San Marino v Ireland match thread

**ramondo** · 08/02/2007, 12:38 AM

Originally Posted by TheBoss

...There is still a good 7 games to go.

That's a scary prospect. There's a very real possibility we could finish second-last in this group.

Bad as the situation is, most people are calling for Stan's head right now before it gets worse.

Do we really need to see any more? To hear any more? Some of his comments really defy belief.

Oh, the incompetence!

**Risteard** · 08/02/2007, 12:48 AM

Originally Posted by jbyrne

the constant abuse of oshea on this site is a complete bore. what are the other options?? mc shane (on yellow and has a knock), mccarthy (untried and dubious temperment), o'brien (lack of form and match time), o'dea (no experience even at club level)

Maybe if you keep hearing the truth, it gets boring.
Yellow and a knock, so what? Should still get a game if he's the better player. This is just the sort of "Ah sure, he'll do" attitude that has made O'Shea survive at ManU and international level.
O'Brien - lack of form? I can think of few Irish centre-backs i'd have behind O'Shea on lack of form, in fairness.
And that's over the last 4 years. The lad is poor at football. End of.

**tricky_colour** · 08/02/2007, 1:30 AM

I can't say I think Stan is doing a good job, his "I'm rebuilding for 4 years ahead" attitude is basically saying the thinks (rightly or wrongly) the current crop are a pile of sh*te, and he has given up on qualifying. How motivating is that? I can't say I find him very inspiring,he seems same type as the current England manager (well maybe not that bad to be fair).
But ultimately he doesn't have much experience in management, OK neither did J�rgen Klinsmann, but then he was managing Germanay, not Ireland!!

**ifk101** · 08/02/2007, 7:10 AM

Originally Posted by TheBoss

Overall, the team is to blame, in all honesty, you do not need tactics to beat San Marino, the players knew what they would do, expected a very easy win and therefore thought, easy win, no need to try. Half-time, they knew they had to do something, they did and then after that, dour again.

I know must will say, Staunton is to blame for getting into the players to perform well, I am very sure he did this all managers say to their players not to take it easy. Also, Staunton is not an experienced manager, what do people expect of him, to be like Alex Ferguson after 1 year of management. I think he should be judged after the Qualifiers, whether Ireland fail or do it. There is still a good 7 games to go.

It's not players - it's the manager that picks them. Enough is enough. Stan OUT!

Yes - Stan's inexperienced and that's why he shouldn't be manager. He got the top job in Irish football with absolutely no experience - why? Isn't it reasonable of supporters to expect that somebody in the top job of Irish football can demonstrate some managerial skills? Stan hasn't done this in more than 13 months in the job. The only thing he has done is, with a arrogant swagger, state that he's building for the future. What worrying for me is that he's breeding a second-best mentality into our new caps - the future of our team. Is this our future - relying on luck to score against San Marino?

I'm really knocked back by Stan's aftermatch comments. Again this is the man in the top job of Irish football and he can't give a honest assessment of a match he has just witnessed played before his eyes. Stan if you are reading have a gentleman's decency to admit last night is not good enough and scoring from a goal mouth scramble is not "fighting spirit". San Marino are the worst team in Europe, after us, and they're not going to cause the other teams in our qualifying group any trouble. Be a man and admit you're out of you depth, and take John Delaney with you when you are closing the door on your managerial career.

**antrimgreen** · 08/02/2007, 7:28 AM

As agreed with the fast majority stan is a muppet being employed by another muppet, muppets can not run an internatonal team ffs. Another thing all this bull that Stokes has no experience, he scored 14 goals in Scotland against players that are about 10000 times better than that shower of s**t we were up against last night. He should have started ahead of Long IMO, the grief i have to listen to from these Windsor fans, it's embrassing. Stan is a walt and his interview was a disgrace, show some accountability stan you spinless c**t.

**Billy Lord** · 08/02/2007, 7:30 AM

Why do the glory-hunting Micks support Ireland? They follow British clubs because Irish football isn't 'good enough' for them, yet they folly deh boyz in gree-in when England and even Cyprus and the Vatican are far better. Is it because follying Oireland gets them away from their ugly wives and gurlfriends now and again to drink themselves sick while dressed as leprechauns?

**antrimgreen** · 08/02/2007, 7:37 AM

Originally Posted by Billy Lord

Why do the glory-hunting Micks support Ireland? They follow British clubs because Irish football isn't 'good enough' for them, yet they folly deh boyz in gree-in when England and even Cyprus and the Vatican are far better. Is it because follying Oireland gets them away from their ugly wives and gurlfriends now and again to drink themselves sick while dressed as leprechauns?

What's this got to do with the match last night??

**neutrino** · 08/02/2007, 7:50 AM

Unfortunately Stan isnt up to the task. Delaney was hell bent on appointing him for some reason. Stan will go sooner than later. If he's managing us come the world cup qualifiers, even San Marino will be ahead of us in the rankings.

I feel sorry for Stan - he's like a rabbit in headlights.

Stan must go and the self-appointed dictator Delaney must go with him.

**Paddy Garcia** · 08/02/2007, 7:53 AM

Originally Posted by Billy Lord

Why do the glory-hunting Micks support Ireland? They follow British clubs because Irish football isn't 'good enough' for them, yet they folly deh boyz in gree-in when England and even Cyprus and the Vatican are far better. Is it because follying Oireland gets them away from their ugly wives and gurlfriends now and again to drink themselves sick while dressed as leprechauns?

**padzer** · 08/02/2007, 8:05 AM

We were seconds away from being the laughing stock of world football. How this gang of premiership players can go back to training with their clubs with any dignity is beyond me. The stick being dished out would be gas.

Imagine payin €200 or more for croke park tickets only to be witnessing meaningless drivel.

I am embarrassed, but relieved.

Get them all out. We have a few weeks to put a decent manager in charge with time to sort out this mess.

**Paddy Garcia** · 08/02/2007, 8:09 AM

Eleven a Side Ratings

Wayne Henderson: 4
Steve Finnan: 5
John O�Shea: 5
Richard Dunne: 5
Ian Harte: 4
Damien Duff: 7
Lee Carsley: 5
Stephen Ireland: 6
Kevin Kilbane: 6
Robbie Keane: 4
Shane Long: 4
Subs:
Paul McShane: 5
Stephen Hunt: 5
Anthony Stokes: 7

Probably about right though I felt Finnan was almost on a par with the others on 6. Harte barely deserved a 4 as does Henderson.

**Lim till i die** · 08/02/2007, 8:23 AM

Wayne Henderson: 0
Steve Finnan: 0
John O�Shea: 0
Richard Dunne: 0
Ian Harte: 0
Damien Duff: 0
Lee Carsley: 0
Stephen Ireland: 0
Kevin Kilbane: 0
Robbie Keane: 0
Shane Long: 0
Subs:
Paul McShane: 0
Stephen Hunt: 0
Anthony Stokes: 0

Would be a far more accurate reflection I feel

How could you give one of those muppetts a 7

Against San Marino

**eirebhoy** · 08/02/2007, 8:32 AM

Originally Posted by TheBoss

My opinion on the game is as follows, I was so embarassed and ashamed and them 2 words sum up my most postives feelings on the game. The defenders through the game were comfortable but too comfortable, their passing was not great, it was slow and predictable. The Midfield was the same, but spent longer on the ball dilly-dallying. Robbie Keane was woeful and really poor, everytime he was on the ball, he somehow lost it and took him till 85 Mins to get a shot on target.

Duff was poor in the 1st half, thinking that it would be easy for him but only really started playing well after the goal. Shane Long did not get into the game at all, so really can not say if he was bad or good. When Hunt and Stokes came on, the team looked much better and a bit more lively.

Hendo wanted to do something in the game so came out to clear a non existent ball that he had no chance of getting and did not let Dunne deal with it.

Overall, the team is to blame, in all honesty, you do not need tactics to beat San Marino, the players knew what they would do, expected a very easy win and therefore thought, easy win, no need to try. Half-time, they knew they had to do something, they did and then after that, dour again.

I know must will say, Staunton is to blame for getting into the players to perform well, I am very sure he did this all managers say to their players not to take it easy. Also, Staunton is not an experienced manager, what do people expect of him, to be like Alex Ferguson after 1 year of management. I think he should be judged after the Qualifiers, whether Ireland fail or do it. There is still a good 7 games to go.

Come on. Not every ex-pro is cut out to be a manager. He hasn't got the brains for it. He doesn't notice what is going wrong.

**eirebhoy** · 08/02/2007, 8:35 AM

Is 4 the lowest rating they can give? No way did Harte deserve a 1.

**G-Man** · 08/02/2007, 8:40 AM

I'm sitting here in work and have the feeling of having lost a game. I'm really annoyed at having watched that crap last night and have that sinking feeling in my gut whenever my team loses a game. Its like the Cyprus game all over again. And I know we got the 3 points, but points dont matter at this stage as we wont qualify, so that result last night is like a loss to me.

And to compound matters and make it worse, listening to that drivel being said by stan the gaffer after the game made me sick. Everyone knows at this stage what he said, but i would have had slightly more respect for him if he came out and said 'it wasnt good enough. we should be winning these games comfortably. We know the fans will be unhappy'. But no, Delaneys puppet comes out and talks about heart, and spirit and hard to handle teams.

**greatbleddyman** · 08/02/2007, 8:42 AM

Wayne Henderson: 0
Steve Finnan: 1
John O�Shea: 0
Richard Dunne: 0
Ian Harte: -4
Damien Duff: 0
Lee Carsley: 0
Stephen Ireland: 1
Kevin Kilbane: 1
Robbie Keane: -3
Shane Long: 0
Subs:
Paul McShane: 0
Stephen Hunt: 0
Anthony Stokes: 0

**cavan_fan** · 08/02/2007, 8:47 AM

The worst point of last night was the fact I junped out of my seat to celebrate a goal against San Marino. (In my defence I immediately felt a bit of a prat). I think there's a lot of us who want Stan out but cant stand having a draw against San Marino on our records.

One thought I had was that this team thinks playing teams like this with no players they've ever heard of is beneath them. They drifted around in the first half thinking about their new cars. Then when they heard the booing at half time they put in a few minutes of effort and scored. But then they just went back to sleep. The fact we could have had 2/3 goals after the equaliser is not a good sign. If they had been bothered they would have played like this the whole game, only the possibility of humiliation made them play properly.

Then thing is that seemed to effect them all even guys like Shane Long. This must be the manager's fault, the team is just not in the right frame of mind.