Current feelings about the team

[wws]

agreed

[geysir]

Its shifted from are they great players to are they world class.
By those standards we have only ever had a few greats at best at any one time. Players who could arguably walk into any team in the world.
What's made the difference in the past is the amount of good players available . eg Townsend, Houghton, Whelan, players who brought their club form with ease to the national team, who had enough class to adjust to the needs of the day and a manager who could get the best out of the less than good players.
Shay Given is our outstanding pro, he oozes professionalism, focussed from the minute he steps onto the pitch for warm up, he is notches up the ladder from the rest and is the de facto captain.
Dunne, Finnan and Doyle Good players, no arguement
O'Shea is showing signs of life, we just have to keep feeding the coin meter for 90 minutes.
O'Brien, Harte, Carr and Kilbane play to their ability and can't offer much more.

Keane, Duff, S Reid, Good players, imo are for different reasons playing less than their ability.
Collectivly they have misfired. That's a managers job to sort that out.
Kerr would not have survived this qual campaign, there would have been no patience with any more losses, the savaging would have demoralised the squad.
I saw enough in Stuttgart to be of the opinion that the team is taking some shape, we performed better than I expected, the real evidence of that will be in the next 2 games.

[Stuttgart88]

Wouldn't disagree with above.

What would you say are the differing reasons for the loss of form for the 3 players you refer to?

[wws]

Kerr would not have survived this qual campaign, there would have been no patience with any more losses, the savaging would have demoralised the squad.

wrong. One, thats 1, o n e competitive losses in qualifying. to eventual world cup runners up.

this is the level of posts here

deluded

[geysir]

wrong. One, thats 1, o n e competitive losses in qualifying. to eventual world cup runners up.

this is the level of posts here

deluded

Not as deluded as to the reference to the absence of greatness (nay world greatness) in the current squad as a causual effect on current standings.

The delusion is maybe that one day some of us may aspire to reach your greatness

[Billsthoughts]

agree with wws.
using the fact that kerr would have lost games with this team as a justification for replacing him with an inexperienced manager who is losing games with this team(3 in four matches at last count) is just a ridiculous statement.

[wws]

Not as deluded as to the reference to the absence of greatness (nay world greatness) in the current squad as a causual effect on current standings.

The delusion is maybe that one day some of us may aspire to reach your greatness

I never said we dont have great players. I'm saying we dont even have good players. Given excepted

[elroy]

I think last sats performance displayed a hell of a lot more spirit and pride than we saw in most games in the Kerr era, ill never forget the dull atmosphere, performance etc from the swiss game at home, the only one who played with heart that night was Given.

I think Duffer is nowhere near living up to his reputation. Did ye see how before the kick off he went round to every single player? I was really expecting a top notch performance from him but it didnt materialise. Ok i know he was marked by 2/3 each time but even still i think he couldve provided more than he did. One of the most annoying things for me about duff is he tends to want to come collect the ball, have it played to his feet, rather than say a ball over the top for him to run onto.

[eirebhoy]

I think last sats performance displayed a hell of a lot more spirit and pride than we saw in most games in the Kerr era, ill never forget the dull atmosphere, performance etc

Paris? As for the Swiss home match. Duff was injured for that match and it made a big difference. Duff was pretty much forced to play up front in the home game against Russia with Keane's father dying. The first Basel match we were without Cunningham and had pretty much the same bunch of players that McCarthy left with. All crucial games and all crucial players. Kerr did fail to qualify but Ireland need a bit of look to qualify, we certainly had none under Kerr.

[Scratchy]

I just have a bad feeling that we are entering a period of wilderness in International Football terms and that it's similar to the end of the Eoin Hand era. As for Staunton well only time will tell but it's not looking clever so far.

[onenilgameover]

Have to agree with Geysir.. I think the next couple of games will tell alot of how this team will do. The Czech game will ultimately decide alot. I did see a change in Germany, we did at least give it a go.

Stan is a bit of a joke at this stage but it will be interesting to see how he gets on...

[eirebhoy]

I just have a bad feeling that we are entering a period of wilderness in International Football terms and that it's similar to the end of the Eoin Hand era. As for Staunton well only time will tell but it's not looking clever so far.

With players like Given, Duff, Keane, Finnan, Dunne, McGeady, Reid and Doyle we have 8 players more than capable of playing on the international stage. Maybe doubts over McGeady and Doyle atm but I'm more than happy with those 2. If we do enter a "period of wilderness" then it'll be down to the manager as we have the quality whether people want to believe it or not.

[Scram]

We were fcukin horrible. Most of the game seemed to be played in the last quarter of the pitch i.e. Ireland's. Couldn't take any positives. No chances created other than in the first few minutes....absolutely dreadful. We could have come away with a 0-0 but would not have deserved it.

[onenilgameover]

If we do enter a "period of wilderness" then it'll be down to the manager as we have the quality whether people want to believe it or not.

EB I'm book marking this post so when it all goes pear you cant back Stan like ye did with Kerr.

Personally I cant see us falling too far behind. Also congrats to Scotland who seem to be putting their wilderness behind them.

[onenilgameover]

We were fcukin horrible. Most of the game seemed to be played in the last quarter of the pitch i.e. Ireland's. Couldn't take any positives. No chances created other than in the first few minutes....absolutely dreadful. We could have come away with a 0-0 but would not have deserved it.

We were not that bad a if ye can find positives from the game in relation to our recent performances you are either delusional or not a fan.

[eirebhoy]

EB I'm book marking this post so when it all goes pear you cant back Stan like ye did with Kerr.

If we do go like Scotland did under Vogts than I certainly won't be backing Stan.

[tetsujin1979]

Duff was pretty much forced to play up front in the home game against Russia with Keane's father dying.

Sorry EB, you're wrong there, Keane missed the Georgia game because of his father's death, and returned for the Albania game.
Duff played up front with Doherty against Georgia: http://www.soccerbase.com/results3.sd?gameid=407206
Keane returned for the Georgia game, played poorly (understandably) and was substituted for Doherty: http://www.soccerbase.com/results3.sd?gameid=407207
Although Duff did play up front against Russia, it was because Keane was injured: http://www.elevenaside.com/boysingre...sp?newsid=7426

the lack of a cutting edge as the Russians’ rearguard action blunted an Irish attack sorely missing the inventiveness of the injured Robbie Keane

(sorry I can't find a better link than that, but it's one in the morning and the higher brain functions aren't engaged!!)

[geysir]

Duff was pretty much forced to play up front in the home game against Russia with Keane's father dying. The first Basel match we were without Cunningham and had pretty much the same bunch of players that McCarthy left with. All crucial games and all crucial players. Kerr did fail to qualify but Ireland need a bit of look to qualify, we certainly had none under Kerr.

Yes Robbie missed a game due to his Father's death but we won that one. Part of the victim theory is crumbling.
Credits, if any, we had on bad luck were balanced out by the points won in Cyprus and quite possibly the Faroes.
Does Stan not get some bad luck credits?
surely the 'Gammy goal in Stuttgart' is worth a mention

[eirebhoy]

Yes Robbie missed a game due to his Father's death but we won that one. Part of the victim theory is crumbling.

I got matches mixed up but he still missed the Russia game so my point still stands.

Credits, if any, we had on bad luck were balanced out by the points won in Cyprus and quite possibly the Faroes.
Does Stan not get some bad luck credits?

How is it that luck? Given has as much right to play great as Duff does, he's one of our 11 players. We should have slaughtered Israel, Cyprus deserved a point against us.

You seem to be making out I'm biased towards Kerr. I'm not. Kerr is a top, top manager imo.

[geysir]

I don't subscribe to hard luck being a factor. Usually it balances up, we get a gammy late winner at home to Albania etc etc etc.
Sure Shay has the right to make 20 saves against Cyprus away as much as the Israeli goalie here. Shay made a few saves against Germany, it took a wicked deflection to beat him. If you subscribe to the bad luck factor then that applies here.
Every Irish manager has had thin squads to work from. Whether it's Robbie Keane getting injured against Russia or getting suspended for the away Turkey play off game. Both Quinn and Cas injured for wc '94.
Kerr operated under similar circumstances as any other Irish manager.

Maybee your main point is about Duff. 'twas great to see Duff back to his best in Stuttgart with some flashes of brilliance. Caused 2 yellow cards and should have been 3. His last move before he got chopped down was pure class, you could hear most of the crowd gasp in awe at the skill. Duff will be a vital part in this campaign.