Ireland v Slovakia - Pre Match thread

**YellowbellyRed** · 26/03/2007, 8:58 PM

Please no more mexican waves, if the crowd are that bored they should sing something that tells the manager to change things. Mexican waves are just wrong, wrong wrong. There doesnt seem to be any meaningful singing at Ireland games, surely the welsh could have been slagged off re sheep, or being quasi english or something. No offence to them or anything as I've lots of Welsh friends and drank with a few of them after the game, but its football not flipping hockey we were watching on Saturday!

**Scram** · 26/03/2007, 9:54 PM

Originally Posted by YellowbellyRed

Please no more mexican waves, if the crowd are that bored they should sing something that tells the manager to change things. Mexican waves are just wrong, wrong wrong. There doesnt seem to be any meaningful singing at Ireland games, surely the welsh could have been slagged off re sheep, or being quasi english or something. No offence to them or anything as I've lots of Welsh friends and drank with a few of them after the game, but its football not flipping hockey we were watching on Saturday!

Agree absolutely! waves only if 3-0 up with 1 minute to go...so no waves.

Tried to start the baaah chants going but everyone looked at me like I was mad

Sing you schwine....it's not a fcukin library

**paul_oshea** · 26/03/2007, 9:59 PM

scram i know that feeling. felt the exact same way on saturday!!

**Noelys Guitar** · 26/03/2007, 11:39 PM

It creates the wrong atmosphere during a game. It certainly did'nt help us on Saturday.

**NeilMcD** · 27/03/2007, 9:06 AM

Who starts these things in the first place. I hate the Mexican Wave.

**Stuttgart88** · 27/03/2007, 9:15 AM

Me too, refused fully to participate. But I don't agree with slagging the opposition off either. Leave that to following your club team if you want.

**Dublin12** · 27/03/2007, 9:23 AM

I hope the pitch is in the same state as it was last Saturday that way the Slovaks wont be able to zip it around but theres no point thinking like that really,thats only a false dawn.I think we'll get a draw and some will be happy with that,I won't. I'm glad Keane is out,overall he's been useless this campaign,hopefully Stokes will play some part and Hunt too,young players with spirit and fight.

**elroy** · 27/03/2007, 9:25 AM

If the FAI all gave us ticket and gave us a foot.ie section in the stadium the place would be rocking, and there would be no mexican waves when we're only one goal up!! Whats the chances of that happening i wonder.

Judging by the amount of long balls that we played on sat that only Kilbane ever really contested maybe starting Stokes could be an option for his size but i do agree that 4-5-1 could be what stan opts for on wed.

**Dublin12** · 27/03/2007, 9:29 AM

But I don't agree with slagging the opposition off either. Leave that to following your club team if you want.
__________________

What,surely thats part of football,especially when you're playing at home,make it as intimidating for the opposition as possible in my book.It works in place like Turkey,Greece,Portugal etc,we could do with some of that at Croke Park big time.Are you just taliking about the opposition not taking part in the Mexican wave or in general?

**OwlsFan** · 27/03/2007, 10:07 AM

What's with the support for 4-5-1? I hate that formation and it doesn't suit our game. In the words of Big Jack, we have got to put them under pressure and play a high tempo game. 4-5-1 allows them to slow the game down and pass the ball around the back 4 and when we do get the ball back, we soon lose it because there is no one up front to hold it. At the moment we don't have the players to play through midfield so swamping that area won't make it any better.

Give me 4-4-2 anyday, especially for a home game we have to win.

**tetsujin1979** · 27/03/2007, 11:56 AM

one of the posters on chatsoccer.eu is Slovakian, and posted their results since 2004
You can see the original thread here: http://www.chatsoccer.eu/forum/viewt...asc&highlight=

I went through the results, and it's pretty grim reading. Slovakia are very consistent, beating teams ranked below them, and usually not losing to teams above them. They've only lost 4 games since 2004, and all to teams in the top 10 in the world, and beat Germany at home before the World Cup, and France away. On the other hand, apart from France, the next highest ranked side they've beaten away from home in recent years is Hungary, in 64th

Originally Posted by Slovak

Slovakia international matches since 18.08.2004 :

30 international matches: 15 wins, 11 ties, 4 losses, score 50:33

Wins:

Code:

24.03.2007.........Cyprus - Slovakia 1-3
10.12.2006............UAE - Slovakia 1-2
15.11.2006.......Slovakia - Bulgaria 3-1
07.10.2006..........Wales - Slovakia 1-5
02.09.2006.......Slovakia - Cyprus 6-1
15.08.2006.......Slovakia - Malta 3-0
01.03.2006.........France - Slovakia 1-2
08.10.2005.......Slovakia - Estonia 1-0
03.09.2005.......Slovakia - Germany 2-0
08.06.2005.....Luxembourg - Slovakia 0-4
26.03.2005........Estonia - Slovakia 1-2
30.11.2004........Hungary - Slovakia 0-1
09.10.2004.......Slovakia - Latvia 4-1
08.09.2004.......Slovakia - Lichtenstein 7:0
18.08.2004.......Slovakia - Luxembourg 3:1

All fairly low ranked sides there, apart for the obvious wins over France and Germany
To score 5 in the Millenium Stadium is no mean feat
7 away wins, 8 home wins.
Quick look at the FIFA ranking shows after France and Germany, no home wins over team ranked higher than 39 (Bulgaria) and no away wins over teams ranked higher than 64 (Hungary)

Originally Posted by Slovak

Ties:

Code:

07.02.2006.........Poland - Slovakia 2-2
20.05.2006.......Slovakia - Belgium 1-1
16.11.2005.......Slovakia - Spain 1-1
12.10.2005.......Slovakia - Russia 0-0
07.09.2005.........Latvia - Slovakia 1-1
17.08.2005........... .....Lichtenstein - Slovakia 0-0
30.03.2005.......Slovakia - Portugal 1-1
09.02.2005........Romania - Slovakia 2-2
02.12.2004.......Thailand - Slovakia 1-1
17.11.2004.......Slovakia - Slovenia 0-0
04.09.2004.........Russia - Slovakia 1-1

Thailand?? Liechtenstein?
Poland, Russia away is pretty good going, always tough to get a result there.
5 home draws, 6 away draws

Originally Posted by Slovak

Losses:

Code:

11.10.2006.......Slovakia - Germany 1-4
06.09.2006.......Slovakia - Czech rep. 0-3
12.11.2005..........Spain - Slovakia 5-1
04.06.2005.......Portugal - Slovakia 2-0

2 home losses, 2 away losses, although none is anything to be ashamed of, all sides in the top 10
The 4-1 to Germany came 13 months after you beat them 2-0 at home
The 5-1 to Spain came a week before they drew 1-1 in Slovakia - was this the playoff game?

Ah, stats. Tell you all you need to know about absolutely nothing.

The most obvious one there to me is that Slovakia have not lost to a team outside the top 10 ranked sides in the World since 2004

**ainsie** · 27/03/2007, 12:43 PM

The Republic of Ireland team will be:

Shay Given (Newcastle United); John O�Shea (Manchester United), Steve Finnan (Liverpool), Paul McShane (West Brom), Richard Dunne (Manchester City), Damien Duff (Newcastle United), Lee Carsley (Everton), Kevin Kilbane (Wigan Athletic), Aiden McGeady (Celtic), Stephen Ireland (Manchester City) and Kevin Doyle (Reading).

I'm scratching my head....

Kilbane, O shea? Duff up front (as per the radio)

Beats me

**murtybyrne** · 27/03/2007, 12:45 PM

Cant believe he has left Hunt out! But I suppose really is it any suprise he's made another stupid decision, this is Steve Staunton we're talking about!

**anto1208** · 27/03/2007, 12:46 PM

id like to see

Finnan dunne mcshane o shea
................carsley
Mcgeady ireland kilbane duff

doyle

**ainsie** · 27/03/2007, 12:49 PM

Dont think he has the guts to end Kilnabes run, what is it now 40 games??? 40 games of mis-passin, 40 games of knocking the ball too far, 40 games of SH1t.
Anyhow I just repeat what has been said before over and over again.

Given
Finnan Dunne Mc Shane Kelly
Mcgeady Carsley Ireland Duff

Long Doyle

IMO

**Reddladd** · 27/03/2007, 12:49 PM

Hunt deserved his start.

**Qwerty** · 27/03/2007, 12:51 PM

The Indo is reporting that Ireland will play alonside Doyle up front though it will probably be between Doyle and midfield, I'm happy with that. Looks like he is going to persist with the O'Shea Finnan swictheroo, would like to hear his explanations for that. At least Mcgeady won't give the ball away cheaply and hopefully he will show what he can do - although he is a player who often looks very nervous so this may be a tough assignment. Starting Hunt and bringing McGeady on as a replacement may have been a better idea.

**cavan_fan** · 27/03/2007, 12:52 PM

I presume like all Irish managers Stan has caught the Duff up front bug. Therefore team to be

Given
Finnan (I hope!) Dunne McShane O'Shea
McGeady Carsley Ireland Kilbane
Duff Doyle

As for Hunt being left out, to be honest I'm not that down as he's picked McGeady instead and when McGeady has disappointed us for the first 60 minutes (as always) he can bring Hunt on!

**Darco Ooragnak** · 27/03/2007, 12:53 PM

Originally Posted by ainsie

The Republic of Ireland team will be:

Shay Given (Newcastle United); John O�Shea (Manchester United), Steve Finnan (Liverpool), Paul McShane (West Brom), Richard Dunne (Manchester City), Damien Duff (Newcastle United), Lee Carsley (Everton), Kevin Kilbane (Wigan Athletic), Aiden McGeady (Celtic), Stephen Ireland (Manchester City) and Kevin Doyle (Reading).

I'm scratching my head....

Kilbane, O shea? Duff up front (as per the radio)

Beats me

Hopefully they are able to beat more than just you.

**elroy** · 27/03/2007, 12:54 PM

Originally Posted by Qwerty

The Indo is reporting that Ireland will play alonside Doyle up front though it will probably be between Doyle and midfield, I'm happy with that. Looks like he is going to persist with the O'Shea Finnan swictheroo, would like to hear his explanations for that. At least Mcgeady won't give the ball away cheaply and hopefully he will show what he can do.

I agree, I think the fact Ireland has got a few goals will see him play just behind Doyle. Def would've like to see Hunt play and also would like to see O'S on the left Finnan on the right but overall is as expected.