Ireland vs the As (1 Viewer)

[Unicron]

Kelly bigger liability than McShane.

He was utterly shite in the first half, did better in the second when Duff switched wings to go ahead of him.

Very much enjoyed that.

 

[Richie]

Phew. The ref and the Armenian defence and keeper handed us the game really, hardly a great Irish performance but job done. I don't think either Cox or the Armenian keeper handled it, shoulder and upper chest respectively.. Doyle has looked off colour with Ireland for a few games now, the second yellow was slightly harsh but maybe it's better for Walters or Long to have a go in the playoff. Walters looked impressive in the time he got. We strung some nice play together for about 10 minutes in the 2nd half which culminated in the deserved 2nd goal and then switched off immediately to let them back in.

I've been reading the comments on the Guardian report on the game and 2/3rds of them are from a handful of (Irish) guys who seem to be competing to state how shite we are, how Trap is strangling Irish football & how much they'd prefer if we'd lost the game because we'll stink up the playoffs/tournament etc.. Honestly, fuck that - do they remember who the alternative candidates to Trap were? Faraway hills are greener and all that. They'd be the first to be laying into whichever manager it was if we were playing wonderful free-flowing football but losing all the time. The large majority of Scotland and Wales fans would gladly trade positive football for where we are now.

If you take the glass half full way of looking at it, that was actually our best performance in qualifying (points wise) since 2002. Obviously it all comes down to what happens in the next 2 games but judged by any logical yardstick he's doing a decent job.

 

[Unicron]

Phew. The ref and the Armenian defence and keeper handed us the game really, hardly a great Irish performance but job done. I don't think either Cox or the Armenian keeper handled it, shoulder and upper chest respectively.. Doyle has looked off colour with Ireland for a few games now, the second yellow was slightly harsh but maybe it's better for Walters or Long to have a go in the playoff. Walters looked impressive in the time he got.

Doyle was visibly tiring before he got sent off, I said to my mate that I thought he'd be taken off any minute for Long, then surprisingly the Walters/Cox switch happened right before the red. Walters was excellent up front on his own, appeared sharp and lively.

I caught the first 20 minutes of RTE's coverage before the match and Dunphy was giving out yards then about the madness of selecting Cox ahead of Long. Did the rat-faced charleton eat any crow afterwards?

 

[washingcattle]

Firstly as shite as we were they were so utterly utterly defensively shite that they deserved everything that they got. FACT!!!

Secondly Doyle was targetted the whole game and I wasn't surprised he got sent off. One Strikers tackle and one rush of "I'll get away with this, he's gotten away with worse" blood to the head.

We were awful. never passed the ball at all, Hunt should be forgotten forever, McGeady didn't let me down as the biggest waste of space in football and O Shea was fucking dire going forward and Andrews didn't pass a ball forward all night.


But Positives

A. we're there.

B. Cox was actually really good committed and present a decent Keane replacement

C. Fahey can pass a ball forward

D. Whelan didn't get booked and can kick lads at will and did actually get turned and try to go forward tonight. (I swear he did)

E. main plus Walters looks like a lad that can play the lone striker role, meaning that we could lay 4-5-1 away from home meaning a place for either Fahey or Lawerence in the middle to ACTUALLY PLAY THE BALL FORWARD TO FUCKING FEET.


How Coleman isn't worth a run is beyond me though which is my major gripe.


Still we're there. That's all that matters.

 

[washingcattle]

Doyle was visibly tiring before he got sent off, I said to my mate that I thought he'd be taken off any minute for Long, then surprisingly the Walters/Cox switch happened right before the red. Walters was excellent up front on his own, appeared sharp and lively.

I caught the first 20 minutes of RTE's coverage before the match and Dunphy was giving out yards then about the madness of selecting Cox ahead of Long. Did the rat-faced charleton eat any crow afterwards?

Not really but in fairness go back about two pages and you'll see some inciteful punditry from one of thumpeds own on the subject.

 

[Cormcolash]

Walters should have got man of the match. He did more in about 8 minutes than the rest of the team did in 90. Deserved 2 goals! Cox was good too though. How about Cox - Walters combo up front? Dicks all round! Also, Duffer had a very good game too, can't deny that.
McGeady - fuccckkkkkkk. How did he get so completely shit? He used to be able to go past a man. He was truly fucking abysmal in that game. In saying that his one good cross got us our second goal.
Finally, let me just say

I would just like to say in advance of the Armenia game "THANK FUCK FOR THE HONEY MONSTER, DUNNE FOR PRESIDENT" in anticipation of him single-handedly getting us a draw.

or a win, as the case may be

 

[washingcattle]

Walters should have got man of the match. He did more in about 8 minutes than the rest of the team did in 90. Deserved 2 goals! Cox was good too though. How about Cox - Walters combo up front? Dicks all round! Also, Duffer had a very good game too, can't deny that.
McGeady - fuccckkkkkkk. How did he get so completely shit? He used to be able to go past a man. He was truly fucking abysmal in that game. In saying that his one good cross got us our second goal.

Doesn't matter who you have up front if you can't pass forward. Cox was great, piss poor oposition to be fair. Walters has impressed this season at Stoke and in fairness our ideology seems to be based on Stoke so go figure.

Secondly

I've been saying it and saying it and saying it.

It's all about the final ball, McGeady does not have it, Now he doesn't have the run into a corner aspect of his game either ? Fuck Aiden McGeady. His "shot" in the second half should be the final nail in the coffin. Too smart arsed for his own good.

 

[Cormcolash]

About halfway through the first half, I just started shouting "Don't pass to McGeady!" everytime it looked like they were about to do just that

 

[rettucs]

Looks like we're currently still in the top 4 seeds even with Bosnia winning, based on the current coefficients.

is this confirmed?

 

[Unicron]

is this confirmed?

Christ, did no one read my post yesterday.

But yes, apparently so ...

UEFA confirm seeds with letter to FAI praising them on 'tremendous' job. As most knew - Turkey, Estonia, Bosnia & Montenegro unseeded - Dan McDonnell of the Indo.

 

[rettucs]

Christ, did no one read my post yesterday.

yes but I couldn't understand a word of it. Sport is hard

 

[Hector Grey]

i suppose we had better avid turkey. does anyone thing it may be a godsend to be missing both keane and doyle for the game?

and can anyone confirm or deny raving loonpot eamon dunphy's assertion that lots will be drawn to determine home vs away?

 

[тхеодоре кацзынски]

Montenegro please.Although Turkey away would be an interesting one.

 

[ratmonkey]

and can anyone confirm or deny raving loonpot eamon dunphy's assertion that lots will be drawn to determine home vs away?

The draw ceremony will be conducted by UEFA General Secretary Gianni Infantino and former Poland forward Zbigniew Boniek, one of the final tournament ambassadors. It will define the four pairings as well as the order of the home and away ties. The draw will be transmitted live on UEFA.com and Eurosport.

 

[Unicron]

i suppose we had better avid turkey. does anyone thing it may be a godsend to be missing both keane and doyle for the game?

and can anyone confirm or deny raving loonpot eamon dunphy's assertion that lots will be drawn to determine home vs away?

What I was told was that the top seed will get the home leg second.

 

[Hector Grey]

estonia!

PLEASE!

 

[evil bandit]

What a terrible match, I fear any team we get will beat us if last night's performance is anything to go by, I mean we were struggling to keep position against the ten men of Armenia at home ?!?!?

Of the four potential teams we can face all have really good home form, strikers that can change a game and from what I've seen of us we'll have nothing Possibly Doyle and Keane out for the first leg, Trap unwilling to give Long a run out so I can see Cox ploughing a lonely furrow all game.

Apart from the result, the only joy I got at the match was starting a rumour that Russia were losing 1-0 about 10 mins into the game and screaming "Trap better not be pulling off Cox" everytime a substitution was being made.

 

[washingcattle]

Walters looks like he can play up front on his own.

Duff Whelan Fahey Andrews Coleman

and the back four seems settled enough now. Though O Shea is still not up to it and Kelly and Ward are prone to having absolute shockers.

None of the unseeded teams travel particularly well which is good. It's not all grim. I do agree that Doyle and Keane out could be a blessing in disguise but only if it means Trap changes the system rather than the personal.

 

[coast to coast]

For crying out loud will people stop fantasizing that he'll change the system at this stage!

It'll be Walters and Cox up front probably and god-willing Fahey over Andrews in the middle but otherwise exactly the same. How he doesn't pick Coleman and Long in general is beyond me, at least given that they haven't dirtied their bibs, but I just don't expect him to anymore.

Over two games Russia beat us 3-2, Slovakia lost to us on away goals 2-2 (and we should have won both games), Macedonia we beat twice and Armenia we beat twice. While I'm sure most of the unseeded play-off teams will be better in quality than those lot, we fared pretty well against slick pass addicted eastern Europeans/Eurasians. We'll go out and be stoical and hopefully nick a goal away from home, take it back to the Palindrome and grind out the 0-0 we need for Euro-glory.

P.S. I hope we get Estonia. I know they are on the up, but they were dog shit a few years ago (a la Armenia) and they only got that play-off spot because Serbia bottled it against Slovenia and had a game chalked off for their fans violence. They are easily the weakest in the pot.

 

[washingcattle]

For crying out loud will people stop fantasizing that he'll change the system at this stage!

You won't stop until you take all the joy out of the no way referee thread will you ?

stop living in reality it's fucking boring.

Come live in my world where Everton has a top class midfield and Trap is going to play Fahey, Coleman Walters and Long from the start while I finger Christina hendrix with Dakota Fannings hand.




































While riding on a fucking Dragon.