Wheelers and Macca don’t work together, pal… it’s one or the other.
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They said that about Stevie and Lamps and they won England the World Cup.
I never saw the changes against Italy coming, bar Clark out and one of Keogh/Duffy in, they were all shocks.
Considering how much praise Hoolahan got for his performance against Sweden, dropping him was a big call and it did work. Considering how shit McCarthy was against Belgium, retaining him ahead of Whelan (who generally does a decent job) was a big call. He was much improved. Coleman was another who stepped it up, I thought he was really poor against Sweden. Murphy may never threaten the goal but he performed his role really well, and I’m not sure we can afford to go into the France game without someone to hold the ball up in that manner.
Dropping O’Shea was one that I’m not sure necessarily was the right choice. Obviously we didn’t concede, but we looked very nervy at the back at times. O’Shea isn’t great on the ball or anything but does calm things down back there and I wouldn’t be surprised to see him retained. Not sure who ahead of- Duffy brings that aerial threat from set-pieces but Keogh is a better defender.
Did McCarthy do a better job than Whelan would have? Maybe, maybe not, but I’d be slightly surprised to see him change the shape of the midfield anyway.
Ward is still a weak link and now it looks as if he might be out with an injury. That will be the big call. Do you move Brady back and lose what he brings in midfield? He could possibly really link up with McClean (who I think will start again) in a way that Ward struggled to at times. Moving McClean back is another option, but I don’t think he’d do that and Christie or Clark or even O’Shea at left-back is the other option. I’d nearly give Christie a go, although it would be dropping him in the deep end.
If Walters is fit, I would play him. At the expense of Long? I suppose if Walters is there, maybe he’d perform the role that Murphy did and Long might be able to pick up some space. Long is a lot more likely to score than Murphy, but Walters is a big game player too and would add a goalscoring touch.
I think the way we’ll beat the French will be the way we beat the Germans. They are no great shakes really, they were in a poor group and needed late goals to win two games. If Albania can hold them out for 88 minutes, then surely we can hold them out for 90? What they do have is a lot of pace in midfield, which we don’t have, as well as serious physical strength. But they haven’t been great in the final third and I think they have defensive weaknesses.
I really fucking hope we do it.
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I didn’t read all your post but whelan should never start a game again for Ireland,he’s shit,backwards sideways everyways but forwards,as trump might say he’s “low energy”,the team that started last week again Italy is the way forward
I disagree. I mean he’s not top class or anything close to that, and sometimes it is very frustrating how he just moves the ball from side to side.
But McCarthy is not much different, even against Italy where most people are saying he had a good game, he was very slow to get the ball forward or even to move it quickly across the pitch to a man in space. Hendrick is the only really positive-thinking central midfielder we have (and Brady if you count him as a midfielder).
You have to have one midfielder to cover the defence and Whelan reads the game well, and he does look for the ball from the defence even if he only uses it very simply after. McCarthy is definitely more talented but confidence does seem to be an issue for him.
I don’t think McCarthy did anything against Italy that Whelan wouldn’t have done. He still didn’t want the ball but had some good defensive moments against a largely disinterested team
That would be Alan Ball (RIP) and Nobby Stiles. What a pair of terriers, we could do with them tomorrow. Even moreso England, they haven’t a defensive mid worth a shit.
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That’s what we need against France, sideways, backwards, sideways again, into touch occasionally. But mostly plug up the middle. Pogba coming inside with Payet to feed off could rip us a new one quicker than the Belgians. The French don’t attack much down the flanks which is where we should attack them. I would play Brady where he was against Italy. McClean will give them bother and Coleman should retire the useless Evra.
We’re going to do this
Have RTE done a montage for today?
Yes.
Wishing Eire well today. It would be terrific for British football if they advanced. I fear though the final score will be anything France want it to be. France to win 4-0.
Bolock and bite lads. Boot bollock and bite. Put em under pressure. Row z. Corner flag. Hoof it up to slab. Put em under pressure.
Play the Irish way.
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Next montage will be for the Quarter Final game.
Who’s gonna be the hero today?I hope it’s mcClean
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If Duffy is dropped I’m going to tug my balls until they turn blue & fall off.
Not that i would fancy any of them really but of the 4 centre halves v. Greizman i would fear the most for Duffy. He would be fucked by Greizmans movement.
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no changes folks
Deschamps is a very ugly man.
He has a similar blotchy mug like Dunphy, is Didier a piss head?