I can see some small bit of logic there but as nice a player as Hoolahan is heās not going to be anything different for an Italian defence that will be used to playing against similar players. No point saving anyone, if heās fit to start he should get an hour or so anyway.
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Presumably its this fearless mindset which has seen Eire fail to record a single win over Belgium in their seven previous competitive matches stretching back to 1934,
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Assuming we only make 1 change it looks like a straight choice between McClean as a straight swap for Walters or Ward coming in. Which would you go for? (As ever results of this poll are binding).
- Ward
- McClean
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3 pints and time for breakfast. Iām on the train to Clapham for it. Do it for Ireland lads. Destroy these terrorist sympathetic people. Quiten moleenbeek tonight
Belgium team apparently
Change at right back with the MLS lad dropped for a guy from Brugges.
Nainggolan and Fellaini make way for Dembele and Carrasco. Seems a better team.
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Yeah if thatās the team weāll have our work cut out, although Iād start Mertens as well if i was them
Any idea who would take our penalties when Walters and Robbie arenāt on the pitch?
Long or Brady I assume?
Brady. Was Whelan the Stoke penalty taker at one stage in his career or am I mixing him up with someone else?
Hopefully not Long anyway.
Ward gets the nod. The more fingalians in the side the better
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Couldnāt argue either way. Possession based midfield now with Brady and Hoolahan and no physical presence.
Iām not quite seeing how our right wing will be made up. Weāre bringing in a left back when we have no problem on that wing at all. Our left wing worked exceptionally well against Sweden, our right wing was a disaster and so weāre fixing a problem that doesnāt exist and not fixing a problem that very definitely exists.
I hope to fuck it works.
Because the left or right is arbitrary. With Walters we just overload one side from an attacking sense. To keep the same system the next obvious candidates are all left sided players. Hopefully weāve had more time to work on getting McCarthy to slide wider right and having Long and Hoolahan pressing their left back.
From April of this year.
"Dunphy makes a complete arse of himself again just there. āLook at Atletico buying in the bargain basement. The guy who assisted the goal is a 22 year old from Monaco. You can be sure they paid little or nothing for him.ā
Someone please tell Eamon that Atletico paid ā¬25million for him as a 21 year old"
Dunphy just called Carasco deadly and lethal .
His name translates as Christ of Terror 
What odds are the bookies giving on Martin OāNeill attempting a smile before the Group is completed?
That Hoolahan goal was better than I realised. With all the boys in green high jinx I forgot to watch it back.
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I donāt rate Ward all that highly but I think it is the right move. Brady to midfield should allow us to be a bit more comfortable on the ball and he will test the right back. Shame McGeady is so off form ascitvwould have suited to have him on the left and keep Brady at left back but what can you do.
I have never been convinced by McClean as a starter, great attitude but awfully raw and rash. Far better suited to an impact sub role