harps1954]

Ladies and Gentlemen...Roy Keane. This right here is one of the reasons Roy Keane is one of my all time heroes, takes no guff and tells it like it is.

[geysir]

So far in this group we haven't shown anything of real substance, to give any or much confidence other than the likelihood that the dull droll scots will get at least a draw.
However, it's a scientifically proven fact that a fan can approach this game in great hope and optimism and will recover from the devastation of defeat much better than the pessimist (phoney realists).
Here's looking forward to redemption.

[Stuttgart88]

We have shown substance this campaign in fits and starts, but not for a full game. Same can be said of pretty much any performance since Mick in my opinion.

[shakermaker1982]

Can we also please take McGeady off corner duties. Particularly from the right hand side of the pitch. Delicate chips into the box are not conducive to seeing powerful and accurate headers. Drives me bloody potty.

[DeLorean]

Heard a little exchange between Roy Keane and Tony O'Donoghue on Newstalk from earlier. It went something like this:

TOD: What areas will ye be specifically hoping to improve?

RK: Maybe score a goal... and keep a clean sheet

TOD: Will a draw be enough?

RK: Well obviously not if we score a goal and keep a clean sheet

[Charlie Darwin]

Heard a little exchange between Roy Keane and Tony O'Donoghue on Newstalk from earlier. It went something like this:

TOD: What areas will ye be specifically hoping to improve?

RK: Maybe score a goal... and keep a clean sheet

TOD: Will a draw be enough?

RK: Well obviously not if we score a goal and keep a clean sheet

Nigel posted the video of it up there. It's even better than it reads on paper - made TOD look like an eejit.

[geysir]

We have shown substance this campaign in fits and starts, but not for a full game. Same can be said of pretty much any performance since Mick in my opinion.

We have shown substance in plenty of games since Mick, but maybe not in game after game.
In this campaign we have some substance in fits and start in each game, but not enough so far to have us as likely winners of what is a crunch game for us.
I'd say most neutrals who have watched us and the Scots would be of the opinion the Scots will get their result.
If we win, we will have managed to do something we haven't pulled off so far.

[TheOneWhoKnocks]

Options, options, options.

McClean, McGeady, Hoolahan, Long and Quinn are all capable of playing on the wing, drifting inside, getting crosses in and linking up; all have speed of thought and can get things moving. If we want to be really radical, we could play Coleman or Brady in there for, particularly the former, for their goal threat.

But no. The rhino, Jonathan Walters, will play.

I'm sure Scotland are quaking in their boots. Exactly the kind of player they want to play against.

[Fixer82]

I think we'll get more breaks in this game. I remember in Glasgow after about 15-20 minutes their left back really should have gotten a red card after having taken down Shane Long as the last man.
We'll get the rub of the green Scotland got that night.
Unless that gob****e who reffed the Poland game is on it.
Then we're screwed....

[BonnieShels]

If it wasn't bad enough that I was feeling confident...


4FM have gone and played "Put 'Em Under Pressure".

COYBIG

[jbyrne]

Unless that gob****e who reffed the Poland game is on it.
Then we're screwed....

Italian ref Nicola Rizzoli is the ref as far as I know. was the ref in last years wc final

[DeLorean]

Definitely would have been better of with Trap so

[Stuttgart88]

I think we'll get more breaks in this game. I remember in Glasgow after about 15-20 minutes their left back really should have gotten a red card after having taken down Shane Long as the last man.
We'll get the rub of the green Scotland got that night.
Unless that gob****e who reffed the Poland game is on it.
Then we're screwed....

That was Grant Hanley I think. In fairness to the ref from the Poland game he allowed Walters' challenge on Fabianski when it was a clear foul. The goal followed seconds later.

[Bottle of Tonic]

Feeling pessimistic about this one. The team overall is showing little or no improvement from the Trap days for me which I didn't expect and is disappointing. There is no evidence there to say we can go out and get a commanding victory tomorrow. I've been even more disappointed in MON. The spikey, assertive character of his Celtic days is long gone. He seems bored and resigned to me. Fed up with our lack of quality and his inability to open the cheque book and change that. Overall we are still the Ireland I have been watching since Italia 90. Creating little of note and relying on set pieces, scrambles, breaks of the ball and crosses for goals. Hopefully us playing a very similar team at home will see us edge it somehow but I doubt it. It will probably be 1-1 but we could easily lose 1-2 or 0-2 and be sitting here on Sunday morning gone backwards years.

[geysir]

That was Grant Hanley I think. In fairness to the ref from the Poland game he allowed Walters' challenge on Fabianski when it was a clear foul. The goal followed seconds later.

The goal came from a corner (or something), the ball was headed down to Long who deftly chipped the goalie, the goal was good? Did the foul happen before that.

I had a look at the highlights the other day of that game against Poland, and we created a string of very good chances before our goal, If you only looked at the 5 minute highlights you'd think we had them nailed to the wall, that the goal was coming and was well deserved.
We're okay when chasing a game, minor details though like our whole first half needs to improve and it's unknown how we would manage a game after going a goal up.