Ireland v Croatia (1 Viewer)

[Jerry Twig]

Getting started early, just like the Trap.

It's a solid looking squad. The boo boys are back, except for that tit Stokes, whose Ireland career is surely over, and no room for Best either:

Goalkeepers:
Shay Given
Keiren Westwood
David Forde

Defenders:
John O’Shea
Paul McShane
Kevin Foley
Seamus Coleman
Stephen Kelly
Stephen Ward
Richard Dunne
Sean St. Ledger
Darren O’Dea
Damien Delaney
Ciaran Clark
Kevin Kilbane

Midfielders:
Glenn Whelan
Darron Gibson
Keith Andrews
Keith Fahey
Andy Keogh
Aiden McGeady
Damien Duff
Stephen Hunt
Liam Lawrence
James McCarthy
Keith Treacy
Marc Wilson

Strikers:
Robbie Keane
Kevin Doyle
Jon Walters
Shane Long
Simon Cox

 

[ratmonkey]

Isn't Best out injured?

 

[Jerry Twig]

Nope, he's playing in the pre-seaon

 

[Jerry Twig]

So, forget about Ballotelli for a minute and let's get back to discussing how we'll fare tonight with a the first chance of some Long - Cox penetration in the second half etc etc

 

[ratmonkey]

Coleman's out anyway.

 

[Cormcolash]

I think we should slide plenty of balls into the hole for Long-Cox, then they can advance down the channel and shoot early

 

[Jerry Twig]

Bag of shite.

The only thing I'm saying about that non-event is that Richard Dunne needs to lay off the pies and learn to play football again.

 

[Richie]

Yeah, damp squib unfortunately.. Fairly solid defensive performance and another clean sheet but very little else to talk about really. Dominated in midfield by a decent technical side as usual. Our new jersey is cack, who thought that getting rid of the nice dark green one and replacing it with something that looks like one of the North's old kits was a good idea..

 

[Cormcolash]

Yeah, major disappointment of a match. Long being replaced by Cox, shocking. WE NEED THEM ON THE PITCH AT THE SAME TIME!!!

 

[Hector Grey]

Yeah, damp squib unfortunately.. Fairly solid defensive performance and another clean sheet but very little else to talk about really. Dominated in midfield by a decent technical side as usual. Our new jersey is cack, who thought that getting rid of the nice dark green one and replacing it with something that looks like one of the North's old kits was a good idea..

that's exactly what i thought, norn iron had an identical umbro strip about 10 years ago. it's shit. socks are alright though.

 

[Hector Grey]

http://www.oldfootballshirts.com/en...old-northern-ireland-football-shirt-s262.html

this is the culprit...twenty years ago...jayses.

 

[Jerry Twig]

Jesus, and the Nordie jersey from 20 years ago is less offensive too. Looking at the NI-Faroe match pics this morning, their jerseys look more and more like ours.
Agree that the socks are fairly nifty though.

 

[Hector Grey]

i still refuse to buy one of our shirt while they have shirt sponsorship on them. is there any other national team in the world that does that?
the socks however...

 

[Jerry Twig]

That would a good look, to go to Ireland games in a regular t-shirt but with your jeans rolled up to the knees to reveal your funky striped Ireland socks.

 

[washingcattle]

Pretty sure we are the only ones. Green Flag used to sponser all the England friendlies but I don't think they had the logo on the jersey. Back to the game. Gibson has to never play again ever. The man will only chase back if it's him that gave the ball away. Cunt.


I stand by my 4-3-3 idea more and more. Keane had to drop deeper and deeper in the second half but we were toothless up front because of this, in spite of Long running himself ragged. On the other hand Keane was the only one capable of passing the ball forward so when he was up front neither he nor Long got anywhere near the ball. Whelan gets through enough work (i.e everything Gibson simply won't/can't do) to accomodate Fahey and Lawerence and at least they can pick a pass.

 

[Jerry Twig]

Not to mention Gibson's tackle on Olic, which would have been a straight red in a competitive game.

In your 4-3-3, I'm assuming you'd play Doyle deep and Keane and Long up front?

 

[washingcattle]

Doyle Keane Long up front and 2 from Fahey, Duff, Lawerence or Andrews or even Coleman. basically Whelan to break play up, one lad with a big engine that can get up in support quickly and one lad that will be able to pick out, Keane who's movement in the area just inside the opposition half has always been excellent. even when we get the ball out quickly in 4-4-2 the support is so slow it's painful at least with 3 out and out attackers we could pose a threat.

 

[Cormcolash]

I like the look of Fahey as well actually - definitely seems to me to be a better option than Gibson (I'm a better option than Gibson) and Andrews. I doubt Trap has any intention of changing away from 4-4-2. If he ever does, we need to figure out who it is that's killed him and taken his place.

 

[washingcattle]

I'll help you.

me.....sssshhhhh

 

[Hector Grey]

4-3-3 is fairly sophisticated. it's based on keeping the ball in the centre, bringing it from defence, and your wingers coming in, or being inside out or whatever. we haven't got one player technically proficient enough to excel at 443 or the time to change the habits of a lifetime. our best bet will always be defence, keep it compact in the middle and have very willing runners up fron. long and doyle are perfect for us. as long as we produce the odd winger with a bit of pace we'll be grand. the alternative is building the entire team around a playmaker. stephen ireland maybe?