Ireland v Greece (1 Viewer)

[Jerry Twig]

Indeed, friendlies are a chance to play football without collectively shitting their pants.

 

[Cormcolash]

I wouldn't even be going to watch Ireland, I'd be going to watch Samaras for a laugh. He'll probably not even be playing though.

 

[nutmeg81]

with no fahey, mcgeady or walters it has to mean starts for coleman, hoolahan and long no?

also is kevin foley still staying away from the team like gibson?

stilled a little suprised as to why pearce didnt get a call up.

 

[Richie]

Here's the team:
Westwood
Coleman, O'Shea, Clark, Ward
Brady, Whelan, McCarthy, McClean
Cox, Long

The fabled Long Cox partnership in action at last.

 

[Jerry Twig]

Can't quibble with that team really, all told. Hoolahan also to get 45 minutes

 

[Cormcolash]

​LONNNNNGGGGGG COOOXXXXXXXXXXXXX!!!!!

 

[Jerry Twig]

Unlucky to be losing at half time - actually playing some nice football. Coleman is different class, Long doing everything right as usual, Andrews so clearly better than Whelan, McClean is muck, Clark is the dictionary definition of reckless (so everything as you we already know then).

 

[Jerry Twig]

Fucking shit second half.

 

[Cormcolash]

Ooh Aah Samaras

 

[Richie]

Coleman was the one real positive, should have claimed the right back spot with that performance. First 20 minutes of each half we were on top and had the better chances, harsh to lose overall. O'Shea just isn't cut out to lead the defence, will never fill Dunne's boots, and for a player of his experience is still prone to switching off. Nice to see a bit more passing out from the back and less hoofing but we're so ponderous in our build-up play, players seemed to constantly get caught in posession. Long Cox a bit disappointing, Cox in particular. McClean is looking increasingly like Kilbane Mk II with a worse disposition. Brady has the skill but might be a year or 2 off being really ready for this level. There's the bones of a decent side there but we're paying the price now for Trap not experimenting and integrating the younger players properly over the last 2 years, I think those 2 crunch games in March will come too soon for us.

 

[Hector Grey]

What was all the needle about? Is that what we're doing now? "Horse into a few of the grecians, lads, that'll show the press we still care."

 

[Jerry Twig]

Coleman was the one real positive, should have claimed the right back spot with that performance. First 20 minutes of each half we were on top and had the better chances, harsh to lose overall. O'Shea just isn't cut out to lead the defence, will never fill Dunne's boots, and for a player of his experience is still prone to switching off. Nice to see a bit more passing out from the back and less hoofing but we're so ponderous in our build-up play, players seemed to constantly get caught in posession. Long Cox a bit disappointing, Cox in particular. McClean is looking increasingly like Kilbane Mk II with a worse disposition. Brady has the skill but might be a year or 2 off being really ready for this level. There's the bones of a decent side there but we're paying the price now for Trap not experimenting and integrating the younger players properly over the last 2 years, I think those 2 crunch games in March will come too soon for us.

Coleman was great. The nutmeg was a beauty! I thought Long was good actually, at least in the first 20, but he got nothing after that. Doyle was not at the races in comparison. Whelan was ridiculous. McClean was trying too hard and didn't seem like he could even get the ball off the ground. Nerves? Hoolahan had a few tidy short pases and ran into a few good positions, but too little to go on in that game. Totally agree that O'Shea was really laboured. The whole team looked knackered after 70 minutes. Clark will always have a job as a human samurai sword if he gets barred for life from football.

 

[washingcattle]

Coleman was the one real positive, should have claimed the right back spot with that performance. First 20 minutes of each half we were on top and had the better chances, harsh to lose overall. O'Shea just isn't cut out to lead the defence, will never fill Dunne's boots, and for a player of his experience is still prone to switching off. Nice to see a bit more passing out from the back and less hoofing but we're so ponderous in our build-up play, players seemed to constantly get caught in posession. Long Cox a bit disappointing, Cox in particular. McClean is looking increasingly like Kilbane Mk II with a worse disposition. Brady has the skill but might be a year or 2 off being really ready for this level. There's the bones of a decent side there but we're paying the price now for Trap not experimenting and integrating the younger players properly over the last 2 years, I think those 2 crunch games in March will come too soon for us.

O Shea is not a leader never has been he's not tough, pig ugly, aggressive or loud enough to lead a defence.

It's this simple does this scare you ?

These freak me out a bit though

Nuff said.

A year ago on thumped lads were saying that Coleman wasn't up to it because he was having the cliche "difficult second season". This season it's McCleans turn. Okay so Sunderland are utter shite at the moment and McClean is not playing well, that's fine but I'd reserve my judgement for season number 3 - 10 or whatever he gets to. The second season curse does exist especially with wide players because it's tactically very easy to mark them once you know what they are going to do. Trap was saying that he should move to a bigger club (Does anyone actually listen to him anymore ? what was all that about blacks being fast ?) he's in a good spot now under O Niell. If he puts the work in like Coleman seems to have he'll improve. If he doesn't, well we'll always have Aiden McGeady to run aimlessly into the corners. That's good innit ?

 

[Jerry Twig]

Hold your horses there man, no-one compared Coleman to McClean. McClean is not having a 'second season' - he came in last year in about March for godsake.

 

[washingcattle]

It's his second season in the PL. Is what I'm saying. Give him time is what I'm saying.

 

[7 - No tomorrow]

Gilesy does not understand Trap's obsession with Cox according to his interview on Newstalk.


What? Still funny to me.

 

[Richie]

Yeah I suppose in fairness to McClean, Coleman had a rough time of it last year after his breakout season and a lot of people were way too quick to write him off. Plus he had that season at Blackpool to develop his skills whereas McClean more or less went straight from League of Ireland to Premier League. I'd have my doubts about how much he can expand his repertoire though, just seems way too much of a head down and charge to the byline type.

O Shea is not a leader never has been he's not tough, pig ugly, aggressive or loud enough to lead a defence.

You're probably right, too much of a nice soft-spoken fella and not the scary psycho you need to get everybody in line. He obviously cares about it, looked devasted after the Germany game and even at losing the other night. Does a reasonable job next to a more assertive player but who knows if Dunne will ever be back to his best and we're badly short on leaders in the team right now.

 

[Cormcolash]

Gilesy does not understand Trap's obsession with Cox according to his interview on Newstalk.


What? Still funny to me.

He doesn't seem to be a big fan of Long though, hmmmm

 

[washingcattle]

Yeah I suppose in fairness to McClean, Coleman had a rough time of it last year after his breakout season and a lot of people were way too quick to write him off. Plus he had that season at Blackpool to develop his skills whereas McClean more or less went straight from League of Ireland to Premier League. I'd have my doubts about how much he can expand his repertoire though, just seems way too much of a head down and charge to the byline type.

He has the attributes he just needs some polishing. Like Victor Anechebe.

You're probably right, too much of a nice soft-spoken fella and not the scary psycho you need to get everybody in line. He obviously cares about it, looked devasted after the Germany game and even at losing the other night. Does a reasonable job next to a more assertive player but who knows if Dunne will ever be back to his best and we're badly short on leaders in the team right now.

It's a pity but that is how it works sometimes. At club level you can have two reasonably calm heads who know each others game extremely well and can make a good partnership but internationally you're better off having an absolute maniac like Fabio Cannazarro and Marco Matterazzi who seemed liked they walked out of a gritty New York seventies cop film. Imagine being interigated by them. It'd be fucking nightmarish. Like Marathon Man mixed with The French Connection.

"What the fuck do you mean I picked my fucking feet ? Stop fucking head butting me ?"

Even Pepe looked fairly solid during the Euros and he's a complete fucking headcase.

 

[Jerry Twig]

It's his second season in the PL. Is what I'm saying. Give him time is what I'm saying.

I agree. Just saying he was muck on Wednesday - that is hard to dispute. But Trappatoni was right not to play Coleman last year - when he wasn't injured he was not getting his game at Everton, and this for a rookie, when we had options that were at least playing on a regular basis and had international experience.