Italy v Ireland WCQ RTE 2 7:50pm Wed

redout

Well you'se should all know what to do.............

_blank_

Definite humiliation awaits the Irish team.

JPA

I don't think we'll get humiliated because Italy aren't capable of humiliating anyone. 2-0 loss I think.

redout

Gibson

Des wrote: »

Definite humiliation awaits the Irish team.

Aye, just imagine what the likes of Pirlo and De Rossi are going to do to our midfield - frightening.

Diabhal Beag

N. Hunt

We might be without McGeady though :eek:

Pazzini will tear our defense apart

WoollyRedHat

Gibson

I'm going to go out on a limb here and say 2-1

A really big limb

2-1 To us.

~Rebel~

Toni, Gilardino and Di Natale are all out, so i could see it finishing 0-0

LuckyLloyd

Doyle

We'll get beat. And then the panic button will be pressed on here, in the media - at the watercoolers.

I expect the table to look as follows on Wednesday night:

Italy pld6 pts16
Ireland pld6 pts 11
Bulgaria pld5 pts7
Cyprus pld5 pts 4
Montenegro pld5 pts 3
Georgia pld7 pts3

Leaving us with the advantage when we travel to Sofia in June, when hopefully Steven Reid and Damien Duff are available again.

redout

Gibson

~Rebel~ wrote: »

Toni, Gilardino and Di Natale are all out, so i could see it finishing 0-0

Well Pazzini is on bleedin fire at the moment with something like 12 goals in his last 13 games including one last night against Montenegro. Rossi isnt half bad either.

JPA

LuckyLloyd wrote: »

We'll get beat. And then the panic button will be pressed on here, in the media - at the watercoolers.

I expect the table to look as follows on Wednesday night:

Italy pld6 pts16
Ireland pld6 pts 11
Bulgaria pld5 pts7
Cyprus pld5 pts 4
Montenegro pld5 pts 3
Georgia pld7 pts3

Leaving us with the advantage when we travel to Sofia in June, when hopefully Steven Reid and Damien Duff are available again.

Reid is aiming to be fit for next season. No way we he be available for June.

Fanny Cradock

I would think a sound beating for us looks the most likely result. And while this will still leaves us still in the driving seat to get through to the knock-out stage, those 2 points against Bulgaria would have been very nice.

Boskowski

JPA wrote: »

I don't think we'll get humiliated because Italy aren't capable of humiliating anyone. 2-0 loss I think.

Exactly, even if with complete dominance when was the last time Italy beat anyone by more than two goals?

Smegball

Italian 2-0 coaster.

DmanDmythDledge

LuckyLloyd wrote: »

We'll get beat. And then the panic button will be pressed on here, in the media - at the watercoolers.

No panic button will be pressed, only the we have a manager who is doing a poor job button.

LuckyLloyd

Doyle

JPA wrote: »

Reid is aiming to be fit for next season. No way we he be available for June.

Yeah, you're right actually. Oh well, we'll only need a draw over there tbh.

LuckyLloyd

Doyle

DmanDmythDledge wrote: »

No panic button will be pressed, only the we have a manager who is doing a poor job button.

They are one and both the same.

Podge2k7

Whelan

I have a feeling that we are going to be hammered.!:(

noodler

The team better not have the ame attitude as some of us.

If we lose, we can frget the play-offs as far as I am concerned. Nicosia and Sofia trips to come? I honestly think Cyprus are going to beat us, more worried about them then Bulgria in a head-to-head sense.

LuckyLloyd

Doyle

noodler wrote: »

The team better not have the ame attitude as some of us.

If we lose, we can frget the play-offs as far as I am concerned. Nicosia and Sofia trips to come? I honestly think Cyprus are going to beat us, more worried about them then Bulgria in a head-to-head sense.

lol, but if you expect us to lose away to Cyprus what possible chance would there be of a draw on Wednesday night?

noodler

LuckyLloyd wrote: »

lol, but if you expect us to lose away to Cyprus what possible chance would there be of a draw on Wednesday night?

Same way we can hold the Germans at home but lose 5-2 to Cyprus.
Specifcally, cos I think Cyprus have more legs than us or Italy and that is where we will be realy ran ragged, especially in the heat.

~Rebel~

noodler wrote: »

Same way we can hold the Germans at home but lose 5-2 to Cyprus.
Specifcally, cos I think Cyprus have more legs than us or Italy and that is where we will be realy ran ragged, especially in the heat.

The Crafty Bastards!

leninbenjamin

Whelan

it will be a 17 - 0 victory to the Italians, Trappa to commit suicide in the dugout before 30 mins due to the humiliation of it, Ireland to go bankrupt at the half time interval, Dunphy to be elected president of the Universe at fulltime, the rest of the Irish squad to be relocated to Argentina on a Uboat for their own protection and England will have reinvaded us by Thursday morning.

</pessimism>

it's gonna be a pretty close one lads. Even with the midfield woes we're hard to beat, Italy lack a cutting edge and the players will be more fired up for it than usual. Robbie to play his annual blinder (i.e. finally time a run right) and maybe nick an equaliser in the final minutes of the game. 1-1 i'll go for.

Bounty Hunter

imo this will be 1-0 or 2-1 to Italy.

The Italians traditionally play very defensivley and away from home against the team favourites to be 2nd in the group they arent going to be any different imo and may only come out of their shell if we were to get a goal which we do have the players capable of getting otherwise i see the Italians getting a goal and then sitting back.

obviously i hope for an irish win/draw

PHB

I think we'll get beat. Italy to exploit our defensive weaknesses and win a tactical, but comprehensive, victory.

grames_bond

we play as bad as we did on saturday and we will be slaughtered! but for some reason i see a tight 1-1

Headshot

You know what im going for a 1-0 to ireland .just have the sneaking feeling for ireland and keane to score 1st

redout

Gibson

I would be surprised if we got anything with the midfield we possess and news that McGeady is out. Going for an Italy win 2-0 perhaps.

ntlbell

0 - 0

ScholesyIsGod

3-0 Italy.

CCCP^

Italy to go ahead early on in the match. Ireland will mount an impressive counter-attack and come oh so close and then Italy will score a second and seal the deal. I'd love to see Ireland win but the realist within me says not with the current style of play.

Best hope? A draw. Could happen!

keane2097

Doyle

I think we could get a horrifyingly bad to watch 0-0 draw...

Xavi6

Gibson

Dunnie and Given to have epic games and we'll nick a 0-0.

redout

Gibson

Chiellini Expected To Play For Italy Against Ireland - Report
The tough-tackling defender is likely to be in the starting XI for the Azzurri's next match...

Italy were 2-0 winners over Montenegro in World Cup qualifying on Saturday, but the victory saw Giorgio Chiellini and Antonio Di Natale both substituted off due to injuries.

While Di Natale will reportedly be out for the rest of the season, Giorgio Chiellini's injury is far less serious, according to Calciomercato.it.

The Juventus centre-back was wearing a protective mask during the match because he had recently broken his nose, but a fast-moving ball struck him in the face and caused further damage.

However, team doctors performed X-rays on Sunday and it was revealed that the extent of the injury to his nose is minor and therefore he should be ready for the World Cup qualifier against the Republic of Ireland on Wednesday in Bari.

It is good news for Italy and coach Marcello Lippi, as the defender has become a crucial element to the starting XI. Overall, the 24-year-old has made 33 appearances in all competitions for the Bianconeri and La Nazionale this season.

http://www.goal.com/en/news/10/italy/2009/03/29/1180711/i-hope-bari-fans-will-not-jeer-us-italys-giorgio-chiellini

I Hope Bari Fans Will Not Jeer Us - Italy's Giorgio Chiellini
Some people believe that the Italian national team will not be welcomed with open arms at the San Nicola stadium after Lippi failed to call-up local hero Antonio Cassano...

Juventus defender Giorgio Chiellini cannot believe that the Bari fans will resort to booing the Azzurri on Wednesday, when they face Ireland in the World Cup 2010 qualifiing game.

The reason behind this behaviour would be the failure to call-up Bari boy Antonio Cassano by national team coach Marcello Lippi.

"It seems to me like a strange hypothesis and an absurd thing," commented the central defender to Tuttosport.

"We don't want to think about the possibility that the national team is welcomed in a bad way due to a player not being called-up.

"I'm convinced that the fans will be heard in such a decisive clash for the World Cup qualification."

Following last night's win over Montenegro, Italy have extended their lead at the top of Group 8 by two points over Ireland and nine points above Bulgaria and Cyprus, who occupy joint third place.

Bari residents will be hoping that Cassano may be brought into the squad at the last minute as a replacement for the injured Antonio Di Natale.

redout

Gibson

McGeady major doubt for trip to Bari

GIOVANNI TRAPATTONI said yesterday that he expects a warm welcome from the Italian fans in Bari on Wednesday night as he is, he suggested, one of the country’s “most loved coaches”.

The former Juventus boss seemed pleased at the prospect although Trapattoni’s fellow countryman, Niccolo Machiavelli famously contended that it is better to be feared than loved and in the wake of events over the weekend there is precious little chance that either the 70-year-old manager or his Irish team will inspire too much trepidation amongst followers of the current world champions.

As if the surrender of yet another lead in an important qualifying match was not enough, the Irish look set to be without Celtic winger Aiden McGeady for the game in Italy. The 22-year-old had been a doubt for Saturday’s draw with Bulgaria due to a badly bruised right foot and though he played in the end he turned in a decidedly subdued performance.

Over the course of the game, it turned out, he had sustained a new injury to his left knee that got progressively worse as the night wore on and Trapattoni sounded very doubtful when asked about whether the player would be fit enough to earn his 25th cap in Bari.

“Shay Given will be fit I’m sure but at the moment my only change is likely to be McGeady,” he said after a training session both men missed yesterday morning.

“He had a bit of a knock to the knee and I don’t know,” he continued.

“I hope he will be fit but if not then, as I said before, we have Andy Keogh who is in good form and we also have Shane Long.” To judge by his comments yesterday Keogh would appear to be in pole position to start should McGeady miss out for the Italian went out of his way to praise the Wolves player who, he said, possesses “a cleverness” that will stand to him.

The team on Wednesday night is otherwise expected to be unchanged despite the less than commanding performance turning in by the Irish in front of 60,002 spectators over the weekend.

About the most encouraging thing from Trapattoni’s point of view was the display by his central defenders Richard Dunne and John O’Shea as well that of his ever dependable goalkeeper Given.

Dunne scored Ireland’s goal after a flick on by O’Shea and in defence, Trapattoni hailed the pair as “unbeatable”. Certainly, neither was in any way to blame for the Bulgarian goal some 16 minutes from time with Kevin Kilbane inadvertently turning a powerful low cross by Stiliyan Petrov into his own net.

Trapattoni, however, remained upbeat about his side’s chances of taking something from Wednesday’s game, suggesting that the Italian’s approach would be less overtly physical than that of the Bulgarians who, the manager claimed, had been shown too much leniency by the Croatian referee at Croke Park.

Italy will be stronger in terms of their mentality,” he said. “but they will not be physical in the way that Poland or Bulgaria were. I think that will help us although our character will be very, very important in a game like this.” To avoid defeat at the San Nicola stadium, he acknowledged, would be a major achievement. In the event that Ireland do lose and Bulgaria beat Cyprus in Sofia then the gap between the two countries in the group would be down to four points with the Bulgarians having a game in hand and the advantage of a home game against the Irish still to come.

Italy’s weekend went rather better than Ireland’s with the world champions returning home from Podgorica with a hard-fought but, in the end, well earned 2-0 win over Montenegro.

Andrea Pirlo gave Marcello Lippi’s side a first half lead from the penalty spot before Sampdoria striker Giampaolo Pazzani marked his international debut with the second goal of the night to wrap up the win.

Lippi hailed Pazzani’s performance as “brilliant” and said that after Ireland dropping points in Dublin Wednesday’s game represented a “good chance,” for his side, “to build a good advantage,” over their closest rivals for top spot in Group Eight.

Saturday’s victory came at some cost, however, with Udinese striker Antonio Di Natale picking up a knee injury that is expected to keep him out of the game against Ireland.

The 31-year-old, who was given his international debut by Trapattoni during his time as national team coach, limped out of the game less than 10 minutes in and while he was due to see a specialist yesterday afternoon there were initial fears that the problem could involve his cruciate ligament.

There was no official confirmation of the diagnosis but Di Natale admitted to being worried about the situation while Lippi said he was “so sorry” for the player.

Irish Times 30 March 2009

redout

Gibson

Inability to retain possession proves costly

FEW PEOPLE know more than myself just how difficult it is to win international football matches or the consequences when expectations fall short. Once again, an Irish team have failed to beat higher ranked opposition at home.

On this occasion, however, there can be few complaints about the result after the early goal, fashioned from the set piece, suggested better was to come. Bulgaria were severely under-strength and a little fortunate to survive some clear cut chances created in the last 10 minutes. Overall though, they deserved a point for their dominance, adventure and superior technique.

The result keeps our unbeaten run going and provides further optimism that one of the top two places will be secured. However, the performance and style of the team would suggest caution before placing the mortgage on a trip to South Africa.

Sport provided a massive lift for the nation last week. The footballers have diluted that and brought us back to reality; a reality that shows an inability to retain possession.

One gets the sense that the Bulgarians may be winding up to have a real go in the group over their next three home games to Cyprus, Ireland and Montenegro. Our hopes were that a convincing win, or any win, would kill off their contender status and raise confidence before the major challenge of Wednesday night’s battle for top spot.

Neither goal has been achieved but we are not without hope of achieving a good result in Bari, given the positive aspects that can be drawn from recent displays.

There is certainly a clarity and understanding of the defensive responsibilities of every player. The concentration and discipline required and delivered was admirable once the Bulgarians began to dictate the game’s rhythm. In this aspect, our midfielders stuck to their task well but unfortunately they failed in what are elemental requirements like controlled use of possession, patient build-up and incisive crossing or penetrative passing. An underage coach would be pulling his hair out.

At my first coaching course in 1970 one of the basic elements of team play instructed to us was how to use possession when your goalkeeper has it.

The basics of this tactic are your fullbacks spread wide and centre backs remain available to collect any free possession – in order to generate a move into midfield and from there to the attacking third.

On Saturday night Ireland appeared tactically flawed, lacking intent and patience (unlike the Bulgarians) or confidence from the coach down to his players in this crucial area.

In possession, Shay Given now only kicks the ball long with his defenders rear ends facing him 40 yards from goal. The ensuing what he’s worked with elsewhere but constant reliance on long distribution leads to fairly turgid viewing, even for fans reared on the magic of the Jack Charlton way.

Our current central midfield options hardly compare favourably to their most recent predecessors. Mark Kinsella, Roy Keane, Matt Holland and even Kevin Kilbane and Lee Carsley all had the ability to control the tempo of attacking play, albeit to varying degrees.

Even past masters like John Giles and Liam Brady would struggle if we kept launching possession into 50/50 aerial zones.

True, Kevin Doyle performed well in the sky but once again, along with Keane, he was starved of clever service that could be provided by those in exile.

Both strikers missed excellent chances to win the game late on but their honesty and at times inventiveness provide hope.

Despite a high level of application from the midfield four, sparks of imagination were consistency dampened by rigid tactics. The critics simply cannot let this issue go. Stephen Hunt provided further evidence that his impact at this level is more profound as a sub, while Aiden McGeady was generally bottled up by the experienced Bulgarians.

Andrews put in a huge effort and almost rescued the three points with his only, late burst and cross for Doyle’s header but he and Whelan desperately need to get on the ball more. This is becoming a chronic problem. Our centre backs were solid but as a unit the defence was culpable of wasting the ball. There is a recurring theme here but it cannot be stated enough. We are not laying foundations for constructive attacking play, appropriate at this level.

Shay Given made his usual high-end save quota from the wonderful Petrov and Georgiev in the first-half.

He had no chance off Kilbane’s own goal following a brilliantly constructed move, typical of Bulgaria, and an example of what we are incapable of at present.

The 73rd minute equaliser came after Ireland’s most vibrant spell, when Ivankov made saves from Keane, after Doyle’s knock down, and then McGeady’s soft shot.

Goals change games, as they say, along with moods and since Saturday night I’ve heard many say we have little chance in Bari and Sofia if we continue to waste possession in the current manner.

The selection policy needs to be re-addressed.

Stephen Reid, Steve Finan and Damien Duff are frustrating absentees but others should be playing their part. If the best we can produce from the bench is Andy Keogh in the 90th minute well maybe many of the moaners and groaners are correct.

No need to despair just yet. Time is still with us. Back to Italy we go.

Brian Kerr, Irish Times 30 March 2009

Boggles

0-0, Dunne and Given men of the match.

I suggest a bottle of whiskey to dull the pain of this one.

Smegball

redout wrote: »

McGeady major doubt for trip to Bari

GIOVANNI TRAPATTONI said yesterday that he expects a warm welcome from the Italian fans in Bari on Wednesday night as he is, he suggested, one of the country’s “most loved coaches”.

The former Juventus boss seemed pleased at the prospect although Trapattoni’s fellow countryman, Niccolo Machiavelli famously contended that it is better to be feared than loved and in the wake of events over the weekend there is precious little chance that either the 70-year-old manager or his Irish team will inspire too much trepidation amongst followers of the current world champions.

As if the surrender of yet another lead in an important qualifying match was not enough, the Irish look set to be without Celtic winger Aiden McGeady for the game in Italy. The 22-year-old had been a doubt for Saturday’s draw with Bulgaria due to a badly bruised right foot and though he played in the end he turned in a decidedly subdued performance.

Over the course of the game, it turned out, he had sustained a new injury to his left knee that got progressively worse as the night wore on and Trapattoni sounded very doubtful when asked about whether the player would be fit enough to earn his 25th cap in Bari.

“Shay Given will be fit I’m sure but at the moment my only change is likely to be McGeady,” he said after a training session both men missed yesterday morning.

“He had a bit of a knock to the knee and I don’t know,” he continued.

“I hope he will be fit but if not then, as I said before, we have Andy Keogh who is in good form and we also have Shane Long.” To judge by his comments yesterday Keogh would appear to be in pole position to start should McGeady miss out for the Italian went out of his way to praise the Wolves player who, he said, possesses “a cleverness” that will stand to him.

The team on Wednesday night is otherwise expected to be unchanged despite the less than commanding performance turning in by the Irish in front of 60,002 spectators over the weekend.

About the most encouraging thing from Trapattoni’s point of view was the display by his central defenders Richard Dunne and John O’Shea as well that of his ever dependable goalkeeper Given.

Dunne scored Ireland’s goal after a flick on by O’Shea and in defence, Trapattoni hailed the pair as “unbeatable”. Certainly, neither was in any way to blame for the Bulgarian goal some 16 minutes from time with Kevin Kilbane inadvertently turning a powerful low cross by Stiliyan Petrov into his own net.

Trapattoni, however, remained upbeat about his side’s chances of taking something from Wednesday’s game, suggesting that the Italian’s approach would be less overtly physical than that of the Bulgarians who, the manager claimed, had been shown too much leniency by the Croatian referee at Croke Park.

Italy will be stronger in terms of their mentality,” he said. “but they will not be physical in the way that Poland or Bulgaria were. I think that will help us although our character will be very, very important in a game like this.” To avoid defeat at the San Nicola stadium, he acknowledged, would be a major achievement. In the event that Ireland do lose and Bulgaria beat Cyprus in Sofia then the gap between the two countries in the group would be down to four points with the Bulgarians having a game in hand and the advantage of a home game against the Irish still to come.

Italy’s weekend went rather better than Ireland’s with the world champions returning home from Podgorica with a hard-fought but, in the end, well earned 2-0 win over Montenegro.

Andrea Pirlo gave Marcello Lippi’s side a first half lead from the penalty spot before Sampdoria striker Giampaolo Pazzani marked his international debut with the second goal of the night to wrap up the win.

Lippi hailed Pazzani’s performance as “brilliant” and said that after Ireland dropping points in Dublin Wednesday’s game represented a “good chance,” for his side, “to build a good advantage,” over their closest rivals for top spot in Group Eight.

Saturday’s victory came at some cost, however, with Udinese striker Antonio Di Natale picking up a knee injury that is expected to keep him out of the game against Ireland.

The 31-year-old, who was given his international debut by Trapattoni during his time as national team coach, limped out of the game less than 10 minutes in and while he was due to see a specialist yesterday afternoon there were initial fears that the problem could involve his cruciate ligament.

There was no official confirmation of the diagnosis but Di Natale admitted to being worried about the situation while Lippi said he was “so sorry” for the player.

Irish Times 30 March 2009

No loss :pac:

Silver-Tiger

Gibson

1 nil to the italians. And a truly truly shocking , horrific, dull boring game.

pwd

Doyle

1-1

JerryHandbag

Gibson

If Dunne, Given and O'Shea have massive games, and the Italians have a shocker in front of goal, then we could nick a 1-1 with a late equaliser thanks to a dodgy refereeing decision. Theres a sequence of early/late goals in Ireland games of late, I just hope that continues our way

gucci

Does anyone know if this is on tv in UK? Sky havent got it, cant get the bloody channel 5 listings. I can probably watch it online, but would prefer the TV!!

Dancor

Boring game and no goals. 0-0

BaZmO*

Can't see it being a great game, although Ireland will definitely raise their game, they normally do against the big teams. Can't see us getting anything better than a draw which would be a fantastic result. And a draw in Sofia in June would set us nicely, because we're basically playing for a playoff place at this stage and we just need to keep ahead of Bulgaria.

Carroller16

O'Shea

my TEAM;

GIVEN
MCSHANE
O'SHEA
DUNNE
KILBANE

S HUNT
ANDREWS
GIBSON
KEOGH (if mcgeady out!)

KEANE
DOYLE

BaZmO*

Carroller16 wrote: »

my TEAM;

GIVEN
MCSHANE
O'SHEA
DUNNE
KILBANE

S HUNT
ANDREWS
GIBSON
KEOGH (if mcgeady out!)

KEANE
DOYLE

In fairness though, with the injuries we have and the fairly woeful bench that we have, it's not very difficult to pick the team.

Gibson won't start.

Spud83

BaZmO* wrote: »

In fairness though, with the injuries we have and the fairly woeful bench that we have, it's not very difficult to pick the team.

Gibson won't start.

Agreed I can't see Trap making any unforced changes for this one.

Carroller16

O'Shea

Someday.... ye right

GIVEN

FINNAN
DUNNE
O'SHEA
KILBANE

MCGEADY
IRELAND
S REID
DUFF

DOYLE
KEANE

LeeroyJones

I wouldnt mind Gibson coming into the side for Hunt-pack the centre with Gibson Whelan and Andrews with Keane dropping a bit deeper occasionally onto the flank not occupied by McGeady-similar to how Rooney drops deep for United. The centre mid area is where we need to stamp our authority-Gibson Andrews and Whelan are all prepared to scrap for 90minutes as well as Gibson being capable of creating something from the midfield-something the other two cannot and what we lacked against Bulgaria

People may say 0-0 would be a borefest but I'd take that over a spectacular beating!!!

PCros

Doyle

I can see them drawing 0-0.

If Bulgaria can draw 0-0 with them then we can do it.

jacool

Our difficult task could have been made easier had Martin Atkinson done his job properly and in the 19th minute dismissed Cannavaro for a red card offense. Its his birthday tomorrow, but he won't be getting any cards from us !! So the Italians won a game I thought they'd draw, and we drew a game I thought we'd win. Injuries, defections and poor squad selections have ensured that our midfield is dire - so perhaps that's why Trap is by-passing it. I'd say we'll be playing for a 0-0 draw from the kick-off and hoping that we grab a poxy goal off Keane's arse to steal a draw or shock horror a win.
The big question though is who would you back if your mortgage was on it, and I don't think Ireland would be the answer !! I didn't see Saturday's game but a guy here said its €55 and 2 hours he'll never get back, so I take it we were bad. Also missed Dunphy's tirade, but aren't those expected ?

Lord Trollington

Doyle

Lads if we go out there seekin a 0-0 draw we may forget about it.

We dont have the personell in centre midfield to protect our back 4.
This is as poor a Italy side in Years, as far back as i can remember.

Serie A is at its poorest ebb in its history.
Thats the only way i can see us getting anything out of the game, is if we can score a goal.. because we are going to concede.

We shuld be going out there and try putting the game to them.

But with who we have the Helm we will never do that.
We never looked like scoring 89 MInutes against Bulgaria at home, i dont give our chances much hope away from home.