Slovakia 2-2 Ireland Post Game Discussion Thread

[OwlsFan]

When are you people not going to realise that this is what following Ireland is about. The heart ache, the pain, the ****-ups, the negative substitutions when we are leading, the falling back inviting the opposition on, the late equalisers. SO had it been, so shall it ever be.

We never kept the ball in midfield for the whole game and didn't deserve to be in front. The Slovak equaliser was a disaster waiting to happen with Hamilton as ever counting his chickens with a few minutes to go.

Stan 6: Other than the Douglas substitution, his subs were ok. Doyle was just taken off to eat up time. Robbie/Doyle wouldn't have made a difference. Douglas on the other hand said to the opposition we're falling back on defence but I have seen numerous other managers commit the same error. The choice of Ireland over Reid was strange but he did score and almost scored a second but never got on the ball. We almost won an important away game: almost

Given 7: Apart from Hamilton describing every save he made as "wonderful", he did ok but almost cost us a goal by belting the ball against one of their forwards. Swept well behind the defence. Might have saved the goal.

O'Shea 3: Poor in defence. Gave the ball away. Didn't block the shot. Played for his height. Not sure though if we have any other option.

Dunne 8: Lost his man once and they almost scored but for O'Shea covering behind but otherwise deserved motm.

McShane 7: Called by the poison dwarf as "an accident waiting to happen" but did well for the most part.

Kelly 4: Very nervous, gave the ball away a lot. Poor game.

McGeady 3: Anonymous and too lightweight.

Carsley 5: Did his defensive duties ok but seldom passed to an Irish player and often punted the ball aimlessly upfield.

Ireland 6: But for the goal, mightn't have realised he was playing which for a central midfield player says a lot

Kilbane 7: Good game for Kevin. Got on the ball a lot. Worked hard. Distribution not his strong point but was at the heart of most things.

Keane 5: Due to lack of service never got in the game but worked hard up front. Nice dummy for Ireland's goal.

Doyle 6: Great goal but otherwise as equally ineffective as Keane due to no service from midfield.

A point away from home under Stan is progress but that's from a base of being stuffed by Cyprus. 3 were there for the begging but did any us of really believe we'd get them. I expected the equaliser when Douglas came on.

[bennocelt]

Anyone happy with that result needs their head examined. Slovakia were really bad, and we should have hammered them

I would have had Reid and Hunt in the starting team, (and to be fair i also would have had Mcgeady)
Kilbane just runs and runs, Carsley cant pass and was running around the centre like a headless chicken, and Ireland is too lightweight
The subs were amazing, will never forget them as long as i live..........No need to take off Doyle......bringing on Douglas who is rubbish and was caught out when he came on, and Gibson gave the ball away at least 4 times after he came on
I dont think Kelly is a good player at all, even when he is playing in his correct position, and i think he was bad in america
and we all know about O Shea

one other point that wasnt mentioned.............Given was annoying every times he got the ball he just punmped it up the field as far and as hard as he could.............once in the second half he just kicked straight over the sideline.................do you think Stan told him to do this?

i dont think i will bother watching the Czech game, it would be too painful

[brine3]

Kelly 4: Very nervous, gave the ball away a lot. Poor game.

I thought Kelly defended well. His giving the ball away every now and then may have had to do with being on the wrong side of the pitch. I'd love to hear Stan's explanation for that one.

[finnpark]

Anyone else think Ray Houghton and George Hamilton don't have a clue? Dunne man of the match, he was totally out of position 6 or 7 times. He doesn't defend deeply enough.

[micls]

Anyone else think Ray Houghton and George Hamilton don't have a clue? Dunne man of the match, he was totally out of position 6 or 7 times. He doesn't defend deeply enough.

Dunne was our best player on the pitch...by far.

[Traps Cat]

Anyone else think Ray Houghton and George Hamilton don't have a clue? Dunne man of the match, he was totally out of position 6 or 7 times. He doesn't defend deeply enough.

Eh, how deeply do you want him to defend? Maybe he could put on a pair of gloves set up camp on the goal line with Given?

Dunne was in position when it mattered - by far our best player on the night , and our most reliable player in years.

Dunne for captain - keane offers nothing in this role.

[Jofspring]

glad slovakia scored the equaliser as it showed up just how bad ireland where last night. tactics being the main reason for this. players out of postion, subs etc... if we had won it it would have covered up just how bad we were.

[Jofspring]

Agree....Dunne for captain and stan for the door.

[Knappagh Red]

McShane was lucky Dunne was playing so well or we would have been bet. McShane is too small and slow to be an international standard center back

[Tir Oilean]

Stan's selection was beyond stupid.

His selection as manager of this country and the substitions he made were stupid.

While it was Douglas' fault that he let his man go O'Shea's Pansy like attempt to block the shot was unbelievable from a Premier League player. Substitions towards the end of a game always annoy me as it can ruin the flow of the game. Players will take time to settle into it so your only fcuking up your ow game. Stan is not a great manager and doubt he ever will be but lets face it Delaney put him there.

If I were a EL premier Division player Id be pretty ****ed to see the likes of Douglas on an international squad so imagine how Reid/Hunt feels being left on the bench?

[Torn-Ado]

i dont think i will bother watching the Czech game, it would be too painful

I'm not watching it either. In fact I have made the decision that I'm going to watch the rugby team either. They're just as bad.

[barney]

I am absolutely amazed at the abuse O'Shea is getting for the goal. McShane was ball-watching for the first goal and not a word is said about it. He was far more culpable for that than O'Shea was for the second.

McShane is a poor player with loads to learn. Okay, he is committed and he puts in 110% but he is always going to make a dreadful mistake. He cost us the goal against the Czechs, he cost West Brom the play-off final and he cost us the first goal tonight.

Just coz he runs around like a headless chicken doesn't make him a good player. There's a reason Fergie got rid of him and there's a reason that only Sunderland picked him up (along with the likes of Chopra and Harte). He's average and well out of his depth at international level. All the fist-punching and sticking his head in front of flying boots won't obscure that fact.

[jmurphyc]

I am absolutely amazed at the abuse O'Shea is getting for the goal. McShane was ball-watching for the first goal and not a word is said about it. He was far more culpable for that than O'Shea was for the second.

McShane is a poor player with loads to learn. Okay, he is committed and he puts in 110% but he is always going to make a dreadful mistake. He cost us the goal against the Czechs, he cost West Brom the play-off final and he cost us the first goal tonight.

Just coz he runs around like a headless chicken doesn't make him a good player. There's a reason Fergie got rid of him and there's a reason that only Sunderland picked him up (along with the likes of Chopra and Harte). He's average and well out of his depth at international level. All the fist-punching and sticking his head in front of flying boots won't obscure that fact.

I wouldn't completely agree with that. I do think McShane's inadequacies are masked somewhat by his commitment but I think in time he could be a very good player for us. He's still a bit raw at the moment and a season in the premier league will hopefully help him improve alot. At the moment he's the best we've got. We have very few options at centre back at the moment. I also personally thought carsley was mainly at fault for the first goal.

[DmanDmythDledge]

I am absolutely amazed at the abuse O'Shea is getting for the goal. McShane was ball-watching for the first goal and not a word is said about it. He was far more culpable for that than O'Shea was for the second.

McShane is a poor player with loads to learn. Okay, he is committed and he puts in 110% but he is always going to make a dreadful mistake. He cost us the goal against the Czechs, he cost West Brom the play-off final and he cost us the first goal tonight.

Just coz he runs around like a headless chicken doesn't make him a good player. There's a reason Fergie got rid of him and there's a reason that only Sunderland picked him up (along with the likes of Chopra and Harte). He's average and well out of his depth at international level. All the fist-punching and sticking his head in front of flying boots won't obscure that fact.

Don't know why you're amazed- he's everyone's favourite scapegoat, even when he plays well.

Agree with everything else you say, although I don't think McShane is well out of his depth.

[barney]

I wouldn't completely agree with that. I do think McShane's inadequacies are masked somewhat by his commitment but I think in time he could be a very good player for us. He's still a bit raw at the moment and a season in the premier league will hopefully help him improve alot. At the moment he's the best we've got. We have very few options at centre back at the moment. I also personally thought carsley was mainly at fault for the first goal.

Fair point, he is the best we have got. But it really annoys me when people have a go at O'Shea, because he's an easy target, and don't have a go at someone else just coz he's a fan favourite.

Same with Robbie Keane. A couple of months back, people were having a pop at him saying he shouldn't even be in the side. Have a look at the first goal last night. That's what Keane brings to the table and we have no-one else with that sort of class.

I do think McShane has a lot of potential, but without Dunne alongside him, he would be more badly exposed than he is being currently. If people are going to criticise, then at least criticise all the guilty parties and don't leave some off the hook because of their reputations.

[paul_oshea]

As I have said from the start, McShane is definitely prone to errors, a bit like dunne was in his early career, but I stil have more confidence in him than dunne at that age. He did again make a few vital mistakes, but he also made some vital tackles at just the right time.

Dunne was superb. No need to say anymore.

Doyle held the ball up well, but again our midfield was missing and setting nothing up for the forwards. Keane was poor, but again he wasn't getting much service, though when he did he did nothing with it.

Before the corner for the 1st slovak goal, I said slovakia are going to score in the next few minutes. And bang they went in. I said after doyles goal unless we get another one and kill this off they will score within the last 10 minutes and bang 91st minute. We cannot hold onto a lead, we dont know how to play when in front.

Carsley was bypassed much of the game, I found that when we had the ball he was 5 yards behind where he needed to be and when Slovakia had the ball he was 5 yards in front of where he should have been.

Mcgeady did some good things but when we dont have possession away from home he is useless and doesnt track back. Given did very well with the swerving ball it went about 2 ft in the opposite direction from where it was originally going. All in all he had a decent game. Though I think he should have come for the corner that they scored their goal, I really wish he had more presence in the box, as it would releive the pressure from the backline and slow the game down at vital times when we need it.

Ireland was decent and did very well for his second chance of the game in the second half. I wish though reid had played as well, I honestly think keanes game improves when he is on as they have a great understanding.

JOSH was terrible, absoloutely terrible, I hope finnan is fit for wednesday.

Good atmosphere at the game, with people singing almost throughout, was great to see doyle jump the barrier and come to the fans, ye can see how much it means to him and how much of an honour it is. At the end something that will always stick in my mind, he came over to clap the fans and as he turned round he grabbed the towel tight around his neck and looked to the heavens in pure frustration and disappointment.

I honestly dont think gibson did that much to be honest. And what was staunton at bringing douglas on? Kilbane was wrecked in the second half, he did nothing, we needed hunt to hold onto possession run up and down the line and keep ireland up in the slovak end. To me it appeared staunton panicked and didnt know what he was at. By bringing another defensive midfielder on, it was a clear statement of lets defend this lead, when we needed to attack them and close out the game. Desperation type stuff.

[paul_oshea]

actually i must add to that, post one more thing about oshea, which some of you might not have noticed, but the slovaks had 2 players over in the right corner in the second half and oshea was over in the other corner with kelly leaving no full back one side:!: what a tw@t. And waht was even more stupid was the slovaks didnt capitalise on it.

Just waiting for EB to come on and say this results still means we can qualify....etc etc.

[onceahoop]

McShane was at fault for the first goal. Was ball watching and lost his man. He really is very raw although you could say he keeps it simple at times. Can't fault his committment and you would expect him to improve.

[DmanDmythDledge]

McShane was at fault for the first goal. Was ball watching and lost his man. He really is very raw although you could say he keeps it simple at times. Can't fault his committment and you would expect him to improve.

McShane had a part to play in the first goal but I think it is unfair to single him out. Carsley could have attacked the ball at the front post and Kelly should have stayed on the line.

[Noelys Guitar]

No blame attached to Stan. According to Stan! Why bring on Douglas? We desperately needed someone like Reid (or Hunt)to get on the ball, invite tackles and fall around getting free kicks (which both are clever enough to do). They would have killed the game. They are match fit, and playing well for their clubs. Whereas Douglas is not getting his game for a league 1 club and might be moving to Walsall!