The *ONLY* After Hours thread about the European Championships.

RobbingBandit

The D4 Muppets.

SHOVELLER

A country that has no football culture or infrastructure and ignores its own league deserves nothing.

As for the fans being the best in the world dont make me laugh. Its very easy to go over to a major championship on the piss but why not support your own league?

A reality check tonight. Football in Ireland needs a complete makeover from top to bottom.

Trap did well to get us here.

irishguitarlad

SHOVELLER wrote: »

A country that has no football culture or infrastructure and ignores its own league deserves nothing.

As for the fans being the best in the world dont make me laugh. Its very easy to go over to a major championship on the piss but why not support your own league?

A reality check tonight. Football in Ireland needs a complete makeover from top to bottom.

Trap did well to get us here.

Dude I completely agree with you

DEFTLEFTHAND

SHOVELLER wrote: »

A country that has no football culture or infrastructure and ignores its own league deserves nothing.

As for the fans being the best in the world dont make me laugh. Its very easy to go over to a major championship on the piss but why not support your own league?

A reality check tonight. Football in Ireland needs a complete makeover from top to bottom.

Trap did well to get us here.

Well said, some very valid points there.

I'm sick to the stomach
Can't believe we're going into Monday's match with nothing to play for

hondasam

Deleted User wrote: »

I'm sick to the stomach
Can't believe we're going into Monday's match with nothing to play for

we will probably play well on Monday and possibly win.

Elmer Blooker

:mad: when it went 2-0 just after half time I took down my Euro '12 wall chart and tore it up into little pieces. I knew it was going to be 4, 5 or 6.
:mad::mad::mad::mad::mad:

Means Of Escape

Did anyone really think for one second that the Irish team as it stands would beat the WORLD Champions.The loss has nothing to do with Trapparoni as he can't make a silk purse out of a sows ear.The team was an embarrassment to watch. It was like a secondary school soccer team taking on Premier League team.
Boot out Delaney. Get in new blood with vision who can push for more funding for local clubs.Tap the Lotto for more money to equip the clubs and start again.There are very talented youngsters out there.Don't doubt that for a minute.

Happyman42

SHOVELLER wrote: »

A country that has no football culture or infrastructure and ignores its own league deserves nothing.

As for the fans being the best in the world dont make me laugh. Its very easy to go over to a major championship on the piss but why not support your own league?

A reality check tonight. Football in Ireland needs a complete makeover from top to bottom.

Trap did well to get us here.

Yes it does need a complete make-over. but the last thing that needs a make-over is the fan or supporter.
The bull**** arrogance that allows you to sneer at a supporter is the problem with 'football in Ireland'
If the LOI had the brains to call in somebody from the GAA or the IRFU and studied their structure they might have a chance at building a decent infrastructure themselves. I live in a town of 4 or 5 thousand people and the soccer club is still playing on an unlevel cow pasture and togging out in a lorry trailer. What kid wants to get involved in that tacky set up?
But of course they won't actually do anything to change things themselves, they just wait in the long grass to whinge at others when they get the chance. Usually when people praise the supporters they vainly crave.
Time for them to get off their arses and bring the game into the modern era.

Capt'n Midnight

hondasam wrote: »

we will probably play well on Monday and possibly win.

Italy need to win.

This will give them 5 points.

But if Spain and Croatia also draw then they too will be on 5 pints. And Croatia have already drawn with Italy and are on +2 goal difference.

So it looks like Italy will need to win by at least three goals to be sure of booking their place.

Ranking rules
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UEFA_Euro_2012#Group_stage

Embarrassment me arse. Yes, world champions, and we played as well as we could have expected against such a fantastic side.

Pottler

Really good losers tbf, but like they say, show me a good loser and I'll show you a loser. Might have performed better if they were sh1te losers who would rather die than lose, a bit more like Roy and less like Robbie.. If the fans booed them off as loud as they sang them off there might be a real call for change. BIL is a very well respected scout for a premiership team here in Ireland and has nothing but criticism for the FAI and Delaney. Time for a change but it won't come when Delaney can say "ah sure we did our best and the fans left happy.."

IrishAm

me bolly wrote: »

There are very talented youngsters out there.Don't doubt that for a minute.

That there is, but its pure raw talent. We do not have the training facilities in this country to further develop that talent and the top schoolboy teams main aim is to get their talented players with a club in the UK, not to turn them into top players.

The training facilities and standard of coaching in this country are still in the stone age compared to on the continent. I played with some of Dublins top schoolboy teams up until the early 00s and we were told that when we tip off, to launch the ball towards to oppositions corner flag and put pressure on them, instead of trying to keep possession. Pure hoof ball stuff.

Where as in Spain, Germany, Czech Rep, Holland etc. they focus on control, how to keep possession of the ball and mastering the basic skills.

As we saw tonight, raw skill and heart can only get you so far.

Heres a clip of the Irish fans from German TV- Quality stuff.

starbelgrade

My name is URL wrote: »

Yeah, he has to work with what he is given. But what he is given could be put to better use. If a baker knows how to make good bread with minimal ingredients he'll do it to the best of his ability. Trap is like a fella in his kitchen with a bag of flour and a glass of water.

It's better to find someone that can make use of the ingredients they have before thinking about buying a new kitchen.

Trappatoni is one of the most respected managers in the world... and for good reason. His list of honours is incredible... including being the only manager in the world who has won every single international UEFA club competition and he's one of the few list of managers who has won league titles in four different countries.

The fact that he is Trapattoni is a manager of impeccable calibre is indisputable.

The fact that we were beaten in two games by two better teams - one of them the best international team in the world - is hardly a surprise. In club terms, it was Sunderland vs Barcelona.

Not even Trap could change that fact. You can talk about kitchens and bakers all night long, but when it comes down to it, you can't polish a turd.

IrishAm

starbelgrade wrote: »

Not even Trap could change that fact. You can talk about kitchens and bakers all night long, but when it comes down to it, you can't polish a turd.

Even with Ireland's top eleven players of all time and in their prime at his disposal, the Spaniards would still have dominated. They were that good.

Some people need a dose of reality.

starbelgrade

IrishAm wrote: »

Even with Ireland's top eleven players of all time and in their prime at his disposal, the Spaniards would still have dominated. They were that good.

Some people need a dose of reality.

So you're saying that any decent team would find it hard to beat Spain... possibly one of the best teams to ever play international football?

Well, fuck me. Thanks for clearing that up. That was a well needed dose of reality.

IrishAm

starbelgrade wrote: »

Well, fuck me. Thanks for clearing that up. That was a well needed dose of reality.

That wasn't aimed at you. Just a general remark in relation to people freaking out over the result.

K-9

starbelgrade wrote: »

Trappatoni is one of the most respected managers in the world... and for good reason. His list of honours is incredible... including being the only manager in the world who has won every single international UEFA club competition and he's one of the few list of managers who has won league titles in four different countries.

The fact that he is Trapattoni is a manager of impeccable calibre is indisputable.

The fact that we were beaten in two games by two better teams - one of them the best international team in the world - is hardly a surprise. In club terms, it was Sunderland vs Barcelona.

Not even Trap could change that fact. You can talk about kitchens and bakers all night long, but when it comes down to it, you can't polish a turd.

As Chelsea and Inter showed, the only way you can beat this style is blanket defence, riding your luck, hoping they have an off day and taking the couple of chances you get. We don't have the talent like those, even with arguments about Trap. Barcelona made fools of Man United last year FFS!

I've seen plenty of teams who are good at passing, maybe not as good at Spain, but damn good at it, but they didn't have the same attitude off the ball, look at the second Torres goal as a perfect example. They lost the ball, immediately go on he offensive, get it back and on top of that Torres anticipates it.

This is the best international team I've seen since I started watching football in 1984 and they'll prove it by winning 3 international tournaments in a row, the first team to do it. Torres is back on form and that was my only doubt about them.

THey've married total Dutch football with put em under pressure!

Latchy

IrishAm wrote: »

Even with Ireland's top eleven players of all time and in their prime at his disposal, the Spaniards would still have dominated. They were that good.
Some people need a dose of reality.

Yes they were that good ,of that there is no disputing but when you play against a team as bad as Ireland were tonight ...your only gonna be made look that much better .

IrishAm

IrishAm wrote: »

That wasn't aimed at you. Just a general remark in relation to people freaking out over the result.

I don't know if people are freaking out about the result of tonight's game (maybe I'm wrong?). I think people are just surprised that we may well leave with zero points.

starbelgrade

IrishAm wrote: »

That wasn't aimed at you. Just a general remark in relation to people freaking out over the result.

Apologies!

Dyr

Lets not get carried away with the grass roots rebuilding here, I don't want to see our young sporting talent being diverted away from the GAA and squandered by the FAI.

starbelgrade

Bambi wrote: »

Lets not get carried away with the grass roots rebuilding here, I don't want to see our young sporting talent being diverted away from the GAA and squandered by the FAI.

Yeah. The FAI really fucked up Kevin Moran's career.

expectationlost

so hard to find the apre match on the rte youtube

EDudder

SHOVELLER wrote: »

A country that has no football culture or infrastructure and ignores its own league deserves nothing.

As for the fans being the best in the world dont make me laugh. Its very easy to go over to a major championship on the piss but why not support your own league?

A reality check tonight. Football in Ireland needs a complete makeover from top to bottom.

Trap did well to get us here.

I honestly don't know what some people expect. Do you really think the LOI can become something like the premiership?? Look at the size of our country, and we are (these days) quite consistently making it to these tournaments in a manor that Scotland and Wales aren't.

And to people who are giving out to the fans, I'm glad you're in the minority. If I ever seen our fans boo the team off the pitch I would be mortified. It's not what we should aspire to.

IMO, one of the things that actually stops us from reaching our full potential as far as soccer goes is that soccer is competing with one of the nations most nurtured sports (for good reason) GAA football for the same pool of potential players. But this is something you can't change.

expectationlost

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5c0U-9mfxXw

K-9

Deleted User wrote: »

I don't know if people are freaking out about the result of tonight's game (maybe I'm wrong?). I think people are just surprised that we may well leave with zero points.

The team will do everything to get a result against Italy, whatever about their talent, they are all good, honest pros. Put it this way, if we go a goal down to Italy, the lads will still play as a team. If Holland go a goal down to Portugal they'll whinge and moan at each other, even with a chance of getting through, and look at the talent they have!

My name is URL

starbelgrade wrote: »

Trappatoni is one of the most respected managers in the world... and for good reason. His list of honours is incredible... including being the only manager in the world who has won every single international UEFA club competition and he's one of the few list of managers who has won league titles in four different countries.

The fact that he is Trapattoni is a manager of impeccable calibre is indisputable.

The fact that we were beaten in two games by two better teams - one of them the best international team in the world - is hardly a surprise. In club terms, it was Sunderland vs Barcelona.

Not even Trap could change that fact. You can talk about kitchens and bakers all night long, but when it comes down to it, you can't polish a turd.

You seem to have done just that =p

I stand by my bakery/baker/some-dope-in-an-apron-with-a-few-eggs analogy.

Trap is a legend and deserves respect, but his fingers just don't knead our dough in the right way.

starbelgrade

My name is URL wrote: »

You seem to have done just that =p

I stand by my bakery/baker/some-dope-in-an-apron-with-a-few-eggs analogy.

Trap is a legend and deserves respect, but his fingers just don't knead our dough in the right way.

Ah shurrup & make me a croissant.

Dyr

starbelgrade wrote: »

Yeah. The FAI really fucked up Kevin Moran's career.

He was a middling GAA player, they were welcome to him. But just imagine if the likes of Pat Spillanes' talents had been squandered on the soccer . Or Nicky English had been made to head a soccer ball.

We can't risk this this happening, our kids deserve better

Latchy

Bambi wrote: »

Lets not get carried away with the grass roots rebuilding here, I don't want to see our young sporting talent being diverted away from the GAA and squandered by the FAI.

No worrys there ,I can't see the young hordes from Kerry all deserting GAA for Soccer .

Dyr

K-9 wrote: »

The team will do everything to get a result against Italy, whatever about their talent, they are all good, honest pros. Put it this way, if we go a goal down to Italy, the lads will still play as a team. If Holland go a goal down to Portugal they'll whinge and moan at each other, even with a chance of getting through, and look at the talent they have!

I reckon if they leak an early goal, they'll collapse again.

fryup

god i hate the Fields of Athenry its a dreary song about dreary times..can we not adopt another song something more upbeat?

agga doo, nelly the elephant, living next door to alice ..anything other than that prozac inducing drivel

Darius.Tr

Wow...the last 7 minutes of the game were amazing....I'have never seen supporters of the loosing team being louder than the winning team. Simply amazing...

IrishAm

Bambi wrote: »

Lets not get carried away with the grass roots rebuilding here, I don't want to see our young sporting talent being diverted away from the GAA and squandered by the FAI.

Should they not be working together, instead of fighting one another until the player decides on which particular sport to focus on?

Happyman42

EDudder wrote: »

IMO, one of the things that actually stops us from reaching our full potential as far as soccer goes is that soccer is competing with one of the nations most nurtured sports (for good reason) GAA football for the same pool of potential players. But this is something you can't change.

A start would be accepting that the GAA do it better and try to work in tandem with them, especially at juvinile level, instead of competing for the same pool.
This year we have the insanity of GAA and Soccer looking for considerable bucks for summer camps within a week of each other. The Soccer one is marketed on the back of something the LOI isn't, it uses all the glamour of the premiership to attract star struck kids. It can't live up to that, at least the Cuil Camps market something achievable, eg: the inter county scene.
Domestic soccer needs to face up to what it actually provides and change that.

starbelgrade

Bambi wrote: »

He was a middling GAA player, they were welcome to him. But just imagine if the likes of Pat Spillanes' talents had been squandered on the soccer . Or Nicky English had been made to head a soccer ball.

We can't risk this this happening, our kids deserve better

You can't teach GAA players to play soccer. It's too complex. They usually end up eating the ball or riding the corner flags.

Dyr

Latchy wrote: »

No worrys there ,I can't see the young hordes from Kerry all deserting GAA for Soccer .

We must remain vigilant, a sporting body is at its most dangerous when it's been wounded and cornered.

dublin_daveyboy

god i now wish ireland had a large army and launch pre-emtive strikes on croatia and spain (italy we'll see),

the fcuking cheeck of them beating us like that,bastards!!!!

we need VENGANCE.

starbelgrade

dublin_daveyboy wrote: »

god i now wish ireland had a large army and launch pre-emtive strikes on croatia and spain

If McGeady was at the launch controls, he'd probably take out Australia by mistake.

Princess Consuela Bananahammock

Greetings from Poznan. Great city. Anytone heading over here on Monday be warned: the only beer you can buy in the stadium is alcohol-free! Put a bit of a bummer on the afternoon...

If you don't get a ticket, head for the fanzone. Reasonable priced, b ut you have to buy a weird debit card thingy instead of using cash...

IrishAm

starbelgrade wrote: »

If McGeady was at the launch controls, he'd probably take out Australia by mistake.

McGeady is meant to be doing quite well at Spartak. But when he puts on the green jersey he turns into a headless chicken and looks clueless most of the time.

The lad has talent, just has yet to show it whilst playing with Ireland for some reason. Its very frustrating to watch. Nine times out of ten his cross won't clear the first defender.

dublin_daveyboy

He couldn't kick ****e off a rope that fella,the pain of tonight has turned to blind rage now,ireland needs revenge either through military action or just send agents over to piss in their water supply ,

anything will do at this stage.

dublin_daveyboy

He couldn't kick ****e off a rope that fella,the pain of tonight has turned to blind rage now,ireland needs revenge either through military action or just send agents over to piss in their water supply ,

anything will do at this stage.

Capt'n Midnight

Deleted User wrote: »

I don't know if people are freaking out about the result of tonight's game (maybe I'm wrong?). I think people are just surprised that we may well leave with zero points.

Had we played Italy first then we might have got a point, as they can be slow starters. Had the team we played in the third match already qualified and loosing against us might give them a better draw in the next round then we might have a chance. But we had to beat the team ranked 7th in the UEFA ratings AND draw with the 1st or 4th, AND hope the other results worked out. Italy are in this position now.

A draw against us is no use for Italy unless Spain flatten Croatia at least 3-0, and that isn't that likely.

Worst nightmare for Italy is if they are 1-0 or 2-1 up against us and during injury time Spain kinda let Croatia get a last minute draw so they won't have to face Italy later on. Given the current Italian football scandals the last thing those players would want to do is return home without even making it out of the group stages.

dublin_daveyboy

sorry for double post.

fryup

^ edit and delete

ascanbe

starbelgrade wrote: »

Trappatoni is one of the most respected managers in the world... and for good reason. His list of honours is incredible... including being the only manager in the world who has won every single international UEFA club competition and he's one of the few list of managers who has won league titles in four different countries.

The fact that he is Trapattoni is a manager of impeccable calibre is indisputable.

The fact that we were beaten in two games by two better teams - one of them the best international team in the world - is hardly a surprise. In club terms, it was Sunderland vs Barcelona.

Not even Trap could change that fact. You can talk about kitchens and bakers all night long, but when it comes down to it, you can't polish a turd.

The players that took the field tonight deserve no criticism: they gave everything they had.
The same can't be said for Trapattoni as, despite the fact he came nowhere near managing to field/develop the best team he could've in the last few years, he left his team high and dry tonight: at the very least he could've made some changes and brought players off the bench at certain times, many whom are agruably better than those who started, for players who were clearly physically spent.
There's no denying Trapattoni's record or his greatness as a manager in the past: but that does not render him immune from criticism or mean that he should continue in this job.
But, oh yeah, i think John Delaney has already signed him up for the next few years.
Right now, or even after a period of cool reflection, i don't think that prospect will fill many hearts with joy.

Happyman42

Given signalling his retirement on BBC there now?

DEFTLEFTHAND

Happyman42 wrote: »

Given signalling his retirement on BBC there now?

Wow that won't good, I'm hoping he at least stays around for the next qualifying campaign.