Ireland v Chile, 24/05/06

[Stuttgart88]

Thought the biggest problems was the centre of midfield, we lost our shape too often and it makes it difficult to judge the rest of the performance.

I should have added that I agree totally with that part!

[el punter]

I think the atmosphere at Lansdowne ebbs and flows with the occassion...if we had been playing Italy needing a win to qualify for the world cup there would have been an amazing atmosphere.

But we were playing a team where I'm sure the vast majority of Ireland fans did not know any of the oppositions players (except maybe the chap who was at Liverpool), in a game with no immediate consequence, and fielding a bunch of half-interested players.

[John83]

Don't be foolish. Many friendly internationals have more subs than that and refs don't add on ridiculous amounts of time. In some games an entirely different team comes out for the second half on both sides yet I never remember watching a game with 11 extra mins. It's a friendly these rules are (and should be) let slide.

It's foolish to suggest that it's unreasonable to stick to the normal guidelines now? Yes, it would have been nice to just see it blown up with no injury time, but to be shocked or angry at it?

Oh, and there was a max of six subs last night.

[NY Hoop]

Byrne looked good, kind of a poor man's Niall Quinn, but honestly, and no disrespect to anyone here, but if you're playing in Ireland do you really deserve to get a game for the international team?

Why wouldnt you ffs? You might be surprised that the international team is called IRELAND

Go back to the barstool. Jason Byrne has been the top scorer in the league for the last 3 seasons and has scored in Europe and fyi the league here is on a par with the championship/league 1 in your beloved ingerland.

Atmosphere appalling again last night but why are we shocked? For 90% of the crowd this is the only live football they see.

KOH

[John83]

There is NO RULE that says 30 seconds per substitution. FACT!

No one said there was. It's a rule of thumb.

Much like the rule of thumb that says that people who use "FACT!" to make a point are often idiots.

[Dublin12]

fyi the league here is on a par with the championship/league 1 in your beloved ingerland.



KOH

LOL,now that made me laugh ,no disrespect to the EL but it is nowhere near the standard of the Championship in England.

[monutdfc]

Yeah, but surely this shouldn't be the case? Most of the subs were made in one go and hardly took up 3 minutes to make.

But that is the rule and hence the injury time.

eh, I think someone did say it was a rule

[monutdfc]

Don't be foolish. Many friendly internationals have more subs than that and refs don't add on ridiculous amounts of time. In some games an entirely different team comes out for the second half on both sides yet I never remember watching a game with 11 extra mins. It's a friendly these rules are (and should be) let slide.

and here's someone else who said it was a rule (but reckoned it is and should be let slide)

[Paddy Garcia]

It's a pity we still haven't had a chance to look at Lawrence. A further look at Joey O'Brien and a first look at Owen Garvan & Paddy McCarthy would be useful but I suspect the qualifying campaign will be well underway before this happens.

Totally agree, I thought Lawrence should have had a run against Sweden. It's another midfield option we should have explored.

[Real ale Madrid]

LOL,now that made me laugh ,no disrespect to the EL but it is nowhere near the standard of the Championship in England.

Ah yes - sure the eL is like the unibond league. I mean how the hell did Jason Byrne get a run last night - how the hell did Gamble get in the squad. In fact why the hell does anyone bother to support the eL - sure it will never get anywhere. I think I'm going to give up supporting Cork City and take my money to the far superior league that is the Coca Fcukin Cola Championship.
To all eL fans : just give it up there no point anymore.

Sorry for the rant - I just thought one moronic post should follow another.

[NY Hoop]

LOL,now that made me laugh ,no disrespect to the EL but it is nowhere near the standard of the Championship in England.

Yeah but thats just your opinion. I'm basing mine on actually watching games in the 3 leagues I've mentioned.

KOH

[Raheny Red]

Went to the game last night the amount of little scumbags who attend these games is unreal . Anyway, as said before, terrible game, terrible atmosphere.

And for the barstoolers - without the eL there would be no national team so be grateful. What's the next game you'll be at? Why not head to Malahide and Pats in the cup, that will have passion and a great atmosphere!

[pete]

Byrne certainly held his own against a "star studded" team of Premiership players & a few Championship players so idiotic arguments here.

To lose at home to 64th ranked team in the world must be a new record in modern times. Worst performance i have seen in Lansdowne & because almost all players played poorly Staunton has to take the blame.

I did not see Ireland play 3-4-3 last night as looked like 4-4-2 to me all game.

You cannot afford to experiement in international football as so few games. Friendlies are to be used to prepare for competitive games & to try out a few different players.

Its quiet clear now that the players were on the beer or lying on the beach in Portugal as most of them couldn't be bothered last night. FFS Steven Reid couldn't even pass the ball further than 10 yards.

[Stuttgart88]

Fairly predictably the expert pundits are now concluding that 4-4-2 is Ireland's best formation, but what I would like to know is how does Ireland producing a really poor performance playing 3-4-3 followed by 4-4-2 prove that playing 4-4-2 is better than 4-3-3/4-5-1?

Well said.

Anyway, I'm all for trying new ideas but only if the personnel available suit the idea. In my mind, trying Kelly was a big enough decision without trying to create a new position for him. Finnan has all the attributes required to play as part of a back 3, but not Kelly. Likewise I was disappointed to see Reid on the right of midfield. Kerr's mistake against Italy was not trying a new shape, it was deploying inapproriate personnel in doing so. Same mistake last night too.

[Dublin12]

Ah yes - sure the eL is like the unibond league. I mean how the hell did Jason Byrne get a run last night - how the hell did Gamble get in the squad. In fact why the hell does anyone bother to support the eL - sure it will never get anywhere. I think I'm going to give up supporting Cork City and take my money to the far superior league that is the Coca Fcukin Cola Championship.
To all eL fans : just give it up there no point anymore.

Sorry for the rant - I just thought one moronic post should follow another.

Very good,but you haven't actually told me how the standard of football and the product that you are paying for is actually better than the Championship in England.The EL does nothing whatsoever to attract people to go and support it,if you go once you need to be attracted back again and this doesn't happen in Ireland,the facilities aren't up to it,the standard of football isn't great and you just don't get value for money imo,if this improves I will start to go again.

[NeilMcD]

Well said Stuttgart, but people are going over the top here. Its an end of season friendly lets enjoy the World Cup and the EL Season and look forward to the qualifiers in the Autumn.

[NY Hoop]

Try reading the actual posts. Nobody said it was better than the championship. Again the standard ON THE PITCH is on a par with championship/league 1.

The facilities are bad and there is not much advertisement but people in the game are working very hard to improve all the time.

It's a bug and live football is miles better than shouting at a tv screen.

KOH

[NeilMcD]

Lads why do people constantly post wind ups having a go against the Eircom League. Its pretty obvious that the standard of the league has improved a huge amount of the last 5 years.

EL performances in Europe have improved through Shels and Cork City .

I would agree that the standard is in about the same as the Championship in England. The performance of Kevin Doyle over in England is evidence of this.

The facilities are lacking but at the end of the day its not a night at the opera either. You go to the game you shout your lungs out and you go home again. You dont need a comfy chair etc.

Great strides have been made and it should be good to watch out good the EL sides do in Europe this year.


Saying that I though Byrne looked limited last night in his first touch etc but was certainly good in the air and his size and presence disrupted the Chilean back four. If we are looking for a big man amongst our strikers I would have him ahead of Alan Lee and Doherty but behind Keane, Doyle and Morrison.

[Dodge]

Why do people give a damn how many minutes there were at the end it was a friendly and 6 minutes suited us.

Yeah and we DOMINATED those 6 minutes. In your f*cking face Chile!!!!!

[Real ale Madrid]

Very good,but you haven't actually told me how the standard of football and the product that you are paying for is actually better than the Championship in England.The EL does nothing whatsoever to attract people to go and support it,if you go once you need to be attracted back again and this doesn't happen in Ireland,the facilities aren't up to it,the standard of football isn't great and you just don't get value for money imo,if this improves I will start to go again.

thanks - unfortunately I'm not going to get drawn into the debate of the haves and have nots of the Coca Cola c'ship v the eircom league. Comments like "the eL does nothing whatsoever to attract people" tells me you know sweet FA about the eL. I have nothing against the Championship and watch loads of games, But saying the eL is "nowhere near" is blatently untrue and didnt warrent the intelligent reply i think you were looking for. The comment got what it deserved - sarcasm and derision.

44,000 at the game last night - wonder what the combined attendence will be for the 16 FAI cup games on over the weekend? Unfortunately peoples perception is one thing due to listening to twits like Naill Quinn tell us what a player Reading made out of Kevin Doyle!!! (what a joke) and the reality is somewhat different.