Republic of Ireland v Georgia - Thursday, 6th October 2016 -World Cup 2018 Qualifier

[nigel-harps1954]

http://www.rte.ie/sport/soccer/2016/...-like-dundalk/

Eamon Dunphy - "Ireland should play more like Dundalk"

[backstothewall]

In the car on the way back north.

Ratings

Randolph - 7 - Not a lot to do but did everything well. Looks very assured. Too good for the bench at West Ham.
Coleman - 7 - Took things by the scruff of the neck for the goal but the goal aside he was quiet enough
Duffy - 7 - MOTM for me. The more i see of him the more I like him.
Clark - 6 - Solid if unspectacular.
Ward - 6 - Ditto Clark
McCarthy - 6 - Looks better in the deeper role. Made a few good tackles and interceptions
Hendrick - 7 - One of our better players tonight. Makes everything look easy
Walters - 5 - Huffed and puffed. Hasn't played much this season and looked like it
Brady - 6 - I think i prefer him on the left side. Looked like he was trying a bit too hard
McClean - 5 - He ran about a lot but it seemed like every time he had a decision to make he took the wrong option.
Long - 5 - To be fair to him the supply was awful, but he doesn't help himself either. Offside too often tonight

[pineapple stu]

Bit generous.

That was wojus ****** altogether.

Georgia came to roll around on the ground and pass the time till full time, hopefully still level. And we made them look good.

I'm genuinely baffled how we keep getting away with this.

Also, Whelan for Brady? O'Shea for long? Wtf sort of subs are they at home against a poor side?

That Georgian keeper was muck, and we didn't threaten him once. (Was little he could do about the goal)

[Fixer82]

Bit harsh on McClean. Thought he was one of our most positive players tonight

[boovidge]

In the car on the way back north.

Ratings

Randolph - 7 - Not a lot to do but did everything well. Looks very assured. Too good for the bench at West Ham.
Coleman - 7 - Took things by the scruff of the neck for the goal but the goal aside he was quiet enough
Duffy - 7 - MOTM for me. The more i see of him the more I like him.
Clark - 6 - Solid if unspectacular.
Ward - 6 - Ditto Clark
McCarthy - 6 - Looks better in the deeper role. Made a few good tackles and interceptions
Hendrick - 7 - One of our better players tonight. Makes everything look easy
Walters - 5 - Huffed and puffed. Hasn't played much this season and looked like it
Brady - 6 - I think i prefer him on the left side. Looked like he was trying a bit too hard
McClean - 5 - He ran about a lot but it seemed like every time he had a decision to make he took the wrong option.
Long - 5 - To be fair to him the supply was awful, but he doesn't help himself either. Offside too often tonight

He's a decent enough defender but whenever he gets the ball you know he's just going to aimlessly hoof it. He's not the only one (Ward) and maybe the anonymous midfield is to blame as well but it's incredibly frustrating to watch. A centre back with a bit of composure on the ball would do us wonders.

[geysir]

I haven't watched the game, I thought it would be on rte player and I'd watch it after I came home and for the life of me I don't understand why it isn't, because there are absolutely zero broadcasting rights obstacles in existence. Some things in Ireland are beyond frustration.
But after reading the last few pages of the thread, probably it would be an act of extreme Matt-Talbot-like self flagellation to watch the game in full.

The ref must have had a good game though?

[SkStu]

If you do watch it, skip the first half! Will save you a lot of frustration. Second half was slightly better.

Ref was ok. A bit too picky at times but no really bad calls.

[tetsujin1979]

Should be on the player, I've watched games back there before.

[Stuttgart88]

MON after saying there that Arter's unlikely to feature Sunday because he has a tight hamstring (not a pulled hamstring).

I'm a little bit wary of this.

I'm finding it hard to believe he couldn't have been on the bench for this game with a view to featuring on Sunday.

Look at McCarthy ffs.

I'm torn between calling you a sensationalist paranoid WUM or accepting there may be a doubt emerging. George Caulkin in today's Times finished his match report with a comment about a rumour about Arter. Of course those rumours began in places like these by people who like nothing more than to stir.

Who knows what a tight hamstring means? It's probably what I had last year, what my physio said was "just short of a grade 1 tear" that stopped me running for 8 days but healed very quickly. A footballer shouldn't play with the injury I had, it'd risk him being out for months, even though it was minor and temporary.

[backstothewall]

He's a decent enough defender but whenever he gets the ball you know he's just going to aimlessly hoof it. He's not the only one (Ward) and maybe the anonymous midfield is to blame as well but it's incredibly frustrating to watch. A centre back with a bit of composure on the ball would do us wonders.

Couple of things i would say about that. The first is that you are probably right in what you say about his distribution, but I'm not terribly fussed. I don't remember Mick McCarthy or Richard Dunne playing too many slide rule passes either but they did OK for us. If the midfield aren't showing for the ball what is he supposed to do, especially when he has Jon Walters ahead of him? No excuses for the midfield either. They can hardly make a chicken and egg argument saying there is no point showing for it because he always hits it long. He only has 6 caps.

But all that stuff is a distraction. The kid is a monster. He wins everything that comes near him. He bullys opposition forwards. He's a huge threat at set pieces. After that I'm sold. Someone else can play football as far as i'm concerned.

We should have done much better against Georgia but the defence kept a clean sheet. They did all that they had to do to secure a 4 or 5 goal win. They were let down by the guys further forward.

Also, Whelan for Brady? O'Shea for long? Wtf sort of subs are they at home against a poor side?

I was genuine surprised by O'Shea coming on. Felt sorry for Adam Rooney. I thought he would get his debut when Long went down.

[OwlsFan]

In the car on the way back north.

Ratings

Randolph - 7 - Not a lot to do but did everything well. Looks very assured. Too good for the bench at West Ham.
Coleman - 7 - Took things by the scruff of the neck for the goal but the goal aside he was quiet enough
Duffy - 7 - MOTM for me. The more i see of him the more I like him.
Clark - 6 - Solid if unspectacular.
Ward - 6 - Ditto Clark
McCarthy - 6 - Looks better in the deeper role. Made a few good tackles and interceptions
Hendrick - 7 - One of our better players tonight. Makes everything look easy
Walters - 5 - Huffed and puffed. Hasn't played much this season and looked like it
Brady - 6 - I think i prefer him on the left side. Looked like he was trying a bit too hard
McClean - 5 - He ran about a lot but it seemed like every time he had a decision to make he took the wrong option.
Long - 5 - To be fair to him the supply was awful, but he doesn't help himself either. Offside too often tonight

Randolph 6 - hesitant off his line a few times to help Coleman who then turned in to trouble. Kicking not great.
Coleman 6 - the goal aside was caught out a few times defensively and as captain I didn't witness him attempting to rally the troops.
Duffy 7 - agree
Clark 6 - didn't really notice him but at least he didn't score.
Ward 5 - the main hoofman in the team. He gave away possession quite a bit but defensively ok.
McCarthy 6 - performed his defensive duties ok but where is the box to box McCarthy I remember at Wigan whose performances earned him a high profile transfer? Seems lacking in confidence. Does hide a bit from the ball.
Hendrick 7 - agree but silly booking.
Walters 5 - agree but nice cross for McLean to almost score.
Brady 6 - agree and faded from the game on occasions. His strength is his crossing so why play him out of position?
McLean 4 - bullied by his opposite number all night. Dived in like a schoolboy too often in his eagerness for the ball and was left behind. Defensively he also let his man get past him too often. Almost scored twice all the same.
Long 6 - worked hard and his pace was always a menace but no decent supply so hard to impress.

Management 4 - for reasons explained elsewhere.

Performance 5.

Result 10.

[DeLorean]

I'd actually find it hard to give ratings because most of them did some okay things individually but it was the collective that was ponderous, disjointed and devoid of any real plan.

Randolph - Did nothing wrong and relieved the pressure with a couple of decent high fetches late on. Bailed Coleman out near the end of the first half by saving from their attacker, positioned himself well to make the save.

Coleman - had some shaky moments and caught out of position a few times. Not a great outing but more than made up for it with the goal.

Duffy - a beast in the air, to the detriment of his own personal safety at times. He hurt himself a couple of times heading balls that he would have probably been better off not contesting. He takes himself out of the game by diving through the air towards the ball, like at the Euros, although last night it was further out the pitch at least. I think he needs to use his 'gift' in a more controlled way.

Clark - did fine. Can't actually remember much good or bad, which is probably what you want from your centre back.

Ward - busy supporting McClean up the left. Not great in possession but did okay.

McCarthy - sloppy in possession early on but improved the longer it went on, bar one sliced clearance near the end. Made some good tackles, sometimes after losing possession himself, but the ninety minutes should do him good.

Hendrick - involved in most of our far too infrequent bright moments, one bursting run in the first half and pressed well in the second. An assist of sorts for Coleman's goal with some neat play. He mentioned something about Burnley's training helping his fitness levels in a recorded interview before the game I think, which I thought was interesting, as he seemed to be motoring well in the dying minutes last night and for Burnley recently. I know the heat was a factor in the Italy & France games in the summer but he ran out of steam pretty badly. He's an awful man for picking these slightly harsh/slightly foolish type yellow cards (four in his last five games), but as long as we get the win in Moldova this could work out fairly well.

McClean - I can see why there would be some conflict with regards his performance, you couldn't fault his application at all but he looks so limited at times. He had a few silly shots from way out, although their goalkeeper nearly dropped one in. He works tirelessly tracking back but he's beaten far too easily when he's back there. It's like he can't contain his desire to win the ball instead of just standing his ground and making the opposition pass it. The Georgians just skipped past him three or four times late in the second half. He was decent overall though and was one of the few trying to up the tempo all through. Very unlucky not to score as well with the header off the bar and the disallowed goal when he was just offside.

Brady - he has a long way to go before playing the Hoolahan role as well as Hoolahan. Of course, all of the hoofing didn't help his cause and he did some good things, but overall he's not as naturally busy as Hoolahan is when it comes to receiving, passing, moving, etc. and trying to control the attacking play and carve openings. I'd prefer to see him at left back instead of Ward or left wing instead of McClean, depending on the opposition maybe.

Walters - Very poor for the most part but two excellent crosses for McClean's disallowed goal and header off the crossbar. No composure at all when defending, literally just turns and smacks it anywhere. Not good enough really for a seasoned Premier League player but obviously not the only one guilty of this, but the most extreme example I think.

Long - another thankless and borderline impossible task. Did his best and couldn't blame him as he was reliant on quality service from elsewhere that was non-existent.

[nigel-harps1954]

Randolph 6 - hesitant off his line a few times to help Coleman who then turned in to trouble. Kicking not great.
Coleman 6 - the goal aside was caught out a few times defensively and as captain I didn't witness him attempting to rally the troops.
Duffy 7 - agree
Clark 6 - didn't really notice him but at least he didn't score.
Ward 5 - the main hoofman in the team. He gave away possession quite a bit but defensively ok.
McCarthy 6 - performed his defensive duties ok but where is the box to box McCarthy I remember at Wigan whose performances earned him a high profile transfer? Seems lacking in confidence. Does hide a bit from the ball.
Hendrick 7 - agree but silly booking.
Walters 5 - agree but nice cross for McLean to almost score.
Brady 6 - agree and faded from the game on occasions. His strength is his crossing so why play him out of position?
McLean 4 - bullied by his opposite number all night. Dived in like a schoolboy too often in his eagerness for the ball and was left behind. Defensively he also let his man get past him too often. Almost scored twice all the same.
Long 6 - worked hard and his pace was always a menace but no decent supply so hard to impress.

Management 4 - for reasons explained elsewhere.

Performance 5.

Result 10.

For what it's worth, I think everyone is over-estimating ratings. Georgia came to frustrate Ireland and done their job well. If it wasn't for a fluke moment and a bit of bad luck on their part, the result could have been the other way.

For me:

Randolph - 5 - Couple of good high catches, but someone should remind him that he's allowed to pass the ball short. Outright refused to do so on a number of occasions when beckoned by Coleman.
Coleman - 6 - Fair play to him for the run that got the goal, but the luckiest and easiest goal he'll ever score in the end.
Duffy - 6 - Nothing spectacular. Hoofs the ball too much but a solid centre half.
Clark - 6- Much the same as Duffy, nothing overly exciting to talk about.
Ward - 6 - Also has a hoofing habit, but I think he gets a raw deal from most supporters. He done quite well at times and looked to get forward plenty, couple of good balls into the box.
McCarthy - 5 - His club form has just never transferred over. Criminally underused by O'Neill, style of play simply doesn't suit him.
Hendrick - 7 - Only man that can truly come out of the game with his head high having said he played well. A great hope going forward that he can be the main man in midfield.
Walters - 5 - Didn't seem at himself at all. Well off the races.
Brady - 5 - Put himself about a bit but some of his deliveries were woeful. Dreadful injury and hope he's okay.
McClean - 6 - Desperately unlucky not to score with two headers. He's not the winger we need, but possibly the striker we need on Sunday?
Long - 5 - Tried hard, ran well, but ultimately struggled to have any real impact.

Management - 3 - Initially set out the team well I think. The massive problem was a lack of a plan B. A half time team talk of 'Not good enough' doesn't cut it. Needed to make big changes and didn't do it and struggled through a dogged Georgia side.

[swinfordfc]

If Arter goes and declared for England, would you blame him? ... he had him a couple of times in for games and he doesn't get a start (hard to imagine that when you look at our midfield) - would you not questioned that? .... Although I doubt he get a call up to England either in fairest!

[Stuttgart88]

Yes, I would blame him. He hasn’t been hard done by at all. He was given an audition for the Euros, he passed and got injured. He has no right to be considered an obviously better option than McCarthy, Brady, Hoolahan, Hendrick or even Whelan. I think he missed several months last season anyway.

[DeLorean]

I'm finding this Arter stuff tedious already. He's going nowhere but even if he does, off you pop and the best of luck old chap.

[backstothewall]

I'm finding this Arter stuff tedious already. He's going nowhere but even if he does, off you pop and the best of luck old chap.

I agree completely. There is no way an FA who without hesitation sacked their manager after 1 game and view themselves as the moral guardians of world football are going to call up a guy who made his debut against them. The photos of you know who playing for our u21s are bad enough.

Even without that it is impossible that there can be anything in this. This talk has all started in the last week or 2, and England don't currently have a manager who might want to make an approach.

[Stuttgart88]

Seriously, was all this started simply by a poorly informed comment by Merson?

[Kingdom]

McCarthy1.jpg

I decided I'd try and take a philosophical analytical approach to being at the match last night. That went out the window after about the first minute.

I've attached one of a few photos I took in the second half. I love the upper Davin end because you can really watch the set-up of the side, the little moves made here and there, or not at all in our case. Also, because we're constantly being told what are players can/cannot do, & do/don't do.

We were constantly flitting between a flat 433, a 4123, and a 4222. Or not really any of them. The picture sums it up to me. McCarthy has the ball, and 5 yds away from him is Brady. He's that close to him, it's cutting off everything to the right, meaning the ball can only go left (when the players are static), and given the positioning, the ball can only go to Ward. Ward is game, but his outball is either the crossfield hoof that Kerry couldn't perfect in the past 5 yrs, or it's the outside of the boot pass to the left-touchline. So the play is very easily identified there.

What I would expect to happen is that ideally Brady wouldn't be holding McCarthy's hand for starters, and one of them Brady for the hell of it, would be a little further forward. Hendrick is part of a triumvirate on the right side all occupying the same potential space. Were he to show 5 yds inside for the ball, it immediately opens space where he formerly was for coleman to exploit. But for ****s and giggles it doesn't happen.
How about Shane Long engages the after-burners we all know he has and shows 5 yds inside for the ball which is eminently receivable from the graphic. A defender goes with him, and low and behold there's a bulging gap in the Georgian defence for either Walters or McClean to run onto a pass that Brady can be supplying.

If that's out of the ordinary or total bull, then I'd love to be coached by someone who can explain to me what is wrong with that type of idea. Because then I could understand why our players play musical statues on the football pitch. That is what we witnessed last night.
JoeDenilson mentions Long needs to stop chasing the ball down - I disagree, purely because he's good at it, it works and we should be able to capitalise upon it. But as a team we just do not play high enough up the pitch, and we're not fluid as a group.

We have not got a functioning right flank - which was so obvious in the first half it wasn't funny. It was ironic that the goal came from a run down the right, because it should have been easy to defend. Georgia were excellent on the ball, and moving into small spaces. The analogy I was thinking of last night is they look like a team who constantly plays pass and move on the shortened training pitches, minus any goalposts. We on the other hand don't look like a team that train together at all. On three occasions late into the second half Randolph claimed a through ball under no pressure, took the sting out of the game, and with Shane Duffy 5 yds ahead of him - 5 YARDS - and with no Georgian within 15yds of him, ignores him and hoofs the ball to the Georgian left-full, where we had no player. It's not good enough, and it's stupid. If we have the ball, they cannot score. So we keep the ball right? WRONG - let's throw it up in the air, 50/50 style and take our chances.
It's not good enough. That is two teams we've played, who we've made look brilliant, but once we put a bit of pressure on, they turn out to be what they actually are.


As I said yesterday, the treatment of Hoolahan (or any technically capable player) at home to Georgia would say a lot about Martin O'Neill and his direction. I don't like it, and I'm sick of it. There is zip all difference between this regime and Trappatoni.

Positives? Starting Duffy and Clark together. They
Coleman is such a trier it's not funny. It can be a problem at times, but god love him, he never stops. His goal epitomises his endeavour. After that I can't really think of any positives, bar maybe McCarthy's aggression and willingness to enforce midfield, but he was let down by the system or his central colleagues (take your pick)

Solutions? I stand by my belief that we're using a formation not fitting to our strengths. We're weak up top. We've arguably 4/5 centre-halves we'd be happy with. We've two excellent wing-backs and two good replacements. We've not outstanding right winger. If it means utilising a system that is better for the team, but some better players are on the line, then so be it.

---------------Randolph-----

----------Keogh Clark Duffy --------
Coleman---------------------McClean
-----------------McCarthy-------------
-----------Hendrick--- Brady-----
----------------Hoolahan -------------
------------------Long--------------

[DeLorean]

Seriously, was all this started simply by a poorly informed comment by Merson?

A poorly informed question by Jeff Stelling really but Merson was none the wiser. I suppose it drew attention to the fact that he's not actually officially tied yet and then he pulled out of the squad.