Republic of Ireland Teamtalk/Gossip/Media Stories/ Discussion thread

Mr Alan

shamblertine wrote: »

Will you still be saying the same thing if we don't qualify though?

absolutely.

noodler

shamblertine wrote: »

If Ireland don't qualify for the WC what would be the point in keeping him. If somethings broke you fix it.

I am critical of Trap for making things harder on himself than they have to be but be serious.

We could have topped the group but nobody was setting that as a realistic target whe the draw was made.

Furthermore, the odds are firmly stacked against us in the Play offs and that is in no way his fault.

We may even be second seeds for the next qualifying campaign, there is every reason to keep him on and a policy of qualify or you're out is never going to be viable with the ROI, especially given our current situation.

event

tis great, i havent used my ignore list in ages

threads like these usually get it moving again

shamblertine

Mr Alan wrote: »

if Ireland don't qualify for the world cup (we've qualified for 3 in our history), the problem is not with our manager who is one of the most respected & succesful managers of all time.

respect and past success count for nothing in this game

Mr Alan

shamblertine wrote: »

respect and past success count for nothing in this game

maybe not with some fans.

but success, respect & good results should count for a lot in this game. trap has all 3 in abundence.

i'll repeat, talk of replacing him is idiotic.

shamblertine

event wrote: »

tis great, i havent used my ignore list in ages

threads like these usually get it moving again

but you haven't put me on your ignore list have you? in fact you're reading this right now, aren't ya

shamblertine

Mr Alan wrote: »

maybe not with some fans.

but success, respect & good results should count for a lot in this game. trap has all 3 in abundence.

i'll repeat, talk of replacing him is idiotic.

How is drawing with montenegro a good result? Oh yea, it was a bit humid that day.

Mr Alan

are you judging him on one result?

~Rebel~

shamblertine wrote: »

If Ireland don't qualify for the WC what would be the point in keeping him. If somethings broke you fix it.

If Guus Hiddink took the job of managing Malta and failed to qualify for the world cup at the first attempt, would you expect him to be sacked too? More extreme version of our situation of course, but Trap has already exceeded expectations. We were 3rd seeds and he's gotten us into second, 180minutes of football away from the world cup.

kryogen

shamblertine wrote: »

I propose Terry Venables just to piss off Dunphy Or maybe even Big Ron, everyone deserves a second chance afterall.

he already got a new contract sure

event

do you know what, its late at night so ill bite

shamblertine wrote: »

Tel would do a better job than trap. Tels got enthusiasm and age on his side (compared to Trap at least). Plus hes fluent in english

very stupid post. Tel's got enthusiasm? why, cos he's a cheeky chappy, and always seems happy? his amazing career means he has won the spanish league once and the FA cup. In 27 years. Wow.

Fluency in english means nothing

shamblertine wrote: »

Yes but we can always buy him out or sack him for failing to achieve objectives set (ie to qualify)

i didnt know you were on the board of the FAI and know what the objectives of his tenure are!
we have no idea what he has o achieve.

shamblertine wrote: »

If Ireland don't qualify for the WC what would be the point in keeping him. If somethings broke you fix it.

if this is a case, there would be mass sackings every year in the PL.
this doesnt happen because to do so would be stupid.


The posts you have made so far have been idiotic in the extreme. We were a shambles when he took us over and 3rd seeds in this group. he has gotten us to finish 2nd and we remain unbeaten. we have drawn with the world champions twice and the second time were just minutes from victory.

I really hope that you started this thread for a laugh or out of boredom.

shamblertine

Mr Alan wrote: »

are you judging him on one result?

He had 2 good results with the draws against Italy, every other result was to be expected in terms of our ranking, apart from the Montenegro result were we should of picked up 3 points but instead just got 1. So overall he hasn't improved the team hes just maintained the status quo.

Mr Alan

how did we get on against Cyprus before he arrived?

gustavo

shamblertine wrote: »

He had 2 good results with the draws against Italy, every other result was to be expected in terms of our ranking, apart from the Montenegro result were we should of picked up 3 points but instead just got 1. So overall he hasn't improved the team hes just maintained the status quo.

We were 3rd seeds and we're finishing above 2nd seeds Bulgaria so to say he hasn't improved our fortunes is ludicrous , However I suspect you already know this.

shamblertine

Mr Alan wrote: »

how did we get on against Cyprus before he arrived?

thats irrelevant

gustavo

Cyprus are the 1 constant from our last 3 qualifiying campaigns so a decent marker as to how well he did compared to others IMO

Rekop dog

shamblertine wrote: »

If Ireland don't qualify for the WC what would be the point in keeping him. If somethings broke you fix it.

Even if we don't qualify there's a little thing called the USA Cup that we'll need Trap to lead us to- can't go upsetting the applecart and fireing a manager before a major tournament like that!

Mr.Nice Guy

I personally don't think he should be sacked if we fail in the play-offs, BUT I do however think there is still much cause for concern.

To me, it seems many fans are taking up extreme positions in analysing his time as manager. Some are choosing to ignore his poor performances and squad selection and focusing purely on his results. I don't think this is wise. We have enjoyed considerable moments of fortune in this group, and watched heroic performances from the likes of Richard Dunne, that have glossed over Trap's poor tactics and the lack of a Plan B on the bench.

On the other hand, some are choosing to ignore the success of his tactics and the progress we have made since the last campaign. Again I don't think this is wise as he has given many of the players a sense of purpose which seemed sorely lacking under the Staunton era.

Ultimately I give the man lots of credit for getting the players to play in a way that makes it very difficult for opposition teams to deal with, but my main problem though is that he has done himself no favours by not choosing the best players to fit his system, and for therefore not maximising his resources, however limited they may be.

To use an analogy this campaign to me is a bit like a student not putting as much thought into his subject as he should have done, not preparing as well as he could have and not acquiring the right materials. Yet, by exam time, the student does well on the day and ends up with a B. Now then, the student here deserves praise for managing a good grade, but there's no harm in wondering how the student might have done if he had maximised his efforts to the utmost of his ability. Perhaps an A was achievable?

This is my main gripe with the "look at the results he has achieved" crowd. Don't just look at the results, look at the overall effort. Look at how well we could conceivably be doing under slightly different circumstances and ask if we are hitting those heights, and if we aren't - why not?

Xavi6

Sven

DazMarz

Okay, let us consider for one moment...

We are now guaranteed a play-off spot, where we potentially face (amongst others, as far as I know): France, Russia and Greece.

Two of those teams, France and Russia (including time as USSR), can boast an enviable international record and a footballing pedigree well above ours and are currently doing excellently well on the international stage.

Greece, despite it all, have won the Euro Championships and are still a semi-decent side.

Ireland would prefer to meet Greece obviously, and we should hope to beat them well at home.

But one serious question: even IF Ireland qualify (hopefully they do)... How well will they do at the World Cup??? Against the likes of Brazil, Spain, Portugal, England, Holland, Germany, Russia (if we dont meet them in play-off), France (same as with Russia), etc., how well would Ireland fare? Second round at best, really, unless they get easier draws or incredibly lucky.

Mr Alan

Xavi6 wrote: »

Sven

you've hurt him once before, he wouldn't risk it again!

DigiJem

His progress with the squad available to him has been impressive. He has brought forward players from nowhere into the fold. Having said that, I'm disappointed he hasn't been able to "forgive & forget" Andy Reid, but overall I'd like to see him remain.

Panthro

bring back steven..
ahh no..
whats kevin keegan at these days,sure give him a job..
ahh no again..
jeff kenna anybody?..
nahhh...
ray whos ur daddy houghton..
ray me hole..


jesus im glad im not the FAI..
(and so should everyone reading this be aswell!)

jeff kenna for president

Carcharodon

~Rebel~ wrote: »

We were 3rd seeds and he's gotten us into second, 180minutes of football away from the world cup.

I think this basically sums up what should be said about the situation, how can one talk about replacing a manager that has achieved an reasonable amount of success with a limited team.

If we were to approach the question of who to replace Trap when he retires, quits, sacked or what not then it will be the usual heads floating around. There will be O'Neill, O'Leary, Keane, Terry Ven, Souness and lots lots more.
I don't think O'Neill will want to give up club football just yet, you never know what Keane could be doing in a couple of years so he could well be a candidate.

I wouldn't mind seeing someone like Hodgson take over but we have one of the best managers ever at the moment so its pointless talk, will all depend on who is available in a couple of years. Mc Carthy could get get another go at it, really piss Keane off

super_furry

Just who does the OP think we could attract? Mourinho? Benitez? Wenger? Jesus Christ if Steve Bruce ws offered the job he'd break his bollox laughing. Face it, in the grand scheme of things the Republic of Ireland job is real smalltime. We were blessed to get Trap and even though I don't agree with everything he's done, he's done a very good job and will continue to do so.

dannydiamond

I dislike Traps negative approach and it's far from entertaining, but it's doing the job so far, wtf do you want??

One of the best managers ever or fkin Steve Staunton?

We aren't gonna get anyone better, simple.

Fromvert

I think its time the soccer mods come up with some sort of football IQ test that posters have to pass before being allowed comment.

When I read the OP it was the first time I have ever laughed out loud (LOL if you like). Now I'm not a hard lined Trap supporter, he has flaws but **** me OP get a grip. We are a small country with a limited amount of players to choose from (in numbers and ability).

Getting to the play offs is a success in my eyes when we look at where the team was for the last few years. If we fail to qualify, well I'l be gutted but their will be positives. We'll likely be a second seed in the Euro qualifiers and I'm sure we'll give them a right good go.

8-10

If the OP wants a serious response to his/her question I suggest making a poll, including possible replacements and an option for keeping Trap.

For a straight response: If Ireland fail to qualify, nobody should replace Trap. As a 3rd seed we've done well to finish second, better than our last campaign. We're lucky to have somebody capable of getting us to the playoffs. After Stan we heard a flurry of names for the job including Brady, Souness, Venables, Peter Reid.......personally I'd have taken Dustin the Turkey to lead us if it guaranteed a playoff.

The question from the OP should be, who would you have rather manage Ireland this campaign given that we've only managed a playoff with a possibility of going out because of a FIFA decision on seeding? Who would have definitely done better?

The_B_Man

Ye Trap is grand so far. And heres why he wont get sacked.

I think when he took over, everyone expected automatic qualification since hes "the best manager of all time", but sure that was never guaranteed. then when things started going well, everyone started believing we would get through no matter what.

Fact is, we are not likely to qualify, based purely on FIFA rankings. To avoid russia, portugal and france we are going to need luck. theres a 75% chance we'll get one of them teams. Then even if not, we have to beat the european champions from a few years back. Face it, the odds are against us....as they were when we got drawn with Italy and bulgaria in the first place.

Last campaign we had Stan. This campaign we have Trap. Last campaign we wanted to qualify equally as much as now but we didnt have a hope. This campaign we're still in with a chance, and that is purely down to the manager.

so, to go from hopeless to hopeful is a big enough improvement. If we qualify, then everything will be forgotten at it will have counted as a success, regardless of how well we do! After all, it will be our 4th World cup out of 19.

If we don't qualify, then we'll be dissappointed but confident of getting to the Euros. Something which was unheard of under stan. We were all frustrated under stan and many people began to hate the international setup. trap has begun to repair that and partly restore a bit of the Italia 90 "ole ole" mentality!

and THATs why Trap wont be sacked!

ElaElaElano

Nine qualification games out of ten played, no defeats. Two draws against the current World champions. The eve of the final qualification game in which two longstanding players will win their 100th caps, a game in which all going to plan Ireland will come out comfortably second in a group bookies would have you believe we'd have finished third in. The excitement of a playoff to come, possibly against one of Europe's elite sides.

But no, let's discuss who should replace this horrendous manager if he doesn't make the World Cup. Finishing 2nd, and only getting Ireland to the playoff, the clueless buffoon! Look at this-

7 time Serie A winner
3 time Italian Cup winner
1 time European Cup winner
3 time UEFA Cup winner
1 time Cup Winners' Cup winner
1 time German Double winner
1 time Portugese title winner
1 time Austrian title winner

Truly appalling. Get someone in who knows how to read the bloody game!

Xavi6

Fromvert wrote: »

I think its time the soccer mods come up with some sort of football IQ test that posters have to pass before being allowed comment.

But if we did that there would be no one left! :pac:

Jam-Fly

DazMarz wrote: »

Okay, let us consider for one moment...

We are now guaranteed a play-off spot, where we potentially face (amongst others, as far as I know): France, Russia and Greece.

Two of those teams, France and Russia (including time as USSR), can boast an enviable international record and a footballing pedigree well above ours and are currently doing excellently well on the international stage.

Greece, despite it all, have won the Euro Championships and are still a semi-decent side.

Ireland would prefer to meet Greece obviously, and we should hope to beat them well at home.

But one serious question: even IF Ireland qualify (hopefully they do)... How well will they do at the World Cup??? Against the likes of Brazil, Spain, Portugal, England, Holland, Germany, Russia (if we dont meet them in play-off), France (same as with Russia), etc., how well would Ireland fare? Second round at best, really, unless they get easier draws or incredibly lucky.

God, this is a completely differen matter altogether. IF Ireland qualify for the WC, how will they do? Well, they won't win it. If you expect a manager to win the biggest competition in world sport with the ROI side then you're a bit delusional. No manager is that good.


"How well will they do at the World Cup??? Against the likes of Brazil, Spain, Portugal, England, Holland, Germany, Russia (if we dont meet them in play-off), France (same as with Russia), etc."

How well they do against Japan, South Africa, North Korea, USA, Paraguay, Chile, Italy?

If Ireland qualify for the World Cup, they will be in the situation most teams in the competition will be in - prob not going to win it, and definitely not going to embarrass themselves either.
Given our situation/team/players etc. qualifying for the World Cup would be a huge success. How we get on at the World Cup is really a bonus. If we get the quarter-finals, technically we've won nothing, but how happy will Irish fans be if this happens?

Mikeyt086

How well will Ireland do if we get to the World Cup?

The usual, scrape through the group. Come close against a big team but just miss out and return home as heroes.

And i for one would be delighted with that.

noodler

Mikeyt086 wrote: »

How well will Ireland do if we get to the World Cup?

The usual, scrape through the group. Come close against a big team but just miss out and return home as heroes.

And i for one would be delighted with that.

What a journey it would be!

God I hope we can pull it off.

Limerick Dude

DazMarz wrote: »

Okay, let us consider for one moment...

We are now guaranteed a play-off spot, where we potentially face (amongst others, as far as I know): France, Russia and Greece.

Two of those teams, France and Russia (including time as USSR), can boast an enviable international record and a footballing pedigree well above ours and are currently doing excellently well on the international stage.

Greece, despite it all, have won the Euro Championships and are still a semi-decent side.

Ireland would prefer to meet Greece obviously, and we should hope to beat them well at home.

But one serious question: even IF Ireland qualify (hopefully they do)... How well will they do at the World Cup??? Against the likes of Brazil, Spain, Portugal, England, Holland, Germany, Russia (if we dont meet them in play-off), France (same as with Russia), etc., how well would Ireland fare? Second round at best, really, unless they get easier draws or incredibly lucky.

I think getting to the world cup is just such a huge achievment in itself because its very difficult (especially for european teams) to get there. If we do get to the world cup, i think form and class of teams in less relevant. There have been so many upsets in the WC in the past. Especially for the bigger nations who are expected to go far, they have huge pressure hanging over them. So for a team like Ireland, who are just happy to be there and would be underdogs in most matches, i'd actually fancy our chances in alot of games. Sure we should of beat spain back in 2002 if it wasnt for our inability to take penaltys!

Dublin_Gunner

Well I'll be over the moon if we qualify - and another bonus - SA is only +2hrs :D:D

I have to say I'm VERY apprehensive going into the draw for the play-off's.

I would hate to see our defence against France's attack, our midfield against Russia's etc

Funnily, I wouldn't be overly worried about Portugal, and even less so against Greece.

But as its a play-off, anything can really happen. An early goal, defend well, and pass the ball to Irish players would help for a start.

Xavi6

Mr Alan wrote: »

Stephen Hunt on Dunphy!

Eamo hits back, and his clarification is spot on -

http://www.rte.ie/sport/soccer/2009/1014/dunphy_interview.html

Dunphy clarifies 'shameful' comment

14 October 2009 14:47

RTÉ football pundit Eamon Dunphy has clarified remarks he made following the Republic of Ireland's draw with Italy last weekend.

A disgruntled Dunphy had used the word 'shameful' in his post-match analysis on RTÉ, and Republic of Ireland international Stephen Hunt, when questioned about Dunphy's comments, labelled the pundit 'a skinny little rat'.

Speaking to RTÉ Sport's Darren Frehill on RTÉ Radio's Morning Ireland, Dunphy offered a further explanation of his comments.

'One word was taken out of a 20-minute conversation - the word "shameful". It's not an appropriate word to use for the performance (against Italy); what I was referring to was Andy Reid's omission from the squad,' said Dunphy.

'I did use it [the word "shameful"]; it was not the right word to use for the performance. It would be appropriate, I think, to what's happening to Andy Reid.

'We have to remember all players love playing for their country and he must be very hurt and professionally isolated at the moment. He's playing very well for Sunderland and should be in the Irish squad.'

Dunphy continued: 'I think we played very poorly for at least an hour-and-a-quarter of the game. They didn't pass the ball well. Italy controlled the football.

'What was depressing about it was that there doesn't seem to be any attempt by the Irish team when they have the ball to play football and to pass the ball the way you should do at international level.

'I would say the word "shameful" in the context I used on Saturday was wrong. I've no problem admitting that.'

In reference to Hunt's comments about him being 'a skinny little rat', Dunphy quipped: 'Stephen Hunt's not exactly Mr Universe himself!'

Love the last line

Mikeyt086

Xavi6 wrote: »

Eamo hits back, and his clarification is spot on -

http://www.rte.ie/sport/soccer/2009/1014/dunphy_interview.html



Love the last line

You have to give it to Eamon Dunphy, he is exellent when someone insults him. His response when Souness asked him "Who have you ever managed?" - "Ive managed to stay alive for 63 and a half years baby!" was genius.

mayordenis

Mikeyt086 wrote: »

You have to give it to Eamon Dunphy, he is exellent when someone insults him. His response when Souness asked him "Who have you ever managed?" - "Ive managed to stay alive for 63 and a half years baby!" was genius.

Really? I only laughed because as a retort that was pretty useless, ballsey but useless.

IRISHSPORTSGUY

Am I the only one that thought it was pretty clear that's what Dunphy was saying the whole time?

Xavi6

IRISHSPORTSGUY wrote: »

Am I the only one who thought it was pretty clear that's what Dunphy was saying the whole time?

No, and I think the people who disagreed with him just pounced on that one word as he was speaking sense and they couldn't really argue against it.

The media for the large part were waxing lyrical about the performance. Dunphy proposed an alternative view and it didn't go down well.

thorbarry

Xavi6 wrote: »

The media for the large part were waxing lyrical about the performance. Dunphy proposed an alternative view and it didn't go down well.

I dont think it was just because he had a different view, it was because of how aggressively he stated it. Calling a 2-2 draw with italy the worst performance of Trapattoni's time in charge was a bit harsh. I thought we scored to very good goals

Xavi6

thorbarry wrote: »

I dont think it was just because he had a different view, it was because of how aggressively he stated it. Calling a 2-2 draw with italy the worst performance of Trapattoni's time in charge was a bit harsh. I thought we scored to very good goals

Oh I completely agree that he went OTT, but the crux of his argument was spot on.

If he had put it across on Saturday like he did in the above article then it would've been a lot more difficult to discredit him.

thorbarry

Xavi6 wrote: »

Oh I completely agree that he went OTT, but the crux of his argument was spot on.

If he had put it across on Saturday like he did in the above article then it would've been a lot more difficult to discredit him.

yea i have to agree with you there. Most of the time he is spot on, like, we could improve in so many areas, but its just the way that he says it annoys people.

givyjoe81

Dublin_Gunner wrote: »

Well I'll be over the moon if we qualify - and another bonus - SA is only +2hrs :D:D

I have to say I'm VERY apprehensive going into the draw for the play-off's.

I would hate to see our defence against France's attack, our midfield against Russia's etc

Funnily, I wouldn't be overly worried about Portugal, and even less so against Greece.

But as its a play-off, anything can really happen. An early goal, defend well, and pass the ball to Irish players would help for a start.

You're not worried about Portugal.. ok.. picture this.. Ronaldo against Kevin Kilbane for 180 minutes....

Dublin_Gunner

givyjoe81 wrote: »

You're not worried about Portugal.. ok.. picture this.. Ronaldo against Kevin Kilbane for 180 minutes....

Why would I worry about 1 player? And in fairness, Ronaldo never seems even half as good for Portugal. And why's that? Oh, because most of the time he's actually playing against decent opposition.

Mitch Connor

Dublin_Gunner wrote: »

Why would I worry about 1 player? And in fairness, Ronaldo never seems even half as good for Portugal. And why's that? Oh, because most of the time he's actually playing against decent opposition.

but in this instance he'd be playing against Ireland.

Dublin_Gunner

Mitch Connor wrote: »

but in this instance he'd be playing against Ireland.

So? While Portugal are no doubt a very decent side, I certainly would never be worried about 1 player.

If we can score 3 against Italy (who IMO are better defensively, most of the time) I'd not be overly worried about Portugal.

I guess what I'm trying to say is, it doesn't matter who we get drawn against, they're all good sides, and will require a monumental performance from us to progress.

The 1 team I would be worried about us drawing would be France.

Our back 2 (in fairness, the only defenders we have are Dunne & O'Shea) against Henry, Anelka, Benzema, Ribery etc etc

I would be worried at that proposition. Not to mention our complete lack of a midfield against France also...

Peyton Manning

Dublin_Gunner wrote: »

Why would I worry about 1 player? And in fairness, Ronaldo never seems even half as good for Portugal. And why's that? Oh, because most of the time he's actually playing against decent opposition.

Really? Is this the "Ronaldo doesnt cut it against the better teams" argument again? Please, just say yes, and I can make you look like a fool in one post.

SlickRic

Dublin_Gunner wrote: »

Why would I worry about 1 player? And in fairness, Ronaldo never seems even half as good for Portugal. And why's that? Oh, because most of the time he's actually playing against decent opposition.

it is funny how this argument still gets peddled.

i wish it were true, i really do.

but it's not, not even in the same ball park as true.