Ah no, shur they turned up in their droves to watch Traps lads in Poland.
I met Damo and Wayne from Fair City at the match last night. Two top, top lads.
Could someone please copy and paste Brian Kerrâs Irish Times article from today up here? Iâve read 7 of my free 10 for the month and I want to save 3.
Ireland gathered three points but at a severe and frustrating cost. I would never discourage the physicality that Glenn Whelan and James McClean bring to this team but their lack of control on this night robs Ireland of their services when Germany comes to Dublin on October 8th.
Martin OâNeill will be furious at both menâs needless lack of composure.
James McCarthy will probably be the holding midfielder now, with Stephen Quinn possibly getting a chance. Itâs where McCarthy will eventually end up.
Whelan uncharacteristically lost the head. Winning that header over Giorgi Papunashvili was fine but the Hungarian referee only yellow carded him because of a prolonged abusive tirade. Then McClean arrived and nearly sliced the ankle off the same Georgia player.
They are both replaceable yet remain vital elements if Ireland are to qualify from Group D. That muddies OâNeillâs formation a little and certainly if we are chasing a late goal next month, McCleanâs impact will be missed.
Itâs all well and good to have a system based around a midfield diamond but Ireland are sacrificing width in trying to break down sides like Georgia. And breaking down sides is something we are clearly struggling to do.
When Georgian wing backs came at us last night we took the logical approach of dipping balls into the corners for the smart movement of Jon Walters. It largely negated the midfield as an attacking entity.
But the system, OâNeillâs policy these past three matches, needed to legitimise the benching of Aiden McGeady and McClean. Iâm not sure it did that. For OâNeillâs tenure to be successful, itâs up Jeff Hendrick and James McCarthy to make the diamond more effective.
Granted, the decision to play three midfielders and no wingers provided scope for Wes Hoolahan. Wes didnât disappoint as McCarthy covered Coleman, while Hendrick drifted over to cover our converted left back Robbie Brady. But I think the Germans will expose us if we stay with this unstructured formation. A 4-4-1-1 with width will be needed, I feel.
Hendrick and McCarthy worked and ran but didnât start to dominate until the 60-minute mark. That meant Hoolahan suffered in an over-populated area.
Shane Long had to replace Robbie Keane at half-time, with Ireland needing some muscle up front. The captain wasnât involved in the game, besides one flash shot over the bar, and he didnât show well for possession.
Limitations
Long won ball in the air and on the floor to expose Robbieâs physical limitations. He must now be seen as a late sub and only when we need a goal. It comes back to the shape.
John OâShea and Whelan mostly exuded authority but we defended like we were on the road. Ciaran Clark is settling in nicely as OâSheaâs partner.
By not having a genuine winger option, Coleman and Brady were forced to twist back inside and not really attack with intent until Longâs introduction.
In the first half Ireland rarely looked like a side gifted a real chance to qualify for the Euros in France, following Georgiaâs win over Scotland on Friday. The required high tempo was visible for a few minutes before everything ground to snailâs pace. It was a subdued affair until the late raids.
I went to buy two tickets for this game, for the grandchildren, but they cost âŹ60 each. No thanks. Iâm not the only one who felt this way; the crowd was made up of diehards only, and while it was heartening to hear them, it wasnât until walking down Baggot Street that it felt like a football international was taking place in Dublin 4. Thatâs an hour before kick-off. Shame.
The tempo Ireland craved eventually came on the hour mark and for a time it sounded like a full house. The grandkids would have loved it.
By this stage OâNeill was dancing on the edge of his technical box, not in the suit mind. He was wearing his working manâs clothes, the tracksuit. A familiar gait, playing every ball, every pass, willing the ball towards that old south terrace end. By now the shape no longer mattered. It was about energy, desire.
Georgia were on the rack as corner after corner whizzed over from Bradyâs left foot.
Finally, Walters delivered. Brady had stormed forward before it fell to Jeff Hendrick who finessed and muscled through three defenders before finding a tightly marked Walters. Twinkle-toed bluntness. A real Irish goal. And 69 minutes coming.
Emotions
With the game all but won we suffered a heavy cost. I understand why Whelan felt aggrieved after winning a header through Papunashvili but his inability to control his emotions, not once but twice, means we are without our anchor for the Germany game.
As if we werenât already up against it, McClean ran on and rubbed studs down Papunashvili for good measure.
At least McCleanâs arrival and Walters drifting right gave us wingers that negated Georgiaâs overlapping threat. Thatâs worth noting even if it didnât impact on the result.
This was a victory born out of strength of character. So, itâs down to the last two games. Four points would be ideal. Two points might do.
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that is one of the most boring posts i have ever read
Longâs role is not to control a football, his first move was to hit the baldy guy a belt of a shoulder and rough shit up, it usually works and it did last night
Robbie Keane is a center halfâs dream at this stage of his career, he offers no physical presence so the punts into the box are easy to defend as he just runs about gesticulating waiting for a mistake should u make one but his reflexes are so slow ure partner should clatter him, Long plays the battering ram type of role, a lad like Iarla Tannion would be equally as effective, purists and the DFB Pokal WOOF! brigade are loathe to accept this tho as it really shows what a simple game soccer is when played this way
Did he get one of the mentioned grandkids to write that article?
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Not often I disagree with Kerr, but Iâm of the belief that 6 points from the final 2 games would be more ideal than the 4 he mentions.
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Itâs a horribly edited piece. Does nobody put his paragraphs into order for him? Readers will note he shares my opinion on wingers though. I think it was more important last night against their 3-4-2-1 than it will be against Germany but we have 2 good attacking full backs who will create chances, but not if we rely on them to be our only width.
Itâs an awful shame all our centre backs are mediocre as we have a number of players who would fit well into a 3-5-2 set up with Coleman and Brady as wing backs
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I know we beat them last night but I thought that Georgia formation last night was really good. Iâm going to try it out on Pro Evo and FIFA over the next few days.
A team like:
Wetwood
OâShea OâDea Clark
Coleman Hendrick Whelan Brady
McGeady Hoolahan
Keane
would be a fine side if OâDea or someone else was up to it.
Sean St Ledger
I donât know about that, mate.
Jesus, Iâm glad Brian Kerr wasnât my grandad growing up. Heâs a former Ireland manager and canât get a few handy free tickets for the grandkids in a half full stadium?
(Should mention my grandad was pretty useless in this context, I doubt he ever watched anything except the horses).
Demanding tickets from grandad, eh? And they said the Celtic Tiger generation were the selfish ones?
Both my grandads had died by the time I was five weeks old. Some people donât know theyâre born.
Did you live in a hole in the road and get up half and hour before you went to sleep as well Sid? Iâd hate for anyone to outdo you in your imaginary hardship arms race. You poor sausage.
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Remembering imaginary hardship is a key part of the affected curmedgeonly personality Iâve tried to cultivate, mate. Nobody can or will take those memories away from me.
Did Brian Kerr write that sentence for you?
Thatâs 2 sentences mate.
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If the jocks beat Poland weâre in a big world of shit.
Wonât happen. The skirt wearers are fucked. The wheels are off. Theyâll do well to finish 4th.
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