Ireland vs 'Whoever' and Stalin (1 Viewer)

[Jerry Twig]

37-man squad announced, to be shortened to 23. A place for Eunan O'Kane, who looked decent against Liverpool last night, and the return of Cunningham, who I hope can stay in the squad as by all accounts he;s doing well at Preston and we need a proper left back.

No place for Grealish yet, surprise, surprise. I also saw Daddy Dick play at the weekend and by gad he was good. Time for Roy to start camping outside his house again.

Riveting stuff:

David Forde, Shay Given, Keiren Westwood, Darren Randolph, Rob Elliot, Richard Keogh, Marc Wilson, Seamus Coleman, Cyrus Christie, John O’Shea, Alex Pearce, Ciaran Clark, Paul McShane, James McCarthy, Jeff Hendrick, Stephen Ward, Greg Cunningham, Harry Arter, Glenn Whelan, Eunan O’Kane, Aiden McGeady, James McClean, Alan Judge, Robbie Brady, Anthony Pilkington, Stephen Quinn, David Meyler, Wes Hoolahan, Robbie Keane, Shane Long Southampton, Daryl Murphy, Jon Walters, Kevin Doyle, Anthony Stokes, David McGoldrick, Adam Rooney, Simon Cox

 

[Richie]

I'm thinking of going to the Georgia game, which will guarantee that we drop points in comical fashion.. In fairness, this all feels totally inconsequential unless Scotland slip up, will be more focused on their matches than ours over the two games. Greg Cunningham looked like he had a fair bit of promise when Trap first called him up about 5 years ago, he's taken the long route to working himself back into contention. We could do with Bournemouth staying up this year, with Arter and O'Kane looking like they'll start most games..

 

[Cornu Ammonis]

Ireland vs Giya Kancheli instead of Whoever if you like.

 

[Jerry Twig]

Ireland vs Giya Kancheli instead of Whoever if you like.

'Whoever' is Gibraltar. And in any case Kancheli is not a tyrant to my knowledge.
Do keep up.

 

[Cornu Ammonis]

'Whoever' is Gibraltar. And in any case Kancheli is not a tyrant to my knowledge.
Do keep up.

I thought we were playing Georgia and didn't know it had to be a tyrant. This is why I don't contribute to sports threads

 

[Jerry Twig]

I thought we were playing Georgia and didn't know it had to be a tyrant. This is why I don't contribute to sports threads

We are, hence Stalin.

 

[CinnamonBoy]

The SAS, if I was choosing a name.

 

[Cormcolash]

Defo Ireland vs The SAS and Stalin

I fucking love this shit, it's more craic than the matches!

 

[Richie]

Our Eastern European buddies have just done us a huge favour and did what we couldn't manage - just finished Georgia 1 - Scotland 0 !! We're right back in it, as long as we actually do our stuff and win the next 2. It's the hope that kills you..

 

[Jerry Twig]

YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSS! Go on Georgia - players should go on the absolute lash tonight and fly Aer Lingus to Dublin.

Nial Quinn on Sky after that knob anchor said he was cheering on Scotland: "I don't think I was, to be honest".

 

[Richie]

Job done.. In fairness to Gibraltar they look a much better organized team compared to last time, we didn't exactly look light on our feet though. Germany are back to business as usual, hopefully they'll carry that into the Scotland game.. The North have joined the weird list of table-toppers, if they beat Hungary on Monday they're though. Albania in with a decent shout in Group I also.

 

[Jerry Twig]

Albania will probably go through as best placed third team from a fairly poxy group. Delighted for Wales - we can all relate to what it must be like for their fans now, and then some.
Job done last night is right. I thought Hoolahan was very poor yesterday but otherwise generally it was a professional performance without too much exertion, well set up for Monday.

 

[Richie]

Yeah Hoolahan overcomplicated things a few times, that said he did contribute to goals 1 and 3 even having an indifferent game. I was more disappointed with McCarthy and Whelan, ineffectual even against a side as lowly as Gibraltar. McCarthy mimicks Whelan's keep-it-simple water carrier role and it's a big problem with the team.

If Keane's going to start on Monday, I think the only way of playing to his strengths now is to get some decent pace elsewhere in the attack. if I were O'Neill I'd go with Long and McClean on the wings, with a lineup something like this:

               Given
Coleman   O'Shea   Clark   Brady
         McCarthy   Hendrick
    McClean   Hoolahan   Long
                Keane

Give Walters a break and throw him in for the last 30 mins.

 

[Jerry Twig]

I was more disappointed with McCarthy and Whelan

Yeah McCarthy was invisible and really quite irrelevant. I can't see the point in having him and Whelan play together. I'd play Hendrick and have McCarthy sit deep. I think Wilson will start over Clark if fit, although there is a strong case to be made for Clark given that he's playing every week, and he also looks stronger than before. I always said that Keane is still the right man against the minnows, and you can't fault his return, but I don't think this Georgia team are minnows. I watched the Scotland game and they're burly yet quick defenders. I'd play Long for sure and I think it might sense to have Walters out wide. McClean's a leftie too.
Whelan will start, as sure as day, so realistically I'll put him in. Not sure Hoolahan will start but I'd have him in and not write him off after one turkey. He could try another Gilbraltar though and pack the midfield with a lopsided 4-5-1 / 4-4-2.

McGeady could well start too, as he is their bogie man.

               Given
Coleman   O'Shea   Wilson   Brady
         McCarthy   Whelan
    Walters   Hoolahan   McClean/Hendrick
                Long

 

[Cormcolash]

STALIN 1 SCOTLAND 0

 

[Cormcolash]

So like, do we hope Pope John Paul II hammers Scotland, or do we hope Alex Ferguson wins so that we still have a chance to auto-qualify?

 

[CinnamonBoy]

This is the reason why I was SO FUCKING ANGRY leaving the Scotland game a few months. They're poor. We don't have the players? Yes we do.

Fuck OFF

We may have fucked it up by idiotic managerial decisions against the Jockos but these lads are as good as Poland any day and we should be contesting 2nd place.

 

[Richie]

I had a look at the permutations.. Assuming no improbable Scottish fuck-up against The Rock, we basically need to match Scotland's result against Poland in either of our 2 games in order to get 3rd place (we're guaranteed 3rd place if Scotland lose that game). Really, we need at least a point more to give ourselves a decent enough chance of a playoff. Drawing with Germany and beating Poland would get us 2nd, or just beating Poland if Scotland also beat them (though that's the high risk scenario where less than a win sees us go out). 2 Polish defeats is the only scenario where both us and Scotland go through.

I'm pleased with how the team went about the 2nd half tonight. Missed the first 15 minutes due to a transport fuckup but what I saw of the first half was as moribund on the pitch as the atmosphere in the stadium (had nearly an entire block of the upper south stand to ourselves). Pulling Keane so early was a huge call assuming he wasn't injured, can't help wonder if it marks the end of him starting games for Ireland.. Obviously the right thing to do in this game though, the additional pace in the attack with Long on was immediately noticeable. Had a good view of Hendrick's lovely little run, thinking back to that flick against Germany he has a useful line in assists, they need to find a way of getting him into attacking positions more.

 

[Jerry Twig]

The best result (unlikely) is a stalemate in both games, meaning we've secured the play-offs but can go hell for leather in Poland to try and take the automatic place. If we lose to Germany, we'd then want Poland to beat Scotland and the play off position is decided. I don't fancy going to Poland even needing a draw, as would be the case if we lost to Germany and Scotland-Poland drew (in which case Poland need only a draw from us anyway - but still).

 

[CinnamonBoy]

Scotland are a poor side. 0 shots on goal against Georgia. A couple of fluky goals last night and still lost.
I'm appalled they took 4 points off us.

I didn't think much of Poland when they were playing us but they've shown enough so far to at least make us feel confident they won't lose in Scotland, and, will probably win,