Skertel 
Ah lovely. Great play from long. Shite defending.
Jimmy McClean!
Bizarre change of penalty taker but shur fuck it. Delighted for Jimmy Mc.
4 - The Republic of Ireland have scored four penalties in their last five internationals. Spot.
That Christie lad looks ok.
O Kane has swung in some lovely corners so far.
Hopefully that’s merely a precaution for Long.
Take him off and stick Forde up front.
Ward slow as a wet week there.
McShane will get pilloried here but undeserved. Not up to it mind you but that last goal was hardly his fault
Ireland are playing well tonight*. We’ve been comfortable playing a few different ways over the last 6 or 7 games and this diamond type formation with a narrow midfield suits us best and gets Hoolahan involved. We’re getting better at moving the ball between the lines and retaining possession and we also play at a decent tempo and press the opposition very hard. Decent signs here. Poor goals to concede though and McShane has been desperate, even apart from the goals conceded.
*am I allowed to make this observation for a friendly, @thedancingbaby?
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Conor McGregor on
Forgot this was on. Can anyone summarise what has happened so far? Unusual to see a 2-2 scoreline at HT in an Ireland game. Pity Duffy isn’t getting another run out at centre-half. Pointless playing this muppet McShane who we know all about and know he doesn’t cut it. I wouldn’t have Ward in there at left back either. We should be using Wilson or Brady as our left back, preferably Wilson IMO.
Good sign that Long was involved in both goals. Seems to win a lot of penalties at club and international level
He was godawful. Diving into challenges all over the place, getting outmuscled, not seeing runs, horrible efforts at passing the ball - a highlight being his 5 yard square ball to O’Shea which he tried to play along the deck but it hit O’Shea in the nose.
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It is a terrible shame that Wes Hoolahan isn’t 10 years younger. He really is a cracking little player*
*that’s still well short of the esteem Dunphy holds him in
This Setanta interviewer of O’Neill is hopeless
A serious knee ligament injury for Rob Elliot is the early prognosis so that opens the door for Given or Westwood to join Randolph and Forde in the Euros squad.
O’Neill says he’s got a fair idea of his 23 already.
Reasonably positive 2 games.
Duffy moves ahead of Mc Shane.
Interesting O’Kane got a run in both games, to borrow a phrase which seems unique to rugby he could be a “bolter” of sorts.
Each team in the group will attack our left back be if Brady or Ward.
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