Where is The lost Irish passion?

Sandals

We played tonight like we were in fear of loosing where is the live and let die courage gone?

spinalsly

maybe it was cos the fact we were playing away......
na im wrong i knw what you mean, wheres that urgency, that drive, the big tackles etc.......

Lemlin

Playing away with 15,000 supporters. How many other national sides would get that many fans at an away game? It cost people I know €800 to go and watch that sh!te performance.

I don't know the reason for the loss of passion. But maybe Kerr is a similar case to Sven in England? He just can't get the players to perform with passion. I certainly hope that isn't the case but it looks that way.

spinalsly

he doesnt seem liek the manager who inspires a team with a gripping speech now does he.......

Memnoch

I don't know if it's just me, or if other people feel the same way. However I've noticed a disturbing trend throughout Ireland's current world cup qualifying campaign.

We seem to be capable of playing some great football and start most games well. Then something aweful happens! We score a goal. The entire team seems to switch off from that point on and just tries to sit back and defend (not very well at times). This has cost us time and time again, vs the swiss and Israel and may very well have cost us tonight. We settle for draws from games that we could have won comfortably on the night.

So what is up with this attitude and this "hold on to a one goal lead" mentality. I blame the manager for it. He is either not instilling the confidence or the right attitude among the players and I believe that is what is manifesting itself on the pitch.

We need someone with a bit of balls who is actually willing to let the team play a bit of football than telling them to all sit behind the 18 yard line and wait for the inevitable.

whiskeyman

I've noticed it happen ever since we shook off our underdog status.
We just dont know how to keep a lead and really go for a win.

MisterAnarchy

Kerr is a very cautious manager and I believe he is primarily to blame.
However this Irish team has consistenly withdrawn into its shell over the last 8 years starting with the Macedonia disaster.
I am sick of watching Ireland going a goal up and then try and hold onto a lead for almost 90 minutes.
I believe the English Premiership style is also a factor in this negative attitude.
Its 'Fear Football'.
The players are afraid to try something positive for fear they may make a mistake.
I cant remember the last time Ireland had a convincing away win against any team of repute.
Its very disappointing.
How can the difference between playing away be so different from playing at home ?
The Irish players need to see a psychiatrist.

Thanx 4 The Fish

Merged

wheres me jumpa

i think the players have to take some of the blame too. in many games this year we have lacked a leader. a person to dictate the game. this was a role occupied by roy keane in his hayday but keane lacks the energy now. admittedly we look a lot better with him in the squad but he just doesnt dominate the game anymore. add to this poor performances by other big players such as robbie and duffer in recent games and thats some of our biggest players in key positions that are failing to take on any leadership tasks.

Lemlin

I think the team have been relying on Duff too much. I mean, when was the last time Ireland scored two against major opposition in competitive football? The team has no creativity without him.

Last night, I was glad to see Steven Reid come on and try a few crosses. At least he was doing his best to create something. I think he should definitely start Wednesday night.

Roddy23

eh Lemlin did you just post the same answer in both threads, could have sworn I seen the above in the previous thread! lol

Roddy23

Forget that, going cuckoo here
Lettuce sandwich in work has just gone to me head

Lemlin

I posted the bit about Reid, or something along those lines, in another thread. I think he has to play after his performance as a substitute last night. He showed that he should of started.

Jivin Turkey

I agree about Reid. A mate said during the game that he should have started and I was sure that the reason he didnt was because of injury. Then he came on as a sub!

Finnan didnt do great out wide, and never really has, but thats not his position. Get Carr out of there and play Finnan at RB with Reid wide. Carr has been awful for us for ages, regularly making errors and being caught out.

Kingp35

Memnoch wrote:

We seem to be capable of playing some great football and start most games well. Then something aweful happens! We score a goal. The entire team seems to switch off from that point on and just tries to sit back and defend (not very well at times). This has cost us time and time again, vs the swiss and Israel and may very well have cost us tonight. We settle for draws from games that we could have won comfortably on the night.

So what is up with this attitude and this "hold on to a one goal lead" mentality. I blame the manager for it. He is either not instilling the confidence or the right attitude among the players and I believe that is what is manifesting itself on the pitch.

We need someone with a bit of balls who is actually willing to let the team play a bit of football than telling them to all sit behind the 18 yard line and wait for the inevitable.

You are 100% spot on with everything you have just said here and largely it is the managers fault. Kerr is an extremely defensive minded manager and he instills this to the players. Its his tactics that force us to sit back on a lead when we should continue to push forward. That is why the man will never do anything with this team as he just doesnt know what to do when we go a goal up. I also agree though with the point about the lackof leadership. Roy Keane always drives a team forward and doesnt allow a team to sit back on a lead. We miss that desire to drive everyone up the pitch. The manager is mostly to blame though.

spinalsly

i wouldnt take carr out he plays very well for newcastle and makes alot of crosses and is dangerous going down the wing

Lemlin

Playing well for Newcastle ain't going to do us much good when he has been consistently playing sh!te for Ireland.

Davei141

Roy Keane always drives a team forward and doesnt allow a team to sit back on a lead. We miss that desire to drive everyone up the pitch. The manager is mostly to blame though

He played in the israel game and the same thing happened as has always happened when we took the lead, 11 players behind the ball. I agree about the manager part.

super_furry

I think you got it right in you're first sentance Sandals - they're frightened of losing. They allow this to dictate the way they play and instead of going on to finish off a game when they're ahead, they sit back and try to defend what they've got. Happened against Israel and it cost us and it nearly did the same last night.

Jonny Arson

Kerr is the reason why there is no Irish passion.

Playing dull, negative football against world football giants like Cyprus :rolleyes: does not give our players the chance to show their passion and commitment to the green jersey.

Serbian

I think it's going to be in a movie directed by Mel Gibson.

That's about the most likely place you are going to see it at the moment anyway.

arbeitsscheuer

Taking the match purely on its own merit, Cyprus were so much better than us it was criminal that we excaped with a win. Passing, movement, control, pace (that #8 Aloneftis was f**king fast, man), and a solid defence - Everything they had that we lacked.

We have a pretty useless bunch of players lads, lets face it.

Jonny Arson

SebtheBum wrote:

We have a pretty useless bunch of players lads, lets face it.

Not an entirely bad bunch of players but the names of Dunne, Kilbane, G*ry D**erty, Maybury, Colgan, Quinn do spring to mind.

The problem with Kerr's selection ability is proven by the Kevin Doyle saga. Doyle before he joined Reading had Ireland U21 caps, scored goals against European teams the likes of Nantes and NEC but of course doing this as an eL player does nto compare to scoring 3 goals in the mighty 1st division. Doyle is the same player he was a Cork so why all of a sudden he gets a call up? It couldn't be because he's playing in England all of a sudden is it? :rolleyes: Kerr's treatment of the eL is disgraceful. If Doyle can get into the Irish squad so should Jason Byrne, Owen Heary, Wes Hoolahan, Roy O'Donovan, George O'Callaghan and Joe Gamble. No one tell me Gary Doherty is better than any of those players.

We have plenty of talent out there not being used. Aiden McGeady is the perfect example of a class player being wasted in the U21's.

Running Bing

Well for as long as I can remember Ireland have had a problem killing a game after scoring a goal. We go one up and they just dont play :mad: but recently I think our problems lie in the fact that Keane and Duff arent performing. In my opinion they have always been our most valuable players. When Keanes out the only way we look like scoring is from set pieces. When Duff is out theres no creativity in midfiled and we dont create chances. It just so happens that of late both have been playing extremely bad football. Thats what I think the main problemo is but theres obviously more to it such as Kerr(im starting to dislike him more and more after every game) also John O'shea is below par and plays very badly for ireland and even if we had a decent replacement for him I have a feeling Kerr would still include him in the squad.

Lemlin

Aiden McGeady is the perfect example of a class player being wasted in the U21's.

McGeady can't get a game for Celtic at the minute. He's not in-form and doesn't deserve a call-up. Hopefully he'll be one for the future.

Well for as long as I can remember Ireland have had a problem killing a game after scoring a goal. We go one up and they just dont play but recently I think our problems lie in the fact that Keane and Duff arent performing. In my opinion they have always been our most valuable players. When Keanes out the only way we look like scoring is from set pieces. When Duff is out theres no creativity in midfiled and we dont create chances. It just so happens that of late both have been playing extremely bad football. Thats what I think the main problemo is but theres obviously more to it such as Kerr(im starting to dislike him more and more after every game) also John O'shea is below par and plays very badly for ireland and even if we had a decent replacement for him I have a feeling Kerr would still include him in the squad.

Kerr is definitely running scared now. His former best friends, the media, have now turned on him. I guess he's learning how fickle they are. All in all, anything less than a win on Wednesday and he has to go, be it for Dave O'Leary or Marty O'Neill or whoever.

People said give him his chance and he's had it. I wouldn't blame him for the French result, they're a world class team, but we should not of drawn with Israel once, let alone twice. I think last night was a sign that the players are losing their confidence in him too.

[Jackass]

When there's uncertainty surrounding a manger in his job, there is uncertainty in the performances. Nobody knows where they stand. The best example of this is when Ferguson said it was his last season at Utd, it also happend to be their worst season for a long time.

I dont think Kerr inspires his team, I think they have trusted his tacitcs, and lost points, I think there's an undertone of division in the camp, I dont think some players wnated Roy Keane back, which dosen't help matters, but he should still be there imo.

We have no leaders in the team without him, and cant perorm with out him. It's as much his presence, and key actions at key times which gives a team confidence...truly lacking in cyprus. An example is UTDs record without Keane, Irelands last qulifying campagin without Keane or a leader...headless chickens, but he can only do so much when trying to supprot Kerrs tactics on the pitch...sitting back in Israel, and the crazy shuffle in Dublin that cost us 4 points which would leave us now needing a point to win the group.
Needless to mention the lost lead against Switzerland, our in ability to play with a lead in cyprus, and our sacrafice of a lead against Russia in the last campaign that would have gotten us a playoff.

The team needs balls.

Its a simular scenario to Zidane coming back for France, the whole team ups their game, and have been a different prospect to before.

McCarthy was equaly inept at tactical descions, but at least he motivated his team, which got him slightly better results.

But how about next time we go for a motivator who has tactical knowledge too?

Martin O'Neill is perfect for the job....if only we could get him.

Kingp35

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
The best post I have read in a while