What do we expect?

[dr_peepee]

Any negativity I feel is not directed at the quality of our playing pool. As the saying goes you have to have the serenity to accept what you can't change. My negativity is about everything else surrounding the Senior team. The inconsistencies. The Non commital comments. The disregard fo the Media as a medium to us as fans. The apparent lack of acountability in the set up.

[irishbaz]

"He was hardly in for Neil to replace Finnan. Finnan is one of the best full backs in Europe when it comes to marking and defending. He also puts in quality crosses."

What I am saying about Finnan is that he has not made the step up at International level I have never once watched him for Ireland and thought jesus this guy is world class

"Duff doesn't try? Come on, jesus"

Again I am not saying this over the lenght of his career what I am saying is when he first stepped up to international level he would take your breath away with his level of commitment and skill but again I havnt seen that for a while both at international level and club level where he puts in the odd good performance.

"It's not so much delusion as being ****ed off that we were hammered by Cyprus and struggled to beat San Marino. These things shouldn't happen, regardless of the quality of the "current crop".

I agree completly it shouldnt happen but it is happening and Im saying its for three or four reasons

1. The manager is to inexperienced and is unable to pick and tailor his team to the oposition we are facing, he appears to have an inability to motivate and a complete lack of insight about football in pre and post match interviews

2. The players have lost a spark but they still have a responsibility to perform and they just have not stepped up o the plate those world class players have not performed

3. The FAI appear to accept average and that is infectious


I am ****ed off but the reality is our world ranking doesnt lie and recent performances have showed this

[cavan_fan]

I agree Saipan is the turning point of Irish footbal. It reminds me a bit of the British Conservative Party after they got rid of Thatcher. The wounds never healed and they had a decade of infighting even though many of the people involved at the end were not involved in the beginning. There is a real sense of conflict around the squad.

I read someone in the Irish Times yesterday saying the rugby team are the new Boys in Green and I wonder how long it will take us to get back to where we were.

What I defintiely don't agree with is that this is a much weaker squad than we've had in the past. I would say we have fewer world class players but on the other hand we have more top flight players. We wouldnt have to play the Tommy Coyne/Alan Kernagahans today. There's no reason to expect we will have better players in the future.

[eirebhoy]

"Duff doesn't try? Come on, jesus"

Again I am not saying this over the lenght of his career what I am saying is when he first stepped up to international level he would take your breath away with his level of commitment and skill but again I havnt seen that for a while both at international level and club level where he puts in the odd good performance.

It certainly has nothing to do with the effort he's putting in.

[citizenerased]

This is what stan should play IMO

Dont want to see O'Shea, Harte, or Kilbane near the team....

....................Given

Finnan.......McShane....Dunne....Geary

McGeady....Carsley.......Ireland....Duff

..............Doyle...........Keane

[Dr. Ogba]

This is what stan should play IMO

Dont want to see O'Shea, Harte, or Kilbane near the team....

....................Given

Finnan.......McShane....Dunne....Geary

McGeady....Carsley.......Ireland....Duff

..............Doyle...........Keane

To be honest the only decent game I've seen us play recently was against the Czechs and that was with 5 in midfield which, unfortunately, would mean that Doyle or Keane would miss out. Would also mean we could accommodate McGeady Duff and A. Reid/S. Ireland in the midfield (Carsley and S.Reid to anchor would be ideal), at least this would bring a bit of stability to the midfield which is where we're at our weakest imho...

[eirebhoy]

Will Andy Reid be back for the Wales game?

[as_i_say]

yknow i wish some people would lay off kilbane. he is a limited player that gives 100% each and every time for his country. he scored against the czechs, scored against SM, put in 2 pin point crosses for 2 goals against SM.

cant comment on cyprus or germany as missed those games.
O'shea doesnt have half the heart or desire kilbane has so totally agree there but there are so many people out there that ridicule Kilbane and make him an unfair personal scapegoat for appaling performances.

No doubt O'shea deserves it though.

[youngirish]

We wouldnt have to play the Tommy Coyne/Alan Kernagahans today. There's no reason to expect we will have better players in the future.

100% true. Jack played more donkeys in his various teams than we could ever hope to find today. Kernaghan, Cascerino (shi*e - look at his club record at decent levels als the only player I ever seen who couldn't kick a ball), Morris, Coyne, Babb, Alan Kelly etc. But we also had some top class players that kept us going. I think talent wise our squad today is as good as any Mick had and Jack before him in the last couple of years.

O'shea doesnt have half the heart or desire kilbane has so totally agree there but there are so many people out there that ridicule Kilbane and make him an unfair personal scapegoat for appaling performances.

No doubt O'shea deserves it though.

Also 100% agree. Why is everyone making sense on this thread? Never happens.

[Paddy Garcia]

I think we have to stop putting these guys on pedestals and comparing most of them as world class its just not the case

You have it right, it is a very poor set of players, in comparison to what we have in the past.

Shakey central defence, hanging our hats on a young lad who can't even get his (CB position) place at a Championship level team. Played out of position, so will be prone to errors. Now we are shouting like mad for a young lad at Celtic. This really depicts the poor state of affairs.

FBs - barely a threat. Also Finnan can't get forward cos he can't rely on anyone else to provide decent cover. Certainly not the midfield. Think of what we had with the likes of Irwin.

Midfield - Powder puff, The worst of Keane, Townsend, Holland, Kinsella, McAteer would look a world beater now.

Attack - Weak, very limited since Quinn has retired. Combinations have been unimpressive to say the least. Hopeless.

Goal - Poor cover in recent games when Given was unavailable.

Manager: Not worth commenting on.

[tetsujin1979]

You have it right, it is a very poor set of players, in comparison to what we have in the past.

compared to the players Mick McCarthy had to work with for the majority of his tenure (Keane excepted) I think the current squad is far superior