What is wrong with us?

**paul_oshea** · 08/02/2007, 10:41 AM

Even back in the days when we weren't expected to qualify for championships and expected to be lucky to get draws away from home against good opposition, we still wouldn't be happy with only beating san marino or the likes 2 - 1. We now can field 9 premiership players, with an average age of 26 yet we struggle to do anything against a team ranked 195th in teh world. Yet, we as fans expect us to get away draws and beat teams within the top 20 rankings in the world. What are we missing? Is it the players? Is is the formation? Are the players over-rated? Are the opposition that close to eachother that rankings mean nothing? Or is it because we play the same we we used to more than 5 years ago when we had a target man to cross the ball in from the wings, because at the moment all we ever do is run out to the wings and aim for two small men in the middle that a) are too small to get up and cause hassle for defenders or b) are out on the wings or on the edge of the box( like they were most of the game yesterday)

We certainly need to start attacking through the centre of the park, everytime carsley hit a through ball straight through the centre we set up chances, every time we ran out to the wings we did SFA.

Ireland & kilbane, have scored for ireland twice in these qualifiers. Kilbane getting 2 vital goals and ireland getting 1 vital goal. Yet we always complain about kilbane, and ireland did nothing yesterday.

Mcshane and henderson ( who was at fault yesterday, i reckon henderson called and mcshane left it, when henderson should have been no where near outside his box) both perhaps, have been at fault for irelands last 2 goals. Is it just lack of experience? I suppose we wait to see mcshane in the backs with given in goals to answer that one.

Long was the only person that offered any real hope, some great touches and can hold the ball up and lay it off at the right time. Carsley was solid enough too. Duff ran his heart out, but we dont have drogba in the box. We have no one for his crosses so we need to start playing differently, all his crosses went to waste. The only time we did anything was when Dunne and kilbane were there in the box and they got onto the crosses cos they can get up high and are strong in the air. apart from that nothing.

We controlled the the whole game, but we should have been more than 1 - 0 up, and when staunton started making those changes to try and score a few more goals, I was getting seriouslly worried that we were going to concede and we did. Luckily for us he didnt take off carsley.

I can't be arsed writing anymore at this stage, but we have had 2 managers now who can get feck all out of these players, I am begining to wonder if it really is the manager....

**Colm55** · 08/02/2007, 10:49 AM

I think we play our games based on the quality of the opposition, we've no style or standards that set ireland apart from the current crop of international teams. when we come up against a top team, we do well because it will be higher tempo, better quality and our premierships lads can challenge at that standard. Then we play against the minnows and cannot keep that standard going, instead we stoop to their levels and seemingly can do little about it.

Blame falls on the whole charade, players and manager.

**paul_oshea** · 08/02/2007, 11:00 AM

I think we play our games based on the quality of the opposition, we've no style or standards that set ireland apart from the current crop of international teams. when we come up against a top team, we do well because it will be higher tempo, better quality and our premierships lads can challenge at that standard. Then we play against the minnows and cannot keep that standard going, instead we stoop to their levels and seemingly can do little about it.

I think its the style though, even against the top oppositions we are still crossing constantly for lads that never hardly score from headers. Hitting the ball in high over their heads time and time again is going to get you nothing, its just that if you do it 2 out 8 times against a top team, people assume we are playing well....

**pete** · 08/02/2007, 11:03 AM

The Premiership and english football has failed us. Just look at the consistent failure (relative to resources) of the England team.

Need to step away from focus on results & revise long term plan to change the entire football structures so we in control of our own destiny.

**paul_oshea** · 08/02/2007, 12:56 PM

you could be right pete.

but in the short term we need to either get in a target man or to start playing the ball on the ground through the centre.

**passinginterest** · 08/02/2007, 1:05 PM

In fairness we just need a striker to play as a striker. How many low crosses came into the front post only for no Irish player to be within ten yards of it? Long tried but he was all over the place never an option in the box, Keane was the same with less effort. At least if Doyle was fit he demonstrates an ability to attack the ball in the box, although he too seems afflicted by the drift to the wing disease at times.
Its ok for a striker to drift out and make an option wide if his partner is getting into the box, but whats the point in having two extra wingers, especially against San Marino, we had Duff, Kilbane, Finnan, Harte, Keane and Long, getting in each others way on the wings.
How many times did a player attack the front post? I think Stokes at least made an effort, and looked more of a natural striker in the box.

**Goals4fun** · 08/02/2007, 1:08 PM

simply we are not good enough. We are becoming the new 'scotland'. We will be beaten by minnows. Our leagues are crap and the players that come back are over paid. The FAI are a joke.
so all in all not much wrong

**livehead1** · 08/02/2007, 1:17 PM

Originally Posted by pete

The Premiership and english football has failed us. Just look at the consistent failure (relative to resources) of the England team.

Need to step away from focus on results & revise long term plan to change the entire football structures so we in control of our own destiny.

i believe you make a very valid point, except for the fact that the premiership et al is not there to protect us. A better league at home will in turn result in a better international side, no doubt about it.

**paul_oshea** · 08/02/2007, 4:17 PM

bobby just said we needed a target man and dearly lacked one last night. this is what i was saying. we needed to change our plan, we dont have one anymore.

**Soper** · 08/02/2007, 4:21 PM

Originally Posted by Goals4fun

Our leagues are crap

Incorrect

**BrayUnknowns** · 08/02/2007, 4:24 PM

[QUOTE=Goals4fun;619623]We are becoming the new 'scotland'. We will be beaten by minnows. Our leagues are crap and the players that come back are over paid.[QUOTE]

Eh, not a fcuking chance we could beat France the way we are playing at the moment !

You don't watch much eircom league footie do you ?

**pete** · 08/02/2007, 4:45 PM

We do not need to necessarily pick a team from the National League but I don't think you will finds many successful international sides picking players mainly from the english leagues. Sure they have some players in england but almost all of them playing in the CL too & supplemented by better players in technically good leagues.

The Premiership is entertaining but technically & tactically inept.

If we had even half our players in our own league would give greater control just like the IRFU who fund the clubs therefore can control the number of foreign players.

**crc** · 08/02/2007, 4:46 PM

Originally Posted by Goals4fun

We are becoming the new 'scotland'

Originally Posted by BrayUnknowns

Eh, not a fcuking chance we could beat France the way we are playing at the moment !

I think he meant we are playing like the way Scotlad have for the ten years previous to the last two. We're the new "Scotland", not the "New Scotland"!

**eirebhoy** · 08/02/2007, 4:53 PM

Originally Posted by pete

The Premiership is entertaining but technically & tactically inept.

It's entertaining becaus we can associate with the atmosphere, we know most of the players well enough, we probably have mates who supports the team we're watching with adds to it. I've watched quite a bit of Italian football and there's a huge difference. Italian football is fantastic to watch but it makes it pretty boring when all you can hear is a drum echoing around the stadium and the commentators in a studio. English football is very poor for the most part. I spent Saturday in the pub and watched 2 of the most boring games I've seen in ages.

**shakermaker1982** · 08/02/2007, 4:56 PM

They need to start picking men and guys with a bit of size and strength. Is Dunne and O'Shea the only two over 6 ft? Obviosuly we don't want freaks of nature like Crouch but an aerial presence from time to time would come in handy at set pieces.

If we did draw last night then I'd have called for a complete rehaul of the the team with us starting from new with the young lads coming through. The last gasp winner means we still have a chance of saving face by beating Wales/Slovakia next month so no point culling the team just yet. A new manager is a must though.

**Prof Hoffman** · 09/02/2007, 8:19 AM

Hi I am from a parallel universe.

When I saw what was happening in your world and had to drop in and say a few words and tell you a little about my dimension.

Back in 2002, in Saipan, there was no row between Roy Keane and Mick McCarthy (although there were some reports of malcontent), Roy Keane stayed, and Ireland made it to the semi-finals where we lost 1-0 to Germany. We also made it to the 2004 European Championship, but only as far as the quarter finals where we lost against Greece (with 10 men). Mick McCarthy stepped down in 2005 and handed the reins to David O'Leary whose Leeds side had won the Premiership the year previously. Roy Keane also stepped down from International football in 2005 and is currently the manager of Sheffield Utd. We qualified for the 2006 World Cup beating Israel and Switzerland in the qualifiers comfortably. We reached the Quarter Finals and lost out on penalties to Italy (who lost in the final to France by the way, Zidane never head-butted anyone). David O'Leary is still the manager and we haven't lost a game yet in the 2008 Euro Qualifiers.

By the way there is no John Delaney in my dimension.

Thanks you for listening.

**Over the post** · 09/02/2007, 10:34 AM

Originally Posted by shakermaker1982

They need to start picking men and guys with a bit of size and strength. Is Dunne and O'Shea the only two over 6 ft? Obviosuly we don't want freaks of nature like Crouch but an aerial presence from time to time would come in handy at set pieces.

If we did draw last night then I'd have called for a complete rehaul of the the team with us starting from new with the young lads coming through. The last gasp winner means we still have a chance of saving face by beating Wales/Slovakia next month so no point culling the team just yet. A new manager is a must though.

What we need is a manager who is capable of employing the resources we have to maximum effect. We don't have a particularly gifted group of players at the present but neither did Greece when they became European champions. Size is a factor as it would give us another dimension, particularly in attack, but a decidedly short Spanish team managed to give England the runaround the other night. With one or two exceptions I think the best available players are being selected so rather than overhauling the team the solution has to be in finding a manager who (i) is tactically aware and (ii) knows how to get the best out of players. Stan ticks neither box and should be replaced.

**Irish_Praha** · 09/02/2007, 10:52 AM

Originally Posted by Over the post

What we need is a manager who is capable of employing the resources we have to maximum effect. We don't have a particularly gifted group of players at the present but neither did Greece when they became European champions. Size is a factor as it would give us another dimension, particularly in attack, but a decidedly short Spanish team managed to give England the runaround the other night. With one or two exceptions I think the best available players are being selected so rather than overhauling the team the solution has to be in finding a manager who (i) is tactically aware and (ii) knows how to get the best out of players. Stan ticks neither box and should be replaced.

Agree 100%, the only problem is finding the right man. Not so easy.