Lets put the Swiss team into perspective

[Junior]

It was the wrong subsitution but it certainly wasn't defensive. We played 4-4-2 for the entire match. Kerr didn't want to risk an our of form Elliott. He was wrong but he wasn't going defensive.

before the substitution

Robbie - Attacking
Duff - Attacking
=2 attacking players

After substitution

Duff - Attacking
Kavanagagh - Defensive
= 1 attacking player

Its defensive in my book!

If he didn't have the faith in Elliott, he shouldn't be in the squad. He could have put the Doc on. It wouldn't have been pretty but it would have been attack minded.

[Qwerty]

before the substitution

Robbie - Attacking
Duff - Attacking
=2 attacking players

After substitution

Duff - Attacking
Kavanagagh - Defensive
= 1 attacking player

Its defensive in my book!

If he didn't have the faith in Elliott, he shouldn't be in the squad. He could have put the Doc on. It wouldn't have been pretty but it would have been attack minded.

I don't look at that substitution as being defensive so much as being unnecessarily disruptive. Basically it was 3 changes not 1.

Kavanagh for Kilbane
Kilbane for Duff
Duff for Keane.

And before the substitution we had stepped off the gas as well - we didn't lose the impetus so much as throw it away, but we still could and should have won the second half. The second half was bad luck really. The substitution may have been close to the turning point but wasn't what prevented us winning the game.

[geysir]

Because it was 2-2 at that stage and it was a game that we obviously had to win!!!! prior to that we made a defensive substitution in Kavanagh - we haven't learned anything IMO.

If we are 2-0 up and still attacking gung-ho against the swiss i'll eat my hat

I almost missed the last few words "I'll eat my hat"
What about if Ireland do need the 3 points after a draw with the French. Kerr decides that Morrison and Elliot are not fully match fit but lets Elliot start & he makes no impression, replaced by Kavanagh after 30 mins.
Crowd noise drops a bit not least because some Foot ie members on the Nth tce are now busy typing out angry posts about cautious Kerr tactics on their laptops.
Claims that Kerr is settling for 2nd place. Foot ie members are aware that with the goal difference Irl have only a 50/50 chance (based on the permutations) of taking 2nd place if they draw with the Swiss.

With Duff now hovering around in a free role, 2 goals are scored in 10 mins, the second, a stranger goal has never been seen, a goalbound ball bounces off the back of Keane's head back across the goal line and deflected into his own net by a perplexed Zubeholer.
Nevertheless a deja vu type panic sets in amongst the crowd alleviated a bit by Referee's performance, he remains oblivious to Yakin's frantic acrobatic attempts to gain a penalty. Yakin leaps into the air at the slightest contact and finishes it off with a 5 turn rollover, impressive stuff indeed compared with the Duff flop or the Kilbane fling.
In the 2nd half Kerr could do no wrong, conducting a tactical team performance for 45 minutes which stifles any Swiss initiative. The Swiss could not pass through midfield. Ireland hold possession. Into injury time the tense crowd tentativly raise a few bars of You'll never beat the Irish.
Wort a few hats?

[onenilgameover]

Jaysus who would have thought that the ''Boring ol' hurt nobady pain in the arse god I hope we beat them Swiss'' would get 108 replies....

[Junior]

I almost missed the last few words "I'll eat my hat"
What about if Ireland do need the 3 points after a draw with the French. Kerr decides that Morrison and Elliot are not fully match fit but lets Elliot start & he makes no impression, replaced by Kavanagh after 30 mins.
Crowd noise drops a bit not least because some Foot ie members on the Nth tce are now busy typing out angry posts about cautious Kerr tactics on their laptops.
Claims that Kerr is settling for 2nd place. Foot ie members are aware that with the goal difference Irl have only a 50/50 chance (based on the permutations) of taking 2nd place if they draw with the Swiss.

With Duff now hovering around in a free role, 2 goals are scored in 10 mins, the second, a stranger goal has never been seen, a goalbound ball bounces off the back of Keane's head back across the goal line and deflected into his own net by a perplexed Zubeholer.
Nevertheless a deja vu type panic sets in amongst the crowd alleviated a bit by Referee's performance, he remains oblivious to Yakin's frantic acrobatic attempts to gain a penalty. Yakin leaps into the air at the slightest contact and finishes it off with a 5 turn rollover, impressive stuff indeed compared with the Duff flop or the Kilbane fling.
In the 2nd half Kerr could do no wrong, conducting a tactical team performance for 45 minutes which stifles any Swiss initiative. The Swiss could not pass through midfield. Ireland hold possession. Into injury time the tense crowd tentativly raise a few bars of You'll never beat the Irish.
Wort a few hats?

I have to say you've lost me a bit. did we win or draw?

Despite us not actually going gung ho whilst 2-0 up, for you, i'd still eat my hat & may be even buy you a pint - sure we'd be off to Germany at that point and you'll never beat the irish!!!!

[Havelock Squire]

Must say supporting man city and following him in the reserves, I was really hoping Kerr brought on Elliott in the Israel game. Plus I'd predicted (hoped) he'd score in a win for us on a Irl-Isr prediction thread here!

Having said that after having some time to get over the dissapointment of that draw I think Kerr has been a bit hard done by. On here and in the media. When he first took over one of his aims was to mould an Irish team whose players could easily interchange and whose range of formations could stretch beyond 4-4-2. With that in mind, the switches involved in "the Kavanagh substitution" should not have been sooo difficult for international players and team-mates to come to terms with. The second half also highlighted for me what a fantastic delivery of the dead-ball Graham Kavanagh brought to the team. (Any future debate between Kav and Holland should be in Kav's favour IMO)

With this in mind and the gut feeling I have that the boys will really turn it on when the going gets tough this Autumn, I think we'll roll over the Swiss on the way to 4 wins from our last 4 qualifying games! Come on Ireland!!!!!!

[livehead1]

the people banging on about the swiss amazing youngsters ...well is reto Ziegler the same Ziegler that has only started carling cup games since Andy Reid Signed for spurs swiss aint good, we aint great, but we are better

[FarBeag]

livehead1 the people banging on about the swiss amazing youngsters ...well is reto Ziegler the same Ziegler that has only started carling cup games since Andy Reid Signed for spurs swiss aint good, we aint great, but we are better

We have a better players no questioning that,we have better support ditto ,we are playing at home with a chance to go to the world cup in Germany with what should be over 40,000 pationate supporters cheering us on.What can stop us going there? Answer..no one only ourselves particulary if we win the two other games.

[Feech]

the people banging on about the swiss amazing youngsters ...well is reto Ziegler the same Ziegler that has only started carling cup games since Andy Reid Signed for spurs swiss aint good, we aint great, but we are better

well I'm convinced by that argument!

[livehead1]

well I'm convinced by that argument!

i'd hate to think that was sarcasm!!

[Feech]

i'd hate to think that was sarcasm!!

I'll let you be the judge of that

[livehead1]

you lookin thru swiss tinted glasses. we are a better team its plain to see. no swiss player cost 17million or none of their goalkeepers would interest top european clubs or none of their defenders are at clubs such as man utd etc..the list is endless. we gotta beat a team like this simple as

[Junior]

you lookin thru swiss tinted glasses. we are a better team its plain to see. no swiss player cost 17million or none of their goalkeepers would interest top european clubs or none of their defenders are at clubs such as man utd etc..the list is endless. we gotta beat a team like this simple as

I think there must be a pair of green tinted specs knocking around as well!

"defenders at clubs such as Man Utd" ffs gies peace...........

[Feech]

you lookin thru swiss tinted glasses. we are a better team its plain to see. no swiss player cost 17million or none of their goalkeepers would interest top european clubs or none of their defenders are at clubs such as man utd etc..the list is endless. we gotta beat a team like this simple as

Guess that makes their 2 wins and one draw against Ireland in the past 2 years look even better then!