Turkey vs Ireland, Friendly International, kick-off 5.30 pm, live on RTE 2

Mr.Nice Guy

A chance for some young players to impress. Ireland team news:

Doyle; Rice, Duffy, Long; Coleman, Hendrick, Hourihane, Browne, McClean; Maguire, Hogan.

Maguire and Browne make their first starts.

Looks like an experimental 3-5-2. Don't care about the result but hoping for an encouraging performance, particularly up front.

Mr.Nice Guy

It will be interesting to see how the system works. 3-5-2 requires wing-backs with strong engines and we do have that, but you need a creative presence in midfield and I don't really see that. Without the ball, 3-5-2 becomes 5-3-2 and I fear we may see more of the latter than the former.

Here's the Turkey line-up:

Babacan; Gonul, Aziz, Soyilncil, Kaldirim; Yokuslu, Topal; Yazici, Calhanoglu, Akbaba; Tosun

No Cengiz Under for them which is a bonus as he has been in smashing form at Roma and I reckon he would have given us a tough time.

Mahony0509

As a Cork City fan, seeing Maguire starting fills my heart with joy. One of the nicest players out there, he deserves all he gets.

ERG89

I didn't even know this game was happening until yesterday.
Has Arda Turan retired?

Mr.Nice Guy

ERG89 wrote: »

I didn't even know this game was happening until yesterday.
Has Arda Turan retired?

I read he's injured.

Turkey popping it about well at the minute but shooting from long range a lot.

ollie1

Unlucky Horgan that was a good chance

Mr.Nice Guy

Oh what a chance for Hogan! Rounds the keeper but the touch is too heavy and his shot is into the side netting.

Agent Coulson

Should have shot instead of taking it around.

ScummyMan

Who put that ball through? My stream has about 12 pixels and commentators never mentioned it

Mr.Nice Guy

ScummyMan wrote: »

Who put that ball through? My stream has about 12 pixels and commentators never mentioned it

Hendrick. Great pass.

statesaver

Ronnie is unbearable

Agent Coulson

Who is that sitting next to MON with the giant head and tiny shoulders

robwen

Classic McClean..

andrew1977

Agent Coulson wrote: »

Who is that sitting next to MON with the giant head and tiny shoulders

I thought it was Humpty Dumpty.


On another note, does Ronnie whelan ever have anything positive to say about Ireland during his commentary?

ScummyMan

I have been impressed with Declan Rice so far he looks very composed. You can tell he hasn't been coached yet to just hoof it

johnnyryan89

ScummyMan wrote: »

I have been impressed with Declan Rice so far he looks very composed. You can tell he hasn't been coached yet to just hoof it

Was just about to comment on him. Has played well so far and looks like someone that's been involved with the squad for a few years now.

Mars Bar

Nothing wrong with that tackle

Mushy

Odd to give a yellow for that

Auroras_encore

Mars Bar wrote: »

Nothing wrong with that tackle

You and whelan should learn the rules, you can't scissor tackle regardless whether you get the ball

Mr.Nice Guy

Half-Time. Turkey with the better play but we had the best chance. Our midfield was quite sloppy on the ball. McClean struggled. Rice has acquitted himself well. Duffy has made some good blocks.

ERG89

ScummyMan wrote:

I have been impressed with Declan Rice so far he looks very composed. You can tell he hasn't been coached yet to just hoof it

Martin O'Neill will beat that out of him eventually

Ferris_Bueller

Dont think we look very comfortable using this formation. Not enough creativity in midfield.

Rice looks comfortable enough and generally we don't look like conceding but it has been a brutal game. Take McClean off he is having an extremely ineffective game. Hendricks through ball for Hogans chance was beautiful.

robwen

ERG89 wrote: »

Martin O'Neill will beat that out of him eventually

His club manager won't help either

pjohnson

Back 3 can be such an awkwar formation doesn't suit at all.

suicide_circus

this is painful

Mars Bar

Doyle's kicking is poor

suicide_circus

bollix

Mr.Nice Guy

Topal scores for Turkey. Poor Irish defending.

pjohnson

Well we know Doyle isn't up to much. Why the hell didn't we throw in O'Hara.

pjohnson

Mars Bar wrote: »

Doyle's kicking is poor

Can understand why he waited a decade for cap #2.

Agent Coulson

I really wish Stoke had pushed hard for MON.

ScummyMan

Get mcclean off FFS

pjohnson

Also how on earth did Rice get #10? It looks weird. Like when Duffy was #7

ScummyMan

Why is Hourihane on set pieces when he can't cross his legs

Mr.Crinklewood

Seamus Coleman is turning Chinese

ScummyMan

Been watching a good bit of Doherty recently as I'm living in Birmingham, he's a real talent. A pity he plays the same position as Coleman.

ERG89

Damien Rice.....Declan Rice.
Oh George

Kerrydude1981

Is this McCleans testimonial or something

SuperSean11

Am I the only one thinking Shane Long is terrible? Constant diving, caught offside again and again. Think he takes his place in the Irish squad for granted and doesn’t really bother

Agent Coulson

Rice is to good to be coached by Moyes and O'Neill.

ScummyMan

There's 90 minutes of my life I'll next get back.. Thanks Martin. Don't let the door hit you on the way out ya miserable sh!te

Mahony0509

That was awful.

tayto lover

Couldn't put many passes together at all. Kick and rush.
Nothing new in the new Ireland under MON.

Mr.Nice Guy

The O'Neill hate is really toxic.

Anyway a deserved win for the home side but some positives for Ireland, particularly the performance of Declan Rice.

Pity that Hogan couldn't convert his good chance in the first half.

Kerrydude1981

Like why cant we try set piece routines like Turkey were at for the corners

If we are apparently not good enough to play ball then set pieces need to be our main weapon

James McClean played a full 90,that is baffling

Rice looks a class act

Mahony0509

Need to get Rice on for a competitive game, even for 10 minutes at the end. England are watching, I assume.

Pawwed Rig

Horgan looked lively. Couple of good crosses. Not a hoofball game anyway. Rice looked good.
Not sure Doyle can be blamed for the goal.

Utopia Parkway

Mahony0509 wrote: »

Need to get Rice on for a competitive game, even for 10 minutes at the end. England are watching, I assume.

Could be mistaken but he doesn't seem the type to switch horses at this stage.

Ferris_Bueller

A poor game and felt like the same old story for the most part, but a worthwhile exercise I think.

A lot of us were calling to try out a 3-5-2 formation for the past few months, we can't rule it out altogether based on tonight, but I am less convinced it will work for us now, don't think we looked comfortable using it tonight. We didn't necessarily look any more solid than usual despite having an extra man at the back, we didn't have any creativity at all in midfield, wing backs were ineffective (especially McClean) and the two strikers were very neglected up there. Most of our players probably aren't used to this formation and it showed, if we were to play it all the time would we be fully comfortable using it? I'm not sure.

Newer players like Maguire, Hogan, Hourihane and Browne struggled tonight too. Not writing them off in any way and I'm sure at least one or two of them will be important players for us for years to come, but they still have a lot of adjusting to do at this level, particularly the two lads in midfield. It was good to get a look at these players for the management and for the fans, calls for a complete overhaul to the squad are over the top as realistically most players we bring in will take time to adapt.

And lastly, Declan Rice. I'm excited by him and he was very impressive tonight, he was solid and composed at centre back and looked even better when he moved into midfield. Prior to tonight I was thinking he will stake a claim for a squad player over the next year but now I am thinking he could be a real contender to start for us. Definitely the biggest positive and his performance alone probably made tonight worthwhile.

Mantis Toboggan

Jaysus there's nothing coming through. All the talk about some of the new players tonight, shows there's a long way to go.

thebaz

Mr.Nice Guy wrote: »

The O'Neill hate is really toxic.

Anyway a deserved win for the home side but some positives for Ireland, particularly the performance of Declan Rice.

it is really hard to warm to O'Neill , he is past his sell by date , by 5 years , and hardly endears himself to media or fans , when hard questions are asked , like the truth - i dont think he wants to be ther himself , and like any player who is not committed to playing for Ireland, just wish he would go , I'd like Roy given a shot on his own.

Rice did look good.