UEFA 2016 Qualifier; 17:00; Landsdowne Road: Republic of Ireland vs Scotland (RTE)

LuckyLloyd

The truth of the matter is I don't like Scotland, and I can't respect a populace who didn't have the balls to vote for their independence but then felt guilty about it a few months later and gave the SNP a historic victory. So I hope we ****ing smash them and avoid days of painful 'how low has Irish football fallen' recriminations.

Preview for those that like such things:

http://www.rte.ie/sport/soccer/2015/0612/707822-given/

Shay Given has suggested that Ireland need “big players in big games” ahead of their crunch Euro 2016 qualifier against Scotland on Saturday (5pm, live on RTÉ2).
Ireland go into the game in fourth place in Group D, one behind the Scots, and it is a must-win clash for Martin O’Neill’s men.
Given, who returned from international retirement last year and is competing for a starting position for the game and has enjoyed impressive recent form with his club, Aston Villa, said Ireland were well positioned with a blend of experience and youth.
“The team is not picked yet,” Given told RTÉ Sport, though he made clear how keen he was to start.
"There is a real good group of players together now and there is a real togetherness within the squad" - Shay Given
“I’ve been involved a long number of years and played in a lot of big games in the past. Sometimes it’s about big players in big games. [Players] who have been there before, perhaps, and done it.
“Sometimes you just need a coolness on the pitch and sometimes you see that pass, or you make a save or a defender like John O’Shea gets a great block or a header, just key moments in the games, and they can turn a game really quickly or someone like Robbie Keane can get us that all-important goal.”
However, he also hailed the hunger brought by the less experienced players in the Ireland set-up.
“We have got some good young players in the squad as well and players who can cause them problems and they are all raring to qualify for a major tournament, of course, as they have not been there before.
“And I think there is a real good group of players together now and there is a real togetherness within the squad as well and that’s good.”
"I probably have to work harder now than I did ten years ago. But come matchday, I don’t feel any different"
Ireland were undone in the return fixture for this game last November by an impressive goal from Shaun Maloney from a set-piece move, and Given stressed that they would need to be wary of Scotland’s pre-arranged tactics.
“They done us on a well-worked corner, from their point of view - disappointing from our point of view that we switched off,” he said.
“But it was something that they worked on, of course, so we’ll have to be clued in on Saturday as well because I am sure they will have a few more set plays up their sleeve.”
39-year-old Given will be hoping to win his 130th cap in the game, and admitted that he had had to alter his approach as he entered the latter stages of his career.
“I have to do a bit more work than what I had to do ten years ago,” he said.
“More stuff in the gym, yoga, stretching, all the different massage, all the different things you have to do more of it as you get older, because your body stiffens up and you have to stay on top of that.
"So I probably have to work harder now than I did ten years ago. But come matchday, I don’t feel any different, to be honest. I feel the same, so long may it continue.”

Meglamonia

Hoping for a great day at the aviva.

Hoping for an electric atmosphere and a great performance from the team.

If we can win today it will bring new life into our campaign.

2-1 ireland. COYBIG

duffman13

Scotland are no great shakes, man for man we edge it, playing at home should push us over the line. 1-0 or 2-1 in a passionate but low on quality game. COYBIG

Paully D

I hate to be negative for such a big game, but I just can't see O'Neill letting the shackles off enough for us to trouble Scotland all that much. I really hope I'm wrong, but as a manager he's a shell of the man he once was, almost cowardly. Personally, I'd rather we give it a go and lose today than gain a point which is of no use to us and a very good result for Scotland.

0-0.

callaway92

Heart - Ireland
Head - Draw; perhaps even Scotland

1-1

Can't wait for it!

Pro. F

Aaaah... the tension.

We can do this.

COYBIG!

SantryRed

We need to let rip from the off today. We cannot let the Scots get settled, not even for one second.

TaosHum

Only a win will do.

Hopefully the lads can put in the same performance as they did in the second half against Poland.

fryup

will flower of scotland be booed?

will Naismith (ex rangers) be booed?

Will I Amnt

fryup wrote: »

will flower of scotland be booed?

will Naismith (ex rangers) be booed?

Tune in next week, same bat-time, same bat-channel!!

ricero

fryup wrote: »

will flower of scotland be booed?

will Naismith (ex rangers) be booed?

The ra will excute him at half time.

I predict a terrible 0 0 draw

aramush

Lets tw*t these b**tards 5-0. COYBIG

TheCitizen

Paully D wrote: »

I hate to be negative for such a big game, but I just can't see O'Neill letting the shackles off enough for us to trouble Scotland all that much. I really hope I'm wrong, but as a manager he's a shell of the man he once was, almost cowardly. Personally, I'd rather we give it a go and lose today than gain a point which is of no use to us and a very good result for Scotland.

0-0.

You're always negative. If you were any other way I'd be getting worried.

cson

Should be the best atmosphere we've ever had in the Aviva.

Agree with your Scotland sentiments Llyod, I hope we ****ing smash them too.

TheCitizen

Confident of a good performance and a win.

GreNoLi

Only time all nations of the British Isles qualified for a major tournament was back in 1958.

With Wales, Norn Iron and England looking good hopefully we can prolong that record by smiting the Scotch.

grenache

GreNoLi wrote: »

Only time all nations of the British Isles qualified for a major tournament was back in 1958.

With Wales, Norn Iron and England looking good hopefully we can prolong that record by smiting the Scotch.

We didn't qualify in '58.

GreNoLi

GreNoLi wrote: »

Only time all nations of the British Isles qualified for a major tournament was back in 1958.

With Wales, Norn Iron and England looking good hopefully we can prolong that record by smiting the Scotch.

grenache wrote: »

We didn't qualify in '58.

thelad95

grenache wrote: »

We didn't qualify in '58.

Sigh

Mushy

Just saw a pic on FB...will there really be a plane calling for Delaneys resignation over the Aviva today?

Fr Tod Umptious

Mushy wrote: »

Just saw a pic on FB...will there really be a plane calling for Delaneys resignation over the Aviva today?

That will work.

Why not spend their money on supporting their local clubs instead of this folly.

Agent Coulson

With Johnny Giles dropped from the RTE panel how will I understand what is happening in the game I will be lost without his analysis of what it was like to play along lads from the 50' 60's & 70's.



All joking aside bad buzz from RTE dropping Giles and keeping the others.

Tangatagamadda Chaddabinga Bonga Bungo

Fr Tod Umptious wrote: »

Why not spend their money on supporting their local clubs instead of this folly.

Why not spend money on helping Ugandan street children? You can spend your money on whatever you want to be fair.

2-0 Ireland. COYBIG!!!

Ace2007

Fr Tod Umptious wrote: »

That will work.

Why not spend their money on supporting their local clubs instead of this folly.

Just on this i know a few of the lads, who are involved, and one of them will travel up and down the country supporting his local club and rarely if ever misses a match, likewise with the Irish team - goes to all away games.

The FAI removed all banners of the "Delaney Out" at some match recently. I'm not saying they shouldn't be doing that but when you hear the reasons you have to understand.

For example i think it was the Scotland game away that hard core away fans couldn't get tickets - There should be a system that allows away supporters who go to all games to get tickets before someone who has never went to one before. But Delaney/FAI care only about the money and don't care who gets the tickets.

Salmon

What time do they announce the teams??

Wacker The Attacker

Mushy wrote: »

Just saw a pic on FB...will there really be a plane calling for Delaneys resignation over the Aviva today?

How original

Wacker The Attacker

Agent Coulson wrote: »

With Johnny Giles dropped from the RTE panel how will I understand what is happening in the game I will be lost without his analysis of what it was like to play along lads from the 50' 60's & 70's.



All joking aside bad buzz from RTE dropping Giles and keeping the others.

What makes it worse that they are replacing him with sadlier. The dreariest pundit in football history. I'm glad i'll be at the game to avoid that.

Ronan|Raven

http://www.independent.ie/sport/soccer/fai-spent-10k-deleting-john-delaneys-comments-on-fifa-corruption-from-match-programme-31299662.html

*shakes head*

LiamoSail

Surprised Delaney hasn't hired his own plane and banner with "I have a girlfriend called Emma" on it. **** knows he's used every other medium available to sound like a 13yr old chatting about his first girlfriend

Diabhal Beag

Dull 0-0 draw with 2 chances all game.

LiamoSail

Is it possible to stream this live on RTE player?

GotTheTshirt

Wacker The Attacker wrote: »

What makes it worse that they are replacing him with sadlier. The dreariest pundit in football history. I'm glad i'll be at the game to avoid that.

I like Sadlier, especially his slot with the Second Captains lads.

Tangatagamadda Chaddabinga Bonga Bungo

Ronan|Raven wrote: »

http://www.independent.ie/sport/soccer/fai-spent-10k-deleting-john-delaneys-comments-on-fifa-corruption-from-match-programme-31299662.html

*shakes head*

What makes that even worse is that it was the 'communications team' who pulled Delaney's comments from the programme. A man who is paid the combined salaries of the Spanish and Italian football chiefs is a person with so little self awareness he needs a 'communications team' to monitor what he says.

Unbelievable Jeff!

Neeson

Sadler knows more than Giles. At least Brady won't need to remind him that the player he's talking about is O'Shea. Giles is a dinosaur.

*Hank Scorpio*

Bit disappointed about no Giles tbh. Would rather him over Brady f.e. if one of the main 3 had to go for this game.

Neeson

If only they replaced Brady with Cunningham they'd have a better panel.

briany

Sadlier's alright but I'm not really looking forward to the whole era of Maloney, Sadlier, Cunningham and Whelan. Think it'll be a very dry affair. Say what you like about Dunphy, but after a disappointing Irish result the verbal bender he's likely to go on (possibly after an actual bender) offer a bit of catharsis. Although Dunphy will be there today (right?), and I actually enjoy Sadlier's chemistry with Dunphy, the passing of Bill, and Giles' contract stuff reminds me that one era is ended.

Ace2007

briany wrote: »

Sadlier's alright but I'm not really looking forward to the whole era of Maloney, Sadlier, Cunningham and Whelan. Think it'll be a very dry affair. Say what you like about Dunphy, but after a disappointing Irish result the verbal bender he's likely to go on (possibly after an actual bender) offer a bit of catharsis. Although Dunphy will be there today (right?), and I actually enjoy Sadlier's chemistry with Dunphy, the passing of Bill, and Giles' contract stuff reminds me that one era is ended.

Don't really follow the rugby but didn't RTE drop/not renew the contracts of the old guard, and it's the younger crowd taking over form now on?

Omackeral

Fr Tod Umptious wrote: »

That will work.

Why not spend their money on supporting their local clubs instead of this folly.

Talking to a lad last night at the Bohs vs Rovers match last night (at which there was a load of Scots... and the best atmosphere I've ever been a part of) and he told me they each spent only 20euro on it. So cheap enough. Also. he's a season ticket holder so he's already spent his money on his local club.

CrowdedHouse

Handy 3 - 1 win for Scotland

buyer95

cson wrote: »

Should be the best atmosphere we've ever had in the Aviva.

Agree with your Scotland sentiments Llyod, I hope we ****ing smash them too.

Atmosphere for the Ireland v Sweden game was very good, at the time we were right in the mix to qualify. Zlatan's who was anonymous otherwise, played 2 killer passes and won the game fore them.

Agent Coulson

Fifa: Republic of Ireland v Scotland programmes shredded

The Football Association of Ireland has reprinted the programme for their Euro 2016 qualifier with Scotland, removing comments from chief executive John Delaney on alleged corruption at Fifa.
The decision to shred and reprint 18,000 copies at a cost of £4,850 was made without Delaney's knowledge.
Delaney wrote his column prior to the revelation he had accepted a payment of £3.62m from Fifa on behalf of the FAI.
He said the payment was to stave off a threatened lawsuit against Fifa.
The threat came after match officials missed a handball by Thierry Henry as the France striker set up William Gallas's crucial goal in a World Cup qualifying play-off game against Ireland in Paris in 2009.
An FAI spokesman said: "John Delaney was entirely unaware of this change to the programme.
"He had already signed off on it and it was approved for printing.
"The decision to delete his comments where they related to Fifa was an editorial one that was taken by the communications team."
After news of the payment from Fifa, a group of supporters have paid for a banner to be flown over the Aviva Stadium in protest an hour before Saturday game in Dublin.
Fifa is facing two criminal investigations into alleged corruption, while long-serving president Sepp Blatter is to resign following reports he is under investigation in the United States.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/33121925

Pighead

CrowdedHouse wrote: »

Handy 3 - 1 win for Scotland

Is this based on their not handy 1-0 win against Ireland at home? Can't see us losing today but a draw is probably most likely outcome. Hopefully Robbie Keane can come off the bench late, nab a winner and celebrate as the Aviva goes ballistic.

Nib

I think there'll be an early goal in this.

Ireland to win 2-0, Long and Brady with the goals.

Paully D

LiamoSail wrote: »

Is it possible to stream this live on RTE player?

Yes, but during big events RTE Player is one of the worst applications I have ever had the pleasure of using. Don't expect to see much of the game.

Turtwig

Scotland should win. Hopefully they won't.

briany

Nib wrote: »

I think there'll be an early goal in this.

Ireland to win 2-0, Long and Brady with the goals.

Optimistic. Would prefer a couple of first half goals coming within a few minutes of each other than getting 1 and having to endure however many minutes of soaking pressure. Would be tickled for any kind of Irish win, though.
Kind of puzzled about the optimism over beating Scotland. Is it like the optimism over beating France circa 2005? Slovakia 2011? Sweden 2013? That optimism was misplaced. Unless there's something up with Scotland that I don't know about it, I think it'll be tough, close game.

Pudsy33

Scotland have inferior players to us, of we play with any sort of balls we should have a fair shot of 3 points.

Neeson

Scotland to win this. Ireland are very average performers. I expect the usual limp performance we have come to expect over the past number of years.

Neeson

I actually think Scotland have a better team or maybe it is that they just play together better.

A Dub in Glasgo

Pudsy33 wrote: »

Scotland have inferior players to us

The above does no favours to Irish fans