Republic of Ireland Team Talk/News/Rumours

Kingp35

noodler wrote: »

Is it not based on the previous three campaign's results?

That's for European Championships qualifying. I think it's actually the previous two campaigns that it's judged on. The two tournaments have different seeding criteria.

Hulk Hands

Seamus Coleman was close to a regular in the Everton side in 2012, and yet wasn't even included in the squad by Trap for the Euro's. How ridiculous does that look in hindsight? There's countless examples of such nonsense from his reign. If people want to look back at his 5-6 years in charge, and his sole achievement of beating Armenia and Estonia to the Euro's as a success, then thats up to them. Personally I think we as a footballing nation are better than that, should expect more, and deserved more. He set us back years. Hopefully O'Neill can move things back on track

noodler

Hulk Hands wrote: »

Seamus Coleman was close to a regular in the Everton side in 2012, and yet wasn't even included in the squad by Trap for the Euro's. How ridiculous does that look in hindsight? There's countless examples of such nonsense from his reign. If people want to look back at his 5-6 years in charge, and his sole achievement of beating Armenia and Estonia to the Euro's as a success, then thats up to them. Personally I think we as a footballing nation are better than that, should expect more, and deserved more. He set us back years. Hopefully O'Neill can move things back on track

His sole achievement of beating Armenia and Estonia?

How blind to context would you have to be to actually downplay such results in the backdrop of the Ireland national team?

Armenia were extremely tough in that campaign, they trampled Slovakia twice and held Russia in Yerehvan. We were the only team to win in Yerevan.

I also remind you, that since the Ireland football team has not beaten a team of a higher seed since Holland in 2001, why would you use this as a stick to beat Trap specifically? Arguably his greatest achievement was beating France 0-1 in Paris or a 1-1 in Italy or a 0-0 with Russia - all fine results. More importantly though - we qualified. We had to finish second in the group - something we hadn't managed since the 2002 WC qualifiers.

The selective memory apparent in some of the posts in here is mindboggling. I dare say a loss to Scotland in a competitive game never would have happened under Trap - in fact the loss in Austria was the only time under Trap's 5/6 year reign that we lost to a team seeded below us - O'Neill's has matched this in just a handful of games - it just goes to show underappreciated results were under Trap if all one can point to, with a degree of scorn no less, is Armenia and Estonia.

noodler

noodler wrote: »

I also remind you, that since the Ireland football team has not beaten a team of a higher seed since Holland in 2001, why would you use this as a stick to beat Trap specifically?

I agree.

He was as bad as Stan, and Kerr (who had a very disappointing reign).

noodler wrote: »

The selective memory apparent in some of the posts in here is mindboggling.

Again I agree. Some are now glossing over just how bad things were and fixing on us getting by Estonia - I had even forgotten many of the head in hands stuff, dropping Doyle by text, calling Shane Long idiotic, the complete shambles over Kevin Foley, players saying they didn't know what his tactics were and so on. I was really only looking at the big picture and going through the records like competitive losing streaks, home defeats, the fixation on Cox and Green, the refusal to go to games and staying in his Villa in Italy on 2 mill pa and the like.

What is entertaining, in a toe curling way, is to read back on threads about him here from that time. Much better than any revisionism now.

noodler

Deleted User wrote: »

I agree.

He was as bad as Stan, and Kerr (who had a very disappointing reign).



Again I agree. Some are now glossing over just how bad things were and fixing on us getting by Estonia - I had even forgotten many of the head in hands stuff, dropping Doyle by text, calling Shane Long idiotic, the complete shambles over Kevin Foley, players saying they didn't know what his tactics were and so on. I was really only looking at the big picture and going through the records like competitive losing streaks, home defeats, the fixation on Cox and Green, the refusal to go to games and staying in his Villa in Italy on 2 mill pa and the like.

What is entertaining, in a toe curling way, is to read back on threads about him here from that time. Much better than any revisionism now.

The garbage in your post aside, could you define this competitive losing streak you keep referring to and could you explain if it outweighs things like qualfiying for the play-offs twice andqualifying for Euro 2012?

Also, as far as your fascination with streaks goes, is this competitive losing streak you keep mentioning worse than the 12/13 game streak (which you seem to love) where we didn't concede a goal?

I assume this streak you are using to bash him over the head with contains the following games:

Croatia (L) 3-1
Spain (L) 4-0
Italy (L) 2-0
Kazakhastan (W) 2-1
Germany (L) 6-1

The margin of the Germany game aside, all games we'd be expected to win I am sure

tonycascarino

So lads what about Ireland v Poland??

noodler

noodler wrote: »

The garbage in your post aside

You seem to be getting a bit rattled about all of this. I think you referred to childishness a few pages back.

I thought he was awful, I have set out my reasons. And going back through threads here from the time he was manager, clearly many others shared that view. You and others disagree, which is your prerogative. It's hardly worth getting that wound up over.

noodler

Deleted User wrote: »

You seem to be getting a bit rattled about all of this. I think you referred to childishness a few pages back.

I thought he was awful, I have set out my reasons. And going back through threads here from the time he was manager, clearly many others shared that view. You and others disagree, which is your prerogative. It's hardly worth getting that wound up over.

I've been pretty non-inflammatory.

You have resorted to sarcasm and jeering as well as avoiding key points in your posts.

noodler

noodler wrote: »

I've been pretty non-inflammatory.

noodler wrote: »

...hiring Trap was a massive positive. Childish to even question it...

noodler wrote: »

To say you are lacking a balanced consideration of his reign in its entirety is an understatement.

noodler wrote: »

The garbage in your post aside...

How about (i) we agree to disagree about Trap (that might be the 4th or 5th time I have suggested that, it was sincere and neither jeering nor sarcastic) and (ii) we agree to disagree on the tone of our respective posts?

noodler

Deleted User wrote: »

How about (i) we agree to disagree about Trap (that might be the 4th or 5th time I have suggested that, it was sincere and neither jeering nor sarcastic) and (ii) we agree to disagree on the tone of our respective posts?

You can stop replying if you like, I will keep correcting anybody who tries to pretend that Trap's reign was anything other than a success as far as Delaney is concerned.

Kirby

noodler wrote: »

You can stop replying if you like, I will keep correcting anybody who tries to pretend that Trap's reign was anything other than a success as far as Delaney is concerned.

What you define as success and what others do is an opinion, not a fact. We didn't win anything, so any talk of success is subjective. You cant "correct" somebody's opinion on this.

Personally, I wasn't happy with his work ethic. He was lazy. He wouldn't go see players, he wouldn't talk to players, he wouldn't learn the language. Here was a legend approaching the end of his career and did not have the appetite for the graft anymore. He wasn't a failure or disaster by any means, but to call his reign a "success" is your opinion, not a fact.

Nib

Kirby wrote: »

What you define as success and what others do is an opinion, not a fact. We didn't win anything, so any talk of success is subjective. You cant "correct" somebody's opinion on this.

Erm..

noodler

Kirby wrote: »

What you define as success and what others do is an opinion, not a fact. We didn't win anything, so any talk of success is subjective. You cant "correct" somebody's opinion on this.

Personally, I wasn't happy with his work ethic. He was lazy. He wouldn't go see players, he wouldn't talk to players, he wouldn't learn the language. Here was a legend approaching the end of his career and did not have the appetite for the graft anymore. He wasn't a failure or disaster by any means, but to call his reign a "success" is your opinion, not a fact.

Opinions that focus on a three month period of a 5 year reign alone are going to be subject to particular criticism.

His reign was a success in terms of financial reward for the FAI and in terms of two second place finishes out of three campaigns.

Kirby

Nib wrote: »

Erm..

Ah yes. How could I forget! That day will be talked about for generations. I mean, it's no Community Shield or anything, nothing so prestigious. We need to push on now and win next years "Friendly cup".

noodler

noodler wrote: »

You can stop replying if you like, I will keep correcting anybody who tries to pretend that Trap's reign was anything other than a success as far as Delaney is concerned.

:D

I enjoy the "correcting" reference.

It's always amusing to see someone get more and more rattled while protesting they are not!

Pro. F

noodler wrote: »

His sole achievement of beating Armenia and Estonia?

How blind to context would you have to be to actually downplay such results in the backdrop of the Ireland national team?

Armenia were extremely tough in that campaign, they trampled Slovakia twice and held Russia in Yerehvan. We were the only team to win in Yerevan.

Armenia's results against Russia and Slovakia reflect how flakey those teams were, not that Armenia were anything special. They were overachieving but extremely limited minnows in a weak group. Any mid-level international side like ourselves would be blessed to have such an easy team to be beating into second place in a group, rather than another mid-level - or better - side like you're normally competing with.

noodler

noodler wrote: »

Opinions that focus on a three month period of a 5 year reign alone are going to be subject to particular criticism.

You yourself were critical of him in 2011.

noodler wrote: »

Hmm....I think we are unbelievably lucky so far and in many cases are where we are in spite of Trap's decisions rather than because of them.

Did he really get that much better after you posted that?

Is this the "selective memory" you referred to above?!

Kermit.de.frog

For the first time I can honestly say I don't care about this game because I have accepted that after 25 years of reasonable success the Irish international team is a pub one once again and not of the quality you expect to go to any tournament.


I don't think we will even a get a result against Poland. We have fallen a long way in the last 10 years. I don't blame the managers. We are just not a good enough team man for man against top 50 teams and that is why we never beat them in competitive games.

3 - 1 to Poland is my prediction.

Kermit.de.frog

Kermit.de.frog wrote: »

For the first time I can honestly say I don't care about this game because I have accepted that after 25 years of reasonable success the Irish international team is a pub one once again and not of the quality you expect to go to any tournament.

You only care when we are successful?

Is that the absolute definition of a fairweather/bandwagon fan?

I want us to be successful, but I care all the time.

Kermit.de.frog

Deleted User wrote: »

You only care when we are successful?

Is that the absolute definition of a fairweather/bandwagon fan?

I want us to be successful, but I care all the time.

I feel have been pushed in to a situation where I don't care because to be brutally honest I don't buy in to the old sob story any more about how much the players care about it. Part of it is definitely the English reject declaring for Ireland thing which is getting worse - we also have two Scots in the team, two of our better payers but still and I just don't feel much affinity with the team anymore.

That is not just me - a lot of people who were fans feel the same way. And you can see it in the sorry numbers attending most games.

Doctor Jimbob

Kermit.de.frog wrote: »

I feel have been pushed in to a situation where I don't care because to be brutally honest I don't buy in to the old sob story any more about how much the players care about it. Part of it is definitely the English reject declaring for Ireland thing which is getting worse - we also have two Scots in the team, two of our better payers but still and I just don't feel much affinity with the team anymore.

That is not just me - a lot of people who were fans feel the same way. And you can see it in the sorry numbers attending most games.

Yeah, it's not like anything like that ever happened when we were successful

Kermit.de.frog

Doctor Jimbob wrote: »

Yeah, it's not like anything like that ever happened when we were successful

Not as many and they were actually good! Too much of it now.

weldoninhio

Kermit.de.frog wrote: »

I feel have been pushed in to a situation where I don't care because to be brutally honest I don't buy in to the old sob story any more about how much the players care about it. Part of it is definitely the English reject declaring for Ireland thing which is getting worse - we also have two Scots in the team, two of our better payers but still and I just don't feel much affinity with the team anymore.

That is not just me - a lot of people who were fans feel the same way. And you can see it in the sorry numbers attending most games.

I'm willing to bet that if we make the Euros you'll be down the pub with your jersey on, face painted giving it "Olé Olé Olé" though

Kermit.de.frog

weldoninhio wrote: »

I'm willing to bet that if we make the Euros you'll be down the pub with your jersey on, face painted giving it "Olé Olé Olé" though

I think most people have sufficient nightmares about the last Euros to know they won't be too upset if we don't make it.

Doctor Jimbob

Kermit.de.frog wrote: »

Not as many and they were actually good! Too much of it now.

Nonsense, half the squad for Italia 90 were english/scottish. If we're going to talk about the fact they were better players, wouldn't the talk of 'only caring when we're successful' be correct?

Ferris_Bueller

I think a lot of people are overly harsh when judging Traps reign because they didn't like how he done things. I was 100% behind the decision to get rid of him when he left, and you could argue after the Euros he should have gone, but his first two campaigns were successful. If we were to lose to Poland on Sunday chances are that this campaign will be worse than anything we experienced under Trap, the only time under Trap that we lost a game to a team we shouldn't be losing to was when we lost to Austria, already in Martin O'Neills reign we have lost to Scotland, if he can go the next 4 years without losing another game we shouldn't be losing I will be impressed.

I've nothing against Martin O'Neill, chances are whatever manager we got in would face the same issues he does, but under Trap we were solid and I think a lot of people are failing to see that.

miroslavklose

Kermit.de.frog wrote: »

Not as many and they were actually good! Too much of it now.

Nine of the 12 players who faced England at Italia '90 were born in Britain. Of those, only Paul McGrath grew up in Ireland. We have a far higher proportion of Irish-raised players now, more than at any point in the last 30 years.

Ferris_Bueller

Ferris_Bueller wrote: »

I think a lot of people are overly harsh when judging Traps reign because they didn't like how he done things. I was 100% behind the decision to get rid of him when he left, and you could argue after the Euros he should have gone, but his first two campaigns were successful.

As noodler said at the time, before completely changing his mind now, any success was in spite of Trap rather than due to him. And we had some amazing luck, a war in Georgia that only affected our game before being resolved, was it 2 Bulgarian players getting injured in their warm up, an Italian sent off in a head scratcher and so on. It ran out in Paris, when ironically the team dispensed with his tactics and showed what they could do. In the next campaign, we did manage to finish ahead of Armenia and Slovakia, as we should do, and we got lucky again with the plum draw in the play offs.

Ferris_Bueller

Deleted User wrote: »

As noodler said at the time, before completely changing his mind now, any success was in spite of Trap rather than due to him. And we had some amazing luck, a war in Georgia that only affected our game before being resolved, was it 2 Bulgarian players getting injured in their warm up, an Italian sent off in a head scratcher and so on. It ran out in Paris, when ironically the team dispensed with his tactics and showed what they could do. In the next campaign, we did manage to finish ahead of Armenia and Slovakia, as we should do, and we got lucky again with the plum draw in the play offs.

It just seems like an unfair argument when anything good during his time in charge is down to good luck yet everything bad that happened was Traps fault rather than bad luck. Could I not argue we were unlucky with Henrys handball? Unlucky in being drawn in the group of death at the Euros? Unlucky to concede in the 93rd minute against Austria? Luck will usually balance itself out over campaigns IMO, so you can't say Trap got lucky.

He had his flaws, his man management was poor and his team selections were bizarre, but to say our success was in spite of him is silly when we were considerably worse before he took over and we haven't improved much or at all since he has left.

Pro. F

Ferris_Bueller wrote: »

It just seems like an unfair argument when anything good during his time in charge is down to good luck yet everything bad that happened was Traps fault rather than bad luck. Could I not argue we were unlucky with Henrys handball? Unlucky in being drawn in the group of death at the Euros? Unlucky to concede in the 93rd minute against Austria? Luck will usually balance itself out over campaigns IMO, so you can't say Trap got lucky.

He had his flaws, his man management was poor and his team selections were bizarre, but to say our success was in spite of him is silly when we were considerably worse before he took over and we haven't improved much or at all since he has left.

There's nothing contradictory in saying that Trap was better than Stan and possibly MON while also saying that our mild success during his spell in charge was largely in spite of his poor management. They are all poor managers.

MON's in the early stages of his tenure just yet and he may yet show something impressive, but it's not likely given his career to date.

TheCitizen

Pro. F wrote: »

There's nothing contradictory in saying that Trap was better than Stan and possibly MON while also saying that our mild success during his spell in charge was largely in spite of his poor management. They are all poor managers.

MON's in the early stages of his tenure just yet and he may yet show something impressive, but it's not likely given his career to date.

MON has had lots of success in his career to date. If he can get this Irish team to play with the spirit and application of his Celtic and Leicester sides in particular in the past we'll qualify out of this Group.

Sin City

Some of this needed for tomorrow night
cybig

noodler

sugarman wrote: »

People spout this fact time and again, but we beat Slovakia in 2007, they were ranked a fair bit a head of us at the time.

...and that was under Stan!

95% certain Slovakia, world cup quarter finalists in 2006 btw, were not higher seeded than us when the draw was made.

Unless you you can prove otherwise, my statement stands: we haven't beaten a higher seed in qualifying since 2001.

noodler

[Deleted User] wrote: »

You yourself were critical of him in 2011.



Did he really get that much better after you posted that?

Is this the "selective memory" you referred to above?!

How does criticising a manager in 2011 for special if it issues somehow disqualify me from judging his reign a success overall years later, measured by tangible results?

Im afraid you wasted your time looking for that post.

noodler

[Deleted User] wrote: »

As noodler said at the time, before completely changing his mind now, any success was in spite of Trap rather than due to him. And we had some amazing luck, a war in Georgia that only affected our game before being resolved, was it 2 Bulgarian players getting injured in their warm up, an Italian sent off in a head scratcher and so on. It ran out in Paris, when ironically the team dispensed with his tactics and showed what they could do. In the next campaign, we did manage to finish ahead of Armenia and Slovakia, as we should do, and we got lucky again with the plum draw in the play offs.

Again, that is a lie, an absolute lie I will ask the mods to look at.

I haven't changed my mind about anything, being frustrated with a manager at times does NOT preclude one from recognising that two play offs and qualification made his reign a success overall.

noodler

noodler wrote: »

Again, that is a lie, an absolute lie I will ask the mods to look at.

I haven't changed my mind about anything, being frustrated with a manager at times does NOT preclude one from recognising that two play offs and qualification made his reign a success overall.

At times? A success overall? After 3 years of his reign you said

noodler wrote: »

Hmm....I think we are unbelievably lucky so far and in many cases are where we are in spite of Trap's decisions rather than because of them.

You are perfectly entitled to change your mind. But don't be so dismissive of others who remained critical. And don't unfairly characterise their claims as resting on 3 months...

noodler wrote: »

Opinions that focus on a three month period of a 5 year reign alone are going to be subject to particular criticism.

He didn't just spend 3 months in Italy, or fall out with players during one 3 month spell, or play dire football for just 3 months. It was even more than the 3 years you drew on yourself before.

Don't worry. I won't claim it's a lie and run looking for a mod!

edgecutter

I hope we go out and play the same way we did against the USA, but I don't think that will happen. Poland are a much stronger side than us and I feel that we will try and contain to nick a point (and this won't be a good result).

noodler

[Deleted User] wrote: »

At times? A success overall? After 3 years of his reign you said



You are perfectly entitled to change your mind. But don't be so dismissive of others who remained critical. And don't unfairly characterise their claims as resting on 3 months...



He didn't just spend 3 months in Italy, or fall out with players during one 3 month spell, or play dire football for just 3 months. It was even more than the 3 years you drew on yourself before.

Don't worry. I won't claim it's a lie and run looking for a mod!

I am just going to repeat this one last time as you seem to be struggling to deliberately misinterpret years old quotes from in an effort to further your deteriorating position.

Being critical of a manager at times does not preclude one from judging his reign a success based on tangible outcomes like group position and qualification.

There, get it now or is it time for the hand puppets?

Could you maybe quantify the difference "at times" and "in many cases", such as when you say you were critical "at times" and when you say we did what we did in spite of him "in many cases"?

Thanks.

Laois_Man

edgecutter wrote: »

I hope we go out and play the same way we did against the USA, but I don't think that will happen. Poland are a much stronger side than us and I feel that we will try and contain to nick a point (and this won't be a good result).

Makes no sense....why would we set ourselves up to try get a poor result?

I am expecting a bit of the attitude Celtic showed at Parkhead on big European nights against good teams when O'Neill was manager there (beating Barca, Livepool, VFB Stutgart, Shaktar). Lets not make Poland out to be Brazil. They're beatable if we do our stuff.

edgecutter

Laois_Man wrote: »

Makes no sense....why would we set ourselves up to try get a poor result?

I am expecting a bit of the attitude Celtic showed at Parkhead on big European nights against good teams when O'Neill was manager there (beating Barca, Livepool, VFB Stutgart, Shaktar). Lets not make Poland out to be Brazil. They're beatable if we do our stuff.

Watching Ireland for a long time tells me that we will set up for a draw and be happy with it. We need a win, but O'Neill is safety first type of guy.

Laois_Man

Laois_Man wrote: »

Lets not make Poland out to be Brazil. They're beatable if we do our stuff.

Yeah, think we are overstating Polands ability. Undoubtedly a stronger team than us, and we are coming off the back off a few years of underperforming, but Sunday night should be a stage that professional players should welcome. If they go out to draw, O'Neill should hang his head.

Dempsey

Deleted User wrote: »

Yeah, think we are overstating Polands ability. Undoubtedly a stronger team than us, and we are coming off the back off a few years of underperforming, but Sunday night should be a stage that professional players should welcome. If they go out to draw, O'Neill should hang his head.

It will be by numbers football from O'Neill, why expect anything different, given his history, when it comes to a competitive fixture that we simply cannot afford to lose.

Poland will come in a better frame of mind, count on it

Sin City

Poland are a good team but we tend to do well against the big teams. I think we can snatch something. Boruc in goal is nothing special so I can see us scoring. If the lads have the hunger and passion for the game I think we can come out of it with 3 points

Dempsey

Sin City wrote: »

Poland are a good team but we tend to do well against the big teams. I think we can snatch something. Boruc in goal is nothing special so I can see us scoring. If the lads have the hunger and passion for the game I think we can come out of it with 3 points

He's better than Forde so the Polish will be thinking the same about us.

Need more than hunger and passion in a match like this. Our central midfield need the games of their careers

Sin City

Dempsey wrote: »

He's better than Forde so the Polish will be thinking the same about us.

Need more than hunger and passion in a match like this. Our central midfield need the games of their careers

Iv no doubt Poland will score. Though Forde did keep a clean sheet last time we played them (he was playing wasnt he?)

True or central midfield duo of Jm and Whelan will have to play blinders but I think (hope) they can pull something off on the night. We have a history of causing one or two teams upsets hopefully thatll be the case tomorrow, All depends on how MON lines out

briany

Sin City wrote: »

Poland are a good team but we tend to do well against the big teams. I think we can snatch something. Boruc in goal is nothing special so I can see us scoring. If the lads have the hunger and passion for the game I think we can come out of it with 3 points

Poland wouldn't be a 'big team' though. A solid side with a bit of flair up front, but still if Ireland have any real ambition of making it to Euro 2016 and playing well, it's really the kind of side they should aim to be putting it up to and at least matching in terms of skill and nous.

I don't think that Ireland's reputation of putting it up to the big teams is really that well-founded. It's about 20 years out of date, actually. The good results against big teams have all happened when they were on a downward ebb, to be fair. Germany and Italy were coming off of WC hangovers and France were on their way to imploding as we saw at SA 2010. Really, it's not been since Spain all the way back in 2002, maybe France '04 as well, that I've seen a convincing Irish display against a good, big international side in competitive play that they arguably should have won. Since then, if we want to see how Ireland do against big, in form teams, we only have to look at Euro 2012, where not only were Ireland comprehensively sent home but must have had other nations scratching their heads wondering how the team made it to the tournament in the first place. The fans were great though and one of the best non-pitch stories of the tournament, but I don't want to see Ireland go to a tournament for a beating and a sing-song ever again. I want to see them play.

Sin City

briany wrote: »

Poland wouldn't be a 'big team' though. A solid side with a bit of flair up front, but still if Ireland have any real ambition of making it to Euro 2016 and playing well, it's kind of side they aim to be putting it up to and at least matching in terms of skill and nous.

I don't think that Ireland's reputation of putting it up to the big teams is really that well-founded. It's about 20 years out of date, actually. The good results against big teams have all happened when they were on a downward ebb, to be fair. Germany and Italy were coming off of WC hangovers and France were on their way to imploding as we saw at SA 2010. Really, it's not been since Spain all the way back in 2002 that I've seen a convincing Irish display against a good, big international side in competitive play that they arguably should have won. Since then, if we want to see how Ireland do against big, in form teams, we only have to look at Euro 2012, where not only were Ireland comprehensively sent home but must have had other nations scratching their heads wondering how the team made it to the tournament in the first place. The fans were great though and one of the best non-pitch stories of the tournament, but I don't want to see Ireland go to a tournament for a beating and a sing-song ever again. I want to see them play.

Agree with most of your points there but in the Euros we played the finalists and a decent Croat side. Tactically we got that one wrong and we were destroyed. I agree that lately we havent put the big teams to the sword as we should but in a game of football anything can happen. This game should really be viewed by the players as a cup final. Rumours floating around today that MON is thinking about going 3-5-2 which could be intersting having Coleman and Brady as attacking wb and having Wes linking up the play between a Kean/Waters or Long duo upfront. Its a possible option though not sure how reliable it is. The question is really will MON go attacking or have a counter or defensive mentality

Dempsey

3-5-2 wouldnt surprise me as it suits the best players available. He's used it alot during his career. The time to work on it is the issue. MON will prefer a counter attacking style against fairly equal to better opposition.

briany

Sin City wrote: »

Agree with most of your points there but in the Euros we played the finalists and a decent Croat side. Tactically we got that one wrong and we were destroyed. I agree that lately we havent put the big teams to the sword as we should but in a game of football anything can happen. This game should really be viewed by the players as a cup final. Rumours floating around today that MON is thinking about going 3-5-2 which could be intersting having Coleman and Brady as attacking wb and having Wes linking up the play between a Kean/Waters or Long duo upfront. Its a possible option though not sure how reliable it is. The question is really will MON go attacking or have a counter or defensive mentality

That Croat side was a bit better than decent, to be fair. They gave Spain and Italy a good game each, and that Italy game was a scoring draw. Very tough group of course, but the lack of belief, of guile in Ireland's game was still very tough to watch. Watching the bubble of belief burst was sad, and quite unlike any previous Irish tournament I had witnessed.

I don't want Ireland to say 'anything can happen', 'cause to me it implies a hope of luck and I don't want to merely hope things go well, I want them to be of the attitude to make things go well, and that you make your own luck.