Duffy wasn’t as at fault for the 2nd goal as Ward in my opinion who watched Griezmann run away from him unopposed into the centre as he did all the first half.
The likes of @Fagan_ODowd and myself could have told you that Antoine is at his most dangerous when hes left in a roaming role coming in from either right or left. He’s done it all season for Atletico. He’s often played out wide left to protect while Filipe Luis roams beyond him. He’s unable to function against someone who sticks to him and gives him a few niggles. A great player but often throws in a stinker against a physical opponent. Sadly today we let him roam around the place without a care in the world and while Payet and Pogba were underwhelming Griezmann was the most obvious threat.
Anyway, am fairly sure if we’d covered him well enough someone else would have popped up. Ridiculous how much talent France have. Winning like they did today will give them a great boost and assuming England win it should be a great quarter final.
The two centre backs are the only reason they might not win it out, and even then they have more than enough quality to make up for it. That and their own self belief. Night and day between when they started to click in the 2nd half and the first half performance.
I think the yellow and suspension of Kante could well be the making of them. They lack balance with him, Matuidi and Pogba there. Too much legsvsnd not enough guile or passing. Cabaye or Greizman in there will make a big difference to them
Christ, there was lots of mistakes today starting the very same team i thought was wrong for a start. the energy put in the other night was obviously going to take its toll. 1st half we were good but not as energetic and in the oppositions faces like we were v Italy, France more so were poor but they upped it the 2nd half. for lads to be obsolving the backs for the crucial goal is madness, yes the legs were on the way out but let the smartness get over that, it was a terrible goal to give away (btw i didnt bother my hole watching the rte analysis / aftermath i took a cycle to the off license) Long for all his effort is limited as are most of them at this level but is a player that could do it off the bench on the break, if you were going to play walters it should have been from the start and give him 50 and bring a fresh long on then to play up top with wes to come on for murphy and hope to catch them on the break. the sending off was the killer though and we had no one in midfield to get the tackles in after mccarthy came off. im v proud of them though eireann go bragh
hopefully them french cunts dont do it.