Moldova V Republic of Ireland - Sunday, 9th October 2016 - World Cup 2018 Qualifiers

[TheOneWhoKnocks]

I'm not anti-Mon or anything but he needs to cop on. He's like a child who can't take a joke.

Tony is just doing his job and he gets snarled at in response for in any way saying something that could be perceived as negative.

Remarkably similar to Trap in this regard. Every post-match interview should be a paean of praise for the great savior MON from the fawning Irish soccer public.

Whelan was far better than McCarthy tonight.

I just thought there was more snap in McCarthy's performance. I don't think Whelan covered himself in glory for the Moldovan goal either. When you sit that far back, you should provide a bit more leadership and direction for the players around you. Same thing we've seen before particularly in either Scotland game at crucial moments. Needs to organise the players around him a bit better. After all, how many caps does he have now, 80?

*going on mini rant here not aimed at anyone or anything in particular*

And fair enough, Hoolahan gave away the ball on a couple of occasions. However, I think it would be cruel to point blame at him for the Moldovan goal - which I'm sure MON will be tempted to - when Whelan's use of the ball put us under needless pressure a couple of times when we needed someone to show a bit more composure.

At least Hoolahan is trying to make things happen in the final third. Not everything will come off.

[Kingdom]

Whelan was far better than McCarthy tonight.

By a country mile. This was Whelan's best game for us in a long-time, with due consideration to the opposition, who offered sweet f.a. in the centre of the pitch.

I'd go so far as to say they're the worst team I've seen us play outside the real minnows (SMO, LIE, AND etc)

[Olé Olé]

I thought Coleman and McClean were more deserving of MOTM than Hoolahan. Sadlier and Duffer said they thought McClean was MOTM. I think this demonstrates that RTE don't even need to have Eamon Dunphy on to push a Hoolahan agenda.

Getting sick of the MON/TOD post match interviews.

[DeLorean]

Whelan was far better than McCarthy tonight.

He was. McCarthy was poor but Whelan was occupying McCarthy's best position and he's never really very effective futher forward. He did okay-ish in the first half, just moving things along but was very poor in the second half, probably tired after so little football followed by two games in four days. I'd prefer to see him return to his proper position in Vienna with Hendrick available again.

Walters was very good once Long went off, the best I've seen him play in ages. He made things stick, won frees and brought others into play, basically all things we've been missing a little. I thought Rooney would come on when Long got injured but I think O'Neill managed the situation very well. Good to get O'Dowda officially tied as well in case he has to pull out of a squad injured at some stage and causes another frenzy of paranoia.

I was pretty critical of McClean during the game but you could never fault his endeavour. I was particularly annoyed with him when he headed tamely into the goalkeeper's arms when he could have easily headed it in Duffy's direction, who was in a great position to score.

Absolutely thrilled for him that he got his two goals though and won the match for us, probably his biggest game for us in an individual context, a bit like McGeady in Georgia. Seven international goals now not to be sniffed at either, two more than McGeady and only one less than Duff in 39 and 54 less caps respectively.

Coleman would have been my man of the match too, even Wessi humbly agreed.

[backstothewall]

Tony O'Donoghue's job is to ask questions about the game, but he has gone way over the line with the last 2 managers (at least). Every interview is the same. He gets through a couple of standard questions before getting on to the main business of unnecessarily hostile and often ill-informed questioning of the managers team selection etc. It's no surprise at all to me that MON can't stand the sight of him.

[Stuttgart88]

Good stuff.

There was what...15 minutes...in the 2nd half when they had their tails up, but once we sorted ourselves out, we were easily the better team again.

Exactly. Professional without being wholly impressive. When you're my age you take a 3-1 away win all day long.

[Stuttgart88]

Whatever my qualms with Walters, he is probably the last person I would pick a fight with on a football pitch.

I don't really know why you have qualms with him. Genuinely influential tonight as the game progressed into the decisive phase. Not his fault we don't have a holy trinity upfront like Barcelona.

[Stuttgart88]

I didn't hear RTE ( SKY for me in UK) but Wessi was no way MoTM, but at the same time it has to be recognised that what he does is something we need. He makes a difference so it's right to single him out. Over the 90 mins the things he does right make a big difference. Funny thing is, I watched Georgia tonight and I thought they had several players who do what he does. He's not that special in the overall scheme of things. In a way it depresses me because we've all played with someone who just loves the ball and I can't imagine Wes is the only Irish guy of his generation, or younger, with the talent to play like he does.

[MeathDrog]

I don't really know why you have qualms with him. Genuinely influential tonight as the game progressed into the decisive phase. Not his fault we don't have a holy trinity upfront like Barcelona.

Yep. I was all but resigned to the fact that Walters' best days were left behind him in the last campaign until that second half performance. It was vintage Walters. Thought he did very well.

He hasn't got going yet in this campaign yet he still has two assists. He is still an influential player on this team.

[samhaydenjr]

Well another potential banana skin safely, if a little nervously, negotiated and another three points safely in the bag- I only got to listen to the first 40 minutes, so does anybody think Moldova could put a dent in the aspirations of our opponents at home? Also another little positive - Callum O'Dowda is now officially a fully committed Irish international and more importantly means we got to blood in one of our current crop of uncapped potential talent, at least, a problem I've bemoaned on another thread. Pretty risky move, putting him in before we went two goals up

[backstothewall]

I didn't hear RTE ( SKY for me in UK) but Wessi was no way MoTM, but at the same time it has to be recognised that what he does is something we need. He makes a difference so it's right to single him out. Over the 90 mins the things he does right make a big difference. Funny thing is, I watched Georgia tonight and I thought they had several players who do what he does. He's not that special in the overall scheme of things. In a way it depresses me because we've all played with someone who just loves the ball and I can't imagine Wes is the only Irish guy of his generation, or younger, with the talent to play like he does.

100%

It might sound like I am being hard on him but it's absolutely not meant that way. My take on him is that he's a super player, but that he can be a luxury in certain fixtures, and that at his age MON has to pick and choose when to use him if there are 2 matches in quick succession (which is exactly what happened this week).

I think Dunphy and his allies are using Wes as a stick to beat Martin O'Neill as a proxy for Denis O'Brien. Before that it was Andy Reid and Trap, and it got boring years ago. I'm no fan of Denis O'Brien but petty agendas like this have no place in sports coverage.

[del_carroll]

Tony O'Donoghue's job is to ask questions about the game, but he has gone way over the line with the last 2 managers (at least). Every interview is the same. He gets through a couple of standard questions before getting on to the main business of unnecessarily hostile and often ill-informed questioning of the managers team selection etc. It's no surprise at all to me that MON can't stand the sight of him.

Totally agree...O'Donoghue is a runt, who winds the manager up... Have a listen to the off the ball interview with Martin a couple of months ago... Very open, with lots of interesting insights from him - he'll talk to you if he doesn't think your an utter w@nker

[TheOneWhoKnocks]

Yep. I was all but resigned to the fact that Walters' best days were left behind him in the last campaign until that second half performance. It was vintage Walters. Thought he did very well.

He hasn't got going yet in this campaign yet he still has two assists. He is still an influential player on this team.

If you count the ball rebounding off an unsuspecting player assists then, yes, they were two assists.

I thought he was a passenger in the first half. Improved in the second half when he moved centrally, but more often than not, he plays out wide and his performances have not been influential, or good, enough.

I honestly think it's reached a stage where a lot of people are blind to how bad some of his performances are.

The situation when Kevin Kilbane was still starting at LB into his mid-thirties and people seemed immune to how bad a lot of his performances were is probably the closest thing I could compare it to.

Like one person criticized McClean's performance tonight when he was involved in all three goals - albeit this was, perhaps, before he had scored his second.

There have been times where Walters' performances have been abject but he has scored a goal, but imagine if I said that about him!

What I will say is that if he is to continue to start, it has to be centrally. But Walters and Long together doesn't work. And which one of them would you drop?

[SkStu]

It's because you have a clear and well documented agenda to belittle his contribution and downplay his positives. It's tiresome. I'm glad you're getting pulled up on your trash talk.

[TheOneWhoKnocks]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PAKV5piC1rI

Since when is the ball hitting someone and rebounding to someone else an assist?

Genuine question.

Maybe it's technically an assist, but I don't see why someone's lack of technique should be lauded as an intentional contribution.

[SkStu]

I've been claiming those for years.

[harry crumb]

I didn't hear RTE ( SKY for me in UK) but Wessi was no way MoTM, but at the same time it has to be recognised that what he does is something we need. He makes a difference so it's right to single him out. Over the 90 mins the things he does right make a big difference. Funny thing is, I watched Georgia tonight and I thought they had several players who do what he does. He's not that special in the overall scheme of things. In a way it depresses me because we've all played with someone who just loves the ball and I can't imagine Wes is the only Irish guy of his generation, or younger, with the talent to play like he does.

That is his gift, he makes it look easy.

It's a pity this it's not 2006.

That is what is depressing.

[tricky_colour]

I though O Dowda played a part in our second goal he set if going played a pass and made a run into the box commiting us to attack, he didn't
play a part in the goal other than making a bit of space. Wes played a par in all 3 goals. I don't know if Long is suited to a game like Moldova
where we are expected to dominate. Mind you I think moldova dominated the possession?

Anyhow all is well that ends well.

But our defending for their goal was shocking schoolboy stuff. Not sure why big Duffy was marking Bugaev
that is a total miss match, pace not height was needed there.

[The Fly]

I didn't hear RTE ( SKY for me in UK) In a way it depresses me because we've all played with someone who just loves the ball and I can't imagine Wes is the only Irish guy of his generation, or younger, with the talent to play like he does.

Well there's Daniel Crowley...

[p2011]

Houghton saying MON is remonstrating with Hoolahan over giving the ball away and that we can't afford to do that.

If that relates to the Moldovan goal, then that's ridiculous. He lost possession at their corner flag trying to engineer space for a cross presumably. At their corner flag. They should still have to play through our whole team. Don't want to bash Duffy, but he has now had a clear part in a number of goals against in recent months, stretching back to Lyon. He is also rash, looks like he is going to injure himself every game, and easy to see a fussy ref giving him two yellows or a red sometime. Even if he is not the future, O'Shea's experience might be better for the moment. Duffy also seemed to give up chasing back for their goal last night. He might not be able to get a tackle in, but if he keeps running back he pushes their player wider and wider. Instead he veers off to his left when the scorer gets into the box and gives up a bit. Duffy has probably played himself out of the team for the moment.

Walters didn't look fit/mobile and slowed things down against Georgia and Moldova... until Long went off last night and then he was better in a different role at being a target man. But he turns us into even more of a long ball team, as he becomes more a magnet for punts upfield. He is probably undroppable* as he gives us steel and makes sure we keep our shape, but so many moves v Georgia broke down when the ball went through him. (* And he also built up two years of credit v Germany H and v Bosnia H, I admit.)

We haven't been getting much out of Long for months and months now. He probably needs Hoolahan.... and a defence that is pushing up for him to get in behind. Maybe there is some substance to bringing him on after 60/70 mins against tired defences. I am a fan, but he's being given a thankless task at the moment, especially against lower seeds who are not going to push up and give space behind, like Germany did. (Maybe Austria away is the game for him, as Austria probably need to be going at us and trying to beat us.)

The love on RTE for Wes was indeed a bit over the top. It's almost a parody of itself, and doesn't do Wes any favours by making such a big deal of it and riling O'Neill. I would still have Wes in the team almost every time - although I can see the logic in not giving him 2 x 90 minutes for two games in quick succession or when a game is obviously going to be a physical scrap – but the praise GH and JB were giving him last night had little bearing to what was happening on the field.

I was impressed with Whelan last night, have to say. Especially 2nd half, though the Moldovans weren't putting him under that much pressure.

My team at the moment

Long
McClean Hoolahan Hendrick Walters
McCarthy or Whelan
Brady O'Shea Clark Coleman
Randolph

Ward isn't doing much wrong, but I would like to see Brady Hendrick and Hoolahan on the pitch together, and Brady at LB for Ward improves our ball retention and reduces the hoof percentage.
Christie at RB and push Coleman on for Walters would also be interesting to see. Coleman is almost our Alaba - i.e. too good to be stuck at full back for his country.