Ireland vs Austria, World Cup Qualifier, kick-off 5pm, RTE 2 & Sky Sports 1

Mr.Nice Guy

Not long to go now before we face one of our biggest international games of the year.

There's a lot of speculation about what team Martin O'Neill will pick. The big calls would appear to be:

Randolph or Westwood in goal?
Who to partner Duffy in defence?
Does Arter start? Does Hoolahan?

We should know these answers in around 90 minutes or so.

What do we think the result will be? Optimism seems to be high in the Irish camp, although history has shown Ireland can tend to do things the hard way. Austria are missing big players such as Arnautovic, and there are whispers of unhappiness behind the scenes, but it's do-or-die time for them and they can't be underestimated.

I'm going to say we will win 2-1. I expect plenty of nervy moments along the way.

Update: The team news...

Ireland XI: Randolph, Christie, K. Long, Duffy, Ward, Brady, Whelan, Hendrick, Arter, McClean, Walters.

whatawaster81

COYBIG - I'm optimistic that we'll do it. Want Holohan to start to show our intent. We should be going for it.

Unearthly

I think we will win. Won't be pretty but we'll take a big step to qualification

Searsons is wedged
Go on the boys in green yuuup

Duff

Feel as nervous today as I did V France last summer. I'd start Wes and try bring the game to them from the off. It's in our own hands for once. COYBIG.

briany

This is the game where Ireland can grab a real chance at top spot by the throat. The game that we may well look back upon it and say it was the game that made/broke Ireland's campaign. A draw would not be the end of the world. In fact, a loss would still see Ireland in the top two, but at the same time, why make it hard?

how.gareth

briany wrote: »

This is the game where Ireland can grab a real chance at top spot by the throat. The game that we may well look back upon it and say it was the game that made/broke Ireland's campaign. A draw would not be the end of the world. In fact, a loss would still see Ireland in the top two, but at the same time, why make it hard?

We could afford the welsh draw but we really need to be winning tonight, both teams are missing key players but we look like we can cope better than them. 3 points and then pray that Serbia drop points in the later game. Come on Ireland

briany

how.gareth wrote: »

We could afford the welsh draw but we really need to be winning tonight, both teams are missing key players but we look like we can cope better than them. 3 points and then pray that Serbia drop points in the later game. Come on Ireland

There's also the concern of the Georgia away game, which people seem to be forgetting. It's a worry that Ireland might finally have an unlucky day there. Today is especially important because of the cushion a win would provide for a stumble in the Autumn.

spock.

https://twitter.com/FAIreland/status/873914136396222465

Paully D

Goalkeeper and defence is very worrying.

Westwood should be in in place of Randolph but O'Neill is still holding a grudge from 5 years ago.

Christie, Ward, Duffy and Long don't inspire any confidence.

It's a good chance this evening given the missing Austrian regulars but this one has draw written all over it.

keeponhurling

Kevin Long ?! 
Big call there

briany

Didi, Liam and Eamonn. The A-Squad.

ScummyMan

No Weso No Party.

Mr.Nice Guy

I hope I'm proven wrong but I think MON has gotten the line-up wrong.

I wouldn't have picked Randolph, I wouldn't have picked Long, and I would have picked Hoolahan.

JamBur

Dunphy being negative to set up his "I told you so" routine if this goes badly

The Talking Bread

Ugh, can't listen to an hour of Dunphy moaning about Whelan and slobbering over Wes. Off to watch Mayo game until kickoff

briany

No-one knows why Whelan is picked yet he's been a fixture in the team for 9 years. :pac:

Interplanetary space probes fulfill their missions in less time than football pundits, professional and amateur, have taken to solve, or at least agree on, the answer to the Whelan riddle.

alta stare

The Talking Bread wrote: »

Ugh, can't listen to an hour of Dunphy moaning about Whelan and slobbering over Wes. Off to watch Mayo game until kickoff

Yep i feel the same so iv stuck in the earphones until its time for kick off.

thomasj

Normally we would have a competition to guess how many times dunphy mentions houlihan ... Would have been a high number this one!

super_furry

No problems with the team selection at all. Looks like a side set up to attack.

Dunphy meanwhile is banging the St Wes of Hoolahan drum again.

Bounty Hunter

It's win win for dunphy. Now he says he should have started however O' Neil likes to bring Wes on later in games when the opposition is tiring but then when he does and has an impact Dunphy can say he should have been on the whole time doing that.

keeponhurling

Wes often doesn;t start, not really news.

but Kevin Long is a gamble, he has barely played for Burnley and has little international experience beyond last week.
Might be ok, but surely O'shea or Keogh would have been a safer option. CB isn't a position to take chances on

noodler

super_furry wrote: »

No problems with the team selection at all. Looks like a side set up to attack.

Dunphy meanwhile is banging the St Wes of Hoolahan drum again.

In fairness, the end product is there against Sweden, against Italy, against Austria so I don't think it's a glib comment.

Ideally you would want to test the Austrians early and I fear no Wes gives them a greater chance of gaining a foothold.

blueser

The Talking Bread wrote: »

Ugh, can't listen to an hour of Dunphy moaning about Whelan and slobbering over Wes. Off to watch Mayo game until kickoff

OR



Depends which Mayo turns up!

Mocha Joe

blueser wrote: »

Well; at least he's consistent! And, to be fair, Hoolahan should be in the starting XI. He's a far better player than Whelan.

They play a different position though to be fair. Im no fan of whelan but a midfield 3 of wes, arter and hendrick would be way too open. Whelan is playing instead of McCarthy not wes.

AndyBoBandy

I feel a bit nervous going into this game.


I hope our players don't feel over confident because of supposed discontent in the Austrian squad.

The Talking Bread

super_furry wrote: »

No problems with the team selection at all. Looks like a side set up to attack.

Dunphy meanwhile is banging the St Wes of Hoolahan drum again.

It is awful to listen to. He needs to be f*cked off that panel. Especially for Irish games. I seriously can't listen to him anymore repeating the same stuff over and over again.
He is entitled to an opinion a lot of people agree with but his default "Whelan adds nothing" cr*p has become tedious and is not the informative stuff you would expect from a panel of "experts". Elaborate on your Whelan disdain maybe and it will become more credible but merely saying he adds nothing when he clearly does at the top level, owing to the fact that he has just short of 300 appearances now for a ever present premier league team.

Maybe break down what he does do and concentrate on the player he is, not just criticise him because he isn't the flashy player you want to see.

Ugh. Was hoping I wouldn't get sucked into a Wes/Whelan debate again!

Damn you Dunphy, you got what you want!!

Mr.Nice Guy

The Whelan criticism is bizarre. He's done well this year and would have been one of the first names on the team sheet for me. Whelan isn't a concern for me today.

My big concern is defending set pieces. We were very dodgy against Uruguay in that department.

Paully D

RTE Player dodgy for anyone else?

Duff

Paully D wrote: »

RTE Player dodgy for anyone else?

I'm in the O/Hs in Belfast and wasn't aware I couldn't watch it live here Have to find another way now.

TheCitizen

'MON Ireland

The Talking Bread

Duff wrote: »

I'm in the O/Hs in Belfast and wasn't aware I couldn't watch it live here Have to find another way now.

It is on Sky Sports if you have access

Duff

The Talking Bread wrote: »

It is on Sky Sports if you have access

Found Sky coverage "Online". Cheers.

murpho999

Why wear a leprechaun hat to a football match!

alta stare

Whats up with all the dodgy camera work?

Hotblack Desiato

Bagpipes wtf. Horrible.

Anthem sounded rotten

murpho999

Hotblack Desiato wrote: »

Bagpipes wtf. Horrible.

They are an Irish instrument despite what Scots think, so pretty appropriate.

D14Rugby

Can we get down to the serious stuff now lads. Has Glen whelan got some new ink on his left arm?

Hotblack Desiato

murpho999 wrote: »

They are an Irish instrument despite what Scots think, so pretty appropriate.

Yes I know. They still sound horrible.

noodler

Can't understand Keogh not starting over Long.

Edit: or O'Shea.

Christ the nerves.

murpho999

There are far too many "minute's silence" and "moments of appreciation" at games nowadays.

Mr. Guappa

Will we have the trumpets again?

The Talking Bread

Duff wrote: »

Found Sky coverage "Online". Cheers.

naughty

I assume you will be posting Rupert Murdoch et al a gratuitous payment tomorrow to thank him for their service!

The Backwards Man

Has the band been banned?

Mr.Nice Guy

We look pretty devoid of ideas. Hoofing it forward and hoping we get fouled so that we can win a free kick and then hoof that forward.

alta stare

Big gap in the middle......Austria can damage us from there.

AndyBoBandy

We look like the team playing away from home.

We need to settle fast, and get a grip as their confidence is increasing with every passing minute

murpho999

Jaysis, we are awful to watch.

murpho999

alta stare wrote: »

Big gap in the middle......Austria can damage us from there.

If only Hoolahan was playing!

Duff

We're at home, right?