Liam Brady Article in Sunday Tribune

[NeilMcD]

I did not see the show last night as I was playing football but what did Dunphy say about Lawrensons piece or about Lawrenson.

[OwlsFan]

Don't have his exact words (for a change) but he attacked the whole tenor of Lawrenson's article and this without even being prompted by Laughing Bill. Basically, it was a great performance and let's not hear any negativity about it. Didn't see Lawro's article myself. You seem to be the man who can conjure articles out of the air - have you got it ?

[NeilMcD]

Promising start, but we're still lacking




Just what the doctor would have ordered. A bright start, a very good start, precisely what Steve Staunton and his players would have looked for. And for people who wanted to be impressed straight away, who wanted to be convinced that the "new regime" offered new hope, it was perfect, writes Mark Lawrenson, Soccer analyst

This, though, is where I begin to sound like a killjoy: if you seriously analyse the game Sweden had a couple of early chances when they could, and probably should, have been in front. They didn't take them, their performance wasn't up to much after that, and we took full advantage. It was, of course, encouraging that we did that, but for me the result doesn't hide the simple fact that we're still short in so many departments.

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If you're a manager about to play us in a qualification game, if you're the German or the Czech manager, you'll look at us and you'll see that we'll be strong down the wing. Damien Duff is playing, so you look after that threat, and then you get nice and tight on Robbie Keane - and, in all honesty, we might not be able to come up with too much beyond that.

Shay Given was, undoubtedly, our best player in the World Cup qualifying campaign - which tells us something - and while Duff and Keane started out brightly they petered out towards the end. And because we are so, so reliant on them when that happened, really, our hopes faded.

They are the two people we have who can turn a game, really and truly we don't have anyone else who can do that if you're up against opposition smart enough to nullify them - and that's pretty much most opposition these days.

But the best - and nicest - thing about last night's game was the response from Duff and Keane. In many ways their performances showed just how enthusiastic they are about this manager's appointment.

There was a spark from both of them that was missing, probably, in the last three, four games of our World Cup campaign. Staunton needs to get that out of them game in, game out, he desperately needs them to be fit and in form because so much of our hope rests on them.

Yes, there were some decent performances last night, but we know - and we have to accept - we are still quite a way short. Steven Reid and John O'Shea did alright in midfield, Joey O'Brien did alright at the back, as did Ian Harte, but however well he does, the simple fact remains, he has no pace. It was important that the likes of Kevin Doyle and Joey O'Brien were blooded, it was another game for Stephen Elliott, Liam Miller came on and scored a great goal, Staunton is shuffling the pack and seeing what we've got. All positive, all good. All of those players, to some extent, enhanced their reputations, without really saying: "I'm going to be the next big thing."

Of the new, or newer, breed Stephen Ireland has a chance, no doubt, as do Elliott, Doyle, O'Brien, maybe even Miller, but we might be lucky to get even one of them actually turning in to a really, really good performer. They're all promising, but whether or not any of them can develop into the quality of player we desperately need, I'm not sure.

I would still look at this team and say at centre back, centre midfield and up front we're still short - and I felt that again watching them last night. If we could unearth players of Duff and Keane's quality in those positions then we'd be looking at something completely different. But we're very samey. Can you imagine us going to Germany without Duff or Keane? All we'd have is a decent Championship team/average Premiership side, that would be the quality we would be left with.

So, without wanting to rain on anybody's parade, we're short of players, that's it. And while, say, the German and Czech managers will be impressed with that result, their view will remain the same: take Keane and Duff out of that team, mark them out of the game, and Ireland are pretty much Championship fare.

Of course you want to be more optimistic than that, you can feel the willingness about the place for the team to succeed, for Staunton to succeed, and, yes, last night, of course, was a promising start, great for team morale, but the underlying problem has not gone away. So, while last night was positive, not least because of Duff and Keane, I wouldn't, in all honesty, be booking my hotel in Austria and Switzerland just yet. We're three, four players short, and that's the simple truth.


Not sure I like the tone of your last comment there.

[NeilMcD]

Dunphy began his analysis of the game by an attack on Lawrenson's piece in the IT where Lawro said we shouldn't get carried away by one result and that there were weakenesses in the centre of defence, midfield and upfront. I thought Lawro's comments made perfect sense but "Mr Controversial" launched into a vitriolic attack on him "I'm not one to criticise other journalists but......"
There was no discussion about the merits of Lawro's comments - just an attack. .

Sorry to be picky here but you say that Lawrensons comments made sense and then you went on to say that you did not read the piecie. Is this not impossible, unless you are taking Dunphys word for but you would not be that naive would you.

[klein4]

good article there by lawrenson. please god he will be proved wrong tho.

[OwlsFan]

I would still look at this team and say at centre back, centre midfield and up front we're still short - and I felt that again watching them last night.

That's the element Dunphy took issue with. Not sure why he has now decided to attack Lawrenson out of the blue since most football people would agree with the above sentiment - I suspect it was to generate controversy and to appeal to those punters who love controversy for the sake of it. Of course Lawrenson has his own baggage as well having come out in favour of Kerr.

[livehead1]

Promising start, but we're still lacking




Just what the doctor would have ordered. A bright start, a very good start, precisely what Steve Staunton and his players would have looked for. And for people who wanted to be impressed straight away, who wanted to be convinced that the "new regime" offered new hope, it was perfect, writes Mark Lawrenson, Soccer analyst

This, though, is where I begin to sound like a killjoy: if you seriously analyse the game Sweden had a couple of early chances when they could, and probably should, have been in front. They didn't take them, their performance wasn't up to much after that, and we took full advantage. It was, of course, encouraging that we did that, but for me the result doesn't hide the simple fact that we're still short in so many departments.

ADVERTISEMENT
If you're a manager about to play us in a qualification game, if you're the German or the Czech manager, you'll look at us and you'll see that we'll be strong down the wing. Damien Duff is playing, so you look after that threat, and then you get nice and tight on Robbie Keane - and, in all honesty, we might not be able to come up with too much beyond that.

Shay Given was, undoubtedly, our best player in the World Cup qualifying campaign - which tells us something - and while Duff and Keane started out brightly they petered out towards the end. And because we are so, so reliant on them when that happened, really, our hopes faded.

They are the two people we have who can turn a game, really and truly we don't have anyone else who can do that if you're up against opposition smart enough to nullify them - and that's pretty much most opposition these days.

But the best - and nicest - thing about last night's game was the response from Duff and Keane. In many ways their performances showed just how enthusiastic they are about this manager's appointment.

There was a spark from both of them that was missing, probably, in the last three, four games of our World Cup campaign. Staunton needs to get that out of them game in, game out, he desperately needs them to be fit and in form because so much of our hope rests on them.

Yes, there were some decent performances last night, but we know - and we have to accept - we are still quite a way short. Steven Reid and John O'Shea did alright in midfield, Joey O'Brien did alright at the back, as did Ian Harte, but however well he does, the simple fact remains, he has no pace. It was important that the likes of Kevin Doyle and Joey O'Brien were blooded, it was another game for Stephen Elliott, Liam Miller came on and scored a great goal, Staunton is shuffling the pack and seeing what we've got. All positive, all good. All of those players, to some extent, enhanced their reputations, without really saying: "I'm going to be the next big thing."

Of the new, or newer, breed Stephen Ireland has a chance, no doubt, as do Elliott, Doyle, O'Brien, maybe even Miller, but we might be lucky to get even one of them actually turning in to a really, really good performer. They're all promising, but whether or not any of them can develop into the quality of player we desperately need, I'm not sure.

I would still look at this team and say at centre back, centre midfield and up front we're still short - and I felt that again watching them last night. If we could unearth players of Duff and Keane's quality in those positions then we'd be looking at something completely different. But we're very samey. Can you imagine us going to Germany without Duff or Keane? All we'd have is a decent Championship team/average Premiership side, that would be the quality we would be left with.

So, without wanting to rain on anybody's parade, we're short of players, that's it. And while, say, the German and Czech managers will be impressed with that result, their view will remain the same: take Keane and Duff out of that team, mark them out of the game, and Ireland are pretty much Championship fare.

Of course you want to be more optimistic than that, you can feel the willingness about the place for the team to succeed, for Staunton to succeed, and, yes, last night, of course, was a promising start, great for team morale, but the underlying problem has not gone away. So, while last night was positive, not least because of Duff and Keane, I wouldn't, in all honesty, be booking my hotel in Austria and Switzerland just yet. We're three, four players short, and that's the simple truth.


Not sure I like the tone of your last comment there.

yeh good article, but wrong in some areas. We need one more centre half, every team in our group would have dunne in the side, or at least in the squad. also, joey o'brien did much better than 'alright' he was excellent, in his very first season in professional football. Doyle looked very good, hes a young player, as is stephen ireland, who excelled when he came on. also, i think it must be argued the stephen reid has the ability to be 'different class'. He is not samey samey, he has the talent to unlock defences which he did for duffs goal, this is an invaluable asset. Add this to the fact that he is a very physical, very quick, a hard tackler and has an outstanding shot on him, he is a super player, and is still improving, things look good, yes we are short, but mark lawrenson is wrong in the aspect that we would be a championship side. How many of our players are in the championship?