No, Long was a ****ing nervous kid on his debut, who needed support from our superstars who didnt turn up.Originally Posted by OwlsFan
So did Long also suffer from a "serious lack of effort" - how many times did Long actually make a run to get through on goal? At least Robbie did at least twice as far as I can remember. So let's all direct the flak at Robbie. Talk to me about Long's performance and don't say it's not fair to compare the two as both are Premiership strikers and in fact Long probably starts more often than Robbie these days. Was Long not trying either? No, let's just have a go at Keane
Keane is our captain. Slight difference ffs
Probably a reason why Stokes should have started then. He has admitted many times he doesn't get nervous in matches. In saying that I wasn't bothered who started out of the 2 but I'm not the manager. In hindsight Stokes was more suited to partner Keane.
No, I would have a go at Long. Okay, it was his first cap and in the days leading up to the game there was an awful lot of hype piled on Long which was probably over the top, but I remember seeing him early in the second half with his hands on his hips and the image only compounded what I thought was a frustrating peformance from him.So did Long also suffer from a "serious lack of effort" - how many times did Long actually make a run to get through on goal? At least Robbie did at least twice as far as I can remember. So let's all direct the flak at Robbie. Talk to me about Long's performance and don't say it's not fair to compare the two as both are Premiership strikers and in fact Long probably starts more often than Robbie these days. Was Long not trying either? No, let's just have a go at Keane
Granted, the likes of Keane had been telling him to "go and have fun" with the match and maybe he did just that a little too much. I was not impressed at all with his debut. Hunt and Stokes had a lot less time on the field and there was far more hunger and urgency from them...although we were in dire straits at that point.
As for Keane, we can argue about dips of form and wages and his former glories all day long, but the fact that he said "the fans will be delighted with the win" say a lot. It's taking the nation's supporters for granted. Those words suggest a lack of respect and a disconnection from reality.
Although I think the story about our "top players" threatening to quit is hard to believe [a senior player was anonymously quoted as describing Stanuton as "clueless" in the Times on Sunday and I think that's far more realisitic, as anonymous references go] but if it is true, I'd welcome it. He'd get a healthy dose of reality about where he'd stand over here fairly quick smart.
He has been (justifiably) treated as a legend for becoming the nation's top goal-scorer in his mid-20s. After people in Ireland fawning over him for so long, it'd be only natural for part of him to believe his own hype and to think: "well, i've done it all at this point" and the next thing you know, he's just not hungry for it anymore. If he bails on us prematurely over this Staunton issue, he'll get a good kick up his arse if he ever plans to come back over to Ireland: the pats on the back will be replaced by something else entirely - and that won't sit too well with his glorified self-image that we as fans have helped create.
Someone made a comparison with the Rugby lads the other day and I think it's a valid point. If you watch their matches, you'll notice a huge difference: EFFORT.
They have clubs (a few overseas, at that) who pay their wages yet there is no shortage of passion there. They want it.
If it's true that Robbie Keane said to a fan in Cyprus "Ireland doesn't pay my wages" then that is sick, in my opinion. Let him quit. He'd be back fairly quickly, I can promise you that. Of course he'd be pi$$ed off with the media coverage over here - he doesn't think he should have to hear criticism after all he has contributed. But egos need praise, and if he turns his back on international football, he'll find himself very short on fuel.
I'd rather a squad of Championship-level players with heart play who for pride and punch above their weight when required than lads who think they can take the foot off the pedal because they've done enough in the past.
This was San Marino FFS. And against a left full so looked so out of shape that he would be embarrassed in my Monday night astropark game.
Sorry to say it but right now Duff is well named (and Keane isn't).
Together with all our hearts.
Everyone's saying that Duff is living on his reputation but overall Duff was one of our best performers in San Marino. He took about 30 minutes to settle in but after that he played well. His reputation is being used as a reason to drop him. He's not the same player he was. So be it. He's still one of our best players.
what do you expect from a guy that has been injured on a regular basis since he moved to Newcastle? The guy needs a good run of games, his injury proneness worries me. Is he rushed back too soon or is his body susceptible to injuries?
"If God had meant football to be played in the air, he'd have put grass in the sky." Brian Clough.
You'll NEVER beat the Irish.......you'll just draw with us instead!!!
Now remind me ...was it Peterborough or Northampton he was playing for when he said that?
Fair comment. Only winding
" I wish to God that someone would be able to block out the voices in my head for five minutes, the voices that scream, over and over again: "Why do they come to me to die?"
Nervous against San Marino in front of 2500 supporters when he is used to playing in front of 30K plus. To use your own expression for ffs. The point is did he not try either as is alleged against Robbie?
Forget about the performance or entertainment. It's only the result that matters.
Long was a debutant and to expect him to come on and shine when the rest of the senior established players can't be bothered their arse is expecting too much. Keane is captain, Keane is supposed to lead the team, he's supposed to set and example. If its true regarding the comments in San Marino or that he's tying his future in with Stans then I've lost the bit of respect I had for the lad. You'd at least think they'd have the balls to put their name to something instead of this cloak and dagger muck. Mind you its probably just Delaney putting this garbage out.
Lads I cant belive people are judging Keane on something that has not been proved to be trues at all. If you believe Keane was a joke on the field fair enough as many of us think he was poor now for a while but dont try to use fabricated nonsense by Dion Fanning as proof to back up an argument. And then say that the fact there are no quotes, shows that iits cloak and dagger stuff.
In Trap we trust
Well thats were the 'If' part comes into it! I'll generally judge someone on what I see on the field, and you get a lot of arm waving and gesticulating from Robbie these days and little else. Not nearly good enough, and certainly not good enough for a captain.
honestly i'm not convienced about long at all. he seems to give the balll away more often than not and seems very light. i would have much preferred to have seen stokes start against SM. i could be wrong about long but imo at the moment i don't think he is up to it - premiership or international. i know he has scored a couple but i reckon physically and as i said the amount of possession he squanders is too much.
Fanning out!!!
"The cat is in it, but it's open - and it's a wild cat"
im curious, i have only seen Long play once with reading, but do they play him more as an inside forward, rather then an out and out striker?
Did anybody see what Kerr said the other night about the players and his view that he felt that some players possibley were not giving their all. Very interesting. I think he is both the best and worst person to comment on the attitude of the players playing for ireland at the moment.
In Trap we trust
not like you to sit on the fence anyway neil....
Not sitting on the fence just think that Kerr was on the inside so he can see whether the players were trying or not and he has seen at first hand. However he also could be bitter towards the players and his judgement could be clouded by that also. There are 2 sides to most stories and I dont go for overly simplistic rants to problems. I was and am a supporter of Kerr and dont rate Staunton but I do understand the criticisms of Kerrs management but I would have him back in the morning.
In Trap we trust
This is what he said. From eleven a side.
Kerr hits out at underachieving Irish
February 15, 2007
Former Republic of Ireland manager Brian Kerr has moved to deflect criticism from current boss Steve Staunton in the wake of last week’s abysmal performance in San Marino – by slamming the attitude of the Ireland players.
Kerr spent almost three years in the job before being removed at the end of the 2006 World Cup qualification programme.
The performances of the Irish team have dipped markedly since then, with three shocking displays in Staunton’s eight games in charge: heavy defeats to Holland and Cyprus followed by last week’s abject 2-1 win over San Marino.
But Kerr believes the players, and not Stan, are most culpable for the level of performance on offer in recent months.
He told the Irish Daily Star: “I certainly wondered whether they cared enough at times, given the level they’re playing at every week and so on. That question mark is always going to be there when you have a performance like you had last week and against Cyprus.
“It’s a reasonable question to ask and it’s certainly something that needs to be put to the players at times.
“I suppose it’s easy for me to say this but at times there’s too much attention put on the staff, and the manager in particular, rather than the performance of the players.”
In Trap we trust
Several times?
Stan scored late on in Malta to seal a win in 2001, and Stapleton scored over 20 years ago on a disgrace of a pitch. The 2001 game was the only time Malta have even scored on us. All the other games were largely comfortable - 8-0, 2-0, 2-0, 3-0, 5-0. Ditto Cyprus - bar that 3-2 win in 1980, we've won 6-0, 4-0, 4-0, 3-0 and 1-0 (not with a late goal). I don't think it's really fair to bring games from 20-25 years ago, when we had never qualified for a major tournament, into the equation.
I also don't think we struggled against Andorra in the way we struggled against San Marino. For a start, Andorra are a better team who have actually taken points off people (four from Macedonia in the last campaign alone), and secondly, we did end up breaking them down and coming through 3-0. That's how those games go at times. Far different from the struggle we had last week.
When he mentioned Cyprus, I wonder did he also mean to include his own team's performance there as well, which but for Given, could almost have been as bad a result.
There's a hint there that he was let down by the players as well. Mind you no one ever mentioned "the staff" except him with his super duper background boys and preparation. Saipan apart, it's usually just about the players and the manager.
Forget about the performance or entertainment. It's only the result that matters.
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