BBC reporting the following: http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/34786666
RTÉ saying the same: http://www.rte.ie/sport/soccer/2015/...to-two-months/Originally Posted by BBC Sport
Originally Posted by RTÉ
Jonathan Wilson on our chances: http://www.the42.ie/bosnia-republic-...38208-Nov2015/
Suggests that high balls are a Bosnian weakness, although he says we should be worried otherwise as Bosnia are back in form after a shaky start to the group, which he puts down to a combination of injuries and a drop in morale/belief after the poor World Cup.
As if we needed a tactical encouragement to pump in the high balls![]()
If all goes well in our tie. Hungary winning is a bad idea. Just in case someone wants to shout for someone. Give us a better seeding if Slovenia and Norway are in the draw.
I wouldn't get my hopes up. Norway having all the possession but look completely clueless with it.
I'd have a bit of a soft spot for Hungary. I used love watching the old footage of the Magic Magyars when I was growing up. It was such a shame they didn't win the WC in 1954 and I've always found it kind of sad that they've been so uncompetitive in more recent decades. Norway, on the other hand, I just associate with bland, dreary football so this is an easy one for me.
I'm not confident about tomorrow at all. I think they'll outpace us with one touch football.
Time for Murphy, Hendrick and Brady to stand up and be counted.
Not sure if he'll go for Robbie or Wes but I reckon it'll be one or the other
What I imagine will be the team:
Randolph
Coleman Wilson Keogh Ward
Hendrick Whelan McCarthy Brady
Hoolahan/Keane
Murphy
Folding my way into the big money!!!
Norway were fairly toothless but were denied a stone waller.
Hoping Hungary go through.
You've got no fans.
I don't think I've ever been so uncertain about what team will be selected. I'm not even going to try and guess.
Randolph, Coleman, Keogh, Brady, Hendrick, McCarthy, Whelan and Murphy are all nailed on I think, two from Clark/Wilson/Ward makes ten, so really it's only a case of who'll support Murphy up front.
I heard Stephen Hunt on Newstalk on the way to work. From his comments he seems to think Ward will start left back, to add a bit of height back there. He's very concerned about O'Shea being out, saying that Keogh and Clark have played plenty games but not at this level, so he obviously thinks it will be Clark over Wilson. He said Coleman and Ward are both good players but not good talkers, hence the major concern over JOSH's absence. It was put to him about Hoolahan starting to support Murphy and he seemed unsure, sighting the two game factor. He didn't suggest an alternative though. He didn't make a prediction either a such, even though he was asked for one, but he said 1-1 would be brilliant and suggested he'd be relatively satisfied with a 2-1 defeat.
Edit- Olé Olé's selection of Keane reminded me of another thing Hunt said, that I found interesting. When talking about Dzeko's impressive goal tally he mentioned that we could say the same about Robbie Keane but added "although obviously he's not going to be playing tonight, er... or maybe he will I don't know". Something to that effect.
Last edited by DeLorean; 13/11/2015 at 8:22 AM.
Same. I wouldn't feel comfortable not getting it pathetically wrong and giving myself a feeling of outrage before the match.
EDIT: I typed out a team and I doubted myself so much, I'm not going to stand by it but I'll still leave it here: Randolph; Coleman, Keogh, Clark, Wilson; Hendrick, McCarthy, Whelan, Brady; Keane, Murphy.
I was gonna ask if you'd meant "Stephen Ward on Newstalk" or someone else, as I thought Ward was providing some inside info for a sec (whilst referring to himself in third person!), but you've clarified it was actually Stephen Hunt in the edit, ha.
Who'll be given the captaincy (assuming there's no Robbie)? We're lacking vocal leadership. Keogh? Whelan?
Ha oops.... it would explain why he was picked as well
Good question regarding the captaincy, who's normally third in command? Almost has to be Whelan if you go by caps/experience and apparently communication levels. I'd be hopeful that James McCarthy will be our captain in the not so distant future but probably a needless distraction for him at this point.
No, that's my considered opinion after watching pretty much every game he's played for us. Those are my conclusions. And I go to the home games so I don't miss some off the ball importance he engages in.
Now, I feel sorry for him a bit because the system was him and Steven Reid, so majestic in Montenegro. But that ended after two games and we had the willing but limited Keith Andrews instead. So for Ireland, I just don't think he's ever been good enough. If Reid had stayed fit or if he'd been playing alongside Roy Keane I think he'd have been decent but come on, bloomin' 'eck, HOW many games does it take where we say "we've no midfield" blah blah blah and the craving for Hoolahan. Whelan is SO limited it hurts.
It's not hyperbole but he's just not good enough, in my opinion.
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