Euro 2008 - Is there any hope?

[carloz]

The same balls and courage that made him start with O'Halloran in the States, or call up any number of uncapped players for the tour?

You think that took balls....to play O'Halloran in a pointless match in America when the squad was desimated to the bare bones, stop being ridicoulous. In a crutial qualifier like the September ones, then we will see what Stan is made of

And never played those 2 in central midfield again, and has only played Kilbane there if he isn't expected to play the holding/ball winning role

Wow. so he learned from his mistake. A mistake that anyone could see was going to happen when you start with a midfiled like that

The same 2 qualiders we won

Wales and Slovakia at home.....hardly the most testing of games we will ever have. Because we won hardly means he was right to play or two full backs on the opposite wings than they play for their team

[eirebhoy]

Here is the team i would start with
Given
Finnan Dunne McShane O'Halloran

Ireland S. Reid Carsley Hunt

Doyle Keane

I know playing Ireland on the right wing is very dodgy but i feel he has to be accomidated in the team somehow because of his creativity, and i really wouldnt like the look of our central midfield if he were there.

Here is the team i feel Staunton will pick

Given
Carr Dunne McShane O'Shea

Carsley
Finnan S. Reid Ireland Hunt

Keane

No Andy Reid?

[billybunter]

i believe we can, and will qualify. Will need a bit of luck along the way, but for fux sake if there is one team that is due some, it has to be us.

[Lionel Ritchie]

i believe we can, and will qualify. Will need a bit of luck along the way, but for fux sake if there is one team that is due some, it has to be us.

Where do you think we've been unlucky? Injuries? Teams with less resources than we have manage to cope with injuries and get on with it. We were lucky we only lost 1-0 in Germany, we were lucky we didn't concede 8 or 9 in Cyprus, we were lucky to the point of criminal that we got a winner in San Marino....

[citizenerased]

true we have been the unluckiest foockers ever when it comes to qualifying...that last sec winner was a sign and a turning point for us...COMON Ireland!!!

[carloz]

No Andy Reid?

If he is fully fit then yes, i would probably fit him in, he has something that nobody else in our squad has and could prove to be very important with Duffer missing. However as usual with Andy, there is probably less than 50% chance he will be fit

[carloz]

i believe we can, and will qualify. Will need a bit of luck along the way, but for fux sake if there is one team that is due some, it has to be us.

I really wish i had your optimism, but with Staunton in charge i just cant. Excluding Macedonaia we have rarely be that unlucky. Israel's late equaliser in Tel Aviv a few years back in the last minute was the least they deserved. I remember in qualifying for Euro 2004 we had great luck when Albania done us a massive favour and defeated Russia but we did nothing about it. Plus you look at the Germany in the last world cup, and the cruel way we robbed San marino of a point, we have had our share of luck. After San Marino we dont deserve anymore luck. Having said that there would be something extra special if we scored a winner in the last minute against the Slovaks or the Czechs

[billybunter]

wim kieft, and the magic bounce in 88 against holland - where we were 8 minutes from the semi final's,. Disallowed goals and shiite referreeing for spain 82, (and mexico 86) - i think we have missed out on enough major tournaments where we deserved to go. the perfromances in the slovakia / and czech games at home gives me hope.... germany to win the group by a long way, but i genuinely feel we have a great shot at second. (czech's on the slide, slovaks are definitely in a worse place than we are. And i think the 2 wins in march, plus a (hopefully!) strong performance against the danes, will keep the little optimism and momentum going.

[citizenerased]

Bull**** about san marino, granted they are a small nation but we deserved the three points that was their only half attack...so let it go if that had of been any other team we would have said we deserved a win..so lets cop on with that ****..we deserved the 3 points, san marino aside they had 11 men behind the ball..we are very unkucky ala belgium 98 , turkey 00...less of the self deprecation please

[citizenerased]

were goin to quailify and i guarantee we will have a lot of luck along the way..we deserve it...

[Lionel Ritchie]

Bull**** about san marino, granted they are a small nation but we deserved the three points that was their only half attack...so let it go if that had of been any other team we would have said we deserved a win..so lets cop on with that ****..we deserved the 3 points, san marino aside they had 11 men behind the ball..we are very unkucky ala belgium 98 , turkey 00...less of the self deprecation please

...Nightclub closed at last did it?

San Marino set their stall out for a draw and it was up to our team of well payed, notable professionals to thrash their stall as one would reasonably expect any professional side to do when confronted with a glorified inter-pub side.

We couldn't do it. We needed nearly five ludicrous minutes of time added on which the ref got from god knows where. There's nothing self deprecating about acknowledging that the team were poor, still look brittle, still lack creativity and -most importantly -that the manager cannot manage.

[Torn-Ado]

I probably shouldn't throw out an overused cliche but I will anyways. You make your own luck and in Irelands case this is true. Or unluck even.

People say we were unlucky to concede late goals against Macedonia, Croatia, Israel etc. If we didn't sit back and defend for our lives against these teams after scoring this might not have happened. We had the talent to bang in more against Israel and Macedonia away and if Kerr had swapped Keane with a striker against Israel at home instead of a defensive midfielder, we might not have let them back in. The gods don't usually shine on ultra defensive teams.

[Stuttgart88]

In the 2 friendlies against very weak opposition that we have seen O'Halloran play, in parts impressive in parts well below standard, it's nonsense to suggest that a manager needs balls/courage in order to pick him over O'Shea /Finnan/Carr, who are way ahead in experience, for the two important away games against infinitly better opposition.

I can honestly say I didn't notice O'Halloran being below standard at any stage. Having a natural left footer at left back would bring much needed balance to that side of the pitch IMO. He's probably too inexperienced I accept but I do think he should be given time against denmark and if he's playing (not likely I'd say) for Villa he's got to be considered.

[Stuttgart88]

It'd be a shame if Ireland gets overlooked by Sven. I was reading in today's UK Independent Sven's possible XI if all his signing targets come through. I've barely heard of any of them. Now maybe he knows what he's doing & has spent his time looking at players across Europe but it looks to me as if he's spending for the sake of spending, and he's not alone. It really does show how difficult the landscape is for young players to come through the ranks at Premiership clubs.

I suppose you could argue that it throws down a challenge to Ireland to make the place his own, but I'm not so sure.

We really need Ireland to be playing regularly and be match sharp for the upcoming games.

I read in The Times this morning that Sven hasn't seen any of his signing targets & hasn't been watching football during his "time off". His decisions were based on videos and on the word of trusted friends like that crook Pini Vashili or whatever that charlatan's name is. So this is what players like Ireland and his English peers up and down the country are up against trying to establish themselves. Makes my blood boil.

[bennocelt]

What are you talking about ? That you misunderstood Sylvo on the Emelka Onwubiko thread

what are you talking about with other threads when you dont even know what you are on about yourself

you constantly argue about how rubbish Hunt is
well you were proved to be very wrong last season, im sure your threads on this would back me up
and i will be happy to see hunt have another good season, arent you?

[back of the net]

we have the talent imo to get 6 points in sept - they just have to have the attitude and no fear - the boys can do it - come on lads

[back of the net]

i agree with billybunter - our poor away record is history - it has to change sometime - i believe we will qualify - if we get 4 points in sept then the pressure is really on the czechs - cos a week b4 we play germany in croke they have to play germany in germany - potentially a win in that game for germany could see the germans qualify in front of their home fans - depending on rslts in sept for all teams - then will the germans come to dublin having already qualified - plus the czechs have to go to cyprus - ppl lets be positive

[Newryrep]

Israel's late equaliser in Tel Aviv a few years back in the last minute was the least they deserved.

Totally agree, i remember being more ****ed off with the fact that we sat back after Morrison put us us ahead early on.

Still 4 points in sept could make it interesting.

[thejollyrodger]

None.

[Dallasirish]

Our away form can not continue like it has been. If we can beat Slovakia in the first game i think the team and the fans will have an extra skip in there step headin to prague. It is going to take two massive performances to take six points from these two games and we will need a huge team (fans and players!!) performance. I can see Shay Given being the hero in prague after robbie bundles one into the net late in the first half. (must see what paddy power would give me on that!!)

The germans might do us a favor in the later stages of this group.